Westministenders: Before the Fire Alarm of Rome goes off

[RedToothBrush]

I’m going to keep this one very simple.

THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS 22ND MAY.
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Postal votes start to go out on 23rd May.

Your challenge is to persuade someone to register to vote or to get someone who is considering not to, to get their arse to the polling station.

Go forth and harass. Especially women and the young.

That’s it. No frills OP.

LH I've read an article cheerfully saying that it's unlikely that the UK will leave the EASA, as four of its members aren't in the EU, i.e. Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

I think you must be new here otherwise you'd stop with this - frankly unBritish - "logic" and "reason" frippery.

A hard Brexit is a scorched earth policy - it has to obliterate any and all traces of EU poison in our pure Anglo-Saxon haven. Given the size of majority the hard Brexit camp are headed for, it's becoming inconceivable that the UK could remain a member of any European organisation (or rather it's becoming entirely possible the UK could pull out of all European organisations). And given the way the UK has acted this year alone, it's also entirely possible that we might be excluded or forced out of the odd organisations we would like the idea of staying in ... why should the UK get to pick and choose ?

Writing that, I wonder how the UKs membership of UEFA would stand ? How does UEFA integrate into the EU ? I imagine it's certainly constituted to have the ECJ as the court of final appeal ?

They will never be forgiven for the coalition with the Tories

They will never be forgiven for the coalition with the Tories

And given the way the UK has acted this year alone, it's also entirely possible that we might be excluded or forced out of the odd organisations we would like the idea of staying in ... why should the UK get to pick and choose ?

I think Treeza May is banking on being able to withdraw from all organisations for public consumption. See, I've delivered Brexit. Then quietly opting back in to certain groups, like Euratom, or EASA, or Europol, (and probably even paying for them.) But the EU won't play ball, naughty EU, it's all their fault, they have called our bluff at long last.

If it wasn't for the ridiculous tribalism in British politics, Osborne would be more at home as a LibDem. Maybe to the right of the party, but more in common than the Tory party he is trying desperately not to rubbish.

It's not such a strange suggestion as Whigs Liberals started life as Tories (and a trivia point for anyone who knows the derivation of the word "Tory", which actually has some modern resonance, comes from).

My apologies, LH, I shall get myself off to the re-education camp soonest.

Doesn't the E in UEFA stand for European? In which case, shouldn't we definitely be exiting that, too?

We could start a British Soccer World Series.

I think Treeza May is banking on being able to withdraw from all organisations for public consumption. See, I've delivered Brexit. Then quietly opting back in to certain groups, like Euratom, or EASA, or Europol, (and probably even paying for them.) But the EU won't play ball, naughty EU, it's all their fault, they have called our bluff at long last.

Cake and eat it, pick and choose ... it isn't as if she (and we) haven't been warned.

There's the added possibility that - post A50 - the EU tightens up on a lot of the looser non-EU but European agencies (which it can do by din't of sheer numbers).

I can easily imagine a shed load of conditions any new members (which is exactly what the UK will be) must comply with before joining. Submission to the ECJ for starters.

LH - I thought that in one of the major splits in the past, the moderate Tories joined the Whigs and became the Liberals, rather than Whigs being Tories?

Tory came from the Irish for bandit, so I believed. Pity people don't remember that. Just goes to show, being well dressed and smooth talking can enable you to get away with any number of crimes.

My apologies, LH, I shall get myself off to the re-education camp soonest.

I think it would more likely be "de-Europeanification" programme. The UK probably still has the template for the de-Nazification classes we ran after the war. Just need to translate them and do a find and replace "Euro" for "Nazi".

Doesn't the E in UEFA stand for European? In which case, shouldn't we definitely be exiting that, too?

It does. And moreover it's in the wrong place because it reflects a French phrase - quelle horror !. Same as "FIFA".

We could start a British Soccer World Series.

Only we'd call it the Sun Series (very nerdy point there )

LH - I thought that in one of the major splits in the past, the moderate Tories joined the Whigs and became the Liberals, rather than Whigs being Tories?

My vague recollection was that the split came after the Restoration, when some peers wanted to relax the prohibition on Catholics, and some didn't - probably the non-Catholics who did quite well out of being able to do things Catholics couldn't. I have a shelf full of history books, so will remind myself when I can.

Tory came from the Irish for bandit, so I believed.

my understanding too. Very English to take an insult against you, and wear it as a badge of honour. (Historians have noted that whilst German propaganda idealised Hitler, and tried to play on Churchills infirmity, British Pathe had newsreels of Churchill playing up his need to use a cane, by spinning his hat on it for the Tommies).

LH is that a reference to Simon Winchester's theory?

Speaking of which, I'm beginning to favour the Shaun of the Dead approach to the coming debacle (pardon my French) catastrophe (pardon my Greek) fuck-up (that's better, Anglo-Saxon). Which is likely to meet with the same degree of success, I fear.

PattyPenguin

LH is that a reference to Simon Winchester's theory?

Now you have the better of me !

I was referring to this urban legend

I have persuaded 2 people to vote. Tory, thank goodness.

LH same theory, different source.

In other news, Marina Hyde being very funny about the Maybot.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/16/in-stoke-may-marches-on-with-familiar-neuron-crushing-dullness?CMP=share_btn_fb

Well done, copper sulphate. It's all about engagements. What were the arguments you used to persuade them?

Checked out Lib dem candidate. Oh, no. The usual lib dem candidates decided not to stand and this one is a braggart and quite nasty. So I can't really vote for him.

Thank you for the lesson in political history.

What about Champions League? Will we leave and have our own with South Eat Asian and Middle East venues?

Well done, copper sulphate. It's all about engagements. What were the arguments you used to persuade them?

Our neighbour is a dreadful boor, and insists on discussing politics and trying to convert us. Finally MrsLH and I told them we are voting Conservative just to shut them up ....

Here's a different view on tuition fees:
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2016/jan/28/the-evidence-suggests-i-was-completely-wrong-about-tuition-fees

While I don't disagree with abolishing tuition fees, it's a policy that mostly benefits wealthier families, and the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Universities are about to lose a shit load of their funding. Earlier education is being stripped to beyond the bone. It's a double whammy of heading back to the days of education only for the privileged. That's without fees being on the table or not.

Information Commissioner opens a formal investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes:
iconewsblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/17/information-commissioner-elizabeth-denham-opens-a-formal-investigation-into-the-use-of-data-analytics-for-political-purposes/

In March we announced we were conducting an assessment of the data protection risks arising from the use of data analytics, including for political purposes.

Engagement with the electorate is vital to the democratic process. Given the big data revolution it is understandable that political campaigns are exploring the potential of advanced data analysis tools to help win votes. The public have the right to expect that this takes place in accordance with the law as it relates to data protection and electronic marketing.

This is a complex and rapidly evolving area of activity and the level of awareness among the public about how data analytics works, and how their personal data is collected, shared and used through such tools, is low. What is clear is that these tools have a significant potential impact on individuals’ privacy. It is important that there is greater and genuine transparency about the use of such techniques to ensure that people have control over their own data and the law is upheld.

Having considered the evidence we have already gathered I have decided to open a formal investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes. This will involve deepening our current activity to explore practices deployed during the UK’s EU Referendum campaign but potentially also in other campaigns. Given the transnational nature of data the investigation will involve exploring how companies operating internationally deploy such practices with impact or handling of data in the UK.

Shining a light on such practices will require detailed investigative work and engagement with a range of organisations – political parties and campaigns, data companies and social media platforms, as well as international cooperation. This investigation is a high priority for my office in our work to uphold the rights of individuals and ensure that political campaigners and companies providing services to political parties operate within UK law. We will provide an update later in the year.

I am conscious that opening this formal investigation coincides with ongoing campaigning ahead of the General Election. The timing of my decision is unrelated to the current campaign but I would nonetheless remind all relevant organisations of the need to comply with the law. I have written to all major political parties with our updated guidance on political campaigning.

Too late for this election after the horse has bolted...

.... But its not just the UK. This from yesterday.

www.cnil.fr/fr/node/23602
Common Statement by the Contact Group of the Data Protection Authorities of The Netherlands, France, Spain, Hamburg and Belgium

In France the Restricted Committee of the CNIL has decided to pronounce a public sanction of 150,000 euros against Facebook Inc. and Facebook Ireland Limited. The Restricted Committee finds that the Facebook group does not have a legal basis to combine of all the information it has on account holders to display targeted advertising.

It also finds that the Facebook group engages in unlawful tracking, via the datr cookie, of internet users. The cookie banner and the mention of information collected "on and outside Facebook” do not allow users to clearly understand that their personal data are systematically collected as soon as they navigate on a third-party website that includes a social plug in.

In Belgium the Belgian Privacy Commission today issues new recommendations to the Facebook Group about its tracking of users and non-users of Facebook through cookies, social plug-ins and pixels, following Facebook’s changes thereto in September 2015 and May 2016 after the Privacy Commission’s first recommendations of 15 May 2015. The Belgian Privacy Commission considers that Facebook continues to act in non-compliance with both Belgian and EU data protection law as regards the tracking of both users and non-users of Facebook through cookies, social plug-ins and pixels. In particular the legal requirements regarding consent, fairness, transparency and proportionality are not met, amongst others due to the shortcomings in the information that Facebook communicates to data subjects and the inadequacy of the choices that Facebook offers data subjects.

The Belgian Privacy Commission further considers that the collection of personal data by Facebook using cookies, social plug-ins and pixels is excessive in several circumstances. The Privacy Commission is seeking judicial enforcement of its recommendations before the Court of First Instance of Brussels. Oral pleadings are set to take place on 12-13 October 2017.

In the Netherlands, Facebook Group violates Dutch data protection law. That is the conclusion of the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens; hereinafter: DPA) after its investigation into the processing of personal data of 9.6 million Facebook users in the Netherlands. The company breaches Dutch data protection law including by giving users insufficient information about the use of their personal data. The Dutch DPA has also found that the Facebook Group uses sensitive personal data from users without their explicit consent. For example, data relating to sexual preferences were used to show targeted advertisements. The Facebook Group has made changes to end the use of this type of data for this latter purpose. The Dutch DPA currently assesses whether the other violations have stopped. If that is not the case, the Dutch DPA may decide to issue a sanction.

In Germany (Hamburg) the Hamburg DPA has issued two different orders relating to the Facebook Group. One case was centered around the use of pseudonyms. Facebook appealed against the decision. The Higher Administrative Court lifted the order to allow pseudonymous use, without taking a decision on the question whether the Hamburg DPA was competent. Instead the Court referred to the ongoing procedure at the European Court of Justice to decide about applicable law (in the case of the DPA of Schleswig Holstein, EUCJ case C-210/16 [1]). In a second procedure, the Hamburg DPA ordered the Facebook Group to stop combining data from WhatsApp users without their prior consent. On 25 April 2017, the (lower) Administrative Court confirmed the validity of this order, without deciding on applicable law. [2]

In Spain, the Spanish DPA, after preliminary investigations on FB’s privacy policy and terms of use opened two infringement procedures. The procedures, taking into account the results of the investigations, are based on the alleged infringement of the provisions of the Spanish data protection law.

Applicable law
In each of the aforementioned national investigations, the Facebook Group has contested the applicability of national data protection law of the Member State in question. According to the Facebook Group, only Irish data protection law would be applicable, and only the Irish DPA would be competent to supervise the processing of personal data of users of the service in Europe. However, the DPAs united in the Contact Group conclude that their respective national data protection law applies to the processing of personal data of users and non-users by the Facebook Group in their respective countries and that each DPA has competence. Following case law from the European Court of Justice (the cases of Google Spain, Weltimmo and Amazon[3] ), the DPAs note that the Facebook Group has offices in multiple countries in the EU. These offices aim to promote and increase the sales of targeted advertising aimed at national users and non-users of the service. For its revenues, the Facebook Group almost completely depends on the sale of advertising space, and personal data must necessarily be processed for the type of targeted advertising services offered by the Facebook Group. Therefore, the activities of these offices are “inextricably linked” to the data processing by the Facebook Group, and all the investigated national offices are relevant establishments under Article 4(1)a of the European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.

EU position on Data Protection and Facebook....