Westminsterenders: The Ersatz ImitationThread

[OlennasWimple]

I am no RedToothBrush, so I'm not going to try to emulate her exception OP style.

Here, though, in the interests of carrying on our conversations about WTF is going on with Brexit and the weird political world we find ourselves in right now, is a sort of continuation thread

(Hurry back Red, we need you!)

There is a huge problem. Despite the time leading up to the referendum and the 13 months after, people have still not brought themselves up to speed about the EU, single market, customs union.

Jeremy Corbyn saying you have to be in the EU to be in the single market, despite four other countries being in the single market without being in the EU. They have to accept the four freedoms. The four indivisible freedoms, so no cherry picking.

www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/jeremy-corbyn-is-wrong-you-dont-have-to-be-a-member-of-the-eu-to-be-part-of-the-single-market

Many in the media also haven't bothered to learn about the complexity of these different issues either. Andrew Neil was patiently corrected by Nick Clegg on the DP not so long ago. No wonder mendacious tv guests were getting away with blue murder spouting rubbish bolleaux. Nobody knowledgeable enough to cut through their bull. After all this time. I'll do a Liz Truss 'It's a disgrace'.

Is Suzanne Evans the most frequent 'political commentator' on current event tv shows? And why isn't Lord Buckethead getting as much airtime?

Richard North on chickens and farming post-brexit. This seems to be an area of specific professional expertise for him. It is a very balanced post, with regards to the chlorine issue.

eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86551

Fat to chew?
Sawdust and silicone are chewier.

(Deepest gratitude to Olennas).

I see BMW have announced that it will be producing the electric Mini in Cowley from 2019. www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40718892

The BBC story mentions tariffs, but not difficulties with customs. If there are substantial delays importing the drivetrains from Germany (and probably other components from the EU) and exporting the finished cars, how long will BMW be prepared to put up with that before moving production to the Netherlands or elsewhere?

Thankss olennas

I do wonder if Red has gone deep undercover , possibly in a boutique hotel in the Swiss Alps

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Thanks, olennas

Rachel Sylvester‏ (Times) - minister sums up Tory dilemma:

"We are stuck in a ‘damned if we do, damned if we don’t’ bind.
If we cancel Brexit we destroy ourselves; if we go ahead we destroy the country"

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b34e93c0-707d-11e7-8eac-856e9b33761e

Every time DD opens his mouth, more stupid falls out !

On the day Article 50 was triggered, DD phoned Finland's foreign minister, who supposedly a critic of the EU.

Davis enthusiastically announced that Brexit had begun, what he thought of EU (many insults) and that he needed the minister's support to secure a good deal from the EU.

...... Only when he heard the voice at the other end of the line did DD realise he was in fact speaking to Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator !

OOPS! - great start to the negotiations !

Depressing though if DD can't even phone properly himself and fires off without checking.

On the today program this morning. Michael Gove says no to cholorine rinsed chicken.

He also says Brexit needs to be pragmatic.

Plaice mat Queen

It's not just US chicken, but US beef packed with hormones from unhealthy cattle who are not allowed to roam and eat grass - 100,000 animals at a time, crammed together in feeding lots

This is not just a miserable life for the animals, but also produces less healthy meat:
Most mass studies showing red meat is bad for you come from US research on their population eating that stuff.

You may have noticed that even UK low carbers and paleo fans often say it is important to eat "grass-fed" beef - they've been reading US articles.

"Grass-fed" is of course the norm in the UK.
With TTIP, this will no longer be the norm for even UK beef, because UK farmers will lower standards to compete, or go broke

How I will laugh if unison wins its tribunal fees challenge in the Supreme Court today. It was an outside bet, but right is on its side, with an 80% collapse in claims, including over 80% of all pregnancy discrimination claims. I wouldn't like to be the minister who gave an unconditional promise to refund the many millions of pounds of fees paid since fees were introduced in 2013 if the decision goes against them. The government will certainly struggle as to whether to take an appeal to the ECJ if it loses, and that on its own would be a joy to watch.

Also I think that the tribunal fees hike is a good example of the policies which the LibDems prevented in coalition. Then as soon as there was a bigger Tory majority it was forced through.

Talking of Gove
A warning for us all and mainly the Tory party

How I will laugh if unison wins its tribunal fees challenge in the Supreme Court today.

It has!

Yes - such amazing news! We are all celebrating. And the government now has to repay £27 million of fees to individual claimants.

The sad thing about that victory is that it doesn't help those uncounted numbers who never went to tribunal because they couldn't afford but are now time-barred

The government will certainly struggle as to whether to take an appeal to the ECJ if it loses, and that on its own would be a joy to watch.

But it will "reinforce" their message that the UK kowtows to those pesky human rights ...

Mistigri Thank you for the Richard North link. It is a very good summary of the issues.

I could not work out how to vote in the Jo Maugham poll. Was it just by tweeting?

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Thanks for the thread, Olennas.

I have had some personal stuff going on recently so had to take some time off the politics for my own sanity. However, I just saw this win and am so thrilled I had to come on here immediately and share the joy :o

The UK's Highest Court Just Ruled That Employment Tribunal Fees Are Unlawful
www.buzzfeed.com/matthewchampion/the-uks-highest-court-just-ruled-that-employment-tribunal?bfsource=bbf_enuk&utm_term=.sgrYYAZ7qr#.rx866zWRLa

The judgement is bomb proof. Possibly the most important judgment of the last ten years - because it throws down a gauntlet about the role of courts in protecting us from an overweaning executive.

Eg"At the heart of the concept of the rule of law is the idea that society is governed by law.... Without access to justice, laws are liable to become a dead letter, the work done by parliament may be rendered nugatory, and the democratic election of members of parliament may become a meaningless charade" (para 68).