Westminstenders: The Maddest of May and Boris's Dare

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson just dared May to fire him.

That's what his little rant about £350 million buses is.

Meanwhile its been pointed out that HMRC literally are incapable of handling a no deal and can only cope with an EEA / EFTA deal with no tariffs.

And given how good and on time the government are with computer systems even in a best case scenario are extremely unlikely to crack it in time.

Which makes Hammond's talk of a civil contingence plan, look, well half arsed and lacking.

We also wouldn't have planes able to fly to Europe under a no deal as we would no longer be part of Open Skies. This could leave thousands stranded. But no biggie there.

Meanwhile if the Leave Alliance have things right, May is about to serve our one year notice on leaving the EEA making all these things a reality.

Which is less like shooting yourself in the head and more like shooting yourself in the head, chest, foot, arm, leg and face (for a second time), whilst being run over at the same time.

But hey, Boris Johnson has it sussed in his 10 point plan. Especially the point where he says Brexit will be a success.

If you call success ending democracy, becoming a dictatorship, starving everyone, bankrupting the country and causing civil unrest.

Rule Britannia.

(paywall) HOLY FUCK !
Expats may lose pensions - without deal on contracts

< or why "Financial Passporting" doesn't just affect big City profits >
< thank fuck I decided against a private Uk pension, because of Standard Life >
< any Westministenders affected by this ? >

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/expats-may-lose-pensions-without-deal-on-contracts-vn258dtf7

British expats could lose their pensions
and have their insurance voided after Brexit,
the chancellor has been warned.

UK-based pensions and insurance companies may be barred from making payments
or taking money from EU customers unless the Brexit negotiations address the issue of contracts,
Nicky Morgan, chairwoman of the Treasury committee, has said.

Insurers and pensions companies must be authorised in an EU country to sell their products to EU customers, pay claims and receive premium payments.
< so both existing and future pensioners - who are still paying in - are buggered >

This would create a problem if the Brexit talks do not reach an agreement on how to deal with the issue of business that pre-dates the withdrawal.

“The possibility that UK providers may not be legally able to pay out pensions or insurance contracts to citizens in the EU, including UK expats, is a stark example of the consequences of a ‘cliff edge’ Brexit,” Ms Morgan wrote in a letter to Philip Hammond, the chancellor.

The Association of British Insurers has already raised concerns about the issue.
It pointed out that British insurers and insurance companies elsewhere in Europe can sell their products across member states under freedom of services rules.

However, the government has pledged to leave the single market after March 2019,
meaning that passporting rights will end,
leaving legal uncertainty about the treatment of contracts already written.

As things stand, foreign companies that have bought insurance for their board from a UK insurer may not be able to make a claim if a legal issue were to arise after withdrawal.

Equally a British pensioner living in Spain may have pensions payments stopped if providers were blocked from transferring the money.

Insurers say that the government must agree a deal that allows long-term contracts to run off over time, requiring continuing co-operation between British and European regulators.

Project Fear alive and well with a few new talking points, I see?

Try not to worry. Most of the things you lot are fretting about are either not real, won't happen or won't matter.

One thing that certainly won't happen is a small minority's unfounded anxieties over a few organisational problems preventing us leaving the EU in March 2019.

It's an interesting insight into what various businesses are telling the government behind the scenes, isn't it. And I wonder why it's entered the public arena now. Why is Nicky Morgan publicly telling Hammond this?

"a few organisational problems"

< howls with laughter >

Brexit can be stopped, says rogue ex-govt insider calling for #indyref2
www.rt.com/uk/403704-james-chapman-brexit-referendum/

Can and will, by the tories.
tick tock.

Re : David Cameron being 'broken', I happened to be in the same place as him in the Summer and he looked pathetic. Avoided eye contact with everyone and just had nothing about him. No statesmanlike air at all.

Could just be wishful thinking on my part, I suppose, that he feels any sort of remorse for what he did while he sits in his £25k garden caravan.

And on tonight's shift we have whollyfather

I realise I'm in a minority here,
but
< whispers >
I would be perfectly happy with an EEA / EFTA Brexit, provided this retained the rights of current UK and E27 expats to remain indefinitely, without having to pass any tests

That would also automatically resolve the NI issue
as well as avoiding a cliff edge

The economic disadvantages would probably not be noticeable and Leavers woukd have had their referendum victory honoured by the politicians

My feeling with Cameron is that he's broken because he knows he will go down in history as being a stupid fool, rather than being the rather good PM he expected to be.

I wouldn't be perfectly happy with EEA/EFTA but would accept it as a good compromise. It wouldn't satisfy the racists, who don't contribute to MN but nothing would satisfy them.

I think sufficient moderate Leavers and moderate Remainers could come together and accept this as the best available outcome

^Meet the Soopa Doopa branding agency that delivered Brexit
PETER GEOGHEGAN and ADAM RAMSAY 26 June 2017
How did all of the different Leave campaigns stumble upon the same obscure branding agency in Ely, if they weren't working as a coordinated campaign^

www.opendemocracy.net/uk/brexitinc/peter-geoghegan-adam-ramsay/meet-soopa-doopa-branding-agency-who-delivered-brexit

Jo Maugham's on the case, with funding anomalies (well there's another way of putting it too) of the Leave campaign.

Hello, Comrade Father. May I refer you to the excellent curry recipes upthread?

Cameron is vying with May for the most disastrous UK PM in modern times

Both of them have imo beaten Chamberlain
(who was also inadequate, but most politicians would have been, in those torrid circs, struggling to avoid WW2)

We can always tell when Brexit is in trouble - the shifts start on our threads !

I'm working on a Fukushima surprise with chlorinated chicken on the side, pointythings if that helps.

I'm keen on stopping brexit, and still think the tories will do the donkey work.

This gov is not tenable.

@BBCJLandale
Boris pool interview:
"Do you enjoy being Foreign Secretary?"
"Of course."
"Are you going to miss it?"
"(laughs nervously)"

IIRC from previous appearances, Whollyfather tends to show up suddenly, mansplain bestow us with a pearl of his wisdom (wholly unconnected with anything currently under discussion because someone of his pre-eminence doesn't need to lower themselves to actually engaging) and then disappears instantly (in a not at all cowardly way, oh no) without waiting for our inconsequential little feminine responses.

Re : David Cameron being 'broken', I happened to be in the same place as him in the Summer and he looked pathetic. Avoided eye contact with everyone and just had nothing about him.

That makes me happy. Hopefully one day soon Boris will be in the same boat.

I notice there's a new GF exactly like the last GF. The tell, to see if its the exact same one is that they misname Hashi as Hashish . Kligore did, and the one from the gardening thread who was probably claig did as well.

But Elements the important question is: does he cook?

pointy

It's an interesting insight into what various businesses are telling the government behind the scenes, isn't it. And I wonder why it's entered the public arena now. Why is Nicky Morgan publicly telling Hammond this?
I suspect they've been saying these things privately for some time now, but deaf ears and all that. I'm not also sure Morgan is telling Hammond now, I suspect this has been known and privately been talked about by the Treasury but they've been ignored too.

But, if some Tories can see the coming shit storm, why don't they jump ship? (Sorry for the mixed metaphor there).

pretzel remember this is someone who doesn't understand the British school holiday system won't even attempt to explain its different in different parts of the country, would probably blow the algorithm.

But, if some Tories can see the coming shit storm, why don't they jump ship? (Sorry for the mixed metaphor there).
In fairness, I think that's similar to the 'why don't you leave' question. Some of these people are nailed on Conservatives who won't fit elsewhere and probably don't want to see their party being taken over by the loony fringe.