Westministenders: Money, money, money

[RedToothBrush]

The big developments are that the government have signalled they are prepared to pay more and to involve the ECJ when it comes to citizens rights on condition that we move to talk of trade. But no apparent progress on NI. Which is significant with Ireland threatening to veto.

The EU has not changed its stance at all. Since Day 1.

There is always a worrying omission and lack of commitment to retain the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The bonfire begins.

Talk is of Green still going in a reshuffle, possibly with Gove replacing him as Deputy PM.

Coalition talks in Germany have broken down, and the British have got excited about it, whilst the German response have largely been a slight shrug.

Its been a much quieter week, despite the budget. Thank goodness. There are lots of outstanding issues that are lurking in the background like the Green one though.

The main message coming from the budget, has not been any new policy, but the dreadful economic forecast for the next few years.

It's harder to waste time messing around on social media in an open plan office, though

That used to be the case because everyone could see your screens. Now, everyone just looks like they're concentrating really hard - on their phones.

Open plan was the killer though. Sold to you as "promoting collaborative working". It really is just bollocks. Susan Cain's 'Quiet' book had a bit about how even extroverts were more productive in quiet offices. I can't remember the details but it was certainly anti-open plan.

Glass walled offices, olennas

In my last office we had lights which were sensitive to movement and went off when it was still. The trouble was with a bunch of scientists we tended to sit still to think, and phut the light would go out, and you would have to wave your arms around to bring them back on.

The only thing worse than open plan offices is "hot desking" in open plan offices. So you lose hours every week traipsing round looking for somewhere to sit and then having to walk to speak to the rest of your team in person

I see we had another drive-by flashing by Chipolata Man

TM must be ruing the day she offered a bung to the DUP Arlene Foster declares the DUP will prevent internal barriers after Brexit.

In her speech to the DUP’s annual conference in Belfast on Saturday, Foster expressed confidence that May’s government will not agree to any post-Brexit special status for Northern Ireland.

Nor would the DUP accept any special laws in Northern Ireland that “will have to mirror European regulations”.

It is the circle that cannot be squared.

In 33 years of employment I’ve never worked in an office with less than 20 people in and I can’t think of anyone I know who does. Where are these offices with less than 8 people?

Hot desking is a nightmare, I agree

Those pesky little sausages elements
TM must be ruing the day she offered a bung to the DUP
Snarlene acts like brexit's her baby. Maybe it is. Which could be useful.

Jo Maugham's got another legal challenge cooking on S Baker, CRC and the DUP funding of Leave.
twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/934272954128588800
@JolyonMaugham
The judicial review into the Vote Leave donations may not be the end of the Electoral Commission's legal troubles. THREAD

Just coz it's Saturday ;)

For TM

Because this is how I bet she feels right now ....

Did anyone see Digging for Britain ?

A little bit 30 minutes squeezed into an hour. However, a couple of fascinating digs/finds which could be taken as relating to a more recent narrative ...

The discovery of a Roman temple in the wilds - suggesting that Roman influence on Britain penetrated far deeper than historians (i.e. the early Christian church) would have had you believe.

And some stunning European iron-age torcs, dug up in Stafforshire. Again far further into the country than people previously believed European influence extended.

"EUropean" ?

Yes, the alloys and designs were from Europe.

So much for the "island alone" baloney some people would have us believe.

For all Britains supposed lack of Roman enthusiasm, it's a point of fact that these islands - which to be fair are rather lacking Roman ruins on the scale in other European countries - have produced two extraordinary finds unknown anywhere else in the Empire.

Louise Mensch will be happy at this front page.

Another suicide?

(For anyone following my comments on suicide, and how to silence women, this is also perhaps going to be relevant).

Getting a bit confused with the digging for Britain and free inside Jaime Oliver

"non-emergence of Project Fear"

At the time of the referendum, the Uk had the highest growth in GDP
Now already the Uk has the lowest growth
and we haven't even reached Brexit yet

The UK has been coasting the last year on its previous high growth, which has limited the damage
Also, businesses will wait until the last possible moment before implementing expensive moves to other countries

BUT already:
Food prices are up
Investment is down
Exporters are readying plans to pull up sticks. Some are leaving already
Scientists & skilled professionals are leaving or have left (I already see others have followed me to Germany)
E27 doctors, HCPs, care workers are starting to leave the UK - 70% of sci/tech/IT staff are considering leaving
Food already rotting in the fields as E27 agricultural workers are not coming in the previous numbers.

Most important of all:
No-deal is the most likely outcome

• Ultras like Wholly are in Parliament and the govt actively pushing for this

So, Brexit = Year Zero: no trade deals with any country in the world

The Uk will scramble desperately to replace agreements like Open Skies
Agencies like Erratum - to maintain supplies for nuclear fuel and nuclear medicine

UK productivity has been falling behind its competitors for several decades - some historians say for well over a century
A German or French worker takes 4 days to produce what a British worker does in 5 days

When a country has poor productivity, abandoning all its trade deals is madness
Competing with countries like India, China on WTO terms will destroy Uk manufacturing

Minford - the Brexiters' economist - casually states that Brexit will probably mean the end of British manufacturing, farming and agriculture

That would be 8% of the workforce thrown in the scrapheap right away
not counting the 1000s in the financial services sector whose jobs are moved abroad

Project Fear didn't mention even a fraction of what will happen AFTER 29 March 2019 if Brexit isn't EEA / EFTA - or delayed for years

< autocorrect !> Agencies like EURATOM - better not have errors with nuclear matters !

Kate Hoey‏ @KateHoeyMP
Leo Varadkar needs to stop the hypocrisy and remember who Ireland’s true friends are via @BrexitCentral

brexitcentral.com/leo-varadkar-needs-stop-hypocrisy-remember-irelands-true-friends/

She sounds more and more like a Tory by the day.

Reality checks on trade deals
They will take several years …
How do exporters survive until then, competing against Indian and Chinese wages & conditions ?

• US Trade Sec was talking of up to 10 years after Brexit for a trade deal with the UK, so 2029
• India talking of only a 2030 trade deal - with many more visas for Indians as a prerequisite

I think hoey has confused friends with previous overlords.

Pete North has been delightful this evening.

"Starmer is only competent by contrast with the other Labour front bench mongs. Whichever way you cut it, Labour is loathsome."

"Unless you can show that Russian mobs tampered with ballot boxes and used voter intimidation then you can ram it up either one of your moist holes."

I'm no Louise Mensch fan but...

It is very strange that many who claim to be "Lexiters" sound like Tories - and often hard right Tories at that
imo, Frank Fields is an exception
So are those on the hard left who want policies like major denationalisation, wealth tax etc - they continue attacking the Tories as strongly as ever

However, all the other so-called Lexiters who defend the budget, defend Tory non-Brexit policies, claim the Tories are doing well on the economy ...
I don't know if Brexit has just switched their politics 180 degrees, or if they are false flag Lexiters who have really always been Tories

Where are these offices with less than 8 people?

I've worked in open-plan offices which are sectioned off enough to feel like smaller office-like spaces. Some improvement on the ghastly battery farm feel of lots of offices.

Why is it strange? Its liberals v authoritarians.

The left has them too. They just don't want to admit it, because it destroys their support from liberals.