Westministers: Happy New Year?

[RedToothBrush]

And so we enter a New Year full of hope that things might just be about to recover from our national nervous breakdown... or perhaps not.

As we have Damien Green ejected from his role as Deputy PM over allegations of inappropriate conduct towards woman and use of porn at the end of last year, 2018 sees a bright new progressive dawn with the appointment to the role of universities regulator of Toby Young. A man who has deleted 20,000 tweets including many which are inappropriate and offensive to women, is a fan of eugenics and hates the working class and disabled.

Meanwhile the NHS is facing a crisis which is totally unexpected to the government and couldn't possibly have been planned for by a man who has over seen it for over five years. Which naturally bodes really well for Brexit planning.

We are apparently planning to join the TPP. Never mind geopolitics we can move the UK to the Pacific region.

We still are not ready for trade talks because the Cabinet can not agree on anything. Not that it sounds like they have actually discussed anything along these lines yet.

Rumours are that the Cabinet - including arch leavers such as Gove - are leaning towards supporting May and a softer option, despite the disgust of Johnson, who once again is the subject of malicious chatter about his sacking in a forthcoming Cabinet Reshuffle.

There is talk of further Tory Party war with the revelation that membership of the party has dropped to a core of just 70,000 hardline authoritarian men, most of whom are over 60. Tory HQ now wants to (perhaps with some good reason to prevent the loons) rewrite the constitution and limit the power of local associations to select candidates. The Tory party is now lining up to be a power struggle between internal authoritarians, who don't like democracy voices or structure.

Meanwhile the Labour Party membership now apparently overwhelmingly looks upon staying in the customs union and single market favourably and is in favour of a second referendum. In opposition to the leadership who are utterly committed to Hard Brexit. Much to the annoyance of Lord Adonis who is pitching a fit about government corruption and incompetence and being accused of being elite because he going skiing. Unlike of prominent Leavers who are in touch with the working class.

And finally Nigel Farage has got a meeting with Barnier. Farage, unlike Clegg, Clarke and Adonis, will not be accused by the Right Wing Press of undermining the government's negotiating position because...

It appears that we are in for another year of Brexit nonsense then.

We've not even heard mention of Gibraltar yet.

On generations ...

In a discussion in a place elsewhere from Mumsnet (I assure you, it exists), Lidl and Aldi got mentioned.

One person posted, grumbling that they had tried shopping there, but were put off by the lack of brands.

This led to an interesting sub discussion (threaded views ) where it was suggested that Europeans - or Germans at least - were much less worried about brands than Brits.

Which then led onto another sub discussion suggesting that in the UK Sainsburys et al were predicated on stocking brand names, whereas Lidl and Aldi weren't.

If you've kept up this far, the final digression (for now) was that with getting on for 11 years of austerity; frozen wages and generation rent, there is already a generation that has no "pull" to shop at the big supermarkets anymore. If that is the case (and I can't be bothered to do the valuable research into it for free) then unless the big supermarkets have a long term plan to mitigate this generational drift, they will be in trouble.

Interestingly, the only supermarket our DS21 uses outside of Lidl/Aldi is Morrisons ... but that's geographic convenience.

I don't shop at any particular supermarket. I don't even tend to shop in the same branch of the same store all the time either.

Instead I shop on rotation between supermarkets, going to different ones for different things or depending on where I am. I don't do a 'weekly shop' as a rule. I stock up on certain things one week and different things another week. I'm quite happy to buy own brand stuff or foreign unknown brands.There are only certain things I am loyal to brands on: baked beans, tomato ketchup, marmite, peanut butter and nappies.

I know this is very different to my parents. They are brand obsessives and shop only at Sainsburys. They do a weekly shop and go out the house for the purpose of going to the supermarket alone rather than combining tasks. Attempts to break them out of their routine fail miserably, mainly because they 'can't find what they want' anywhere else.

Ironically hate Sainsburys with a passion and its the only store I try and avoid. Our most local store is a Sainsburys. Its over priced, short dated on everything and the quality is poor. They are going to have to do a lot more to convince me to shop there. They just 'feel' dated inside too. I have no idea why I don't like the décor!

My only real bug with Aldi / Lidl is a weakness for the Aisle of Randomness and not particularly liking the taste of their ready meals.

I have no loyalty to supermarkets or brands either. Always happy to try an own brand, more often than not have found a really decent alternative. As it is we now do most of our shop in Aldi (location, am partial to Lidl but it's not in an easy place to get to) and anything we can't grab there is anywhere else other than morrisons (again location, there are actually none nearby). Beans, ketchup, fish fingers and tea are the only things I think that haven't gotten past branded items here.

Maybe there's some truth in it. My dps are brand obsessives too. They are appalled we shop at aldi proclaiming they know the cleaning products are crap as my sister said so . Weren't happy when we pointed out we found Lidl to have the best of a lot of products we use. Their shower spray outperforms Mr muscle for instance. Apparently I must be wrong. We live in a far harder water area than my parents so shower sprays are tested massively.

Sorry, random product advertising,!

Btw Tesco used to be our supermarket. But the spiralling downward quality of their fresh fruit and veg drove us elsewhere. Like the local farm shop for instance. Suppose we should thank them for helping local business.

I have an Aldi and a Waitrose at the end of my road and shop in both for different things. I span the class divide!

In the 1990s we had guests from communist China. They would not believe that Sainsburys wasn't a 'state shop' . At the time, I could see how our local one did actually look like a communist state shop.

Teabags, toothpaste, shampoo, hot chocolate, cornflakes, brown sauce, beans and bread are the only things I have brand loyalty to, and obviously Marmite is Marmite and I can't live without that. Everything else, I'm happy to use own brand or whatever is on offer.

I go to a large Morrisons, but funnily enough I don't get the branded things from there - I get them from B&M bargains. Same things, same name, same package, but £££ cheaper.

So Johnson who went out and actively canvassed to persuade people to vote for Brexit is shunning the job which would involve him owning it. Why break the habit of a lifetime?

There are only a couple of things I have brand loyalty towards: Marmite, Bovril, toothpaste. The rest I am quite happy to buy the "non-branded version from Lidl.

Dh and I get quite annoyed ah business reports describing Lidl and Aldi as the "discount supermarkets" or "discounters". They sell a lot that is really good quality. Why not instead describe the "big" supermarkets as the "charging a premium for brands" supermarkets?

Finally able to place mat king

Sweeping powers to water down human rights and equalities laws would be handed to the Government by Brexit legislation to be debated this week, MPs have been warned.

Ministers are poised to grab the ability to rewrite the likes of the Equality Act and the Modern Slavery Act at the request of a foreign power, bypassing MPs, civil liberties group Liberty said.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-human-rights-equalities-laws-legislation-government-liberty-theresa-may-latest-a8146691.html

Spookier than Toby Young this^

The numbers show the % of times these Labour MPs have voted against Corbyn on Brexit legislation.

Kudos to them.

Hope they and more vote this down.

I can't see Lammy on there either.

Phew. Just caught up. Placemat.

woman I am with your Chinese visitor. Grocery stores in Communist Hungary used to be called "for the community". That was (and in some places still us) the noun for grocery store.

Recently our food bills shot up so much that I have no loyalty left for food brands. Other than Lindt and Waitrose maybe. And I can't get to Waitrose most weeks.

We've been using Aldi and Lidl for the last year or two and find them a lot cheaper. I'm a fan. However I think even their prices have been rising lately.

Of course their prices have been rising - Lidl and Aldi aren't immune to basic market costs forces. I've noticed it with their butter and cream (which were preceded by period when they had no butter and cream in stock)

Can't read as paywalled. 'Theresa May to appoint a 'Cabinet minister for no deal Brexit' in reshuffle'

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/07/theresa-may-set-appoint-cabinet-minister-no-deal-reshuffle/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Is that supposed to scare the EU?

Idiotic. It'll certainly terrify business and have the financial sector studying maps of Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, in other news, the government isn't even managing the day to day business of running the country in a way that prevents people starving, freezing, and dying whilst waiting in A and E.

Great.

Honestly. I just think back 3 years and it was just inconceivable that we would be where we are now.

The idiots that voted for this. "Take Back Control"? This is not control. The UK is a mess. Thank you, Leave voters. You've fucked us over completely. Delivered us into the hands of people who are either too incompetent to stop the mess that means the poorest and most vulnerable are suffering, right now, or who genuinely, really don't care.

"Take Back Control"? This is not control. The UK is a mess.

^^THIS

Minister for empty tums more like.Swedish
Lorries, not transporting:
As of the withdrawal date, certificates of professional competence issued by an authority of the United Kingdom or a body authorised by the United Kingdom will no longer be valid in the EU-27.
ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/legislation/2017-12-11-notice-to-stakeholders-road-transport.pdf

RedToothBrush did say this ages ago, probably before JJPatrick called this in March last year.
This truly is a government of psychopaths.

(Paywall) Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle to reflect diverse UK — but Boris Johnson will stay in post
[[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/theresa-mays-cabinet-reshuffle-to-reflect-diverse-uk-but-boris-johnson-will-stay-in-post-jvznb3tfb
www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/theresa-mays-cabinet-reshuffle-to-reflect-diverse-uk-but-boris-johnson-will-stay-in-post-jvznb3tfb]]

Theresa May will move or sack at least six members of her cabinet in a reshuffle tomorrow
< unfortunately not the 3 Dunces >
…The plan to promote female and ethnic minority MPs into the ministerial ranks is an attempt to banish the Tory image as “pale, male and stale”.

The cabinet reshuffle has been mapped out on a whiteboard in May’s private office in No 10;
changes to lower ministerial ranks will be announced on Tuesday.

Among those tipped for promotion are Suella Fernandes, leader of the backbench Eurosceptics, whose parents came to Britain from Kenya and Mauritius;
Seema Kennedy, May’s parliamentary aide, whose father was Iranian;
Nusrat Ghani, who helped review the party’s general election performance;
Rishi Sunak, a star of the 2015 intake.

Female ministers such as Margot James, Harriet Baldwin, Claire Perry and Sarah Newton could all move up the ladder.

High-flying MPs Lucy Frazer, Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Victoria Prentis are also expected to be given jobs for the first time.
Johnny Mercer is tipped for a ministerial post < he's a decent bloke, recent ex-squaddie >

and May’s aides < not May ? >are considering whether to give jobs to Jacob Rees-Mogg < garlic &crosses >
and Tom Tugendhat < clever bloke > two of the most high-profile backbenchers.

May will also take a chance on members of the 2017 intake with Kemi Badenoch and Bim Afolami at the front of the queue.
They may be found non-ministerial jobs alongside leading ministers.

May will appoint a first secretary of state to replace Damian Green, who resigned from the Cabinet Office last month.

Jeremy Hunt and Chris Grayling have been linked to the role.
… Hunt’s wife has told friends her husband is “going to have a good year”
< can't say the same for the rest of the country >

So we about to have a minister for Deal and a minister for no deal?

Is this more Tory Hunger Games where two ministers are pitched against each other to win. Who ever doesn't do their job well enough is doomed forever as being tarred with the brush and their career screwed forever more?

Seriously though, this is setting up Brexit to fail. No one would want that job, if its completely meaningless.

David Allen Green‏ @davidallengreen
Secretary of what a complete State.

The thread from that points out the purpose of it. To make out that Brexit is happening no matter what and there will be no reversing.

It takes resources away from achieving a deal too.

Steve Peers @StevePeers
If the "no deal" job does go to Steve Baker his links with alleged "disaster capitalists" Legatum Institute should receive even closer scrutiny.

I think what we are about to see, more than we already have, is the appointment of a bunch of people to jobs that they are wholly unsuited and have conflicts of interest with. We already have Boris Johnson. Toby Young has just been appointed.

This is the EXACT same thing that happened in the US. Its corrupt to the core.

Expect someone in Education and Women and Equalities in particular who will ramp up the culture wars.

Yes woman iirc, that's every type of professional certification, a huge range of jobs from doctors & lawyers to hairdressers & chefs

Huge effect on mobility - some people claim things won't change for those who want to work in the EU: it will for any job requiring certification.
Only qualifications like uni degrees will still be recognised, not board certification.

I don't know if existing expats will be exempt, or if this would need to be negotiated during A50.

Tom Tugendhat would be a good appointment to any position imho. He is decent compared to the rest of them.

Suella Fernandes on the other hand. No thanks.

Harry & Meg to make the ultimate sacrifice for Bexit ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/07/post-brexit-trade-deal-risk-donald-trump-not-invited-royal-wedding/amp/?utmcampaign=Echobox&utmmmedium=Social&utmsource=Twitter&twitterrimpression=true

Donald Trump could sabotage a post-Brexit transatlantic trade deal with the UK if he is not invited to Prince Harry's wedding,
according to the author whose explosive book on the American president has roiled US politics.

Michael Wolff says Mr Trump will only respect the Special Relationship if he “gets what he wants” < so a typical POTUS then>