Westminstenders: Rebel or Reveal

[RedToothBrush]

The EU Withdrawal Bill made it through the Commons. Though May did not manage it unscathed.

In an attempt to divide and conquer the Rebels, May might have damaged trust. We shall find out. The Grieve Amendment faces the Lords. We also will see if the Lords will back down on their amendments or apply some new ones for the Commons to deal with in Parliamentary Ping Pong.

Aaron Banks has been exposed as being pally with the Russian Embassy in a plot twist that absolutely everyone saw coming.

Meanwhile the EU thinks we have already run out of time and is preparing options to extend talks beyond the a50 deadline. These include having MEPs for the 2019 - 2024 session.

There is also growing talk around Europe that freedom of movement in its current form is unsustainable. Ironically we might see the EU adopt something akin to Cameron's pre-referendum proposals as the EU reforms.

Theresa May has also announced - at a moment when she is looking particularly weak - a new tax for the NHS, cunningly disguised in spin as 'the Brexit dividend'. Of course shareholders don't always get dividends and at times of poor economic performance instead might be asked to stump up extra capital...Expect to see buses with £350 million of the side just in time for the next general election cycle.

And so the Zombie PM limbers on towards the end of the summer session and the relative safety of the summer holidays. More drama, cringing and disbelief guaranteed before we get there.

Switzerland does not have significant Iron or coal and due to many mountains moving bulky stuff around is expensive. Their approach was/is to buy smaller quantities of materials and make expensive well crafted items, think watches, hardly any material but a lot of precision work which can command a high price. Grazing cattle for milk and making chocolate (easy to transport). Again an over simplification but the basics are there.

Unfortunately I can't think of much 'geological' or environmental wealth that Greece can manage apart from olive growing and sunny holidays.

Then you need to exploit your human resources with education (for STEM ????).

Interesting article on how ID cards - much like DBS - completely fail to solve the problems we were told they would

www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/19/could_id_card_have_prevented_windrush/

The Windrush immigration papers scandal barred Caribbean-born Britons from public services and in some cases deported them because they lacked sufficient documentation.

The scandal claimed Amber Rudd's job as Home Secretary. Her replacement, Sajid Javid, is working to sort out the mess.

Two of Javid's predecessors, Charles Clarke and Alan Johnson, have popped up with their answer: identity cards.

"Biometric cards remain the best way to prove and so protect a citizen's identity, which is why most major European countries have them," the two wrote recently wrote in a recent letter to The Times. "It's time to put identity cards back on the political agenda and give everyone confidence that those using our services are fully entitled to do so."

Clarke and Johnson were two Labour home secretaries who attempted to implement the Blair/Brown government's ill-fated identity card plans in the 2000s. The scheme was terminated by the Conservative/LibDem coalition soon after it gained power in 2010, under Home Secretary Theresa May, now Prime Minister.

The work was led by one of her junior ministers, Damian Green, including a photo-call where he inserted hard drives into a grinder in Essex. In keeping with the air of farce (here and here) that often seems to accompany British identity cards, Green resigned from the Cabinet in December 2017 over his denials that porn had been present on his work computer in 2008 when his office was raided by counter-terrorism police officers looking for leaked Home Office documents.

(contd)

Career Leave campaigner R North is continuing to lambast this government, the press, and their dodgy handmaidens for completely missing the point about how dire the UK's position is re: flights after next March:

www.eureferendum.com/

His readership is growing by leaps & bounds as he savages the current Brexit approach with hard data. Proof that even nationalists can get airtime from progressives if they have actual, y'know, data-backed plans.

I’m also wondering what they will bury while everyone’s distracted by the football.

Don't know about that, but there's a lot of froth about cannabis going on ... almost like someone has just spotted £1 billion lying around. If only the government could undo 50 years of talking shite ?

Greece also has wine growing potential (there are some really good wines that now come out of Greece). Greek dairy products (Total Greek yoghurt and feta cheese for example).

Remember when Greek shipping used to dominate the world? Nidri on Levkada has a statue of Onassis.

A lot of Greece's current problems are based on years of economic mismanagement - exacerbated by fudging the figures to get into the Eurozone. So the latter means that the EU (or rather the Eurozone) does bear some responsibility - but the fundamental problems were already there and not the EU's fault

Remember when Greek shipping used to dominate the world? Nidri on Levkada has a statue of Onassis.

I suspect more Brits will remember that than more Greeks - it's hardly like the Greek in the street saw any money from it (sound familiar) ?

Greece has Russian money, tax collection problems, living memory of a CIA coup. And courageous commitment to fight Nazis hand to hand if necessary.

The country may be financially poor, but the people value democracy, humanity and education above all else. With a small population, solar power and massive agricultural sector they are in a better position to withstand economic shock than we are.

We could learn a lot from them.

Oil has been found off South coast of Crete.
I hope it is not developed.
The bio diversity of the island is worth a million times more.

Usual troll accounts/ actors trying to de rail the Macedonian agreement by the way. We all know who funds golden dawn, probably beloved of our new visitor too.

"Remember when Greek shipping used to dominate the world?"

This was largely before the rise of the super tanker and had a lot to do with Greece's position in the Med and close to the Suez Canal.

Once the supertankers stopped going through the Suez and round the Southern tip of Africa instead, the shipping industry in Greece started to decline.

I am still pondering the payment to the NHS. Why announce it now before the next budget?

Why call it a Brexit dividend? Is it..
a) A gesture to prepare us all for the hardest of Brexits and the years of sacrifice and tax rises to pay for that.

b) An attempt at meeting 'the will of the people' before delivering BINO.

The resistance to the Lords and Grieve's amendment makes me think it must be (a).

Mr Peston has an option (c) answer for you Lonely. Its to prep in case of a snap Autumn Election. May is worried:

Peston on Facebook 10 mins ago
The prime minister has given the Chancellor carte blanche to rip up her party’s manifesto commitments to cut the rate of corporation tax to 17% and significantly increase the thresholds before the basic and higher rates of tax kick in - if that is what he deems would be the best way of financing her promise to increase NHS spending by 3.4% per annum.

This is not my revelation. It is the FT’s. But I am told, authoritatively, that it is true.

And the bargain between PM and Chancellor is, in an appropriate use of an over-used epithet, extraordinary.

Because cancelling those manifesto pledges would - with a bit of additional funding - pay for the entire health-spending increment.

And although there would have been some grumbling yesterday from the shires had she publicly reneged on the manifesto promises, far better to have done the dirty when announcing a highly popular initiative - viz the “birthday present” for the NHS - than months later when the good news would be ancient history and most folk, and especially media disreputables like me, would only see the pain and perfidy of promise-breaking tax reversals.

This uncoupling of “good” spending and “bad” taxes is one reason why - as I said on News at Ten - the Labour Party and some Tory backbenchers are getting their ducks in a row for a possible snap election in the autumn (there are lots of other Brexity reasons - more on that anon).

Because, of course, such an election would make the last Tory manifesto irrelevant. And the Tories could pay for the NHS’s extra dosh in literally any way they chose, unfettered by historic commitments.

Consider yourself duly warned.

Because, of course, such an election would make the last Tory manifesto irrelevant.

Including Brexit ?

Damn you guys (in a non sexist way)!
I am trying to get round to working and you keep coming up with interesting stuff.
Going back to Greece, which I know relatively little about having only been a few times. They have an 'advantage' over Northern Europe in that it is generally warm, if not darn hot in the summer with the advantage in that they need hardly any heating (to survive, special comfort is on top of survival and optional). Thus they can build a house and the only other major outlay is food, depending on the style of life they want to lead.
Identity cards are not a total solution to 'security' but if they 'improved' the situations where they are able by say 70 or 80 percent, that would be vastly better than the shambles and whinging we have now.
There will always be criminals, and the diversion last night at looking at the way the UK has effectively 'stolen' data from the Shengen security department shows the extent of the issue.
Those affected by the Stazi, years ago where on average one in about 10 of family members was a state informer would see it as trivial compared to the vast amounts of data being harvested from EVERYONE with a mobile phone NOW.

Damn you guys (in a non sexist way)!

Hasn't modern (USian) usage made "guys" gender neutral ?

Still grates in my ears, but every seems to sashay into a room now and go Hey, guys irrespective.

Going back to Greece, which I know relatively little about having only been a few times. They have an 'advantage' over Northern Europe in that it is generally warm, if not darn hot in the summer with the advantage in that they need hardly any heating (to survive, special comfort is on top of survival and optional).

Perfect for growing cannabis

Barnier Speech:

Daniel Ferrie @DanielFerrie
@MichelBarnier “The #UK has decided to leave the EU...It will be a third country outside Schengen and outside the EU’s legal order. This is a fact. Facts have consequences.” @EURightsAgency
@MichelBarnier “After #Brexit, it is clear that we will need to cooperate strongly with the #UK in these areas. But, we will need to cooperate on a different basis. That is a challenge in itself.” @EURightsAgency
@MichelBarnier “[Our proposal] reflects the guidance established by the 27 Heads of State and government & the resolution of the @Europarl_EN. It is ambitious while respecting the privileged relationship that we have created with our #Schengen partners.” @EURightsAgency
.@MichelBarnier - on the #EuropeanArrestWarrant: “The #UK is not ready to accept free mov of people, the jurisdiction of the ECJ and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This means that the U.K. cannot take part in the EAW.” @EURightsAgency
@MichelBarnier: 4 pillars for internal security partnership: 1)effective exchange of info; 2) operational cooperation b/n law enforcement authorities; 3)judicial cooperation in criminal matters; 4) measures against money laundering & terrorist financing. #Brexit
“This does not mean that we cannot work together on extradition. We are ready to build on the existing Council of Europe convention...for instance, we could envisage streamlining the procedure, facilitating processes, introducing time-limits.”
TRANSCRIPT: read in full @MichelBarnier’s speech @EURightsAgency this morning:
europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-18-4213_en.htm

Identity cards are not a total solution to 'security' but if they 'improved' the situations where they are able by say 70 or 80 percent, that would be vastly better than the shambles and whinging we have now.

How are they any solution to "security" ?

A lot of people "know" they would reduce crime. But a lot of people are - frankly - a bit thick at times. A lot of people also know the EU insisted our bananas were straight, and that cutting EU immigration will get rid of all the brown faces in the town square.

The main problem ID cards have faced everytime they are floated is that no one can ever demonstrate how they "reduce crime". At which point the expense outweighs the benefits, along with the rather too obvious fact that in reality they're just a control freaks wet dream.

Given this website, just imagine a victim of DV having to flee in the middle of the night - with kids - only to discover "No ID, no anything".

"But my abuser stole them !" is the wailed answer
"Yes, that's exactly what a criminal would say" is the Home Office reply.

I posited this situation last time ID cards were suggested, only to be told "not to be ridiculous ... they'd check the womans status on a database". At which point there's no fucking need for an id card , is there ?

And no matter how enthusiastic you may be about ID cards, the final nail in the coffin should be the knowledge that Capita or ATOS would be contracted to "build" the IT.

I was trying to cover myself in case the more mature members who seem to be engaged in excellent discussion on here object to being referred to as a 'guy'.
In the EU every country has it's 'sovereign right' to screw up their own economy in their own way. Expecting the other countries to bale them out indefinitely is unreasonable however.
Stepping back for an utopian view of the world, in terms of global climate change production of 'stuff' should be concentrated in places where it is most efficient. Iron and heavy industry and indeed the cotton/wool industries did this in the past out of necessity. Just because you could grow oranges in Siberia, given enough resources, it is not a GOOD idea.

Is the fact that leaving the EU completely will make the uk a third country still a discovery for some people?
I’m amazed that the EU feels that they still have to point out something else again that we won’t have access to once the U.K. has left.

ID cards would solve a lot of political and administrative problems, but they're a personal and civil liberties nightmare - no thanks.

DG I disagree with you on that one.
Plenty of countries have ID cards and it solves a hell of a lot of problem.
Form the very simple, proving who you are when you do an exam/driving test, to the more complicated around solving crimes etc...

What you are describing re ‘you wont have anything unless you have your ID card’ and women fleeing DV is a very specific british issue. And more particularly an issue with TM hostile environment. It’s the direct consequences on law abiding citizens of a policy that was supposed to affect only illegal immigrants.

common tbhh i personally was shocked when I came here to see the MASSIVE issue there was with identity theft. And how easy it was to forge a new identity for yourself get bank accounts etc etc.
For me, THIS is encroaching on my own personal and civil freedom.

Having proper ID card would solve a lot of those issues.

So "tearing up the manifesto ?"

Continuing with todays theme (WTF have I been smoking ) but here's one future:

1. Autumn election - completely new manifesto needed.
2. PM and chums spell it out to the Brexiteers: We simply cannot deliver Brexit - as the current ping-pong in parliament is showing. If we press on we risk breaking everything [1]- and that will let Corbyn in.
3. Therefore, we simply drop "Brexit is Brexit" and announce new policy of detachment/cherry picking.
4. If you're not happy with that, feel free to elect a leader who will deliver you a HoC majority and Brexit. Obviously that means you are willing to risk a Corbyn government
5. Create a Labour manifesto on steroids. Again challenge naysayers by reminding them that it's this - which people will vote for - or Corbyn (again)
6. top secret - remind naysayers that once you're in government, as per. you can do what the fuck you like anyway. Seems no one has suffered politically by telling whoppers anyway.
7. Business as usual.

Of course this is a liberal Remaners nightmare. A tory party that's going to increase tax, (re)fund the NHS, and cancel Brexit. Where do I sign ????????

I think the Brexiteers are becoming a busted flush - and their game is up ?

[1] I wonder what the constitutional implications are of the government trying to submit a bill that the HoL has rejected twice in the same session ? I have a weird picture of the Palace advising the Queen that she cannot apply royal assent to such a bill without a vote in parliament on the Parliament Act ? Such a situation is indeed a massive constitutional crisis. And could bust the Tories wider than Brexit has. Where does a Tory place his loyalties (bearing in mind their oath) when the Monarch is forced to follow convention - and law ? Whatever I am smoking must have really kicked in now, as I find myself typing "Tory Republican Party" .....

ID Cards will solve everything! With a magical swipe of it, all issues in the country will instantly disappear

Like Universal Credit? Like the Home Office hostile environment?
Like ANY PROBLEM AT ALL?

Lets start with the most basic problem: who qualifies for an ID card? And how do you stop it being EXACTLY the same issue as the Windrush scandal?

Then there's problem two: How do you correct information which is incorrect on the system? You have to PROVE the information is inaccurate. But how do you get through all the bureaucracy to do that, if you are over 80, have mobility and hearing issues and you have to attend a meeting in a town 30 miles away when you can't afford to get there and you can't get there without the assistance of your carer? Remembering that if you don't have your ID card, you can't get your pension or your social care.

Or problem three: how are you going to fund setting up such a scheme, and how will you physically do it? Especially when the home office is snowed under by applications by EU citizens wishing ensure their right to stay here and that's before Brexit kicks in and changes their status.

Please go on, enlighten me as to how a government database will improve everything. I'd love to hear this utter bollocks and wishful thinking into how good the government are at complicated IT projects.

I await being impressed by this spectacular wisdom.

Plenty of countries have ID cards and it solves a hell of a lot of problem.

The UK has a long history of trying to do what other countries do, and getting it expensively wrong. Anyway, I though the UK was special ?

Growing up, my usual request to have or do something my friends had or did was my DF saying "why do you have to be like everybody else ?" (which of course lasted right up until I was told I had to be like everybody else)

In previous ID card debates, quite a lot of political opposition came from people who saw them as "unBritish". The sudden enthusiasm of Brexiteers remains a mystery.