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.

So the lesson is start saving!

@Patience
You obviously don't know that Mrs May has a massive pile of money down the back of her sofa and hundreds of trained unicorns who can fill in customs forms in a flash.

I am marching on Saturday. At least if my grandson asks me when he is grown up and working in the EU (will be entitled to an Irish passport) why I let it happen, I will be able to say that I did what I could.

As for leaving the country, what scope is there for retired folk like me and DH? Precious little, I would imagine. Fortunately, I can sew, so will be able to run up new clothes from older garments.

Mrs May won't have money for the likes of me. I am not from the same extreme right wing mould as her, so will be allowed to rot.

Tweet from Mike Godwin (Attorney, author, EFF's first staff hire, creator of Godwin's Law): By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again. I'm with you.

twitter.com/sfmnemonic/status/896884949634232320

@Mrs
I am not sure. MAYBE if you were intending to buy expensive items in the middle future (year or three), things like a washing machine or similar it MIGHT be better to get them sooner rather than later. I am NOT a financial advisor or anything and would hate you to do this and be wrong but suggest you look at the idea as 'cash' will be quite volatile for a while.

Peregrin Sorry, OT but going back to your post on NHS numbers being changed:

I still know my original NHS number, which has letters & digits and - not knowing of any change - this is the one I gave on my last 2 UK tax returns
(for expats, at least, they request NHS number too "if you know it")
No complaint or correction letter from HMRC so far

How did you find out your new NHS number ?
Were you notified by them ?

The qn may have been NI / NHS, but anyway, I gave the one that includes letters

We've sort of already done that tbh
Large white goods bought last year
New car too (my old one was 11 years old :))
We've spent some money on stuff like new mattresses and a sofa - we know there will be no money for things like this soon :(
I'm going to start stockpiling food each week I think (I'm ready stockpiling my children's meds)
Btw...if you're having issues getting meds it could he because 2 UK labs have had their license revoked....

I was certainly thinking of getting expensive items in the near future, like a new suite and possibly changing the car, so that they have at least ten years wear in them.

54321 Also going back to an earlier post !
In the event of no-deal, the EU probably won’t build its own factory for Airbus wings:

Someone from the E27 - iirc Guy Verhofstadt - said China was eager to build the wings and had both the technical capability & the capacity to do so.

How did you find out your new NHS number ?
Were you notified by them ?

My health centre wrote about something - it might have been an invitation to a smear test, and instead of the 4 letter and 3 digit number which I still remember, it said something like NHS number 123456789. When it changed, I have no idea.

Re medicines , do you know why the labs had their licences revoked? But even so, you can only stockpile for a limited time because medicines go out of date.

Peregrina Manufactured goods could be cheaper if general purchasing power falls - after high unemployment etc - so shops are desperate to shift them.

What is likely to increase in price would be essentials like food & grocery staples, if there are shortages.

So, I'd concentrate on amassing savings in a few different banks, plus a few hundred in small denominations.
Also, build up say 3 months of essential staples, that you can rotate and use later if not required.

Get longer prescriptions fo essential meds nearer the day and stock up

order-order.com/2018/06/20/may-considers-asking-stay-single-market-goods/
May Considers Asking to Stay in Single Market For Goods

Follow on from an FT article this morning.

That was our thinking peregrina.

Re meds: I don't know why but I could perhaps find out. The meds I have are up to 2021

I’m not sure NHS numbers are even used much any more. We went to register our 12 Yr old at the new doctors after we moved and the system rejected the number on his original NHS card. The receptionist said it didn’t matter as they no longer use them.

I do know his NI number though - that is still in the same format.

Peregrina I thought that those labs that have already stopped supplying the Uk market did so because they couldn't make a profit

• possibly costs in dollars and price in Sterling and they weren't able to raise prices, if say selling to the NHS

After Brexit, if the UK becomes a 3rd country, then the Uk won't be able to certify any goods, for any market, not just the EU.
As wells as meds / pharmaceuticals, that includes all manufactured goods, including cars, Airbus wings, any other aviation component; even airports need certification

The UK's licences won't be recognised, whether that be for goods drivers, pilots, trainers …

and of course all Uk farming / agricultural exports to the EU will stop until the UK gets on the Eu databases and receives approval, which RNorth says will take at least 6 months - and the process can't begin until after Brexit Day

Basically affects any goods, services, workers that are currently certified or licensed by the UK

Have just looked at letter for hospital appt and yes, NHS no is different from what I remember - didn’t even notice, they always ask for hospital no on phone anyway...seems a bit redundant...

So, BC, prob because you haven’t had letters from NHS recently.

Another example of why an ID card would be useful - only one essential number to know and monitor

@Bigchoc
I was trying to find something obvious to make the comment about without having to rummage the interweb. Mind you getting them from China would be a massive slap in the face.
Obviously China can make things but wondered if it might have a security issue. I am sure there are better examples.
Rather than staying with the EU, who will the UK's next 'best buddy' be?
China/Russia/USA/???

I’m not sure whether DD’s near-total absence from the negotiations has helped or hindered:

http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86907

“Hilary Benn has managed to smoke out an answer from the Department for Exiting the European Union that
the Secretary of State has met Michel Barnier only three times since 1 January 2018

Davis met him on 5 February in London, the pair had a joint press conference in March following the agreement reached on the transition period and then he met Barnier on Monday 11 June.
One might suspect that the UK side isn't treating these negotiations terribly seriously.”

RNorth ends his blog with
“It is a world where detail matters and the posturing of MPs and their Lordships is of no relevance.

It is where Brexit will be made or broken and, at the moment, "broken" looks to be the most likely outcome.”

Women - that’s WOMEN - on HRT should stock up if they use the gel form, as it’s (I think) manufactured exclusively in Belgium. I could possibly cope without, but my daughter (hysterectomy in her 30s for medical reasons) could not.

54321 I'm not sure about the UK - who would want to be buddies with a country that creates such a clusterf@ck

I would expect the EU to get much friendlier with China - the wings could help here -
because both are fending off attacks from the US & Russia and neither are keen on the hard right ideology of those 2 countries.

RNorth had an excellent blog a few months ago on what 3rd country status means :

eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86387
(don't read if you get depressed)

He says Mrs EuReferendum has already stocked up with 3 months supplies for them