Westminstenders: Don't Panic!

[RedToothBrush]

It's official

Brexit is like an episode of Dads Army with the government, being Captain Mainwaring's trusty band of elite forces doing battle against the evil Mr Barnier.

Yesterday Parliament gave back control to the executive as it surrendered parliamentary sovereignty to Janus faced May. Grieve, it has to be said, truly did look like a broken man as he gave his speech in the commons. Not that we should have too much sympathy. After all he did just put party before country.

So where are we now? The ERG are happy. They have successfully bullied enough until everyone else gave up and folded. They now have no incentive to compromise, as they know that no one can stand up to them. They want no deal, and it's no deal they will force.

The EU are thoroughly fed up and it's difficult to see them do anything but cut us loose saying Brexit means Brexit, this is what you wanted. They have stepped up planning for no deal and their plans were already much more advanced than ours.

We go into the next round of talks with a solution to the Irish Border looking further away than ever. Not helped by the fact that brexit nationalism is restricted to England alone, with many being happy to let NI be sunk into the Irish sea and the favour the rebuilding of Hadrian's wall in order to keep out the foreigners.

It's hard to resist simply sitting down wailing "we doomed". But try to resist and keep saying, you are against this crap. If only so history books don't just say we all agreed to this clusterfuck.

Here have a fluffy bunny to help comfort you.

Watchdog expected to find Vote Leave broke rules
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44567588
Lucky the repel bill got through yesterday. I don't like being so cynical.

And doubtless the full investigation or inquiry will follow soon - in about ten months I expect.

^Mayfair street closed over 'poison' fears after death in central London
Specialist police officers examine scene after man collapses and dies^
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mayfair-poison-man-dead-cardiac-arrest-closed-latest-police-death-a8410611.html

@tnewtondunn
No10 accused of burying MoD report into growing security threats in bid to keep a lid on calls for more defence cash;

MAY'S FORCES FARCE Theresa May sparks fury by refusing to confirm if Britain will remain a Tier One defence power
www.thesun.co.uk/news/6594832/theresa-may-britain-defence-power/

RTB

I must confess my cursor has hovered over the "Contact us" button on the Guardian website .

Thing is, I'm sure we're by no means the only or even the worst afflicted victims in all this; our experience is probably just par for the course. I do suffer badly from "mustn't grumble" syndrome and just shrug and get on with it. As I say, there are 3.8 million EU citizens affected, but many have left/will be leaving, others just want their PR card, otjhers will just do nothing and hope they'll be safe. And anyway, whatever documentation you now get will be superseded by settled status stuff, so it's a bit of a thankless task.

The Home Office said they're experiencing high levels of applications (no shit!):

"UKVI is experiencing higher than average intake at present in some routes. Additional resources are being deployed to minimise delays in processing where this is the case."

So they're struggling to cope now (hence not noticing that we've done the biometrics), when not all EU citizens are submitting applications; what will it be like when every one of the 3.8 million is required to apply for settled status?

And where are the "additional resources" supposed to be coming from? Brexit dividend again, I suppose.

@tnewtondunn
No10 accused of burying MoD report into growing security threats in bid to keep a lid on calls for more defence cash;

Liz Truss was on the world at one today, as part of a special discussing the anniversary of the start of austerity. She basically said it wasn't austerity but a returning of public spending to normal levels.

Oleanswimple

"Are you making the application yourself or through a lawyer? "

When we first embarked on the process, we took one look at the 80-odd page form plus copious documentary evidence to apply for Permanent Residence and thought we'd better get a lawyer involved. After ringing round, we found that the average cost just for filling in the form and assuming all went well without further work was in the region of £1000. Fortunately, I resent paying money to lawyers if I can avoid it, so we've been doing the whole lot ourselves.

Having gone so far, we're now applying for dual nationality, as with just PR if my DW left the country for more than 2 years (and she has an ageing mum in Germany who may well need our help for some time) she would forfeit her Permanent Residence rights and we'd have to go through the whole shebang again.

It's already cost us well north of 2 grand, even without lawyers, (and a shed-load of time and patience). At least if she gets dual nationailty (a UK passport), we have the freedom to move to Germany for a while and, if we find we don't like it, she'll still be able to get back into the UK.

As I say, there are so many people who've had it harder then us (and we've met plenty along the way) and plenty of them who can't afford the fees (there was one Dutch chap working for Learn Direct when DW did her English language test who hadn't done it himself as he couldn't afford to on the meagre wages he was earning). I count us lucky that we've got the money, spare time and doggedness to join battle with the Home Office, but there are so many who haven't and can't.

Holy crap, another new thread!

www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44553225

'Who would cross the bridge of death must answer me these questions three..!" "Ask me the questions, Bridgekeeper..!"

From the BBC'S report on the proposed "settled status scheme":

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44553225

Former Labour minister Hilary Benn, who chairs the Commons Brexit Committee, asked ministers if the scheme would still stand in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said: "We have confidence that there will be a deal."

So that's alright, then. Just the sort of cast-iron legally binding commitment we've been waiting for!

Sooooo....

Icantreachthepretzels
NI voted remain by 55% - which considering the border issue is bafflingly low

It's actually cheeringly high given that so much voting in NI follows a straight sectarian line.

The vote should have been the other way round if the normal pattern had been followed.

www.bbc.com/news/business-44570931
'Airbus warns no-deal Brexit could see it leave UK'

The warnings from Airbus echo comments made on Wednesday by the boss of Siemens in the UK.

Jürgen Maier said the UK should should remain in the customs union after Brexit unless there was a "proper alternative".

Last week, Paul Drechsler, the outgoing president of the CBI, said some parts of industry in the UK faced extinction if the country left the EU customs union.

Paul Drechsler said car firm bosses had come to him saying the industry would suffer unless there was "real frictionless trade".

Mr Drechsler also said there was "zero evidence" that trade deals outside the EU would provide any economic benefit to Britain.

There are quite a few local election results from last night. Here are two that caught my eye:

Pitsea South East (Basildon) result:

LAB: 46.1% (+11.2)
CON: 45.6% (+16.1)
UKIP: 8.3% (-27.4)

Labour GAIN from UKIP.

Alcombe (West Somerset) result:

LDEM: 39.2% (+39.2)
CON: 27.1% (+0.9)
IND: 19.9% (+19.9)
LAB: 13.8% (-5.4)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from UKIP.

No UKIP (-22.2), Ind (-18.4) and Grn (-13.9) as prev.

Jim Pickard @ pickardje
feel free to share this if you think it might be topical

This one caught mine
I'm so depressed about brexit. I cannot believe we are doing it. So much bullshit.

Re the 10 stages:

Immigrant children being detained in shelters have been 'held down and forcibly drugged with psychiatric medication', lawsuit claims

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5868279/Immigrant-children-detained-allegedly-given-psychiatric-medication.html

Physical abuse .
www.businessinsider.com/immigrant-children-say-they-were-abused-in-virginia-detention-facility-2018-6

Charity CEO running migrant kids' shelters earns $1.5 million
edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/06/20/lead-griffin-southwest-key-ceo-pay-dnt.cnn

And then there's the lucrative private adoption business.

In Nazi Germany, they just seized houses, possessions, everything.
People had to just walk out and leave their homes.
Lucrative strategy too.

Is that specimen still coming to england?

Everything that trump does is either aped or initiated here.

YarlsWood.

What about the property of windrush British citizens?

Europe Elects
Europe Elects
@EuropeElects
·
49m
UK, Survation poll:

"When the negotiations are complete, to what extent would you support or oppose holding a referendum asking the public if they will accept or reject the deal?"

Support: 48%
Oppose: 25%

Field Work: 19/06/18-21/06/18
Sample size: N/A

Hasenstein
I feel for you.
And for me too. The type of bureaucratic nightmare is what has stopped me from even starting the process. Stress levels are very in my household (other issues going on) and I still haven’t found the energy and courage to add another layer. The 80 something pages for PR sent me in complete overwhelm (the amount of documentation they were asking for if you are self employed is just staggering!!).
I really hope you’ll get there with the citizenship.

You see I hate those survey asking if people want a vote on the deal with the EU.
Because it sounds too much like the referendum question. Do you want to saty in the EU, yes or no, wo actually specifying what NO means.

Imagine a referendum with a similar type of question. Do you accept the Deal with the EU, yes or no? And people vote NO wo specifying what NO means (we want more integration with it the eu or we want much less, less concessions etc...).
Plus if youbteject the deal, what else do you have instead?

If it’s to ask a question that is leaving the door wide open to interpretations, I’d rather have no referendum than another few years of instability because no one çan agree on what NO means.

I warned about China being able to produce Airbus wings
Airbus could also build up capability in an E27 country - the EU tends to invest for the future, rather than short-termism as in the UK
Possibly also: China as an interim measure, while E27 capability being built up

The world has moved on and there are hardly any businesses that genuinely can only be done in the UK, except for personal local services
(which to be fair, form a large part of any economy - but people need income to use them)

Many international businesses have already started "managed disinvestment" from the UKq
but they don't publicise this and make redunduncies in small chunks, as each section goes abroad for "other reasons" of course.
So it probably won't be noticed until right at the end, when the remaining redundancy notices go out - for the meagre legal minimum

BUT Many UK businesses depending on EU exports / imports remain oblivious and have made no plans
because the UK govt - unlike the E27 - has not warned them of the Brexit consequences.

I agree Tambien

The Times front page does just say:

'Work for airbus? Well don't worry, there will be plenty of fun career opportunities for you fruit picking.'

It's a real troll.