Westministenders: A LOOOONNNGGGGGGGG Hot Summer

[RedToothBrush]

May has officially demoted Raab and the Brexit Department to just being responsible for practical implimentation in the UK and not negogitions.

This shouldn't be a surprise, its been the case in reality for some time, much to David Davis annoyance.

The official government position now seems to be scare the shit out of everyone about the possibility of No Deal in order to force the EU to make a deal. Jeremy Hunt has been dutifully spelling this out, by talking about an 'accidental' Brexit.

The government are already outsourcing responsibility for this potential eventuality to industy and business by telling them they need to stockpile food in order to keep supply lines going. This WILL mean price rises will start to happen soon. It also means there is no coordinated government plan and if businesses can't afford to do this as its heavily dependant on having sufficient cash flow in reserve to be able to do it, or don't want to, then you, me and everyone else is going to be well and truly on their own. Whilst the public are not being told to stockpile, its hard to justify not doing so, if this is the current government line.

The government has also done a u-turn on when the repeal of the European Communities Act will come into force. They fought hard to have it fixed for 29th March 2019. Thats now been rolled back to Dec 2020. This is fine, but in practice, makes no difference what so ever if we have no deal or the EU refuse to honour a transition deal on the terms the UK want. The ERG will also go nuts at it and try to get May to roll back on it.

Raab has also made a point of saying that if we don't have a deal by October (rather than midnight 29th March 2019) we are going into No Deal land by default.

Parliament has now broken up for the summer, with May surviving, so things are likely to be a little quieter for a few weeks, but come September this is all going to blow up with avengance.

If you think the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster, just wait for the Autumn.

We’d be as well score out the words United Kingdom on maps and just write Fire Sale.

EU govts are sticking to their agreed negotiating position and saying it is the UK that must move

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-germany/britain-must-move-in-brexit-negotiations-germany-says-idUKKBN1KE327

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas:
“In order for the departure to be carried out in as orderly a way as possible, the British government will need to move.”

“On the one hand on the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and EU member the Irish Republic
and secondly on the undivided internal market, where Britain cannot cherrypick,” he added.
...
Maas said the time pressure was strong, adding:

“But we won’t let ourselves be put under pressure.
We won’t enter any deals that would be to the detriment of Europe.”

All those objections over the WTO......... by countries who apparently were ready to sign a trade deal with us on day one.

I think the whole stockpiling thing is being built up by the government for several reasons.

1. So the government looks like it's actually doing something. It's much easier to stockpile than try to find a solution to the Irish border for example.

2. It's a big shocking news story that can and will be dragged out over weeks, hence the information booklets being released one at a time over the next few months. It then draws attention away from the fuck up that is brexit and the terrible state of the negotiations.

3. It allows the government to play the victim. Look at what the nasty EU are making us do, whilst simultaneously looking like it's in control.

4. It allows the country to get used to the idea that there may be shortages and allows the government to push the narrative that even if no deal happens we can cope. People are less likely to get angry if they have been softened up for problems, than if it occurs all of a sudden.

5. If we don't crash out but things are shit anyway, the government will then hope we will all be thinking it could be worse.

6. It stops further opposition to brexit as all the remainers who believe brexit will be shit will start concentrating on preparing for said shitness, which in turn simultaneously reinforces leavers' beliefs that remainers are the modern incarnation of a man with a sandwich board pronouncing the end of the world. Project fear on speed as one brexiteer called it on sky news today.

I noticed Brendan O Neil ticking a few boxes from Reds list from the last thread , political class don't want Brexit , project fear when discussing the stockpiling of medicines/food . He is a regular on Sky news dissecting the papers.

On the other hand, the plentiful sneerers on the various stockpiling threads have gone mysteriously quiet. Perhaps we ought to bump those threads with a few @s to invite comment? (Feeling in a bit of a shit-stirring mood 😈)

Wrt Ian Paisley Jr., mentioned on the last thread - the DUP may yet come to regret the unceremonious boot to the behind of Ian Paisley Jr. if he is anything like the backstabber I suspect he is, and if the DUP has anything like the hoard of secrets I suspect it has.

I'd love to know a bit more about Paisley and the DUP math. I got the impression that he had a rock solid majority and that even if he was forced to stand down his replacement would be more of the same.

Good morning everyone. I bring you news of Brexit opportunities this fine sunny day:

Kevin Schofield @ polhomeeditor
Former Ulster Unionist Party leader (now Tory peer) Lord Trimble says a hard border in Ireland will allow former paramilitaries to take up the "benign and useful" activity of, er, smuggling. #r4today

Yay!!!!

Also, since we've had JIT for so many years, there isn't much spare warehouse capacity, especially in the South East

So it is good to live close to distribution hubs? Cos they'll have to feed the locals first to ensure the warehouses aren't stormed? Also warehousing cheaper in the north rather than southeast cos of land prices. That bodes well for Stoke I guess.

Good to know this stuff.

Unless the govt uses emergency powers, not much time to assess, choose and purchase land,
put out to tender the project management, architect and builders, then actually complete

The Trimble interview was extraordinary. I think he used the word "delightful" as well to describe the opportunity for smuggling a hard border would give. He said that it would give people something entrepreneurial to do. I'm surprised he didn't advocate the large scale production of Class A drugs as a sideline.

Adds smuggler to list of new employment opportunities post brexit.

Oh and warehouse guard.

The people's militia, anyone?

Instead of cheap fags being bought back from people on hols, we're going to be asking people to smuggle back bacon aren't we?

If they can get on holiday in the first place.

Heathrow airport prepping for worst case: is that 2 months shutdown ??

https://www.ft.com/content/ceb7d6ce-8f55-11e8-bb8f-a6a2f7bca546

Heathrow airport has raised nearly £1bn in debt to keep it going through a “worst-case scenario” following a hard Brexit, its chief executive has said.

John Holland-Kaye said this was equivalent to two full years’ funding:
“That gives us a level of financial resilience that means we’re well protected in case of whatever worst-case scenario we can envisage.”

He said he expected “something close to continuity” through a Brexit agreement, < really ? > but
“our funding levels . . . mean we are protected.
Even if we have no income for two months, we would be financially safe.”

Bonkers. My only hope is that the mass of leavers are actually the less vocal posters/commentators and all this is slowly sinking in.

Glad that The Independent has formally launched a campaign for a referendum on the deal. I know they don't exactly have a huge readership but maybe this is something that can snowball.

I'm confused as to how the stockpiling thing is being touted as 'project fear on speed' when it's Dominic Raab, arch brexiteer, who has confirmed it. Makes no sense

I suppose though, that all those truck drivers who can't now go to the Continent can drive stuff from warehouses in the north and west down to the south east? So all is not lost! It does seem a pale shadow of the sunlit uplands mind you.

It does seem a pale shadow of the sunlit uplands mind you.

We need to keep up with the evolving narrative - nobody voted Leave for Sunlit Uplands and £350 million a week for the NHS dontcha know; Leavers had always voted for hardship and food and medicine shortages because somethingSovereigntysomethingBlitzSpirit.

Will the Tories be joining their Unionist mates in a new GE manifesto:

"New Brexit opportunities: People-smuggling, drugs smuggling, arms smuggling
Ulster: Gateway to the world (the bits we've previously tried to keep out)"

In fairness, it's difficult to see many other Brexit opportunities for ordinary people,
just a feeding frenzy for hedge-funders and vulture capitalist.

Smarties commenting on Brexit?

🐟🎣👑 Place Mat King.

And thanks Peregrina and Motheroffourdragons for your support on the other thread. I seem to have touched a nerve! Someone who refused to accept clear answers to questions and kept shifting the goal posts would get a lot more ridicule on these threads

I've delurked on that thread pretty just wanted to point out that the OP's M.O. is extremely familiar. Deliberate sealioning obtuseness focussing on tangential details? Repeated hectoring of individual posters using tangential details? Repeated unique spellings of the names of public figures (particularly LibDems politicians)?

I might take unpaid leave to see DM in the October 2018 and Feb 2019 half-terms as well as Christmas, just in case there are no flights. DH says he renewed travel insurance, need to have a look at what it says.

Time to make friends with a local farmer.
good stuff. Under control there

Perhaps I should see if they have a few hours work this summer.

Oh THAT'S how we get people in the fields. Starve them.

Which other thread pretty? Sorry for being nosy.