Westminstenders: In the Brexit Lane

[RedToothBrush]

I honestly couldn't think of a better starter to the thread than simply just this tweet

Robert Peston @ peston
We’ve got an official opposition tearing itself apart over antisemitism, the founder of the EDL running rings around the judiciary and a government negotiating a Brexit plan that its own MPs and ministers tell me is dead. When will we pull ourselves together, as a nation?

But don't worry, your blue passport will get you an extra special long wait at passport control. And no deal could lead to continued freedom of movement anyway. Something for everyone in there.

You know this TM mantra of 'no deal is better than a bad deal' has she ever described what a bad deal looks like and what 'no deal' looks like so we can put them side by side and compare?

Interesting poll - only 20% of people see protecting the rights of UK citizens in the EU as a priority, and only 18% care about preventing a hard border between Ireland and NI.

I am surprised at how high these numbers are.

There was a spat on Twitter yesterday over British in Europe's (formerly) neutral position and it was quite obvious that even many fervent remainers do not know or care about the precarious situation of UK nationals.

There was a spat on Twitter yesterday over British in Europe's (formerly) neutral position and it was quite obvious that even many fervent remainers do not know or care about the precarious situation of UK nationals.

I suspect it's "don't care".

Not really sure where any surprise comes from about that. If you follow the Brexiteer belief that the UK is only stopped from being heaven on earth by dint of a mix up in naming, then anyone who had the bad judgement to leave it really isn't worth bothering with anyway.

I suspect if it came to it, Trump would happily throw any ex-pat US citizens under a bus too. And be proud of it. They're not great Americans. I'm a great American ...

It's possibly a tad simplistic to suggest elements of envy or jealousy ... but it's also naive to rule them out.

And to be fair, I wonder if I am only interested because I am in the EU. I don't know that it would have been top of my list of things to be prioritised, but I am pretty sure the border in the island of Ireland was up there once I realised the implications - which were never spelt out properly I don't think at the time of the referendum.

I think the fundamentals of FoM/PR aren't really part of the average UK persons consciousness. A perfect storm of taking for granted, along with lack of use, along with failure to empathise. It's a little like checking into a 5* hotel and sticking to the buffet and wifi, not realising there's a Michelin starred restaurant available on top of a fully equipped gym and pool, and next to a internationally renowned spa.

(We're drifting back to "well if I don't use it, why should I pay for it" - the mantra of the Tories).

I will be honest and say that when I voted remain , I didn't actually consider the plight of UK citizens living in the EU, because if remain had won as I hoped , nothing would have been any different for them. So it was a vote to cause no harm.

Looking at that YouGov survey: there are so many unicorns conflicting "desires".

People still don't truly understand the realistic choices. For example, you can't have frictionless trade and restrictions on FoM - even if you think one is not a priority

Also, people have chosen not to educate themselves on why FoM is a cornerstone of the EUm having been a cornerstone of the EC, having been a cornerstone of the EEC, having been a cornerstone of the Treaty of Rome.

I'm going to be controversial here, and say for a country which loves banging on about WW2 so much, the general population of the UK are probably the least educated in it.

Too true, as i understand, outside of CU and SM, you cannot have frictionless trade and still do own trade deals.

Quite impressive 31% of remain voters would prioritise ex pats, 8% of leavers and 10% of Tory voters..... says it all really.

I would have been interested to see what percentage think securing the rights of EU to stay in the UK is a priority.

What I want the Leader of the Opposition to do, is get his own house in order (anti-semitism); and provide a strong, challenging opposition to disastrous Tory policies (e.g. Brexit). Also, prepare for government. (Hollow laugh).

I don't need him to spend time involving himself in other countries' issues. Is that very narrow of me?

I don't doubt his sincerity and commitment, but he seems cut out for a role other than party leader.

“Why are the Tories like Teflon where nothing sticks?”

They control a lot of reporting and social media.
Our local FB page is moderated by Tories - at least one is a member of the Conservative Party. They control what is printed and, if things get political, they have final say on what gets deleted and who gets banned.
A little while ago, a couple collapsed in the high street. It took nearly an hour for the overstretched paramedics to get to them and an outraged shopkeeper posted this on FB, together with a photo for evidence.
This could have been embarrassing for the constituency MP, Jeremy Hunt, who happened to be Health Secretary at the time.
So they smothered the story. Even though it was not possible to identify the couple from the photo, they kept on and on about lack of privacy and violation until the original story was lost.
The post was removed within a day.

Ony just catching up, but had to post this article;

"British woman says Benidorm holiday was ruined by too many Spanish people".

She doesn't actually say how she voted...

This could have been embarrassing for the constituency MP, Jeremy Hunt, who happened to be Health Secretary at the time.

So they smothered the story. Even though it was not possible to identify the couple from the photo, they kept on and on about lack of privacy and violation until the original story was lost.
The post was removed within a day.

Also if it's in the Guardian, it doesn't count.

Bet that woman in the article would be miffed to know any those Spanish pensioners cluttering up the hotel were there on holidays subsidised by the Spanish Government

Where was her patriotism? Why didn't she go to Blackpool or Scarborough?

I'm on my hols in West Wales. Loads of furriners. Presumably the weak pound makes it cheaper for them. Ace games of "guess the language " or "spot the registration plate" with my dd.
Perhaps this lady and I wouldn't be friends ....

Had to double check the masthead - was convinced I was reading something from The Daily Mash. Incredible.

We’re truly living in a world beyond satire.

The lady in question did have some grounds for complaint, like initially being stuck on the 14th floor and the area being hilly when they weren't very mobile, but not expecting to meet Spaniards in Spain???

Somehow the headline "Woman books self into large hotel in hilly area abroad, and is HORRIFIED to discover hotel is large and situated in a hilly location with foreign people in it" isn't appealing to my lizard brain.

And right on cue, from GoDaddy, about my domain.

Now that the UK has voted to withdraw from the European Union, the registry for .eu domains (EURid) has decided to revoke domains registered to UK residents, and prevent them from purchasing new ones.

In light of this decision we will no longer offer .eu domains to UK residents. EURid may act as early as March 30, 2019, but the deadline might shift as Brexit negotiations continue.

You still have options, though. You can either update your registrant address to one outside the UK, or replace your .eu domains with another option. Read this article to learn more.

Luckily I only got it as a £1 add on to my However, damned if I should lose it for a tosser like BoJo.

Looks like I'll have to ask a favour of the continental side of the family. Apropos of that, has anyone else found their family ties with people on the Mainland changing of late ?

My family takes no notice of Brexit. It us a non-issue for them. When I said that our next year's trips are up in the air due to Brexit, family members were shocked and muttering about stupid stupid people ruining their own life.