Westministenders: Deadline Day #1

[RedToothBrush]

We have hit another Deadline Day.

As it stands, the EU are looking for more progress. May is digging in her heels by suggesting there is new a requirement for backstop to a backstop. The backstop to all intents and purposes is the GFA. So May is saying in effect, that the EU are forcing her to put in provisions to protect an international agreement we are signed up to, and if we breech it we risk peace in NI.

After lots of noise it seems that the Cabinet have decided to stick by May. For now.

The EU look like they are talking as if their meeting next month will exclude the UK and just go straight to No Deal planning.

There is also other talk of alternatives to allow the UK to stay in the customs union. But theres not much to that and it still doesn't solve the ERG and the DUP problem.

May is vastly unestimating how much the ERG and the DUP want to break the GFA. Which is a huge misjudgment.

There is also talk of the final final Deadline Day actually being Dec 13. For various reasons its not. Thats 29th March.

So Wednesday is Deadline Day #1. Expect more.

The UK can generate just about enough electricity on it's own so IF it could not source the remainder from the EU (essentially France) due to politics/deals then technically the UK can run

That's a bit like the cretinous Brexiteers who think that rain=tapwater.

The chain of "stuff" from power stations to your plugs is complex to say the least. You need an army of people - all rocking the right skills - to keep it going. And that's before you factor in things like any spares or components needed for repair/maintenance that have to come from abroad.

Part of the drive over the past few decades to deliver "efficiency" has - by definition - also made a lot of infrastructure much less resilient. You really cannot have it both ways. If you want to return as much profit out of gas, water, electricity and telecoms as you possibly can, you have to get rid of the duplication, and cushioning that protect you from unforeseen consequences.

Arguably this is where government should get involved - against the grain of the free market - and legislate for some fat to be kept in.

A no deal Brexit will test everything to the limit - and beyond.

@WoodenCupCake
Will you be able to move to the EU, do you have an EU passport? FOM will be gone. The government are going to throw the economy off a cliff and then lock us all in.

IIRC, the UK "imports" 5-10% of its electricity via connector grids to other EU countries

Due to rules insisted on by the UK, during any shortage of electricity within the EU, EU countries must get first dibs and any other countries get what's left
Possible shortages post-Brexit if there is a long cold spring and / or another long hot summer

5-10% doesn't sound like much to cut back.
However, my concern is that after a few weeks of logjammed ports, we'll suddenly find spare ports and a variety of other supplies are required to keep UK power supplies going.

Then of course there is the skilled manpower to run it all ...

From that draft French bill - expats:

12. "...The Government will take appropriate measures regarding the situation of UK citizens in France. IT WILL TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE STATUS THE UK GIVES OUR CITIZENS ON ITS TERRITORY".

"Will you be able to move to the EU, do you have an EU passport?"

We do. But it would be heartbreaking having to leave. Astonishing that in this country, in this day ordinary families are having conversations about upcoming food and medicines shortages. I wonder how many people are starting to stockpile now.

It is mind boggling that only a year ago our Brownies pack organised shoe boxes for poor families abroad, and all the Brownies were able to give generously. Next year, it might be that families in the UK will receive kind donations from families in the EU. The irony!

IT WILL TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE STATUS THE UK GIVES OUR CITIZENS ON ITS TERRITORY".
They're f*cked then.

I do not want to give up my home and temporarily separate from DH because of some halfwits who got us into this mess. We could leave, but why should I? I did nothing wrong.

The cat's out of the bag on NI:

UK govt strategy revealed
it is the UK govt trying to use NI as leverage for a better deal

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/politico-london-playbook-presented-by-london-city-airport-us-ready-for-trade-talks-may-meets-tusk-tonight-another-year-in-the-club/

Both the Times and the Guardian tell how Attorney General Geoffrey Cox - the UK government's chief legal adviser - told Cabinet yesterday
the proposal would see Northern Ireland “torn out of the U.K.”

and mean “the U.K. has no leverage in future talks.”

@EuropeElects

UK, TNS Kantar poll:

Europe Elects*@EuropeElects*

UK, TNS Kantar poll:

European Union Membership Referendum

Remain: 60% (+7)
Leave: 40% (-7)

Field Work: 08/09/18-26/09/18
Sample Size: 1,000

Placemat king

Thanks for another thread Red

Thanks for the new thread Red

Shineyelena there was a link on a previous thread (can’t remember who posted) to an article on the levels of all manner of nastiness (rodent hairs, animal faeces, insects etc) that can be legally present in food in the USA. Unsurprisingly EU laws say there is no acceptable level.

I'm going to empty the freezer a month or so before of anything like oven chips and fill it solely with meat and fish. I am going to buy large packets of things like mince and divide it up into freezer bags as the less packaging the more space.

I'm also going to buy some tinned curry/stew etc. I will eat that. I spent 7 years in the late eighties/early nineties eating boarding school food. I can pretty much eat anything. But DS has ASD and is super fussy so I plan to fill the freezer with meat that he will eat.

If there are fuel shortages we might do ok for fresh veg in Cornwall. If it's difficult to move it out of county they'll have to sell it here. And our warmer climate means it will come into season earlier.

That's on top of the tins/jars/packets i am slowly putting away. DS can't manage his emotions properly and is even worse with low blood sugar. I am not risking being without food that he will eat. I know the food won't last forever but it's better than nothing I guess.

Here's one of the previous links to what the US prefer instead of the EU unjustified food standards.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/rat-hairs-and-maggots-may-warned-of-reality-of-us-brexit-trade-deal-2018-10

--

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/food-standards-brexit-uk-us-trade-deal-maggots-rat-hair-worms-insects-mould-products-a8575721.html

Has anyone tried using solar power in useful ways?

I doubt very much that the Kantar poll will be reported by the BBC as they are the media arm of the Tory party.

@Thomasinaa - I only have solar to charge up torches, radios etc. Which have ports to charge phones too. I tried a cheap camping solar oven this summer- basically a big bag lined with reflective material. I'm too cheap to buy a fancy one and too lazy to build a diy one. But it worked - heated up a homemade pasta sauce nicely. In scorching sun which we don't get too much 

{That's a bit like the cretinous Brexiteers who think that rain=tapwater.}
The water in my well and my neighbours well is potable so that's no problem. We normally use a pump but a bucket and rope will suffice.
The reference to electricity is that I was considering an interim period in that there is no hard reason for it to stop.
Having disgruntled leavers/remainers destroying the infrastructure would be a different matter.
No deal would also probably mean many factories closing down or short time working so conserving power.
At which point does deliberately destroying a country become a treasonable offense? It seems like there are a lot of them in Westminster. Maybe they should have a big party there, say early November. Maybe some guy has some fireworks to bring along.

{Has anyone tried using solar power in useful ways?}
Other than generating electricity, heating water and generally seeing things for part of the day? Yes I have done all of these.

The article linked to by lonelyplanet quotes Liam Fox as saying reports the U.K.’s food standards regulations will be rewritten are ‘baseless and untrue’. Struggling to see how this can be the case if current U.S standards are that low and we are seeking a free trade deal with them.

Am ordering extra supplies of paprika and other dried spices having read the article lonelyplanet linked to. Prefer my goulash without rodent hairs... (not envy)

Thomasinaa

It’s very difficult and costly to store solar energy in any meaningful way, bar in small solar powered chargers, torches etc. You’d need a bank of solar panels and batteries. I’d stongly recommend getting a few solar or wind up torches and a radio. Batteries run out very fast indeed.

We won’t know how bad it will get (usual goods slightly more expensive vs rolling power cuts and severe shortages) so you’ll want to plan for best (just stock up on favourites that you’d miss if they weren’t in the shops) and the worst (ready prepared food that can be eaten without heating) and the inbetween (no long power cuts but some civil unrest that means you’ll be grateful for a full freezer). I think it’s highly unlikely we will lose power/water supplies, BUT I’m still stocking in torches/batteries/camping stove/water jugs. We decided against a generator as there’s no way to run in it in London without attracting immediate attention. If it comes to that point, we’ll be looking to leave the uk by any means possible. I’m also keeping good relations with the neighbours at present

@woman11017

Is there a link to that poll?

Laura Kuenssberg***@bbclaurak* 😿

Bits emerging from Cabinet [yesterday]

1. agreement EU backstop proposal not acceptable
2. no conclusion on whether backstop end date worth walking away over
3. UK mechanism to sort it out not 'fully formed'
4. PM warned Cabinet November summit was far from certain

TheIrish Borderr@BorderIrishh 😹

1. Can't agree to what we previously agreed
2. Can't agree with ourselves on how or when to disagree with EU
3. Can't agree with ourselves on how not to disagree with EU
4. Can't agree on when we'll have finished disagreeing with each other

Argh! I'm trying to convince someone on Twitter that you need a hard border for regulatory checks after a hard Brexit. They just don't get it and think its a conspiracy to try and stop Brexit. I can't even try anymore.

IT WILL TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE STATUS THE UK GIVES OUR CITIZENS ON ITS TERRITORY".
They're fcked then.*

But that also means myself (and all the other 3 millions EU citizens as the government wont be treating French people in a different way than any other eu citizens) are f**cked too....