Westministenders: Reality Bytes

[RedToothBrush]

Tonight the Corbyn and McDonnell Labour Party supported the Tory Party in improving the tax allowance for higher rate tax payers.

Yes you read that right. Did you even blink?

You've been so conditioned into seeing non existant opposition which seems to go against everything the Labour Party stand for that you no longer are shocked.

That's what 2 and a half years of Brexit has done to you.

You no longer care that Boris Johnson got £14,000 from the Saudis a couple of days before the Khashoggi murder. You know longer care that the former Defence Secretary is employed for £75,000 a year to advise a major Saudi Investor.

You are just happy that Trump hasn't started a war with Iran or North Korea yet. And hasn't started a civil war. (Though he's trying hard and next week is his best opportunity to stir it all up). You aren't surprised to hear that predictions are that the Democrats will fail to make gains in the mid terms.

You've suffered the 4657 story about how Therea May is just about to be challenged for the leadership.

You've heard about the squad set up at the Home Office to clear up all the cases the media get their hands on as the latest burning injustice. You are hearing that EU nationals who have been promised they are 'safe' are being subjected to questions about their right to stay. And you just shrug and say, "Yeah well thats the Home Office for you. The Bastards". And you do mean it, but you are so jaded by it all. And you worry that another 12 months from now, you won't even be interested in another story like that, and the press will stop printing them as they no longer interest the reader. What happens to your friends, your family, or even you then? Who is going to care then?

And then you have today.

A day where you hear that Bannon is being investigated by the Senate Intel Committee, Farage has been upgraded to the FBI's Really Naughty List and Banks has (FINALLY) been refered to the NCA. (We were only speculating on the possibility, on the 26th March...)

And you go 'Ooooooooo maybe there is hope'.

Maybe we COULD remain in the EU and avoid Turnip Soup and wiping your arse with leaves because of the national bog roll shortage. Or at least get a decent deal which suits us as a nation. Maybe, just maybe!

And that lasts for about 2 minutes before you log into twitter and the very first thing you see this:

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn
Excl: David Cameron tells friends he’d like a return to frontline politics, and fancies Foreign Secretary
www.thesun.co.uk/news/7639377/david-cameron-return-to-politics/

And you let out a high pitched screech as if you are were a dying cat as you remember this is 2018, and it just wants to beat the life out of you.

On the plus side, it shows you do still care enough to think 'Don't let that fucking bastard anywhere near power ever, ever again.'.

Ho hum.

Keep on, keeping on. Don't let the bastards win.
Keep caring. It matters.

"We can't use fresh food but Ive passed it onto a group that can x"

Me too. Thanks for the tip, 11017!

mybrain A lot depends on the ECJ decision about whether the UK can unilaterally revoke
Otherwise, the PM must obtain unanimous agreement of all the other 27 members

A UK PM actually has more independent power - basically the Royal Prerogative - than most other heads of govt
e.g. Trump is limited in what he can do without Congress.

imo, May could revoke on her own - especially with Henry VIII powers ! - but one of the E27 might not consent
Also, of course Parliament could vote No Confidence and probably then a GE
OR May might be replaced by a new leader "annointed" rather than elected by Tory MPs

It could go through if enough Cabinet minister back her and Parliament are sufficiently terrified of no deal

• that might happen Jan / Feb if there is a flood of business & capital out of the UK and a Sterling crisis However, so far this is just a trickle

Well done, Aldi
Both their staff and the food recipients will have a merrier Christmas for that

btw, those are typical German Christmas closing hours !
Shops here close on all bank holidays and Sundays, even supermarkets

However, so far this is just a trickle
169 900 jobs so far, but so much silencing........
There seems to be one a day now.......
@JohnnyMercerUK
Sadly I can confirm the closure of the Barden site in Plymouth announced this morning. As we so often celebrate great economic news in our City, so we must acknowlege the terrible shocks like this one, of an int'l company leaving Plymouth citing BREXIT

• those are typical German Christmas closing hours ! Shops here close on all bank holidays and Sundays, even supermarkets*

People here seem to go into a mad frenzy of panic buying if the shops are closed for more than a day. Goodness knows what they'll do if they find empty shelves next March (and haven't bothered prepping, cos, well, you know, they'd never allow it to happen so we'll be fine).

I am not sure that the hedge fund managers looking forward to Singapore on Thames will get their wish. Doesn't Singapore have a large, young population? Aren't they also something of an entrepot for the surrounding countries? Neither of which apply to England (yes, I do mean England).

@Peston
On #peston health sec @MattHancock signals PM won’t publish full legal advice on Brexit-deal backstop and also that government is buying fridges because there aren’t enough to stockpile medicines in event of no-deal@Brexit. See attached and show on @itv at 10.45

Reports elsewhere on SM of warehousing, motorways to be closed, and I'm still wondering about the hiring of 'foreign' soldiers.

Not looking good.

I'd be really interested to know what Leave voters working at Barden think of the closure. I wonder if there is resentment towards them from their Remain voting co workers? I would like to bet they're calling management liars and insisting the closure is nothing to do with Brexit.

peregrina If they get their desired Bonfire of Regulations, then the Brexit looters can certainly make their profits, regardless of the age of the workers.
They won't care if those workers drop dead early

I expect they will pay piece rates, i.e. the slower ones earn less

I have flu/high temp so sorry if this is stupid question but surely the cabinet would be shown attorney general legal advice re: back-stop? Why wouldn't this automatically be the case?

And by demanding to see it publically what are Gove and Hancock signalling to Brexiteers?

Read some of the comments on here, esp the v first one Kizzy and weep with laughter!

www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/business/barden-factory-closure-warning-more-2189263

Don't panic though.

@itvpeston
The Health Secretary @MattHancock calls on the public not to panic and stockpile medicines out of fear of a no-deal Brexit

Really, don't panic, or get any extra medicine.
Matt's got this.

‏*@Peston*
Health secretary @MattHancock urges the chronically ill not to hoard or stockpile personal supplies of medicine against risk of no-deal Brexit - insists government is making proper contingency plans

Nope. No. No panicking.

All fine and dandy.

Theresa May's national security meetings repeatedly cancelled after UK became 'consumed' by Brexit
uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-national-security-meetings-brexit-mark-lyall-grant-2018-11

Trump circling the wagons against Mueller now !

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/jeff-sessions-fired-us-attorney-general

Jeff Sessionss, the attorney general, has been fired by Donald Trump
and replaced with a senior aide who has previously called for special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigationn to be defunded and reined in.

Thank you, BigChoc!

Here is another gem from leftplymouth;

2 days ago
leftplymouth
For Gods sake, you wont let it rest will you? Why not write about the opportunities that brexit will bring, with new companies moving here and new export markets creating jobs, growth and prosperity. WE VOTED TO LEAVE THE EUROEPAN UNION, THE BIGGEST VOTE IN BRITISH HISTORY, WE ARE LEAVING GET OVER IT

The Native Americans of the U.S. had a saying " He who knows little amazes much ! ". In other words, it is quite easy to talk about how doing a thing represents no difficulty when one is basically ignorant of all the issues involved.

Woman, one thing about Y2K here in the U.S., the U.S. government repeatedly told the population not to worry about prepping for disruption, the government and industry were busy making sure there would be a smooth transition.

It turned out that the U.S. military and government officials had stockpiled pretty sizable amounts of food and medicine for themselves and if things turned rough they weren't going to share any of it with anybody. The supplies were stored on U.S. military bases.

The official line of the U.S. government about two days prior to the changeover was that people can survive a whole month without food.
I was simply appalled and disgusted given that there was plenty of time to encourage people to acquire foods that would keep like dried beans and noodles.

During Hurricane season people are encouraged to acquire at least three days of food, water, and medicine.

I suppose that if things have the potential to go really bad all over it will be a lot easier for a government to exert control over a weak from hunger population than one that is decently fed and energetic.

Why not write about the opportunities that brexit will bring, with new companies moving here and new export markets creating jobs, growth and prosperity. WE VOTED TO LEAVE THE EUROEPAN UNION, THE BIGGEST VOTE IN BRITISH HISTORY, WE ARE LEAVING GET OVER IT

They never ever say who,what or how these opportunities are going to transpire do they ? We simply must get over it and get behind it !

Ok so I thought I'd be open minded. I woke up early anyway and decided to try and find evidence of any businesses seizing this great opportunity and investing or setting up in the U.K. ? Any benefits for new startups, innovation etc?

There just aren't any positive statistics,studies etc to be found anywhere. I found one report saying selling second hand stuff on eBay may be more lucrative. Then a bit of empty rhetoric in the Daily Express about Britain booming -that's it.

No positive facts -no positive figures. Any proper studies are all negative. All. Of. Them.

Even the government's own figures.

The only thing I could find was the unsurprising slight manufacturing output increase due to the fall in the pound but that is of little help when the potential benefits of international trade are negated by the fact our biggest market is the EU anyway and lack of trade agreements and tariffs push up the price of exports going forwards devouring any short term competitive advantage.

I've tried really to find stats of positive signs. There really just aren't any.

I'm afraid all reports are impact of staff leaving, businesses rationalising, relocating or closing. How can people believe there are positive signs? There must be some lurking leavers so please post some positive signs.

So far it's been mostly larger businesses upping sticks and some smaller closures but the consequences of no deal are especially disastrous for the 5.7m U.K. SMEs especially if they're buying or selling goods within the EU.

Anyway I tried.

http://theconversation.com/brexits-impact-on-small-businesses-the-experts-may-be-spot-on-after-all-90561

---

https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/2018/09/six-months-to-brexit-major-new-bcc-survey-finds-investment-and-recruitment-would-be-cut-in-the-event-of-no-deal

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTIPx0lI6pb-3Tn-3D6uNJNyKcCd-A8uPMxViagyJAR9T87ZmnSdAEPCzp5ljlNYoUNdxJiJqQdBm7b/pubhtml

After more than two years, the benefits should be apparent.
I imagine that it will be like the last war - some people did OK out of it, but it was against a background of shortages and constant worry.

unsurprising slight manufacturing output increase due to the fall in the pound

You'd expect an increase even absent exchange rate movements because world and regional economies are growing.

No no that’s nit how its working.
We haven’t left the EU yet so we can’t see all the good things that will come out of Brexit.
Actually some even dare (shock) there will be a little hardship at the start but it’s AFTERWARDS! That things will be brilliant.

On the other side, it’s very clear that NONE, absolutely none, of the Project Fear predictions have come true after more than 2 years. And THAT shows you that Remain was wrong and lying about it all. Even though we still haven’t left the EU.

Fwiw I suspect this guy is right. There WIILL be new companies, a new economy developing from Brexit. I just dint think it’s one they expect. And it will come at a cost for the workers, the population, the environment etc etc