Westministenders: BAH HUMBUG said Mr Rees-Mogg

[RedToothBrush]

"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge Rees-Mogg, ... it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons hostels?"

"Plenty of prisons hostels..."

"And the Union workhouses foodbanks." demanded Scrooge Jacob. "Are they still in operation?"

"Both very busy, sir..."

"Those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge ^Rees-Mogg, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

He continued "Besides I do not believe that anyone would die without them. I think Theresa is right, there are many complex reasons why nurses go to food banks. The real reason for the rise in numbers is that people know that they are there and Labour deliberately didn't tell them. To have charitable support given by people voluntarily to support their fellow citizens I think is rather uplifting and shows what a good, compassionate country we are"

------------------------

This thread is dedicated to Mrs8 and anyone else who is working to make life just a little better in the difficult circumstances that ALL politicians are currently doing their best to ignore (despite what they profess).

No Deal = even more poverty and destitution.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HERES HOPING FOR A HAPPIER NEW YEAR
especially to those of you, who might be having a tough time or facing real uncertainity.

Public to be advised to "vary their diet" in the event of no deal.

twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/1076046215949795328?s=19

bellini it was DGR that first posted it.

And...

mobile.twitter.com/AmirKha73608751/status/1075371960425697280

All this talk on immigration. My mum and dad were invited to work here by the government.They had 7 kids:
1 GP
1 A&E consultant
1 NHS dentist
2 teachers
1 police officer
1 environmental worker
Don’t tell us we don’t contribute to society.

Your childhood area sounds more cosmopolitan than mine

Far, far from it - it was a small market town in Wales.

On a Scotland / England note it is interesting that they are considering seconding staff to Environment, Fisheries and Food from DFID.

DFID has a base in East Kilbride in Scotland and Fisheries and Food are a large part of the Scottish economy, so it makes sense. Also Liam Fox, International Trade, is from East Kilbride and Michael Gove is from Aberdeen.

DH is far from fluent in French, despite actually being half French. When we go on holiday to France he makes me do the talking because everyone is far more patient with me - he's always put it down to my Scottish good looks rather than my accent.

I would be surprised if it was that well thought through, howabout. The reallocation of DFID staff probably reflects the fact that most senior Tories see delivering international aid as v low priority.

Kate Hoey telling it how it is re Blair.

brexitcentral.com/tony-blairs-dodgy-dossier-brexit-swiftly-binned/

Irene you may be correct in your scepticism but imho it is pretty telling that supposedly well informed journos like Peston don't point out these sort of salient facts when sensationalising and catastrophising.

This thread has been a lifeline for me since the Ref - so thanks to all the contributors. I'm peak Brexit so am going to have a Xmas break from it. And probably not come back because - as I've said before - I'm since of posters pissing all over England on the Westminstender threads.

I'm an ardent Remainer but I love this country and wouldn't want to live anywhere else - tried it a couple of times, enjoyed it but this is home and I love it.

The sneering from Rossetti, 1stleClerc (sic) and Big Choc is getting so tiresome. Yes, there are a lot of twats in the UK but, I'd wager, not any more than any other country - including France and Germany.

So Merry Xmas all and let's hope for a new year where we revoke, remain and reform!

If Katya is correct in her interpretation of EU attitudes then No Deal is probably inevitable.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46594341

I do take issue with her assertion that the EU contingency plans are short term and unilateral. If they work for the EU in the short term they also work in the long term unless the UK made decisive steps against the EU.

Place marking

I missed the last thread, I’ve tried to catch up but it’s tough.

I get made redundant soon. But at least I planned for it and we have a reasonable financial cushion.

Thanks so much for these threads.

The sneering from Rossetti, 1stleClerc (sic) and Big Choc is getting so tiresome?

What??? I really don't see it like that at all. All three are very insightful and perspicacious posters who comment with (understandable) incredulity on a very tiresome situation.

So very sorry for all those dealing with redundancy on these threads. May the New Year bring some opportunities somehow.

I flew into Gatwick a couple of hours before it got exciting.
One of the gifts you could buy on the Easyjet flight was .....
a drone

Meanwhile, here's the EU doing what responsible organisations do - look after it's members:

www.theregister.co.uk/2018/12/21/eu_steps_up_china_ip_snaffle_battle/

The EU yesterday escalated its complaint to the World Trade Organization that China "forces" Western companies to surrender valuable IP as part of doing business there.

(contd)

That's something else the UK will now be doing alone. Thank goodness the Chinese quake in their boots when a UK PM speaks.

ThereWillBeAdequateFood

Really sorry to hear this

I'm an ardent Remainer but I love this country
Snap.

pissing all over England [hm]

I really don't understand this insistence by Leavers (and yes, it seems Remainers too) that if you're a critic of Brexit you hate England/the UK.

Not noticed any sneering from those mentioned but if people want to hear other reasonable voices that take different opinions they are going to hear uncomfortable facts and opinions from time to time.

I was not born in the UK but its my home now.

Brexit is a catastrophic mistake which has laid bare MASSIVE failings in the whole Governmental process.
Sadly the damage to the checks, balances, controls and systems will carry on long after March 29th
and is being actively ignored by all of those in power.

The reality is that the British political system is broken
and until it is repaired, the UK will continue to decline.

that is not pissing all over England
that is recognising what needs to be changed
FAST

A bit late to discuss butchers and other High Street shops but I have been Christmas shopping, how I hate it but found suitable sparkly things for DGC eventually.
My local small town is very well provided with more than one butcher - one of which has an exceptional range of produce - and a very good greengrocer in the High Street. Also a very good bakery. There is a covered market that runs Wed - Sat with a fishmonger, another greengrocer and another butcher. We are in the rural West Midlands and far enough away from larger towns to support independent shops. I don’t think there are too many towns like this, but we are not unique.
In the 60s the only place I could buy yoghurt as a teenager was the Health Food Shop and said yoghurt was considered strange, if not dangerous. Fruit and veg - even imported - were seasonal. For example, one would not generally buy oranges in the summer. Apples, plums and pears were strictly seasonal. We bought a box of Cox’s Orange Pippins, individually wrapped in tissue paper, that kept well through the winter. My mother bought New Zealand butter and cheese - I wasn’t aware of locally produced dairy items. Instant coffee was seen as very sophisticated, though the local grocer (who was also the local seed merchant) ground beans to order. In my imagination this coffee was consumed only by very rich people.

I have never lived anywhere but England and I love it here in many ways and for many reasons. However, it has become increasingly clear over the last few years that there are many deep problems with English culture, politics and attitudes - and Brexit has made these problems incredibly visible. Discussing them is really important, IMO.

howabout What Katya is saying should have been obvious to all for weeks.
I don't know why UK politicians - particularly Tories - keep indulging in these unrealistic dreams

They cause ordinary Leave - and Remain - voters to share the same illusions

They only delay the point at which the HoC / May have to choose one of the only 3 available options:
Revoke / this WA / NO Deal

They only increase the risk of an accidental No Deal

The EU have said this publicly and very often:

there will be no further negotiation on the WA core, especially not on the backstop being permanent and not unilateral

Public opinion, certainly in Germany, has gone way past bewilderment and amusement to exasperation with the UK govt.
exasperation with all the time taken and all the money that will have to be spent on contingency plans
Noone wants to lean on EU member Ireland to give in to the soon to be non-member UK

What imo is perfectly possible, if the UK wishes it, is to insert clauses like these:

• that if there is no deal at the end of transition and the backstop is about to be activated, then the UK may decide to choose to extend the transition period instead

• that the mainstream aim in the PD should be changed to an SM+CU+several other bits, to enable frictionless trade to continue

If the UK govt had any nous, they could also work in parallel on finding something that would persuade the Irish govt to modify the backstop

^Stop trying to bully them,
but offer goodies they might like
e.g. say joint rule from now until whenever reunification is, plus a further 25 years after that

This would be a transition period to ease worries Ireland has about what happens when demographics cause NI to demand reunification.
We need to avoid an abrupt change, but spread it all out over decades

AdequateFood I am so sorry for you 💐

Several Westministenders or their OH's suffering or fearing redundancy atm

I don't know how representative this is of the UK, or MN
Just a statistical fluke in a small sample,
or whether those more anxious abou the economy, or feeling more vulnerable, are more likely to post here..

It's not discussing, it's constant bloody sneering. Some of you don't notice it because it's an echo chamber here. Anyway, time to hide this thread and get on with enjoying Christmas. I'm quite aware of the mess this country's in but looking across at mainland Europe, I fear for them too. Scary times ahead for all us Europeans.

I'm quite aware of the mess this country's in but looking across at mainland Europe, I fear for them too
Yup, othere EU countries have problems
but only the UK has Brexit
and sadly Brexit will not solve ANY of the problems on either side of the Channel.
It will just make them worse.

To be fair, we should (IMHO) all be eating more seasonally and more of what is grown locally rather than flying fruit and veg all round the world. I love mange tout, but I don't need it flying in from Kenya so I can have it with Christmas dinner

Similarly, I lament the closure of proper butchers and greengrocers but we have only ourselves to blame. We didn't use them when they were there, so we are stuck with supermarket counters instead (which can be great, but are sometimes awful)

See also Woolworths, C&A and Toys R Us