Westminstenders: Waiting for Sanity

[RedToothBrush]

We could be waiting a long time, but that's what we have to wait for as that's what the EU is waiting for.

The EU has requested we expand on our plans for 'alternative arrangements' with regard to the backstop.

We need to do so before the next HoC vote on 14th Feb. The EU see no point in shifting their position before than. And the UK will struggle to provide the info the EU want before then. So there is now some doubt as to whether the vote will go ahead as planned.

About a third of the Cabinet now believe that Brexit will have to be delayed due to legislation not being ready for exit date. However we don't have power over this and we might still exit without it.

There is no Brexit related business next week in the HoC to prevent pesky amendments. The recess has been cancelled but MPs have been told its OK to go on their ski holidays so it's just a PR stunt.

Meanwhile No Deal is in full effect as businesses trigger their exit strategy in the absence of certainty. No Deal is reality for many even if we do have a last minute deal...

We are all about to get poorer. As that's what we voted for.

Beautiful work fluffy

Thank you, Destiel. Anything which keeps my mind off worrying times. 😁

most Brits are hopelessly dire at languages

But given that the rest of the world speaks English ... (I hope that doesn't sound smarmy ?)

I think Brexiteers also need to realise that it's thanks to their beloved fucking British Empire - and the twatbadgers and dickwads that ran it's aversion to "foreign" - all the subjects of the British Empire ended up having to learn some English - whether they liked it or not. Which meant that they were able to come to Britain and work, or with the march of technology work in offshore call centres.

Henning Wehn (pleased a PP liked the reference) makes a point of thanking the British for forcing Germany to give up her overseas possessions after WW1, as it meant Germany simply can't outsource call centres. There's also a much shorter list of countries than can readily export labour to Germany.

So jobs being taken by immigrants is a pretty direct result of the British Empire and it's insistence on the SPEAK ENGLISH FOR GODS SAKE school of ruling. (See also: "Latin" .....)

Mass Observation is still going, btw. Directives are sent out several times a year asking participants to write about selected subjects.

I'm betting there'll be a fair few people keeping diaries right now.

Sam Coates Times @samcoatestimes
Times EXC

37 page “Operation Yellowhammer” no deal planning pack for staff leaks. Marked “official sensitive”

Key Yellowhammer slide on no deal consequences

- “Operation is potentially enormous”
- “Impacts ... could grow exponentially as issues impact upon each other and capabilities of responders at all levels decrease or become overwhelmed”

Government creates war-like structure with 24 hour, 3 shift a day “battle rhythm” all reporting to cabinet office / Cobr
- Here for the first time are the details

Government admits it only has facilities to cope with “two concurrent events to be managed”

“Bridges event” is a reference to a Royal Family death

—— Gvt fears they may have to deal with no deal brexit and Royal Family tragedy

See here:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge

Andrew Neil @afneil
The Royal Family remained in London throughout WW2, even when the Luftwaffe was raining bombs on the capital. But in opaquely sourced stories the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday claim Brexit means the Queen might have to be “evacuated”. Truly doth Brexit make some media mad.

*ponders whether the Queen is considering getting the EU passport she is entitled to.

I thought the Royal Family went to Windsor each night? Not quite the same as staying in Central London.

{But given that the rest of the world speaks English .}
Not where I live they don't (much), so it brings a whole new excitement to going shopping when you haven't a clue what each other are on about.

Has anyone else read the Jenna Bailey book "Can Any Mother Help Me?" It is a private "magazine" written by a group of women about their lives and lasted for 55 years until 1990.

Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were in Windsor and the King and Queen travelled up and down.

Each night the King and Queen trekked to Windsor Castle in an armoured Daimler

The Blitz, Juliet Gardiner

Wonder if Her Maj will go to a colony...?
I'm sure much will be made of wherever she goes. Still feeling weirdly outraged that some fat kipper thinks it is fine to call her a traitor. If I were her I would be wishing thunderbolts on his head. Cheeky git!
I'm not even a monarchist.

Alexis Contain calls out Daniel Kawcynski.
Definitely worth a listen.

mobile.twitter.com/talkRADIO/status/1092093761570652160

I've got some books which feature letters written to mass observation during ww2. One of the bits that really stayed with me was a man taking down his black out at the end of the war and putting it away in the loft ready for the next war.

Brilliant isn't it Susan

Are they the Simon Garfield books SusanWalker?

Anyone would think that someone high up in the Conservative Party wanted to precipitate a split.

Yes I have missc very moving.

An early mumsnet!!

Just watching channel 4 news and heard there's plans to evacuate the Queen in the event of riots due to no deal. Fuck be how did we get to this?

Sorry just realised someone has mentioned that earlier. Really need to keep track of the threads!

Indeed they were Destiel. They just prove that women can speak to women across the generations if people are prepared to listen. (The Mumsnet phrase "it's a generational thing" gives me the rage).

Elements Increasingly in some fields, Brits can work abroad without needing to know the language

English has been the 2nd working language for many years in the large German the firm where I work now,
paticularly over the last several years, with so many scientists coming her from India, SKorea, China

I'm told at the gym it's the same for the finance sector in Frankfurt

Even back in the late 1980s, before the SM and complete FOM, for my first job in Germany I knew only 3 German words:
"ja, nein, schweinhund"

Everyone just spoke English to me

Now, fluent English knowledge is not just for the mc professionals:
e.g. the young bloke who came to repair the heating spoke English as soon as he heard my accent
and he'd have come up the apprentice route, without a degree

Housewife 48 by the late great Victoria wood was also wonderful

@prettybird, @SusanWalker and @NoWordforFluffy Your work is amazing. My stitching is ok, but my knitting and crochet works are just therapy.