Westministenders: Canada Plus and the Transition Phase

[RedToothBrush]

As we approach the 31st January, we slowly tick towards exit and transition.

Things are not yet signed off though the No Deal planning has quietly been stood down with no press release and the government have said they won't talk about trade deals post 31st Jan because the public are bored of them and don't understand.

The new EU president has said that the UK doesn't have time to make a full deal with the EU before 31st December with a deadline which isn't flexible.

We still have no idea what the government plans are. We still have many EU citizens feeling very vulnerable.

Perhaps we should start talking about this rather than Royals for a couple of weeks...

If my reading of the latter part of this article is correct
www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/18/savid-javid-warns-there-will-be-no-alignment-on-eu-regulations-after-brexit
by the end of February the UK will have to set out what it does want for the very first time.

At which stage business will finally learn what Brexit means

interesting times ahead

Dear God - I just walked past the Brexit Arms. What a dive.

Jason's links of yesterday about Truss wittering on about Trade deals with the US, when what employers want now is the certainty that current business with the EU can continue, is a fine illustration of what Chris Grey is talking about.

Yes, by all means see the way the wind is blowing and search out new markets to develop, but don't deliberately shut down the existing ones until they have been developed.

The 6 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa...

But combined they have the same GDP as Finland.

The 6 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa...
10% growth on a minimal GDP is trivial compared with
1% growth on a massive GDP

China is finally owning up to the fact that its economy is slowing .....
South American economies are stagnating

The fact that long term interest rates (over 25 year fixed term) are under 3% says all you need to know about the world economy.

I know, its a good stat to use to brexiters when they talk about opportunities

www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/01/01/another-lacklustre-year-of-economic-growth-lies-ahead

I know it's been done to death - or so you'd think - but the whole Big Ben Bong fiasco could not look worse for Brexiteers. They've had 3 years to make their plans for "celebrating" their blessed Brexit. How come not one of the knuckle dragging bigmouths thought to project manage getting the bongs on Jan 31st.

Or, put another way, would you trust anyone with that level of foresight with your business ?

Enjoyed the news quiz last night - quite aside from the fact that having such a diverse mix it would have pissed off Brexiteers just by existing. But there was a nice interplay between Nish Kumar and Ahir Shah (one to watch) agreeing that they could not understand how a country of such bellends managed to colonize their ancestors.

Cologne You're welcome if you like Lindt !

Going abroad on 31st Jan. No snow, floods or other horrid weather before 5 pm please, so I can get to the airport and plane can take off.

Very OT, but actually relevant when you think about the death of the high street and web sales and UK productivity ....

I'm going abroad too. No snow before midday please, so that I get to the airport. Will I be able to get back in? Will my passport work through the EU automatic gates? I will try and maybe report back.

"The 6 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa..."

So are some of the worst humanitarian / economic / climate catastrophes

The GDP of the entire continent of Africa is about ⅔ that of Germany
Difficult to compensate by increasing trade with Africa - or anywhere else - for exports and contracts lost in Germany

Then there's the exports lost to the rest of the E27
but if we want to keep eating, we have to keep importing from them, as they are the countries nearest us - and pay for this somehow
Not many British exports to the EU that can't be sourced elsewhere within the E27

I just had some fun composing a response for this
www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/17/what-are-you-planning-to-do-to-mark-brexit-day

PMK as always my thanks to everyone, Placemats sorry about your lovely cat💐

Compare what Javid says now to what he said 1 month before the ref
Amazing 180 degree turn 🤔

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/18/savid-javid-warns-there-will-be-no-alignment-on-eu-regulations-after-brexit

Chancellor’s remarks represent ‘death knell for frictionless trade’, experts warn
.....
In May 2016, a month before the referendum he said the only thing guaranteed about leaving the bloc was a decade of “stagnation and doubt”.

“Just like the Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, and IMF head Christine Lagarde, I still believe that Britain is better off in.

And that’s all because of the single market.

“It’s a great invention, one that even Lady Thatcher campaigned enthusiastically to create.

The world’s largest economic bloc, it gives every business in Britain access to 500 million customers with no barriers, no tariffs and no local legislation to worry about,”
he said in an article in the Daily Telegraph.

I'm marking Brexshit Day and glorious new Brexitannia with my new passive-agressive scarf.

That’s a very nice scarf, Elements, worthy of Style and Beauty any day.

We are having a party with a dedicated Brexit playlist, themed food, and loads of booze.

No leave voters invited.

Javid is just like any other politician, we've no more reason to think what he wrote in 2016 is anymore his belief than what he just said to the FT.

Like Johnson et al he will do and say whatever it takes to gain power.

Thank you born ^^ - this week I also bought a chunky yellow necklace from the charity shop, which I think will look very striking worn with a blue top or dress

Meanwhile, my blue-and-yellow bulbs in the front garden (the planters I first started last spring) are sprouting already.

And just by accident, we decorated the house for Chinese New Year (mostly red things as this is an auspicious Chinese colour) but we covered one wall with gold star bunting (gold is also auspicious)... after we hung it all up, I realised that because the room is painted blue, it looks like a giant EU flag 🇪🇺 so we will be keeping the bunting up after Chinese New Year

In general, I'm thinking a blue-and-yellow colour scheme will suit my wardrobe, house, and garden very well in the future.

Labour Hustings seem to be living in a pre Corbyn era, hardly any mention of him. You wouldn't know they just were in the middle of a crisis.
Did anyone know it was the EU that funded Liverpool? And it was Liverpool and Labour against the big bad Boris, the fake news media, social media, the evil Tories, the Sun....
No one had a plan for the future, they were all saying the same thing, evil Tories bla bla bla Boris bad bla bla bla...
No sign Labour is going to do anything other than continue as a party of protest for the next decade.

Starmer: Has his head shrunk or has his body got bigger?
Wrong Bailey: Just a nobody.
Nandy: I liked her.
Phillips: Holding back the tears.
Lady Nugee: Don't wear red in front of a red background.

Opps I meant to post that in a different thread, sorry apologies, just ignore it.

Don't worry, we already have lol!

I think I'm going to treat 31st Jan as any other day - because it is; if anyone wants to have a party or wake, totes up to them.

What I would really like to do on the 31st Jan is get out the crystal ball and see what happens in another 365 days.

As I don't get a say in the proceedings, I am watching with morbid fascination. There's already indications we are due another recession (nowt to do with Brexit - just part of the economic cycle)and I presume the Tory Government don't actually need businesses or jobs over here, given the scant attention paid to them.

It's one thing to promise help for the farmers and fishermen. The manufacturers will adapt or leave and to a certain extent that will be priced into the pain caused already. How the fuck are they going to deal with the services sector which make up to 80% of the UK economy and run an export surplus to Europe? It's barely been mentioned, so far.