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...

I live in the north of england with young children and am looking at europe rail holidays ... haven't done it yet though!

Ironically last year was the first year we could afford a foreign holiday as a family... I did kind of wonder when I bought the plane tickets whether they'd be grounding flights before we took another

I think I'd only fly again to see family.

the public consciousness is changing on this I think, and quickly (I am not super environmental (to my shame) and wouldn't even have thought twice about flying two years ago... am also a very crap vegetarian now, most of the time... not very strict on that... but again 2 years ago I'd have called you crazy for suggesting it)

I know a lot of vegans, espeically young ones. That was really niche and weird when I was a kid. Think it's easier to get a vegan meal than a burger round where I live now. But it is in the city

I think flying and not eating meat/dairy is probably the only individual changes that do much, and they don't do very much - we need government action on this (remembers election result and weeps into her wine again)

I'm sorting out a return to work btw, for anyone who was so kind when I was signed off last month

Glad to hear that squid

We don't fly on holidays anymore...dh racks up enough air miles with work :(

Nice to see you back squid
Don't go back too soon. You're far more use well than unwell...

The French like to say "no one is indispensable", with a hugely wise and knowing look. I bear a huge ancestral burden of Protestant work ethic, so it's a message I find hard to take on board, but one that's true.

You're right, I think, about air travel and veganism. The younger generation are adopting some of the needed changes. Many other changes are huge and don't depend on individuals.

Thank you so much. I think you are right. Everyone is telling me not to rush back (in the hope of keeping me longterm, I think)

I met my supervisor and asked her how things were, she was like "it's kind of like a war... " and told me to do a graded return. I have four doctor neighbours (I live near the hospital) and we've all had time off over the last few years, it's just unsustainable

I've also asked to be moved to a big hospital nearer to home, the 2 hour commute was killing me. we have huge vacancies everywhere

And also I can only face working in the city right now, the constant low-level racism of the small town hospital I was working in was killing me... I feel like that's something shameful and terrible to admit, as a doctor - I really have to not judge my patients, but I think around the election time it was just so hard

Anyway. Probably going back next week. A&E is very bad right now, but I've had some rest.

Good to hear you're a bit rested Squid. I hope you can return gradually.

I live in the north of england with young children and am looking at europe rail holidays ... haven't done it yet though!

I'm thinking of a rail holiday in Europe too, to avoid flying. If you want to visit a few locations, an Interrail Pass might make sense. Children under 12 go free. Last time I did it, I was much younger! But they're available to all ages now. Why not?

Squid good luck lovely

If you wish to travel UK/World by train then the man in seat 61 is your friend. www.seat61.com/

That's excellent news that you are feeling better, squid 💐
and a gradual return in stages sounds very sensible

Do change hospitals if you can
A 2-hour commute is far too much on top of your stressful work

and you should NOT have to put up with racism including from patients

• you wouldn't be expected to tolerate patients assaulting you and racism is a criminal offence that hurts a person, like assault

If small towns like that find they can't attract doctors, then they'd better cut out the bloody racism

Everyone is telling me not to rush back (in the hope of keeping me longterm, I think)

Hope you are doing what's right for you Squid. An empty water jug needs to be refilled before it can pour out for patients and your DC.

I had these random thoughts on the NHS earlier. Bear with my obvious remarks below:

The ERG lot ( who now seem quiet) were prepared to let the economy take a 6 to 7 % hit to achieve a low regulation, low corporate tax Singapore type environment.

A good way to soften this hit to the economy would be to end or reduce NHS funding which is around 10% GDP I think?

To increase the backdoor dismantling of the NHS the public affection first needs to be loosened. What better way to focus on press articles about negligence in the NHS- this was a major news item yesterday. I've also even noticed some new posters on here dissing the NHS treatment they received.^^ Could there be an agenda to loosen our affection for it?

Canada minus

Peter Foster @pmdfoster
NEW: EU preparing to give UK worse trade deal terms than Canada or Japan #brexit
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/01/21/eu-preparing-give-uk-worse-trade-deal-terms-canada-japan/

^^ But only if the UK go for a bare minimum basic trade deal. Haven't got time to google what that means though as need to get off to work

Is anyone surprised by Canada minus?

NB: Canada minus will still require the U.K. to sign up to some LPF clauses.

Squid, glad to hear that you are feeling a bit better, bon courage with your return to work.

Heard yesterday that my (UK) employer starting to talk about lay offs ...

Heard yesterday that my (UK) employer starting to talk about lay offs ...

Ah, but you see, any negative things that happen before January 31st are not due to Brexit because “we’re still in” and any negative things that happen after January 31st are also not due to Brexit because “Brexit got DONE”

In the discussion on flights, one of our preferred way of going skiing was to fly to Paris from Glasgow and then get the overnight couchette down to the Alps. The cost of trains in the UK plus the fact that there are no direct Eurostar links from Scotland (as there were supposed to be when it was approved as "national" infrastructure ) made train all the way impractical - as well as unreliable except for the time that 3 year old ds got an ear infection just before we were due to fly so I had to change all our travel plans, but even then we had lots of delays in the UK

People were talking about letting the Brexiters get on with it, and for Remainers (MP Remainers?) not to oubstruct them. Thinking about this I first remembered the 'passive resistance' of the Prague spring in the 1960s - where the Russians were just ignored, and ended up pulling out. They didn't get the fight they might have been spoiling for.

Going back to this country, I thought what should people in Parliament do? The Lords have defeated Johnson and his Government on the EU settlement issue, for now; Alf Dubs is going to keep fighting for refugee children. These I think are the correct actions - their votes are a matter of public record and they will in future be able to hold their heads up and say that they voted on humanitarian grounds. Not so the Tories, who voted en bloc against these measures - they won't be able to pretend that they weren't really against refugee children, or would turn a blind eye if EU citizens were discriminated against or kicked out.

Heard yesterday that my (UK) employer starting to talk about lay offs ...

But there shouldn't need to be any lay offs! The Brexiters promised us that it was all going to be so easy, deals cut in an afternoon over a cup of tea, etc., that firms should now have bulging order books and be desperate to take on new staff.

Hidden away in clause 38 in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement is a legal pronouncement to supersede Scottish Sovereignty in favour of UK (English) Sovereignty.

I'm struggling to keep up with the thread but I'm guessing the immigration system developments have been discussed?

The 30k proposed limit idea has gone already and the Times says criteria could include:
English proficiency,
educational qualifications, occupation and
willingness to work in particular areas of Britain.

So looks like Romanian doctors and car washers who speak good English may still be allowed -is that right? ^
^
Farage has been quiet but he won't like ditching the £30,000 criteria will he. Is this setting up a future situation for agreeing to FoM? Can you imagine.

Might you be affected, Mistigri?

Hidden away in clause 38 in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement is a legal pronouncement to supersede Scottish Sovereignty in favour of UK (English) Sovereignty.

I would strongly suspect that Scot's Law will say something about that - that the Scots never surrendered Sovereignty when they United with the English crown, so it can't be taken away by Westminster.
But I am not a Lawyer and especially not a Scottish one, so don't quote me. Nicola Sturgeon, of course, is.

Auld, I doubt it, but who knows. No one is indispensable but I have an unusual skill set and I'd be expensive to lay off.

JLR also laying off several hundred workers per local press.

Looks as though it will be easier for EU citizens to get jobs here than for UK citizens to get jobs in the EU. Brilliant outcome for our DCs.

willingness to work in particular areas of Britain.

Fascinating to know how that will work ? Imagine only being allowed to take a job in Newcastle.

And if they get away with that scheme, you won't have to imagine for long. Imagine the joy of an employer suddenly realising he can order staff to work in Manchester and sack them if they say no.

Who's behind all of this ? Jim Crow ?

Good, Mistigri - for you, I mean. The layoffs news is otherwise grim, if not exactly surprising.