Westministenders: No Australia Don't Have A Deal

[RedToothBrush]

Since Friday, far from letting things calm down, Johnson has doubled down stating that if we can't have a Canada Deal (which the EU says wouldn't be equal because we are much closer than Canada geographically) we will go for an Australia Deal.

This is the latest rehash of a managed no deal package up as something else which the EU have already repeatedly said no to.

So we are on track for no deal.

At the same time Johnson has got very excited about American food and how its great. Almost as if he wants no deal wit the EU to force a shitty bad deal with the us through.

Johnson and his chronies have also been trying to undermine journalistic transparency by blocking access to the lobby to some media outlets in a move that makes us look like a tinpot dictatorship. Fortunately there was a mass walk out of journalists but it remains to be seen how long that can be maintained.

Far from being a clean slate to move forward from its already proving that nothing has changed and old divisions are as deep as ever, if not worse...

Is Caroline Lucas the Attorney General?

You know the old adage about a fool may ask a question the wisest cannot answer ?

Anyway, seeing that written down makes me wonder at what point the mechanisms of certification will come into clash with the wholeness of woke. After all, isn't it discriminatory that someone needs a certificate to get a job. Even if that certificate is having to win an election ?

I didn't go digging for rabbits. But when others have, it's only natural to want to see how far down the holes go.

MP talks to constituents about her politics shock! Caroline Lucas has been very active in campaigning on historic sexual abuse, and if tardily, did launch an investigation into it in her own party.

The BBC is far more than a news channel.

This is just a spiteful revenge action from the Conservatives. Channel 4 will be next.

MP talks to constituents about her politics shock!

Interesting to read that Caroline Lucas spent a year studying Buddhist philosophy and history of art in America.

Clutching at straws again Clav.

All of those things got reported without you accusing anyone of being woke, or for it being legitimately news.

Clutching at straws again Clav

I found the whole experience enlightening - OMmmm...

hahahahah

Surprised no one picked up on the news that Boris is mugging off Donnie ....

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8003711/Boris-Johnson-CANCELS-trip-Donald-Trump-amid-transatlantic-tensions.html

Boris Johnson has called off plans for a spring visit to the United States to see Donald Trump amid ongoing transatlantic tensions that threatens to overshadow trade talks, it was reported today.

The Prime Minister is said to have originally planned to visit Washington last month following his election victory, before moving the trip to February.

But now the plans for a visit are said to have been shelved and the two men will not meet face-to-face until a G7 summit at Camp David in Maryland in June.

(contd)

It would of course be highly irresponsible - not to say very dangerous - if someone were to start a Twitter campaign suggesting the real reason is that "Boris won't be seen with a loser".

Oops !

Interesting to read that Caroline Lucas spent a year studying Buddhist philosophy and history of art in America. Glad to hear it. We might not be in the awful mess we are now if a few more people, especially those in power, had studied the history, philosophy and art of other non western cultures. And of course she went to America to study it because the British and Americans helped themselves to so much of it. One of the reasons Asia is watching the current hubris with pleasure, that and the prospect of the coming economic feeding frenzy.....

I too have studied Buddhism and art, but not feeling any great temptation to join a Buddhist sect founded by a sexual abuser to be a more westerner friendlier brand of Buddhism.... I do yoga and mindfulness too but that hasn’t made it any more attractive either.....

I don't think it's very radical to believe that cabinet ministers shouldn't associate themselves with sects that have a record of institutionalised sexual violence.

But hey call me old fashioned, or woke, or something.

I don't think it's very radical to believe that cabinet ministers shouldn't associate themselves with sects that have a record of institutionalised sexual violence

Of course a lot of this is simply dealing with something that is fairly novel - the ability of people to delve into other peoples pasts in quite forensic detail in order to source out-of-context snippets to sway a debate or perception. Previously you would have to have bought a book or gone to a library, which would have limited such power to a handful of people. Who was it who wrote "give me 10 lines from the most holy cardinal and I will find enough to hang them" ?

I can easily see us returning to the days of heresy and peoples faith being questioned. Or, to be more exact we are returning to an age when heresy is a thing and peoples faith is questioned. Let us hope the consequences of being found wanting aren't quite so severe.

Yes, a govt Cabinet Minister is vastly more important than the only MP of a minor league party

Nothing wrong with being religious, but best to avoid weird sects founded by sexual predators

Seems to me from what I have read, that UK needs to decide by 1 July whether or not to seek an extension to the deal.

Am thinking that all this Huawei stuff and Boris backing of the Don visit sounds like No Deal. Boris is just too lazy to commit to anything anyway.

Indeed he may decide not to bother with an extension and resign before Christmas to let others pick up the pieces. His job is done now.

Backing Off the Don visit.

Seems to me from what I have read, that UK needs to decide by 1 July whether or not to seek an extension to the deal.

Dunno about that, but the budget looks to be delayed ...

And ...

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/us-is-looking-to-eu-before-post-brexit-trade-deal-talks-1-6508924

theneweuropean.co.uk
Trump official admits US is prioritising EU over UK for trade deal
Jonathon Read
4-5 minutes

PUBLISHED: 13:47 11 February 2020 | UPDATED: 14:47 11 February 2020
Despite promises that the UK would be next in line for trade talks, Trump officials could end up entering fresh talks with the EU instead.

The White House's economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said that because there is "some structure" to talks with the European Union, "reigniting that will be easier" than starting the whole process with the UK.

As a new team are in office at the European Commission officials have now agreed to reset relations between the US and EU, with both sides keen to avoid a transatlantic tariff battle.

"No one around here is salivating for a trade war," Bloomberg quotes Kudlow as saying. "Believe me, no one."

Recent reports suggested that Boris Johnson's decision over Huawei and their involvement in the 5G infrastructure in the UK is likely to have caused a setback with post-Brexit talks.

The Financial Times reports that Trump vented "apoplectic" fury at Boris Johnson in a tense phone call following the decision.

Kudlow said both the UK and US are "in the preliminary stages of preliminary talks" for a trade deal.

He added: "We are all interested in doing something. But there's no structure to it yet".

The adviser said that meetings between EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen and Donald Trump are some way off yet, and won't happen "until we have meats on the bones" but both sides are trying to come up with a positive transatlantic agreement to avoid duties on goods.

"We have a certain stability in the tariff and trade story right now and it's very constructive and we'd like to keep it that way," he said. "So we will just give it our best efforts."

In 2016 Barack Obama claimed that the UK would go to the "back of the queue" for trade talks, something that prompted much criticism from Brexiteers.

Last August the then US national security advisor John Bolton told reporters that "in the Trump administration, Britain's constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say."

A month later he was told on Twitter by the president that his "services are no longer needed".

The BBC faces innumerable public pressures but compared with the news media in many other countries ( especially the USA )
It is fantastic
You'll miss it when its gone.

It is so sad that the Labour Party leadership campaign is having to go down a rabbit hole
and is allowing Johnson to act without press scrutiny at the moment.

Flooding, COP26 , trade negotiations, all the important stuff pushed aside

I have my fingers and toes crossed that the new Labour leader will use his common sense and start to dictate the public agenda
even though the balance in the house will be against him.

Johnson will not resign. He is too arrogant.

What happens to local radio without the BBC?

DGR
The Budget cannot be delayed beyond April 5th ...

What happens to local radio without the BBC?

I imagine it will involve franchises and more Tory crony pork barrelling. Imagine how eager some "entrepreneurs" would be to be able to have the reins of their own mouthpiece advertising channel.

DGR The Budget cannot be delayed beyond April 5th ...

(Puts on his breastplate, gets his history wrong and says) "'Cannot' is not a word for special advisors !"

Completely derailing the matter, interesting that Elizabeth I clearly self identified as male, since she referred to herself as a "prince"

On a serious note, Boris has his majority. Simple one-line bill "The Budget will happen when it does". And dare the Lords to strike it down, and the courts to interfere. Especially now he's getting his top team together.

It will get taken over by the Bauer group with their format I'd imagine

The BBC will be a terrible loss. The Tories are attacking a relatively impartial media and an impartial judiciary. And it's only 2 months since the election. Can you imagine the UK in 5 years' time?

"June is also the final month for Britain to request an extension of its transition period beyond 2020, something Mr Johnson has pledged not to do."

www.ft.com/content/64e7f218-4ad4-11e7-919a-1e14ce4af89b

Since Johnson will not seek an extension beyond Dec 2020, then it looks like No Deal to me.

But I suppose anything can happen. It's just a date to keep an eye on I feel.