Westminstenders: The Mask is Slipping

[RedToothBrush]

This week has seen the department of the Chancellor who launched a 50p piece, the serious contemplation of a tin pot bridge, the rebirth of eugenics as a subject for cabinet, the announcement of the end of the BBC as we know it, the cabinet chanting after the PM in a way Orwell would be proud of, suppression of a report into trade deals which dares to mention the effect of distance and geography, worrying signs of an ever growing rift with Europe over negotiations for a deal, an appointment which starts to make our membership of the ECHR look very dodgy and there have been rather a lot of floods which so far seemed to have escaped the attention of those in London busy in their own swamp.

It's becoming apparent very quickly just how Trump like our new government are and how they want the UK to emulate the very worst aspects of America.

We are falling fast and its not looking like it will be pretty.

All we need is a major global issue to test our national resilience and the incompetence will truly be laid bare for us all to see... But not necessarily speak of. Such us the way it works.

Brexit Britain is not a nice looking prospect.

LQ Yup, and yup!

I'd love to see care workers paid 15 quid per hr + mileage

• they deserve it
• the people they care for also deserve well-paid, motivated carers who aren't rushed off their feet

BUT
I doubt there is the public / political support to raise council tax and income tax to pay for this

• there are currently 1.3 million care workers in the UK - and by 2035 it is estimated we will need 2 million to cope with the rising number of elderly

so even a modest payrise would cost a bomb
.... hey, let's cancel Trident and use the money for care instead, 100 bn should pay for many years rises

Snigger, snigger
for those on FB who know about "Britain Bites Back" .......
ranty racist lady on QT was Tegan
I really, really should not find that as funny as I do

The Opposition didn't have a majority to delay a GE any longer: the later bunch of 21 ex-Tories were still Tories, but just opposed to No Deal. As soon as they were satisfied that was ruled out, they refused to vote for further delays

Well, a fat lot of good it did them then. No Deal is now the likely outcome and those 21 mostly stood down anyway.

Ah Tegan, those were the days

I like this

Obviously a new immigration system is not going to allow spouses in as a de facto right. If at all. I would imagine spouses would only be allowed if they satisfy the visa requirements in their own right

Priti Vacant’s proposal only requires the applicant to fulfil the points requirements.

As now, skilled workers will be able to be accompanied by their dependants.

As now, skilled workers will be able to be accompanied by their dependants.
But if the lead workers job changes they are ferked
or if the lead worker has an affair
... kids brought up in this country would be deported to countries they do not know
hostile environment
if the skilled worker dies, the family have 30 days to leave at present

Posted only to point out the “I would imagine spouses would only be allowed if they satisfy the visa requirements in their own right” is just made up twaddle.

Was that really Tegan? TEGAN!!!

Apparently so, but she cannot delete it FFS

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/trump-regime/606682/

This is long but a vital read on the death of democracy in America.

...people will:

drive even less;
drink even less;
smoke even less (or give up);

I suspect a thriving black market in booze and cigarettes will emerge. A new era of bathtub gin will dawn.

UK unilateral withdrawal from EU sanitary and phytosanitary regs in June will have a severe effect on agriculture in NI and the UK border with Ireland.

June is just before marching season in NI too.

Bringing dependents / family:

• The very expensive visas have to be paid for each family member
  At £1,220 per person, or £900 for those on the shortage occupation list, the fees are among the highest in the world
  Not clear which fee the dependents of those classed as shortage occupation would pay

• Entitlement to free NHS care only happens after 5 years, so each family member will require private healthcare or a contribution to the NHS

Priti Patel: Has 'demanding' home secretary crossed the line?

Cummings is probably a fan
Will she copy him and order her sacked staff escorted out by armed police ?

https://news.sky.com/story/priti-patel-has-demanding-home-secretary-crossed-the-line-11939512

....there's a line between being a demanding boss and a straight-up bully.

The question being asked in Westminster at the moment is - did Priti Patel cross it?

While Johnson and Patel are salivating at the Prospect of curbing immigration by aping the Australians, this article explains why Australia is seeking to ditch the system.

A new era of bathtub gin will dawn.

I am actively working on this plan. We are familiar with home brew already. We have a friend who has acquired a still but hasn't got anywhere to use it...

Has this by Blair been posted?

It's what is needed; the only way to defeat the current Tory party is for all the Opposition bar the Brexit/UKIP loons to get together and only put up one candidate. We would then see the right wingers and the Leave apologists on these threads screaming about it being unfair, but done within the normal Parliamentary electoral procedures they would have nothing to complain about.

The very expensive visas have to be paid for each family member
At £1,220 per person, or £900 for those on the shortage occupation list, the fees are among the highest in the world

It's cost my friend who married a non EU national a small fortune. As in a lot more than that. She had problems with the home office (they stuffed up, local MP involved). This was all pre Windrush scandal.

It's the solicitors fees as well that have racked up the cost.

He recently got UK citizenship so it's sorted as far as I know, although I'm unsure if he's now a dual national (which in post Brexit Britain looks to be a risk in itself)

I think her bill just for her husband is closer to £4000 by the time they managed to sort everything out.

Seems we are not alone

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51578045

So we are going to have a law that stops people chaining themselves together.

That'll stop people chaining themselves together.

(Why not just have one law that says it's against the law to break the law. Problem Solved.)

Lovely reporting of the reintroduction of blue passports on Absolute Radio news this morning. Something along the lines of ‘It has been announced that blue UK passports will be reintroduced from March 2020. They will be made in Poland by a French-Dutch company.’ [on to next story]

I am actively working on this plan. We are familiar with home brew already. We have a friend who has acquired a still but hasn't got anywhere to use it...

What sort of still, pot or reflux. I've been getting excellent results with just a pot still and the right yeast and essences. 13 years and counting. Ah, the dangers of education, eh ?

Brandy, Scotch and Limoncello are favourite tipples.

Used to homebrew and make wine, but to be honest, we simply don't drink enough to justify the faff.

DF (naturally) is busy growing his own grapes as well as tomatoes (which are the nicest you will ever taste).

So we are going to have a law that stops people chaining themselves together.

Hard to imagine a more symbolic "fuck you" to the suffragettes