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.

Even the flooding can't be passed off as an 'Act of God' because the land could be managed much better to try to avoid this.

Yoikes - your Leavers will say that these redundancies would happen anyway. The just will not admit that it's not all going the way they thought it would.

Court appeal against third runaway at Heathrow is successful.

Decision has been ruled unlawful because it didn't take into account the climate emergency.

Even the flooding can't be passed off as an 'Act of God' because the land could be managed much better to try to avoid this.

Depends ? Certainly there are probably quite a few floods that it's accepted would have been avoided if the correct dredging and flood protection had been carried out. Properties in those areas should have been refused insurance, but a few years ago the government went all cry baby on them and promised to fix them if the insurers carried the risk for a couple more years.

Needless to say most work was never done.

Imagine the public policy effects of 1,000,000 plus homes that cannot be insured ? That'd fuck your house prices up and no mistake.

Jim Pickard @pickardje
BREAKING:

Court of Appeal has upheld challenge to Heathrow third runway on climate change grounds, concluding that the government's ANPS (airports national policy statement) was "unlawful" because it failed to take into account the Paris Agreement

Damn those international agreements.

Now Johnson is in a position where he has to go through the whole Heathrow thing again... As leader.

Wonder if he will get in front of those diggers.

Expect focus on regional airport expansion instead...

amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/27/uk-says-it-will-consider-walking-away-from-brexit-talks-in-june?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&__twitter_impression=true
UK says it will consider walking away from Brexit talks in June
Negotiating mandate reveals Johnson seeks Canada-style deal and ‘regulatory freedom’

sigh

Let's see where we are by June...

Damn those international agreements. [] Now Johnson is in a position where he has to go through the whole Heathrow thing again... As leader.

Or pass a law saying the expansion plans are lawful - parliament being supreme and all that ?

That's the problem with Boris Big Balls Bluster. It leads people to expect him to deliver.

Interesting this low level grumbling about the "Red Wall" Tory MPs who are trying to steer the ship from the rear. Is that majority quite all it's cracked up to be ?

UK says it will consider walking away from Brexit talks in June

Somehow, given current events, I can't see the EU giving too much of a toss. I think COVID comes before UK, both alphabetically and politically for now. In fact, were I on the EU side, just for the lolz I might suggest postponing talks for a few months to allow us all to get to grips with COVID and avoid unnecessary travel.

I do wonder about the 'big beasts' on the Tory back benchs: Jeremy Hunt, The Saj, Julian Smith et al. Quietly scheming in the background, waiting for Boris to inevitably fail (FUBAR), making alliances ...

To be honest it is my only glimmer of light at the moment.

Unsurprisingly sterling is nosediving today.

I think COVID comes before UK, both alphabetically and politically for now. In fact, were I on the EU side, just for the lolz I might suggest postponing talks for a few months to allow us all to get to grips with COVID and avoid unnecessary travel.

Oh absolutely.

I certainly think that possible supply chain shocks might focus a few minds in the UK in a variety of ways.

The politics of brexit from a couple of months ago are going to be different to the politics that occur if coronavirus has a significant impact (which is looking increasingly likely). Some of these will work to the governments advantage but some certainly won't.

It's part of the reason I'm paying very close attention to what happens with coronavirus.

I already get the sense that the UK is behind the curve and being less responsive and effective in policy and communication on coronavirus. This is important and will have consequences.

For me, coronavirus is now the big story both economically and politically and it will lead brexits direction rather than brexit being the dominating story.

I also think the same for the US which is doing an even worse job than the UK. In an election year. I do think it could get quite messy there...

I expect the govt will be able to blame any Brexit economic crash on the Corona virus,
since the hammer blow to the Chinese economy is likely to lead to a global recession for at least a couple of years

Not helped by Trump's trade war with China, which was already hitting the global economy

It's not that we wouldn't have been affected by a global crash, but Brexit makes it worse,
a double-whammy

COVID-19 could easily provide a face-saving excuse for BJ to ask for an extension in June
Depends whether Cummings BJ wants No Deal

For me, coronavirus is now the big story both economically and politically and it will lead brexits direction rather than brexit being the dominating story.

Indeed. And there is still mileage in punching home the message that while COVID is something unexpected and a force of nature, Brexit is entirely man-made and artificial. There was no need for it, and the fact that it's going to jam up the UKs ability to fully deal with COVID needs to be owned by the Brexiteers.

I also think the same for the US which is doing an even worse job than the UK. In an election year. I do think it could get quite messy there...

It would complete a losing streak if Trump managed to lose in November. Would certainly take the wind out of the sails of some Brexiteers.

A better writer than I would have created a future world where the UK is like the Jehovahs Witnesses of old, going around various capitals, knocking on the door and asking if anyone wants to "talk about Brexit", as populations try to recover after COVID. In a few centuries time, folk will spin legends of "The Flying Brexiteer" as they encircle the globe in perpetual search of "a deal".

But all the really good writers are cranking out stories for local Facebook groups.

And Buzzfeed.

I posted on another thread that the UK has fewer doctors per 1,000 than EU countries

Hospital beds too
Both in the UK & USA, hard right governments have cut services so that they struggle even under normal circumstances

If there really are many thousands of cases in the UK, "messy" could be a major understatement for the UK as well

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/gp-topics/employment/uk-has-fewest-doctors-per-1000-patients-in-eu-finds-think-tank/20036765.article

COVID-19 could easily provide a face-saving excuse for BJ to ask for an extension in June Depends whether Cummings BJ wants No Deal

They'll see COVID as a catalyst - to speed up a reaction.

On another thread, someone commented that it will interesting the DWP attitude to COVID. Are they going to accept claimants can't attend interviews for self isolation ? Or will they insist they attend or get sanctioned ?

Ignore what they say. Watch what they do.

in other news, Google appear to be pleading with POTUS to exempt them from doing business with Huawei. Turns out Huawei have sidestepped Googles Mobile infrastructure on it's new mobile handsets and is doing very well, thank you. I mention that because it's a public example of big business having to argue with the politics of the day ... which is also happening here (Farmers being first out of the trap).

UK says it will consider walking away from Brexit talks in June

This is where I really think the EU could call the UK's bluff. Why not, we are no longer a member state of our own choosing. China is no longer in a position to bail us out. Who knows what the US will do?

If there really are many thousands of cases in the UK, "messy" could be a major understatement for the UK as well

We don't have guns.

Only narwhale tusks.

If there really are many thousands of cases in the UK, "messy" could be a major understatement for the UK as well

The ground is already laid for the UK to have a questionable - if credible - grasp on the numbers. People who aren't going to get paid if they don't go in aren't going to self isolate. Or declare symptoms until it's too late. And those that do self isolate - removing themselves from society - will put pressure on (mainly) women over issues with childcare.

Add to that the way flooding is causing evacuation and people being huddled together with very little warning, and it's all looking very exciting.

Although on the plus side, it seems China is starting to crack down on some of it's more despicable animal trades. It's an ill wind and all that ...

phys.org/news/2020-02-coronavirus-china-endangered-species.html

Yep, I suspect the Job Centres will be the last to accept quarantine / isolation as an acceptable reason not to stop benefits for non-attendance

If employees need to self-isolate, then the govt (i.e. the taxpayer) will need to pay them their full pay, not just the statutary sickpay

Many people can't afford a drop in income for 2 weeks - and it might be much longer if any towns are quarantined - or they can't pay essential bills

Some businesses, not just small ones, could go under if they have to / are ordered to
pay many employees for even 2 weeks, to stay home
Many jobs can't be done with wfh

Then what about all the small businesses relying on people being able to go out,
e.g. hairdressers, nails, fast food etc
They might not survive long without customers, even without having to pay employees

Yep, I suspect the Job Centres will be the last to accept quarantine / isolation as an acceptable reason not to stop benefits for non-attendance

So, not that serious then.

Then what about all the small businesses relying on people being able to go out, e.g. hairdressers, nails, fast food etc They might not survive long without customers, even without having to pay employees

What about big businesses ? JCB are already struggling. As are JLR.

And the emerging news that COVID might be biphasic has just thrown another Googly into the mix. How on earth are we going to monitor peoples movements for months ?

Note, it's not the virus itself that's having this effect. It's countries and peoples reactions to it.

I expect the govt will be able to blame any Brexit economic crash on the Corona virus

I expect the ERG will blame the EU for Corona Virus

I expect the ERG will blame the EU for Corona Virus

It's a great argument against FOM of any description.

I wonder how many MPs are going to be Staycationing this year. After making such a big song and dance about it last year ?

imo, FOM isn't the problem -especially people moving to other countries to stay for years - so much as the millions of people choosing to fly on foreign holidays every year
whether within the EU or further afield

Bugs get spread long before it is realised there is a problem

imo, FOM isn't the problem

I didn't say it was. But I can see how others would jump on it

In 2018, airlines flew nearly 4.5 billion passengers on nearly 45 million flights worldwide

That's way bigger than FOM in the EU