Westministenders: Can you tell your Rs from Elbows?

[RedToothBrush]

This week Mark Sedwill has resigned (or was he pushed?) and David Frost (chief brexit lead) was appointed National Security Adviser in a move that enraged Theresa May. The former prime minister felt that his appointment was unprofessional and that was a political appointment not an independent one and that he lacked experience. Of course in terms of national security we still haven't had that report on Russia and I don't believe The Intelligence and Security Committee has yet been named (not sat since Johnson was appointed as PM).

We have passed the deadline for extending transition and we have now apparently said that negotiations on the end of transition will finish at the end of September.

The bill ending Free movement of people has been signed, amongst much fanfare by the Conservatives saying they have delivered on the Referendum promise. However we might have up to 3million Hong Kongers who we are willing to allow into the country which might not go down too well with those who were unhappy with 'unrestricted EU immigration'.

We also have the demonstration of utter incompetence, outsourcing and lack of coordination and communication from central government and local government in the covid-19 crisis. A national scandal that isn't being properly reported by the press and leave you with the very large question of who is this government serving? If its contract with Deloittes over testing didn't require them to report positive tests to Public Health England, what was the point in the testing? How can this be consistent with 'The Government’s new approach to biosecurity will bring together the UK’s world-leading epidemiological expertise and fuse it with the best analytical capability from across Government in an integrated approach.' and will provide real time analysis and assessment of infection outbreaks at a community level, to enable rapid intervention before outbreaks grow.?

The growing feeling that Brexit is being exploited by this government for personal interests and those of big business at the expense of the general public is one which was feared and grows harder to argue against by the day.

Land Rover to be built in France with BMW engines in a former Mercedes plant
www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/07/jim-ratcliffe-ineos-land-rover-rival-france-wales

Funnily enough, these past months, shopping at Sainsburys felt like shopping at Lidl, with the reduced choice. There was a weird vibe, especially by the Polish products. It felt like a cold war theme park.

I really wouldn't know. I haven't stepped foot inside a supermarket since early March. DH has nipped in a couple of times for odd things as he has a cycling mask with n95 filters from when he was cycling into Manchester City centre.

I've not noticed anything in particularly short supply since the early Great Toilet Roll and Pasta Shortage of 2020 (and we had Brexit to get us through that) on Sainsbury’s click and collect.

But then I'm really not a loyalist on brands nor supermarkets to begin with and will generally just buy something that says 'crisps' if I want Crisps. I don't get the idea of branded food in supermarkets particularly since much own brand stuff is made in the same place as the branded stuff anyway.

[quote ListeningQuietly]Land Rover to be built in France with BMW engines in a former Mercedes plant
www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/07/jim-ratcliffe-ineos-land-rover-rival-france-wales[/quote]
Seems the internet is listening ....

I was referring to classic Landies too, posters upthread. Don't really care much for the new ones.

Where are the usual suspects to swoop in and revive Brexit ? Clav ? The slipper-botherer ? (Not that I intend to respond to them. They only post to drain energy from where it can be better used )

There was a weird vibe, especially by the Polish products. It felt like a cold war theme park.

Also in amazing how the same product (say rice for example) is considerably cheaper in the international food aisle than the branded 'indian food' section.

I really wouldn't know. I haven't stepped foot inside a supermarket since early March

Well, no choice here.

@RedToothBrush

There was a weird vibe, especially by the Polish products. It felt like a cold war theme park.

Also in amazing how the same product (say rice for example) is considerably cheaper in the international food aisle than the branded 'indian food' section.

I have no problems if shops wish to take advantage of peoples self-imposed innumeracy. Keeps my bill down.

Pimentos in the "free from" aisle = £3 for 200g
Pimentos in the "pickles and chutneys" aisle = £2 for 200g
Pimentos in the "international food" aisle = £2.50 for 175g
Pimentos in the "Polish section" with the label in Polish = £2.79 for 600g
Thank you Sainsbury's

Can understand the mark-up on the free from version LQ because they have to guarantee there's no cross-contamination. But the other examples don't surprise me at all, it's a funny old game. Personally I like my Lidl version, knocks spots off even the Polish aisle example quoted there 😁

baroque
They are ALL pimentos grown in southern poland / spain / portugal
from the same farms
in the same processing plants
its a marketing con

and the Polish ones are the same as the Lidl ones (which I bulk bought as part of my Brexit stockpile)

I always buy from the "international aisle"

My Brexit pile has been depleted recently, due to periods of self isolation and everyone being here all the time.

I think I need to start reviving it.

We went through a phase of "drawing" (rinsing coconut oil through gums and teeth ... do it daily for months and you get nice white teeth, and the oil removes debris from the mouth).

I can't recall the exact price of coconut oil from Holland and Barrett, but you can imagine.

Then, in Sainsburys it was £6.something for a jar from the oils and fats section. And £2 for a much bigger jar from the "Indian" section in the next aisle.

Many many moons ago, when DS was little, we were shopping (in Morrisons) and getting our cereal. There was an offer on Weetabix ... something like £3.00 for 48 but £1.00 for 24 (special offer). A lady went to pick up a 48 box, and DS piped up "Excuse me, but if you buy two 24s, you can save a pound".

There was a confused silence. Then he repeated it.

She looked at him like he had fallen out of a tree (he hadn't, he was quite safely snuggled in the trolley seat). Looked at me in a "can't you control your brat" tone of look, and then said in the most patronising possible voice ...

Well, yes, dear. But you see. I want 48.

and fucked off with her 1 box £1 extra ....

Poor mite wondered what he did wrong .

You can see why he's ended up whizzing odds in his head for a casino.

Just reading about a shocking Windrush case
and was reminded that the golden boy is a bastard too
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/10/minister-defends-jamaica-deportation-flight-decision-windrush

@quiteathome

My Brexit pile has been depleted recently, due to periods of self isolation and everyone being here all the time.

I think I need to start reviving it.

Well the Covid crisis has highlighted areas that may have gone unnoticed.

I mean toilet paper of all things !

Yes I am maintaining a very healthy buffer of foods in the cupboard. It's much easier to get delivery slots now, so I'm making the most of it and building stockpile areas I didn't realise we would need. sweets and biscuits

That Ineos Grenadier looks like a cross between a G Wagen, an old Defender and a Land Cruiser.

Seem to remember that Land Rover patented a “heritage” Defender design and Ineos had it overturned?

@SabrinaThwaite

That Ineos Grenadier looks like a cross between a G Wagen, an old Defender and a Land Cruiser.

Seem to remember that Land Rover patented a “heritage” Defender design and Ineos had it overturned?

For some reason I am reminded of a Daewoo DW had years ago that was really a rebadged Vauxhall.

And shit.

Red I thought BCF (maybe?) posted a few months ago with the links to US trade deals showing how they sue any company using "anti US bias" which we assume would mean country of origin but definitely covered shops not stocking produce because it was from USA. I imagine they'd have legal wording for competition law around that too...

I think the companies either don't realise this yet or do and are hoping these promises stick in the minds of their customers before they are quietly dropped.

@JeSuisPoulet

Red I thought BCF (maybe?) posted a few months ago with the links to US trade deals showing how they sue any company using "anti US bias" which we assume would mean country of origin but definitely covered shops not stocking produce because it was from USA. I imagine they'd have legal wording for competition law around that too...

I think the companies either don't realise this yet or do and are hoping these promises stick in the minds of their customers before they are quietly dropped.

And I suggested well over 2 years ago that it was trivially easy to simply ensure it's illegal to discuss or disseminate details about origins of food on social media.

So not only would Aldi and Waitrose (who have also "pledged" yadda yadda) find themselves forced to have bland "Meets UK standards" labels on their chicken. But any attempt to use Twitter, Facebook and the likes to inform consumers will treat the perpetrators to a go on the "What's prison like" reality show. With local independent shops also required to conform to the labelling laws.

I can see a boom industry in undercover inspectors making visits to butchers and arresting them when they go This tray is local ... they'll wish for the simple days of metric scales when the US has finished with them.

Indeed! I think when these threads first began we went over what we suspect US trade deal would bring up. As with everything Brexit related though it's hard to prove it until it happens (you'd think people would be wising up by now!) but thankfully the US has bullied plenty of other small countries before us so there are a wealth of examples

DGR, Aldi also stocks coconut oil now, £1.50 I think Our pampered pooch gets it rubbed into her pads and I sometimes do a thai curry for 1 using it. Now am intrigued by "pulling" which I had heard of but thought was for pg women who found brushing vomit-inducing rather than whitening etc!

JeSuis
And the cool thing about us having discussed it on these threads
is that our comments are both public and time stamped
for when we need to say
told you so

For some reason I am reminded of a Daewoo DW had years ago that was really a rebadged Vauxhall.

The design of the first Discos was based quite heavily around the parts bins from discontinued models.

Plus they broke down rather a lot.

DGR
TBH I can see Waitrose and the Co op getting round it by saying that they will only buy from farms they own - which is allowed in the US

(Macdonalds do after the McLibel debacle)

I've just started returning to supermarkets a couple of weeks ago. I've been really startled at how much less choice there is in our big sainsburys. Even the biscuits section is much smaller. Big gaps on lots of shelves too. It does feel very odd, very different to the pre covid panic era.

I have noticed too how many gaps there are on the shelves at Waitrose.
We have to look forward to more of this.