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.

I suspect that the Brexiters really did think the EU would cave in, and are slowly waking up to the fact that they are not doing.

I would imagine though, that even at the very last minute, it would still be possible to extend the Transition period.

Not the same site as this one near Junction 10?
September 2019;

"The government wants to use the site as a checkpoint to allow lorry drivers with incorrect paperwork to pick up permits for onwards travel following Brexit."

www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/junction-wont-open-until-after-brexit-212576/
www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/lorry-plan-will-delay-m20-junction-213377/

I suspect that the Brexiters really did think the EU would cave in

They might if we start building lorry parks!

No Deal has already been priced in

If even EU pesticides laws are not strong enough
... the last thing the UK should be doing is signing up to weaker standards

the Asia Pacific CPTPP group want U.K. to subscribe to lower standards

"Mojo" shows the penny finally dropped for the government:
there is no cake,
time has run out
and the consequences of No Deal Brexit will be significant.

This building should all have been started a couple of years ago.
Even a bluff would only be convincing after the facilities have actually been built around the UK.

German and other EU firms started removing UK firms from supply chains back in 2017, wherever there was an alternative supplier

EU manufacturers

• in particular the German car-makers who were supposed to force the EU to cave in -

have repeatedly said the Single Market is much more important to them than the UK market

Giving in to what the UK wants would damage and eventually destroy the Single Market,
because so many other non-EU countries would then be entitled to these exceptions

No, Damian Green is pro Brexit

If even EU pesticides laws are not strong enough...the last thing the UK should be doing is signing up to weaker standards

From the report -
"Key recommendations for the UK government:"

"Do not allow any weakening of UK pesticide standards via post-Brexit. trade agreements."

Sunday Papers:

The Daily Star shows again it's not a serious paper; front page with a Princess Diana ghost claim 🤦🏻‍♀️

The Observer headlines the 20 areas next at risk of lockdown

• mostly areas of high deprivation Hopefully the "enhanced support" will be given sufficient resources to be effective

The Independent has the U-turn on foreign care workers - a new health & care visa to avert post-Brexit staff crisis

Just home from a&e
Admitted a lot of covid, more than recent shifts
Just anecdotal but.
Hmmm.

(Including 50 yr old no medical problems and very sick 24 yr old no medical problems )

No, Damian Green is pro Brexit

2019;
"I have had to point out to several TV and Radio interviewers that describing me as a “Remainer” is a little perverse when I voted last week for a deal that would actually enable Brexit. Of course, I voted Remain in the Referendum, but I respect the result and am trying to put it into practice."

They might if we start building lorry parks!

I should think the French and Belgians will neither know nor care too much if our roads are clogged up.

"Do not allow any weakening of UK pesticide standards via post-Brexit. trade agreements."

Johnson is a man of his word, is he? You could have fooled me!

"Do not allow any weakening of UK pesticide standards via post-Brexit. trade agreements."

We also had:
"No weakening of food standards"

That didn't last

If CPTPP regard lowering pesticide standards as important, then the Uk will wither cave in, or not get a trade deal

Similarly with the US FTA re:
food standards, NHS paying US drug prices, USA veto on Uk trade deals with China, USA veto on UK firms complying with BDS (Israel boycott)

"I respect the result and am trying to put it into practice."

= Brexiter

Trump's commutation of ally Roger Stone's sentence sparks outrage

No shame. No ethics.
But we knew that all alomg

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/11/roger-stone-donald-trump-commutation-outrage

....despite the US attorney general having declared Stone’s conviction “righteous”.

Criticism on Saturday came from both sides of the political aisle

Mitt Romney (2012 Republican candidate for President) calls move ‘unprecedented, historic corruption’

Astonishing - and v sad - that this still matters in 2020:

news.sky.com/story/unnamed-premier-league-footballer-reveals-he-is-gay-in-letter-but-says-he-cant-go-public-12026295

"The EU has realised the "negotiating leverage has dramatically shifted" and the UK is no longer a "soft touch", according to Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice."

"The former MEP said Brussels has finally accepted Britain will walk away with or without a deal when the transition period ends. Mr Tice added that the UK has a “very strong hand” and is no longer a “soft touch” with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Europe adviser David Frost compared to Theresa May and her chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins."

"The Brexiteer said: “The truth is the EU now know we are serious, they know we are going to leave with or without a deal."

“And I think they realise actually the negotiating leverage has dramatically shifted in the last few months. The UK has got a very strong hand."

"He added that while there is likely to be a “range of compromises” he would be “astonished” if the UK crosses its red lines."

"Mr Tice said: “I think what we will probably end up with is what I call a partial deal."

“So there won’t be everything done but on key issues they arrive at the bones of a deal and that will be phase one and then there might be a phase two which might follow.”

"He said that he expects some progress to be made in trade talks between the UK and the EU by the end of July."

"But the ex-MEP warned negotiations are likely to “involve last minute brinkmanship right up to the wire”.

"Mr Tice said: “The reality is that most negotiations whether its trade talks or anything else with the EU will always involve last minute brinkmanship right up to the wire."

“The really good news is that excellent David Frost has batted brilliantly for Britain and the EU during the course of this year have understood that we weren’t going to extend and they’ve understood that actually if there is no deal then that’s fine."

“The Conservatives committed not to extend the transition. They’ve stuck to their word which is good and I think they will continue to.“

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1307690/brexit-news-trade-talks-david-frost-boris-johnson-richard-tice

US FTA

^"According to media reports, the Commission is still in negotiation with the United States, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and would like to “intensify” the work on regulatory cooperation. As part of these
talks, the Commission may offer to accelerate authorisations of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)."^

www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/gmos/2020/ngo_letter_eu_us_trade_gmo.pdf

According to Sky News, Michael Gove has claimed that the UK will have the most effective border in the world by 2025 (there's that "world beating" again ).

He does know that the border needs to be in place by 1 January 2021?

Thanks @Clavinova for the extracts from the express, I needed a laugh 😂

When you are reduced to quoting from the Brexit Party .... that may be the ultimate straw-grabbing exercise

The EU has been making its contingency plans for No Deal ever since May's 2017 speech setting out the UK's red lines
and as I posted, removing UK firms from supply chains.

Tory Brexiters such as DD, Raab, BJ promised a cake deal in the referendum

• that was always a fantasy, but until recently they genuinely seemed to think that German car manufacturers and Italian wine-producers would force the EU to cave in

A bare bones tariffs and quotas deal is the most that can be achieved - if anything can be in the remaining time
it will do little for British business

It wouldn't deal with all the NTBs (Non-tariff barriers) that are the major block to trade

No mention during the ref that there would be no post-Brexit trade deal with the EU,
or at most a bare bones one

Any suggesion of the problems in getting a comprehensive trade deal on the terms Brexiters claimed ....ö was shouted down as Project Fear

Remember these confident statements ?

They mostly didn't expect to win - we can never forget BJ's look of fright - so may have felt free to make extravagant promises /lies

However, after the ref, they should have returned to Planet Reality

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jul/10/mps-warn-bias-predicted-results-pupils-england

“Well-heeled and sharp-elbowed” families are most likely to benefit from complaining over this year’s GCSE and A-level results
that may be distorted by bias and discrimination against disadvantaged pupils,
according to MPs.

Your occasional reminder: If anything, anywhere, at any time can be even tangentially shown to be less than perfect, therefore Brexitannia is Great.

Further reminder: If a Brexitatious Hero claims any old shite like "the EU is crumbling in terror at our Brave Brexitation" whilst also "the powerful nasty EU are bullying poor ickle us" or "food standards will remain Great" whilst also "chlorinated chicken is Fiiiiiiiine", we are to believe all of them, simultaneously.