Westminstenders: The Tunnel or Bridge

[RedToothBrush]

Apparently negotiations are in the black hole of the EU tunnel or should that be on the back of the fantasy of the Boris Bridge?

Another week closer to complete meltdown.

I'm guessing that our world beating customs solution will be based on blackboard and chalk.

It is an international organisation, but - at this stage at least - it is just British participants discussing British govt law-breaking

Imagine the Brexiter reaction if a bunch of foreigners were debating the law-breaking of a British government
How very dare they

After the debate by domestic participants, the issues and conclusions would be distributed internationally within the organisation,
so all are made aware of the British problem

No, it’s a gentle hint to remind me that you never read Element’s posts.

I didn't - I have absolutely no idea what topic she posted about - none whatsoever. I can't even see it now because it's on a previous page for me.

Keep digging BCF

The Tory party used to proudly (claim to) be the Party of Law & Order

Now they are the party of deliberate law-breaking

Wait for the howls of gleeful laughter next time the PM or Foreign Secretary criticise China, Russia, Iran, etc for breaking international human rights or other law

And not just this PM & Foreign Sec
Dictatorships around the world will milk this and use whataboutery for many years after BJ has written his memoirs

🐿 “The collective noun for Iguanas is a Mess. Coincidentally, this is also the collective noun for ToryBrexitannianNationalPlague operatives. But you should all pretend it’s going fiiiiiine and look over there at those 🐿 🐿”

I read her Brexit posts of course.

This is the alternative career - singers in the Lennon & Yoko mould - that Job App chose for BJ & Hancock:

sorry for the brain bleach, everyone ! 🤮

< fellow mature Westministenders may findly remember Lennon & Yoko's "love-in" for VietNam >

Finally caught up with the thread to find another C&P derailing argument because well known remainders including -checks notes - Michael Howard ?! aren’t Brexity enough. Happy days.

*remainers obvs

BigChocFrenzy

I see that Yorkshire Bylines are blaming Brexit for the closure of the Ford plant at Bridgend (job loss list) - despite linking to a newspaper article claiming the opposite only a few lines in;

"Ford blamed "changing customer demand and cost" for the closure plans and denied Brexit was a factor."

another C&P derailing argument

I think you’ll find that it is very important patriotic work on behalf of the downtrodden ToryBrexitannianNationalPlague, because despite its undoubted mighty superiority, ToryBrexitannianNationalPlague becomes very very sad whenever Remainers dare to express themselves. Hence, platforms like Westminstenders where Remainers might gather and (shudder) type stuff need to be clogged up with virtual, patriotically fragrant, manure.

PM's speech on Monday to look forward to:
presumably the 3-tier system of restrictions for harder hit areas

I hope he speaks clearly and doesn't piffle
it's no time for the comedy act

'There’s quite a bit of resentment': is Covid deepening north-south divide?

⅔ income (up to £2,100 monthly) will hit furloughed people hard, especially as they have probably had 6 months of reduced income

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/09/theres-quite-a-bit-of-resentment-is-covid-deepening-north-south-divide

There are fears lockdown restrictions could exacerbate the differences between the two halves of England

#NastyPartySquirrel 🐿
Scroll on by 🎶🎵🎵🎶

All firms will be very careful to keep their heads down and not blame Brexit as a factor in cuts and closures

• unless they no longer want to sell in the UK -

because they've seen how bitter some of the 52% become when reminded that ....

Project Fear becomes Project Reality

Growth data points to catastrophe in making for UK economy

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/09/eat-out-to-help-out-fuelled-uk-economic-growth-in-august-covid

Rishi Sunak must act swiftly after latest figures wipe out hope of V-shaped recovery

One of the things I'm actually looking forward to about Brexit is living in the same world as Clav. Only Clav won't enjoy it so much, as I've anticipated what it will actually be like, while s/he will be playing catch up for quite some time.

Oh, I think Tory Central will be fiiine

They won't be living in the same world as you, Singa

Several leading Brexiters have since moved themselves and / or their businesses and money out of the UK into .... EU countries

BigChocFrenzy

Ford announced 5,000 job cuts in Germany at the same time of course;

"Ford Europe has been losing money for years and pressure to restructure its operations has increased since arch-rival General Motors raised profits by selling its European Opel and Vauxhall brands to France’s Peugeot."

uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ford-germany-layoffs/ford-to-cut-more-than-5000-jobs-in-germany-others-in-uk-idUKKCN1QW25P

Hard times everywhere - so the last thing the UK needs is the disavantages of Brexit on top

Cuts everywhere, but more likely to happen - and happen more deeply - in a country which has buggered its JIT and its exports from 2021

Why add this burden of Brexit uncompetitiveness to your businesses ?

Could Google only turn up cuts from March 2019 ?

and it says "Updated 2 years ago" 🤣
So may even be 2017 !

From January 2021, I expect the excuses will become "but Covid ..."

as the most strenuous Google C&P would struggle to divert attention from the results of BJ's "Fuck Business"

Reduced Covid furlough scheme is an insult, say northern leaders
MPs and mayors say measures not enough as council leaders plead for local lockdown lifeline

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/09/reduced-covid-furlough-scheme-is-an-insult-say-northern-leaders

Northern leaders have described the government’s extension of the furlough scheme as “an insult” and a “kick in the teeth”
that will not stave off the threat of economic disaster under new lockdown restrictions.
....
Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said
he was “bemused” that the scheme would not begin until 1 November.

“These same operators were told by the PM only last month to take employees off furlough and to ‘get back to work’.
It’s a kick in the teeth, but at this point, not unexpected,”
he said.

“It’s clear that they’ve scrambled around as a result of the backlash yesterday and straight-talking from our mayor, Andy Burnham,
but going forward the government must improve their strategies, planning and communications and announce packages at the same time as restrictions.”

Lord said he was concerned that 700,000 freelancers in the hospitality industry had been left out of the package.
“No financial support, no furlough, no work.
We need to continue to press to make sure they are not forgotten,”

Covid generation: UK youth unemployment 'set to triple to 80s levels'

The Tories getting nostalgic for Thatcher again

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/07/covid-generation-uk-youth-unemployment-set-to-triple-to-80s-levels

Would that be Roland? I do love his gossipy insights on the Norths and that particular Leave sect.

Yup. I don't always agree with him by any stretch of the imagination but I find him one of the most interesting and honest people on twitter. I curate my twitter feed very carefully (but not by political allegiance) and he is consistently one of the people whose tweets I enjoy seeing popping up in my timeline.

All firms will be very careful to keep their heads down and not blame Brexit as a factor in cuts and closures

I don't think this will be as much of an issue after January, when we are in the reality phase of Brexit. If nothing else, public companies have obligations to disclose honestly.