Westminstenders: Going, going, cummings

[RedToothBrush]

As expected he's fucking off and leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces in January. But it does look like he was eventually shown the door and left with a cardboard box. As he should have been months ago.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with Johnson needing an image change, like the shape shifting creep he is, to one that fits more with the incoming Biden Administration. In other words hes got some serious sucking up to do...

... Meanwhile in Brexit land we are going into yet another final week of talks.

Many expect Cummings departure to signal 'the cave in'. The Eu say we havent moved enough and the uk say the EU wants us to do all the moving... Except the EU have done lots of moving. Barnier is still looking for a groundsman to level his field to play. We have yet to work out we aren't Canada and distance is important to trade.

Of course if we don't get a deal, that Pfizer vaccine in Germany that we want, might be hit with delays and extra costs we just can't afford.

My DC looked into doing a masters in an EU country (taught in English.) It would have cost 2,000 euros this year, but will be 16,000 euros next year, rendering it impossible. Thanks Brexit!

We’re very sad about it. Another lost opportunity.

So here you need to write bombard the BBC to ask why they didn't put the statement they should have done.

Why ? As I have repeatedly said, I've given up with the BBC. I only see stories from it when other sites I use occasionally flag them up.

It's not just their stance with Brexit or their craven arslikhan of the Tory party either. I have a particular ire for their "Don't you wish you were disabled ?" tone of reporting on disability issues that pushes an agenda that supports the if you aren't climbing a mountain in a wheelchair you're a bit of a scrounger aren't you ? line of "thinking", rather than reporting on the inhumane treatment the disabled face at every level and every turn of their lives.

Fuck 'em. They paid the Dane and they can damn well deal with it.

I say bombard them because although they appear to be totally indifferent, if everyone did it, they might begin to take notice.

Slight repeat, but it begs the question ...

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/25/brexit-talks-joe-biden-says-uk-ireland-border-must-remain-open

Biden had stressed the importance of protecting Northern Ireland’s peace deal in the Brexit process in a call with the UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, after the Democrat won the US election against Donald Trump. He also said that he had discussed the issue with other European leaders.

Johnson’s government is seeking a trade deal with the European Union but says it is willing to leave without one. That could complicate the situation at the sensitive Northern Irish border with Ireland – the UK’s only land border with the EU.

Biden told journalists in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday that the border must be open

(contd)

... where are deadwood Redwood and chums with their epistolary prowess telling POTUS to STFU ? It's nighttime surely ? They should be barking.

The thought that a Biden win will have upset Deadwood Redwood is something which I find quite enjoyable.

@Peregrina

The thought that a Biden win will have upset Deadwood Redwood is something which I find quite enjoyable.

Seems Redwood didn't send his letter:

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/westminster-news/john-redwood-letter-to-joe-biden-6218220

But in a u-turn, the Brexiteer said he did not send the letter of congratulations because he was expecting “a month of rallies and court cases to seek to reverse Mr Biden’s current lead” and he will “pause as these issues develop”.

A new post reads: “Mr Trump’s lawyers stated they had good evidence about people trying to vote in person only to discover their vote had already been cast.

(contd)

However, because as we all know the headline is what sticks, there's even more delicious irony in the fact that for a lot of people, Redwood did send the letter. And that's what people will remember.

Saw a few posts on here people being uncertain about what antisemitism is.

Criticising the Likud government's foreign policy is what plenty of people in Israel do. As well as abroad. It's reasonable to do so.

However, saying you are anti-Zionist means you believe Israel should not exist. Which means you think that the Jews in Israel should "go somewhere else". Pretty much textbook antisemitism.
So fuck off with that shit.

Seems Redwood didn't send his letter

Am I understanding correctly that the only reason Deadwood didn't send the letter was not because he realised it made him look like a posturing tool, but because he had faith that Orange Twitler would righteously wrest back the Presidency from the Wrong Willy?

Has anyone here said that they are anti-zionist? They have said that they think the current Israeli Government's actions towards Palestinians is wrong.

But Redwood still does look like a posturing tool.

@TheElementsOfMedical

Seems Redwood didn't send his letter

Am I understanding correctly that the only reason Deadwood didn't send the letter was not because he realised it made him look like a posturing tool, but because he had faith that Orange Twitler would righteously wrest back the Presidency from the Wrong Willy?

Well that appears to be the case from what I saw, if we assume bona fides etc.

However it amuses me that the damage was done by the headline. No amount of reversferretin will erase the story from 99% of peoples minds, if I flatter myself on being the 1% that bothered to recheck my facts before sounding off.

Of course in this day and age, it's not necessary to "send" a letter at all. I am sure that President-Elect Biden would have been made aware of the proposed contents via Redwoods blog if he gave a shit. Which I suspect he doesn't.

(In much the same way it's entirely possible to report a post on MN without needing to post "reported" in the thread for attention )

I wonder what possibilities open up were someone to flag up to President-Elect Biden that far from being a complete and utter British Bellend of Borisian proportions, John Redwood is actually renowned in the UK for his stauch Celtic sympathies as one-time Welsh secretary, and that far from being a waste of resources, Redwood is actually an enthusiastic supporter of the incoming Presidents desire to see a fair deal for a Celtic country.

I can do subtle trolling, it's just I choose not to

"However, saying you are anti-Zionist means you believe Israel should not exist. Which means you think that the Jews in Israel should "go somewhere else". Pretty much textbook antisemitism. "

Anti-Zionist Jews would strongly disagree with you.

Anti Semitism is the squirrel that keeps burying nuts isn't it ? Not helped by what appear to be several different versions of "the truth" all surrounded by a high fence of "if you need to ask then you must be an anti semite yourself".

(vague shades of "ineffable" in Good Omens ...)

To be fair to CutNPastinova - she did say that Deadwood hadn't sent his letter. She didn't say it was because he was having a strop because he'd backed the wrong man. As did Farage, of course.

Well ime grasp of anti-Semitism on this thread is fairly ropey. Surprisingly so given the general intelligence and education level of the contributors.

@Peregrina

To be fair to CutNPastinova - she did say that Deadwood hadn't sent his letter. She didn't say it was because he was having a strop because he'd backed the wrong man. As did Farage, of course.

Seems you're right. On both counts can't think how I missed it.

Speaking of Garage-man, he's gone a bit quiet hasn't he ? Maybe in celebration of trolling over crude abuse we need to suggest to the Trumpton Mayor that now - more than ever - he needs the man called "Winner" Farage. Who, let's face it, can't but do a better job than Giuliani.

@Tanith there's a word for people of an ethnic minority who follow whatever bigger boys tell them.
Tbe question of whether Israel should exist or not was one for my father's generation (1930s). It exists. How it interacts with its neighbours and how they interact with it is a different question.
If you don't want Israel to exist I'm sure you have some great ideas about where all the Jews who live there should go.

@TatianaBis

Well ime grasp of anti-Semitism on this thread is fairly ropey. Surprisingly so given the general intelligence and education level of the contributors.

Depends on definitions, doesn't it ? What definition are you working from and does it compare with mine ?

My definition looks at the word "anti" and the word "semite" and the everyday usage of English to arrive are a working idea in my mind. So intolerance, hatred, or other discriminatory behaviour towards a person of the semitic race because of their race is* "anti semitism".

Criticism of the actions of Israel towards the Palestinian people not "anti semitism".

Sort of in a nutshell.

*I tend to subscribe to Dawkins on disliking "race" as a scientific construct.

Blaming all Jews for the Likud government is antisemitism. Dressing up hatred of Israel for even existing is antisemitism.

Downplaying there's a problem is the kind of shit the blessed Jeremy got up to. Hopefully he'll stay out in the cold where he belongs so that the grown ups can run Labour

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/4089745-Westminstenders-a-feature-of-the-system-not-a-bug?watched=1

Depends on definitions, doesn't it

I’m not sure that it does, definitions are open to interpretation. I’d say it depends as much on awareness and experience.

@TatianaBis

Depends on definitions, doesn't it

I’m not sure that it does, definitions are open to interpretation. I’d say it depends as much on awareness and experience.

We're in danger of falling into a contextless theory of language here.

greektome
If you are asking how much funding a student from one EU university gets to go to another EU university on Erasmus, then I'm afraid I can't answer: the grants and finances aren't part of my remit, and in my university it is means-tested. Students here get a bit of a top-up from the regional council, too. And AFAIK, there is an envelope for the university, so in a year with fewer students on mobility, there's a bit more for those who do travel.

Erasmus has been extended for 1 year for outgoing UK students, so we are inundated with emails asking for an exceptional increase in places, as universities want to send the biggest last-ever-Erasmus batch they can, plus the ones who couldn't travel this year: one university has asked to send us 22 students instead of 5 for 2021-22. At least one of our UK partner universities is funding that mobility from its own resources, to honour commitments made when students began their degrees. Other universities seem confident they'll get Erasmus money.

However, at this end, we have been told that that extension and Erasmus funding are dependent on the outcome of Brexit negotiations, so we don't know whether anyone applying for 21-22 would get funding.

Re visas: the UK is also imposing student visas on EU students travelling to the UK, so even if the Erasmus extension includes the grant for one more year, any student will have to pay for a visa (£348 for the application) & obligatory healthcare (£470) if they wish to stay for 6 months or more. They will have no right to work during their stay in the UK, which includes work placements, and will possibly (depending on which source you consult) be under an obligation to prove they have £1023 in the bank for each month they plan to spend in the UK (i.e. £6138 in their account for 6mth mobility). So annual mobility is going to be seriously curtailed.

Basically, I expect hardly anyone to go to the UK in Sept from my dept., down from about 80/year in the past. And there is no way we will accept the extra incoming students from the UK in our overcrowded classes if we can't send outgoing ones to the UK.

And there is no news of the famed "other exchange system" Gav mentioned in Jan/Feb.

I can only try to imagine how the cute idea of reciprocal working visas to allow ski staff to work in the Alps without respecting French labour laws might pan out, frankly, given the uncertainty we've witnessed over reciprocal students' rights.

Its funny how Brexit is being used to
level down the aspirations and opportunities of the young and everybody actually

Where are those sunlit uplands?