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Brexit

Westministenders: Festive Edition

999 replies

RedToothBrush · 22/12/2020 21:00

Good King BBBBaBoris looked out,
on the Port of Dover,
There the shit lay round about,
Deep around the stopover;
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Tho’ the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Delivering stuff for Yule.

“Bugger SAGE and stand by me,
We've all stuff that needs selling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence,
The other side the EU;
Though relations maybe tense,
He's trying to get goods through.”

“Oh god I need another wine,
I have many crisis to consider:
We must tell them its all fine,
I must not be seen to dither.”
SAGE and monarch, forth they went,
forth they went together;
Through the nation's sad lament
and really crappy weather.

“Sire, our plight is darker now,
And the covid transmission stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how;
To keep Tier 2 much longer.”
“Soon we can drop their wage.
And treat them all more coldly
In Britain's new chrony age
A time to rob more boldly.”

In their master’s steps they trod,
On the quest to get minted;
Each and every last sod
Needs to be fingerprinted.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
DWP claimants are processing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
God its all so depressing.

OP posts:
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39
DrBlackbird · 26/12/2020 14:47

It has not helped that we are ruled by Tory journalists turned politicians. Fuelled by a hungry need to be the media focus rather than be the media (to wit, Sarah Vine's 'this whole brexit thing has been about me' article). Ever ready with a headline forming 3 word slogan. No training in professional standards or discipline from a real job. And unfortunately for us, 'lite' on policy and actual, you know, governing...

ListeningQuietly · 26/12/2020 15:09

Whenwillow
Re waving stuff through.
A very bad idea because

  • against WTO rules
  • a smugglers charter
  • no customs paperwork means that rules of origin cannot be complied with.

I suspect that Johnson's breezy comments will meet with reality rather quickly.

Trust and compliance go hand in hand for international trade

And I'm still very doubtful that EU drivers will be willing to come to the UK for a few weeks
unless they are paid a lot more than normal

Whenwillow · 26/12/2020 15:17

Thank you @ListeningQuietly. Much as I thought, but I couldn't find anything anywhere. Appreciate you taking the time to answer.

HappyWinter · 26/12/2020 15:18

Thankfully looks like the backlog at Manston has bee cleared but they are still queuing on the M20. Hopefully they can get home soon. I don't think they will want to come back without being paid a lot more either.

www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/manston-lorries-almost-cleared-after-christmas-day-efforts-239854/

Boris doesn't think things through or ever seem to know what he is talking about so I wouldn't be surprised if it is nowhere near as easy as he says it is.

CornwallLass · 26/12/2020 15:21

I had a little cry today as I applied for my new passport and parcelled up my old one. It was a tangible symbol of something I was losing, and I still struggle to see what I am gaining. Not helped by seeing that the expiry date on my EHIC had been and gone. I think my emotions were perhaps a release of the past year, as it has been a rollercoaster for us all.
My biggest frustration is that there may be some areas where there are gains in the long run, but was it worth all the bitterness and division on the strength of a maybe? Right now I cannot see how the gaping chasm between the two points of view can be bridged, but I live in hope.
Many thanks to Louise though - she has patiently explained her point of view repeatedly and remained gracious throughout. I live in a total Remainer bubble, so it has been invaluable learning about alternative points of view in a civilised manner, as if it was not for her, I would be reduced to trawling some of the nastier corners of the internet for enlightenment. Louise I hope you are happy with the result, and hope you might come back periodically to mull over how it is going.

Peregrina · 26/12/2020 15:37

But I was extraordinary pleased that my new driving licence had the circle of 12 yellow stars on a blue background with the letters UK inside the circle. I use my driving licence much more than my passport.

ListeningQuietly · 26/12/2020 15:41

Its interesting all the hoo hah about sovereignty and blue passports.

Last night I looked at getting a flight to a country for which I hold a passport.
The COVID rules say no.
I think there is a way I could but it would be extreme

When Sovereignty meets International obligations, the latter tends to win

HilaryThorpe · 26/12/2020 17:03

I got my new EHIC card (pensioner in France and I know I am lucky to have one) and the lovely stars have been replaced by a Union Jack. 😨

Mistigri · 26/12/2020 19:34

We are lucky to still have EHICs (European ones). I believe that they are even valid in the U.K., although tbh I'm in no hurry to come and find out.

Finally getting round to doing my resident's card and pleasantly surprised to discover that my application will consist of uploading a photo of my 21 year old carte de séjour which expired in 2009. I don't look much like my 1999 self!

We will eventually get around to applying for nationality but might wait until we are old enough to apply via the simplified process for the foreign parents of French nationals (both my children have dual nationality).

Listening, most countries have policies for repatriation of nationals living abroad don't they?

ListeningQuietly · 26/12/2020 19:38

Mistigri
I'd be going out to visit an aged P - so not a repatriation
how are your kids BTW
I'm more relaxed today because said stubborn parent is now in hospital and they are not considering discharge till THEY are happy
and sod the idiot specialists

Mistigri · 26/12/2020 19:44

It doesn't usually have to be a permanent repatriation. A friend of mine went back to Australia for family reasons recently - she's already back in Ireland so she wasn't there more than about three weeks of which two were in quarantine!

HesterThrale · 26/12/2020 20:18

Pondering the effects of Brexit and COVID, I settle on separateness. Brexit splinters us from our European neighbours and may yet split Scotland and NI from England and Wales. Covid forces us into our separate homes to work and play, stopping us socialising with friends, family and colleagues.
I don’t live alone, but feel isolation and sadness, and I think it’s the fallout from Brexit and COVID.
Humans are meant to be social and, I believe, co-operative.
We must act together in 2021 and beyond. Problems like the climate crisis and pandemics require the whole planet to collaborate.
COP26 in November is a huge test for the U.K. It must engender a whole world movement to tackle climate warming and biodiversity loss. Alok Sharma (couldn’t they have found someone more inspirational?) has a big task to make this conference produce lasting effects.
Acting as a lone nation seems so counter-productive, ineffective and backward-thinking. There is strength in numbers. ‘The whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ etc.

TheHateIsNotGood · 26/12/2020 20:54

If only there was a Hankie emoji I could pass you all to wipe your tears on.

At least the Earth has turned so now so we can look forward to the Sun after the Cold - it happens every year no matter what Brexit does.

No Unicorns on the horizon, nor the sunlit uplands that have been created from the imaginations of those bereft of description.

It'll be a bit Cold for a time, then it will get more sunny, then quite sunny, occasionally hot. Then it will get less sunny, then cold again.

Happens every year - I'm not sure that EU Membership has anything to with it - so I'm not sure why cancelling EU membership has any forbearance on the sun shinng in any particular place - be it an upland, lowland or in the middle.

I also wasn't aware that EU Membership created various new Fauna - such as unicorns - that by cancelling EU Membership it meant that unicorns existed. But only for non-EU Members.

Who could possibly have known that a simple vote could lead to the creation of such parallel universes - where unicorns gambolled in their sunlit uplands?

But no one believed that fantastic explanation of why people think ever so slightly differently, despite the volume of shit thrown by both sides and from the sidelines.

I've got to go - my unicorn is stomping and needs to go for a ride - in the wind and rain the bugger. But that's unicorns for you, always thinkingi it's sunny.

HannibalHayes · 26/12/2020 20:57

Wow! That's how to do it!

Irish Govt to fund Erasmus+ scheme for Northern Ireland students

HannibalHayes · 26/12/2020 21:00

Wow @TheHateIsNotGood ! You really are bitter, aren't you 😂

titchy · 26/12/2020 21:05

@HannibalHayes

Wow! That's how to do it!

Irish Govt to fund Erasmus+ scheme for Northern Ireland students

The first seed of a united Ireland sown...
Choux · 26/12/2020 21:06

@HannibalHayes

Wow! That's how to do it!

Irish Govt to fund Erasmus+ scheme for Northern Ireland students

Ireland helping British students Germany flying in Fresh food for us Polish and French medics coming over to help test the lorry drivers.

This Gov is totally ok with skipping its' responsibilities and letting other countries pick up the tab.

It happens domestically too with Marcus Rashford feeding the country's kids and Captain Tom raising money for the NHS.

This Gov is for the few and someone else can sort out the many.

OchonAgusOchonO · 26/12/2020 21:14

@HannibalHayes - Irish Govt to fund Erasmus+ scheme for Northern Ireland students

As I keep saying on here, Ireland actually care about the GFA and its principles and aspirations.

Also in that article : The Government has also drawn up plans to cover the cost of emergency medical treatment for Northern Ireland citizens travelling in the EU.

Both plans are available to non-Irish passport holders so British citizens of NI will be able to avail of them too. Mind you, that might cause Arlene's head to explode Grin

HannibalHayes · 26/12/2020 21:14

"We must welcome the news that Brexit does not end in the chaos of no deal, but only with the sense of relief of a condemned man informed that his execution has been commuted to a life sentence.” - Michael Heseltine

HoneysuckIejasmine · 26/12/2020 21:16

Agree, RoI looking after the NI students very well.

Hate you won, get over it.

wherearemychickens · 26/12/2020 21:23

So I have questions... I would like somehow to qualify my children for an EU passport. Job reasons mean we haven't moved yet, but my DH is internationally employable still (scientist) so a move to a EU country for a number of years is possible. I'd prefer it to be dual nationality - so one where we don't have to give up our British passports. Appreciate that the rules that apply now may not apply in the future, but would I need to go through the current requirements for each EU country, or does anyone know of a summary of requirements anywhere?

ListeningQuietly · 26/12/2020 21:25

Maltese passports are available for a fee.
All other sane countries require a proper link
BUT
Do not rush into anything
the fightback begins next week Wink

HoneysuckIejasmine · 26/12/2020 21:38

Does anyone in either family have any recent European citizenship?

FIL was born in NI so DH and kids are set.

wherearemychickens · 26/12/2020 21:38

Yes, aware of the Maltese option but that's beyond our means! We can dedicate time to it, but not money on that scale. Realistically it would need to make sense for my DH too as a job research & career wise.

Peregrina · 26/12/2020 21:38

Wasn't it something like £150,000 for a Maltese passport?

So not an option for the majority of us. Almost certainly an option for someone like Rishi Sunak. Johnson might be a bit stretched because he can't manage on £150,000 a year, so I doubt if he's got the savings. Still, he could sell his London house and free a good wodge of capital that way.