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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:
Thread gallery
39
Blacktothepink · 23/12/2020 08:18

The situation at Dover is becoming very tense 😬

NoSuchThingAsCheese · 23/12/2020 08:21

Pmk

NoSuchThingAsCheese · 23/12/2020 08:24

As an aside, I meant to add that our county has just announced that they are implementing a six month plan to get through the rise in cases and restrictions measures are expected for these six months.

titchy · 23/12/2020 08:40

Wow I'm surprised Erasmus is still not agreed - that would have been easy I'd have thought given how many British kids benefit. Sad

quiteathome · 23/12/2020 08:43

pmk

I was trying to remember the last normal day.

Exam revisiosion here. In between the kids asking me for snacks and telling me how many minutes it is until Christmas day

SilverGlitterBaubles · 23/12/2020 08:47

So Covid testing and new customs regime. What a mess this is.

HappyWinter · 23/12/2020 08:50

Loving the alternative Christmas carols. Luckily planning a quiet Christmas this year anyway, I feel for any one who had their heart set on a bigger one. Boris should never have promised what was obvious he couldn't deliver.

I'm surprised that Erasmus isn't agreed too.

I feel very sorry for those poor drivers stuck in the massive queue.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 23/12/2020 09:00

I feel like the tip of the shit has hit the fan but Government haven't realised that it's just the top of the manure pile and think they've done enough.

AuldAlliance · 23/12/2020 09:03

AFAIK, Erasmus isn't agreed because the UK won't sign up for the usual four-year contracts, but wants to cherry pick and pay as you go on a yearly basis, which isn't feasible as it makes planning and admin of exchanges impossible. Still waiting for info on their 'alternative' exchange programme which Gav announced in Jan.

In other news from over the Channel, the French authorities are accelerating and facilitating the naturalisation of 700 key workers in recognition of their contribution during the pandemic.

Lonelycrab · 23/12/2020 09:28

Pmk Xmas Sad

bellinisurge · 23/12/2020 09:29

Thank you, Red. I've finished work for the year. Is it too early to start drinking?

YoutubeZoom · 23/12/2020 09:50

Too late, more like @bellinisurge

prettybird · 23/12/2020 09:51

Appropriately festive Place Cat King.

If this were a movie script, it would be rejected as being too cynical about the ineptitude and corruption if the UK Government.

Westministenders: Festive Edition
SabrinaThwaite · 23/12/2020 10:04

@quiteathome

pmk

I was trying to remember the last normal day.

Exam revisiosion here. In between the kids asking me for snacks and telling me how many minutes it is until Christmas day

Refer the kids to:

isitchristmas.com/

OchonAgusOchonO · 23/12/2020 10:07

@SabrinaThwaite - I need to refer my leaving cert son to that site. He seems a little confused about how long Christmas is. He took a week off after the Christmas tests and now seems to be taking another week or two off.

SabrinaThwaite · 23/12/2020 10:19

I like watching the NORAD Santa tracker too.

www.noradsanta.org/

I have both DCs studying from home over Christmas - one on final uni projects and one for a BTEC and more mock GCSEs in January (so really hoping that Yr 11s go back on time in January as would be good to get the BTEC exam out of the way).

Janeaustensquill · 23/12/2020 10:24

Extracts below from kentonline.co.uk

“Roads in Kent are at a complete standstill this morning as the border reopens.

The A2 leading into Dover is now completely gridlocked with lorries parked up along the verge.
Issues have been compounded by protesting truckers blockading the port's exit to stop UK-bound freight leaving.

Stagecoach bus company is now reporting 'total closure' on routes in Dover.
But roads around the Manston site are now also gridlocked as huge crowds of drivers block the main carriageway in protest at not being able to leave.

As many as 100 have stopped traffic on Hengist Way and are singing and chanting, causing huge queues back towards Minster.

It is understood they are frustrated at being held on the site because Dover is backed up with lorries.

Police at the scene said they were expecting more patrols to arrive to remove the drivers.”
So pleased that we have taken back control.

OhLookHeKickedTheBall · 23/12/2020 10:34

Thanks red

TheABC · 23/12/2020 10:35

It was inevitable that the army gets pulled in - they are the only ones left who a) can call on people at the drop of a hat and b) are trained to organize and deploy during a crisis. This pre-Christmas Covid nightmare sets up things nicely for the ongoing ports saga in 2021.

On the plus side, getting everyone into T4/lockdown nicely mutes the effects of Brexit and stops the inevitably complaints about commuters and schoolkids trying to cross gridlocked Kent. Who knows? Maybe Johnson will quit before the end, neatly handing the mess on to his successor.

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2020 10:35

@Janeaustensquill

Extracts below from kentonline.co.uk

“Roads in Kent are at a complete standstill this morning as the border reopens.

The A2 leading into Dover is now completely gridlocked with lorries parked up along the verge.
Issues have been compounded by protesting truckers blockading the port's exit to stop UK-bound freight leaving.

Stagecoach bus company is now reporting 'total closure' on routes in Dover.
But roads around the Manston site are now also gridlocked as huge crowds of drivers block the main carriageway in protest at not being able to leave.

As many as 100 have stopped traffic on Hengist Way and are singing and chanting, causing huge queues back towards Minster.

It is understood they are frustrated at being held on the site because Dover is backed up with lorries.

Police at the scene said they were expecting more patrols to arrive to remove the drivers.”
So pleased that we have taken back control.

Imagine this. Permanently.
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DrBlackbird · 23/12/2020 10:49

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/23/nhs-chiefs-urge-pm-to-extend-brexit-transition-by-a-month

But I think someone has said on here that this is no longer possible, is that right? As in, Johnson has missed a deadline for requesting an extension...

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2020 10:53

BBC live feed:

10:13am
Situation at Dover is 'chaos'
Rod McKenzie, from the Road Haulage Association, has described the situation in Dover as "chaos", saying facilities for lorry drivers are inadequate.

“The government has said the borders are open but actually they’re not. And unfortunately that message having gone out, a lot of lorry drivers have started heading for the ports again," he told the BBC.

“The testing regime hasn’t started yet and without that starting, the borders can’t effectively open for traffic heading back to France.”

He said information for lorry drivers on the ground had been "extremely poor" and food provision "very inadequate".

There are also not enough toilet facilities for the thousands of trucks waiting at Kent's Manston Airport, he added.

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OchonAgusOchonO · 23/12/2020 10:55

@DrBlackbird

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/23/nhs-chiefs-urge-pm-to-extend-brexit-transition-by-a-month

But I think someone has said on here that this is no longer possible, is that right? As in, Johnson has missed a deadline for requesting an extension...

Deadline was in the summer. End of June I think.

Even if it was possible, wouldn't the UK government have to repeal the law they introduced to prevent an extension? That's hardly possible in the time left, given it would presumably have to go through both houses.

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2020 10:56

Also on the feed:

'No intention' to put West Midlands in tier four before Christmas - mayor

The Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands has said there is "no intention" of parts of the region being placed under stricter coronavirus restrictions before Christmas Day.

It follows newspaper reports that Birmingham could be put in tier four before Christmas.

Which could mean its either going to be in T4 before Christmas or its T4 immediately after Christmas. Depending on how good you think communication is... But its going T4.

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RedToothBrush · 23/12/2020 11:02

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4114184-Stuck-in-Dover

Thread by a MNetter stuck in the gridlock with a 2 year old...

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