Westministers : Saving the Union

[RedToothBrush]

Apparently we need a tunnel. Just like we needed the £53 million failed Garden Bridge.

Nice little earner for anyone involved.

...

So brown people are ok as long as they’re professionals.

Just about acceptable if they have enough money, in some people's books.

.

So brown people are ok as long as they’re professionals.
A common Brexit mindset.

To be fair, I think the broader Brexitannian mindset is more like "People with Foreign Taint are acceptable, as long as they Know Their Place."

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/02/johnson-trying-to-set-up-charity-that-could-fund-downing-street-flat-revamp

Happy
I'm looking forward to reading the "Charitable Aims and Beneficiaries" of THAT on the Charity Commission website

LQ and Happy - my thoughts after last nights round of senior Tories being very unhappy with what's happening over Aid and Yemen..... and not afraid to be on TV and express their displeasure...... this on top of Senior Tories (David Davis among them) writing articles about how wrong the party is on Shemima Begum case...... I am not sure Carrie and Johnson should get too comfortable in number 10. It has also highlighted their are still deep fissures in the Tory party and those I think will get bigger.

So warm words from the WTO, but this is what people actually do when Boris talks ....

www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/02/city-firms-made-plans-in-brexit-run-up-to-move-assets-worth-100bn-to-eu-survey

City firms revealed in the final months of 2020 that they planned to shift nearly £100bn in assets to the EU, taking the total value of assets lost to the bloc since the Brexit vote to £1.3 trillion, according to a new survey.

The data from consulting group EY pointed to a last-minute push by firms before 31 December after the UK-EU trade deal did not offer concessions for the UK’s dominant financial services sector. It forced companies to move staff and assets to the continent in order to continue serving EU customers.

Another hobby fucked

northeastbylines.co.uk/brexit-and-orcas-a-whale-of-a-time-for-british-sailors/

With a small family sailing-boat, it was possible to pluck up the courage to take the challenge of a North Sea or Channel crossing to holiday in Europe. Once there, the boat and crew could remain for as long as they wanted. As members of the European Union Brits had the right to sail freely to any port in the European Union, tie-up and immediately head out into the town for a beer (or a mineral water). It was possible to leave the boat to over-winter in one country, return and continue the cruise the next year then leave it somewhere else the next winter. It was totally flexible.

Now we are no longer members of the European Union, and boating in Europe, while thankfully not having come to a complete shuddering halt, has become significantly more difficult, bureaucratic and risky. Covid-19 aside, the timetable for a sailing trip was always a bit risky and subject to sudden changes dictated by any necessary repairs to the boat or changes in the weather. The unfettered ability to leave the boat, or the crew, and return when things were resolved was a comforting back-stop to the plan.

A survey of members by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) in October 2020 found there would be ‘almost 900,000 UK boaters whose plans will be disrupted by the change in travel rules on 31 December’. Responding to specific questions in the survey, ‘53% of UK boaters boating abroad said they will be ‘greatly affected’ by the limitations of the Schengen rule’.

TatianaBis

Kamala Harris has a fair chance of becoming US President herself. If she does, can we expect visas and green cards for any UK citizen who wants one? DS2 (aged 12) might work for NASA after all; 'Vote Kamala!^

Both of her parents were degree educated before they immigrated to the US - her mother from India. Interesting statistic here;

Indian-Americans are the wealthiest group of immigrants in the US. AAPI Data says Indian-Americans are the highest earning ethnic group in the US with $139,000 median household income while the overall median US household income is $61,372 as per the US Census Bureau.

www.news18.com/news/world/indian-americans-wealthiest-immigrant-group-in-us-with-an-increasingly-formidable-political-voice-3042785.html

TheElementsSong

Hopefully Rishi Sunak will be our next PM, although you can console yourself with the fact that Keir Starmer has promised not to use a veto on Turkey, or any other EU candidate country, if he makes it to Number 10 and we rejoin the EU. We all know that non-racist Rejoiners wouldn't dream of vetoing any candidate country that met the criteria for joining the EU - the veto was just a trick.

Regarding the results of the RYA survey, I wonder how many of the remaining 47% of UK boaters boating abroad, who replied that they wouldn't be 'greatly affected' don't actually realise the consequences of third country status.

Or, even if they are aware to some degree of the changes, whether they think that special arrangements will be put in place for British boaters, since they are so, er, special.

Indian-Americans also are the demographic least likely to be impressed with their ancestors former colonial overlords.

Kamala's Grandfather was an Indian diplomat dealing with the UK Government at the end of empire.
I suspect her views on the likes of Johnson are succinct

Her father is still an emeritus economics professor who may have opinions too ....

@ListeningQuietly

Kamala's Grandfather was an Indian diplomat dealing with the UK Government at the end of empire. I suspect her views on the likes of Johnson are succinct

Her father is still an emeritus economics professor who may have opinions too ....

Indians have much more in common with the Irish than the British, when you start reading history.

HappyWinter
Johnson trying to set up charity that could fund Downing Street flat revamp.

Your link also states;
It was reported to be modelled on a similar scheme used by the White House to raise money for interior design and restyling the building, which is bankrolled by private donors.
By tradition, incoming US presidents and their families are allowed to spend $100,000 on redecorating the White House, and the first lady takes an active part in the White House Endowment Trust, which maintains the fabric of the building.

I think Jill Biden has gone over budget already.

Tatler -
According to TMZ, Jill is overseeing extensive renovations of the East Wing of the White House; the two-storey area that contains the office space for the First Lady and her staff. The publication cites federal procurement documents indicating that just over $1.2 million will be spent on bathrooms alone, in what’s listed as an ‘EW restroom refresh’.

www.tatler.com/article/jill-biden-white-house-renovations-12-million-bathroom-makeover

We all know that non-racist Rejoiners wouldn't dream of vetoing any candidate country that met the criteria for joining the EU - the veto was just a trick.

Met the criteria though - that's the key point. Turkey had been trying for something like 35 years and having been nowhere near meeting the criteria, repeatedly failed. This is despite what Farage tried to get people to believe.

As for Rejoiners being non-racist - put it another way, very few racists voted Remain.

very few racists voted Remain

The veto card waving was obviously a trick then.

I think at last assessment Turkey met exactly 1 of the criteria and has since stopped meeting that one when they decided to stop teaching evolution. Turkey has never been anywhere near meeting criteria - no racism involved there at all.

You could argue that Poland and Hungary have now stopped meeting the criteria, but they are already members so that is a whole different process.

Turkey has never been anywhere near meeting criteria - no racism involved there at all.

Why mention the veto?

7 mentions of the veto on this thread: 5 from Clavinova and 2 from me quoting Clavinova, so why indeed mention the veto? Look over there, another squirrel.

To be fair Peregrina, it was you who started this squirrel with;
Wonder how more visas for Indians will go down?

When Theresa May went to India, Modi made it clear that 100,000 visas a year was his minimum.

The offer to Hong Kong citizens was made cynically in the knowledge that few will choose to come to the UK

Without the ability to sail to France for the weekend
or to pop across to Belgium to buy nice things
or to order luxury fripperies from Italian design sites
the UK is a much less appealing destination for the footloose

Wonder how more visas for Indians will go down?

Which LQ has just answered. May and Johnson went to India with Great Fanfare about Trade Deals.... and came crawling back oh so quietly.

Even if you yourself Clavinova are happy that wealthy Asians can move here, those who support Farage will not be. Not that every Leaver supported Farage, but it was certainly a significant number.

🐿 Santa Claus was probably originally from Turkey - Saint Nicholas is thought to have been born in the city of Patara in the 4th century and became bishop in the city of Myra, in the province of Antalya. Therefore, True BeLeaving ToryBrexitannian patriots must get their knickers in a twist about Turkey joining the EU and also about people pointing out that this was not going to happen. 🐿

The offer to Hong Kong citizens was made cynically in the knowledge that few will choose to come to the UK

But I could not help wonder that if there was a large influx how well would it play with other citizens of ex-colonies who can't get their relatives in easily?