Westministenders: This is not the Brexit we voted for

[ListeningQuietly]

UK Shellfish industry destroyed because our inshore waters are not clean enough
Welsh Ports on their knees because the Land Bridge has found another route
Horticulture seed producers lost all of their mainland EU customers

Antique dealers lost access to their suppliers
Small businesses being told (by UK Govt) to relocate to the EU to avoid red tape
Brits in the EU discovering that stopping Free Movement applies to them too
Northern Ireland in Unionist flames because there is a border between them and Great Britain, but not the Republic
And the UK has still not taken control of its borders

Brexit is shaping up as predicted, but none of those who voted for it seem to have what they wanted

Thank LQ.

Its thoroughly depressing.

I think we will start to see the 'big reveal' in the next 6 weeks as things reopen. It will, of course, be blamed on covid but the empty shelves are going to be more of a permenant feature that people realise.

The news from Belfast is dire. But sadly not unexpected. It does make me fear for the province's future. It always did.

Thanks LQ for the new thread. Very sad about how things are developing in NI but sadly not surprised

But as we expected, they are still blaming the EU for their problems. Why won't they give us a special deal, they want to know. Er, because you already had one which you said you didn't want.

davidallengreen @davidallengreen
There are things about Brexit which one can understand and agree with

There are things about Brexit which one can understand and disagree with

But the one thing about Brexit that is incomprehensible is why DUP supported Leave

Made a border poll and unification far more likely

Thanks for the new thread. Placemarking with an observation that Arlene was on the radio the other day deflecting like crazy. But most noticeable was the constant reiteration of old grievances. The tone, the language, the sense of bitter resentment and ingrained entitlement. God knows how many generations will have to pass before NI is over its history, if ever.
On another note, I’ve now retired for a second time and am already bored. At least the gyms are open next week and I live in a lovely part of the country with lots of good walks.

pmk

Frustration in NI at the political leadership there

sluggerotoole.com/2021/04/08/the-tone-and-economics-of-northern-irelands-political-debate-has-to-change/#disqus_thread

...I note the trouble in Belfast has finally made the BBC news website front page - only taken a week.

...I note the trouble in Belfast has finally made the BBC news website front page - only taken a week.

It's been there everyday this week.

PMK
Thanks @ListeningQuietly

Is this the electability everyone kept telling me Labour would have if someone like Starmer was leader?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/08/labour-cries-foul-over-union-poll-showing-tories-on-track-to-take-hartlepool

Sadly my list is all of things that were predicted and discussed in 2016
very deliberately
as the current needling between the UK and the EU is very temporary.
but all of the key Brexit issues will remain.

Water quality rules have been known about since 2008
but cheapskate UK Governments chose not to do anything about it.

Plant seed and seed potato and nematode rules have been known since 2014

Income rules for third party citizens go back many years

The GFA is over 20 years old

Its really not News, well it shouldn't be.

Water quality rules have been known about since 2008

Even earlier than that - the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive dates from 1991, and the Water Framework Directive from 2000.

Thanks LQ it’s thoroughly depressing isn’t it. Unfortunately, as predicted Brexit will wreck the GFA. Most Leave voters won’t have thought about at the time and thanks to the GFA and peace haven’t had to think about NI for decades. For others (e.g. Gove) it was either the end point originally or something they realised could happen once they convinced people that the only possible form of Brexit was hard Brexit & leaving the CU/SM.

BBC coverage of NI is starting to remind me of Soviet state television coverage of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I was in the Soviet Union at the time. I listened to the BBC World Service to find out what was actually going on and when the Wall came down it was about the 9th or 10th news item on Soviet news. They covered it reluctantly and downplayed it as hard as they could. And now the BBC, which had been my source of real news all those years ago, is doing the same. It's the top story on RTÉ (after not being for a while). I suppose that's where I need to look to find any coverage of it.

PMK and thanks LQ and Red for keeping these threads going. They're often my 'go to' sources of analysis and reporting on current events. Trying hard to ignore the occasional Brexiteer winner posting on how wonderful the uplit lands are and saying anything else is unpatriotic or down on UK, Johnson, the flag etc

Interesting how a weekend Telegraph article on the movement of the UK's financial industry to the EU had a positive title whilst the article itself was more negative realistic. Their positive spin was 'not all finance jobs are going to France but rather scattered across the EU' 🙄

As DrBlackbird says above - PMK and thanks LQ and Red for keeping these threads going. They're often my 'go to' sources of analysis and reporting on current events.

Damage limitation required ... membership of the Single Market? It would still be 'Brexit' but without the damage to peace, businesses, individuals. Unfortunately no one seems to be advocating it in Westminster, despite being the best solution.

twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1380147703846428672

Also, agree JustAnother that I had such high high hopes for Starmer. It's not been an easy year granted, but there just doesn't seem to be much direction or strategy coming from him or Labour.

He was never going to be an amazing and charismatic orator, but could have gained ground as one, seemingly, of the few intelligent adults in British politics these days.

So depressing because where are the political alternatives to Johnson and the Tories?? In trying to appeal to both old and new members, is Labour just too fractured to regain ground as a viable alternative?

So depressing because where are the political alternatives to Johnson and the Tories?? In trying to appeal to both old and new members, is Labour just too fractured to regain ground as a viable alternative?

I think they should split but then who gets the name is going to be the problem, the more traditional Labour voters are going to want it but the centrists would rather destroy the name and legacy rather than let the left have it

Thanks for the new thread listening PMK

Justanother
TBH the Tories dealt with their fracture by expelling half the party
and then lied to everybody
and got an 80 seat majority
Maybe that is what Starmer should do

Damage limitation required ... membership of the Single Market? It would still be 'Brexit' but without the damage to peace...

Membership of the Single Market didn't prevent these disturbances before the Referendum took place:

BBC January 2013 - NI riots make headlines across globe.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20947636

BBC August 2013 - Belfast riots: 56 police officers injured during parade protests.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23645607

The Guardian May 2014 - 25% of Northern Ireland riot police hurt in loyalist clashes in one year.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/28/25percent-northern-ireland-police-injured-sectarian-clashes

The Guardian July 2015 - Belfast;
www.theguardian.com/world/picture/2015/jul/13/eyewitness-belfast

BBC January 2016 - A shot was fired at police officers and more than 100 petrol bombs were thrown during serious disturbances in County Armagh.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-35402153

Just spotted this recent news item from a week ago - probably didn't go down well with the criminal element in NI:

31 March 2021 - £12m worth of drugs seized following Northern Ireland-Belgium operations.

The Head of the PSNI's Criminal Investigation said: "The cannabis seizure in Newry is the largest seizure to date in Northern Ireland. There is no doubt that by taking these drugs off the streets of Northern Ireland we have significantly impacted the funding stream of this organised crime gang.

www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2021/0331/1207316-drugs-northern-ireland/

Yes it is, its exactly the Brexit they voted for, how could it not be, it was obvious what would happen.
I bet if we had the vote again, Johnson, Farage and co would lie to their faces, point the finger of blame at foreigners, and they'd all nod along and vote Leave again.
And the Tories are riding high in the polls.

As for the DUP, my thoughts are that they took a gamble on Brexit delivering a hard border between NI and ROI and lost. They've always hated the GFA and campaigned hard against it at the time, despite what they say now, their actions tell a different story.