Brexit - the never ending tale

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

lies.jpg

Re-usable poetry

[Gerarddm]

I see that Boris has a make-or-break meeting with the EU today. Meanwhile he is advising UK supermarkets to stock up in case of a no-deal Brexit, which is looking increasingly likely.

It would laughable if it were not so pitiful.

[Peerie Maa]

British stupidity and intransigence is likely to shoot us in the foot.
There are three sticking points:

1. Fishing in the British economic zone.

   As well as access to territorial waters and markets, the issue of what to do about foreign-owned boats which fish in UK waters under a British flag, has been part of negotiations.
   So how are these boats able to benefit from British fish quotas, how widespread is this practice - known as "quota-hopping" - and what does the government plan to do about it?
   
   Half of England's quota in foreign hands
   
   £160m worth of England's fishing quota is in the hands of vessels owned by companies based in Iceland, Spain and the Netherlands, according to BBC research.
   That amounts to 130,000 tonnes of fish a year and 55% of the quota's annual value in 2019.
   Quotas are used by many countries to manage shared fish stocks. They determine how many fish of each species each country's fleets are allowed to catch.
   The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) sets quotas among EU member states, and similar deals are negotiated with neighbouring countries.
   One of the priorities of the Fisheries Act, which became law on 24 November, is that "fishing activities of UK fishing boats bring social or economic benefits to the United Kingdom".
   Current rules say even if vessels are 100% foreign-owned, they must have an "economic link" to the UK. That means they must meet one of five conditions, which include landing more than half their catch at UK ports or having majority British crews.

   Many British owned, skipper and British ported boats have Filipino crews because young Brits cannot hack the hard lifestyle. This would probably take years and loads of buybacks of licences to resolve.

2. The idea of level playing field measures, which appear in most free trade agreements, is to ensure businesses on one side don't have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other. Brexit: What is a level playing field? If you cut regulations it can be cheaper to produce things, making some companies more competitive than others, and the EU is worried that the UK could do that in the future. That's why the EU wants the UK to stick particularly closely to EU rules on things like workers' rights, the environmental regulations that companies have to follow, and state aid (financial subsidies given by government to businesses).

   So Boris and his Tories want the EU to abandon a key element of their core being, so that we can screw them in the future.
   
   and
   Resolving disputes
   
   This is mainly about how the rules of the deal will be enforced in future and what happens if one side breaks them.
   See 2 above.

[RFNK]

lies.jpg

Re-usable poetry

Neat fit.

[isla]

Interesting video here of lorry tailbacks on the approach to Dover. This will get worse if we leave with no deal..

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...to-dover-video

[amish rob]

Interesting video here of lorry tailbacks on the approach to Dover. This will get worse if we leave with no deal..

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...to-dover-video

Tailback? Queue? Lorry?

WTH is going on over there?! Okay, enough common language humour.

Hope you lot get this sorted.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

The unicorns are playing on the sunlit uplands but they are just out of shot at in the video.

[lupussonic]

I am moving to France, where I will sell my wares to the UK, and the rest of Europe in equal measure. Watch me.

Carry on moaning, or not moaning as you wish, you short termists you.

[Peerie Maa]

I am moving to France, where I will sell my wares to the UK, and the rest of Europe in equal measure. Watch me.

Carry on moaning, or not moaning as you wish, you short termists you.

I wish you well.
Lots of other business men are doing the same. Shutting their businesses, sacking their employees, and setting up in Europe.

The Netherlands has lured 140 Brexit-wary companies since the 2016 referendum to quit the EU, it was claimed on Wednesday.
More than half of the firms — 78 — moved last year, according to Netherlands' Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA).
They are expected to create more than 4,200 jobs and inject €375 million in investment into the economy.
The NFIA said that uncertainty over when and how the UK would exit led to a surge in interest last year.
It is now in talks with 425 "Brexit companies" about making a similar move, up from just 175 at the beginning of last year.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/19/...s-accelerating

[lupussonic]

Thank you for your kind wishes Nick.

The fear was, as I remember that a UK citizen would not be able to move about, set up employment, trade with Europe nor live in Europe after Brexit. Was it not?

The fact that Leyden is still at the table speaks volumes.

Doesn't it?

[Garret]

I Just talked to a friend in the Netherlands yesterday. He sells some software packages - mostly utilities & special backup software for VMWare products.

He just got the info from the UK about what he'll have to do to sell anything in the UK - VAT & such.

He spent the rest of the day modifying the website where he sells his stuff to block any sales to the UK. "While the sales are a decent portion of my income, it's not worth it - all the EU stuff is bad enough."

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Thank you for your kind wishes Nick.

The fear was, as I remember that a UK citizen would not be able to move about, set up employment, trade with Europe nor live in Europe after Brexit. Was it not?

The fact that Leyden is still at the table speaks volumes.

Doesn't it?

No.

[Peerie Maa]

Thank you for your kind wishes Nick.

The fear was, as I remember that a UK citizen would not be able to move about, set up employment, trade with Europe nor live in Europe after Brexit. Was it not?

The fact that Leyden is still at the table speaks volumes.

Doesn't it?

That was one of the downsides. Remember the Oven Ready Trade Deal promised at the start? If Boris was not telling porkies about that, free movement might have been the biggest problem, but we now know that it is the least of the issues.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EozatiiW...jpg&name=small

[RFNK]

You lot didn't appreciate the tins of fat we sent you last time so there'll be none this time!

[bluedog225]

Borrowed from the 1964 paper:

C05622B2-7A51-4948-BF42-CB4C1DA9EA80.jpg
F9A96AFB-4E37-460E-8647-8AA5FEB16373.jpg

[Henning 4148]

It's not the 30th of December yet, no reason to rush ...

This may sound cynical, but when having to demonstrate "tough negotiating" to followers, there isn't really a lot of chance for closing early. So, it's likely not just about the content at this time but a lot about demonstrating "tough negotiating" to the very last moment. Call it playing theater if you want.

Will there be a deal? I am not sure. If not, I guess that will be one of the big blunders in British and European history.

The British idea of their future earlier on had been to have free trade agreements all over the world and become a huge trade hub for free trading goods everywhere. Such practice would likely undermine any social and environmental standards in the EU and worldwide much more so than the UK reinventing and reintroducing emission control free sweat shop work in the UK itself with an aim of exporting the goods produced in the UK into the EU. Can the EU afford emission control free sweat shop work in the UK? Anyone remember acid rain and what it did to lakes in Scandinavia? Anyone walking along beaches and worrying about all the junk that comes a floating? No, emission control free production in the UK is not a good idea for the EU. About sweat shop production: As long as the UK has national health with decent treatment standards, the UK has to pay the price for sweat shop production itself. It likely has a tendency of not being overall cost efficient as the cost for health care and pensions for those who can not work to retirement age due to health issues may outweight the benefits of sweat shop work. So, sweat shop work is likely only cost efficient for the UK overall, if they drastically lower the status of health care and do not provide care for people who have to retire early due to health issues. Such a way forward may not be tolerated by the UK population long term.

Some people in the UK might have other options for the future of the UK in mind which might not be in line with the law of nations. Let's hope that implementation of such ideas is not tried.

It's not the 30th of December yet, no reason to rush ...

Another question remains: Qui bono? Who is pulling the strings for the UK to leave the EU, who has so much to win? I can understand the frustration of the British fishermen, can understand that they were talked into voting for Brexit. I guess sorting their needs could have been done without Brexit. And I personally do not believe, that they have pulled the strings for Brexit.

[heimfried]

[...]
Another question remains: Qui bono? Who is pulling the strings for the UK to leave the EU, who has so much to win?
[...]

Jacob Rees-Mogg and his ilk (the richest) to get rid of restrictions caused by EU law and to avoid the increasing possibility to lose tax loopholes.
Tories in general, creating adversaries, dividing society always helps fasten political right wing order.
Rupert Murdoch and other right wing press to avoid change in their dominance.
Vladimir Putin helping destabilizing the west and undermining democracy.

[skuthorp]

The world had already tossed all the cards in the air before Covid arrived. They have not come down to rest yet, and are likely not to for some time. I thought that Covid was going to be one of those change moments for the world, but the change had already begun, and Covid might just finish the old world off.

[Southerner]

Jacob Rees-Mogg and his ilk (the richest) to get rid of restrictions caused by EU law and to avoid the increasing possibility to lose tax loopholes.
Tories in general, creating adversaries, dividing society always helps fasten political right wing order.
Rupert Murdoch and other right wing press to avoid change in their dominance.
Vladimir Putin helping destabilizing the west and undermining democracy.

Yep, you hit the nail right on the head there, I could not agree more!

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Yep, you hit the nail right on the head there, I could not agree more!

I agree. To be clear, “Southerner” isn’t me though we both post here from the same small town in England. I don’t know who “Southerner” is.

[Southerner]

I agree. To be clear, “Southerner” isn’t me though we both post here from the same small town in England. I don’t know who “Southerner” is.

Hi Andrew, I’m Dug1 in the YBW forum, we haven’t met but share a lot of opinions especially about Brexit.

[George.]

With Britain now isolated by air and sea due to the new coronavirus variant, it looks like no-deal Brexit arrived early.

Will Boris capitulate on December 30? I reckon that would be the end of him.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

With Britain now isolated by air and sea due to the new coronavirus variant, it looks like no-deal Brexit arrived early.

Will Boris capitulate on December 30? I reckon that would be the end of him.

Boris has just been on telly assuring us that "Britain will Prosper Mightily under WTO Terms".

Delusional....

[birlinn]

And lying as usual.

[John Meachen]

With Britain now isolated by air and sea due to the new coronavirus variant, it looks like no-deal Brexit arrived early.

Will Boris capitulate on December 30? I reckon that would be the end of him.

I expect the Brexiteer view is that Europe is now cut off.Maybe this dress rehearsal will focus a few minds.

[RFNK]

Whenever we rail against the monarchy, the apologists argue that the monarch is needed to stem the excesses of an aberrant government. The Queen of Australia and her sycophant stepped in and killed the elected government of Australia in 1975, for example. Now that the UK has a government that has no capacity to manage an epidemic, that, through incompetence, has caused the death of tens of thousands of Brits, and is now leading the country to economic disaster based on a racist agenda, why won't our Queen step in again and sort this mess out? If not, what, apart from bringing in tourist dollars, purpose does she and the rest of the family serve?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Hi Andrew, I’m Dug1 in the YBW forum, we haven’t met but share a lot of opinions especially about Brexit.

We will have to get together with Martin aka Lupussonic in one of our town’s excellent watering holes and persuade him of the error of his ways.

[Southerner]

We will have to get together with Martin aka Lupussonic in one of our town’s excellent watering holes and persuade him of the error of his ways.

Is there a Wetherspoons in Woodbridge then!

[isla]

Is there a Wetherspoons in Woodbridge then!

Yay Spoons!

What

[Southerner]

Yay Spoons!

What

Surely the natural haunt of Brexiteers! 😏🙂

[isla]

Surely the natural haunt of Brexiteers! 

Undesirables and ne'er-do-wells of every stripe I imagine

[Peerie Maa]

Undesirables and ne'er-do-wells of every stripe I imagine

Wind your neck in. Spoons has better beer than many other pubs round here, so I would drink there over other Barrow pubs.

[isla]

Wind your neck in. Spoons has better beer than many other pubs round here, so I would drink there over other Barrow pubs.

Personally I would prefer not to give arch-brexiteer Tim Martin the pleasure of my patronage..

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin has urged Boris Johnson to quit the talks with the EU and pursue a no deal exit..

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...nson-latest-vn

[lupussonic]

You may all paint me as you wish, but please, if you think I am a Brexiteer, provide ONE SINGLE quote from me to support that theory. I assure you you will find none.

Interesting that anyone with a balanced point of view is the enemy...

[Peerie Maa]

Personally I would prefer not to give arch-brexiteer Tim Martin the pleasure of my patronage..

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin has urged Boris Johnson to quit the talks with the EU and pursue a no deal exit..

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...nson-latest-vn

I know that the man is a dick head, but he knows how to sell good beer.
He probably wants to cut the minimum wage for his staff and allow the smokers back in to his pubs.