Brexit is Brilliant (or is it?)

[490808]

Not just an Englishman but an old Etonian.




( I expect to get a good telling off from Woke T for the above )

You mean Boris

[dawg]

You mean Boris

Not just Boris, but Cameron before him

Eton isnt what it used to be since the middle class were let send their brats there

[CelticRambler]

Not just Boris, but Cameron before him

Eton isnt what it used to be since the middle class were let send their brats there

Are you talking about that Jesus bloke now? He was proper working class, he was. Probably voted Labour an' all. His father must have been disgusted with the way he turned out.

[CelticRambler]

There's been talk lately - amongst those who chat about these things - of the French cutting the power to the Channel Islands in revenge for Jersey not awarding new post-Brexit fishing licenses to French small-scale fishermen.

Well, it seems like the government has decided that there's an alternative strategy (link in French): let them have their electricity ... and whack up the price! I'm sure all those Jersey citizens who didn't have the right to vote in the referendum will agree that even higher charges on top of the global rise in rates is a small price to pay for English sovereignty.

Oh, and of course the French ministers are also agreed that they should #TakeBackControl of their Channel Ports and prohibit Jersey-registered fishing boats from landing their catch in France. They've given Jersey 10 days to fall into line.

[Abella]

This is what winning looks like, depending on Africa for food aid, how the mighty have fallen

[CelticRambler]

None so blind ...

The delivery of Brexit has helped restore trust and confidence in the government

Among Leave voters, the proportion who trust governments to put the national interest first has increased from 12% in 2019 to 31% in 2020. Only 17% of Remain voters share this view.

46% of Leave voters think that Britain’s system of government is in little need of improvement, up from 17% in 2019. Only 24% of Remain voters say the same.

Good to know that the Leavers are happy Brexit is "done" and not having to talk about it any more, the national interest is now being well-served by the government giving all the best jobs to foreigners (preferably working from their foreign homes, too).

[Del.Monte]

Yeah, famine is about to break out throughout the UK - we need a rolling eyes smilie.

[6456739]

I suppose there just aren't enough calories in sovereignty.

[Scotty]

It's one ship per week importing about £180m worth per year. By comparison, they used to import £1.8 BILLION worth of fruit and veg per year from Spain alone.

This morning Johnson was on Twitter bragging about a fabulous new trade deal he's done with New Zealand. It's worth somewhere in the region of 0.01% and 0.00% of the UK's GDP and may even cost the UK in the long run.

But it seems they're desperate to push ANY kind of good news story regarding Brexit at the moment.

[6456739]

It's one ship per week importing about £180m worth per year. By comparison, they used to import £1.8 BILLION worth of fruit and veg per year from Spain alone.

This morning Johnson was on Twitter bragging about a fabulous new trade deal he's done with New Zealand. It's worth somewhere in the region of 0.01% and 0.00% of the UK's GDP and may even cost the UK in the long run.

But it seems they're desperate to push ANY kind of good news story regarding Brexit at the moment.

They were resorting to presenting shortages as character building recently so it makes sense that they'll take something that just about qualifies as good news and present it as mana from heaven.

[490808]

They were resorting to presenting shortages as character building recently so it makes sense that they'll take something that just about qualifies as good news and present it as mana from heaven.

Wartime rationing will be next.



Made me think of that with Boris and his painting trip - when it comes to prime ministers its always Churchill I associate with painting.

I'm not the only one to make the connection https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ ... be08dc5ceb

Compare Churchill



with Boris



On another tack. Interesting thing when I was over in the UK last week everywhere I went saw signs for staff wanted. Maybe that's a result of Cocid?

[Del.Monte]

Where Britain goes Ireland invariably follows - not 'Freedom Day' ......

[CelticRambler]

In recent weeks, I stumbled up this guy's YouTube channel. He's very obviously not a Tory supporter, but doesn't spare criticism (or bewilderment) for Labour and the EU when justified. He does a good job at "joining the dots" between the actions and consequences of this government's successive actions.

One of his observations/projections touches on the oft-repeated Brexiter slogan that Britain is the [ 7th | 6th | 5th ] biggest economy in the world and is therefore indisputably immune to any change of fortune. He's pointed out how most of the developments of this year (i.e. the first months of a real Brexit) have been characterised by a shift of Britain's economic power to anyone-but-Britain, and mostly to the EU. The non-imposition of border controls immediately disadvantages all British businesses; the loss of farm/food workers increases Britain's dependence on food imports; the lack of HGV drivers and port capacity is forcing GB businesses to rely on continental storage; the new points-based immigration policy rewards non-nationals and relegates native Britons to the lowest-paid, dirtiest, most unattractive jobs; being outside the EU's energy market means Britain is sending ever-more dollars to other countries, with no increase in dollar-revenue because exports to its biggest market have stagnated (or, in some sectors, collapsed) ...

He's also theorised that a spell of bad winter weather before Christmas will threaten to tip the country over the edge, and that Johnson's most effective response would be to impose another "Covid" lockdown (very) early in the new year. Keep the discontented in their homes, where they can't see gaps on the shelves or have to do the work of three people or notice how much more expensive their fill of petrol has become. Interesting theory, given that the yes-men this morning were denying that there was any Plan C in the works.

[Abella]

In the past English stubbornnesss and refusal to give in has won them many victories, but it seem now this is only making things worse, a refusal to even contemplate that Brexit is not all it was supposed to be is compounding the problems, dark days lie head.

[490808]

... or notice how much more expensive their fill of petrol has become....

I noticed when I was in the UK that "petrol" (not diesel) is about the same price as it is here provided you are not buying at a motorway service station.

I didn't do the calculation for diesel as I don't use it but as its more expensive in the UK than petrol I'd hazard a guess its more expensive there than here.

[CelticRambler]

Trans-national comparisons of fuel prices aren't that reliable a way of monitoring domestic changes, though, as they're heavily influenced by local taxes. On my long commutes across France, there are some départements where I'll avoid buying fuel because additional taxes can push it to a difference of 10ct a litre compared with the same chain in another département. But if you're commuting regularly and buying from your local good-value service station, you'll soon notice if the price has jumped from £40 per top-up to £45 (assuming you're someone who tops up half a tank at a time, rather than religiously sticking to £20 per visit).

[490808]

I'm in the UK every couple of months and petrol prices have gone up but I'd say they'd gone up in line with ours here in Ireland.

[Peregrinus]

Where Britain goes Ireland invariably follows - not 'Freedom Day' ......

Not invariably. We are most unlikely to follow them into Brexit.

[Peregrinus]

I'm in the UK every couple of months and petrol prices have gone up but I'd say they'd gone up in line with ours here in Ireland.

Brexit doesn't have much direct impact on petrol prices in the UK, but there are a couple of ways in which it could indirectly impact them.

The most obvious one is that, in so far as Brexit causes sterling to be weaker than it otherwise would be, because the oil market works in dollars a Brexit-linked weakening of sterling inevitably flows through to higher prices at the pump.

Similarly, Brexit's negative effect on logistics and transport will tend to result in higher prices for a range of goods, including petrol. Up to now most of the negative effect has manifested itself in supply constraints, but one way of responding to supply constraints is to put up prices. This has the effect of improving profitability (so compensating sellers for the fact that they have a limited amount of fuel to sell) and also reducing demand (so, shorter queues). I don't think this has happened yet to any great extent - the fuel distributors have been disciplined about not being seen to be profiteering from the situation - but the incentives and the pressures that would lead to price rises are all in place.

[6456739]

On another tack. Interesting thing when I was over in the UK last week everywhere I went saw signs for staff wanted. Maybe that's a result of Cocid?

I don't think so. The UK voted to leave on the back of a very xenophobic campaign. Now, EU migrants need visas to go pull pints and pick fruit in a country with a weakening economy that loathes them. I live in London but if I were in Ireland contemplating a move, I'd cancel it and stay at home.

[490808]

I had to leave the Covid option open. I think it has a small part to play in that some foreign nationals went home because of it and didn't come back. I was down in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago and Cornwall has always had high unemployment figures but thats where I saw lots of signs up looking for workers.

[Peregrinus]

Covid might the reason why people quit their jobs or were laid off, but Brexit is more likely to be the reason why they're not coming back.

[CelticRambler]

At a board meeting last week, I pointed out to The Corporate Nobility that we were doing well to get away with paying my peers "only" 200€ a day, where the rate in Ireland is currently about 250€/day while in GB it had risen to 400€/day.

I received a message from a colleague in GB a couple of days ago saying that it's now £600/700€ a day, and a vicious feedback loop is in full effect: a "day" has always been typically 10-12 hours on the trot, exempt from the Working Time Directive, but because Brexit has simultaneously cut off the supply of cheap EU graduates and imposed a new range of duties to be carried out, the stress on those who are working - with no prospect of being able to take holiday leave, because there are no replacements available - is encouraging anyone close to retirement to say feckit and leave, adding even more to the workload of a depleted workforce. This is pure Brexit; Covid's just made it worse.

At 700€ a day, though, it's beginning to look tempting. Ten days' work in England would be the equivalent of two months in France!

[6456739]

At a board meeting last week, I pointed out to The Corporate Nobility that we were doing well to get away with paying my peers "only" 200€ a day, where the rate in Ireland is currently about 250€/day while in GB it had risen to 400€/day.

I received a message from a colleague in GB a couple of days ago saying that it's now £600/700€ a day, and a vicious feedback loop is in full effect: a "day" has always been typically 10-12 hours on the trot, exempt from the Working Time Directive, but because Brexit has simultaneously cut off the supply of cheap EU graduates and imposed a new range of duties to be carried out, the stress on those who are working - with no prospect of being able to take holiday leave, because there are no replacements available - is encouraging anyone close to retirement to say feckit and leave, adding even more to the workload of a depleted workforce. This is pure Brexit; Covid's just made it worse.

At 700€ a day, though, it's beginning to look tempting. Ten days' work in England would be the equivalent of two months in France!

Do you mind if I ask what sector you're in?

My mate in Paris told me he gets 40 days a year annual leave which is insane.

[Scotty]

My mate in Paris told me he gets 40 days a year annual leave which is insane.

Sounds like the civil service here with their avg of 41.

Oh no, they're 'sick days'. Sorry.

(Funny how so many are sick every year during the Cheltenham festival though!!)