Be Excellent To Each Other

"Yay for financial ruin, increased global irrelevance and international humiliation!"

16 likes, 2 laughy faces and 3 love hearts.

Nigel F likes this.

Yeah, Facebook's a tricky one, isn't it? I try and not mention politics there, lest some of my connections consider me even more a haughty snob* than they already do (which is annoying, as I've never once told them I think I'm above them).

I feel better about it than 365 days ago, but in Cras we trust.

*No, really

Extallyse

Crosstalyse

Crystallise. Soz. Old habit.

I've just read a speech Lord Adonis made to the House of Lords about the dangers of Brexit. He's quite wry and his analysis of the situation is interesting. It's worth reading in full - his opening remarks give a flavour of how he proceeds:

So, the EU has done a free trade deal with Japan. That's good news for Sunderland and Swindon, isn't it?

Well the government did a shady backdoor deal with Nissan so I'm sure it's fine

Probably bad news. Any future Japanese investment is surely going to go to places with the trade deal, rather than the place that's in the process of leaving it?

Ok, so odds of us never leaving now must be shortening right? Or is that wishful thinking?

Got to. As soon as the reality of the folly hits home.

I don't think we're going to fall out in March 2019 - the government might have its faults but I doubt they are that stupid. I'm starting to sense that we're going to be in an awkward twilight zone for a long, long time until someone is brave enough to slip 'rejoin properly' into their manifesto. I'm kicking myself for not taking my MP up on her election material that said 'the decision has been made, there can be no turning back' as it's never a good idea to not give yourself a way out. I did ask her what 'the best deal' (another phrase on her pamphlet) would look like, and answer came there none.

The leave campaign's biggest asset was also their biggest weakness: a failure to have a plan for leaving. Although Mr Johnson et al should be hounded over the extra £350million per week for the NHS for all time (and with rising inflation, we'll probably reach that figure soon).

It might be the splitting of the Tory party that does it in for Brexit, and, indeed, Mrs May.

I do wonder about those who voted so vehemently to leave and still think it's a good idea now there are more facts available. Would they only accept it's a good idea to stay after we've left and everything's turned to crap? Or could there be a way of getting them onside without leaving at all.

The trouble is there is no 'one' leave voter, there's several. The classic Eurosceptic (by which I mean those against the federalisation of the EU) and the anti-immigration lobby aren't going to be convinced. It's the soft voters, especially those who hadn't really thought about the EU before the referendum and those who voted leave to send a message to David Cameron that are key to turning this around. Sadly that means the economy will have to get worse before they will.

Nah. Labour will blame the tories. The tories aren't going to blame brexit, given it was their fault...

For about the next 21 months, yes.

Three days ago:

-- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... is-johnson

Today:

-- https://www.ft.com/content/be2b22ce-67f ... 38dcaef614

Boris Johnson was almost our Prime Minister.

It would be great if our strong and stable government in the national interest could manage not to undermine its own negotiations and perhaps speak with one voice on this. But no, plenty of ministers need to put their own egos and potential advancement ahead of not fecking the country up more than it needs to be.

It's glorious. A glorious shitshow. I love it.

It's all fun and games until Sunderland's car workers are lining up on the dole.

I can't take any pleasure from the Brexit fiasco, as horrifically incompetent, bumbling and oafish it's making the Tories look on a daily basis - the consequences are just far too serious.

That Barnier chap could take us to pieces if the mood takes him, and with that witless fucking moron Boris stamping around the place, that mood may well take him.

I don't think it'll get that far. It's becoming too ludicrous of an escapade now to reach that stage.

Yeah, I'm now seeing a glimmer of hope that it is becoming too visibly and publically disastrous to actually follow through with - which I didn't expect.

This is what is extremely annoying. Anybody pointing out that we need to be a bit better at this shit is shouted down as being a Remoaning Cuntlord trying to slow things down, just being negative and waiting for it to fail whilst rubbing their hands with glee.

I don't want Brexit to fail. Admittedly I want it to be difficult, tedious and complicated so that a binary referendum on a massively complicated issue is not put forward in future, but I absolutely do not want it to be the clusterfuck it is currently looking like.

Brexit in a nutshell.

What are the likes of the sun/mail saying?

The only possible silver lining here is that a massively fucked Brexit might swell appetite for Scottish independence then you can all come and live in our glorious socialist utopia.

I'm mostly joking there of course. Mostly.

Do you think that as businesses begain to make more noise about the consequences, and set up other offices abroad (such as Easy Jet) it might change the direction?

http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/20 ... nt-future/

Alastair Campbell's view.

Imagine if Scotland became independent, the rUK floundered on it's own and was forced to join the United Republic of Scotland as a junior member.

Something about some IRA guy getting legal aid, I think.

I don't read the inside.

Opinions might change but I've been thinking that ever since the referendum.

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/06/15/ma ... empted-so/

But as things stand I'm really struggling to imagine how either party could position themselves as anti-Brexit without losing far more support than they would gain.

That's sort of what I mean. A succession of stories about how disastrous the outcome is likely to be is slowly finally moving public perception to the point where government might be able to backtrack from the vote. Moving the Overton window or whatever it's called.

I think that's absolute wishful thinking, personally. I think people are so entrenched on this that all it does is serve to reinforce their original views "well, if the bloody remoaners are going on about this it must be untrue" ... "fake news" syndrome writ large.

It is of course in some part wishful thinking, but I think it's getting more likely based on recent coverage as we get into the detail of negotiation. The line is shifting, whether it will be enough remains to be seen.

to quote a fantastic film, time has told.

BA BA BAAAA BAAAA BAAAA BA BA BAAAA BAAAA BAAAA BA BA BAAAA BAA BAA BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Shaun the Sheep?

Freddy got fingered.

PS can't tell if serious.

'And then you go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like we'd still leave the single market'


Source

The best thing Labour can do right now is avoid the question, lay low, and let the Tories self-destruct on Brexit. Stuff like this really doesn't help build a coalition or provide adequate opposition to the government.

Well, here's some cheery reading:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/bre ... 58586.html

Christ, what a fucking farce.