The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[PhantomF4]

Ah well - where do I begin?

How well prepared for Brexit were they ..... they did ...... nothing. Just sat back and wanted it to fail and Scotland to suffer so *they* could reap the anticipated political reward.

Have they they done much during the Covid pandemic. No. Some stupidly different slogans, slower vaccine rollout, confusion, demands for money, more aggresive lockdowns because of weaker hospital capacity.

So what else? Scotland's education? ..... oh dear. Attainment levels a problem and accusations that they are using the pandemic to avoid being embarrassed because the examination system wa ssuspended (which they did more hurriedly than down south - no attempt).

Then we have the economy. Underachievgn and they have no ideas.

And then their legislation - named persons for childen ...... debacle. Hate crime legislation .... struggle to push something people don't seem to want.

And .... my favourite totem .... let's not forget the two ferries sitting at Port Glasgow. How many years late and how many millions over budget. And from the Scttosh 'government' ..... not a squeak ..... no transparency .... no responsibility.

So the SNP are at best letting Scotland decay with no actual ambition apart from the anti-English zeal .... or at worst they are turning it into a failed state with undermined institutions and Holyrood's only policy is to do the Ian Blackford dance of outrage and thwart.

So you say 'The SNP are the only party to look after Scotlands interests' ....... on what planet? Seriously. They are a toxic poisonous useless blight on Scotland. They are strangling and killing Scotland - infusing it with prejudice. And manipulating its heritage.

Totally agree with everything you said. Being a resident of Inverclyde I regularly drive past the SNP’s monuments to failure at Ferguson’s shipyard and
visits to Greenock remind me of the fact that my political representation consists of an SNP MP and an SNP MSP who have their offices across the road from each other (more expenses?) yet neither ever seem to be open!

We have an election coming where although children, foreign Nationals and convicted criminals are able to vote, Scots living in Berwick on Tweed or Carlisle don’t have a say.

I’ve lived, worked and paid my fair share of taxes in Scotland for over 35 years, but this place has never felt less like home than it does now.

 

[Dryce]

I’ve lived, worked and paid my fair share of taxes in Scotland for over 35 years, but this place has never felt less like home than it does now.

I think one of the changes is the way Scotland is now split. The divide is more tangible and more fractious than it was in 2014.

There's real anger and actual disgust for the SNP compared with 7 to 10 years ago.

Despite that they are protected by the demise of Labour and the split of the vote against them.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

On another note, MP expenses......

I just had a look through some od the details and see that some claim nothing at all yet others it seems claim for everything.
Anyone know why some (very few) MPs claim nothing at all?

 

[Deleted member 159894]

I suppose that it's inevitable that some political conversion turns to the people rather than the policy but I'm quite surprised that there has been no mention of yesterday's budget yet.

 

[flowrider]

The SNP are the only party to look after Scotlands interests, and no matter what happens in the next few weeks will still walk the next election, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Tories really are irrevalent in Scotland and will never be in any position of power in our lifetimes.

Do you really think that other non SNP Scottish politicians really don't care about Scotland or is this just the SNP propaganda machine in action. With the SNP only securing 27% of the Scottish vote last time do you think the other 73% of Scottish voters don't care about Scotland either.

 

[flowrider]

I suppose that it's inevitable that some political conversion turns to the people rather than the policy but I'm quite surprised that there has been no mention of yesterday's budget yet.

I was expecting far worse, we have got to somehow recoup the money spent on the pandemic.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

On another note, MP expenses......

I just had a look through some od the details and see that some claim nothing at all yet others it seems claim for everything.
Anyone know why some (very few) MPs claim nothing at all?

I suspect it’s just down to the way people are different. Some people believe it’s their right to claim for everything that they can, whilst others just can’t be bothered. I don’t think it’s anything to do with how wealthy they are or how much they need the money, it’s just a difference in attitude - nothing wrong with either extreme, or anything in between.

 

[st13phil]

Nice to see the “Rules Based Organisation”, the EU, throwing its weight around:

Covid: Italy blocks AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia

The bar on shipping 250,000 doses amid a row with the firm is backed by the EU.

www.bbc.co.uk

This has the potential to end very badly.

 

[GeeJayW]

Nice to see the “Rules Based Organisation”, the EU, throwing its weight around:

Covid: Italy blocks AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia

The bar on shipping 250,000 doses amid a row with the firm is backed by the EU.

www.bbc.co.uk

This has the potential to end very badly.

Even though it’s not what I voted for; the more internal bickering and bureaucratic nonsense emerging from the EU (wrong coloured ink on export forms being another recent example), the more I think the UK is well out of it.

 

[Deleted member 159894]

Even though it’s not what I voted for; the more internal bickering and bureaucratic nonsense emerging from the EU (wrong coloured ink on export forms being another recent example), the more I think the UK is well out of it.

UK agencies have been fussy about this for years, HMRC and Passport office are 2 glaring ones.

 

[C240Sport97]

Nice to see the “Rules Based Organisation”, the EU, throwing its weight around:

Covid: Italy blocks AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia

The bar on shipping 250,000 doses amid a row with the firm is backed by the EU.

www.bbc.co.uk

This has the potential to end very badly.

Don't they have millions of unused Astra Zeneca doses anyway? They now want an even bigger stockpile??

 

[st13phil]

Don't they have millions of unused Astra Zeneca doses anyway? They now want an even bigger stockpile??

Precisely.

I really hope the Aussies make a big diplomatic fuss over it. Apparently, some 50 million doses of the Oxford-AZ vaccine are due to be manufactured in Australia, but an initial 3.8m doses are due to be supplied from European production.

 

[GeeJayW]

The gift that just keeps giving...

Brexit: EU legal action imminent over UK extension to grace periods

The UK says it will unilaterally extend grace periods for Irish Sea border checks on parcels and agri-foods.

www.bbc.co.uk

EU's top court threatens to fine Britain over air pollution

While Britain left the orbit of the European Court of Justice on December 31, it has agreed to apply ECJ judgements in any case initiated while it was still a member.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Swotty]

The gift that just keeps giving...

Brexit: EU legal action imminent over UK extension to grace periods

The UK says it will unilaterally extend grace periods for Irish Sea border checks on parcels and agri-foods.

www.bbc.co.uk

EU's top court threatens to fine Britain over air pollution

While Britain left the orbit of the European Court of Justice on December 31, it has agreed to apply ECJ judgements in any case initiated while it was still a member.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The EU have not yet signed off the deal ... they are now on their 3rd deadline. What a shower.

 

[m80]

Anyone want to guess on how long before the Irish Free State see the Celtic Sea as not wide enough and the Irish Sea as too wide?

That would be worth a potato or two from us.

 

[C240Sport97]

EU reaction to Northern Ireland food issue is disproportionate, inflexible and petty minded. The risk to the single market is virtually zero, yet EU clearly is using the difficulties to try to beat the UK over the head with a stick.

Threats of legal action are hollow; the damage that might be done is negligible to zero, and remedies or damages will be de minimis. EU rants about breaching UK breaching international law, while simultaneously blocking exports of a vaccine they have huge stockpiles of.

lunatic asylum run by its inmates.

Luckily, the robust and tough Lord Frost is in charge.

 

[st13phil]

Luckily, the robust and tough Lord Frost is in charge.

A man who clearly understands that the only way to deal with a bully is to confront them.

It is instructive that the French Senate has formed a very senior 20-strong commission to monitor and react to Brexit implementation and next stage negotiations. They're rattled, so are likely to do more stupid things like UvdL's Article 16 triggering fiasco.

I predict things will deteriorate before they get better, but ultimately a proper reset of the UK's relationship with the EU is what is needed.

 

[C240Sport97]

A man who clearly understands that the only way to deal with a bully is to confront them.

Absolutely

 

[C240Sport97]

But the former Brexit Secretary David Davis told The Telegraph: "Frankly, it amounts to disgraceful behaviour. It comes at the end of a period where it took them a long time to approve the vaccine, then some of their leaders questioned the value of the vaccine, and it looks likely they wasted the vaccine as a result of that because of an uptake shortfall.

"And now this. I'm afraid the EU is putting at risk the goodwill of the rest of the world. It is disgraceful behaviour and sad, really, because they are our friends and allies."

David Jones, the deputy chairman of the European Research Group of Conservative MPs, said it looked like "piratical" behaviour.

Italy has 1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccines and has administered 322,800 doses. In total, it has given out 4.75 million vaccines from all companies.

 

[Petrol Pete]

UK agencies have been fussy about this for years, HMRC and Passport office are 2 glaring ones.

Yes, but how often does an individual have to fill out a form for a new passport ? Some people only fill out one form per year for HMRC, mostly online now. I get your point but we are talking about truck drivers handing in forms 2, 3 times a week (or more) and being handled in a petty manner.