The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[markjay]

..You have to look back in history for some peoples idea of the perfect Labour party leader...

That depends if Labour see their role only as a fighting opposition, or they believe that they can and should govern the country.

If the latter, then one could argue that the most perfect Labour Party leader in recent times was Tony Blair - he won three elections for Labour, and lost none.

A leader who tickes all the boxes apart from being electable can't be considered 'perfect'.

 

[renault12ts]

This sort of things is reasllly not funny...taken from an Irish FB Forum:


Brexit Trade Talks:

UK: We don't like our deal
EU: Why not?
UK: We only get 95% of what we want
EU: It only gives us 95% too. That's how negotiating goes
UK: We want a new deal that gives us everything we can think of
EU: But you signed a deal
UK: Don't care, we hate you
EU: Bit rude
UK: We elected people to go to your meetings specifically to say we hate you
EU: And how is Nigel?
UK: Not happy?
EU: Why not?
UK: TV has dried up. So we want a new deal, and we want the deal in 3 weeks, or we cancel our existing deal
EU: Wait, what?
UK: You heard. Give us 100% of what we want in 3 weeks, or we break the law and walk away with 0% of what we want
EU: Er suits us!
UK: Wait, what?
EU: Perfect. Do it. Walk away. Take Nigel with you.
UK: No, hold on, wait: you have to negotiate, so Boris can win
EU: Why? Right now you have 95% of perfect, and we have 95% of perfect. If we renegotiate, you get more but we get less
UK: That's right
EU: But if we don't negotiate, we still have our 95%
UK: Woah, hold on
EU: And you have nothing
UK: But Dom didn't superpredict you'd say that!
EU: And if we don't have a deal, we don't have to put up with you **** on our lawn
UK: The Daily Mail made us do it and then ran away!
EU: I just found this spine. Is it yours?
UK: Welp!
EU: So we'll just sit this one out
UK: Fine, we'll go and make a great deal with the US
---
US: Yo suckers
UK: We are here to get a lovely big trade deal
US: Sure thing. Obey existing deals, and give us 100% of everything, plus 51% controlling share in the NHS, and you get, let's see, 60% of what you have now
UK: Not good enough, we have a Special Relationship
US: Bye
UK: What?
US: Bye. Talks are over, the Special Relationship is over, your country is over. Bye
UK: But we haven't got a deal, and we told everyone it would be easy!
US: It is easy: we are 26% of world trade, making deals with EU (20%) and China (17%). We don't need your 1.8%. No deal: easy
UK: But we really need a deal, the EU outsmarted us
US: We know. Some of us can read. Not Trump, obviously, but the rest of us. Try India
---
UK: Hi India, remember us?
India: Oh ****, these guys again
UK: We want a trade deal
India: And we want to vastly increase the number of Indians who can live in the UK
UK: We can't do that. Turns out we're, like, properly racist
India: That is brand new information!!
UK: So can we have a deal?
India: Sure, fine. Join the queue
UK: Who's in front of us in the queue?
India: EU, USA, China, Brazil, Korea, Canada, Australia basically everybody. We're kind of a big deal now.
UK: So you'll be ready to negotiate in, what: 3 weeks?
India: Ha ha ha ha ha
UK: What did we say?
India: 3 weeks? Try 3 years. This **** takes ages, bro
UK: But we had a timetable of 3 weeks with the EU
India: And how did that work out?
UK: Erm
India: Try Brazil
---
UK: Hi Brazil
Brazil: We ArE oN FiRe!!
UK: Maybe we can trade you some fire engines?
Brazil: We LiKe bEiNg oN FiRe, iT's OuR tHiNg NoW!!!
UK: Shall we try New Zealand?
Brazil: I aM So DrUnK!!
UK: Yeah, let's try New Zealand
---
UK: Hi, New Zealand
NZ: Hi, Crazy Uncle
UK: We'd like to sell you some lamb
NZ: Sorry, it's very noisy here, cos we still have a working economy. Did you say you want to sell us some lamb?
UK: Yes
NZ: Hold the line, gotta tell Australia this, they'll **** themselves
---
UK: Hi Australia, wanna trade stuff?
Aus: We wanna offload Rolf Harris and our worst ever PM. What can you give us for them?
UK: We've already got them
Aus: That was easy! So what can you trade?
UK: We can send you some racists
Aus: I think we're sorted. Try Russia
---
UK: Hi Russia, we have loads of lovely things we think you'd love to own
Russia: We already own them
UK: You don't own Boris
Russia: True. We rent him by the hour. £160k for a tennis match
UK: We really need a trade deal
Russia: We know. We made you need one. Try China
---
UK: Can we please have a trade deal?
China: And you are...?
UK: We're Great Britain
China: Great, you say?
UK: Well once
China: It's not ringing any bells. Do you have another name?
UK: United Kingdom
China: United, you say?
UK: Alright, smart ****
China: So you want a trade deal?
UK: Yes, but first we demand you obey international law
China: What happened to your deal with the EU?
UK: We broke international law
China: Have you been drinking moonshine with Brazil again?
UK: We're very tired.
China: Why did you leave the EU?
UK: We couldn't deal with foreigners telling us what to do
China: What do you want?
UK: A deal
China: With who?
UK: Foreigners
China: And why can't you get one?
UK: Cos we don't know what to do
China: Were you dropped as a child?
UK: We just want a trade deal worthy of our status
China: You've got one
UK: No we haven't
China: Yes you have
UK: Why won't anybody take us seriously?
China: Would you like to buy a mirror?
UK: Finally, a deal!
China: You had a deal worthy of your status, with the EU. You don't need to renegotiate deals: you need to reassess your status. You're not a mighty nation, you're a small, wet, heavily indebted island on the edge of a globally important trade bloc, which you just left, you tit
UK: So, what do you suggest?
China: Aw, mate. You already know
---
EU: Hi there! Here to rejoin?
UK: Yes, and on the same terms as before
EU: Oh, I don't think so. Say goodbye to your rebate, hello to the Euro, and bonjour to the Schengen area. Welcommen!
UK: We hate you

 

[C240Sport97]

This sort of things is reasllly not funny...taken from an Irish FB Forum:

the Irish used to be funny

 

[C240Sport97]

On covid, all were united in the view that it is no longer a threat,

this is the view of the majority of my friends

 

[C240Sport97]

amazighman is a Brussels based Eurocrat

 

[renault12ts]

the Irish used to be funny

LOL.

 

[Nat]

Talking of Labour. They've really pulled out all the stops to become an immense opposition. A new leadership slogan

Labour Party: Starmer aims to build trust with 'new leadership' slogan

Sir Keir Starmer has a new message - but will it help Labour win back votes where the party needs them?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ChipChop]

Talking of Labour. They've really pulled out all the stops to become an immense opposition. A new leadership slogan

Labour Party: Starmer aims to build trust with 'new leadership' slogan

Sir Keir Starmer has a new message - but will it help Labour win back votes where the party needs them?

www.bbc.co.uk

Starmer obviously has not read up on the Tony Blair step by step guide to gaining power by hook or crook. He needs a catchy song as well as a slogan.

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[Nat]

It's been a bit quiet in here recently.

Brexit: Government plan gets MPs' final backing

A bill giving the UK the power to override parts of the EU deal passes with a majority of 84.

www.bbc.co.uk

Note how impartial the Beeb are, still

MP's have given the final backing from Parliament and it's now off to the HOL. Regardless of the outcome, the IMB has served it's purpose despite the EU demanding it is dropped. It must have hit a nerve with them after all it's not as they have ever favoured the EU project in lieu of international law is it.

 

[ChipChop]

The EU are not negotiating in good faith with the UK which the withdrawal agreement states they must do.

"A separate draft legal text, also obtained by the BBC, lists the UK's request for manufacturing of electric cars, batteries, and bicycles to be treated leniently, and count as British, even if the majority of components come from elsewhere.
The letter says: "I am sorry to say that so far they [EU negotiators] have neither been willing to discuss these nor share any proposed text with us".

Not being willing to discuss issues such as this is a blatant act of not negotiating in good faith.

Brexit: Blow to UK car industry in search for EU deal

Documents seen by the BBC suggest key priorities for the car sector have been rebuffed by Brussels.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Nat]

The EU are just as screwed on that basis as they produce less than 5%

Can Europe be a contender in electric-vehicle batteries?

Europe wants to break the Asia-US stranglehold on lithium-ion car batteries, but the road ahead is steep

cen.acs.org

They haven't grasped this "level playing field" malarky yet but demand the UK does

 

[Nat]

Norway reaches a deal with the UK on fishing.

Norway reaches fisheries agreement with UK ahead of Brexit

Norway and Britain have reached a bilateral agreement on fisheries, the Norwegian government said on Wednesday, before Britain leaves the European Union's single market at the end of the year.

www.reuters.com

I'd imagine the typical reply from remain voters will be, oh look a squirrel .....

 

[Big Janner]

S

Norway reaches a deal with the UK on fishing.

Norway reaches fisheries agreement with UK ahead of Brexit

Norway and Britain have reached a bilateral agreement on fisheries, the Norwegian government said on Wednesday, before Britain leaves the European Union's single market at the end of the year.

www.reuters.com

I'd imagine the typical reply from remain voters will be, oh look a squirrel .....

Squirrels are not fish, but mammals
More likely; 'oh look, a cod'

 

[markjay]

Norway reaches a deal with the UK on fishing.

Norway reaches fisheries agreement with UK ahead of Brexit

Norway and Britain have reached a bilateral agreement on fisheries, the Norwegian government said on Wednesday, before Britain leaves the European Union's single market at the end of the year.

www.reuters.com

I'd imagine the typical reply from remain voters will be, oh look a squirrel .....

What am I missing? Why is it a big deal?

Of course I am pleased.

Let's hope we can make the same rapid progress with other countries, and hopefully one day also with the EU itself.

But, again, why would Leavers feel vindicated (if that's the right word for it)? Did Remainers claim that the UK will never sign a fisheries agreement with Norway?

 

[mattc]

What am I missing? Why is it a big deal?

Of course I am pleased.

Let's hope we can make the same rapid progress with other countries, and hopefully one day also with the EU itself.

But, again, why would Leavers feel vindicated (if that's the right word for it)? Did Remainers claim that the UK will never sign a fisheries agreement with Norway?

I think it's more to do with the EU attitude towards our territorial waters in negotiations. Eg. The French insisting it all remains the same otherwise nothing else gets discussed.

Clearly the Norwegians wanted to get on and just agree things.

 

[Dryce]

But, again, why would Leavers feel vindicated (if that's the right word for it)? Did Remainers claim that the UK will never sign a fisheries agreement with Norway?

It puts the EU's less than reasonable approach to the UK's waters into perspective.

I think looking back there was an unreal aspect to the early negotiation between the EU and UK where elements in the UK side really didn't believe it was happening and the mindset wasn't right.

 

[markjay]

It puts the EU's less than reasonable approach to the UK's waters into perspective.

I think looking back there was an unreal aspect to the early negotiation between the EU and UK where elements in the UK side really didn't believe it was happening and the mindset wasn't right.

Thanks. That puts it in context.

Though I thought that waters was always going to be the tough one. The RN used to clash with Spanish warships on regular basis at some point, full hostilities short of opening fire... and that was when both countries were EU member states....

I doubt the Spanish will be any kinder now we've left. I am guessing Gibraltar is next on their list? And what was the name of the uninhabited island off Gibraltar that they 'conquered' from us once?

EDIT: found it, it was Perejil Island, and they didn't try and take it from us, but from Morocco, back in 2002.

 

[markjay]

And it's still going on...:

Royal Navy Clears Out Spanish Boat From Gibraltar Waters For Second Time This Month

THE Royal Navy has been forced to clear out a Spanish boat from Gibraltar waters for the second time this month. On May 6, the patrol boat HMS Sabre was pressed into action to stop the incursion of…

www.euroweeklynews.com

 

[Dryce]

Though I thought that waters was always going to be the tough one. The RN used to clash with Spanish warships on regular basis at some point, full hostilities short of opening fire... and that was when both countries were EU member states....

I doubt the Spanish will be any kinder now we've left. I am guessing Gibraltar is next on their list? And what was the name of the uninhabited island off Gibraltar that they 'conquered' from us once?

Spain is also a NATO partner.

And to put this in context - Spain has played games with Gibraltar to varying degrees throught the UK's EU membership.

Quite petty at times.

 

[Nat]

Both Spain and France can act like the older spoilt child and no doubt will carry on in years to come.