Brexit

[RegisterMe]

Yes I'm aware and also mentioned that any imports need to uphold existing EU regulations. The point was, there is no real "hindrance" on trade deals when being part of the EU except upholding standards (which are in place for a good reason). The notion that the UK will now somehow be able to do MORE trade with whatever country is unfounded, unless the standards are lowered or prices rise to "make up" for less competitive deals.

MFG

Ketraar

I think your conclusion is correct. I think you're reasoning is... lacking.

[Tamina]

I just love how Boris Johnson has send a second letter basically saying "please don't" after the first letter asking for an extension of Brexit. Yet, I hate how much charisma he has! Must..resist..

I also wonder if I have to start stashing Cathedral City cheddar cheese in my basement, now. Just realized this is a British product.

Try this, if you can get your hands on it. It's the best cheddar you will ever eat. It's not cheap, but bloody hell is it good, so well worth it if you deserve a treat .

Damn you! How much do you think are the chances for heavy deflation of the British Pound after Brexit?

[RegisterMe]

I just love how Boris Johnson has send a second letter basically saying "please don't" after the first letter asking for an extension of Brexit. Yet, I hate how much charisma he has! Must..resist..

I also wonder if I have to start stashing Cathedral City cheddar cheese in my basement, now. Just realized this is a British product.

Try this, if you can get your hands on it. It's the best cheddar you will ever eat. It's not cheap, but bloody hell is it good, so well worth it if you deserve a treat .

Damn you! How much do you think are the chances for heavy deflation of the British Pound after Brexit?

Come on man, GBPEU is down from ~1.32 at the time of the referendum to ~1.16 now. It was already the best cheddar in existence pre-referendum. Just buy some already!

It is lovely

[berth]

My take on recent developments:

New law: "Prime Minister, you are legally obliged to send a letter requesting an extension."
Boris: "Godammit mother, I hate you.....ahah! Alright then."

(later)

Everyone: "Wtf? You didn't sign it?"
Boris: " Where does it say I had to sign it?"
Everyone: "Ffs it's a letter. Of course you should sign it!"
Boris: "bluster-guffaw-flimflam-getbrexitdone-hoohaw"

I'm lost for words. This guy is proper nuts.

[Chips]

The notion that the UK will now somehow be able to do MORE trade with whatever country is unfounded, unless the standards are lowered or prices rise to "make up" for less competitive deals.

MFG

Ketraar

Never heard it being said that the UK would necessarily do more trade with a target country than if it was in the EU. What i did hear was the argument that the trade deals would be more tailored to the UK's desires rather than the collective EU desires. What does that mean? Less emphasis on ensuring French Cheese, or Italian hams, or Spanish/Greek Olives and being important, and more emphasis on... erm, whatever the UK can export.

It is actually true - when trading on behalf of the block the resulting deal may be "give and take" whereby things the UK would want to be front and centre as are very important to our economy, may be sidelined in favour of the rest of the EU's desires, and therefore during the bargaining not actually achieve as tasty a deal as we'd hope. But that may not be all the story as the below link highlights (sectors and how they operate)

Additionally, will there be any noticeable net benefit? it assumes things we'd like to have feature more prominently may not whatsoever anyway.

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org. ... ade-policy

Not necessarily.

[Vertigo 7]

My take on recent developments:

New law: "Prime Minister, you are legally obliged to send a letter requesting an extension."
Boris: "Godammit mother, I hate you.....ahah! Alright then."

(later)

Everyone: "Wtf? You didn't sign it?"
Boris: " Where does it say I had to sign it?"
Everyone: "Ffs it's a letter. Of course you should sign it!"
Boris: "bluster-guffaw-flimflam-getbrexitdone-hoohaw"

I'm lost for words. This guy is proper nuts.

please tell me this is not real

[pjknibbs]

please tell me this is not real

You do realise that Boris Johnson is essentially a self-aware version of Donald Trump, right? Once you acknowledge that, anything he does makes sense...in a nonsensical sort of way.

[Vertigo 7]

please tell me this is not real

You do realise that Boris Johnson is essentially a self-aware version of Donald Trump, right? Once you acknowledge that, anything he does makes sense...in a nonsensical sort of way.

lol That I was aware of, I just find it hard to believe he's pretending not to be aware that signing a letter is pretty well expected.

[Tamina]

I don't think this is much of an issue as they make it to be. He didn't sign it because he wrote the letter in the name of the parliament and it does not reflect his own intentions. He made that pretty clear, especially with the second letter, which he did sign, explaining his opinnion.
.. and the third letter from this other guy.

At least here in Germany the media is like "HOW COULD HE?!?!", even though I think it might be mixed with some amusement over the whole situation.

[Chips]

Everyone: "Wtf? You didn't sign it?"
Boris: " Where does it say I had to sign it?"
Everyone: "Ffs it's a letter. Of course you should sign it!"

You don't have to though, do you. It is all a bit ridiculous and silly, but afaik there's nothing legally required about signing letters, nor does a lack of signature invalidate the content.

To me it just smacks of a childish face saving exercise for which no-one except himself thinks is a "win" in some pathetic way. If people are spitting feathers over it then it's even more sad, as they're giving some credence to his ego around not signing it.

Just ignore the fool and press on. My personal concerns are that we have a leader who is looking for loopholes rather than doing things in the spirit of the law; finding what *isn't* stated rather than what is. This sort of deviousness is absolutely NOT what I want in a leader.
Sort of the reason why a 1 pound item can have a 50 page legal jargon document attached that you're supposed to read and understand before using...

[Vertigo 7]

My personal concerns are that we have a leader who is looking for loopholes rather than doing things in the spirit of the law; finding what *isn't* stated rather than what is. This sort of deviousness is absolutely NOT what I want in a leader.
Sort of the reason why a 1 pound item can have a 50 page legal jargon document attached that you're supposed to read and understand before using...

This is precisely what Trump is and has been doing. You would think elected leaders would be above such pettiness. They think they're being clever, but in the end, they're just showing their ass by their willingness to abuse governing systems.

[berth]

and is what I was driving at. It's the childishness of it that irks me most. I imagine he (Boris) is busy looking for some loophole so that he can declare a state of emergency and install himself as dictator for life.

Iirc when Pandora's box was opened all that was left inside was hope. So here's hoping for better times.

[Chips]

Trump isn't looking for loopholes, he just believes what he says should be true. There's a remarkable difference between the two. Trump *is* an oaf, Boris wants people to believe he's an oaf. He's far more clever than that.

I don't believe Boris is trying to make himself a dictator for life whatsoever. He's not like that. He is so interested in making his mark in history - getting Brexit, whatever. He idolises Churchill, not Mussolini, Stalin or a German leader.

[euclid]

....... He idolises Churchill ...

Churchill managed to unite the entire parliament while Boris did exactly the opposite.

Cheers Euclid

[Chips]

....... He idolises Churchill ...

Churchill managed to unite the entire parliament while Boris did exactly the opposite.

Cheers Euclid

Erm, okay. Not sure what that brings to things though... unless meaning he's therefore a dictator as he's opposite of something else.

However, circumstances *are* different. Radically so. I just see zero evidence of "dictator" tag that gets thrown around like confetti. I honestly don't think most people know what a dictator really is given their flippant use of the term.

[pjknibbs]

Hell, I dislike Boris with a passion and even I don't think he's aiming to become a dictator.

[Bishop149]

Everyone: "Wtf? You didn't sign it?"
Boris: " Where does it say I had to sign it?"
Everyone: "Ffs it's a letter. Of course you should sign it!"
Boris: "bluster-guffaw-flimflam-getbrexitdone-hoohaw"

The EU in response: We have received your request for an extension in accordance with UK law, and will consider it.

Despite the UK Press having largely fallen for Boris' blustering petulance I'm glad the EU treated it as seriously as it deserved and just ignored it.
There is much talk about whether he committed contempt by sending the second letter and as far as I can tell the consensus of legal opinion is: Probably not, because the EU filed it immediately in the bin.

Anyway the coming political week is going to be one hell of a rollercoster. . . strap in everyone.

[RegisterMe]

This is a worthwhile read - https://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/1 ... year-of-no

Can anybody shoot any holes in the argument?

[CBJ]

Seems pretty accurate to me.

The prospect of a trade deal with the US as the alternative to EU membership, or failing that close alignment to the EU, is the stuff of nightmares. Even setting aside the volatility of the current regime's policies on trade and foreign relations, the impact of becoming the massively-weaker partner in such a relationship would be disastrous. As just one example, the NHS almost certainly wouldn't last long, because US pressure to provide "access" to the NHS supply chain (by which they mean the opportunity to charge US-level prices for medicines) as part of the terms of such a deal would quickly make it non-viable as a public service.

[euclid]

From an anonymous FaceBook source:

"The year is 2192. The British Prime Minister visits Brussels to ask for an extension of the Brexit Deadline. No one remembers where this tradition originated, but every year it attracts many tourists from all over the world."

Cheers Euclid