UK Politics Thread

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42935058

The fightback commences.

Just another one voted remain backing a remainder and probably being groomed for the top job when MayBot caves in.

Well balanced pro EU cabinet I see.



Emailed to me.

[Catfish]

[Catfish]

"UK rules out any form of customs union with the EU after brexit"

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-br...-idUKKBN1FP0SK

Well, why stop there?

[Jimbuna]

Speculation is all well and good but the final/if necessary option will be to walk away and let the good old 'net payers' pick up the tab.

After that, any and every punishment possible will be enacted upon the UK, mostly in the form of tariffs. The UK will reciprocate in kind, knowing she imports more than she exports so the sums will be balanced in her favour.

The outcome....both sides of the Channel bleed one another and hopefully will eventually come to their senses.

But hey!!....this is politics right?

Could be a totally different outcome then

I know I've posted this before but there is a ring of truth in it as well as a widespread growing of support in the UK for its content.



Perhaps I'm a little too patriotic but having worn the Queens uniform I take a great sense of pride in much of what my country has achieved on the world stage over the last century in particular.

[Catfish]

The Uk is punishing itself. Will you please stop to blame the EU, or Hitler
The text you already posted is not entirely wrong, but it's not quite true likewise. Regarding a growing support for this kind of "statement" i think you are wrong. First, a new referendum would stop brexit in its tracks, second just of all young people dislike it, and they are the future. Freedom of movement anyone?

"... every punishment possible will be enacted upon the UK, mostly in the form of tariffs. The UK will reciprocate in kind, knowing she imports more than she exports so the sums will be balanced in her favour. ..."

You say you get out of the custom union, and at the same time complain about tarriffs that may or may not be established. This is what the customs union was intended for: No tariffs. What do you expect when leaving?

Whether there really will be tarriffs harming the UK or not – i don't even think so. Maybe someone's a bit paranoid. Since you like this war comparisons all the time, the EU will not unmoth its secret squadrons of 109s to "punish" the UK.
https://www.newstatesman.com/politic...hing-uk-brexit

I also think this move was done to stop the rioters in the Tory's own fraction, to support May and help to keep her in power.

What happens to Ireland and Scotland, when this will be forced through?

[Catfish]

Regarding this paper:
Before and during the war, in England there was an immigration stop for jews and other persecuted people seeking asylum.
History is becoming blurred, but there have been some publications http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/221
After the war, rebuilding of Germany. Marshal plan? Who paid for this?
Rebuilding of Germany was almost entirely paid for with the US-initiated Marshal plan. After it was allowed to produce and trade again from 1950 on, it bypassed England financially, and stopped the rationing of food before England.
England allowed a lot of immigrants from the commonwealth:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zxm6pv4
Also some insightful reports of english officers serving in Germany after the war, about economy and management of resources in comparison.

imho this paper is nothing short of chauvinism.

[MGR1]

Originally Posted by Catfish

What happens to Ireland and Scotland, when this will be forced through?

As always when it comes to public opinion in Scotland, it's neither simple nor clear cut:

http://blog.whatscotlandthinks.org/2...brexit-debate/

The salient points appear to be:

On the one hand, we find that there continues to be relatively little support for the idea that Scotland might have a closer trading relationship with the EU or a more liberal immigration policy for EU migrants than the rest of the UK. As many as 63% say that the rules for EU migrants coming to Scotland should be the same as for those wishing to come to any other part of the UK, while 67% feel that the rules on EU trade should be the same in Scotland as elsewhere in the UK. Only 30% think it should be easier for EU companies to do business in Scotland than elsewhere, while just 24% feel it should be easier for a EU migrant to settle north of the border. These figures are much the same as they were when we first addressed the issue at the beginning of 2017. It seems that the Scottish Government has made little headway in persuading voters of the merits of having a closer relationship with the EU than that enjoyed by the rest of the UK.

On the other hand, around three in five voters believe that all the decisions about fishing (62%) and farming (59%) that are currently made by the EU should be made in future by the Scottish government. Only around three in ten think that decision-making should be shared between the UK and the Scottish governments, as apparently envisaged by the UK government’s proposal for a ‘common framework’. Even amongst those who voted No in the September 2014 independence referendum, at least two in five think that all of the decisions currently made by Europe should be made by the Scottish Government. It would seem that the UK government would be wise to amend the EU (Withdrawal) Bill so that current EU responsibilities for fishing and farming are devolved, perhaps with some provision for the development of a ‘common framework’ that is hammered out with the participation and consent of the devolved administrations rather than by the UK government alone.

It's the usual Scottish dichotomy, don't want to be treated differently in some areas, but wish to be so in others. It's an argument that's existed since 1707. Check for the "Scotland vs North Britain" identity contest.

As for the actual independence debate, the two sides are still at the same level as in 2014. What appears to the main concern for the Unionist side is that support for independence hasn't receded substantially from what was recorded in the IndyRef. The Nats are quite happy the situation as they still have generally higher levels of support than their opponent parties do individually.

Now, going onto domestic matters, since I haven't been able to log in for sometime (an issue which appears to have resolved itself!) I'll post what has been the biggest issue (aside from Brexit!) north of the border - the Scottish Government's budget for the coming year and the SNP's decision to actually use Holyrood's powers over taxation:

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/12/8959

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-42876065

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-42358522

In short, Scotland will have a different set of tax bands from the rest of the UK and those earning more than £35,000 per annum will pay more than if they lived elsewhere in the UK.

How can the Scottish Parliament do this? Simple - it gained full control of income tax rates and bands, with the exception of the tax free allowance (which is reserved to Westminster), last year. In very simple terms that means that when it comes to income tax specifically, Scots are no longer direct UK taxpayers and the money raised in that tax in Scotland will no longer go directly into the UK taxation pot.

For the majority of other taxation, like National Insurance, Corporation Tax etc, etc Scots are still UK taxpayers. So we're in a partly-out, partly-in sort of situation.

Mike.

[MGR1]

For those who think the "Scottish Problem" is recent, here's a 1967 article from the Spectator:

"Down with North Britain" by Denis Brogan.

It was written in the wake of the SNP's election breakthrough in the 1967 Hamilton by-election courtesy of Winnie Ewing.

It will be said (it has been said) that many of the Scottish grievances are sentimental. They are. But sentimental grievances, as we should have learned in this modern world, are ex- tremely powerful. The Conservative party, or the Unionist party, or the Tory party as run from London, is psychologically unsuited to deal with these sentimental grievances.

As true now as it was in 1967 - English Tories have no idea on how to deal with Scotland.

Mike.

[STEED]

STEED's new PMQ score card.

PM Theresa May (Conservatives) 0

Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) 2

Vince Cable (LibDems) 1

Ian Blackford (SNP) 0

Caroline Lucas (Greens) 0


ON GOING SCORE CARD AFTER 5 PMQ's

PM Theresa May (Conservatives) 7

Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) 8

Vince Cable (LibDems) 1

Ian Blackford (SNP) 3

Caroline Lucas (Greens) 0

[Jimbuna]

Theresa May is to chair the first of two key Brexit meetings with her senior ministers as the government faces more calls to clarify the UK's position.

The Brexit cabinet committee is to sketch out what the future relationship between the UK and EU might look like.

It will focus on Northern Ireland and immigration, and on trade on Thursday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42969000

Hopefully this will lead to a united agreement on a way forward but I'm not overly confident.

[MGR1]

So, these official forecasts have finally been revealed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42977967

Every nation and region of the UK would see slower economic growth as a result of Brexit, according to estimates by government officials.
The forecasts, seen by MPs, model the 15-year impact of the UK staying in the single market, doing a trade deal with the EU or leaving without a deal.
In each scenario, growth would be lower, by 2%, 5% and 8% respectively, compared with current forecasts.
The government says it does not cover all outcomes.

I do find it very ironic that the hard-line Brexiteers like Mogg and Redwood have treated these figures in almost the exact same way that equally hardline SNP supporters treat the GERS figures.

My own view is that these and GERS have a core of truth, but need to be treated with caution rather than taken as gospel.

In the meantime, one of Labour's Scottish contingent finds himself in a spot of bother:

Labour MP Hugh Gaffney sorry for 'deeply offensive' Burns Supper remarks

A Labour MP has apologised after making "deeply offensive and unacceptable" remarks at a Burns Supper in Edinburgh.
Hugh Gaffney said he would undergo equality and diversity training following the comments about the LGBT community and Chinese people.
Mr Gaffney, who is MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, made the comments at a Labour students' event

A bit of pot calling the kettle black, Mr Postman MP?

Scottish Labour MP Hugh Gaffney 'heckled over weight and accent'

Unfortunately this does highlight the primary deficiency of Labour's Scottish Branch Office: not only lacking in talent, but in brains as well.

Little wonder that Nat One (Sturgeon) regularly stomps on Richard Leonard during FMQ's!

Mike.

[Catfish]

The pound does not seem to be disturbed at all, but then it reacts to the outcome of negotiations, not to the word 'brexit'.

However if the blockchain really succeeds (and it has to, in the end), it will destroy a lot of banks.
Amazon is already planning to give out those credits, that banks would not. And it is well-planned, Amazon can do exact calculations what the market and smaller business will be like tomorrow, something that banks do not bother with.
With the introduction of bitcoin or other internationally accepted currencies, banks will be a thing of the past. Which includes financial centers.

[Jimbuna]

Shouldn't bother Merkel and co, Germany won't have much money to save anyway

Meanwhile......

The Bank of England has indicated that the pace of interest rate increases could accelerate if the economy remains on its current track.

Bank policymakers voted unanimously to keep interest rates on hold at 0.5% at their latest meeting.

However, they said rates would need to rise "earlier" and by a "somewhat greater extent" than they thought at their last review in November.

Economists think the next rate rise could come as soon as May.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42986729

[Catfish]

[...] Economists think the next rate rise could come as soon as May.

Pun?

They say June will be the end, of May

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Pun?

They say June will be the end, of May