POLITICS CORNER

[plaques]

These 'meetings' were in a back room at the House of Commons, no chance of grand standing outside No 10 with banks of reporters. After two+ years of go it alone, secret negotiations and sacking her appointed negotiators Mrs May was unlikely to give ammunition to Corbyn that would show her in a bad light. These meetings were just a PR stunt so that Brexit means Brexit, Strong and Stable, Mrs May could show how flexible and accommodating she has been with the EU. Never mind its only a game, You're fired.

Cartoon.JPG

[PanBiker]

TM is so pig headed that she will not admit that she has failed. Total cock up from the outset. It should have been a coalition government from the get go. They could have had a cross party working team for the negotiations, brought it to parliament after a year, modified it if required half a dozen times or more in the time available and ended up with a workable deal. Lost opportunity by my way is the only way, sooner we get shut the better, however it happens. I think I will watch it this afternoon just to see her wriggle, no more than she deserves.

[Tripps]

TM is so pig headed that she will not admit that she has failed.

Or as she might put it "strong and stable"

I'll be watching too. It seems to me that there isn't an answer to the problem but no one will admit it - yet.

"So they tackled the job that couldn't be done - and couldn't do it."

[PanBiker]

Aye, according to the news there is no plan B and she will just dish up her deal again. She has abandoned the cross party negotiations but says they are still open. Interested to see what parliament says.

[Stanley]

She's hoping against hope that 'my deal or no deal' fear campaign will work. Her talk of consultations is flim flam.
Two things the Tory Party don't want; a general election or a change of Leader before Brexit. They want it to happen and fail so that they can round on her and blame her and the EU.
The process is paralysed at the moment, my only hope is that Parliament will step in meaningfully but it's the nature of these things that that will only happen on the court room steps.
I heard a Tory MP responding to the question 'Will this split the Party' His reply was that it is already split, the Brexiteers have set up their own and even have their own Whips. One consolation, all this means they will lose the next election and be out of office for years. Apart from that it's the biggest political mess I have ever seen.
I take it you noted that the Home Office announced the charges and mechanisms for registering EU nationals? Indication of how much joined up government is happening that May announces that that is reversed, registration is free. This throws up its own can of worms in that many have already paid. How much is all that going to cost.....?

[Tizer]

`Labour calls for vote in Commons on holding second referendum' LINK
`Labour has said the Commons should be able to vote on whether to hold a second referendum in an amendment the party submitted on Monday night to Theresa May’s Brexit update...'
At last...Oh, hang on a sec...
`...the carefully worded compromise amendment did not commit the party’s leadership to backing a referendum if such a vote were to take place.

[Tizer]

The BBC has posted the following article from its Reality Check team and they are always worth reading to get the full facts on an issue.
`Brexit: What is Labour's customs union policy?' LINK

[Stanley]

I ignored all the news yesterday. Far bigger fish to fry!

[Tizer]

Businesses are banging their heads against the Brexit wall...
`Companies press Brexit panic button in further blow to Theresa May ' LINK
...and you know it's bad when `Pets at Home' start stockpiling cat food!

Meanwhile..it seems to be George Osborne versus Liam Fox in the news.

[Stanley]

I've noted both those as well Tiz. Many Tories seem to be regarding the arguments as a purely Party affair and others as a leadership opportunity. Time they thought about the PBI!

[chinatyke]

The Sony move involves no job losses in the UK.
Nor does the Dyson move.
Nor does the P&O move.
If this was not being used by remainers to push project fear it would not be reported. When Fiat moved it's HQ to London, it was not reported, and that was because it didn't matter because the move was economically immaterial.
Since the referendum, Bloomberg, Apple and Google have expanded their offices here and genuinely created thousands of additional high paid jobs.

UK receiving more foreign investment than Germany and France combined
by Westmonster
BREXIT, POLITICS
January 23, 2019https://www.westmonster.com/uk-receiving-more-f ... -combined/
TwitterWhatsApp

A new 'Deloitte Report' on investment has revealed the UK to truly be a world leader, with that trend having continued since the 2016 Brexit vote. The sky didn’t fall in, the country continued to thrive despite the various economic scare stories put about by Remainer politicians and so-called ‘economic experts’.

Between January 2015 – January 2018 there were 3,900 recorded Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects recorded in the UK, creating more than 260,000 jobs. In terms of investment that amounted to more than $140 billion, more than France and Germany combined. Not bad right?

Indeed the report finds that over the last decade, the UK is second only to America when it comes to inward investment projects and London continues to be the top city globally for foreign direct investment in terms of the number of projects.

The CEO of TheCityUK, Miles Celic, said: “Historically, the UK has used periods of economic and political difficulty to reinvent itself. Brexit has also brought forward issues that would have to be addressed anyway within the foreseeable future. So, with the right approach, Brexit could provide the opportunity to recast.”

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox welcomed the report, saying: “The figures from Deloitte and UNCTAD are clear – investors trust in the fundamental strength of the UK’s economy because of our workforce, innovation, transparent regulatory system and efficient tax regime. We are a nation on the rise and, with my international economic department already working on our independent trade policy after Brexit, we will be able to place the UK firmly at the heart of the world’s fastest-growing regions.”

In stark contrast to Remoaner doom and gloom, Deloitte’s Chief Economist, Ian Stewart, said: “Brexit is, of course, the focus for much attention for prospective investors in the UK, but it is too soon to tell what impact Brexit will have on inward investment levels.

“If UK business and government invest in safeguarding the key competitive differentiations that have propelled the UK to its current position of strength to date, the UK will continue to be an attractive destination for global businesses and talent.”

It is time for the UK to seize the huge opportunities that lie ahead as a globally-focused, independent, self-governing nation.

[Stanley]

So you'll be moving back here? Sorry, I don't share your optimism. Have a look at what Airbus are saying this morning.....
Trump has had to bow to Nancy Pelosi and postpone his state of the union speech. Not surprising because it would be a minefield with over a million people wondering how they are going to pay their household bills due to the shut down he has triggered. He is losing the public opinion battle and it looks likely that he will have to back down.

[plaques]

A new 'Deloitte Report' on investment has revealed the UK to truly be a world leader,

If this came as an e-mail it would go straight into the scam box. But if you believe it China why not put ALL your savings into their investments and make a fortune. What have you got to lose?

Later.President Trump's 'stonewalling' on the wall is starting to expose the fact that nearly 60% of the americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Very few have any savings over $1000. The country as a whole is running on dept. If we were to apply similar criteria to the UK we wouldn't be far behind.

[Stanley]

That's a good point P. I suspect you are right. Debt is the cancer eating away at our present version of capitalism....

[chinatyke]

Sorry, I don't share your optimism.

Typical English pessimism. Take stock of yourselves and make Britain great again!

[Tripps]

Broadly I'm with china. . . .

Here's a link worth viewing. ReferendumIt was all a lot simpler in those days.

I suspect that next week no one on earth will understand politically what's going on.

[Tizer]

UK receiving more foreign investment than Germany and France combined
by Westmonster

[Westmonster] is modelled on the right-wing US websites Breitbart News and the Drudge Report and claims to be "pro-Brexit, pro-Farage, pro-Trump, anti-establishment, anti-open borders, anti-corporatism". Westmonster

[Stanley]

No Tiz, that was China. In my opinion it's all a load of bollocks. (Sorry David) They're a load of old reactionaries hankering for 19th Century Laissez faire and the glorious days of the empire.
They tell us the sands are shifting in the Westminster Village. Will someone explain clearly what is going on please?

[Tizer]

Stanley, I don't know how my quote came out showing it as being yours when it was China that I quoted from. I clicked on `Post Reply' at the bottom of the topic page. Then went to the `Topic review: POLITICS CORNER' window, found China's post of `Thu Jan 24, 2019 4:54 am', highlighted this part of his text:
UK receiving more foreign investment than Germany and France combined
by Westmonster
and clicked on the Copy icon (the quotes symbol).

I've just done it again:

UK receiving more foreign investment than Germany and France combined
by Westmonster

and that comes out correct. In the `incorrect' quote it shows it as being from Stanley's post dated Thu Jan 24, 2019 6:19 am. But I can't find a post by Stanley at that time in the Politics thread.
I don't understand it. Gremlins must be getting in!

[Tripps]

Will someone explain clearly what is going on please?

Well - no, I can't at the moment, and I expect next week it will get worse, when all the various amendments are tabled, discussed, and voted upon. It's the political equivalent of 'confusion marketing' .

[plaques]

As far as I can see its all down to Mrs May. She will put forward her plan 'B' which is actually plan 'A' but with some weasel word promises. If this gets rejected a second time (the first time by 230 votes) she is under no obligation to bring forward any motions that will become law. Anything that Parliament or the opposition raises such as a second referendum or delay to Article 50 are only advisory and she can just ignore them. In effect if plan A/B is rejected we are out. End of concert, the Fat Lady sings. She will not wreck the Tory party just to save the Country from collapse and in truth except for some initial hiccups it will take years before the total affect is seen. By this time blame will be shifted onto someone else.

[Stanley]

P, I think that's about as accurate as anything I have seen. I agree entirely that, as it has been from the very beginning, Brexit is more to do with Tory Party internal politics than what is good for the country. The economic and social effect has been disastrous already, never mind what comes after March 29th. Tin hats on lads!

[Stanley]

There is no politics, we are in Limbo! It's a disgrace, time marches on!

[Tizer]

While there's no politics news I'll take the opportunity to post some tables that clarify trade between the UK and the EU. The figures shown in the first graphic (table 2 and 3) are bandied about a lot and are sometimes used to give the impression that the EU is as dependant on the UK as we are on them. What isn't so often mentioned is the % share figures shown in the second graphic (table 4). Note that the UK is the destination of only 6-7% of EU exports whereas we send 44% of ours to the EU. (These tables are copied from: House of Lords, European Union Committee, 5th Report of Session 2016–17, HL Paper 72, `Brexit: the options for trade'.)





The following graphics are from the same report and I include them here because they give details of how the EFTA and EEA work with the EU. This sort of information is going to be important while our ministers and Parliament sort out their options in coming weeks...

[Stanley]

And yet we hear ministers bending the figures to 'prove' that compared with the rest of the world, UK to EU trade is not that important. They do this by citing the percentage of firms (not the quantity) who don't do any trade with the EU, I heard our useless trade minister Liam Fox doing it only two days ago.
Remember when Richard raised the question of the Border and the Good Friday Agreement over two years ago? Didn't seem a biggie then but he was spot on.
Coincidentally, as I near the end of 'A History of Christianity' I was reading about the role of religion in the troubles before and after Partition of Ireland. It's never mentioned now but in any moves towards Reunification it could rear its head again.
There is another matter..... All these efforts are being put into persuading T May to modify the deal but it's almost certain that if it is changed the EU will refuse to ratify it. Get out of that one......