OT. The futures Bright, the Futures Brexit!!!

[swaledale]

"Trade disruption to be deeper and longer than we thought” says Gove, whilst holding all the cards, negotiating the easiest trade deal ever, and squinting from the glare of the sunlit uplands!

[Andy_Faber]

This from the guy who accuses me of selective xenophobia, but then doesn't substantiate the accusation when asked!

I have substantiated it twice now and no-one else has an issue with it, but in any case you should have learned from recent events that accusations of xenophobia/racism etc are automatically accepted as fact

[swaledale]

I have substantiated it twice now and no-one else has an issue with it, but in any case you should have learned from recent events that accusations of xenophobia/racism etc are automatically accepted as fact

As with the "casual racism" accusation, which you half backed down from but still throw in now and then you have not substantiated the xenophobic accusation in any way.

But I expected that from you, throw in an insult or accusation, misinterpret what I've posted and then pretend your having a laugh.

I'm not at all bothered and your wrong rA did actually raise an issue with what you said, wouldn't expect the other useful idiots to say anything, doubt they have any better understanding of the real meaning of those words than you do!

Anyway it was amusing to see you make a prat of yourself over my post on private healthcare, you might read carefully and think before posting next time. toodle pip!

[swaledale]

Good news - Farage has resigned from his latest political party - can't be enough money in it for him!

On the other hand Brexit's working very well. Its a good job they ignored project fear!

“Businesses face significant challenges when trading with the EU and small businesses in particular have been shut out because groupage distribution is not working,” the FDF’s head of international trade, Dominic Goudie, said, referring to a logistics system that previously allowed hauliers to carry small consignments from a variety of sellers.

ONS figures released 10 days ago, showed UK exports of goods to the EU plunged by 40.7% in January, the biggest monthly decline in British trade for more than 20 years

The latest HMRC figures show the agrifood sector has been one of the hardest hit with new checks and requirements for health certificates a significant barrier to trade.

Overall figures now show that food and drink exports collapsed in January, plunging overall by 75.5% year on year. Down to £256m from £1bn.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Even on a day of limited posts, this is boring

[ramAnag]

Even on a day of limited posts, this is boring

It is all true though...even if a little out of date...I believe the opportunist half wit quit over a fortnight ago. Apparently he’s going to concentrate on planting trees and preventing a Chinese conspiracy to take over our schools.

Personally I’d rather hoped to see his grinning fizzog reappear...preferably over Traitors’ Gate.

[swaledale]

Even on a day of limited posts, this is boring

Yes funny how Brexit voters think the chaos arising from Brexit is boring, guess their limited span of attention doesn't allow for the reality!

rA haven't really bothered looking at anything connected to Farage for months, so only just picked up on this. Not sure he is a "traitor" just a sad opportunist that foolish people elevated to a status that was never ever backed up by his actions.

[ramAnag]

Yes funny how Brexit voters think the chaos arising from Brexit is boring, guess their limited span of attention doesn't allow for the reality!

rA haven't really bothered looking at anything connected to Farage for months, so only just picked up on this. Not sure he is a "traitor" just a sad opportunist that foolish people elevated to a status that was never ever backed up by his actions.

Agreed. The ‘traitor’ comment was tongue in cheek, although I seriously can’t think of any other individual who has single handedly damaged this country more than him in our lifetime...and that includes Thatcher and the current bunch.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Yes funny how Brexit voters think the chaos arising from Brexit is boring, guess their limited span of attention doesn't allow for the reality!

rA haven't really bothered looking at anything connected to Farage for months, so only just picked up on this. Not sure he is a "traitor" just a sad opportunist that foolish people elevated to a status that was never ever backed up by his actions.

I wouldn't know, I voted remain

[Andy_Faber]

I wouldn't know, I voted remain

Likewise and there’s no more frustrating sound now, nearly half a decade after the people spoke, than a remoaner remoaning like a kid who’s been given an orange instead of a Sherbert Dip. Do like most remain voters and get with the programme Swale!

[ramAnag]

Likewise and there’s no more frustrating sound now, nearly half a decade after the people spoke, than a remoaner remoaning like a kid who’s been given an orange instead of a Sherbert Dip. Do like most remain voters and get with the programme Swale!

Ah yes, ‘the people spoke’...or to be more correct...less than half ‘the people’ were misled into voting for something.
You regularly defend our system of ‘democracy’ by saying that those elected can be held to account, Andy.
The current Government was elected largely on the back of ‘the people’ being fed up of a) Corbyn’s inadequacy and b) the endless arguments over Brexit.
Seems fair to point out that, thus far, there seem to only be disadvantages as far as trade, travel and Brexit are concerned, so what exactly is wrong with holding Brexit and Brexiteer politicians to account, AF?

[Andy_Faber]

Ah yes, ‘the people spoke’...or to be more correct...less than half ‘the people’ were misled into voting for something.
You regularly defend our system of ‘democracy’ by saying that those elected can be held to account, Andy.
The current Government was elected largely on the back of ‘the people’ being fed up of a) Corbyn’s inadequacy and b) the endless arguments over Brexit.
Seems fair to point out that, thus far, there seem to only be disadvantages as far as trade, travel and Brexit are concerned, so what exactly is wrong with holding Brexit and Brexiteer politicians to account, AF?

Just seeing how alert you were today RA

Seriously, no argument with the ‘held to account’ thing, and yes our democracy means if folk don’t like how Brexit/Covid/other stuff has been managed they can vote out this rabble and vote in a different rabble. Who knows in three years time what the mood of the country or the level of incompetence of the current admin might be. My only concern this far out is the the decision will become US-like personality politics

My whinge is more that anyone still carrying a tonne of Brexit chips on their shoulders can’t be properly focussed on the effort that could be expended on making our economy a vibrant one again

[ramAnag]

Just seeing how alert you were today RA

Seriously, no argument with the ‘held to account’ thing, and yes our democracy means if folk don’t like how Brexit/Covid/other stuff has been managed they can vote out this rabble and vote in a different rabble. Who knows in three years time what the mood of the country or the level of incompetence of the current admin might be. My only concern this far out is the the decision will become US-like personality politics

My whinge is more that anyone still carrying a tonne of Brexit chips on their shoulders can’t be properly focussed on the effort that could be expended on making our economy a vibrant one again

Well, seeing as both Swale and I are retired it seems unlikely that either of us will ever be ‘focussed on the effort to make our economy vibrant again’.

Seriously though...like every other manifesto promise from those who find themselves in power...the success or otherwise of Brexit will be judged.
Covid has created a situation where such judgements are obviously harder to implement than they might otherwise have been however the fact is that so far it seems to be a case of ‘so far...so bad’ and, however much one wishes the UK to succeed, there is nothing wrong with pointing that out.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Ah yes, ‘the people spoke’...or to be more correct...less than half ‘the people’ were misled into voting for something.
You regularly defend our system of ‘democracy’ by saying that those elected can be held to account, Andy.
The current Government was elected largely on the back of ‘the people’ being fed up of a) Corbyn’s inadequacy and b) the endless arguments over Brexit.
Seems fair to point out that, thus far, there seem to only be disadvantages as far as trade, travel and Brexit are concerned, so what exactly is wrong with holding Brexit and Brexiteer politicians to account, AF?

So we are 1-0 down after 7 minutes, Do you sack the manager

[Geoff Parkstone]

Well, seeing as both Swale and I are retired it seems unlikely that either of us will ever be ‘focussed on the effort to make our economy vibrant again’.

Seriously though...like every other manifesto promise from those who find themselves in power...the success or otherwise of Brexit will be judged.
Covid has created a situation where such judgements are obviously harder to implement than they might otherwise have been however the fact is that so far it seems to be a case of ‘so far...so bad’ and, however much one wishes the UK to succeed, there is nothing wrong with pointing that out.

Your observation on being judged on manifestos and implementation of them is fair. the Tories had a brexit based manifesto, but in practice so did Labour (by sitting on the wall and staying neutral for fear of alienating even more voters). So how do you politically differentiate between the two parties when neither were remainer backing parties? Future electorates who hark back to the golden days of EU membership will look back and see no party supporting that stance - apart from the LibDems who are an irrelevance and the Greens who are even more so. I ignore Scotland/SNP here for the moment as they are "a different place" with different agendae

You can hardly blame a political party for driving through Brexit when no other significant party objected. Remain / Leave was a cross party issue, not aligned with Tory/Labour. Whoever had won the BJ/JC election would have had to effect Brexit - that election was, and still is, a poisoned chalice: made no less poisoned by COVID