Across the Pond from America

Ramsgate has a new approach tunnel built too late.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/fea...ic-in-ramsgate-town-due-to-port-road-closure/

Much of Manston airport outside the runway and access ways is already hardened with chalk under the grass. That is one of the problems facing the proposal to reopen the airport. There would need to be significant regrading of a hard surface.

Pfizer's car parks by contrast are on alluvial soil. Apart from the truck delivery areas some of the disused parking areas are already cracking.

PS. The Irish government should be worried by the prospect of no deal. A significant number of trucks going to and from Ireland pass through Dover.

oggbashan said:

Ramsgate has a new approach tunnel built too late.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/fea...ic-in-ramsgate-town-due-to-port-road-closure/

Much of Manston airport outside the runway and access ways is already hardened with chalk under the grass. That is one of the problems facing the proposal to reopen the airport. There would need to be significant regrading of a hard surface.

Pfizer's car parks by contrast are on alluvial soil. Apart from the truck delivery areas some of the disused parking areas are already cracking.

PS. The Irish government should be worried by the prospect of no deal. A significant number of trucks going to and from Ireland pass through Dover.

Click to expand...

The reason I didn't comment on your previous comments on the Irish border was that I thought you were being flippant. Of course, the Irish government are worried all their land freight to Europe goes through Britain. With no deal that would require a T notice to travel from one EU country to another. This adds to the cost of every truckload. What slows everything down is that the customs seals have to be inspected at each non-EU border. It could be disastrous for their exports. That's why the Eu have insisted that any deal must provide a soft border at Northern Ireland.

The problem is that the whole thing is much more complicated than most people imagined. You can't have a straightforward free trade deal and be allowed to offer free trade to countries that do not have a similar deal with the EU. To do so would make Britain a backdoor into Europe. I think that is what many of the Brexit promoters thought they were going to get. However, the EU negotiators are not that stupid. Their position all along has been, make us an offer we can take to the member states. The problem has been that the British government hasn't been able to agree on what sort of deal they want. That still seems to be the problem.

Regarding Ramsgate, Even with a tunnel It still couldn't handle the volume needed to ease the problem. It only has space for ninety lorries which means that it couldn't handle many crossings per hour and as you said before they would have to be smaller ferries.

I know that Brexit is complex and that a lot has been agreed.

But as I see it the real difficulty is that the EU negotiators have been put into an impossible situation because the 'freedoms' of the EU are red lines that must not be crossed including free movement of people.

That is unravelling elsewhere in Europe because of various EU countries' concerns about refugees.

As long as those talking to the British negotiators have no flexibility allowed to them - I cannot see how a deal is possible. As I said before, if the EU had offered David Cameron even a tiny concession, we and the EU wouldn't now be facing an impasse.

Whatever deal we eventually reach I cannot see that Operation Stack will ever go away because some French people will always see blocking the Port of Calais and Eurotunnel as a way to put pressure on their own government. We in the UK need some better solution than having to turn the M20 into a lorry park again and again over disputes that have nothing to do with us. The consequences for the people of Kent, including me, whenever Operation Stack is happening, are disastrous.

Quite apart from whether one is a remainer or exiter the complete lack of information about what the fuck is going on is numbing. The "people of Britain" voted to leave, having been lied to by most of the politicians and without the correct question(s) being asked. Now we're in a situation where we're still in the dark about what is being decided or what no-deal means. We're being led by a bunch of half-wit, inbred Etonians, who clearly have their own backs covered, into a decision that no one understands.

Even if a second referendum is forced on the govt, what question are they going to put? The lying Etonians and scaremongering Murdoch press will convince the xenophobes and those hankering for the days of Empire to go-it-alone again. I shouldn't be surprised if the questions is "Do you want your children to be FORCED to accept SHARIA law and have every SCROUNGER in Europe rape your daughter?" Sheesh - I should get a job on the Times

Or the question might be:

Do you want to commit economic suicide, have food and medicines rationed, have massive unemployment and inflation to match Venezuela?

The media don't seem to be able to accept that the decision to vote for or against remaining in the EU was a difficult choice for many of us, and that the voters actually thought hard before choosing.

For or against wasn't an easy decision, and the referendum could have been avoided altogether if the EU bureaucrats had been willing to offer David Cameron some concession, any concession.

Now? The EU wants the UK to vote again because the referendum vote was "wrong" - as they forced Ireland to vote again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_related_to_the_European_Union

oggbashan said:

Or the question might be:

Do you want to commit economic suicide, have food and medicines rationed, have massive unemployment and inflation to match Venezuela?

The media don't seem to be able to accept that the decision to vote for or against remaining in the EU was a difficult choice for many of us, and that the voters actually thought hard before choosing.

For or against wasn't an easy decision, and the referendum could have been avoided altogether if the EU bureaucrats had been willing to offer David Cameron some concession, any concession.

Now? The EU wants the UK to vote again because the referendum vote was "wrong" - as they forced Ireland to vote again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_related_to_the_European_Union

Click to expand...

I think the EU has been remarkably reticent. They are basically saying that it is a British problem. They have made it clear that they don't want us to leave but have not interfered with the sorry mess we are in now. The negotiators do not actually have the power to negotiate. Think of them like union officials they can thrash out a deal that they think is acceptable but the members can still turn it down.
In the EU all 27 countries have to agree to any deal. Michelle Barnier can only advise on the type of deal that he thinks would be accepted. Any one of the 27 countries can veto the deal. That's why it was important for Britain to have had a firm idea of what they wanted to achieve before they triggered article 50. Instead, they triggered it then started fighting amongst themselves about what they wanted. It's not true to say they haven't budged. They made a significant move when they allowed the Divorce bill negotiations to be completed without the solution to the hard NI border that they had been insisting on.

I can't remember a single reference to the Northern Ireland border during the referendum campaigns, not from either side.

I don't think we should expect help or sympathy from the EU. Their attitude seems to be "You wanted it so it's up to you to sort it out. Don't expect us to sort it out for you.'

I don't see a second referendum solving anything. The first one in 1975 didn't stop the fighting even though it was a 63/37 majority in favour of staying in. The last one with its majority of 1.7% has just caused more division. The majority is so small that it wouldn't take many people to change their minds to reverse the decision but it wouldn't stop the fighting. I doubt that many would change their minds simply because it would be like saying that they got it wrong.

What fighting? You mean the politicians I presume - those career no-hopers bent on filling their pockets as fast as they can? Apart from old blokes grumbling in the pub, I don't see many members of the public with hard views, because we know jack-shit about what is really going on. We've been lied to by the press ( remember bent bananas ) and hoodwinked by parliament over the EU past and present.
I can understand the attitude of the EU, but the govt is paralysed by indecision because we're not supposed to be here and when questioned, try to wash their trotters with the "people's decision" mantra.

August 31 2018 5:51 PM


The Queen’s guards paid their own respects to Aretha Franklin as they played one of her most famous songs outside Buckingham Palace.

On the day of the funeral of the Queen of Soul, who died last week, the Band of the Welsh Guards played a version of Respect during the Changing Of The Guard.

https://www.independent.ie/entertai...espect-at-changing-of-the-guard-37271214.html



The Army in London
@ArmyInLondon
· 6h
Respect for others underpins all we do in the @BritishArmy so it was no surprise that the @WelshGuardsBand paid tribute to musical icon and inspiration #ArethaFranklin at Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace today. @RoyalFamily #ArethaFranklinFuneral #RESPECT pic****itter.com/ho7fvjEuMh

600,000 people rallied in central London on Saturday


Organisers say hundreds of thousands turned out on Saturday in central London for the ‘second most attended demonstration this century


Sinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, said Brexiters had exhibited “reckless disregard” for the people of Northern Ireland. “They care nothing for jobs or for rights and are prepared to drive our economy over the cliff,” she said.


https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...te-march-london-second-referendum-brexit-live

People's Vote UK
@peoplesvote_uk
·
Oct 20
INCREDIBLE shots of the packed streets of London, full of campaigners demanding a #PeoplesVote at the #PeoplesVoteMarch. P

People's Vote UK
@peoplesvote_uk

Whatever your opinion on Brexit, no one would disagree that it's a big deal. And not a done deal. Sign up to demand a People's Vote on the Brexit deal


7:49 AM · Oct 20, 2018

(video included in tweet)

Sinn Féin wants a united Ireland and will use Brexit as a tool to advance that cause. Although Northern Ireland (and Scotland) voted to stay in the EU the way the referendum was organised was a simple majority for the whole UK. Whether that was sensible?

The People's Vote campaign want to re-run the Brexit referendum until the 'correct' result is reached i.e. No Brexit.

Whether people voted yes or no to Brexit, no one voted for the current shambles.

All it has done ( and the timing with Trump is spooky ) is exposed how inept and deceitful our politicians are, no matter what flag they nail their colours to.

gotsnowgotslush said:

600,000 people rallied in central London on Saturday

Organisers say hundreds of thousands turned out on Saturday in central London for the ‘second most attended demonstration this century

Sinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, said Brexiters had exhibited “reckless disregard” for the people of Northern Ireland. “They care nothing for jobs or for rights and are prepared to drive our economy over the cliff,” she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...te-march-london-second-referendum-brexit-live

People's Vote UK
@peoplesvote_uk
·
Oct 20
INCREDIBLE shots of the packed streets of London, full of campaigners demanding a #PeoplesVote at the #PeoplesVoteMarch. P

People's Vote UK
@peoplesvote_uk

Whatever your opinion on Brexit, no one would disagree that it's a big deal. And not a done deal. Sign up to demand a People's Vote on the Brexit deal

7:49 AM · Oct 20, 2018

Click to expand...

What this really shows is why referenda have no place in our political system. Unless the result is likely to be so conclusive that there was no real need to ask the people, all they do is expose divisions. The last time we were asked whether we wanted to stay in the European Economic Community (1975) The vote was 66/34 in favour of staying in. Even that didn't stop those with political and financial interests outside of Europe demanding that we leave. Is it any surprise that a 51.8/48.2 majority the other way left the nation even more divided. That's why Cameron resigned, he knew he had created an insoluble problem.

The offer of a referendum had nothing to do with the will of the people. It was intended to disenfranchise the UK Independence Party and unite the Tories. It achieved the first but has effectively torn the Tory party apart.

Since the last election, we are effectively governed by ten DUP MPs And their party is demanding three opposing outcomes from the Brexit deal, (No Hard Border, NI is to be treated exactly the same as the rest of the UK and an exit from the EU and Customs Union). I have no doubt that the Irish government is using the threat of its veto on any deal to push the idea of a border in the Irish sea thus providing a united Ireland by the back door.

None of this was mentioned, by either side, during the referendum campaign. What the public now see is a total mess and it's obvious that our politicians don't have a clue how to fix it. Is it any wonder that a growing number of people are saying give it back to us and lets us sort it out.

My personal opinion is that it would solve nothing. If necessary we'll have to crash out without a deal and suffer the consequences. Only the experience of living in a non-EU country will convince people on either side of the argument that they were wrong.

...and it was the wrong question. IMO there should have been three questions
A. Do you hate the Tory party knob heads?
B. Do you hate the way the EU is run?
C. Do you want to leave the EU?
Instead the first two were implied by the referendum and it became a protest vote, not a rational decision.

In America, they try to steal copies of The Constitution..


(thee!) Magna Carta, one of the most significant documents in British history, is a peace treaty that was sealed by King John in 1215 that lays out rights agreed with rebel barons. It is seen as a precursor to modern assertions of universal rights.

The edition at Salisbury Cathedral is one of only four copies of the original charter still in existence.

Staff at Salisbury Cathedral wrestled the suspect to the ground, the Dean of Salisbury said.

The Rev Canon Nicholas Papadopulos said a man broke through one of two glass screens protecting the document in front of horrified onlookers. His attempt to breach the casing activated a silent alarm that alerted staff.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-for-trying-to-steal-magna-carta-salisbury-wi

It's a cheap ploy: by staging the 'break-in' they can remove the original Magna Carta and re-write it. The replacement version will insert the lines

"Ye common man be gifted by the regent and barons the Referendium upon whych ye common man places his mark such as his heart do give vent to his worde. The Referendium shall give leave to the barons to do whatever they so fucking wish for their betterment and enrichement. If ye common man do rise bilesome, the barons pointe to the Referendium and quoth 'Fuck you common man, for we have thine mark and we proceedeth from the mandata of the same."

oggbashan said:

Whether people voted yes or no to Brexit, no one voted for the current shambles.

Click to expand...

How could anyone not have foreseen it?!

I do hope Ireland is reunited someday -- under the Republic or under the Crown, doesn't matter.

gotsnowgotslush said:

In America, they try to steal copies of The Constitution..


(thee!) Magna Carta, one of the most significant documents in British history, is a peace treaty that was sealed by King John in 1215 that lays out rights agreed with rebel barons. It is seen as a precursor to modern assertions of universal rights.

The edition at Salisbury Cathedral is one of only four copies of the original charter still in existence.

Staff at Salisbury Cathedral wrestled the suspect to the ground, the Dean of Salisbury said.

The Rev Canon Nicholas Papadopulos said a man broke through one of two glass screens protecting the document in front of horrified onlookers. His attempt to breach the casing activated a silent alarm that alerted staff.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-for-trying-to-steal-magna-carta-salisbury-wi

Click to expand...

There is, so far nothing to suggest that he intended to steal it. He went in armed only with a hammer. It is far more likely that his intention was to destroy or deface it. Stealing it makes no sense because it would be virtually impossible to sell.

Kirkrapine said:

How could anyone not have foreseen it?!

I do hope Ireland is reunited someday -- under the Republic or under the Crown, doesn't matter.

Click to expand...

A united Ireland is a recipe for civil war - again. It will take generations to forgive past atrocities.

Theresa May has agreed to answer questions in a British news program mounted entirely by children.

The first question was posed by an eight-year-old boy called Zak, who asked the prime minister whether she gets along with the US president, Donald Trump.


Lucy Murphy, the head of Sky Kids, said: “I hope FYI doesn’t just answer kids’ questions, but that it gets them asking more.

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...ens-show-question-answer-session-sky-kids-fyi


https://jezebel.com/it-falls-to-the-children-to-roast-the-hell-out-of-there-1830176106


Theresa May's claim that "austerity is ending" was met with laughter by MPs as the prime minister clashed with Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Ministers Questions.

Condemning what he called a "broken promise Budget", the Labour leader demanded to know why the government had not pledged to end the benefit freeze.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...rbyn-budget-conservative-labour-a8609981.html


Opinion

Theresa May


Steve Bell's If... (Austerity is Over ?)

Why don't the paupers realise austerity is over ?


Wed 31 Oct 2018

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...hy-dont-the-paupers-realise-austerity-is-over

Jeremy Corbyn


“Austerity is not over,” he told MPs. “Far from building a stronger economy, eight years of austerity has damaged our economy, delayed and weakened the recovery and endlessly postponed fixing the deficit."


“The prime minister pledged austerity is over. This is a broken-promise budget. What we’ve heard today are half measures and quick fixes while austerity grinds on. Far from people’s hard work and sacrifices having paid off … this government has frittered it away on ideological tax cuts to the richest in our society."


https://www.theguardian.com/politic...iticises-philip-hammond-broken-promise-budget

Queen joins German president in prayer at special Westminster Abbey service marking Armistice centenary

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Queen were joined by the Prime Minister, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the remembrance service.

(As an American, I am impressed with how much dedication, care, and respect, that was put into this effort.)


Edward Finlayson, great nephew of Walter Tull, the first black officer to lead white troops into battle, said he was "very proud" to be at the Abbey for the service.

Walter Tull, the first black outfield player in the top flight, joined Northampton from Tottenham in 1911, before signing up to the Footballers Battalion in 1914.

He was promoted to sergeant in 1915, served on the Western and Italian fronts in the war, but he was killed in action at the Battle of Arras in 1918, with his body never found.


https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/...nal-day-honouring-wwi-centenary-a3987071.html

Brexit deal provisionally drafted?

The UK and the EU seem to have produced a draft agreement on Brexit today. It has to be approved by the Cabinet, then the UK Parliament, the 27 EU countries and the European Parliament.

That is an almost impossible set of hurdles to get over.

Whatever the draft says, it cannot please everyone.

Will it please anyone at all?

Watch this space. The shit will start to hit the fan over the next few days.

Thank you for the notice, Ogg.

Our American public television service allowed some of that news to leak through.

oggbashan said:

The UK and the EU seem to have produced a draft agreement on Brexit today. It has to be approved by the Cabinet, then the UK Parliament, the 27 EU countries and the European Parliament.

That is an almost impossible set of hurdles to get over.

Whatever the draft says, it cannot please everyone.

Will it please anyone at all?

Watch this space. The shit will start to hit the fan over the next few days.

Click to expand...

The EU deal is likely to be like The Alternative Vote election system. The least unpopular wins.

For something that was promised to be the "simplest deal in history" it is becoming remarkably difficult.

*tip of the hat, to the Brexit thread, on the GB


Andy Serkis Doing Gollum as a Brexit-Hungry Theresa May Is the Last Thing You Will See Before You Die

"It’s less than likely that May will ever speak openly about the conflicting emotions battling inside her as she fought to keep the UK away from the EU while also keeping her job, but Serkis’ performance as the politician feels like it’s pretty spot on."

https://io9.gizmodo.com/andy-serkis-doing-gollum-as-a-brexit-hungry-theresa-may-1830991462

on youtube

LEAKED: Footage From Inside No. 10 Downing Street!

WE WANTS IT
953,055 views

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a member of the Parliament, grabbed the mace!


(No, there was no American tear-gas dispenser in Parliament chambers-This is a UK mace, formerly a weapon of war (used in Game of Thrones!) The Mace of Parliament is an object weighted with symbolism.)

As the government formally declared it would not continue with the debate on the withdrawal agreement, Lloyd Russell-Moyle marched forward to grab the mace in protest and held it up in the centre of the chamber to widespread outrage from the Tory benches.

Conservative MPs shouted “Disgrace” and “Expel him” as he raised the five-foot silver gilt object aloft.

The Brighton Kemptown MP appeared unsure of his next step and handed the mace back to Commons officials, as the Speaker, John Bercow, demanded he put it back down. The MP was suspended for the rest of the sitting.

(The Mace) As a symbol of royal authority in the house, the mace is carried every day into the Commons chamber by the serjeant at arms, who places it on the table of the house.

(A threat to get medieval on your noggin, if you do not conduct yourself with civility ? Who is wearing a sword in Parliament chambers ?)

Step Away from the Mace, Sir!
(Bringing a Sword to a Mace fight ?)

October 12, 2018


El-Hajji is the British Parliament's Serjeant at Arms, meaning he’s in charge of keeping order within the Commons part of the parliamentary estate.

It’s quite a traditional, ceremonial role which used to require him to wear a stately uniform, but now it seems he’s allowed to wear a “modern” suit with a tailcoat.

However, he still gets to carry a kickarse sword.


But the other day, El-Hajji had an awkward moment when his sword fell on the floor

https://pickle.nine.com.au/2018/10/12/14/30/sword-drop-parliament-uk

https://www.rct.uk/collection/31780/the-house-of-commons-mace


https://www.theguardian.com/politic...ama-ends-with-mp-grabbing-the-ceremonial-mace

Daniel Kraemer
@dcakraemer

Here is @lloyd_rm grabbing the mace just now

3:58 PM - Dec 10, 2018



Russell-Moyle was protesting Theresa May’s Conservative Party government, which is still trying to forge ahead with Brexit.

https://splinternews.com/congress-sucks-compared-to-this-1830994485