Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Tamas]

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66370646

Who would have thought, I find myself on the same platform as Johnson: stop the newt counting!

Boris Johnson's swimming pool plans threatened by newts

As prime minister, Boris Johnson railed against "newt-counting" as a "massive drag on prosperity" blaming the process for slowing down building in the UK.

Now, his own plans to build a pool at his newly acquired Oxfordshire home may be hampered due to the presence of his old nemesis, the great crested newt.

Objecting to the pool, one council officer warned nearby newts could be impacted by the development.

He advised planning permission should not be granted, without an assessment.

Mr Johnson moved to the £3.8m 17th Century house in May. The grounds of the nine-bedroom building include a tennis court and are bordered on three sides by a moat.

The holding objection to the pool, first reported in the Telegraph, was lodged by South and Vale Countryside Officer Edward Church who said the proposed development falls within "the red zone of highest risk to great crested newts".
....

"Natural England guidance requires that proposals need to demonstrate no risk to GCN or appropriate levels of mitigation and compensation following assessment."

He said protected species surveys may be needed to support Mr Johnson's application.

Great crested newts are a European protected species and it is an offence to deliberately kill, injure or capture them, or damage their breeding sites and resting places.

According to government agency Natural England, the population of great crested newts has dramatically declined over the last 60 years.

In order to protect the species, local councils have to check developers have taken appropriate measures to mitigate negative effects on the orange-bellied amphibians.

Mr Johnson's application to build an 11 by 4m outdoor swimming pool, also attracted comments from the council's County Archaeological Services who noted that the site was an area of "considerable archaeological interest" as it was believe to be the location of a moat of a 12th century siege castle.

The pains of moving into a castle, I guess.

[Zanza]

On the thread title: Just read that Britain wants to keep the CE mark (in addition to UKCA) and still does not know how to introduce customs checks in Dover. Great progress on Brexit after seven years...

[Josquius]

On the thread title: Just read that Britain wants to keep the CE mark (in addition to UKCA) and still does not know how to introduce customs checks in Dover. Great progress on Brexit after seven years...

The less we progress the easier it'll be to fix it when sanity returns.

[HVC]

On the thread title: Just read that Britain wants to keep the CE mark (in addition to UKCA) and still does not know how to introduce customs checks in Dover. Great progress on Brexit after seven years...

The less we progress the easier it'll be to fix it when sanity returns.

Why would the cool kids let you back into the clubhouse?

[Josquius]

On the thread title: Just read that Britain wants to keep the CE mark (in addition to UKCA) and still does not know how to introduce customs checks in Dover. Great progress on Brexit after seven years...

The less we progress the easier it'll be to fix it when sanity returns.

Why would the cool kids let you back into the clubhouse?

Why let anyone in?

[Duque de Bragança]

On the thread title: Just read that Britain wants to keep the CE mark (in addition to UKCA) and still does not know how to introduce customs checks in Dover. Great progress on Brexit after seven years...

The less we progress the easier it'll be to fix it when sanity returns.

Why would the cool kids let you back into the clubhouse?

 

Indeed.

[HVC]

Never get back together with an ex. Advice that works on many dimensions

[The Brain]

Yeah I don't see EU membership happening before at least one or two generations have passed. No one sane wants the UK back at this point.

[garbon]

Yeah I don't see EU membership happening before at least one or two generations have passed. No one sane wants the UK back at this point.

Same.

[Sheilbh]

My view is still that I don't think the UK will ever end up re-applying - and I think the EU would be mad to re-admit us unless there's very broad cross-party consensus behind something like the "European project".

[Admiral Yi]

Never get back together with an ex. Advice that works on many dimensions

I did one time and it went really well.  Then I did again about 20 years later and it did not.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I think "ever" is a long time, all of us will be dust at some point and many generations will follow in their time.

The pain of Brexit IMO means a very specific environment would be needed for the UK to return to the EU. It would need overwhelming support by the British public and all the majority and leadership of both major parties. Like 65-70% support minimum.

This would be required before I think any British PM would seriously even pursue it. Further, I think the EU would view their relationship with Britain as a "lesson learned" sort of thing; to readmit they would all but certainly demand the UK join on terms basically like any other normal member. There won't be tons of special carve-outs offered like Britain enjoyed under its prior relationship. And for that to be palatable, again, the British public needs to not just support rejoining the EU, but support it to such an overwhelming degree it will accept basically a "no reservations" membership.

Without those conditions the EU wouldn't accept them, and I frankly don't think any British leader would even pursue it unless such a large amount of unambiguous support materialized.

I don't see that happening anytime soon, but that isn't the same as "never."

[Josquius]

Quitlings really do need stabbing.

But needs remembering contrary to what they present in or out the EU isn't a simple black or white binary. I don't see a full membership happening anytime soon but moving back to something Swiss-ish? Almost an inevitability.
Its what the referendum called for afterall- which even if the scum hadn't enjoyed a freak stroke of luck wouldn't have been much more than 60-40 for the humans.

[Sheilbh]

Fair - ever is maybe a bit too strong. But I think it would take a lot to shift British politics to actually wanting to rejoin, rather than just regretting.

Also I think in addition to the UK opt outs being gone, the EU is changing. I don't think that's fully clocked even by pro-Europeans (and ironically the Eurosceptics were right - the EU is increasingly behaving in a state like way which is good ). 99% of the divergence isn't going to be about existing things like the CE mark, but both EU and UK policies and politics shifting over time. It'll be more passive than active.

[Zanza]

Sweden and Finland joining NATO was not really on the political agenda either until circumstances changed, so Britain rejoining is not a realistic proposition now, but might be later. Or the EU could dissolve, or transform into a state or grow or shrink.

Anyway, keeping the CE mark and not introducing customs control are bad though. It means that Britain becomes a rule taker, without having the benefit of the single market. That does not seem sustainable as there will eventually be European regulation that the UK does not want - but then they have no real mechanism in place to act on that.