Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Sheilbh]

Hey Sheilbh and welcome back 

How's life?

Thanks

Good thanks. Still pottering along. You?

[Josquius]

Stranger dangerrrrr.


Protest in Newcastle today was the largest I've ever seen. Apparently big protests going on all around the country.
The one in Newcastle was all a bit too socialist, some idiot with a communist party flag too. Hopefully some of the others were more representative

[Sheilbh]

In fairness it's been nice with all these European protests to see people carrying signs that aren't Socialist Workers. Makes a nice change from them normally turning up to any anti-austerity, pro-refugess, anti-war etc protest and handing out their signs.

I assume because they're fairly pro-Lexit.

[Tamas]

Off-camera, Corbyn has confirmed to a Sky journalist the blatantly obvious: although the main Labour plan is to have anti no-deal legislation in place THEN snap elections, he will support a Johnson call for a snap election regardless of the circumstances.

Meaning that he'll quite ok with Johnson & co. ignoring whatever Parliament decided this week and just calling a GE after Crashout Day, to get out under whatever the Commons decides.

[Syt]

https://www.gov.uk/brexit

Get ready for Brexit

The UK will leave the EU on 31 October 2019.

Answer a few questions to find out how you or your business should prepare.

Visit Europe after Brexit
To visit Europe after Brexit there are things you need to do before you travel. These include:

- check your passport
- get travel insurance which covers your healthcare
- check you have the right driving documents
- organise pet travel - you need to contact your vet at least 4 months before you go

[...]

Border control: you may have to show your return ticket and money
At border control, you may need to:

- show a return or onward ticket
- show you have enough money for your stay
- use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing



Mobile data roaming: free roaming may end

After Brexit, the guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end.

Check with your phone operator to find out about any roaming charges you might get after 31 October 2019.

A new law means that you're protected from getting mobile data charges above £45 without you knowing.

Once you reach £45, you need to opt in to spend more so that you can continue using the internet while you're abroad. Your phone operator will tell how you can do this.

[...]

[Tamas]

BUT, you can go through all that shit with a nice blue passport in your hand!

[Tamas]

Big cabinet and Tory MP meeting with the PM this evening. Journalists and politicians of all colours are salivating at the prospect of a snap election.

The SNP would be backing a call for general election as long as it happens before 31st of October. I'd recommend we schedule it so that the new PM swears in on the 30th, that'd leave a whole afternoon to strike a new deal with Brussels!

I am getting the same vibes as with the Tory leadership contest this summer: "yay, something internal that helps us ignore the cliff edge we are racing towards!"

[Tamas]

Funny thing is, even if Johnson would get the SNP and Labour to support an election date before Oct 31st, the PM can legally just change the date afterwards.

I guess we are facing the issues that are normal when a system based entirely on its operators being "good old chaps" ends up being controlled by a chap who is most definitely not good.

[Liep]

What will an election tell us? And how will the results be after it has gone through that weird British election system?

[Iormlund]

Largely the same result, I suspect.

The only question is how many votes from Farage Boris will manage to get back. He will need a lot, especially with the probable loss of Scotland -- now that their leader there has given Boris the finger.

[Tamas]

I've seen some guesswork that the DUP in Northern Ireland might get decimated. And the SNP would do even better in Scotland than last time, so the Tories would really have to improve their 2017 performance to make it worth their while.

[Josquius]

It basically comes down to whether farage decides to run or not.
If he does then Boris will have to play the hard right, which seems to be a plan he is already committed to. Hoping that he can convince the lumpens and fascists not to split the vote.
In doing this though he is running the risk of alienating middle class conservatives. I cannot forget the quote from a conservative campaigner in the Euro elections: If someone has books on their shelves they won't be voting conservative.

Then on the other side you've got whether they can figure out how to overcome their disunity to consider.
Is Labour trying to hoover up the soft brexiters and in the process losing remainers? Is the left wing vote being split 3 or 4 ways?

[Tamas]

It basically comes down to whether farage decides to run or not.
If he does then Boris will have to play the hard right, which seems to be a plan he is already committed to. Hoping that he can convince the lumpens and fascists not to split the vote.
In doing this though he is running the risk of alienating middle class conservatives. I cannot forget the quote from a conservative campaigner in the Euro elections: If someone has books on their shelves they won't be voting conservative.

Then on the other side you've got whether they can figure out how to overcome their disunity to consider.
Is Labour trying to hoover up the soft brexiters and in the process losing remainers? Is the left wing vote being split 3 or 4 ways?

I wonder how many soft Brexiters are left.

[Iormlund]

Most of ours were soft, perhaps with the exception of Agelastus.

[Zanza]

I'd recommend we schedule it so that the new PM swears in on the 30th, that'd leave a whole afternoon to strike a new deal with Brussels!

That will put so much pressure on the stubborn Eurocrats and the pesky Irish! They will finally give Britain the great deal it deserves.