Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Tamas]

It's almost as if making a hard turn toward the far right to appease some morons makes your country more fascist. Who would have thought.

[grumbler]

It's almost as if making a hard turn toward the far right to appease some morons makes your country more fascist. Who would have thought.

It's almost like people overusing the word "fascist' would rob the word of its emotive power.  Who would have thought?

[garbon]

I'm not entirely sure I understand why an issue for the high commissioner 7 years ago is particularly relevant.

[Gups]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-immigration-studies-suppress-uk-workers-wages-jobs-vince-cable-prime-minister-liberal-a7932001.html

Just Cable saying it for now but interesting if true.

Studies found that immigration doesn't affect wages. The Tories hushed it up as it went against their narrative.

Cable claiming May "suppressed" academic studies sounds to me like one of those words used to make an innocuous act sound really ominous.

There's not much information in the article but Cable seems to be saying that the Govt commissioned the studies which he saw as a cabinet minister and the Home Office would not allow them to be published. If that's true then "suppression" may not be the right word but neither is "innocuous".

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm not entirely sure I understand why an issue for the high commissioner 7 years ago is particularly relevant.

You may be right; it is just a one-off after all. I posted that story because it was interesting that a high commissioner could have such problems and it is part of a pattern of Home Office incompetence/arrogance in this area of activity.

[garbon]

I'm not entirely sure I understand why an issue for the high commissioner 7 years ago is particularly relevant.

You may be right; it is just a one-off after all. I posted that story because it was interesting that a high commissioner could have such problems and it is part of a pattern of Home Office incompetence/arrogance in this area of activity.

Sorry wasn't directed at you really but at the high commissioner bringing it up and the ample coverage in the media. Seems like a bit of a distract as its not like there haven't been enough stories in even just the last couple years of the Home Office fucking things up.

Also, now that I signed that petition, I keep getting email updates about the status of debate.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Home secretary has resigned :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43944988

Inevitable I guess, far too many lies even for these benighted times.

[Tamas]

Somewhat offtopic question: as I understand, being registered in the voter registry is beneficial when applying for permanent residency. Do they also monitor if somebody in the regstry actually went to vote or not? I went in the last local election (and proudly voted on the Liberal Democrat Asian kid), but the one on Thursday is a bit inconvenient to schedule.

[Tamas]

I find it hillarious, in a "I laugh because I don't want to cry" sort of way, that the government-collapsing arguments happening in the UK today are over two solutions to the post-Brexit customs issue which have, both of them, been already rejected by the EU.

[Tamas]

lol, good Tweet:

"As someone with 30 years experience managing complex international projects, if I were 22mths in to a project with 11 to go, and I still had no idea what requirements I was going to deliver, let alone a detailed plan with scope, costs, benefits, and risks, I'd be sacked."

"Or the client would reconsider whether it was worth proceeding or not, especially if the key requirements can never be met, and under all scenarios the costs are greater than the benefits. But none of the Brexiters have ever had a real job in their lives, or have forgotten."

[Zanza]

Looks like the Northern Ireland / Customs Union situation could lead to either BRINO (Brexit in name only) where Britain stays in the Customs Union (and maybe even in the Single Market) or the hardest of all Brexits without an agreement between the UK and the EU. The latter would destroy a lot of trust between both sides and might even see the EU sueing Britain for its previously agreed obligations.

It might be a game of chicken where either UK or EU have to blink first and accept violation of their red lines.

Will be interesting how important the EU considers the Irish border in the big picture and whether they are willing to compromise on that. It would cost them considerable political capital though as they could so far present themselves as the protector of the interests of a weaker member state. If they can't stand up for the member state's interests anymore, what's their purpose?

The current British government could probably not really move much on their red lines either without losing their weak support in the Commons.

[Josquius]

Somewhat offtopic question: as I understand, being registered in the voter registry is beneficial when applying for permanent residency. Do they also monitor if somebody in the regstry actually went to vote or not? I went in the last local election (and proudly voted on the Liberal Democrat Asian kid), but the one on Thursday is a bit inconvenient to schedule.

I guess they have to track this to an extent in order to stop people just voting multiple times.  But I've never heard of this being recorded long term
A quick google suggests so?

[Tamas]

Thanks, we couldn't go to vote after all.

But nowadays I am more worried about ending up with a speeding ticket and consequently losing my chance for citizenship. Not that I speed, but after all the shit they have pulled with other people, I am extra careful.

[Josquius]

Thanks, we couldn't go to vote after all.

But nowadays I am more worried about ending up with a speeding ticket and consequently losing my chance for citizenship. Not that I speed, but after all the shit they have pulled with other people, I am extra careful.

Maybe we can do some sort of hostage trade?
I get to keep my European permissions and you get to keep your British permissions?

[Tamas]

Thanks, we couldn't go to vote after all.

But nowadays I am more worried about ending up with a speeding ticket and consequently losing my chance for citizenship. Not that I speed, but after all the shit they have pulled with other people, I am extra careful.

Maybe we can do some sort of hostage trade?
I get to keep my European permissions and you get to keep your British permissions?

What you should do is nail down a European citizenship somewhere in the next 5-6 years. Once the transitional period is over and the UK will have done a hard Brexit, there'll be awful temptation to purchase the far-right votes by revoking the rights of the EU citizens in the UK agreed upon with the EU. Once that's done, the EU might reciprocate by doing so for the Brits in the EU.