Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Josquius]

Her entire record with local government was abysmal.

Why waste unnecessary words?

[Agelastus]

Her entire record with local government was abysmal.

Why waste unnecessary words?

Because he has a more nuanced, less biased and generally more accurate view than you do of the period in question?

And other than the implication I take from his post that the rates did not need reforming I don't disagree with what he says concerning the Tories failures with local government in the period at all. Nor with his assessment of the consequences. Despite the fact that I have family members who supported the introduction of the "Community Charge" (poll tax.)

[The Minsky Moment]

Meaningful service on a town council had been an important route for many "ordinary" people to enter politics. Being a mere functionary of central government was far less attractive so the quality of councillors declined and more of them were party hacks. This led to a reduction in class diversity in the House of Commons as more and more of them came from lawyering or a spell as a SPAD. Which , of course, is why we are in our current mess and the Commons has no conception of how 52% of the population think.

Kind of similar to the decline of the curiales in the Roman Empire.

[Josquius]

Well, the car companies are going into action. BMW to shut for a month after brexit day and Jaguar going to a 3 day week now...

https://news.sky.com/story/bmw-to-shut-mini-factory-for-a-month-after-brexit-day-sky-sources-11501360

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/17/more-than-3000-jaguar-land-rover-staff-will-go-to-three-day-week-brexit

[Iormlund]

A lot of that might be fallout from Dieselgate. We're 20% below nominal capacity right now because of uncertainty about new diesel standards and inability of petrol engine manufacturing to meet demand.

That not to say everything is peachy. We are in fact closing down operations in the UK in 2019.

[Tamas]

Tusk says a gentle but firm NO on the Chequers deal, May says there's nothing else on table.

[The Larch]

Tusk says a gentle but firm NO on the Chequers deal, May says there's nothing else on table.

Chequers was dead on arrival and May knew it, but still insisted on it. Blame's on her.

[Zanza]

Tusk says a gentle but firm NO on the Chequers deal, May says there's nothing else on table.

The negotiation partner says no, significant parts of her party say no, the opposition says no, the public says no. She is almost certain to face humiliation. I wonder if there is a way to fudge it somehow so she can save face.

Anyway, she has basically two choices now: compromise her position or walk away. I doubt the EU will compromise its position in a significant way. They may accept some technical changes on the Irish backstop to move checks etc. away from the border. But that's about it.

[The Larch]

Tusk says a gentle but firm NO on the Chequers deal, May says there's nothing else on table.

The negotiation partner says no, significant parts of her party say no, the opposition says no, the public says no. She is almost certain to face humiliation. I wonder if there is a way to fudge it somehow so she can save face.

Yet they say no for different reasons, for the EU it's too much, for the Tory hard core Brexiteers is not enough. Until May understands that she can't please both her backbenchers and the EU, there's no way to reach an agreement.

Anyway, she has basically two choices now: compromise her position or walk away. I doubt the EU will compromise its position in a significant way. They may accept some technical changes on the Irish backstop to move checks etc. away from the border. But that's about it.

Thing is, compromises might be reached in finer details, but not on principles, and Chequers still aimed to cherry pick which parts of the common market the UK would be part of, ie, having their cake and eating it, when everyone from the EU side made it super clear that they wouldn't allow that.

[The Larch]

May: EU criticism of Chequers plan is 'negotiating tactic'

British PM tries to downplay criticism of UK proposals by European leaders at Salzburg summit

FFS, it is not a negotiating tactic.

[Zanza]

May seems to have been blindsided and genuinely surprised by the EU's rejection. I wonder if that is denial or ignorance. Everybody else could see that coming from months or years ago as the position on no cherry-picking has been stated since before the referendum...

[Richard Hakluyt]

May seems to have been blindsided and genuinely surprised by the EU's rejection. I wonder if that is denial or ignorance. Everybody else could see that coming from months or years ago as the position on no cherry-picking has been stated since before the referendum...

Yes, it was baffling that there was so much contention here over a plan that was clearly going to be rejected by the EU 

Is she really that dumb or is some deeper game being played?

[Valmy]

I think it must be a political ploy. Smart politicians never submit deals they know will be rejected, they would work it out behind closed doors first. So clearly she wanted it to be rejected for some reason.

Or she just might be an idiot but how would somebody that incompetent climb to the top of the Tory Game of Thrones?

[garbon]

Recall that May wasn't exactly up against a formidable set after Gove stabbed Boris.

[mongers]

Don't worry chaps, she has a VERY cunning plan.