Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Barrister]

Oh absolutely. But I think there's also a choice by the GOP on this - I mean in recent elections they only get about 20% of the vote of Asian Americans, in the 90s that was closer to 50/50 (even as late as 2004 it was 60/40, something appears to have changed in 2008).

I think the UK Tory party and maybe the Canadian conservative party have decided it's worth trying to get a base of support in minority communities as the country changes. The GOP don't seem to have made that decision.

Oh absolutely that too.  I always argued that the GOP wasn't using "dog whistles" of racism, but not that under Trump they've become pretty explicit about it I can't really argue it anymore.

[Duque de Bragança]

I guess that leaves Belgium but Germany has high density as well.

It's about half the English level. So population density in England is about 425 per square km, in Germany it's about 232 per square km. And I think that does just have an impact on land value and different rights over land. There's lots of other stuff we can learn from German approaches to infrastructure maybe though (the only German infrastructure project I'm aware of is Berlin airport so I don't want to be too definitive, despite Germany generally doing things better ).

It's for England though, not for Great Britain, including its Welsh and Scottish population "deserts" (HS2 could be eventually extended to Scotland). Northern Ireland is outside of the scope.
So around 291 per square km, not too far the from German level and below the Low Countries.

[Sheilbh]

It's for England though, not for Great Britain, including its Welsh and Scottish population "deserts" (HS2 could be eventually extended to Scotland). Northern Ireland is outside of the scope.
So around 291 per square km, not too far the from German level and below the Low Countries.

Sure but currently HS2 is entirely within England (and by the time we're even considering expanding it into Scotland it'll probably be an international project ).

Scotland's a bit like Canada in that something like 85-90% of the population lives in a small area of the country. It's very densely populated in the central belt - like England - and then very, very sparsely populated in the Highlands. Wales is less extreme but similar - the middle is basically mountains

[Duque de Bragança]

It's for England though, not for Great Britain, including its Welsh and Scottish population "deserts" (HS2 could be eventually extended to Scotland). Northern Ireland is outside of the scope.
So around 291 per square km, not too far the from German level and below the Low Countries.

Sure but currently HS2 is entirely within England (and by the time we're even considering expanding it into Scotland it'll probably be an international project ).

Scotland's a bit like Canada in that something like 85-90% of the population lives in a small area of the country. It's very densely populated in the central belt - like England - and then very, very sparsely populated in the Highlands. Wales is less extreme but similar - the middle is basically mountains

So Wales (Cardiff actually) has no right to a real future High-speed line?
Well, glad to se"useful" Scotland expanded a bit beyond the Antonine Wall. 

[Sheilbh]

So Wales (Cardiff actually) has no right to a real future High-speed line?

I mean it could happen at some point, but the South Wales Main Line isn't at capacity yet and is still being electrified which cuts journey times significantly (and at lower cost than building new HS lines) which would also increase capacity. But this is a bit like the electrification of the Northern Rail line - a very regular (and inexpensive) promise that routinely gets delayed while infrastructure projects that more directly affect London go ahead....

Now arguably we should build new infrastructure before they reach capacity but that's not the way things happen here

Well, glad to se"useful" Scotland expanded a bit beyond the Antonine Wall. 

Just a bit though. It is cold

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, to give some perspective, the SW high-speed lines from Bordeaux to Spain through the Basque Country on one hand, and Bordeaux -Toulouse on the other hand were nearly cancelled after some intense NIMBY-ism. I even heard the NIMBY argument literally, " you are a Parisian, you cannot understand it because the future line won't run through your garden or land" Me : try to remember this line (Bordeaux-Spain) is supposed the connect the Iberian peninsula with the standard gauge both for passengers and freight. NIMBY has a negative connotation for most people, but not the one I talked to once. So it's scheduled at best for 2027, 2032 for the link to Spain. The last 60 km in France to Spain take like one hour for the current TGVs. Plus the Basque country Y project on the other side of the Pyrenees is going slowly, with the link between San Sebastian to the French border in stasis AFAIK.

In Portugal, instead of building a new line between Porto and Lisbon, 3 motorways, and only a somewhat improved service with Pendolini/os. Standard gauge connection to Spain is still scheduled though.

PS: given the relatively size of England and Great Britain it's not like they need many high-speed lines like France, Spain or even Germany.

[Sheilbh]

It's good to know that it's not just us who have these issues - because so often these days, it is just us having x issue.

But this is where I fail as a decentraliser. I think loads and loads of problems in England stem from our overcentralisation and we need to devolve power and look a bit more like a "normal" European country. But any time I see NIMBYs and I basically revert to thinking all planning decisions need to be taken technocrats with slide rules in London tearing through the countryside and salting the earth for new infrastructure projects 

[Barrister]

A year or two ago I came out to a public meeting about a new LRT line.  It's supposed to go right by my neighborhood.  There was some talk it "might" have a stop at my neighborhood, I wanted to make my voice heard that there should.

But of my neighbors that were there - none of them wanted the damn thing there at all!  They were only worried about traffic.  I thought to myself "don't you know this thing will increase our property values?"

Of course the odds of that extension being built before I retire are low...

[Admiral Yi]

If Starmer wants to appeal to working class voters, his pitch should be based on solidarity with the working class and defending their interests, not just slogans and platitudes.

[Josquius]

 

But of my neighbors that were there - none of them wanted the damn thing there at all!  They were only worried about traffic.  I thought to myself "don't you know this thing will increase our property values?"

Surely having a metro line both decreases traffic and the need to take part in traffic?
Did they understand what was being built at all or they were just upset about the next few years whilst it was being built (which if you've any experience of Edinburgh.... Fair enough) and not when it exists?

If Starmer wants to appeal to working class voters, his pitch should be based on solidarity with the working class and defending their interests, not just slogans and platitudes.

.. That's the part that was a fairly sensible generic off the shelf saying obvious good things political announcement. I don't see a problem with this bit.
I'd agree the oddness really kicks in with the American issues.
And the negativity. Pff. Starmer did well.

[Admiral Yi]

.. That's the part that was a fairly sensible generic off the shelf saying obvious good things political announcement. I don't see a problem with this bit.
I'd agree the oddness really kicks in with the American issues.
And the negativity. Pff. Starmer did well.

Is "solidarity with the working class" not a slogan?

[Gups]

It's for England though, not for Great Britain, including its Welsh and Scottish population "deserts" (HS2 could be eventually extended to Scotland). Northern Ireland is outside of the scope.
So around 291 per square km, not too far the from German level and below the Low Countries.

Sure but currently HS2 is entirely within England (and by the time we're even considering expanding it into Scotland it'll probably be an international project ).

That's true but it will cut journey times from Edin. and Glasgow to the major English cities considerably.

[Sheilbh]

Had I known Brexit would involve a hard border around Kent I would have voted Leave

[Richard Hakluyt]

Will it affect deliveries of Shepherd Neame beer to other parts of England  ?

This could be a catastrophe!!!!

[Josquius]

The Guardian isn't quite so !!1!11 about it....

But the Indie's headline, an interpretation some more right wing outlets are using too, makes me smile.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-kent-internal-border-police-patrol-lorries-b552680.html

So that was Farage's plan all along. He has been playing 7 dimensional chess. The Kingdom of Kent shall be restored!

Is "solidarity with the working class" not a slogan?

Ah ok. I get what you're laughing at.