Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[HVC]

Ethnic Scott. You know, a ginger

Edit, I get a klingon vibe from the first pic, but then again I'm rewatching TNG

[Tamas]

So a new posh bloke in Scotland is set to take on an even posher bloke in England/London; remind me again what exactly has changed here? 

A Hindu and a Muslim will be discussing the partition of Britain...

Oh the sweet sweet irony. 

[Sheilbh]

Very good and important series by The Guardian having looked at their own founders' connections to slavery:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/cotton-capital

Particularly key given that it started as the Manchester Guardian is the links between Manchester as Cottonopolis and slavery which continued long after the (much-celebrated) abolition of slavery in the British empire.

David Olusoga's piece is particularly good on this. With slavery but, I think with empire and colonialism in general, one of the tensions is that we understand it too often as something we did rather than something we were - which his piece draws out (though not in those terms).

I believe they are launching some restorative justice projects following this.

Relatedly some recent research that seems to validate part of Eric Williams' thesis in Capitalism and Slavery as it shows a link between industrialisation in a region and the number of claims made in that region for compensation on the abolition of slavery. So the capital accumulation enabled by slavery is directly linked to Britain's industrial revolution (perhaps as accelerant or catalyst more than anything else - I think it equally could have started in Belgium, say):
https://twitter.com/joachim_voth/status/1564351666207576065

I think this also goes to Olusoga's point around his own family heritage and response to The Guardian, that the Melvyn Bragg style, industrial and social history of Britain that is beloved (I think I've said before but I think Britain has industrial nostalgia not imperial nostalgia) is also deeply implicated in empire and slavery - even for Bragg's much admired working class artisans.

[Tamas]

In the same vein I would like to apologise for IBM's role in the Holocaust since I used to work for them.

[Jacob]

Out of curiosity looked a bit at what English textbooks in Germany now look like. They still have the usual thing of picking kids as "main characters" for students to latch onto but the cast has become a lot more diverse since I was taught with the "Clark Family".

...

Can only find the covers, though. I recall later editions dealt with serious issues - oil spills, the Wounded Knee Massacre etc.

Couldn't find any old contents, but an old cassette to accompany the books has a track named after the pets of the kids, a budgie, a dog and a cat: "Cheeky, Blacky and Pussy" ...  

Oh boy... maybe I've mentioned this before, but I distinctly reading a short story in one of my older English text books (as in, it was old when I got it) a short story about a girl - intended to be a "peer" to the student, but maybe a bit older - so maybe 13-14? - who was obsessed with pop musicians. So she went to a concert with a local musician, got back stage, and slept with him. The experience was disappointing (the musician didn't live up to her illusions). The girl reasoned that that's because he wasn't a big star, but if she could get together with a REAL pop star, it would be amazing just like she believed.

The reader was invited to think the girl was foolish, IIRC. I guess the text reflected the anxieties of the times. It was not a passage that we actually studied, but it was in the book (which had illustrations suggesting it was "hip" in the mid 70s or so).

[Duque de Bragança]

I don't know why but I'm surprised they're in Britain at all In my head I always thought German English learning was more American focused. I don't know why I thought that - maybe the relative popularity of the NFL in Germany, all the American bases etc

It seems to me that all the English language classes in Europe are focused on British English rather than American English.

That's the case in France and Portugal, from my experience.

[Duque de Bragança]

The uk is closer so more teachers (especially pre brexit). All my portuguese cousins have British accents. It's off-putting 

Portuguese people I find are pretty unique in this. They tend to have shockingly good and British English.
Stark contrast to other Latin countries where they have their own accents or northern European countries where they tend to sound American (except ze Germans of course)

No dubs in Portugal unlike most Latin, if not Southern European countries (Balkans being a special case again).
In theory, that would favour Hollywood-style accents. 

[Jacob]

We had no dubs in Denmark growing up (and still don't). That favoured British accents, as we got a lot of content from the BBC (nature shows, dramas, soccer, comedy). That may have changed by now, though.

[Duque de Bragança]

British programs were shown as well on Portuguese TV of course, but not that popular compared to the average US programs. At least back then.
Foreign/Anglo football would not be shown in English however.

Even cartoons were subbed, at least till the '90s, early 2000s.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

British english was also the favoured version here

[Valmy]

British english was also the favoured version here

You don't say?

[celedhring]

People tell me I have a funny mix of yank and british English, which makes sense since we were taught British english (as Larchie pointed out), but then I spent a few years living in the states.

[Sheilbh]

Oh boy... maybe I've mentioned this before, but I distinctly reading a short story in one of my older English text books (as in, it was old when I got it) a short story about a girl - intended to be a "peer" to the student, but maybe a bit older - so maybe 13-14? - who was obsessed with pop musicians. So she went to a concert with a local musician, got back stage, and slept with him. The experience was disappointing (the musician didn't live up to her illusions). The girl reasoned that that's because he wasn't a big star, but if she could get together with a REAL pop star, it would be amazing just like she believed.

The reader was invited to think the girl was foolish, IIRC. I guess the text reflected the anxieties of the times. It was not a passage that we actually studied, but it was in the book (which had illustrations suggesting it was "hip" in the mid 70s or so).

.
Oh no

Kate Forbes is returning to the backbenches (and one of her key supporters also fired). She was the Scottish Finance Secretary - although she's on mat leave for another few months - under Sturgeon. Apparently Yousaf offered her Rural Affairs and the Islands which is, fair to say, a pretty massive demotion. She declined.

Yousaf's camp are briefing that they had a conversation and she had raised concerns about work-life balance which he took into account (strikes me as a bit sexist). Her camp are briefing that "she told him where to stick it" when he offered her the role.

Now they're both saying how respectful, supportive and cordial the call was and how much they look forward to working together for independence Feels like it's going to be a fairly challenging period for the party.

[Sheilbh]

Separately Yousaf on his first night in the First Minister's residence - a bit like Sunak lighting diyas on the steps at Downing Street for Diwali (when he was Chancellor) both very prosaic but I think important in its way:

Humza Yousaf
@HumzaYousaf
My family and I spending our first night in Bute House after today's parliamentary vote. A special moment leading my family in prayer in Bute House as is customary after breaking fast together.

His mum also went viral saying she'd clip him round the ear if he doesn't still make time to speak with her

[Admiral Yi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-q7V_0OkcI

Amsterdam starts digital ad campaign to deter British lads from visiting.