Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Sheilbh]

Separately on seizing Russian ships (which the UK has done once I think) but other European countries been more active. Another example of the say-do gap in British politics (particularly on defence) as Starmer has said we will "go after" these tankers and John Healey has been very robust too.

It turns out it is the true tri-fecta of the modern British state

There's basically been three lines of reporting on this about why we're so passive - and Putin's shadow fleet is regularly going through British waters. The first and biggest issue is that we don't have the ships in the Royal Navy to do it (or they're all under maintenance). The second was that even when we do have ships in the area that are able to do it the Attorney General has taken a very strict approach on international law and is requiring sign off "at the highest level" on a case-by-case basis - apparently there have been cases that by the time that assessment is done the Russian ships have gone.

Then in the Times yesterday the third strand, is that there's a big spending row over it in Whitehall. Basically seizing a ship means you need to berth it somewhere which costs money as well as providing maintenance and security. The MoD don't want to pay for it and the Department of Transport are also refusing to pay for it - the Treasury won't provide additional or separate funding for it. Apparently Department of Transport civil servants have been pointing to Ireland which seized a Panamanian registered ship carrying 2.2 tonnes of cocaine - and maintaining, securing and berthing that vessel has cost the Irish state more than £10 million.

So there we have it - no state capacity, wildly legalist self-imposed constraints and no-one's willing to pay for it

(I'd add on the payment from £10 million is literally a rounding error for government budgets - but also that they're using that Irish example feels like a really bad one to make. Or does the UK government just not try to stop any unlawful contraband/smuggling because it might incur a cost? )

[Valmy]

For some reason this comes to mind:

Sir Richard Wharton: Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.

[mongers]

I'm kinda hoping Starmer survives all of this, just to see if consequently Shelf's head explodes. 

[Sheilbh]

I'm fuming that after fourteen years Labour win - get a huge majority and are pissing it up the wall.

Sadly I can fully see a route to Starmer surviving until the next election and the punishment voters would (rightly) give them.

[HVC]

It's your karmic punishment for flirting with the greens. I hope you're happy, the uk is suffering for you follies

[Sheilbh]

It's your karmic punishment for flirting with the greens. I hope you're happy, the uk is suffering for you follies

I'll still be voting Green despite all the issues. Labour need punishing.

I flirted with Your Party (Showing my customary unerring political nous )

[HVC]

It's your karmic punishment for flirting with the greens. I hope you're happy, the uk is suffering for you follies

I'll still be voting Green despite all the issues. Labour need punishing.

I flirted with Your Party (Showing my customary unerring political nous )

Stop making me question universal suffrage . It's disquieting