It's not like kicking out most of the Tories with a brain in their heads over Brexit left the benches full of talent to draw on but Johnson appears to be lining up a cabinet of toadies and lickspittles like no other I can remember.
Julian Smith has been sacked as NI secretary. This came as a surprise to many as he'd been seen as doing a good job, certainly better than most of his recent predecessors.
This has NOT gone down well on this side of the Irish Sea. At all. Julian was one of the rare NI secretaries who actually knew what the fuck he was doing, and he was instrumental in negotiating a return to power sharing. Johnson could not send a clearer message that he doesn’t know anything about the region and can’t be arsed learning.
Yeah well he didn't pucker up sweetly enough for Johnson so he's gone. As ever with weak men they can't stand to have strong and capable ones that might disagree around them.
It's not like kicking out most of the Tories with a brain in their heads over Brexit left the benches full of talent to draw on but Johnson appears to be lining up a cabinet of toadies and lickspittles like no other I can remember.
From what I've read, Johnson appears to have dedicated his entire adult life to get good at attracting toadies and lickspittles. So there's that.
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MayabirdPecking at the keyboardRegistered Userregular
Damnit, why does the world have to slip-n-slide into full-on fascism while the US and UK have Boris and Trump at the wheel? Russia at least got Putin, who seems ruthlessly competent, and China got Xi who at least pretends to care about his country.
Because Putin has had a hand in it, directly through funding and indirectly through brainwashing people on social media.
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BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
It's still pretty weird when I see Gove introduced as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. It's like out of my CK2 playthrough, but with more backstabbing.
Framing things in CK2 terms, do you think Boris would be more likely to bang the rose bush, centaur, or all the above?
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
(You) have been such an effective SOS for NI at a time of real challenge & risk. Without your leadership I don’t believe NI would have a Govt today. Thank you @JulianSmithUK for your trust, friendship and courage; UK & #Ireland can look to future with more confidence because of it.
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surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
Resigning just four weeks before the budget, no less. The guy who loved to mention he was the son of a bus driver gets thrown under one.
my impression is javid 1) was told he needed to fire his advisers and said sod off 2) has a budget due in a month and knows its fucked 3) having had hs2 shoved on him has realised you cannot be a chancellor if spending decisions are just being dumped on you from on high
sunak is the likely replacement afaik and he is an oleaginous vacuity with a soaring talent for mediocrity and repeating the party line so... perfect to be a pr chancellor who makes no decisions
Understand there will be a new ‘joint’ team of advisers for Number 10 and 11 - in other words Number 10 trying to take control big time
So basically Cummings is running the PM’s office and the Chancellorship. Still! Thank goodness the UK is free of the EU and no longer getting pushed around by unelected bureaucrats, yeah?
Damnit, why does the world have to slip-n-slide into full-on fascism while the US and UK have Boris and Trump at the wheel? Russia at least got Putin, who seems ruthlessly competent, and China got Xi who at least pretends to care about his country.
A source closed to the now-former chancellor Sajid Javid has been telling the Press Association that "no self-respecting minister" could accept the conditions being imposed on him by No 10 to keep his job.
The source says Mr Javid was told by the PM "he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with No 10 special advisers to make it one team".
They added: "The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms."
It's easy enough to find ministers without self-respect, so that's not a problem.
All four great offices of state are now occupied by absolute pieces of shit or ambitious empty suits willing to do what the pieces of shit tell them. Hooray.
Resigning just four weeks before the budget, no less. The guy who loved to mention he was the son of a bus driver gets thrown under one.
my impression is javid 1) was told he needed to fire his advisers and said sod off 2) has a budget due in a month and knows its fucked 3) having had hs2 shoved on him has realised you cannot be a chancellor if spending decisions are just being dumped on you from on high
sunak is the likely replacement afaik and he is an oleaginous vacuity with a soaring talent for mediocrity and repeating the party line so... perfect to be a pr chancellor who makes no decisions
This burn...*chefs kiss*
It's sad that both our governments have devolved to the point that we can take solace only in insulting them in ways they couldn't comprehend.
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
a very interesting point i did not realise: a consequence of the paperwork burden on non-eu imports is that broadly our trade with the eu consists of a lot of mixed loads on lorries - ie lots of different goods in a single container, while our imports from elsewhere tend to be a single good ( only one commodity code, only one set of paperwork ). so it is not the case that a lot of our existing eu trade is a move to "the same thing we do for elsewhere", it is "restructure your entire import process in order to make it only just as much of a ballache as importing from elsewhere or pay a freight consolidator for bonus overhead"
Jesus christ that sounds like a fucking disaster for a ton of businesses.
a very interesting point i did not realise: a consequence of the paperwork burden on non-eu imports is that broadly our trade with the eu consists of a lot of mixed loads on lorries - ie lots of different goods in a single container, while our imports from elsewhere tend to be a single good ( only one commodity code, only one set of paperwork ). so it is not the case that a lot of our existing eu trade is a move to "the same thing we do for elsewhere", it is "restructure your entire import process in order to make it only just as much of a ballache as importing from elsewhere or pay a freight consolidator for bonus overhead"
Jesus christ that sounds like a fucking disaster for a ton of businesses.
it gets even worse if you consider that some goods that are viewed as a nightmare to ship internationally eg things like boxes of belgian chocolates have been getting in via the eu. if u take a bunch of mixed chocolates they might contain some liquers, some containing fruit etc and each of those has an individual commodity code and separate set of forms that must be filled out. if there is an error then it needs to be fixed on the spot - what is the chance ur freight driver knows the exact cacao composition of each individual chocolate, or origin of the fruit? etc. so it is not even the case that u can straightforwardly just divide ur goods up, because some goods are inherently mixed!
surrealitycheck on
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BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
a very interesting point i did not realise: a consequence of the paperwork burden on non-eu imports is that broadly our trade with the eu consists of a lot of mixed loads on lorries - ie lots of different goods in a single container, while our imports from elsewhere tend to be a single good ( only one commodity code, only one set of paperwork ). so it is not the case that a lot of our existing eu trade is a move to "the same thing we do for elsewhere", it is "restructure your entire import process in order to make it only just as much of a ballache as importing from elsewhere or pay a freight consolidator for bonus overhead"
Jesus christ that sounds like a fucking disaster for a ton of businesses.
it gets even worse if you consider that some goods that are viewed as a nightmare to ship internationally eg things like boxes of belgian chocolates have been getting in via the eu. if u take a bunch of mixed chocolates they might contain some liquers, some containing fruit etc and each of those has an individual commodity code and separate set of forms that must be filled out. if there is an error then it needs to be fixed on the spot - what is the chance ur freight driver knows the exact cacao composition of each individual chocolate, or origin of the fruit? etc. so it is not even the case that u can straightforwardly just divide ur goods up, because some goods are inherently mixed!
I'll gladly take any alcoholic chocolates from Belgium, Switzerland, or Austria off their hands for a nominal fee.
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
a very interesting point i did not realise: a consequence of the paperwork burden on non-eu imports is that broadly our trade with the eu consists of a lot of mixed loads on lorries - ie lots of different goods in a single container, while our imports from elsewhere tend to be a single good ( only one commodity code, only one set of paperwork ). so it is not the case that a lot of our existing eu trade is a move to "the same thing we do for elsewhere", it is "restructure your entire import process in order to make it only just as much of a ballache as importing from elsewhere or pay a freight consolidator for bonus overhead"
Jesus christ that sounds like a fucking disaster for a ton of businesses.
it gets even worse if you consider that some goods that are viewed as a nightmare to ship internationally eg things like boxes of belgian chocolates have been getting in via the eu. if u take a bunch of mixed chocolates they might contain some liquers, some containing fruit etc and each of those has an individual commodity code and separate set of forms that must be filled out. if there is an error then it needs to be fixed on the spot - what is the chance ur freight driver knows the exact cacao composition of each individual chocolate, or origin of the fruit? etc. so it is not even the case that u can straightforwardly just divide ur goods up, because some goods are inherently mixed!
This is why most trade agreements anymore focus on 'non-tarrif barriers to trade' since on the whole tariffs aren't really that burdensome on anything anymore. Paperwork, though?
Also subsidies, but that's more disagreements over appropriate policy than just making logistics a pain in the ass.
moniker on
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surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
also when they talk of an "australia-style" deal; if we left on those terms we would actually be trading with the eu on worse terms than australia.
why?
because australia has, for historical reasons (i suspect because when we joined some % of our arrangement was commuted but i would have to check the exact details), quite substantial quotas with the eu (certainly on eg sheep and goat meat), allowing them to get a lot of stuff in without being subject to normal tariffs. we, on the other hand, would not have such an arrangement...
braverman is one of those people who betrays a distressing level of Online when u read her older interviews, and not the good kind of online either
One of the leftist podcasts I listen to recently had a plea to journalists to start asking some of the newly elected Tory first-time MPs about QAnon, because some of them are mental in that very particular way and it would be interesting to see this get national media attention
So a parade of bootlickers and yes men to make up the cabinet. When you think the tories can't possibly get even more incompetent they do find ways of surprising you. While we're at it, have they officially made Cummings PM in this reshuffle, or left Johnson as his sockpuppet in the role?
Why are the nations that beat Hitler suddenly trying to emulate him?
because all the people who actually beat him are dead, and we've forgotten.
I've been saying for the last few years that it is absolutely not coincidental that all this is happening just as the generation that fought WWII is dying off.
Ha. So Britain's new Secretary of State for International Development is a woman called Anne-Marie Trevelyan - typical Brexit nut. Part of her brief would include famine relief
Certainly any of the Irish here may recognise the name Trevelyan in the context of a famine and Boris Johnson is both an asshole and reader of history that suits him so I'm somewhat cynical that it's just a coincidence. :P
Some of you may recall that, last week, Labour MP Tracy Brabin's dress slipped off her shoulder at the dispatch box, which she was leaning on due to a broken ankle, leading to much huffing and puffing and criticism from the usual suspects, and leading her to memorably defend herself as not a “slag, hungover, a tart, about to breastfeed, a slapper, drunk, just been banged over a wheelie bin”.
Well, the dress - which originally cost £35 - has been auctioned for the benefit of Girlguiding UK. Brabin had listed it as a way of standing up for women in the workplace, and hoped to make £500 for the Guides.
In fact the dress sold for a whopping £20,200. I think she made her point.
Ha. So Britain's new Secretary of State for International Development is a woman called Anne-Marie Trevelyan - typical Brexit nut. Part of her brief would include famine relief
Certainly any of the Irish here may recognise the name Trevelyan in the context of a famine and Boris Johnson is both an asshole and reader of history that suits him so I'm somewhat cynical that it's just a coincidence. :P
Why are the nations that beat Hitler suddenly trying to emulate him?
because all the people who actually beat him are dead, and we've forgotten.
I've been saying for the last few years that it is absolutely not coincidental that all this is happening just as the generation that fought WWII is dying off.
We can only hope that Call of Duty will have been enough to save our generation.
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This has NOT gone down well on this side of the Irish Sea. At all. Julian was one of the rare NI secretaries who actually knew what the fuck he was doing, and he was instrumental in negotiating a return to power sharing. Johnson could not send a clearer message that he doesn’t know anything about the region and can’t be arsed learning.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Steam | XBL
From what I've read, Johnson appears to have dedicated his entire adult life to get good at attracting toadies and lickspittles. So there's that.
Because Putin has had a hand in it, directly through funding and indirectly through brainwashing people on social media.
Framing things in CK2 terms, do you think Boris would be more likely to bang the rose bush, centaur, or all the above?
~ Buckaroo Banzai
gimme more
Resigning just four weeks before the budget, no less. The guy who loved to mention he was the son of a bus driver gets thrown under one.
my impression is javid 1) was told he needed to fire his advisers and said sod off 2) has a budget due in a month and knows its fucked 3) having had hs2 shoved on him has realised you cannot be a chancellor if spending decisions are just being dumped on you from on high
sunak is the likely replacement afaik and he is an oleaginous vacuity with a soaring talent for mediocrity and repeating the party line so... perfect to be a pr chancellor who makes no decisions
Safe to assume most decisions made by Johnson have had input from Cummings.
So basically Cummings is running the PM’s office and the Chancellorship. Still! Thank goodness the UK is free of the EU and no longer getting pushed around by unelected bureaucrats, yeah?
I don't think those are all independent events.
Fucking hell...
Re Sajid:
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This burn...*chefs kiss*
It's sad that both our governments have devolved to the point that we can take solace only in insulting them in ways they couldn't comprehend.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Jesus christ that sounds like a fucking disaster for a ton of businesses.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
it gets even worse if you consider that some goods that are viewed as a nightmare to ship internationally eg things like boxes of belgian chocolates have been getting in via the eu. if u take a bunch of mixed chocolates they might contain some liquers, some containing fruit etc and each of those has an individual commodity code and separate set of forms that must be filled out. if there is an error then it needs to be fixed on the spot - what is the chance ur freight driver knows the exact cacao composition of each individual chocolate, or origin of the fruit? etc. so it is not even the case that u can straightforwardly just divide ur goods up, because some goods are inherently mixed!
I'll gladly take any alcoholic chocolates from Belgium, Switzerland, or Austria off their hands for a nominal fee.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
This is why most trade agreements anymore focus on 'non-tarrif barriers to trade' since on the whole tariffs aren't really that burdensome on anything anymore. Paperwork, though?
Also subsidies, but that's more disagreements over appropriate policy than just making logistics a pain in the ass.
why?
because australia has, for historical reasons (i suspect because when we joined some % of our arrangement was commuted but i would have to check the exact details), quite substantial quotas with the eu (certainly on eg sheep and goat meat), allowing them to get a lot of stuff in without being subject to normal tariffs. we, on the other hand, would not have such an arrangement...
Ian is the editor of politcshome.com
This is the beginning of the government's attempts to control the judiciary. I.e replace judges they don't like and so on.
We've gone full Trump.
Over/under on the Boris and Co. looking to reinstitute a Charles I-esque version of Star Chamber to judicially bugger their adversaries?
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Framing that as a bad state of affairs is a whole different issue.
Going full on Machtergreifung I see. Why are the nations that beat Hitler suddenly trying to emulate him?
One of the leftist podcasts I listen to recently had a plea to journalists to start asking some of the newly elected Tory first-time MPs about QAnon, because some of them are mental in that very particular way and it would be interesting to see this get national media attention
because all the people who actually beat him are dead, and we've forgotten.
I've been saying for the last few years that it is absolutely not coincidental that all this is happening just as the generation that fought WWII is dying off.
Steam | XBL
Certainly any of the Irish here may recognise the name Trevelyan in the context of a famine and Boris Johnson is both an asshole and reader of history that suits him so I'm somewhat cynical that it's just a coincidence. :P
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Trevelyan,_1st_Baronet
Well, the dress - which originally cost £35 - has been auctioned for the benefit of Girlguiding UK. Brabin had listed it as a way of standing up for women in the workplace, and hoped to make £500 for the Guides.
In fact the dress sold for a whopping £20,200. I think she made her point.
Steam | XBL
Well, I'd say that's a bad look, but I guess that depends on your perspective.
*Urge to sing 'fields of athenry' intensifies*
We can only hope that Call of Duty will have been enough to save our generation.
I'm seeing people on Reddit say "Well the EU-Japan trade deal means this was going to happen anyway".
They know we're leaving the EU right?