The EU must be laughing their tits off
No I think they are depressed about it, because they can see how the idiots and the unscrupulous have hijacked a formerly progressive country. The idea that they are depressed about it is one reason I feel pro-EU.
I think most folk in the EU punters and politicians alike have just moved on and no longer care. More important stuff to worry about
I suspect government "strategy" is to try to let Brexit damage hit slowly and incrementally.
Incremental, slow change together with Covid is going to mask massive change in the UK but it's slow enough that it's not obvious to most that the boat is sinking. Those that do realise will be too busy bailing out the boat to do much else anyway.
There’s nothing that smart going on here. The IT systems aren’t ready (still). The physical sites aren’t ready (still). The staff aren’t ready (still). The checks can’t be put in place ‘till next year because we aren’t ready for them (still). As predicted by some of us in 2016 when Brexit was being sold as easily and cheaply deliverable. And again in 2017 when politicians where ruling out any substantive close arrangements with the EU to minimise border issues. And again in 2019 when oven ready deals and getting things done were key political messages. And again when the EU offered us extensions on the transition period arrangements because they knew we wouldn’t be ready and they wanted everyone to focus on getting through the pandemic.
taking back control of our borders
That is the joke really. The system was to IMPORT cheap wage labourers into the UK, at the UK's behest, in order to maximize profits for the employers.
Low wages can be addressed by the UK government. They still need to do that. Employers can’t exploit workers on low pay without the blessing of the UK government. That is still the case after Brexit. It hasn’t changed. Anyone genuinely interested in sorting out low pay needs to look long and hard at the UK government in power thanks to Brexit. Telling foreigners they aren’t wanted was never the answer to low wages. All it has done is make it harder it to export, harder to deliver goods and services inside the UK, and harder for Brits to work outside the UK (unless they have a foreign passport).
There’s nothing that smart going on here. The IT systems aren’t ready (still). The physical sites aren’t ready (still). The staff aren’t ready (still). The checks can’t be put in place ‘till next year because we aren’t ready for them (still). As predicted by some of us in 2016 when Brexit was being sold as easily and cheaply deliverable. And again in 2017 when politicians where ruling out any substantive close arrangements with the EU to minimise border issues. And again in 2019 when oven ready deals and getting things done were key political messages. And again when the EU offered us extensions on the transition period arrangements because they knew we wouldn’t be ready and they wanted everyone to focus on getting through the pandemic.
Sensible people have always pointed out that even IF Brexit was a good idea in theory, the practicalities involved in extricating the UK from 40 odd years of alignment are so immense that even trying would be harmful.
Sensible people wouldn't normally have to worry about that, though, because sensible people know that Brexit is a stupid idea in theory AND in practice.
🤷♂️
Anyone genuinely interested in sorting out low pay needs to look long and hard at the UK government in power thanks to Brexit.
Economic disaster and low wages have already been compensated for - sovrunty. It's what the Brexity masses wanted, so it is a price worth paying, right?
😅
"the UK is acting very fairly and continuing with free trade, it's Europe that is being very aggressive and immediately imposed all these extra checks - not us"
Conservative MP George Freeman, on the UK's decision to postpone food check until 2022
Five years, and were still at the point where these folks get cross that the UK has to now deal with extra paperwork when they step outside the customs union that they used to be in
Five years, and were still at the point where these folks get cross that the UK has to now deal with extra paperwork when they step outside the customs union that they used to be in
Or pretend to get cross to keep their lumpen support happy.
I just find it amazing that the "deal" that apparently was both brilliant and easy to implement, has to be postponed again because...Reasons, while the EU goes ahead and observes the third country rules that we (as a nation) helped draw up, and Tory MPs think that regular folk can't see through their nonsense?
it’s Europe that is being very aggressive and immediately imposed all these extra checks
If only there had been an extension to the transition period on offer... if the EU were reasonable they'd have offered to delay imposing checks to help us, especially when focus needed to be on getting through the pandemic. What do you mean that's exactly what happened, and we slapped down the offer? Still their fault though, obviously. We chose to have the extra checks imposed. We chose when that would begin. All our choice. Yet all their fault.
think that regular folk can’t see through their nonsense?
Boris Johnson broke Britain. But as long as he can blame the EU, millions don't care.
Tory MPs think that regular folk can’t see through their nonsense?
Few are looking. Most don't care. Politicians of all stripes know this. For those directly affected it will happen slowly, quietly, and for the most part unseen and unremarked.
No one with any prospect of sorting this out is on the horizon so protect ourselves as best we can for now and hope you're not too badly affected. F all else you can do is there? Beyond getting a bit irked when hearing from otherwise reasonable people about the EU punishing us or it not being as bad as anyone said it would be I struggle to get too energetic about the whole thing now. It's just wasted energy.
It’s just wasted energy.
True. Except... it's set a trend for UK politics now. And "getting away with it" on such a grand scale means that politicians can employ the same tactics in many areas, not just our arrangements with the countries around us. If the accepted truth is just all the theatrics and messaging, not what's actually happening on the ground, then it's the former that you focus on, not the later. Great for winning, not so much for running a country. Now would be a good time to watch Adam Curtis' Hypernormalization again, especially the Surkov stuff.
Tory MPs
thinkknow that enough regular folk can’t see through their nonsense?
FTFY.
Now would be a good time to watch Adam Curtis’ Hypernormalization again, especially the Surkov stuff.
Very much so. I'm constantly reminded of the 'computer therapist' that just played the subject's ramblings back to them via questions that led them down a path of reinforcement and validation. Before long the subjects were insisting on time 'alone' with the computer. Despite knowing what the computer was doing.
Reinforce prejudice and ignorance. Tell people it is ok. Encourage it. Even better when you can use something like social meedya to target different lies to different groups.
And “getting away with it” on such a grand scale means that politicians can employ the same tactics in many areas,
Another week, another example of where we're going.
But hey, the poor & disadvantaged voted to be poorer and more disadvantaged - and that's what they're getting.
Liz Truss is foreign secretary. The perfect successor to Raab. 😉
Do you think any of this lot are up to the task of cleaning up the shit they delivered us?
https://twitter.com/jayrayner1/status/1438207358157705216?s=21
With depressing predictability, next stop 1955
https://twitter.com/thetimes/status/1438548409636556800?s=21
That will at least make it a lot easier to identify the hard of thinking in business.
Well, that's just yet more facepalm to add to the huge mountain of facepalm that has gone before it.
You already could sell in imperial, you just had to have the metric equivalent labelled equally prominently.
Another announcement that doesn't change anything then.
Yeah, but now they won't have to display the metric units and Johnny Foreigner won't have a clue when he goes to the butchers. It'll be a right laugh.
Yeah, but now they won’t have to display the metric units and Johnny Foreigner anyone under 60 won’t have a clue when he goes to the butchers. It’ll be a right laugh.
FTFY
You couldn't make it up....
So wait, I can buy a pint of milk or get served a quarter-pounder again? Will I still have to travel miles to get them as everyone is out of stock of the raw ingredients.
Another announcement that doesn’t change anything then.
It's just a Dead Cat isnt it?
Yeah, but now they won’t have to display the metric units and Johnny Foreigner won’t have a clue when he goes to the butchers.
As will no one else who is under 40 years old.
What's the betting manufacturers who do switch to imperial weights and volumes use it as a way to sneak in price rises? That 125g item now becomes 1/4lb (113g) but the price stays the same. That 2 litre bottle of milk becomes 4 pints (1.892 litres). You get the picture.
All so we could talk in lbs and ounces and have a blue passport (that we could have anyway)? I hate what this country has become.
You already could sell in imperial, you just had to have the metric equivalent labelled equally prominently.
Another announcement that doesn’t change anything then.
And another over reaction from everyone completed missing that point. Rather than taking the high ground about returning to the 50s, we should be pointing out - again - that this was possible pre-Brexit and people were lied to by the current government about it.
As will no one else who is under 40 years old.
Metric came in in 1974, so nobody under 50 will have been taught at school using imperial measurements.
Nice of the Tory's to officially confirm the only age group that actually matters. I reckon they probably regard 50 year olds as cheeky young scamps
As will no one else who is under 40 years old.
Mate, I'm mid 50's and we were never taught it - you'd need to be +70 to really remember.
It’s just a Dead Cat isnt it?
Yes, I I've realised that I've been had again. It's just part of the on-going "Owning of the Libs"
Jeasus what a crappy place we've become
Another announcement that doesn’t change anything then.
was possible pre-Brexit and people were lied to by the current government about it
I’ve realised that I’ve been had again. It’s just part of the on-going “Owning of the Libs
Yup. Change our voting system (without any of this pesky referendum nonsense) to try and get more Conservative local politicians into positions of power (and take platforms off opposition politicians making difficult noises for the Brexit government)... tax breaks for the rich, tax increases for the poor... cut state education budgets... more people dying every day at this stage of the pandemic than some countries have lost from Covid19 all year... but look... the good ole days are here again (distracts their supporters just as much as those that oppose them). Cheers! Mine's a pint... haven't we all missed pints? Proper milk bottles and beer measurements.... so glad to have them back. I mean, how long is it since we've been able to buy 2.272 litres of milk at the supermarket? What, you bought one that size yesterday? You must be mistaken...
Mate, I’m mid 50’s and we were never taught it – you’d need to be +70 to really remember.
I am 53 and don't know whether I was taught it but I was using it for a long time during the 70's, 80's and even 90's. I can still happily use feet and inches, lbs and stone etc,. and it just feels a bit like being bilingual in that regard.
You must have been in a different country than me if you would buying sweets by the gram in 1978 as it was all lbs and ounzes when I was buying them.
We are not going back to pounds, shillings and pence here!
We are not going back to pounds, shillings and pence here!
They're saving that one for when they bring back workhouses.
the EU should force us to full metric compliance if we ever want to rejoin.... no more pints all road signs in km oh and make us drive on the right.
Does this "change" mean a seller is allowed to *only* list a product in imperial measurements?
That could be interesting.
the EU should force us to full metric compliance if we ever want to rejoin…. no more pints all road signs in km oh and make us drive on the right.
+1
and I would happily have the Euro too.
I think you would have to as a condition of joining, Seems to be the thing that new member states have to work towards.
Does this “change” mean a seller is allowed to *only* list a product in imperial measurements?
This “change” means a seller is allowed to list a product *only* in imperial measurements.
^^ I suspect other than for market sellers it'll simply deter many buyers.
That said, I don't see it being taken up by many of them either.
So yeah, a dead cat.
Glad to see the government is tackling the pressing issues of the nation though.
People who have supported Johnson keep asking to see Brexit benefits though… so they have to say something. If it’s simplistic, pointless, counter productive and just plain simply idiotic… well, that’s a bonus.
