If NI is not technically out can we move parliament to stormont, while it's being flattened for social housing, sorry I mean fixed. Then drag GB back in line with NI putting UK back in Europe.
I'm back from the Ardeche, a school trip taking kids down the river. It appears Brexit has screwed a number of the British companies operating there. Some companies have been used to operating with Brits prepared to work for modest salaries for the privilege of working in what amounts to a scout camp - but in a fantastic location. British canoe qualifications no longer cut it. The result is that some very famous names I won't name have thrown in the towel for the moment.
The people we stayed with, Adventure in English, because they deserve a plug, are struggling with staffing but have survived. The French chef had just walked out so a French security guard was doing the cooking, the French kids loved the food (so did I), perhaps because it ressembled their school menus and home cooking, but the British clients complained about it.
So there's a hole to be filled. The shake out means there's a shortage of activity holidays and somehow supply will rise to meet demand, but whoever does it needs a new business model.
Sometimes I wonder if we will see England forced to go it alone, with the other three UK nations going independent or even forming their own union, with a long term aim to rejoin the EU.
While Scotland could do it alone I think Wales would have to be in a union to survive wouldn't they but it would generally be a good move for them as looking at what they vote for Scotland and Wales are different places to England and England seems to be getting worse not better.
Without the other two small nations Wales would definitely be feeling pretty isolated so some sort of major change would have to happen.
I think Wales would have to be in a union to survive
There are load of countries, many in Europe, that are smaller than Wales. Some aren’t in any kind of Union at all. Most are… but then so are most bigger countries, because… genuine considerable upsides, rather than fantasy ones.
There are load of countries, many in Europe, that are smaller than Wales.
As a Welsh person edging more towards the TJ doctrine with each passing week of this government I must still point out that this argument is pretty weak. There are small countries yes but there's far more to it than simply size.
Small independent countries have generally been so for a long time, at leat before industrialisation and globalisation. That means they start off poor and build their own industrial economies. Wales has never done this. Just look at map. The two main rail lines and the two biggest roads go to England, and there are reasons for this. The main north-south road is a winding country road, precisely because there's hardly any traffic on it.
Wales was annexed 500 years ago, it simply does not have its own modern economy.
I think that if an indy vote were ever to pass here, it would have to be the start of a multi decade process of gradually increasing devolution and international preparation which would require cooperative rUK government. However, I can see how Scottish Independence and Irish reunification could very likely start this process.
I mean, if both John and George had left the Beatles first you'd be pretty sure that Paul and Ringo would be looking at calling it a day.
And I always reply with, "look at Slovenia". Broke from a larger "union" of nations (Yugoslavia) to become an independent nation of similar area and population to Wales. I first went there in 1997, not long after independence and then again in 2011. The difference was staggering. The first time it was like Eastern Germany after the fall of the wall. The second time you could have been in Switzerland. Huge transformation.
http://www.syniadau.cymru/2011/12/wales-slovenia-and-independence.html
In fact a google brings up this article. Since 2011 the differences have increased further still
Slovenia is on the European mainland and on major trade routes, Wales is on an island and cut off from trade by England.
Slovenia is a nice hot and sunny tourist destination easily reached from central Europe. Wales is wet windy and most definitely not very popular with rich German tourists.
Slovenia is in the EU and Euro
Slovenia has a well-educated population and excellent health service.
Slovenia has a thriving manufacturing sector with easy geographical access to its customers in Germany, Italy... .
Slovenia is perhaps the best advert for joining the EU and Wales the best advert for not leaving.
Iceland manages to be independent without being on the European mainland, cut off by the sea, without a hot and sunny climate, without being in the EU and with a population about 1/10th that of Wales.
But had to get a IMF bail-out after the financial crash of 2008, Tourism makes up a good percentage of it's economy, and it has a huge aluminium sector because electricity is essentially free.
I think you can make pros and cons for every small nation, I don't think there's any reason why Wales couldn't make a go of being a small nation inside the EU. But like Scotland, Wales currency would probably have to be the Euro, I don't know how well that would go down really.
Cadwalladr had no facts to support the claims she made against Banks
Not true. She had no facts to support what Bank’s team said could be inferred from one particular claim. The actual claim was that he lied about his connections to the Russian government. And he did. They tried to make it about funding and intention, neither of which could be proven, so there was no attempted defence or truthfulness, but then how could there be, the claim was simply that he lied about contact with the Russian government.
It felt like I’d stepped into the pages of a Kafka novel. The judge’s ruling meant that I was going to be put on trial to defend the truth of a statement I’d never actually said or meant.
When news broke that I’d withdrawn the truth defence and would instead be defending it only on public interest, it sent the rightwing media system into meltdown. A tsunami of abusive articles, tweets, pronouncements from commentators and MPs…
As I’m not in the public eye, I can call it as it is… Banks is most probably a Russian operative married to a Russian spy, who has successfully obscured the fact that his wealth is a result of Russian state sponsorship and assistance.
We helped Putin to destabilise both Europe and trans Atlantic cooperation when we we voted to leave the EU.
"We helped Putin to destabilise both Europe and trans Atlantic cooperation when we we voted to leave the EU."
Didn't we just.. Interestingly I saw a clip of Divid Cameron the other day, warning that us leaving the EU could lead to war. Dismissed as project fear of course.
Though for many of is the thought occurs that if he was smart enough to see that danger, why was he so stupid as to run the risk of that eventuality occurring?
As I’m not in the public eye, I can call it as it is… Banks is most probably a Russian operative married to a Russian spy, who has successfully obscured the fact that his wealth is a result of Russian state sponsorship and assistance.
On behalf of Singletracks lawyers, I'd like to add the word "allegedly" to that sentence.
Iceland manages to be independent… …without being in the EU
Although not in the EU, Iceland is in the single market. GB needs to rejoin the single market asap.
Iceland is in the single market.
And an independent Scotland or Wales could be as well. They wouldn’t have to join the EU for decades… if at all. They probably would join pretty quickly… but there is no need for any independence arguments to be dominated by an in/out of EU discussion. If operating as if within the Single Market, yet still trading with rUK, is good enough for Northern Ireland…
And an independent Scotland or Wales could be as well.
They'd need a hard border though.
Has NI got a hard border? [ discuss ]
but there is no need for any independence arguments to be dominated by an in/out of EU discussion. If operating as if within the Single Market, yet still trading with rUK, is good enough for Northern Ireland…
It's possibly a huge issue and one that I hope is thoroughly interrogated should IndyRef2 become a thing- unlike the GB/NI border in the Brexit referendum.
N.I is only permitted to operate as it does in order to maintain the GFA - which was signed when, and only works when, both parties are part of the EU. It is by the EU's admission a unique situation.
If Wales and Scotland become independent and join the EU or EEA then there will be hard borders on their boundaries with England. I don't see how the EU could possibly protect their single market otherwise ?
Iceland may well be in the single market but it was never in a Customs Union with the EU and there is effectively a hard border as a result - customs paperwork etc.
Has NI got a hard border? [ discuss ]
Yes, Commercial Invoices are required when sending goods GB>NI with a value in excess of 135 pounds.
Oh, they’d be customs paperwork alright. Selling into Scotland or Wales would become as much of a pain for England based companies as selling into NI is now. But the NI situation has shown that operating in the Single Market doesn’t have to result in economic Armageddon for small countries with historic and geographic links to GB. Hell, that’s even more true for the country of Ireland.
But the NI situation has shown that operating in the Single Market doesn’t have to result in economic Armageddon for small countries with historic and geographic links to GB. Hell, that’s even more true for the country of Ireland.
The NI economy has been strongly affected. Armageddon ? No, but still significantly affected.
It's an easy win for the No campaign to argue that the cost of a hard border with the UK - bureaucracy, tariffs, logistical expenses, on a huge proportion of existing trade -is a crippling burden on a Nation attempting to finance Independence. They'd have a strong argument.
I have no skin in this game. I don't really like Nationalism of any flavour but if people want to determine their own futures then fair enough, good luck to them.
My only point is that the border issue needs to be looked at forensically and objectively in a way GB/NI/RoI never was during the Brexit Campaign.
The NI economy has been strongly affected.
er… ok
The NI economy has been strongly affected
Positively or negatively in your view? NI's unique position as both in and out of the EU is having some upside.
The NI economy has been strongly affected. Armageddon ? No, but still significantly affected.
As alluded to above, you might want to go check out NI's economic performance compared to the UK average at the moment.
Due to the protocol it's actually in the goldilocks zone for business/ trade currently.
Rather inconvenient for the DUP...
The reason that quite a few online businesses are moving to NI has absolutely nothing to do with Brexit and the NI Protocol….purely coincidental
Two weeks ago saw one of our remaining two Erasmus+ events happening. We took 9 early years educators out to Malta to work with Maltese, Spanish, Slovak and Belgian coleagues.
We've been doing this for years across a dozen Erasmus+ learning/sharing programmes for teachers and educators.
That was great.
Thing is, we watched a programme with dozens of training weeks all across Europe in the last fortnight. Thousands of early years eductors, from every country across Europe. Using the Standards and Handbook that we in the UK helped develop.
Not one UK educator will benefit, we can't take part.
Additionally, we've gone from €380k annually to a big fat €0 next year.
But once more, with feeling please, wave your blue passports at the sunshine bathing the uplands of the UK economy and cultural engagement.
🙁
Just look at map. The two main rail lines and the two biggest roads go to England, and there are reasons for this. The main north-south road is a winding country road, precisely because there’s hardly any traffic on it.
Having no knowledge what so ever, but whats to stop Wales to consider turning the traffic around to head for the coast to ports to ship goods to Ireland and into the EU, removing the need to go through England to access the EU?
Having no knowledge what so ever, but whats to stop Wales to consider turning the traffic around to head for the coast to ports to ship goods to Ireland and into the EU, removing the need to go through England to access the EU?
In theory yes, the roads and railways were made to link up with ports. In fact the road that is now the A55 in North Wales along with the railway line were developed to open up Holyhead as a port for shipping to Ireland. iW would clearly need a lot of trade with its nearest neighbour in any case.
But the point about the roads is that it highlights Wales's history as just another part of England that was developed and exploited for the benefit of the British economy and its rich industrialists. This is why it's different to other small countries in Europe and also different to Scotland.
Where do you think the motorways in Slovenia go to?
Stop the presses lads! The Haunted Victorian Pencil has finally come up with one of those pesky EU regulations we can do away with!
https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1540247376866295809
Ooh and on the 6th anniversary of the vote 🙂
I finally learn another of the laws that they were so keen to repeal that made leaving the eu so important 🙂
I finally learn another of the laws that they were so keen to repeal that made leaving the eu so important
So far I have:
- non-wonky bananas
- non-wibbly distances in the Dartford tunnel
- blue passports
- and let us not forget 'taking back control'
What have I missed?
I may have heard one about allowing champagne in plastic bottles.
And don’t forget tampon tax.
There was the ability not to charge VAT on energy bills.
However that seems to have been quietly forgotten.
I may have heard one about allowing champagne in plastic bottles.
Wouldn't they bulge or explode? The pressure is higher than carbonated soft drinks, no?
Wouldn’t they bulge or explode? The pressure is higher than carbonated soft drinks, no?
Thats why there was a cry of “bollocks to this idea” by folk in the industry, 50 psi or 3.5 bar in a plastic bottle with a plastic cap would lead to explosions
One thing riding around the ireland and NI has shown me is how absurd the border is. I crossed it half a dozen times in one days ride.
Ooh yes, it’s a really bad idea some one in the wine industry have mentioned that’s it’s a health and safety no,no.
I’m not sure if RM is just a massive piss taker or just a terrible bell endian.
I can’t see anyone taking advantage of his cunning stunts to bother its like the pint champagne bottle, it’s just a way of limiting to where you can sell your product which isn’t usually what you want to do.
One thing riding around the ireland and NI has shown me is how absurd the border is. I crossed it half a dozen times in one days ride.
Technology was the buzzword back In the day that was going to solve it.
Did you have a trail dog with you 🙂
Stop the presses lads! The Haunted Victorian Pencil has finally come up with one of those pesky EU regulations we can do away with!
And the stupid thing is, it was our choice to use intervals of 25 metres (it's a maximum) on the distance signs and convert them into yards - we could've just used 25 yards.
Where do you think the motorways in Slovenia go to?
To Ljubljana by the look of it.
Maybe we need another thread for this.
Wouldn’t they bulge or explode? The pressure is higher than carbonated soft drinks, no?
Thats why there was a cry of “bollocks to this idea” by folk in the industry, 50 psi or 3.5 bar in a plastic bottle with a plastic cap would lead to explosions
They are stronger than you would think. I had a ghetto tubeless inflator made out of a 2L soft drinks bottle with the normal cap and it could take at least 120 psi no problem. May have been more prone to eruption if bumped by something pointy though... but left on its own, I wouldn't worry about it (unless it was under my pillow)
The “internet” says 150psi max for appropriate plastic bottles, champagne requires “only” 90psi. So there you go. No idea if that makes transporting and storing viable. 🤷🏻♂️
