Ukraine

It’s all very well calling for visa free entry to anyone who says they are from Ukraine but this creates a huge problem for Social Services and other government functions who have statutory duties e.g. child safeguarding / care of minors that do not have family etc etc.

This is already a massive issue with a significant number of Local Authorities already unable to take new arrivals due to the constant flow from Calais.

There is also the issue that Putin has already inferred punishment will be forthcoming for Britain – so the last thing we want having limited travel for Russian citizens e.g. by bans on flights, is to allow Russian agents to blend into thousands of innocent refugees from Ukraine. And this isn’t a ridiculous conspiracy theory on several counts:

1. Russia installed hundreds of Wagner group mercenaries in Ukraine up to a year before the conflict started
2. Russia has conducted assassinations in the Uk with radioactive substances and biological weapons
3. There’s no reason to think Putin wouldn’t be willing to assassinate our leading politicians in order to create a sense of panic in the Uk / destabilise law and order if he thought that would strengthen his hand.

We’ve also seen through recent terrorist offences that people will seek to claim they are from one country in order to gain entry to the UK only for it to turn out they are actually from somewhere else.

A completely new system to register applications from 200,000+ people will always have a lead time – it doesn’t stop Ukranians reaching the safety of Poland, France or anywhere else on the continent and also doesn’t mean we won’t give the sanctuary already promised.

On that front, I’ve been talking to neighbours about how we can organise to give visibility of spare rooms etc for Ukrainian families that need a home until their home is freed from Russian occupation. In our home we’ve agreed that we’ll move out of the main bedroom into a loft room if there’s a Ukrainian family that needs somewhere to stay – for as long as they need it.

If anyone knows of any groups that are registering places where Ukranians can stay when they arrive in the UK please add the information to this thread.

Jesus H Corbett … where to even start with that load of old cobblers

This is already a massive issue with a significant number of Local Authorities already unable to take new arrivals due to the constant flow from Calais.

It isn’t a ‘constant flow’ its a tiny amount of people in small boats. We could easily cope with it if there was even a modicum of a will to do it. There isn’t. Just more demonisation

And this isn’t a ridiculous conspiracy theory on several counts:

Except that pretty much every word after that statement is tinfoil-helmeted nonsense

You are Priti Patel and I claim my session on your Dover wave machine

There’s no reason to think Putin wouldn’t be willing to assassinate our leading politicians in order to create a sense of panic in the Uk

I’d be genuinely fascinated to know which member of the current cabinet’s loss could possibly engender a sense of panic in the populace.

It’s all very well calling for visa free entry to anyone who says they are from Ukraine but this creates a huge problem for Social Services and other government functions who have statutory duties

And whose fault is it that our services are over-stretched and under-funded? It’s like deliberately doing a bad job of the housework so you don’t get asked again. Sneaky, and in this case extremely callous.

There’s no reason to think Putin wouldn’t be willing to assassinate our leading politicians in order to create a sense of panic in the Uk / destabilise law and order if he thought that would strengthen his hand.

Does he want a list?

*I’m not serious*

I’d be genuinely fascinated to know which member of the current cabinet’s loss could possibly engender a sense of panic in the populace.

Only if the assassin was a particularly poor shot

In our home we’ve agreed that we’ll move out of the main bedroom into a loft room if there’s a Ukrainian family that needs somewhere to stay – for as long as they need it.

Well, there won’t be any unsponsored refugees for you to take in. It’s illegal. And you’ve listed all the excuses given to explain away why. And they are excuses. Some of those are very real issues that require government backed mitigations that you can be sure all the other governments of Europe are working on, and paying for. Stop excusing a government that is blocking refugees for their own political reasons.

Anyway… money, money, money…

Boris Johnson has Left an ‘Oligarch Loophole’ in the Economic Crime Bill

^
So we should not help out our fellow humans in need, because of a theoretical risk of retaliation from a bully. No thanks, I’ll take my chances

On point 3….. given how useless they are, assassinating the Tory cabinet is unlikely to either help his war plans, or be particularly high up on putin’s agenda..

There’s a lot of whataboutery around when we talk about offering sanctuary for Ukrainians fleeing war – “What about the drain on our economy”, “what about the homeless” etc. We’re the sixth wealthiest country on Earth, we can afford to offer sanctuary to Ukrainians, house the homeless and to uphold our obligations as signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. The fact that we do so little is because we choose not to at the highest level, not because the country cannot afford it.

I’m happy to lobby my MP to do more, I’m also happy to donate to humanitarian aid agencies working in Ukraine.

Given that he put so much effort into getting them into power, and given the services they’re still happily providing to his friends, getting rid of any of this lot is the last thing on earth Putin would do.

The political leaders of every other nation on earth would be on the hit list before these useful idiots

Ireland – popn 5 million – has taken a few thousand; UK – popn nearer 70 million, has taken a couple of hundred despite the rhetoric. It’s shameful.

There’s a lot of whataboutery around when we talk about offering sanctuary for Ukrainians fleeing war – “What about the drain on our economy”, “what about the homeless” etc.

The Daily Mash summarised this attitude perfectly a few years ago…

We need to look after our own first, say people who would never help anyone

Ireland – popn 5 million – has taken a few thousand; UK – popn nearer 70 million, has taken a couple of hundred despite the rhetoric. It’s shameful.

Yes, it is shameful. The sheer ****ery of it is that it’s not incompetence on our part, but that it’s intentional.

3. There’s no reason to think Putin wouldn’t be willing to assassinate our leading politicians in order to create a sense of panic enormous relief in the Uk

FTFY

I find it amazing that a leader of an invaded country can address both the Houses of Parliament here and the seats of government elsewhere, from his bunker in Kyiv (or wherever he is). It’s incredible stuff.

In our home we’ve agreed that we’ll move out of the main bedroom into a loft room if there’s a Ukrainian family that needs somewhere to stay – for as long as they need it.

But you might end up with a Wagner mercenary.

It’s all very well calling for visa free entry to anyone who says they are from Ukraine but this creates a huge problem for Social Services and other government functions who have statutory duties e.g. child safeguarding / care of minors that do not have family etc etc.

Because hanging around Calais for weeks in the cold doesn’t create any safeguarding issues of its own? Get them over here, then interview them and assess their needs in a warm room.

As for the ‘assassination’ angle, I hadn’t noticed Putin’s poisoners having a great deal of trouble getting into the country thus far. Why would they embed someone in Ukraine, then send them hitchhiking across Europe when they could use one of their teams which is already active in the UK. And probably getting invited to drinks parties with Tories already.

All the talking points which have been trotted out by our so-called government so far are just a smokescreen for their own incompetence and cynical pandering to little England bigots.

But you might end up with a Wagner mercenary.

He’ll have to Lohengrin and bear it.

Presumably we can weed out the Wagner mercenaries by checking them for Waffen SS tats on their shoulders…

I find it amazing that a leader of an invaded country can address both the Houses of Parliament here and the seats of government elsewhere, from his bunker in Kyiv (or wherever he is). It’s incredible stuff.

I can’t be the only one who finds the sight of him being applauded by British MPs incredibly nauseating

They are doing absolutely nothing to help him or Ukraine and a lot them got where they are funded by dirty Russian money, not least the Prime Minister himself

As a spectacle, Boris Johnson’s speech afterwards, basking in the reflected glory, was absolutely sickening

Given that an estimated 1 million EU workers have left the UK due to Brexit, you’d think we’d be grateful for a few fruit and veg pickers, or some extra care workers?

I think that’s what my local MP ( Kevin Foster) was proposing the other day when he said there were working visas available for seasonal workers. Understandably, it didn’t go down too well. Another self serving, smug prick who fits well into that cabinet

Russia doesn’t need to smuggle in operatives as ukrainian refugees. Why would they?

“we need to help our own people before we can help other people” is almost always code for “let’s not help anyone”. When has anyone ever said that, and then gone on to help our own people?

Have we done the story about a grandma downing a drone by throwing a jar of pickles at it yet?

If not, here’s an objective, though no less funny analysis of the alleged event:

Doesn’t bode well for the young generation overthrowing Putin given he should have access to non Russian news.

Regarding the gymnast – like all elite Russian sports people the amount of time and effort they devote in the name of the country, they’re inevitably products of the state. There was a documentary on it once where a massive blond Russian robot-boxer fought this sound guy from the USA. It looked like the US guy didn’t stand a chance but he prevailed.

Putin has already inferred punishment will be forthcoming for Britain – so the last thing we want having limited travel for Russian citizens e.g. by bans on flights, is to allow Russian agents to blend into thousands of innocent refugees from Ukraine.

Pretty sure that the Russian FSB could provide someone with a convincingly fake Ukrainian passport if they wanted. Or a passport for literally any other country.

I can’t be the only one who finds the sight of him being applauded by British MPs incredibly nauseating

They are doing absolutely nothing to help him or Ukraine and a lot them got where they are funded by dirty Russian money, not least the Prime Minister himself

As a spectacle, Boris Johnson’s speech afterwards, basking in the reflected glory, was absolutely sickening

Worth noting that Zelensky views Johnson as his closest ally and has called him every day of the war to coordinate moves. Ukraine views the way that Britain led the push to arming Kyiv with Northern and Eastern Europeans as critical to its defence. https://t.co/4SsZqxShtQ

— Ben Judah (@b_judah) March 4, 2022

As someone who has been a fierce critic of Boris Johnson for a long time, it must be said, as far as Ukrainians I speak to are concerned, he is the best ally Ukraine has. I honestly take no pleasure in reporting this but it’s indisputably true. Come here & ask people yourself.

— Oz Katerji (@OzKaterji) March 7, 2022

“I can’t be the only one who finds the sight of him being applauded by British MPs incredibly nauseating”

I can’t even watch them. I’m letting others on here do the dirty work for me and report back.

“Pretty sure that the Russian FSB could provide someone with a convincingly fake Ukrainian passport if they wanted.”

No need, We’ve got a fast track passport procedure already in place for certain Russians. They’re probably already here.

But you might end up with a Wagner mercenary.

Worth noting that Johnson is an easy lever to pull if you’re trying to leverage the EU and NATO into doing more. I bet if you ask them they’d even speak well of our thick as pork poo foreign secretary. I would be the same in their position.

Yeah, probably not an opportune moment to start a discussion about Tory Party Funding or the 18 months the Oligarchs have been granted to get their money and assets out of the UK

McDonald’s has closed all 850 if its stores in Russia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60657155?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=62279be7ec502b53cd481382%26McDonald%27s%20closes%20all%20restaurants%20in%20Russia%262022-03-08T18%3A13%3A19.249Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:952ceb30-e2e2-419d-a322-0f6527f44297&pinned_post_asset_id=62279be7ec502b53cd481382&pinned_post_type=share

This is, in some ways, quite poignant- I remember as a kid the first McD’s opening in Russia and this as a potent symbol of the thawing of the cold war and pulling aside the iron curtain

“we need to help our own people before we can help other people”

And then they go and vote Tory which means not helping anyone.

In another side note, I also remember an old adage that no two countries with a McD’s outlet had ever been in armed conflict with each other- I guess the Russian-Ukraine war might have put an end to that too

McDonald’s has closed all 850 if its stores in Russia

Public pressure, and Ukraine’s ability to mobilise it, is amazing :)

The Daily Mash summarised this attitude perfectly a few years ago…

We need to look after our own first, say people who would never help anyone

This is brilliant! It def needs to be shared more

@somafunk
Good podcast released last week by Rory Stewart & Alastair Campbell

Can’t copy the link, but it’s called The rest is politics and was indeed very good- just had a listen this evening.

Worth noting that Johnson is an easy lever to pull if you’re trying to leverage the EU and NATO into doing more.

Yep, reflect a bit of Churchill ack at him and you’ve got him roaring on his way to Brussels. why didn’t Zelensky think of that? Oh, wait…

This is, in some ways, quite poignant- I remember as a kid the first McD’s opening in Russia and this as a potent symbol of the thawing of the cold war and pulling aside the iron curtain

Yep. Now there’s no MacDonalds, you can’t buy Levi’s, the ruble isn’t worth shit and the only news is on state-run channels. It’s the USSR in the 80s all over again. Quite a remarkable achievement for 2 weeks.