The influence of the EU on Britain.

charente addick said:

John Major speaking superbly at the moment.

Always a first time for everything....

seth plum said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

It's still only 4.4%, right?

I know that our figures are never comparable to any other nation. Ever. Unless it's to show Britain in a poor light.

It's what you do, to coin a phrase

Fortunately my glass is more half full than empty most of the time so I look to take the positives (please refrain from going down the "so, tell me what these positives are that you speak of. I'm genuinely interested to know" route)

Growth is growth. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey and all that.

So we're one of the richest countries on earth but anything other than recession should be acceptable to us? Is 1% going to catch the monkey? 0.5%? 0.1?

Just the latest spin from the right wing that everything's going swimmingly whilst in reality even the threat of Brexit has effected growth.

You really don't need to claim everything is right wing just to discredit it. There is a common theme that people are following of late. If you disagree with it, or it's news that doesn't fit in with your train of thought, then it must be a right wing 'thing'.

Quick, easy and lazy way of making something taboo.

Also, any sentence that starts with 'So' can automatically be ignored as it is, more often than not, followed by a statement that makes loads of assumptions.

I am not sure economics is your strong point.

1.7% is not a recession. However if the trend is in the opposite direction to that of a key trading partner, the EU, that is a big flashing red light. More immediately, if that figure is less than what was forecast as the basis for the Chancellor's budget, there are implications for spending on public services.

The UK unemployment figures are regarded with scepticism - and have been for getting on 30 years - because of deregulation of employment laws and various training programmes and whatever that don't work very well, but cause people to disappear from the unemployment register.

The lack of real, secure employment is one of the big beefs of the just about managing and those below, who are also over-represented groups within the Brexit vote. ironically.

I'm not sure humour, or having a sense of humour, is your strong point.

We all have crosses to bear

Like I say, despite voting to Remain, I am an optimist and will continue to be one. No matter the size of the obstacle.

I've also retained the immovable deep love for my family and friends that voted differently to me. It will take more than politics and my train of thought to drive a wedge between me and my closest family and allies

I have travelled a different journey to you.
I was once even able to tolerate and have a laugh with Tories, and still can, but instead of becoming more optimistic and reconciled to brexit my antipathy has deepened and strengthened. I will always try to be tolerant and polite towards brexit voters I meet, or know from my family (which totals zero as far as I know) I find myself feeling totally alienated from brexit voters, even to the extent of preferring remain Tories than brexit Socialists.
You are indeed fortunate to feel optimistic, I have tried to get started down that road by asking brexiters to explain the upside of it all, and so far they have not put forward a credible upside.
Incidentally, whatever happens to the brexit trope of digging out people for 'talking the country down'? Brexiters have a chance to talk the country up, be optimistic if you like, but if they have anything good to say about it, it has passed me by, however I do continually hear how much some brexiters hate 'foreigners'. Indeed today a brexit supporter said that brexit can't come soon enough to avoid a blended world population. Blended!
I have never felt as alienated from those in disguise around me as I do now, and they are the winners.

It's very much a shame that your political beliefs outweigh current, and potential, friendships as well as family relations.

I must mix in very different circles, and listen in to different conversations than you as I've not heard one leave voter mention 'foreigners' in a disparaging light. On the contrary, those I know recognise the vital part that those new to our shores play.

Try just being friends with people and don't look to find their political affiliation if you're incapable of looking past it.....and I mean that in the least patronising way as am aware that it could read differently.

Jensenwasclass said:

charente addick said:
''John Major speaking superbly at the moment.''

Shame the pratt never spoke superbly all the time he was PM.
Mainly known for knocking Edwina Currie off!

That and his spitting image puppet.
Otherwise fuck all else.

Hey, you're forgetting the Cones Hotline!

Southbank said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

Hello Prague
You have probably seen this. From arch Remainer Tony Barber on the crisis of the pro EU centre left across Europe.

https://www.ft.com/content/6e19773a-1667-11e8-9e9c-25c814761640?accessToken=zwAAAWHcX6RYkc9uGXc6FmcR6NOenCXIFHYWQA.MEUCIC_9y4b24e45rdypva9SFEI2ifHNjtBK8nWUhwL1bqWDAiEA6a_36_Lf9VsaKp56XIiGdIBR-vcz1XkKKHkAlV_27xA&sharetype=gift

I saw the headline last night, and thought, Southbank will be all over that :-) Only read it now, not a big fan of Tony Barber.

I think he makes some reasonable points but very much from his keyboard somewhere on the island. He shoehorns the political landscape in different countries into one over-arching narrative, ignoring the detailed landscape in each country. Lumping the Czechs in with Germany and France was the giveaway. Yes, the party he refers to liked to call itself social democratic but at least half its key players would be hard left by Western standards and their decimation has nothing to do with its EU stance. Indeed the new dominant party is routinely described as centre-left. It does not like refugee quotas - but you know what, as a policy, neither do I. Otherwise it is not anti -immigrant, not least because the highly controversial leader is a Slovak national, and it is not anti-EU like Orban's mob. As for the Poles he fails to recognise the unique religious dimension to that one.

I think he is arguing that the traditional S-D parties who were in power were complicit in cosying up to big money pre 2008 crisis, and largely failed to look after their core constituency post the crisis. That was true of New Labour. I would agree if that were his main point. It has little to do with the EU per se, and the example that proves the point is Norway under Jens Stoltenberg. Actually on re-reading the article I am not sure Barber wants you to read an EU angle into it. Maybe it's that prism of yours at work ? :-)

Big_Bad_World said:

seth plum said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

It's still only 4.4%, right?

I know that our figures are never comparable to any other nation. Ever. Unless it's to show Britain in a poor light.

It's what you do, to coin a phrase

Fortunately my glass is more half full than empty most of the time so I look to take the positives (please refrain from going down the "so, tell me what these positives are that you speak of. I'm genuinely interested to know" route)

Growth is growth. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey and all that.

So we're one of the richest countries on earth but anything other than recession should be acceptable to us? Is 1% going to catch the monkey? 0.5%? 0.1?

Just the latest spin from the right wing that everything's going swimmingly whilst in reality even the threat of Brexit has effected growth.

You really don't need to claim everything is right wing just to discredit it. There is a common theme that people are following of late. If you disagree with it, or it's news that doesn't fit in with your train of thought, then it must be a right wing 'thing'.

Quick, easy and lazy way of making something taboo.

Also, any sentence that starts with 'So' can automatically be ignored as it is, more often than not, followed by a statement that makes loads of assumptions.

I am not sure economics is your strong point.

1.7% is not a recession. However if the trend is in the opposite direction to that of a key trading partner, the EU, that is a big flashing red light. More immediately, if that figure is less than what was forecast as the basis for the Chancellor's budget, there are implications for spending on public services.

The UK unemployment figures are regarded with scepticism - and have been for getting on 30 years - because of deregulation of employment laws and various training programmes and whatever that don't work very well, but cause people to disappear from the unemployment register.

The lack of real, secure employment is one of the big beefs of the just about managing and those below, who are also over-represented groups within the Brexit vote. ironically.

I'm not sure humour, or having a sense of humour, is your strong point.

We all have crosses to bear

Like I say, despite voting to Remain, I am an optimist and will continue to be one. No matter the size of the obstacle.

I've also retained the immovable deep love for my family and friends that voted differently to me. It will take more than politics and my train of thought to drive a wedge between me and my closest family and allies

I have travelled a different journey to you.
I was once even able to tolerate and have a laugh with Tories, and still can, but instead of becoming more optimistic and reconciled to brexit my antipathy has deepened and strengthened. I will always try to be tolerant and polite towards brexit voters I meet, or know from my family (which totals zero as far as I know) I find myself feeling totally alienated from brexit voters, even to the extent of preferring remain Tories than brexit Socialists.
You are indeed fortunate to feel optimistic, I have tried to get started down that road by asking brexiters to explain the upside of it all, and so far they have not put forward a credible upside.
Incidentally, whatever happens to the brexit trope of digging out people for 'talking the country down'? Brexiters have a chance to talk the country up, be optimistic if you like, but if they have anything good to say about it, it has passed me by, however I do continually hear how much some brexiters hate 'foreigners'. Indeed today a brexit supporter said that brexit can't come soon enough to avoid a blended world population. Blended!
I have never felt as alienated from those in disguise around me as I do now, and they are the winners.

It's very much a shame that your political beliefs outweigh current, and potential, friendships as well as family relations.

I must mix in very different circles, and listen in to different conversations than you as I've not heard one leave voter mention 'foreigners' in a disparaging light. On the contrary, those I know recognise the vital part that those new to our shores play.

Try just being friends with people and don't look to find their political affiliation if you're incapable of looking past it.....and I mean that in the least patronising way as am aware that it could read differently.

Really? So just out of interest how many Spanner games do you actually attend per season on average? Perhaps you have an executive box. Oh hang on, that wouldn't make any difference down there...so, do tell...

The 300% increase of assaults on non-British residents the week after the referendum was a pure coincidence too, like my mate's Portuguese wife being verbally abused in Maidstone whilst walking her baby in a buggy.

randy andy said:

The 300% increase of assaults on non-British residents the week after the referendum was a pure coincidence too, like my mate's Portuguese wife being verbally abused in Maidstone whilst walking her baby in a buggy.

I wouldn't say it was a coincidence at all. The result gave a false empowerment to an extremely minor group of idiots. The scrapings from the very bottom of the societal barrel.

se9addick said:

I actually broadly agree with Theresa May's position on the EUs backstop position.

It is, however, up to her to come up with a reasonable solution that means the backstop position is never needed.

Except for the fact that the backstop position is what was agreed in December - it was always the case, once David Davis tried to claim that the agreement was not an agreement, that the EU27 would seek to copper fasten it (the interesting wording relates to future EU rules and regulations, and that, in December, the UK committed to this solution for the all Ireland economy).

On the other hand, as the UK will be outside the EU, the commitment to no barriers between Northern Ireland and Britain is, as far as the EU is concerned, an internal UK matter, and they have no reason to include it in their text.

The text today is the legal document enshrining what was agreed in December, to allow for conclusion of Phase 1 with sufficient progress. It is what the UK agreed, without allowance for ambiguity, and we can all thank David Davis for making it essential at this time.

I very much doubt that any significant further progress on a Brexit deal will be made, and certainly no trade deal will be agreed, without the UK signing up to the final version (agreed by the EU27 and presented to the UK Government for signature).

Of course, if the UK agrees a trade deal with the EU, or the technological "solution" actually exists and is practical, the backstop will not be required. All options are conditional, and I am sure I speak for us all when I say I have faith in the very particular negotiating capabilities of HMG in these talks.

But the UK agreed to it and, as the only outcome for which there is any certainty, the EU would be remiss if they did not seek to formalise what they can.

Big_Bad_World said:

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

It's still only 4.4%, right?

I know that our figures are never comparable to any other nation. Ever. Unless it's to show Britain in a poor light.

It's what you do, to coin a phrase

Fortunately my glass is more half full than empty most of the time so I look to take the positives (please refrain from going down the "so, tell me what these positives are that you speak of. I'm genuinely interested to know" route)

Growth is growth. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey and all that.

So we're one of the richest countries on earth but anything other than recession should be acceptable to us? Is 1% going to catch the monkey? 0.5%? 0.1?

Just the latest spin from the right wing that everything's going swimmingly whilst in reality even the threat of Brexit has effected growth.

You really don't need to claim everything is right wing just to discredit it. There is a common theme that people are following of late. If you disagree with it, or it's news that doesn't fit in with your train of thought, then it must be a right wing 'thing'.

Quick, easy and lazy way of making something taboo.

Also, any sentence that starts with 'So' can automatically be ignored as it is, more often than not, followed by a statement that makes loads of assumptions.

Calling bullshit on that my sarcastic spanner chum.

The facts are the Brexit agenda is being predominantly driven by those on the right (and quite clearly far to the right too). Criticism of that agenda can only be linked by association to those pushing it...who by and large happen to be right wingers.

I reserve a special level of contempt for Kate Hoey btw...

seth plum said:

So is it the case that the UK now disagrees with itself?

I think it's more that opinions change, depending on the nature of the pressure being exerted on the strong and stable Government.

If I was being charitable, I might think that the intention was to avoid a formal, legal text being developed until later in the process, in the hopes that the UK could have commitments revisited and watered down.

From the EU perspective, I would guess that the timing was due to the all too rapid attempts to undermine what was agreed. But, in my opinion, the EU would have to have wording like this, should there be no future trade deal, in order to satisfy WTO requirements.

Mostly because I like using the word, I would suggest that those politicians viewing the wording as being some kind of surprise power grab by the EU are being disingenuous.

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

It's still only 4.4%, right?

I know that our figures are never comparable to any other nation. Ever. Unless it's to show Britain in a poor light.

It's what you do, to coin a phrase

Fortunately my glass is more half full than empty most of the time so I look to take the positives (please refrain from going down the "so, tell me what these positives are that you speak of. I'm genuinely interested to know" route)

Growth is growth. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey and all that.

So we're one of the richest countries on earth but anything other than recession should be acceptable to us? Is 1% going to catch the monkey? 0.5%? 0.1?

Just the latest spin from the right wing that everything's going swimmingly whilst in reality even the threat of Brexit has effected growth.

You really don't need to claim everything is right wing just to discredit it. There is a common theme that people are following of late. If you disagree with it, or it's news that doesn't fit in with your train of thought, then it must be a right wing 'thing'.

Quick, easy and lazy way of making something taboo.

Also, any sentence that starts with 'So' can automatically be ignored as it is, more often than not, followed by a statement that makes loads of assumptions.

Calling bullshit on that my sarcastic spanner chum.

The facts are the Brexit agenda is being predominantly driven by those on the right (and quite clearly far to the right too). Criticism of that agenda can only be linked by association to those pushing it...who by and large happen to be right wingers.

I reserve a special level of contempt for Kate Hoey btw...

I said that unemployment was 4.4% and that growth is growth. Nothing more. You then went off on some right wing rant as if I was peddling some sort of agenda.

I wont apologise for always looking to take the positives from any given situation. There's always a light, no matter how dim and small, if you look hard enough.

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

seth plum said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

Bournemouth Addick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

Big_Bad_World said:

PragueAddick said:

cafcpolo said:

Good to see the pissing match is continuing...You lot have jobs right?

What's been going on? Skim reading tells me that we're taking cricket back from the world?

My job is recruitment. Unfortunately for me, I do this in a country in the heart of the booming EU, with a national unemployment rate of 3.2%. I've got nobody to interview.

It's only 4.4% over here, in the heart of booming England, with a population of 5-6 times that of where you are.

Yes. However the difference is that we don't have this zero hours fake jobs shit. We don't have unpaid interns. Amazon not only offer people proper contracts, they have had to pay above the going rates, and advertise like hell, just to get the staff they need. And the PM joined with the Prague Mayor to deliver the CEO of Uber a simple message: obey the employment laws or fuck off. AirBnB will be next.

It's what we do, to coin a phrase, In Europe.

Oh and BTW growth of 1.7% isn't exactly a boom.

It's still only 4.4%, right?

I know that our figures are never comparable to any other nation. Ever. Unless it's to show Britain in a poor light.

It's what you do, to coin a phrase

Fortunately my glass is more half full than empty most of the time so I look to take the positives (please refrain from going down the "so, tell me what these positives are that you speak of. I'm genuinely interested to know" route)

Growth is growth. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey and all that.

So we're one of the richest countries on earth but anything other than recession should be acceptable to us? Is 1% going to catch the monkey? 0.5%? 0.1?

Just the latest spin from the right wing that everything's going swimmingly whilst in reality even the threat of Brexit has effected growth.

You really don't need to claim everything is right wing just to discredit it. There is a common theme that people are following of late. If you disagree with it, or it's news that doesn't fit in with your train of thought, then it must be a right wing 'thing'.

Quick, easy and lazy way of making something taboo.

Also, any sentence that starts with 'So' can automatically be ignored as it is, more often than not, followed by a statement that makes loads of assumptions.

I am not sure economics is your strong point.

1.7% is not a recession. However if the trend is in the opposite direction to that of a key trading partner, the EU, that is a big flashing red light. More immediately, if that figure is less than what was forecast as the basis for the Chancellor's budget, there are implications for spending on public services.

The UK unemployment figures are regarded with scepticism - and have been for getting on 30 years - because of deregulation of employment laws and various training programmes and whatever that don't work very well, but cause people to disappear from the unemployment register.

The lack of real, secure employment is one of the big beefs of the just about managing and those below, who are also over-represented groups within the Brexit vote. ironically.

I'm not sure humour, or having a sense of humour, is your strong point.

We all have crosses to bear

Like I say, despite voting to Remain, I am an optimist and will continue to be one. No matter the size of the obstacle.

I've also retained the immovable deep love for my family and friends that voted differently to me. It will take more than politics and my train of thought to drive a wedge between me and my closest family and allies

I have travelled a different journey to you.
I was once even able to tolerate and have a laugh with Tories, and still can, but instead of becoming more optimistic and reconciled to brexit my antipathy has deepened and strengthened. I will always try to be tolerant and polite towards brexit voters I meet, or know from my family (which totals zero as far as I know) I find myself feeling totally alienated from brexit voters, even to the extent of preferring remain Tories than brexit Socialists.
You are indeed fortunate to feel optimistic, I have tried to get started down that road by asking brexiters to explain the upside of it all, and so far they have not put forward a credible upside.
Incidentally, whatever happens to the brexit trope of digging out people for 'talking the country down'? Brexiters have a chance to talk the country up, be optimistic if you like, but if they have anything good to say about it, it has passed me by, however I do continually hear how much some brexiters hate 'foreigners'. Indeed today a brexit supporter said that brexit can't come soon enough to avoid a blended world population. Blended!
I have never felt as alienated from those in disguise around me as I do now, and they are the winners.

It's very much a shame that your political beliefs outweigh current, and potential, friendships as well as family relations.

I must mix in very different circles, and listen in to different conversations than you as I've not heard one leave voter mention 'foreigners' in a disparaging light. On the contrary, those I know recognise the vital part that those new to our shores play.

Try just being friends with people and don't look to find their political affiliation if you're incapable of looking past it.....and I mean that in the least patronising way as am aware that it could read differently.

Really? So just out of interest how many Spanner games do you actually attend per season on average? Perhaps you have an executive box. Oh hang on, that wouldn't make any difference down there...so, do tell...

How does, or should, my attendance at matches have any correlation to the content of the conversations I partake in and hear? Do tell...

@seth plum what is it with you and the quoting function on this board? thought it easier to mention here as opposed to trying to sort out the other one

Oh right so you go down there, and don't speak to anyone, and don't hear anything. Are you a Spanner with no Spanner mates? Or do you and your mates huddle in an empty corner discussing the contents of this week's New Statesman?