Current Affairs

[qbman1]

At least someone in Spain still has a sense of humour !

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[towny44]

Can anyone explain to me why the Euro is so strong at present, not just against Sterling but the Dollar and a whole load of other currencies as well? Has something significant happened like a wholesale improvement in all their economies, unemployment dropping dramatically, banks suddenly becoming profitable; or could it be that Brussels is hacking into everyone else's financial systems and skewing their data???

[Mervyn and Trish]

In a word Towny. Well two words. No idea.

[david63]

I see that Mr Corbyn is now denying saying that he said he would wipe out student debts - seems reasonable now he got the student vote!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Unusual. Politicians usually only break their promises once they've actually won the election!

Oh hang on. I forgot. He thinks he has.

[Mervyn and Trish]

For those concerned about the effects of "austerity" and the Tory government on the NHS here's an interesting report from the Royal College of Nursing conference:

"Delegates at the conference called for job cuts and bed closures, part of planned NHS reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness of the service, to be halted, predicting that the number of posts lost could reach 13,000, and said a work to rule was possible. BMA chairman Mr. James Johnson claimed this was one of the worst years on record and that it has been full of bleak moments for the NHS – job losses, training budgets slashed, trusts delaying operations in order to save money and hospital closures announced at the same time as new PFI developments. Added to this the government's fixation with introducing the private sector into primary care which risks destabilising the well-respected UK system of general practice."

Guess what. This report was from the 2006 conference when which party was in power?

[Mervyn and Trish]

I just love that Vince Cable is moaning about Labour breaking promises on student loans/tuition fees. Hmmm. Pot kettle black!

[barney]

They seem to have the memory of a goldfish Merv and forget that we don't.

What makes me laugh is even when they are proven to be wrong, they still think they are right.

LibDems election campaign was a great example.
Farron says that the people no longer support Brexit so vote LibDem to stop it.
Result, over 80% vote for parties that support Brexit.
LibDem response is denial of the facts and continue with the same message.
They are truly an absolute laughing stock.

Even funnier was the EU chap on Radio 4 this morning saying that no country can have access to the EU market without being a full member, and that means the 'four freedoms'
When his error was pointed out, he ploughed on regardless and kept saying it.
It was laughable.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I was amused that Remoaner Blair's own poll showed more people want to leave now than when the referendum was held. Own goal!

[towny44]

J C Juncker and M Barnier say that none of the brexit position papers prepared by the UK Govt are comprehensive enough and satisfactory, could this perhaps be because we are not prepared to roll over and accept all the demands from the EU.
Do these guys not realise that even those in the UK who voted remain would not vote for any of the existing EU leaders if there were such a vote, and they ought to be even more worried that probably 60 to 70% of all EU voters would probably not support them either.
I doubt there will be a satisfactory resolution to this situation unless the EU change their negotiating team.

[oldbluefox]

I believe they are making it deliberately difficult. They need us more than we need them. They need the UK's money to balance their books just as much as they need to trade with us since we import more from the EU than we export. I think they also realise that after Brexit we will have plenty of other trading nations and will therefore be less reliant on them. Of course the stance of the Remoaners and the Labour Party do nothing to help the UK cause since they give hope to the EU that we will all change our minds and we will continue to play Happy Families under a pretence of Brexit. (Oddly enough little has been made of yet another Corbyn U-turn in the national media).

I heard on the news this morning they want in excess of £40 billion to pay for EU pensions!!! Are we paying everybody's?

And what is all of this talk about a 'divorce'? We were part of a club, not some sort of marriage!!! As for 'falling off a cliff' (another pathetic analogy), I wonder what happened when we turned our backs on the Commonwealth nations to join our friends in Europe? I don't recall any negotiations, any transitional arrangements. If I remember correctly we just said thank you very much and wandered off leaving them to do what they would with their lamb and their butter. I am surprised they are prepared to welcome us back but perhaps that shows where our loyalties should lie, in contrast to the shenanigans of Messrs Juncker and Barnier.

[Jack Staff]

I believe they are making ...............

Where do you want me to start?

[towny44]

You could maybe start Jack my explaining to us why you prefer to entrust your future to a couple of shysters like Juncker and Barnier, and all the others feeding in the trough that we are asked to keep full.

[Jack Staff]

You could maybe start Jack my explaining to us why you prefer to entrust your future to a couple of shysters like Juncker and Barnier, and all the others feeding in the trough that we are asked to keep full.

Well I see them as doing their job(s), so perhaps you could clarify your point.
On your 'trough' point, because it benefits us to. As many people can see, not least the currency traders.

[oldbluefox]

No point in explaining anything to Jack. The sooner we leave this extravagant,self serving bureaucracy filled with political fat cats the better and whatever the Remoaners try to say to the contrary only serves to strengthen my resolve.
Nobody would be happier than I if we turned around tomorrow and told them where to stick their EU. Leaving cannot come soon enough.

[towny44]

I think you are right Foxy, we managed reasonably before we joined with even higher Gatt tariffs than now, and whilst being held to ransom by the unions, so I think we should exercise our veto and walk away now and tell the EU to stuff their divorce bill where the sun don't shine.

[qbman1]

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You have to say - the man has a point !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2017 ... ide-rules/

[Jack Staff]

DIjJaVOWsAAlSGL.jpg

You have to say - the man has a point !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2017 ... ide-rules/

“the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union”.

Seems pretty clear to me which is considered the primary requirement.

[qbman1]

Get yer coat, Tone, you've pulled !

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[Stephen]

First time I've seen two snakes embracing

[Mervyn and Trish]

DIjJaVOWsAAlSGL.jpg

You have to say - the man has a point !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2017 ... ide-rules/

“the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union”.

Seems pretty clear to me which is considered the primary requirement.

You forgot to highlight that bit Jack.

[towny44]

DIjJaVOWsAAlSGL.jpg

You have to say - the man has a point !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2017 ... ide-rules/

“the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union”.

Seems pretty clear to me which is considered the primary requirement.

You forgot to highlight that bit Jack.

I think Jack probably already knew that Merv, but like his EU buddies he chose to ignore it.

[Jack Staff]

Cake and eat it, eh?

The EU position has always been clear. First things first. Others, including Diddy David are the ones choosing to 'forget' or ignore the rules we have previously signed up to.

[barney]

That is kind of the point Jack.

We didn't sign up to the EU's perception of those rules.

Every legal expert agrees that there is no legal 'divorce bill' to pay, even the European ones.

The EU thought that they were in the driving seat because that is the way it's always been.

The UK stance is quite simple. The UK will honour all legal and even some moral obligations ... when proven.

If you checked out of your hotel and they presented you with an enormous bill, you would expect them to justify it, wouldn't you.
Line by line.
If there was anything on their that you shouldn't pay for, you wouldn't just roll over because they are asking for it, would you?

The EU's opening gambit was ridiculously high. They know it, we know it.
They are now asking the UK for a counter proposal on what we are willing to pay but Davis has said no.
You justify your figures and then we'll look at it again.

Whatever your stance, this really does show that it's all about the money as far as the EU are concerned.
We really knew that all the time, didn't we.

[Jack Staff]

Hi Barney,
Rather than a hotel bill, try thinking of it as a restaurant bill, where we have had a meal with 27 other friends.
We decide we need to leave early.
There is no legal obligation for us to pay anything, as long as the restaurant is paid at the end of the evening.
There is obviously a moral obligation to pay our share, especially as the other 27 are our friends and we wish to continue that relationship in some form or other in future.