It is worth recording just how badly the Johnson government is already doing. Unless we do we conceded the narrative to them.
First, a Johnson lie that has been shown to be just that. Johnson claimed there would be no internal border with Northern Ireland as a result of his EU agreement. And he said any trader asked to fill in a form as a result should bin it. But that was not true: there will be a border. And a great many forms, requiring 31 pieces of information, 29 of them compulsorily.
Then there is concern for the environment. This has disappeared. New building regulations will reduce and not increase the required environmental standards for new buildings, which is completely opposite to the required direction of travel.
And then there's the so-called Red Wall in the North he was going to take care of. Except many of those areas are now to lose council funding, with the winners being in southern Tory areas.
Johnson is failing already.
It has to be said so, time and again.
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We are slowly sinking under a frankly transparent and preposterous Conservative Government and media narrative (the crudest spin), that Brexit is done, and we are all going to unite Britain together to make a happy success of it (three of the British nations have rejected the WA). It will take a great deal more than vacuous ‘puff’ to persuade millions of Remainers that this is not a very, very bad idea. Scotland is not impressed with guff.
Politicians are over impressed by the electoral success of their own. Unfortunately it is what they do; what they do not typically do well – is running a country. Failure is the norm of politics. It ends in tears on the steps of Downing Street. Election results are simply the high point of success. It is all downhill from there. Brexit above all offers a unique set of circumstances for a precipitous fall from grace, in record time.
Watch this space.
Economy is doing alright?
https://www.markiteconomics.com/Public/Home/PressRelease/05478030c689439f91a8d127a575489f
Time now for the Brexit Disillusionment Phase to begin and the ink hardly dried on the WA sheet of paper and yet:-
“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn–and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”
Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
I am not sure how we are supposed to influence anyone. It didn’t do much good during the referendum campaign. ‘Influencing’ is too late now. Now we have to live with it. At the same time, I have always thought that if a majority in England wish to leave the EU, so be it. I consider that sufficiently understanding and forgiving. There is, however a boot on the other foot.
I simply do not think Scotland should be dragged out and suffer all the consequences of something quite as fundamental as Brexit; when the large majority of Scots did not approve it. It is also personal. I shall lose all my rights as an EU citizen; they are just taken away. This is not acceptable. My rights are not a trade deal, but they are a big deal to me. They are not to be traded. I am not a commodity. I am not a slave.
Please note that I do not believe major constitutional change should be carried out on very narrow majorities. It is just not the same thing as electing transient governments, whose decisions, if necessary can be overturned in timely manner. Brexit is very different. Brexit goes to the root of what holds states together – or not; like the Union. The American founding fathers were wiser – they realised that narrow majorities cannot resolve fundamental constitutional issues, and only compromise works; but after 2016, the UK only too aggressively set the crass precedent of ‘winner-takes-all’, and nothing at all for virtually half the country – including Scotland. Sadly, the US-style approach, although more sophisticated than our antiquated system, is too late now.
I think you “influence” by simplifying and patiently explaining what “alignment” in global trading is all about and why it has to be discussed along with grievances revolving around economic migration. The following article Richard posted the other day makes a good detailed basis for getting to grips with the significance of alignment which at it most simplest is a mechanism for dealing with cheats a perennial issue in all life forms!
https://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2020/01/23/brexit-2020-everything-you-need-to-know-about-johnson-s-trad
I understand the point; I think we all understand the point. The problem is, it is now too late. At least too late for those of us in Scotland who believe that membership of the EU, on a strong balance of advantage, is in the national interest. We do not wish to spend the next ten-to twenty years struggling to recover some modest portion, out of everything we have already lost? It is just such an appalling waste of human effort, endeavour and treasure. Please explain what makes this bleak new enterprise worthwhile.
The reality of Brexit is upon us; and the seduction it offers is of a global world in which trade is reduced to the lowest, Hobbesion common denominator. What do you expect the triumphant ERG, Cummings et al., intend to do? Why do you think they will listen after their comprehensive political victory? More important, what is it you expect this “influence” will actually produce in terms of substantive, clearly identifiable results?
And trade subsidies for fossil fuel industry…
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2017/04/19/uk-trade-billions-export-finance-fossil/
Sorry correct link is
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/01/23/uk-boris-johnson-financing-coal-fossil-fuels-carbon-emissions/
And this is not new information by any means:
This is a piece by Richard North who wanted the Norway/Efta option.
http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=87497 Brexit: the morning after
As you can see his blog has been putting out information on this for years.
Up here amongst the crumbing ruins of the red wall, many are struggling to stay above water. Council tax has been going up faster than wages for years and years (thanks to austerity) and households have less and less disposable income. For all the talk of levelling up, what about a levelling up the 3k council tax on 200k properties in blue wall land with the 1.5k rate on > £1 M properties in red blob cities?
That’s about the wealth agenda, of course….
Indeed. A problem that needs addressing is that those with wealth have engineered a system where if you have wealth, you have options and freedom, but if you don’t, you don’t.
Agreed
I’m not in the habit of defending the fatberg & his erm… “government” but in the case of the new building regulation & the “insultation” (a cross between an insult & a con & most definitely not a “consultation”) – it was probably devised pre-fatberg.
The insultation/consultation on the building regulation is a deeply “entertaining” document. Taking two examples at random, Page 16 makes assumptions on triple glazing and heat recovery from domestic hot water which are untrue (from an objective – numbers based point of view). Page 18 is very much “heat pumps r us” territory whilst ignoring the bigger picture (which is more than just heating) specifically – what happens with PV in the summer. Hydrogen is dismissed. So very much: built shit houses in the past – want to keep doing so in the future.
My guess is that tory-party bungers (bungers: those that provide bribes) i.e. house builders got hot n heavy with the rabble that pretend to be civil servants and the end result is a regulation that will allow them to build cheaper homes – whilst selling them for more money. What’s not to like if you are a house builder. On a positive note – at least the insultation is laugh out loud funny. Welcome to fatbergland.
Although we cannot do much – we can all do something.
I have taken to commenting on local planning applications to highlight the lack of good sustainable building and calling out any token green measures that are included.
Yes, it is chicken feed, but it does mean that case officers at the local authority will see the argument. From my own workday experience there is something about having things in writing on an official record that does have some effect. You cannot un-see what you have seen.
So, for those who post on this blog, consider if you have something that you could usefully contribute – if your work involves matters that most people are unaware of, if you are able to articulate an issue in an easy to understand way, then think about contacting local radio (probably not the phone ins, but maybe), writing to your MP, or making contact with someone who has influence.
If it isn’t you that can do this, then support others who can and will.
I like your thinking
Thanks!