Thursday 10th December 2020

[refitman]

Morning all.

[Willow904]

Our new Brexit reality:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... fety-rules" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UK holidaymakers barred from EU after 1 January under Covid rules

[RogerOThornhill]

Morning all.

Despite the numerous "I don't like x/y/z" this is quite good from Ed West.

Brexit: was it worth it?

https://unherd.com/2020/12/brexit-was-it-worth-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And the problem was that Brexiteers wanted contradictory things; some of us wanted to put the breaks on globalisation, and to have a more egalitarian, high-wage society; others wanted more economic freedom. Clearly those two things contradict each other. Some wanted EEA membership; some wanted out altogether.

As for democracy, the dull truth is that international institutions have to be remote and undemocratic. As global trade has become more complicated, so the rules and bodies behind them have had to become more arcane; governing and rule-making in the 21st century has to be beyond the understanding of most people (journalists included).

Quite.

If you want to do international trade then you have to abide by rules set by bodies that appear to be beyond our democratic control. It couldn't be otherwise unless you think that the UK ought to control everything of course...

[RogerOThornhill]

Not politics but this, to someone who has been obsessed with mosaics over a long period, looks amazing.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... -cotswolds" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And of course Sue Oosthuizen is Twittering about it.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gilsey]

From the G

Asked about a claim from the Tesco chairman John Allan that food bills could rise by 5% in the event of no deal, Raab said he did not recognise that figure. He went on:
Of all the things that will be a challenge, I am not concerned about either supermarket cupboards running bare or the cost of food prices.

Tesco chairman guilty of Project Fear.

Alternatively, you can just read it as Raab saying he doesn't care, which is hardly news.


Philip Collins on Newsnight last night still thinks everything will be ok if we get a deal. It will just be not quite as bad as no deal, and in the very short term there won't be much difference at all.

[RogerOThornhill]

Only just seen this so haven't read it yet but it looks like it might be interesting.

The Future of the high street

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/re ... 2020-0169/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Not politics but this, to someone who has been obsessed with mosaics over a long period, looks amazing.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... -cotswolds" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And of course Sue Oosthuizen is Twittering about it.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw that earlier today. Exciting find.

[citizenJA]

Good morning, everyone.

[gilsey]

Matthew Holehouse
@mattholehouse
Replying to
@mattholehouse
NB obligation for a state aid regulator. Between the Northern Ireland protocol, and this, you can see a route to Johnson getting more or less the same strictness of subsidy control as May’s deal would have produced, for much less market access. Same bath water, smaller baby...

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


and, on similar lines re LPF regulation

Glen O'Hara
@gsoh31
Replying to
@gsoh31
You've got rid of ECJ. You've got rid of an independent arbiter in UK law. You've got rid of ex ante referral. You're out of the acquis and the Single Market. For God's sake, take your wins.


For this single point, you're going to lose police database and intell co-operation, Erasmus, full flights deal, European Research Council, you're going to accept obliterating your pasture farming? I never use mental health terms for obvious reasons, but I'm sorry, that's crazy.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnatolyKasparov]

It couldn't be otherwise unless you think that the UK ought to control everything of course...

But that's, fundamentally, what the ERG types *do* believe.

[Willow904]

Not politics but this, to someone who has been obsessed with mosaics over a long period, looks amazing.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... -cotswolds" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And of course Sue Oosthuizen is Twittering about it.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, it's really quite a big find. We knew some Roman infrastructure, such as the sewers in London, were still being maintained well into the 5th century, but this is the first new construction from the period to be found, showing how life continued for some Romano-British pretty much as before for some time after the last Roman garrisons pulled out.

[AnatolyKasparov]

I think historians have agreed that things in Britain didn't instantly revert to primitive tribalism come 410 AD for a while, but still interesting to see actual confirmation of this.

[adam]

Nice poster on the road out of town...

hsbc.jpg (32.47 KiB) Viewed 5994 times

[RogerOThornhill]

Give me strength!

Best for Britain
@BestForBritain
Chair of Vote Leave, Gisela Stuart, on
@SkyNews
: "No Deal is not a preferred option for either side, but the solution is now a political one... We probably need to accept that their commitment to how they define the Single Market is even more fundamental than we had appreciated."
5:55 PM · Dec 10, 2020·Twitter Web App

[AnatolyKasparov]

Now she says it.......

[RogerOThornhill]

I have to admit that I don't have access to Sky but if either of these two were on...

Kathy Gyngell
@KathyConWom
Sky News Stand Ins.

I vote for
@JamesDelingpole
and
@LPerrins
.

Would you?

Cancel my contract?

Why yes, yes I would.

[gilsey]

The Guardian view on Boris Johnson in Brussels? Not to be trusted

A bit slow to catch on, the G.

Not to be trusted anywhere, ever.

[gilsey]

Kay Burley, Beth Rigby et al are suspended on full pay, apparently.

Not much of a sanction for utter stupidity.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Kay Burley, Beth Rigby et al are suspended on full pay, apparently.

Not much of a sanction for utter stupidity.

Its more than usually happens, though.

[gilsey]

I expect most people thought Russia was lying about their virus death stats, but this is off the scale bad.

The number of deaths from all causes recorded in Russia in October rose by nearly 50,000 on the previous year, the country’s statistics agency said on Thursday.

According to the Rosstat agency, 205,500 people died in Russia in October, a rise of 47,800 on October 2019.

It did not give any explanation for the excess mortality in its latest monthly report, but said 22,761 people died in October who were either among confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases.

These included 11,630 cases where the primary cause of death was Covid-19.

The numbers are higher than AFP’s own count of 7,274 coronavirus deaths in October, based on official figures.

Between April and the end of October 2020, excess mortality in Russia now stands at almost 165,000 deaths compared to last year.

[gilsey]

Having checked the population of Russia, it's not that much worse than ours, proportionally.

But that Boris Johnson's a laugh, isn't he.

[RogerOThornhill]

Suffice to say the replies are better than Nick Timothy's dreary sarcasm...

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And jay Rayner gave him this...

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnatolyKasparov]

I mean, I'm at the upper end of middle aged rather than actually old, but can remember when Vesta curry/chow mein appeared exotic and sophisticated

It really wasn't *that* long ago......