Off Topic Politics Thread

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With Nissan issuing a statement that they will not invest further money in their Sunderland factory, and maybe move to Europe, owing to fears over Brexit, the people of Sunderland, having overwhelmingly voted for it must now feel like the turkey that voted for Christmas.
 
St Badger said:
With Nissan issuing a statement that they will not invest further money in their Sunderland factory, and maybe move to Europe, owing to fears over Brexit, the people of Sunderland, having overwhelmingly voted for it must now feel like the turkey that voted for Christmas.
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The words "I told you so" spring to mind...
 
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37532364

I am afraid Teresa May is blessed with an enormous lack of vision, conviction and bravery by beginning the Brexit process. There are many more important issues to attend to like education, transport, tax reform, providing help for industry, particularly the medium and small sized companies and self-employed, the NHS, securing a better deal for those needing benefit, pensions. If her Government were to begin to promote these ideas, window dress the immigration issue, Brexit would simply fall off the agenda.
 
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The Ides of March said:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37532364

I am afraid Teresa May is blessed with an enormous lack of vision, conviction and bravery by beginning the Brexit process. There are many more important issues to attend to like education, transport, tax reform, providing help for industry, particularly the medium and small sized companies and self-employed, the NHS, securing a better deal for those needing benefit, pensions. If her Government were to begin to promote these ideas, window dress the immigration issue, Brexit would simply fall off the agenda.
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Surely you don't believe that!! It has been top of the agenda for a lot of the country for a long time now. Politicians have been trying to deflect from the issue for a long time and that is why it is top of the agenda now. Would be silly to think she could deflect from it when it is that deflection over the past decade that ha pushed it up so high.
 
She could easily drop the issue of Brexit for the time being (preferably forever if she had any guts about her) for several reasons. Number 1 being that the French and Germans have elections next year so the ministers of those two countries might well be different. Secondly, Trump could be the US President elect after the November elections and it would be utterly foolish to turn our backs on our European friends with that fool in office. My third point is that the Government has yet to formulate any Brexit plan. In the meantime the Government propaganda machine could be used to highlight the more pressing issues that I outlined in my previous note. She could window dress the issue of Brext by issuing a statement that negotiations are taking place, and in fact do nothing at all. I sincerely hope this is the case.
 
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The Ides of March said:
She could easily drop the issue of Brexit for the time being (preferably forever if she had any guts about her) for several reasons. Number 1 being that the French and Germans have elections next year so the ministers of those two countries might well be different. Secondly, Trump could be the US President elect after the November elections and it would be utterly foolish to turn our backs on our European friends with that fool in office. My third point is that the Government has yet to formulate any Brexit plan. In the meantime the Government propaganda machine could be used to highlight the more pressing issues that I outlined in my previous note. She could window dress the issue of Brext by issuing a statement that negotiations are taking place, and in fact do nothing at all. I sincerely hope this is the case.
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I understand your reasoning but I think the opposite. You are looking from the viewpoint of wanting to remain in Europe. From my viewpoint of wanting to leave then it makes sense to so this at exactly the time that French and German politicians are underpressure from their own electorate on the very same issue of what is happening within the EU.

The German and French leaders are going to have to tread carefully over how much they push the issue when they are already under pressure and you are already seeing them start to change their stance a little with Merkel saying she made a mistake with her Welkommen speech and Sarcozy trying to move toward countering Le Pen by adopting close policies. Tusk has softened his stance already.

It is exactly the right time. The EU is nothing without the support of Germany and France and they will not want Juncker spouting off and weakening their positions within their respective countries.
 
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ImpSaint said:
I understand your reasoning but I think the opposite. You are looking from the viewpoint of wanting to remain in Europe. From my viewpoint of wanting to leave then it makes sense to so this at exactly the time that French and German politicians are underpressure from their own electorate on the very same issue of what is happening within the EU.

The German and French leaders are going to have to tread carefully over how much they push the issue when they are already under pressure and you are already seeing them start to change their stance a little with Merkel saying she made a mistake with her Welkommen speech and Sarcozy trying to move toward countering Le Pen by adopting close policies. Tusk has softened his stance already.

It is exactly the right time. The EU is nothing without the support of Germany and France and they will not want Juncker spouting off and weakening their positions within their respective countries.
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Good response Imp. Pity we have opposing views. Le Pen won't get more than 20% of the vote, and the French have built in to their system measures to counter extremist parties getting the upper hand.
 
The Ides of March said:
Good response Imp. Pity we have opposing views. Le Pen won't get more than 20% of the vote, and the French have built in to their system measures to counter extremist parties getting the upper hand.
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I think you are in for a surprise on that one. I think the second round will beat her but 20% is very hopeful.

On topic. this is Theresa May's full speech to conference r.e. Brexit. This is going to happen and will commence before end of March 2017.

Seems she (or her strategists) think the same as me. France and Germany will be in full swing running up to their elections :
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/10/full-speech-theresa-mays-britain-brexit-speech/
 
ImpSaint said:
I think you are in for a surprise on that one. I think the second round will beat her but 20% is very hopeful.

On topic. this is Theresa May's full speech to conference r.e. Brexit. This is going to happen and will commence before end of March 2017.

Seems she (or her strategists) think the same as me. France and Germany will be in full swing running up to their elections :
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/10/full-speech-theresa-mays-britain-brexit-speech/
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Expect the exonomy to tank next March then.
 
Piebacca said:
I thought it was supposed to tank straight after the vote?
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A lot of people were expecting it to, yes. But then the markets rallied at the realisation that article 50 would not be invoked this year.

We haven't begun the leaving process yet, so the impact (apart from the likes of Nissan putting the brakes on investment) is delayed.

Still, the £ is doing well. 31 year low vs the $ today <ok>
 
Thank you to anyone who voted Brexit. As you may have noticed the £ is falling against the euro thus making the cost of living for British pensioners living in Spain and other ex-pats more expensive while those going on holiday to Europe or elsewhere might find the cost is rather more than expected. However, we could all stay at home and holiday somewhere like Clacton-on-Sea. We could have saved ourselves by joining the euro at its inception but pig-headedness ruled the day in the Blair Government. Expect the cost of living to rise back home as imports cost more. I think we all need to urge Teresa May to forget Brexit totally as it will be a disaster.
 
"Disaster" to me, is UK turning into some civil war-torn region or third world country with massive starvation.

I really don't think that will happen.

Your GDP will shrink, and your per capita income will decrease, and the people who think they will be better off because of Brexit will prove to be badly mistaken. But you will still be a relatively prosperous and okay country. The irony is that by rejecting the EU, you will actually become more like other European Union countries. You'll be France, Spain, or Italy. And you will no more be able to throw your weight around than those countries. Which means at that point, it would behoove you to join the EU. Oh, the irony.

But there are much worse things in life than being a mid-level European semi-power.
 
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fatletiss said:
Yes of course. We could be a self destructing superpower that thinks it rules the world and potentially on the verge of appointing a nutter as its leader.

:emoticon-0105-wink:
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Of course. Trump if elected is probably more dangerous than Brexit to the UK.

Being #1 in the world isn't all its cracked up to be. You waste a lot of resources needlessly attempting to throw your weight around and being all paranoid about who is coming to get you.

Trump is mighty close to being elected because Trump reflects the state of the country right now. Sweden isn't a world power. Or Canada. They seem pretty happy though. Much happier than Americans. Who doesn't love Trudeau? He's even winning over the Quebecois.

Most countries and the world would be a better place if everyone stopped trying so hard to be dominant all the time.
 
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