The Political Thread

[IndigoPrime]

He's fucked come tomorrow. We're already seeing how thin this deal is with couriers refusing to ship to the EU and the like. The queues of lorries won't diminish because they can't. The City is fucked, meaning billions will leave the UK, never to return. JIT is done. Prices will go up. Choice will go down. People will be stuck in the UK, unless rich.

The arch Brexiters will turn, probably within a few months, trying to denounce and unpick the deal. Having just argued that five hours was enough time for a debate, given how long we've been in the EU, they'll nonetheless by next summer slam that there was never enough time to debate the bill. This will never be over. And with Labour and the Lib Dems shifting to cowardly "tell us what we need to do for you to vote for us" mode, it's hard to see how the opposition can hope to win in 2024.

[TordelBack]

Full-on "the enemy is weak but also strong" from here on out, combined with escalating hardship it's a proto-fascist's wet-dream. Every emergent issue is the scheming EU's vengeance, every revelation of the next humiliating concession somehow a hard-won victory for GREAT Britain.

[Professor Bear]

It's a great trade deal if you're a carpetbagger, but then all deals are.  The fire sale of what national assets remain is supposedly already underway - I don't know what "planned shakeup of the NHS" means specifically, but I do hope no-one on the forum plans on getting sick or old.

[Dandontdare]

... and every single economic shitshow will be blamed on "the virus" instead of Brexit

[IndigoPrime]

I had another thought recently, in that the Tories are great at taking things away and then boasting about giving them back, but as amazing hard-fought victories. It's perhaps optimistic to think this will happen with EU-oriented benefits, but it might. I wouldn't be shocked for Johnson to announce some kind of reciprocal visa-free work agreement between the EU and UK at some point in the future—just don't call it free movement of workers.

[Tjm86]

And with Labour and the Lib Dems shifting to cowardly "tell us what we need to do for you to vote for us" mode, it's hard to see how the opposition can hope to win in 2024.

Aye, Labour seriously need to sort their lives out.  Liberals as a credible option?  I doubt it, not after Clegg.  The Greens?  ...

Nope.  British politicians have so much to answer for with this.  I think you really have hit the nail on the head though.  They're way too concerned about getting and keeping support and not concerned enough about hard choices and doing the job they're paid for.  For me that pretty much guarantees that I won't vote for the buggers.

[IndigoPrime]

I get that polarisation has made the landscape tricky, and FPTP makes things worse. But Labour needs to come to terms with the latter and that it will likely never win another majority but could become the main party in coalition almost indefinitely (or at least certainly very regularly). As for the Lib Dems, I've no idea what they're doing now. Previously, they've always been about making stands on things that really matter (liberalism; anti-Iraq War; PR), but Davey appears to be triangulating the party into oblivion. (Labour at least has been doing well in the polls, although mostly by eating into the LD share rather than the Tory one).

[Professor Bear]

Aye, Labour seriously need to sort their lives out.  Liberals as a credible option?  I doubt it, not after Clegg.

I wouldn't underestimate the long-term damage to the LibDems done by Swinson, which is all the more remarkable considering she got such an easy ride.  There's footage somewhere of her going on tv to deny that she murdered squirrels for fun.
I'd also be quite surprised if Farron's homophobia has been entirely forgiven, as there was pointed discussion of how the party couldn't get him to keep his opinions to himself, meaning that the party was fine with his being a homophobe, they just had a problem with people knowing it.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Just to change the subject - it may well just be me, but I've been noticing slightly less coverage of the orange buffoon in recent days.  If this is a trend, roll on 2021.

[Funt Solo]

Just to change the subject - it may well just be me, but I've been noticing slightly less coverage of the orange buffoon in recent days.  If this is a trend, roll on 2021.

I got so frustrated and bored with hearing news stories that were basically "Orange buffoon tweets [nasty rhetoric]" or "Orange buffoon forwards a fascist agenda" (and this was before he was elected president), that I would switch the radio on in the car (on NPR) and then switch it off as soon as his name was mentioned. During the morning commute, I never got past 15 seconds. For a whole year.

This nation is obsessed with the presidency, and tribalism.

[shaolin_monkey]

Massively sad day for many reasons, not least the 1000 deaths a day to COVID due to government's (deliberate?) mishandling, but also the last few hours of being in the EU.

Wales voted Leave, one of the most impoverished parts of all of Europe, one  of the countries that benefitted the most from EU investment trying  to raise it out of economic zone 1. The EU had earmarked 10 billion for Wales over the next decade, which it now isn't getting - not from the EU, and not being replaced by Westminster either.

Combine that with the big car manufacturers pulling out of South Wales, and the economic impact of just leaving the EU - Wales is going to see impoverishment not seen since the dissolution of industry in the 70s. Probably worse than then - kids are already starving here.

Then of course there's the end of OUR free movement, the loss of ERASMUS, and so so much more.

Wales fell foul of one of the biggest cons perpetrated against U.K. citizens ever.

It's a desperately sad day.

[JayzusB.Christ]

This nation is obsessed with the presidency, and tribalism.

Sorry to bring him up again. Got a bit obsessed with his antics myself I have to admit, but I'll be very glad to get myself a life in 2021 and leave him behind.

[IndigoPrime]

Fireworks going off here constantly. My wife just reminded me, it's Brexiters celebrating. Fuck 2020.

[Tiplodocus]

Fireworks going off here constantly. My wife just reminded me, it's Brexiters celebrating. Fuck 2020.

Doubtful. Plenty fireworks going off up here in Scotland and BREXIT not popular.

[Trooper McFad]

Fireworks going off here constantly. My wife just reminded me, it's Brexiters celebrating. Fuck 2020.

Doubtful. Plenty fireworks going off up here in Scotland and BREXIT not popular.

I think the time IndigoPrime posted hinted at it being a Brexit celebration 😩 the Transition period officially ended 11.00pm (GMT)