holystove

Harvesting scallops using industrial-scale scraping off the Normandie coast, under the noses of French fishermen abiding by a conservation policy... I'm with the French on this one. I wonder how this is being reported in the UK as the article Mike posted shows how differently UK and Iceland media portrayed the Cod Wars and the effect it had on sustaining the conflict.

You are ofcourse right on 'murderer' being over the top and indeed he objected to immigrants of all races. Troubling you read his bigoted posts as mere snobbery though. He's the only person I ever complained about to a Mod. But Matt is right, this is not for this thread.

I remember he got angry when you called him a murderer for supporting Tory/austerity policy and demanded an apology. Murderer was a little sttong, but he was a racist and a bigot.

I'll be a member for 10 years on December 22. Funnily enough, my "mental image" of all the ones that have been here for all that time hasn't changed at all. I wonder what happened to Ian (IanC?), the Irish guy; he made a lot of good posts.

He's already on edge because he's doing something illegal, adding 100+ decibels creates a sensory overload. Same reason a lot of alarms trigger lights to flash on and off inside a house. Thief gets confused and runs. At least, that's the theory.

My alarm guy said the main purpose of an alarm is to scare away the thief rather than call attention from other people. I asked him because the siren I have inside my house produces twice as many decibels as the one on the outside.

Not sure I want this to happen. Another Russian billionaire who made his money in a shady way, and who in current climate could be forced to leave the West/UK (see Abramovich), taking bulk of his money with him. Moshiri money is good enough for me.

As you are a "remainer" this post is exactly why I (and many more on the continent) were backing brexit.

Well that is why the EU has agreed a transition period to sort most of that. The scenario we are talking about now is no-deal, which means no transition. In order to avoid no-deal only 3 things are necessary: 1/ financial settlement (UK accepts liabilities it signed up to as a member). 2/ agreement on rights of EU citizens in UK and UK migrants in EU27. 3/ Solution on the Irish border. All this future relationship stuff (customs union, single market, FTA in goods, ECJ, ...) is irrelevant to an orderly exit right now because it will only come into effect after the transition period. However as the UK doesnt want to accept the EU27 proposal for the Irish backstop and they think the financial settlement is their best card, they want to decide the future relationship now. If the UK would just sign the Withdrawal Treaty as it is written now, instead of in March 2019, there would be a lot less drama.

This critique would only be credible if there was some plan for Brexit that leavers came up with and that is being blocked by 'remoaners'.

First of all, 15m is nothing compared to tourists from EU27. No EU member state will begin to threaten the integrity of EU structure to placate a departing member.. especially in the all important field of tourism Secondly, you are right it will become more expensive if Spain demands visas etc. but that won't put them at a disadvantage to other warm weather countries. Brits will still come, just pay more. Finally, Brexit is the definition of putting idealogy before anything else, don't be surprised to find some EU member states might do the same. I think Spain will take Gibraltar instead of 15m Brits in a heartbeat. (which they might).

This is misunderstanding no-deal, Bailey. "why would the EU not allow planes to fly?" Because if the UK drops out with no-deal, UK airtravel will no longer be certified via EU agency ( there is no UK aviation agency) so no certification. Which means no insurance company will issue insurance, which means no flights... Where is the EU bureaucrat in this? "why would the EU not deliver medicine?" "why would the EU not deliver food?" Because if the UK drops out with no-deal, there will no longer be fictionless trade. Which means delays at the borders and fresh food will perish on the roads. Roads will literally get clogged due to no-deal, not because something the EU does. Where is the EU bureaucrat in this? etc etc. It might seem common sense to let this all continue, but it is no-deal-brexit that is standing in the way of this, not any EU politician. I don't think we'll get to the stage of no-deal because of the armageddon it would bring but first MPs need to be honest about this. I'm still counting on a transition period during which the UK can set up all its own agencies, streamline its border procedures, do an FTA with the EU to keep as much of current trade flowing as possible post-transtion, create a lasting solution for ROI-NI, etc.. so it can leave the EU in an orderly way.

Most importantly people need to get out of the mindset of this MP. I'm sure some on here believe no-deal will be bzsically status quo as well.. it will not. Stockpiling food, medicine and using army to keep the peace, are not project fear 2.0. They are policy designed by pro-brexit ministers in the UK government. Wake up.

He did very well; it was impressive how in the last kilometre of each mountain stage he managed to escape the group of favourites and gain another couple of seconds. I enjoyed this years' TdF, especially the short but incredibly tough mountain stage in the last week was a good idea I hope they bring back every year. To show the doubts around Sky and cycling, this op-ed ran in Flanders biggests newspaper last weekend: "32 year old Sky rider who previously had never finished better than 15th in Tour de France, Giro or Vuelta dominates this years' Tour de France." I agree with the author that it is somewhat odd but I assume if he isn'tt riding clean, Sky would give the same "stuff" to Froome and he didn't do that well this year so whatever it possibly is, it's not that great.

UK commentariat predicting the end of the EUR every other year is one of my favourite things. To be honest, I think it more likely with a no-deal-brexit decimating the value of sterling, the UK using the EUR bottom up rather than the EUR to fail. Sort of like Kosovo and Montenegro.

I think a new General Election is more likely than a second referendum. Tory infighting is getting worse and might eventually reach breaking point, but more importantly it is way too late to pass the necessary legislation to hold a referendum before brexit-date. Having said that, I would bet on neither (2nd ref or GE) happening.

Yes it is focused on the US but I assume processed meats, mercury in fish, etc. are the same everywhere. I would love it if my wife was a nutritionist. Food/healthy eating is the start of everything. Most eye-opening was the power of your farmers-lobby. They have the agression of the NRA backed by the money of big Pharma; incredibly powerful.

"What the health" on Netflix. My wife wants our family to eat vegan after having seen it. I'm semi-convinced. Anyone else seen this?

https://youtu.be/4k4pMTsa1Kw This might be the funniest thing I have ever seen. From the impression of a Chinese person, to the N*****, and his bare buttocks while yelling USA.

nominated for FIFA manager of the year, alongside likes of Guardiola.

Because you can be bad but still not worst. I think May is incompetent but I wouldn't hesitate a second to vote for her over Corbyn.

I know The Telegraph wrote it is for in case of no-deal, but that is incorrect. It was more accurately reported in The Independent (but I accept you will dispute that ). Those 8.000 still imply participation in various EU agencies, per government policy. To cope with no-deal you will need many more. Ironically, there is no greater increase of red tape and bureaucracy in the history of mankind than Brexit. Ofcourse Rees-Mogg has just made the point the benefits of Brexit might not be clear for 50 years, so all this short to medium stuff is not relevant to true believers. Meanwhile his company opened up a second branch in the EU to escape the economic effects of Brexit. You see it is not illegal to lie to voters but it is illegal to lie to shareholders.

There are 32.000 eurocrats to regulate the entire EU. To prepare for a soft-ish Brexit the UK alone is already hiring 8.000 civil servants.

There are no tariffs on services. It's all about non-tarrif barriers. The question is will a UK lawyer, musician, banker, etc still be recognized as such in the EU, and therefor able to sell their services? Problem in NI is that *any* border infrastructure is a problem. Ireland has put this issue front and center, not the EU Commission. As the EU heads of State have ordered the Commission not to accept any border infastructure, they have to play hardball until Ireland softens its stance. Why can't the UK and Ireland just keep the border open regardless what happens in negotiations? Because that is illegal under WTO law (for both EU and UK). The EU would loose its status as a Customs Union if it doesn't control its borders. There is, by the way, no border in the entire world that is frictionless, not between US-Canada, Norway-EU, Switzerland-EU,.. nowhere. I would not underestimate the issue of the Irish Border as just a negotiating strategy. There is already increased tension and nothing has changed yet.

A Customs Union only covers goods, not services. The UK is primarily a services-based economy (80%) and inside a EU-CU the UK would still be able to agree free trade agreements on services (as you plan to leave the Single Market). Outside an EU-CU there is a hard border in Northern Ireland, EU-wide supply chaines would leave the UK, the Eurotunnel becomes a bottle-neck, etc. Then again, remaining inside the CU would not really be Brexit