BREXIT: UP-TO-DATE NEWS AS IT HAPPENS

Why do I think this is going to turn into something very nasty? Labor don't care about Brexit, all they want to do is screw the Tories and seize power. LL

Ah, but Corbyn is a Brexiter, like quite a few of the Left. They see it as globalism, exploiting the poor, etc. It's all a terrible muddle.

Sturgeon doesn't care, she just wants to wind up Westminster.

Scottish and Welsh leaders call repeal bill a 'naked power grab'.

Statement from Sturgeon and Jones raises prospect of new constitutional clash, with Brexit bill requiring legislative consent.

Theresa May is facing a fresh constitutional clash with the Scottish government after Nicola Sturgeon threatened to block the “repeal bill”, dismissing it as a “naked power grab”.

The European Union (withdrawal) bill requires the consent of the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly, but Scotland’s first minister and her counterpart in Wales, Carwyn Jones, issued a joint statement saying they could not recommend the bill as it stands to their respective legislatures.

Sturgeon has been careful to avoid describing the consent of the Scottish parliament as a veto. There is a potentially thorny issue as to whether Westminster could override the Scottish parliament.

The Scotland secretary, David Mundell, said Holyrood’s approval through a legislative consent motion would be required for the bill, adding: “I am optimistic we will obtain the consent.” He suggested that the impasse would be resolved through negotiation with Sturgeon.

The Scottish National party leader is digesting her party’s losses in the general election last month. She may decide it is not in its interest to block the bill, instead opting to use the leverage to negotiate the transfer of as many powers as possible from Brussels to Scotland, rather than Westminster.

Mundell denied that the transfer was a power grab by Westminster and insisted that it would turn out to be a “power bonanza” for Scotland. Sturgeon would find it difficult to block a bill that would transfer powers from Brussels to Edinburgh, he added, but declined to specify which powers these may be, other than some relating to hill farming.

During the journalists’ briefing, Mundell spoke vaguely about environmental and energy issues, avoiding contentious topics such as fishing rights.

“Needless to say, there will be a process row with the Scottish government because the Scottish government does process row, that is their speciality,” he said, adding that previous standoffs had been resolved.

In their joint statement, Sturgeon and Jones said: “We have repeatedly tried to engage with the UK government on these matters and have put forward constructive proposals about how we can deliver an outcome which will protect the interests of all the nations in the UK, safeguard our economies and respect devolution.

“Regrettably, the bill does not do this. Instead, it is a naked power grab, an attack on the founding principles of devolution and could destabilise our economies. The European Union (withdrawal) bill does not return powers from the EU to the devolved administrations as promised.

“It returns them solely to the UK government and parliament, and imposes new restrictions on the Scottish parliament and national assembly for Wales. On that basis, the Scottish and Welsh governments cannot recommend that legislative consent is given to the bill as it currently stands.”

The SNP tabled an amendment to the bill opposing a second reading on the grounds that it contains no commitment to transfer powers to the devolved governments, fails to provide a unilateral guarantee of rights for EU nationals in the UK and is not accompanied by any economic analysis by the UK government of the full implications of withdrawal from the single market.

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, said: “Until the UK government meaningfully engages with the devolved administrations and publishes a detailed economic analysis of the impact that leaving the single market or a no-deal scenario will have, then the SNP has no choice but to oppose a second reading of the bill in order to get answers from a government that has sought to evade scrutiny at every opportunity.”

LL, I genuinely don't know why the SNP has nailed its colours so firmly to the EU mast - it's already cost them hundreds of thousands of votes and a good few MPs.

It's beyond all reason - way past simply wanting to get a good deal from Brexit. I don't know if Sturgeon has made promises to people in the EU that she can't keep.

And Wales voted Leave, so I don't know why they're jumping up and down.

UK airline easyJet opens Vienna base to cope with Brexit.

LONDON (AP) — London-based budget airline easyJet says it is opening a base in Vienna, Austria, to prepare for the potential effects of Brexit. EasyJet said Friday it will open a European Union base in Austria's capital "regardless of the outcome of talks on a future U.K.-EU aviation agreement."

The new easyJet Europe base will grow alongside two existing bases in Switzerland and Britain to form "a pan European airline group." Easyjet already has staff in Vienna and will add jobs there. But no positions will be moved from the U.K., where the airline will continue have most of its operations.

EasyJet said the new base will protect their flying rights in Europe, but that they'll continue to fight for a Brexit deal that at least allows flights between Britain and the EU.

Good employment news for Vienna - and though they're a budget airline, Easyjet have a fairly good reputation. Unlike certain Irish airlines....

Brexit followed by Corbyn in No 10 would put UK flat on its back – Tony Blair.

Former Labour prime minister issues warning in lengthy article published by his own political institute.

Tony Blair has warned that the combination of Brexit followed by a Jeremy Corbyn government would soon leave Britain “flat on our back”, arguing that a deeply divided country needs a fundamental rethink of its political ideas.

In another demonstration of his partial return to domestic politics, the former prime minister praised Corbyn’s performance in the general election, but argued that greater scrutiny of the Labour leader’s policies could derail the next campaign. In a lengthy article released by his own political institute, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Blair said an “unchanged Corbyn programme” introduced at the same time as Brexit would prove disastrous for the country.

“If a rightwing populist punch in the form of Brexit was followed by a leftwing populist punch in the form of unreconstructed hard-left economics, Britain would hit the canvas, flat on our back and be out for a long count,” he wrote. More at link.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/15/brexit-followed-by-corbyn-put-uk-flat-on-back-tony-blair
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Tony Blair: 'Absolutely necessary' that Brexit does not happen.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tony-blair-absolutely-necessary-brexit-does-not-happen-073500111.html

Blair doesn't realise just how detested he is.

bb1 wrote:Blair doesn't realise just how detested he is.

He does seem to have some weird idea that everyone is interested in what he has to say. Completely oblivious to the fact that the best he can hope for is that we all fall about laughing after we have thrown up.

He is probably a narcissist, although I am not entirely sure what that means, except that I don't want to be one.

Many people regard him as nothing more than a war criminal, Sabot. He and others in his circle blatantly lied to Parliament over Iraq; that's never going to be forgotten or forgiven.

Brexit talks begin in earnest with citizens' rights in focus.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Talks to extricate Britain from the European Union began in earnest Monday with both sides still seemingly far apart on citizens' rights after Brexit officially takes place in less than two years.

After an initial meeting last month where the structure of the talks was determined, Britain's Brexit minister, David Davis, met up with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator in Brussels ahead of four-days of discussions.

Progress on citizens' rights is one of the three main issues that have to be resolved before the two sides can start talking about a wide-ranging free trade deal, the others being the bill Britain has to pay to meet existing commitments and the border issue in Ireland.

The British proposal offers EU nationals who have lived in Britain for at least five years — as of an unspecified cutoff date — the right to live, work and access benefits. The estimated 3 million EU nationals in Britain would all have to apply individually for permission to stay, and it's unclear what the plan would mean for those who have been in the U.K. for a shorter time or what rights family members will have.

European officials have said the British proposal to give EU citizens "settled status" does not go far enough. The European Parliament warned last week it could veto the final deal if Britain doesn't give EU citizens more rights if they choose to stay in Britain after Brexit, which is due to take place in March 2019.

The issue is the first to be tackled at four days of talks that started Monday. Whatever emerges will likely be replicated for the 1 million or so British citizens who currently live in EU countries. "It is incredibly important we now make good progress," Britain's Brexit minister David Davis said after launching the talks with chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Civil servants will do the bulk of the negotiating. After opening the talks with Barnier Monday, Davis returned to London and is due back in Brussels Thursday for a press conference with the EU negotiator.

At a separate meeting of foreign ministers, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson insisted that a recent offer by Prime Minister Theresa May for EU citizens in Britain is "a very fair, serious offer."

"I hope very much that people can look at that offer in the spirit it deserves," he told reporters. "It's a great offer."

It's all gamesmanship, IMO - on both sides.

There's light at the end of the tunnel for the key driver of the British economy.

LONDON — Brexit has been bad for the British economy in the short. That seems pretty obvious to anyone paying even a little bit of attention.

Since last June the pound has slumped, sending inflation skywards.

That, in turn, has caused a slip in consumer spending, which itself has driven down overall GDP growth — the economy grew just 0.2% in the first quarter of 2017, making Britain the slowest growing major economy on the planet.

So far, so bad then.

However, there is now a "chink of light at the end of the tunnel" for regular Brits when it comes to the economy, according to a research note circulated by Andrew Goodwin, the lead UK economist at Oxford Economics on Friday.

"The first half of 2017 has been tough for the UK consumer, with a steep pickup in inflation meaning that wages have been falling in real terms, forcing consumers to retrench. But this week's data brought some better news," Goodwin writes.

That good news came in the form of a surprise fall in the level of CPI and a strong month for retail sales in June, both of which suggest that the worst of times may be over for Britain's consumers — the driving engine of the country's growth in the post-financial crisis years.

Goodwin points to the drop from 2.9% to 2.6% in the rate of consumer price inflation in June as a key pillar of that thesis.

"This was only the second time in the past 14 months that inflation had fallen from month-to-month and though a certain degree of volatility is not uncommon, unusually there was no obvious one-off factor to explain the downside surprise, merely general softness across the core categories," he writes. More at link.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/apos-light-end-tunnel-key-073219081.html

The Exchange Rate is looking a bit shitty at the moment, but I've been there and done all that, long before Brexit was even conceived. So I can only wonder what caused the problem with The Pound on previous occasions.

Thanks to past problems with The Pound, I am now getting some serious help from The French State, albeit without even asking.

Bonjour, ma petite! As the pound and the Hungarian forint are not in the eurozone we are having the normal summer hiccup in the rate. LL

Lamplighter wrote:Bonjour, ma petite! As the pound and the Hungarian forint are not in the eurozone we are having the normal summer hiccup in the rate. LL

Bonjour a toi, Lamplighter.

Ah, okay. Just the same old same old then? Although the Winters haven't been all that good lately either.

I do think that Britain being half in and half out hasn't helped. It had to be one or the other in the end. And I can't say I cared all that much about what they chose. But Britain isn't capable of a Continental mind set, so probably best off out.

Tis odd people like thee and me who have an adventurous spirit, probably from crossed races. I do so wish that I was really clever like you. Shit, I do mind that I had no real education at all, although that wouldn't necessarily have resulted in me being clever. I just battled along in the end, and finally attained some knowledge of self worth. This was always going to be difficult for a working class, London girl child.

I did somehow manage to put my three boys though Public School, although I don't think that any of them have much idea of what that entailed. But then I didn't want them to.

All's well that ends well. I have a nice life in a nice country. I am never ill, and I am fortunate.

Ma petite, everyone is clever in their own way. You managed to do far more than I have as you had less than I had so don't denegrate yourself. LL

Lamplighter wrote:Ma petite, everyone is clever in their own way. You managed to do far more than I have as you had less than I had so don't denegrate yourself. LL

Do I denegrate myself? I don't think I mean to. I think I just have some conception of my limitations. And who knows? I might have been unbearably arrogant without those.

I wanted to be an actress, or a lawyer, anything for the grand stage. I nearly died for Shakespeare. I once played the part of Shylock in the school play. Although I never wanted to be Portia. Shylock was the part for me. Probably something to do with my inherent feelings for the underdog.

In the end I settled for being a Naval Air Mechanic, but that had it's own prestige at a time when working class girls didn't do that sort of thing. And I did inherit my father's penchant for Mathematics.
That caused some consternation within my Family. Our Maureen has gone completely mad. Never mind, she will come running back home with her tail between her legs. How wrong they were. I had a really lovely time. Always in Scotland. Hence why I worked as a Bus Conductress in Glasgow. And that was fun as well.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/25/brussels-attacks-liam-foxs-ignorant-remarks-chlorinated-chicken-eu-trade-deal-us


Brussels attacks Liam Fox's 'ignorant' remarks on chlorinated chicken
EU withering about UK trade secretary’s view on food standards being minor matter in potential trade deal with US after Brexit

I personally would avoid modern-day US produce; it's not called Frankenfood for nothing. Also, cheap corn syrup is in just about everything, leading to very visible obesity. Chlorine-washed chicken is the least of it.

UK orders pre-Brexit study of EU migrants' economic impact.

LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday ordered an assessment of the contribution of European Union citizens to the economy, as the U.K. ponders how to structure its immigration system after leaving the bloc.

More than 3 million citizens of other EU countries live in Britain, and many sectors of the economy rely on foreign workers. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Thursday that the government needs "the most accurate picture possible of the extent to which the U.K. economy uses EU labor." She has asked an independent group, the Migration Advisory Committee, to conduct the study.

The government says it will end free movement — a key principle of the EU — and impose immigration controls after Brexit. But businesses say it is unclear exactly what will happen when Britain ceases to be an EU member in March 2019.

"The U.K. must remain a hub for international talent," Rudd wrote in the Financial Times newspaper. "We must keep attracting the brightest and the best migrants from around the world." Rudd said there would be no "cliff-edge" for the economy, suggesting a transition period. But Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said Thursday that free movement will end in the spring of 2019.

Critics say the government has been tardy in calling the inquiry, which is not due to report until September 2018 — six months before the Brexit deadline.

Labour in disarray over Brexit after Diane Abbott single market claim.

Labour was in disarray over Brexit today as Diane Abbott became the third shadow Cabinet minister to undermine Jeremy Corbyn on whether the UK will quit the single market.

The shadow home secretary said her party was not taking any options for Brexit off the table.

She said Labour was open to any means that retained the benefits of the single market and customs union, echoing comments from shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer.

Her intervention came after Mr Corbyn ruled out remaining in the single market and shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said it would be a “disaster” to stay in the customs union.

“The Labour Party made it very clear in its manifesto that it wants a Brexit that puts jobs and the economy first and we are not at this stage taking any options off the table,” Ms Abbott told BBC Two’s Newsnight.

“We believe in looking at where we want to go, and what we want from these negotiations when we’re conducting them is to have the benefits of being in the single market and customs union. We’re about looking at ends, not structures.”

Does anyone in power, anywhere, have the foggiest idea what they're doing?

bb1 wrote:Does anyone in power, anywhere, have the foggiest idea what they're doing?

Pass. LL