Here we go!

[in_the_top_one]

Rmour has it that Johnson is the most intractable in the room.

Who else is in the room?
Gove is one of those who wouldn't rule out no deal but has made many remarks that it would be a disaster. (Great! Let's not do it then, eh Michael?)
Would have thought Sunak had more sense. Raaab, who knows.
Cummings wants to watch the world burn.

If your rumour is true, Johnson, who was famously in two minds but always selects self serving political expediency, has either repeated the mantra so much that he has started believing it himself, or, like May, sees it as his legacy now. Maybe he doesn't want it tainted by people saying he didn't really Get Brexit Done and sold out the leavers with Brino.

 

[in_the_top_one]

I confidently predict food prices will not go up after 1st January as a direct result of any deal we do/do not strike with the insufferable EU.

Please bookmark and you can all come back and flay me sometime in the New Year, if only to assuage any anger you may have, because it won't be the catastrophe many hope it will.

Interesting prediction.
How do you think food prices could be kept as low as they are if there is no deal? I'm interested in your thoughts because I see the downsides of tariffs, regulatory issues, importing paperwork costs, transport delays, possible greater food miles, refrigeration, spoilage, a lower pound, and the predictions of the great majority of economists. I cannot see mitigating factors that will balance those costs for a good long time after the end of transition.
I suspect you are crossing your fingers and hoping for the best but I would be very happy to hear a reasoned argument.

If I had to guess, I think there will be a 'new' deal with the EU that is effectively a continuation of the transition period. We will be tied in to all manner of things but it will be presented as a success; food prices will remain largely as they are with only minor increases. Some in the ERG will hop up and down. Farage will be noisy and there will be no closure.

 

[mao tse tung]

Interesting prediction.
How do you think food prices could be kept as low as they are if there is no deal? I'm interested in your thoughts because I see the downsides of tariffs, regulatory issues, importing paperwork costs, transport delays, possible greater food miles, refrigeration, spoilage, a lower pound, and the predictions of the great majority of economists. I cannot see mitigating factors that will balance those costs for a good long time after the end of transition.
I suspect you are crossing your fingers and hoping for the best but I would be very happy to hear a reasoned argument.

If I had to guess, I think there will be a 'new' deal with the EU that is effectively a continuation of the transition period. We will be tied in to all manner of things but it will be presented as a success; food prices will remain largely as they are with only minor increases. Some in the ERG will hop up and down. Farage will be noisy and there will be no closure.

"How do you think food prices could be kept as low as they are if there is no deal?"

Because they bet the house on a US Trade deal, but Donald has let them down.

 

[Strett]

Interesting prediction.
How do you think food prices could be kept as low as they are if there is no deal? I'm interested in your thoughts because I see the downsides of tariffs, regulatory issues, importing paperwork costs, transport delays, possible greater food miles, refrigeration, spoilage, a lower pound, and the predictions of the great majority of economists. I cannot see mitigating factors that will balance those costs for a good long time after the end of transition.
I suspect you are crossing your fingers and hoping for the best but I would be very happy to hear a reasoned argument.

If I had to guess, I think there will be a 'new' deal with the EU that is effectively a continuation of the transition period. We will be tied in to all manner of things but it will be presented as a success; food prices will remain largely as they are with only minor increases. Some in the ERG will hop up and down. Farage will be noisy and there will be no closure.

I think there will be a deal, which kind of negates the need to answer much of your first paragraph.

Your 'new' deal guess I think is a fair one, which makes much sense if the alternative is as you describe.

 

[in_the_top_one]

I confidently predict food prices will not go up after 1st January as a direct result of any deal we do/do not strike with the insufferable EU.

Please bookmark and you can all come back and flay me sometime in the New Year, if only to assuage any anger you may have, because it won't be the catastrophe many hope it will.

Ok, so you didn't mean the "do not" bit. Got it.

 

[in_the_top_one]

"How do you think food prices could be kept as low as they are if there is no deal?"

Because they bet the house on a US Trade deal, but Donald has let them down.

That ship is sailing and I don't think it is top of The Donald's to do list.
Some might say we are at the "back of the queue"?! Now there's a prediction that literally nobody could have made back in 2016..

 

[Strett]

That ship is sailing and I don't think it is top of The Donald's to do list.
Some might say we are at the "back of the queue"?! Now there's a prediction that literally nobody could have made back in 2016..

Wasn't Don's mantra, America first?

But tarry a little here, we don't want a UK-US trade deal do we? This is what many on the remain (sorry re-join) side were saying when Don was hinting at it, chlorinated chicken, poor animal welfare in general, etc.

Some minds require making up here.

 

[mao tse tung]

That ship is sailing and I don't think it is top of The Donald's to do list.
Some might say we are at the "back of the queue"?! Now there's a prediction that literally nobody could have made back in 2016..

Donald no longer has a say in things, and the Democrats will ensure the UK has to jump through hoops to maintain the existing arrangement, never mind any improvements to it.

Lets see what happens the first time Boris attempts to tinker with free movement across the Irish Border.

 

[mao tse tung]

Wasn't Don's mantra, America first?

But tarry a little here, we don't want a UK-US trade deal do we? This is what many on the remain (sorry re-join) side were saying when Don was hinting at it, chlorinated chicken, poor animal welfare in general, etc.

Some minds require making up here.

I think most of the people you are describing have no problems with an American Trade deal in principal; its just that they would prefer an agreement rather than accepting the subservient deal Trump would have liked.

You do not tend to get the best deal when you are acting out of desperation.

 

[Strett]

Donald no longer has a say in things, and the Democrats will ensure the UK has to jump through hoops to maintain the existing arrangement, never mind any improvements to it.

Lets see what happens the first time Boris attempts to tinker with free movement across the Irish Border.

I love all these doom-laden predictions.
We should re-cap in a few months and have a giggle at who peddled, believed, longed for the daftest.

 

[in_the_top_one]

I think most of the people you are describing have no problems with an American Trade deal in principal; its just that they would prefer an agreement rather than accepting the subservient deal Trump would have liked.

You do not tend to get the best deal when you are acting out of desperation.

Absolutely this. It really isn't complicated.

Equitable trade deal that is good for both sovereign entities = good.
Getting shafted / lowering standards = bad.

Which was Donald Trump going for? I guess we may never know. We do know, however, that this was going to be a distressed sale, what with us being up sh!t creek, and all.



Transition ends on 1st Jan.
Donald leaves on 20th Jan.
Still time for shenanigans but, as I said, these days he is mostly watching tv in a sulk and making sure Giuliani doesn't sit too close to the fire.

 

[mao tse tung]

I love all these doom-laden predictions.
We should re-cap in a few months and have a giggle at who peddled, believed, longed for the daftest.

OK, a simple question for you:

Do you think the Democrats will stand by and allow Boris to drive a coach and horses through the Good Friday agreement?

Yes or no?

 

[mao tse tung]

Absolutely this. It really isn't complicated.

Equitable trade deal that is good for both sovereign entities = good.
Getting shafted / lowering standards = bad.

Which was Donald Trump going for? I guess we may never know. We do know, however, that this was going to be a distressed sale, what with us being up sh!t creek, and all.



Transition ends on 1st Jan.
Donald leaves on 20th Jan.
Still time for shenanigans but, as I said, these days he is mostly watching tv in a sulk and making sure Giuliani doesn't sit too close to the fire.

He is limited to what executive orders he can sign and he will definitely not get a Trade Deal through the House.

 

[in_the_top_one]

He is limited to what executive orders he can sign and he will definitely not get a Trade Deal through the House.

Correct.
Biden would probably also like a trade deal with Brexit Britain and our equation (desperation) won't have changed much.
However, his priorities are rather different but not necessarily any better for us.
Ironically we have probably moved further back in the queue but that might be better for us in the long run.

 

[Strett]

Absolutely this. It really isn't complicated.

Equitable trade deal that is good for both sovereign entities = good.
Getting shafted / lowering standards = bad.

Which was Donald Trump going for? I guess we may never know. We do know, however, that this was going to be a distressed sale, what with us being up sh!t creek, and all.



Transition ends on 1st Jan.
Donald leaves on 20th Jan.
Still time for shenanigans but, as I said, these days he is mostly watching tv in a sulk and making sure Giuliani doesn't sit too close to the fire.

Whoever the tenant is at Pennsylvania Avenue, I suspect there will be little difference in that regard.

I caught this last night. Was that hair dye running down Giuliani's cheeks? Comical does not begin to describe this.

 

[mao tse tung]

Correct.
Biden would probably also like a trade deal with Brexit Britain and our equation (desperation) won't have changed much.
However, his priorities are rather different but not necessarily any better for us.
Ironically we have probably moved further back in the queue but that might be better for us in the long run.

Biden has intimated that he wants some form of Western coalition to stand up to the Chinese threat, and his first port of call will be discussions with the EU.

He will also want a deal with the UK; those discussions will be far easier if we are dealing with the EU as part of an agreement.

 

[Strett]

OK, a simple question for you:

Do you think the Democrats will stand by and allow Boris to drive a coach and horses through the Good Friday agreement?

Yes or no?

No. But it won't come to this, as I have stated above, and always have, there will be a deal, if not more time to secure one. Money always talks.

Coach and horses. Lol. Love the language. Very tabloid.

 

[in_the_top_one]

Whoever the tenant is at Pennsylvania Avenue, I suspect there will be little difference in that regard.

I caught this last night. Was that hair dye running down Giuliani's cheeks? Comical does not begin to describe this.

I couldn't pick a favourite.
I like the pale bits on his temples where his glasses have rubbed it away. So sexy.

DF posted this on here, I think:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1329536498459406341

#DefinitelyNotUnhinged

 

[in_the_top_one]

No. But it won't come to this, as I have stated above, and always have, there will be a deal, if not more time to secure one. Money always talks.

Coach and horses. Lol. Love the language. Very tabloid.

Will it be a single market-y sort of deal?
If so, how can we make independent trade deals with other nations that don't follow the rules of the SM?
If not, then how do we have regulatory divergence without checks on the Irish border? 'Trusted trader' only goes so far.

 

[Strett]

I couldn't pick a favourite.
I like the pale bits on his temples where his glasses have rubbed it away. So sexy.

DF posted this on here, I think:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1329536498459406341

#DefinitelyNotUnhinged

View attachment 43797

View attachment 43798

View attachment 43800

He should have melted away (pun intended) after 9/11; that being his finest hour.