CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Do we need an EU referendum thread? (Brexit thread)

(3978 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by I were right about that saddle
  • Latest reply from chdot

  1. chdot
    Admin

    In his only novel, Seventy-Two Virgins, published in 2004, Boris Johnson uses a strange word. The hero, like Johnson himself at the time, is a backbench Conservative member of the House of Commons. Roger Barlow is, indeed, a somewhat unflattering self-portrait—he bicycles to Westminster, he is unfaithful to his wife, he is flippantly racist and politically opportunistic, and he is famously disheveled:

    https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/08/15/boris-johnson-ham-of-fate/

    Posted 4 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    And I am afraid that there are technological pessimists – some of them apparently in London – who seem genuinely to think that such technical solutions are impossible, that they are a kind of logical contradiction, a mythological species that we will never see in this universe. Are they right? Of course not. There is abundant scope to find the solutions necessary – and they can and will be found, in the context of the Free Trade Agreement that we will negotiate with the EU (and this is common to both candidates in the current leadership contest) after we have left on October 31.

    It is absurd that we have even allowed ourselves to be momentarily delayed by these technical issues. If they could use hand-knitted computer code to make a frictionless re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere in 1969, we can solve the problem of frictionless trade at the Northern Irish border ...

    It is time this country recovered some its can-do spirit. We can come out of the EU on October 31, and yes, we certainly have the technology to do so. What we need now is the will and the drive.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/jul/22/brexit-tory-leadership-boris-johnson-dismisses-boris-johnsons-claim-moon-landing-style-can-do-spirit-will-solve-brexit-live-news?page=with:block-5d3566438f08d0b6ca53549f#block-5d3566438f08d0b6ca53549f

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. steveo
    Member

    for the love all that is holy. Apart from everything else a frictionless rentry would be a hypersonic crash landing. The fire on the bottom of the command module was friction with air it was used to slow the bleeding thing down.

    Actually maybe the moon shot is the best analogy for brexit a costly experiment that if achieved will be studied by scientists for decades and no one will be in great hurry to reproduce. And as for the firey reentry...

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. Morningsider
    Member

    The temperature of the Apollo command module's heat shield reached 5000 degrees Farenheit on re-entry, caused entirely by "friction". It was designed to be destroyed in the process of protecting the crew. Possibly a fitting metaphor for Brexit - but not the one intended.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. ih
    Member

    Another reason for Apollo 11 being a completely inappropriate metaphor for Johnson's frictionless border is that, on return, the astronauts had to complete a customs declaration identifying the 'moon rock and dust' that they were importing, and they had to go into quarantine for 21 days to verify they weren't inadvertently bringing back pathogens.

    https://www.space.com/7044-moon-apollo-astronauts-customs.html

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    I was expecting bluster, a joke or two, maybe even just to be waved off as a “Remoaner”. What I wasn’t expecting was for him to be visibly flustered, shaken at the idea that someone at this event didn’t support him unconditionally. It was bizarre. After all the hype around his bumbling charm and easy air, here before me was a man who seemed unable to stand up to a 24-year-old, let alone a foreign leader such as Trump or Putin.

    People believe many different things about “BoJo”, but they all fundamentally come down to two illusions about him. The first is that he’s a serious person who will take a stance on what he believes is right rather than try to please the audience of whatever room he finds himself in. The second, which is more difficult to shake off, is that he’s any good at doing so.

    Johnson is only charming if you’re willing to play along. That room in Dover was already on his side – as are the majority of the 0.25 per cent of the population who are given a say on who the next prime minister should be.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/boris-johnson-no-deal-brexit-tory-leadership-prime-minister-a9015171.html

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

  8. chdot
    Admin

  9. gembo
    Member

    Boris by a mile and a half

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Do we need a Boris thread?

    From nationwide full-fibre broadband to 20,000 extra police officers, here’s what 10 of his plans might cost

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/23/the-cost-of-boris-johnson-pricing-up-the-next-prime-minister-pledges

    Posted 4 years ago #
  11. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    We're hours away from the likelihood of Her Britannic Majesty inviting a regular transport cyclist to take the reins of the UK of GB&NI. That person has indicated an intention to spend money on projects in areas and places that are currently 'devolved'. Perhaps we are about to get our world-class cycle infrastructure after all?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    “a regular transport cyclist”

    ‘Previously’ is more likely.

    Has he been cycling to Camberwell?

    Dave briefly cycled as PM, but ‘security advice’ prevailed.

    I think it’s already clear that apart from a rather overwhelming issue with a fast approaching deadline taking up his time, ‘his’ past achievements are down to picking the ‘right’ person to deliver.

    Whether Andrew Gilligan was a one-off inspired choice is unclear, some other appointments worked out badly.

    As MoL MrJ had an advantage that I don’t think is equally available as PM.

    The Mayor is entitled to make up to 12 appointments under section 67 (1) (a and b) of the GLA Act 1999 and Andrew Gilligan is one of these.

    https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases-4777

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. gembo
    Member

    We could call the boris thread Mabawser?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

  15. LaidBack
    Member

    BJ has been rewarded with a job at no. 10
    Nazanin Ratcliffe is still in prison in Iran.

    BJ is due to come 'up here' to meet his fellow 'supportive' Tories...

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/17786609.greg-moodie-scottish-tories-cant-stand-falling/

    Posted 4 years ago #
  16. paulmilne
    Member

    "Do we need a Boris thread?"

    I think so - Boris promises to afford much non-brexit comment.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  17. LaidBack
    Member

    He may be a transient poiitician with a short attention span though? He loves publicity and would be honoured to have made his mark in Scotland I'm sure.
    By giving him a topic we make him into the 'blonde god' in the cartoon. He is one deeply flawed individual with little care for the results of his careless actions.

    he is not a 'naughty boy' as the media would like us to believe. By making hin familiar he is incorporated into 'the family' and like some errant uncle we are meant to allow him more leeway. Please no! Think of Nazanin and how his incompetence has kept her in prison whilst hacks float about on his coat-tails wondering about what he is 'minded' to do next.
    From a Scottish perspective no UK PM is ever likely to 'get' Scotland.

    He does not need any more publicity.

    As ever I have to respect the forum but generalised threads about EU and IndyRef are different. This is a personality cult politician from a minority party. If we have him then what next....?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  18. crowriver
    Member

    His name's Alexander anyway (birth name Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson). He just prefers to be called Boris. That's why I prefer to call him by his real name Alexander. Or you could call him de Pfeffel if you prefer.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    He does not need any more publicity.

    I hear you, but there’s more to B than RexIt.

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19749

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. LaidBack
    Member

    https://twitter.com/DavidMundellDCT/status/1154072007241322504?s=09

    David Mundell managed to avoid resigning after dozens of threats to do so. Well done to him ;-)

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has called Boris Johnson's first speech to MPs "rather combative".

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49118107

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. LaidBack
    Member

    Mr Johnson said: "No country that values its independence, and indeed its self-respect, could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and self-government..."

    He's not able to see the parallels with the other half of the United Kingdom(s) then?
    Apparently Ian Blackford also corrected a few of his arrogantly held beliefs. Indyref2 thread may awake shortly.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin


    Scotland’s new representative in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet has said he is willing to help take the UK out of the EU without a deal, despite the vast majority of Scots voting to Remain.

    https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/new-scottish-secretary-alister-jack-ready-to-ignore-remain-vote-and-support-no-deal-1-4971390

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. minus six
    Member

    this all had to happen, innit

    hunt was the worst option, cos the class servants of the realm would have backed him en-masse at next election, safe pair of hands

    reminds me of how much i feared the potential of portillo, back in the day

    yet now, the days of the bipolar blok parliamentary dynamic might soon be over

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    the whole Brexit drama seems little more than a cynical distraction, a circus designed to entertain and preoccupy the people, while the planet burns.

    https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/why-boris-johnson-really-is-like-winston-churchill-joyce-mcmillan-1-4971340/amp

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

  27. chdot
    Admin

  28. chdot
    Admin

    The IfG report warned that Johnson’s emergency efforts, now led by Cummings and Gove, will drain the capacity of Whitehall and government and crowd out his ambitions for domestic reforms.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/28/boris-johnson-ifg-no-deal-brexit-crush-domestic-policy-plans

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

  30. LaidBack
    Member

    He demonstrated his lack of judgement yesterday.
    Even BBC Radio Scotland has had to recognise his Basil Brush routine did not wow people here.
    #BackDoorBoris on Twitter

    Friend in Amsterdam sent me link to NL evening news - Dutch TV reported booing in Schottland and comments clearly audible.
    So he demonstrates to EU that he is effectively powerless here.
    Some say he will punish 'us' for the images broadcast yesterday. Not sure if we would notice. Our business already 'fined' by weak currency and mood of gloom here.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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