General Chat

Let’s now stop the arguments and name calling and get on with making this actually work for us.

2021 is the start of a new era for us.

Happy new year

I'll second that Namelessone :-)

The purveyors of snake oil are wont to add their victims to their fan base.

"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

W.S-C.

Give it rest :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

I have to say that Brexit regulations are, on the whole, better than I thought they would be, so a little more paperwork to holiday in Europe and to transport goods back and forth but no import/export tariffs. It will be interesting to look through the Brexit paperwork but, no doubt, more than one political journalist will do so and raise any issues in the press.

Other than what I read, I don't know much about the fishing industry which, admittedly, does not account for much in the way of export in the great scheme of things compared to other industries (1-2% of total exports, I read). They will still be able to sell the bulk of their produce as they normally do in Europe without taxation and those who can get through the first five years may find it slightly easier afterwards - but there'll be some hard bargaining then, I believe.

What Brexit has done is to make me ask 'how long before we see one united Ireland?' It may not be the choice of 100% of Northern Irish but it seems as though that is the direction it is heading in.

Scotland, meanwhile, is another matter. It may be Sturgeon's dream to break away from England and to remain in the EU but once people give it serious thought I doubt that they will want to cut the string to attach themselves yet again to a different string.

Quickly, and just off the top of my head, how much will the Scots alone have to find for EU salaries? How will Nicola make up the shortfall produced by a depleted oil industry, troops withdrawn to camps south of the border, and withdrawal of everything ancillary to their presence north of the border?. It may not be every Scottish person's desire as far as the Scottish economy is concerned.

I wonder how much uni education will then cost Scottish residents. Higher direct and indirect taxation to cover health services and social services of every sort, may well be on the cards to cover all of the things that the UK provides from its pot.

I think that the people who will benefit most from an independent Scotland will be the border counties - Cumbria, Northumberland - and even those further south but I really can't imagine how the Scots will find anything beneficial in it. It looks good for Nicola as a promotional tactic though.

Wales - have they seen the light because of Nicola's 'campaign because they have more financially-astute Welsh Parliamentarians? I really don't know. Perhaps someone living there has another perspective?

All four nations have had some quantity of the coved jab available since before Christmas. If they were in the EU they would only just have started.

Some retailers have already suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland.
A taste of things to come?

The breakup of the UK was started by Tony Blair when he proposed the devolved assemblies as a ploy to get the Scots to vote Labour expecting them to remain loyal in gratitude for ever.

They duly did vote Labour and kept Tony in power long enough for him to get his coveted 10 years as PM but then deserted Labour for the SNP.