EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

Strange one that, but governments release strongly worded press releases all the time. Mostly not aimed at the general public. The Senate Foreign Relations committee can say shit that the Biden administration never would.

Also, side note, not being from the east coast I never understood the long-standing nostalgia for all things Irish. My perception has always been that it's very much a NY / Chicago / Boston thing that seems to have persisted. Most of those claiming with Irish heritage are 4-5 generations beyond that and probably couldn't find it on a world map anyway. It is particularly bad in Boston. They forget that during the potato famine, Irish immigrants to the US were utterly vilified.

Totally. It's a North America thing, tbf. True for Scots ancestry as well.

(And at least you can't "like" press releases)

I think if more people knew about the condition in which their ancestors arrived in the US their pride might take a hit: a whole lot of people signed up to be, effectively, indentured slaves/rural labourers in exchange for a ticket to America. Many petty criminals were shipped off too. The conditions were ugly, people were treated slightly better than livestock, it was a brave but unromantically difficult choice to make that trip for a shot at a less bad life.

I would hope that breaking the romantic notion of their ancestors’ experience would make them see differently the plight of Latin Americans and refugees worldwide who risk life and limb for their American / European Dream (TM). Instead, there seems to be quite a lot of racism from these communities towards other minorities.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/nov/17/amazon-to-stop-accepting-uk-issued-visa-credit-cards?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Card fees have long been an issue of contention between providers and retailers, and this month Visa and Mastercard increased their quoted fees for “card-not-present” payments on credit cards to merchants in the EU after the removal of caps post-Brexit

https://euromovescotland.org.uk/the-rot-set-in-with-brexit-not-boris/

Boris Lies leading to the ERG
Mays cowardice on refusing to admit Brexit goals were contradictory
A50 turning vote turning a referendum with no rules into something politically accepted with no plan.
Boris and the ERG undermining her constantly.

I don't get why she didn't do a f you resignation like Arlene Foster I don't like her due to her shitty immigration policies, but have some self respect woman...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59365412

It is groundhog Day...again.

On the NI protocol. About 4 weeks to Christmas perhaps the plot get resolved then ;)

Well, at least 'Brexit' is keeping all of this rabble out:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/23/post-brexit-scheme-to-lure-nobel-winners-to-uk-fails-to-attract-single-applicant

(It's not just that, but also the severe damage the Tories/ConDems have done to universities since 2010.)

UK plays down Brexit link in US steel tariff row

The USA has reduced tariffs on steel which they applied when we part of Europe - but only for EU counties, the higher tariffs still apply to the UK. Strange how these easy trade agreements don’t appear to be working.

(It's not just that, but also the severe damage the Tories/ConDems have done to universities since 2010.)

A major reason I've left the UK and have no plans to come back - how can one work in international collaborations when the UK govt is practising a policy of isolation?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59497084

The European Commission vice president has suggested the EU could act unilaterally to guarantee the supply of medicines from GB to Northern Ireland.

Be nice to have medicines here yes... :)

Hmmm it's nearly Christmas, AfterBrexit Season 1, will it end in a compromise or a mess? I doubt even Boris is stupid enough to risk Christmas by pissing off the EU and having a mainland EU "work to rules" on everything.

But, who knows... it could rumble on into the new year.

I cannot fucking wait to get off this shitty island again.

Like most of us have that choice.

To quote MRD... They would say that, wouldn't they

Edit.. Manu talking in aphorisms.

*"The protocol is of existential importance for Europe not to compromise when it comes to our single market, the integrity of that, otherwise there are no longer any rules at the borders.

"It's a question of war and peace for Ireland. So we should avoid any temptation to be less than serious."*

They as in the EU?

I just want this medication issue sorted & it's been nothing but cuntery from Frost.

Signed something, goes back on it, doesn't talk to businesses in NI, now brings up the EJC.

The UK side has sat on their hands, done fuck all implementing promised checks for GB, sabotaged EU cooperation in NI (Goves "no EU embassies nonsense) it's gone well past the usual posturing to get compromises -that might have been offered anyway by the EU as ROI doesn't need a mess in NI either- for me.

Politics isn't a job for saints and a cynical eye is necessary for all players,but wft.

But living this shit as a citizen of nowhere in NI is testing my patience I just hope something get worked out.

Pardon?

NI existence is due to a fudge. Something the E Com only realised after the threat to trigger Art 30 earlier this year (which lasted a few hours before wiser heads prevailed). The NI protocol is regarded as another fudge in a long line of Irish fudges by Westminster.
The Irish government is terrified by the resurgence of SF in the south, the first genuine threat to the cosy two party free state since the civil war.
Devolution in NI is a shitfest of incompetence and corruption.
Manu is terrified by the forthcoming election in France.
Nobody really knows what the Germans are thinking (probably more worried about gas supplies than a small nation in the Atlantic).
The Tories have a significant newly won majority and an opposition who can barely tie their shoelaces.

I look forward to Commissioner Mairead on the C4 news over the next week or so.

Slightly random, but if anybody would know/have an idea, I'd be grateful.

Currently visiting my homeland (Czech Republic) for my birthday (visiting from UK).

I've received a birthday present worth around £1000 (kitchen robot/food processor)

I need to get it back with me to UK.
Don't want to go with Ryanair as not sure if they accept such a big box on the plane and also: more expensive than posting, don't trust how they handle the box, just overall extra hassle when already travelling with 2 bags...

Decided to go with posting by courier.
But now the main question is:
Do I get charged Customs Duty, Excise Duty, Import VAT and other stuff?

Can I still get charged when I'm sending myself a package (a gift), which doesn't have any invoice inside, it's not brand new anymore (I've unboxed it, checked it out)?

Really confused about this.

Thanks so much.

Can I still get charged when I'm sending myself a package (a gift), which doesn't have any invoice inside, it's not brand new anymore (I've unboxed it, checked it out)?

Yes, you have to pay. You should fill out customs paperwork for your courier declaring the value and without it might be rejected. I don't know if you will actually get checked.

I would bubble wrap it and bring it in my luggage.

Thermomix?

Too big for my luggage...

@dancing james - correct! (obviously)

NI existence is due to a fudge. Something the E Com only realised after the threat to trigger Art 30 earlier this year (which lasted a few hours before wiser heads prevailed).

That would be why they made the NIP central to the WA, and didn't allow progress to the TCA unless and until the NIP was resolved then?

WTF does that all that have to do with the constant arseholery from Frost.

Westminster could accept concessions, spin it as a "haha EU lost", after all their supporters believe that, NI protocol works better, we can sort of move on here, constant aggrevation with EU calms down.

Time can be spent on other things.

But no.

He means he can't leave.