In the news

We sent negotiators rather than brexit (funda)mentalists.

It's fluff around the implementation rather than the treaty isn't it? So kind of pointless

It undoes a tiny bit of the damage Brexit has wreaked on this country. We musn't lose sight of this as the right wing press laud Sunak.

Horizon is a win, albeit its warm words pending us actually honouring the now mildly amended NIP.

Surely all it means is we will actually follow the rules of a treaty our government ratified. It makes things easier, does it really make things any better or undo damage?

I've yet to be convinced.

It is all spin and the EU offered this years ago.

But, better late than never. And Johnson is sidelined, hah, could not have happened to a nicer person ;) As much as I do not like Sunak's policies, at least he got this done.

And if this agreement is so fantastic, then why does GB not try to get a better trade deal with the EU...

The EU countries check GB to mainland EU goods. And guess what...a lot companies there stopped buying GB goods. Expensive goods of one type or in small volumes are fine, but high volume goods with lower values like food and some items now come from other areas.

Once the EU to GB check fully kick in, the fun will really start.

That's why there are no tomatoes in some shops right now, the hassle of getting food into GB isn't worth it for some suppliers. I don't see that getting better.

At this stage I'm convinced the Tories are trolling us. Absolute fucking madness.

Once the EU to GB check fully kick in, the fun will really start.

That's never going to happen, I'm sure the original estimate of the number of customs officers they would need was 100k plus.

It'll be interesting to see how there going to quietly drop the EU retained law bill now, if that goes then I think this period of time will be see as the first step on the way back to the customs union and single market at least.

Even the hard brexit guys have given up, Steve baker having a cry on news night last night was funny. In 12 years time it'll be a reformed tory party that take us back the singlemarket IMO.

Rishi saying the quiet part out loud LOL.

In 12 years time it'll be a reformed tory party that take us back the singlemarket IMO.

Over time it's going to become an unglamourous, technical thing that we'll make sure that our standards (and everything else) are the same as / accepted by the EU; no one who makes anything or provides any service would diverge because it doesn't make economic sense.

There's therefore no universe where we don't end up having closer ties to the EU - and call it what you want along the way but it'll eventually, after several iterations and steps, be the single market (or a close version of it), and from there it's probably inevitable that you'll end up wanting to join fully. And every step towards it will presumably be an economic win for the country.

It's been, and will continue to be, such a waste of time!

Indeed we get the glee of the "tough types" being shown up to be sidelined ;)

Now for the DUP to go into government (pigs with orange ribbons can fly...) and the TUV to implode into some form of black hole that gives us unlimited energy :p

It's been, and will continue to be, such a waste of time!

Well said.

Rishi saying the quiet part out loud LOL.

Best part ever, saying NI will prosper due to alignment with the EU.

Even Baker said that in an interview yesterday, unless I imagined it...

Self styled Brexit hardman Steve Baker?

Have you not kept up with the news? He apologised to Ireland and the EU, sought forgiveness from an entire country and a political and economic union for being a bellend for so long.

These comments?

Sunak said his Brexit deal will put Northern Ireland’s businesses in the "unbelievably special position" of having privileged access to the EU single market and the UK home market.

"That's like the world's most exciting economic zone,” he said.

If only there were some way the rest of the UK could enjoy these exciting opportunities.

the world’s most exciting economic zone

Used to be a euphemism for utterly politically and morally corrupt, especially in relation to places in and around the fall of the Berlin Wall
I’m sure that’s not what TechRobotnikBro inferred…

I guess American - Chinese relations are going to get worse before they get better.

Covid: FBI chief Christopher Wray says China lab leak 'most likely'

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that the bureau believes Covid-19 "most likely" originated in a "Chinese government-controlled lab".

"The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident," he told Fox News.

It is the first public confirmation of the FBI's classified judgement of how the pandemic virus emerged.

In response, Beijing accused Washington of "political manipulation".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64806903

BAN TiKtOk.

I'm with this.

The US is becoming more paranoid/nosy neighbour than Russia.

Oh it may be fake:

https://twitter.com/alisonmartino/status/1631097635720536064

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64824436

Awful for all involved - especially the family. It seems some of that stretch of path is claimed by Cambs council as a cycle route separate from the road. But I don't think it's clear which side of the road they mean and, having driven/walked round there a good few times recently, I don't remember any shared space signage being present nearby. Clearly there is far more evidence in the case than is being presented by the press - especially since the bar for a manslaughter charge is pretty high. It's all very sad and appears to have been very avoidable.