So, the big announcement about how to prepare for Brexit today....

And here are the latest...

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

[No probs, Bertine. I kinda thought it wasn't in my neighborhood.   ]

I find it interesting that  Mark Carney came out with his statements yesterday as well though - putting the fear of god into the housing market, where the bulk of UK wealth resides. Also, that he thought he would stick around a bit longer, get citizenship to boot. I dunno Nan, either Phil Hammond promised him a massive salary in gold/non GBP or a massive salary + information on which way the political winds are blowing to make it sensible to hang around.

Party conferences in two weeks, no?

I find it interesting that  Mark Carney came out with his statements yesterday as well though - putting the fear of god into the housing market, where the bulk of UK wealth resides. Also, that he thought he would stick around a bit longer, get citizenship to boot. I dunno Nan, either Phil Hammond promised him a massive salary in gold/non GBP or a massive salary + information on which way the political winds are blowing to make it sensible to hang around.

Party conferences in two weeks, no?

Yeah, I saw that.

A "worst case" of housing prices falling by 1/3. Hmmm, well, if the dollar holds then, I'll be able to get us into something permanent. Assuming they let The Daughter stay. Apparently they're going to let me stay. But like the slump that cost us our home in San Diego (it was so underwater that we couldn't get a buyer, and I had to move out for health reasons at the time), it will cause a lot of people a lot of misery. I feel bad for them.

Seriously, this is like watching a train wreck in slo-mo. The only thing good about it all is that if I'm paying attention to it I'm not watching what the Donald is doing to the USA. Which otherwise gives me hives.

Mark Carney does not have a stellar track record on predicting the outcomes of Brexit so far, so maybe he will be wrong again, I certainly hope so. Of course he may end up being correct, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and again.

May 2016
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36273448

Brexit vote may spark recession, Mark Carney warns

November 2017
https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-carney-eats-humble-pie-on-brexit/

Mark Carney eats humble pie on Brexit
The head of the Bank of England makes a major U-turn on economic impact of the Brexit vote to the glee of Brexiteers.

Almost seven months after the vote, the sharp depreciation in sterling has turned out to be the BoE’s only accurate prediction, while other economic indicators have shown the British economy faring much better than expected.

May's latest: Chequers or the cliff.

May says that no Deal is going to be horrible and we'll end up dying in the streets from lack of insulin.  Boris says that Chequers is completely stupid as we'll still end up in the EU but with no say in the rules.  Amazingly, they are both right!  Chequers and a no deal Brexit would both be the stupidest act of self harm I've ever seen a country commit. 

We need a people's vote.  Nobody voted for either of those two options.

Ah, but they are claiming that allowing the people a vote in the matter would undermine democracy.

Hmmm. When I was in elementary school, democracy meant that the people had a say....  obviously I'm old fashioned.

Ah, but they are claiming that allowing the people a vote in the matter would undermine democracy.

Hmmm. When I was in elementary school, democracy meant that the people had a say....  obviously I'm old fashioned.

I suppose the question to be argued is what should the people vote on? Usually they vote in a government to make all the decisions on their behalf. Referenda are very rare, should we hold a referendum to bring back the death penalty or to retain nuclear weapons? Many would argue the case that we should hold referenda on lots of things, a bit like the State propositions in the USA.

Not holding lots of referenda does not mean that we don’t have a democracy.

Sorry, from California. Bigtime initiative- and referendum-land, and it works just fine.

I feel like there is a second referendum narrative starting to build, although I suppose if May relents on some stuff in Chequers then it'll still go through. There would have to be meaningful movement/planning for one in order to get enough extra time post March, so remains (har har) to be seen which way we come out the other end of October November.

The only thing keeping me going at this point is May's either a) total ineptness or b) complete lack of propriety to not change her mind at the last minute and do the complete opposite of what she said she was going to do.

Hang on kids, its gonna be a rollercoaster of an autumn.

I feel like there is a second referendum narrative starting to build,

There has been a referendum, where each vote counted. Or do you think it should be the best of 7? Or stop the referendums when the vote says to remain in the EU, so that you can live in the UK with your EEA citizen sponsor (if the EU keeps free movement)?

May's Chequers plan not only has to get past the EU, but get the vote in Parliament too. The MPs are the ones who are elected to make these choices.

I'm betting Merkel will push for the deal as Germany are an export country and they like to sell more than they buy rom other countries. In 2016, they exported $280 billion more than they imported. The top 5 destiantions for German exports are-
1.US
2. France
3. UK
4. China
5. The Netherlands.

The UK does not appear in the top 5 countries Germany buys from. They sell billions more to the UK and the US, than they buy from the UK and US. Germany are already talking about being on the verge of a recession because of the tarrifs from the US.

If there is no trade deal then everything is off the table and WTO tariffs come in, or the country importing can choose not to impose those tarrifs on the country who wants to import to them.

There has been a referendum, where each vote counted. Or do you think it should be the best of 7?

Maybe they should just have one, but make sure one side doesn't break the law?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5961485/Vote-Leave-fined-61-000-breaches-electoral-law-Brexit-campaign.html

Or stop the referendums when the vote says to remain in the EU, so that you can live in the UK with your EEA citizen sponsor (if the EU keeps free movement)?

This personal attack is uncalled for.

This personal attack is uncalled for.

It's the irony of it. EEA citizens never had a referendum to ask if they wanted non-EEA citizens to use EU rules to live in their country. The European Court of Justice made that Ruling, even though the EEA countries did not want these and The Republic of Ireland fought hard to stop that Ruling. Yet now some of these seem to want  more referendums until they get to the point when they can use the court Ruling.

The MPs are the ones who are elected to make the decisions on the Withdrawal Agreement, if there is one.

There was a referendum back in '75.

So yes we need a two out of three.