Retsdon

It's not the bad apples that should be the concern. It's the good ones. If the Tories let 3 million Hong Kong Chinese into the country, I'll guarantee that by the time your grandchildren are grown up the car dealerships, the real estate agencies, the insurance companies, the logistics companies, the private health companies, etc, etc, will nearly all, at the upper and mid- levels, be dominated or owned by ethnic Chinese. Does that matter? Well, possibly not. There'll make work available. And they're good people. My few good Thai friends have all been ethnic Chinese. But like I say, take 3 million into the UK, and the social and economic landscape will be irrevocably changed. So you'd have thought that it's a decision deserving of some sort of public debate. But of course, the Brittania Unchained mob are revolutionaries, and revolutionaries don't do debate. The masses get what's good for them whether they like it or not.

In today's Telegraph. Boris Johnson says 3m people in Hong Kong will get path to British citizenshipPM offered to make what he says would be one of the "biggest changes" in the history of the British visa system Not a very sensible decision IMHO. Ethnic Chinese, whose parents or grandparents were refugees from conflicts in China, these days dominate or control the economies of just about every country in South East Asia. That's not a racial criticism btw, it's just a fact. And what's also true is that when it comes to business, the Chinese are far more inclined to establish partnerships, deals or alliances across borders with ethnic Chinese in other countries than they are with non-Chinese in their home countries. But they're law abiding, hard-working, and will doubtless contribute to the economy. Anyway, if Johnson pushes this through, make no mistake. Not only would it be one of the 'biggest changes' in the history of the visa system, it would be one of the biggest changes in British history.

The official US view is that father and son are being tried for murder. But let's not derail the thread. Besides it's already been done to death (pun intended) on here before.

When the Tories were in disarray and Blair's government was a fixture, Sugar was staunch Labour supporter. When Labour is in disarray and a Tory government is a fixture, he's a staunch Tory supporter. There might be a pattern here....

Was it supposed to be a State secret? Instead of blaming journalists for reporting facts, perhaps might be better to ask why there are only two boats, and, if blame is the game, who is responsible for leaving Border Force so woefully ill-equipped. If the government could find the money to pay 3/4 of the working population's wages for a couple of months this year, then surely last year or the year before there should have been enough in the kitty to stump up the price of a few boats, particularly with Brexit coming down the pike.

Hong Kong Chinese are renowned for being resourceful, hard-working, and law-abiding. A large number are rich too. Look at the investments they've made in Canada and New Zealand. Priti Patel herself comes from Ugandan Asian stock, so will doubtless see the benefits of bringing similar people to Britain. They'll help with the post-Brexit economy. Where's the problem? And what's more... 'Raab told the BBC on Sunday that he did not expect tens of thousands to take up the offer since many in the city may not wish to leave or would go to other countries in the region.'https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/01/seven-former-foreign-secretaries-urge-uk-to-take-lead-on-hong-kong But there again... 'Tony Blair admits he did not realise how many migrants would come to the UK after EU expanded...'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/19/tony-blair-admits-did-not-realise-many-migrants-would-come-uk/ Oh well, as our friends across the Channel say, plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose...

It can be if it's not your bin. In Texas, people get shot for it!!! 🙂

MPs? It's the Prime Minister who is calling the system 'world class'. This system... https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/30/boris-johnsons-test-and-tracing-system-britain-lockdown ....read and weep. Anyway, already it's becoming evident that besides being grossly incompetent this government is also too cowardly to own its own mistakes. So blame is being systematically shifted to the scientific advice, the civil service, and apparently now you even want to blame MPs and every other previous government of whatever political persuasion as well ! It's just a pity that the EU can't be shoe-horned in there too, or no doubt they'd be on the hook too. What you can bet your life though is that these people would be getting very little, if any, credit were Britain to be bottom of the bad stats charts instead of top. The government would, quite fairly, be claiming the plaudits. They say in the military that there's no such thing as bad troops, just bad commanding officers and Tory government has been in command for 10 years. Its nonsense for them, or anyone else, to try and blame subordinates or predecessors. They own the successes and failures equally.

One man's prophet is another man's crackpot. And that's why Cummings is so divisive. It can't be denied that the overall success rate in prophesy is abysmally low, and that's why I'm deeply suspicious of Cummings. While his supporters might hail him as a forward-thinking political genius who's going to lead Britain to some as yet to be specified sunny upland, it's far more likely in my opinion that he's going to lead the country into deep, uncharted, and dangerous economic and social waters from which it'll take years to escape from. And there's another thing. Given its record thus far on the Covid outbreak whatever Brexit brings this government will not be up to the job. It's got nothing to do with being left or right wing. When a government can't organize the purchase of a few containers of PPE without ordering the wrong stuff; when it can't organize the processing of data from an already delayed testing scheme; when 'key parts' of a tracking programme are not in place when it's rolled out, when vacuum cleaner makers are charged with reinventing the ventilator wheel, etc, etc,..the list goes on and on - what hope is there that that self-same government is going to be able to introduce and oversee the hundred and one new systems and procedures that a hard Brexit will bring with it. Especially when, at the prophet's behest, the government is at war with its own Civil Service. So economically and socially I don't see this prophet taking Britain to the sunny uplands of Nirvana. More like the muddy jungle of Jonestown.

I never said it was. If I could get Mrs R in, I'd be back tomorrow.

A couple of years ago I took a holiday back in the UK. We rented a house (they called it a cottage but it was really a semi) on the Gower in Wales. OK, I grew up there, so for me it was coming home again, but even if the place had been completely new to me it would still have been brilliant. The best part was being able to entertain the kids all day with no effort. One morning we'd go crabbing, another day we'd go to the Leisure Centre, in the evenings we could take a cycle along the cliffs and try and spot rabbits. I bought second hand wetsuits and boogie boards for the kids off Ebay before we arrived and we spent days and days at the beach. I couldn't get them out of the water. Even got in some mackerel fishing. It was two weeks of bliss. Where I stay in Thailand when I"m not in Saudi is a tourist town. But what's there to do if you visit there? Nothing really. Look at temples, drink in bars, and eat the local food. Riding an elephant will maybe kill a morning. But for the rest, it would just be looking at things. There's no open space. You can get someone to walk you around a bit of secondary growth jungle for a day or so, but it's all just tourist stuff these days. I suppose if you'd never been there it would probably be a bit different, but the world is becoming more and more the same. Subways, KFC, TK Max, etc.etc. What's the point in travelling halfway around the planet for that? As for beaches, there's hardly anywhere left that hasn't been wrecked by unregulated development....maybe possibly Myanmar. And the majority of tourists are from China and they are something else! No, two weeks in Wales, boy! Can't beat it!

We finally agree on something!

No always right. I was wrong about that Beesley.....

It's also a practical one. What's happening now is that when it comes to any kind of isolation instructions government spokespeople are having to obfuscate and hedge so as not to imply that Cummings was wrong. Also, every man and his dog now has the 'Cummings defence' when they don't want to comply with Covid instructions. And it's going to cost people's lives.

I don't respond to the ad hominems. One, I didn't come on this site to make enemies and once insults start being traded, it's going down that route. Two, it's a natural instinct when you can't actually win directly to try and win indirectly. It's human nature. And the way things are at the moment, anyone whose goal is to defend this government's record and competence is basically completely out of ammunition. The magazine is empty. So they pick up bricks and throw those instead! Not a worry.

Agenda for the upcoming round of negotiations. A lot to discuss and not much time, it seems to me. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/brexit_files/info_site/20200528_-_round_4_agenda_final.pdf Dates. https://www.shoosmiths.co.uk/-/media/files/brexit-timetable-a4-0120.pdf

Yes, move on to give the public, media etc something else we've cocked up. Why stop a winning formula. No time to dwell on previous cock-ups when we have so many to get through. And when the Covid 19 mine has been exhausted we can start on our Brexit plans. There'll be plenty to cock-up there.

Yes she does. She does the opening of Parliament. And she's never late. Edit in: An interesting article on the Cummings - Johnson relationship. I wonder how many people who voted Conservative knew that they were actually voting in Dominic Cummings as Prime Minister. https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-cant-let-dominic-cummings-go/

You mean like this? https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/test-and-trace-set-to-be-rolled-out-despite-warning-key-bits-still-not-ready-a4452616.html

Oh, look! A squirrel!

Even the Queen isn't late for scheduled live TV. But of course, she's got proper manners. It's the little straws...

Political suicide because he'd immediately be called on to explain why the whole country's future was dependent on one unelected individual with an extremely opaque role in this government. Actually, on second thoughts you're right. That's exactly what he should have said!

Apparently you do in Indonesia, or so I've been told by people who've got married there. My mate from Bali chose Omar Sharif.

I think people are getting less concerned about the Covid virus. I know I am. But looking at the list below, it kind brings you back with a bump. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/may/28/so-much-living-to-do-stories-of-the-uks-coronavirus-victims

Like buying the party box offer on pizzas? Buy two get one free. Funny! I wonder how the salesman introduces the offer ... Can't do much for the resale value though,