poontang

I'm not sure if what I'm about to say is considered a 'hate crime' nowadays, but... I would never get tired of punching that face

On the same note, this is an article from 2015, so before the Brexit vote and indeed no mention of Brexit from JLR. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/11/jaguar-land-rover-factory-slovakia-uk-jobs-union The boss of JLR does mention a downturn in sales in China, so it's not a new thing, but also quells union concerns about UK job losses. Latest figures show the net monthly wage in Slovakia to be £756 compared to £1826 in the UK, so my guess is that JLR can blame China, diesel and Brexit as much as they like but with a £100m bung from the Slovakian govt. and a cheap eastern european workforce the writing was always on the wall. But hey that's globalism for you!!

If you have an hour to spare, make yourself comfortable, pour yourself a little of what you fancy and settle down to watch just how this country was, through lies and deceit, entangled into the mire that is the EU. It's a documentary from 2005, long before Brexit was even a word. A story told with interviews from those who were, or were close to the decision makers throughout the whole shambolic process.

So you prefer your news with a Russian or Arab bias?

Bloody hell, so the hospital cleaner should get a gong for services rendered? How about I get a lifetime peerage for services to the public sector? Because without my taxes, and those of other private sector workers, there wouldn't even be a NHS!!

Quite a few NHS workers have received knighthoods over the years, and many more have received honours. Then there's Lord Winston and Lord Darzi, both eminent doctors, I'm sure there are others too.

Surely the guys in green jumpsuits are just doing their jobs in the same way a chief constable is?

A population that has very little or nothing? You're joking right. The people of this country have never had it so good.

So you don't see a difference between the economies of Germany and Greece, or France and Portugal, or the UK and Romania? Really? This tiny island as you put it is the 5th largest economy in the world. It's economy is bigger than that of India, the 2nd largest nation in the world by population, and is almost double the size of the largest nation in the world by land mass, Russia. We're not doing too bad for a 'tiny island'. The EU can never 'force global change' either, it can barely keep its own house in order!! As I stated earlier any global change would come from the UN and we have seen just how fractious that can be recently in Katowice where the US, Russia, Saudi and others including Australia and Brazil frustrated attempts to implement fully the Paris climate change agreement. These countries, massive coal and oil producers, are clearly protecting their own interests which is of course perfectly understandable, but my point is that the UN being the single largest pact for change still couldn't get to the conclusion they wanted so your idea that countries can only be effective in a block seems a little optimistic. We're not leaving Europe... we're leaving the EU. There's a MASSIVE difference.

The US is still by far the largest world economy, and after we leave the EU China will be the second largest, the EU will drop to third. What's more important to remember is that the EU figure is skewed by its top five countries economies. Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain contribute £10.78tn to the EU's figures leaving the other 23 states contributing £4.57tn to the total EU figure of £15.35tn, so an average of just £198bn per state... that's just a fraction below the economy of Greece! It's clear that as an economic model the EU is doomed to failure due to the massive economic disparity between states. As the worlds 5th largest economy, the 2nd highest contributor to NATO, the head of the Commonwealth and a permanent member of the UN security council I wouldn't refer to the UK as a 'bit player'.

Yeah, but populism is just a word bandied about by politicians and media alike... it doesn't actually mean anything. The whole political spectrum from far right to far left is littered with so called populists, the lines are so blurred as to what a 'populist' actually is now that the word holds no real meaning. If you take a word and use it so often, and in the wrong context, that word will eventually lose its true meaning. The same can be said of words like racist, xenophobe, misogynist, homophobe and islamophobe etc.

Yes of course that's the case. Ever since Blair and Major took their respective parties away from their grass root support and the Tories and New Labour became indistinguishable from each other the right of the Conservative party and the left of the Labour party, the so called 'working class' have been politically homeless. I would suggest these two factions now have more in common than ever before, and Brexit was the perfect chance for them to come together and show their collective frustration and anger at being ignored for so long. We're seeing the same thing across Europe and it's no secret that the EU are filling their proverbial pants at the outcome of their elections in June. They have only themselves to blame.

Ah the old opt out from ever closer union. If the EU were to ever achieve its one and only purpose where do you reckon that would leave the UK? Let's just say for arguments sake all 27 states were to agree absolutely to a single currency, a single tax and spend policy, no borders, a single legislature, foreign policy and military etc. all run from Brussels, where would that leave the UK as a country on the 'outside'? I would suspect we'd be even more marginalised than we are now, and quite possibly given the ultimatum to either join under the EU 27 terms or leave altogether. Globalism is a bit of a myth really isn't it? I mean the EU, like all trading blocs are actually protectionist in their trade policy and regulation. Nothing wrong with that, it makes sense to protect your own markets but let's not pretend that globalism actually does what it infers. The EU are nowhere near powerful enough to force or encourage global change as it stands, Germany, France and the UK may have some sway but the EU? No. As a group of 28 countries so divided between themselves they will never form a coherent voice on the world stage, hence their overarching need for 'ever closer union'. Let's be honest, the real big decisions on things like Syria, Iran, climate change, poverty, terrorism and migration etc are made at the UN and the real power there is held by the 5 security council members who hold a veto. The EU isn't one of them! What would replace the EU? Well that's the 64m euro question. How about an open free trade area? We could call it a common market. How about allowing sovereign nations make their own decisions on their currency, security and judiciary without fear of sanctions? We could call that democracy. How about donning a 'gilet jaunes' and drop kicking all the simpering little politicians past and present who have led us into the sorry mess that is the EU and who continue to support it. We could call that sweet ******* justice!! 😉

We do indeed, and as Cameron's 'negotiations' before the vote achieved diddly squat the writing was on the wall. You simply CANNOT change the direction of the EU as it stands. They are flying full steam ahead into a federal union where all power will be held in Brussels. It has ever been thus, the only difference is that the cat is now out of the bag. I mention that the EU cannot be changed as it stands, but after the May '19 EU elections it could well change in a direction nobody until recently had anticipated. The rise across Europe of populist parties could change the whole direction of the EU as we know it today. The centre/liberal ground is crumbling all across the continent leaving the way open to parties on the extremes of the political spectrum. It is quite conceivable, probably likely, that these parties, many of whom are virulently eurosceptic will form a significant voting bloc in the EU parliament. What then for the EU? One only has to look at the results of the German federal elections in 1928 and 1932 to see how an otherwise decent and structured society can change dramatically in just a few years. More recently a quick glance across the pond will confirm that a single election can change the whole direction of a country immeasurably. The EU's election is coming in just 5 months time and could easily change its direction for a generation. The question is, would you support a union which had swung to the hard left or hard right? Because as sure as night follows day you wouldn't be able to change its direction. So yes, I knew exactly what I was voting for when I voted to leave. Did you when you voted to remain?

Seems like they took my advice. 😉 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6519211/The-2-6m-Israeli-Drone-Dome-Army-used-defeat-Gatwick-UAV.html

He's not an MP, he never has been. He was brought into the government 'policy unit' by Tony B Liar and was given the title Baron Adonis of Camden Town in 2005. He's mad as a box of frogs.

Surely the police/military have some sort of super dooper radio frequency jamming device to bring down said drone?

Could be worth a try? https://www.allcamfixers.co.uk/oxford/oxfordshire/

Any country can have access to the single market (as long as there are no trade sanctions in place) without being a member of the EU. The US, China, Russia, India and dozens of others all have access to the single market yet are not tied to the rules. Yes, they may be subject to tariffs, but equally EU member states are subject to similar tariffs when exporting to these 'third countries'.

Yes, she is bloody awful isn't she? She can read a speech ok, but once she's questioned on anything and has to go 'off script' she's like a rabbit caught in the headlights. It seems her new 'go to' phrase now is 'In the national interest'. Someone should tell her that simply repeating the same old line is neither strong nor stable. 😉 Watch her body language and her eyes when she's being grilled... she really doesn't believe a word she's saying.

That may well be the case, but it doesn't make it a record as you originally claimed. Personally speaking I'm far less interested in the numbers and far more concerned with the quality of people wishing to come to the UK.

Third world countries? The vast majority of non EEA migrants come under Tier 1 and 2 visas (highly skilled or skilled with work in place and/or sponsors) and the top countries of origin are India, Australia, The US, Philippines, New Zealand and China. Also whilst it's fair to say non EEA migration is on the rise, it's nowhere near the record levels of the mid 2000's. So to summarise your comment... Yes, it sounds like a very good deal.

I doubt it will ever happen... and what would be the point if it did? Brexit is not about party politics, it was a simple binary choice between leave and remain. If there was to be a debate it should be between Mrs May (as she is in charge of trying to sell her 'deal') and an out and out 'leaver' such as Boris Johnson, or better still Nigel Farage. There's absolutely no point Corbachev getting involved as he hasn't a clue where he stands on the issue. I guess you could throw in an arch 'remainer' too, Tony Blair perhaps? May, Farage and Blair... I'd stay up to watch that 😃

He was talking about the formation of a european army. The same army that Jean Claude Juncker has been banging on about for years and the same army that Macron was claiming just a few weeks ago was needed to protect europe from the Russians, terrorists and the US Oh, and if you have any doubt that the EU want, and are working towards, a foreign policy and integrated military just listen to what Frau Merkel had to say on the matter just a couple of weeks ago in the european parliament. If you've got the stomach for it I would recommend checking out the full speech on the BBC iplayer. It really is quite frightening what the EU has in mind for the future. Anyone who thinks these hideous wretches have the best interests of the peoples of europe at heart really need to pull their heads out of their backsides and wake up to what is really going on across the channel.

I'm not sure the West should be dealing with it at all. As far as I can make out a Saudi national was killed by other Saudi nationals in a Saudi embassy in Turkey while collecting paperwork pertaining to his forthcoming marriage to his Turkish girlfriend. A pretty barbaric killing by all accounts, but surely nothing to do with the West? Let the Turks and the Saudi's sort it out.