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NI has had special provision long before devolution, they’ve always been able to live in the past. The high court have already said that their abortion laws are in conflict with the Human rights Act 1998 yet changes are painfully slow.

It is backward because it’s based in religion and the control of women’s bodies against their free choice, even in cases or rape and incest. It’s idiotic because it’s actually costing lives and causing a lot of grief to those caught up in not being able to get treatment the rest of the UK. Other than having to make a covert trip over to the mainland to get an abortion.

It’s a blot on the UK’s otherwise good human rights record. Hopefully the upcoming referendum will address some of these injustices.

The referendum has nothing to do with NI unfortunately, it's only for the Republic of Ireland.


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Btw Kilkrazy, there have been cases brought from the RoI to the ECHR and they did win, but the Irish government was pretty slow in implementing it. The problem in Ireland is that back in our "Theocracy: Graet IDEA" phase we wrote the protection of the life of the unborn child into our constitution and in Ireland all constitutional changes must be ratified by a referendum.

In NI, it's the tendency to ignore NI and let it do it's own thing, which is the reason why there are problems in the first place. No one in Britain cared when they were running their sectarian, gerrymandered and discriminatory state until the bombs started going off.

In mildly amusing news, Mrs May's portrait was hung at Oxford University as part of a programme to celebrate women graduates.

After the government promised to enforce free speech in universities, someone put a sign up over it that said, "Free space - share your thoughts."

Students have shared their thoughts with such vigour that Mrs May's portrait has had to be removed from display.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-44046322

I have just had the thought that May is going to end up being as loathed as Thatcher. I hope it isn't just misogyny.

How loathed was Blair? Pretty well loathed by the end I think, but it did take 10 years.

May is disliked for being useless and a bit two-faced. Thatcher directly destroyed the industries and livelihoods of millions. Parts of the country have never recovered. These people celebrated when Thatcher died, that won’t happen for May. When she dies all this will largely have shaken out, she will have a poor legacy but she’s going to have to go a lot further to really get the sheer hate Thatcher gets.

The Belfast Telegraph reports a possible softening of DUP position on Brexit. Hinting at a possible remain in the customs union.

Arlene Foster's red line on Europe - biggest issue is Northern Ireland staying in the UK, not whether we should leave customs union
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/brexit/arlene-fosters-red-line-on-europe-biggest-issue-is-northern-ireland-staying-in-the-uk-not-whether-we-should-leave-customs-union-36879329.html

So a customs union is on the menu after all.

As people know, the USA has pulled the plug on the Iran deal, so where does that leave the UK?

Britain has been a strong backer of the deal, but I'd bet my life savings on Britain sticking its tongue up the American rear and falling into line behind Washington...

Everybody know how I feel about the EU, but this is one of those very very very very rare occasions where I hope the UK sticks with the EU on this and ignore that kamikaze President in Washington...

All the signs are that Britain will continue to support the deal along with the rest of the EU.
Somewhat of a surprise to see Boris J heading off to the states to try and convince Trump to keep the deal, and possibly one of the few things he has done that I agree with (although not really a surprise that the appearance on Fox & Friends didn't help to sway him).

But yes will be interesting to see what happens if it does end up with a major military action against Iran, which you have to think is the directive of hawks in both the US and Israel (Bolton, Netenyahu etc.). My own feeling is that May's position within government is nothing like as strong as Blair's in the lead-up to the 2nd Gulf war, she doesn't have the 'cabal' of ministers around her and parliamentary majority enjoyed by Blair, and it's likely she will be on even shakier ground (if she is there at all) following the EU travails and how that ends up in two or three year's time.

 Pacific wrote:
All the signs are that Britain will continue to support the deal along with the rest of the EU.
Somewhat of a surprise to see Boris J heading off to the states to try and convince Trump to keep the deal, and possibly one of the few things he has done that I agree with (although not really a surprise that the appearance on Fox & Friends didn't help to sway him).

But yes will be interesting to see what happens if it does end up with a major military action against Iran, which you have to think is the directive of hawks in both the US and Israel (Bolton, Netenyahu etc.). My own feeling is that May's position within government is nothing like as strong as Blair's in the lead-up to the 2nd Gulf war, she doesn't have the 'cabal' of ministers around her and parliamentary majority enjoyed by Blair, and it's likely she will be on even shakier ground (if she is there at all) following the EU travails and how that ends up in two or three year's time.

Trump makes Johnson look like Albert Einstein, and as for major military action? I don't want to see any working-class British men and women pulling on a uniform and dying for that.

Or middle or upper class for that matter, either.

I never thought I'd ever say this, but Britain has to stick with the EU on this one...

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
I never thought I'd ever say this, but Britain has to stick with the EU on this one...

Love that EU when it stands between your ass and a warzone, don't ya?

I'm not permitted by law to tell you my thoughts on this as ol Donny Boy has invoked the Hatch act (except on his white house cronies) so I can't talk about Candidate Trump (since he started running for office again almost immediately after winning it) and his efforts to get a war going with Iran.

Labour peers have defied the party whip to vote with Tories and given MPs a vote on membership of the EEA.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/may/08/labour-peers-force-may-to-give-mps-vote-over-single-market-plans

And Brexit continues to fall apart at the seams.

I'm really quite enjoying this now.

You guys heard of the argument over prosecutions of British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland? I come from a catholic nationalist background (though I myself am neither anymore) and I say that it’s grossly unfair to hound old soldiers whilst granting amnesty to the paramilitaries who did most of the damage. gak like this is why I despise Sinn Fein (among other things). They are the ones pushing for the prosecutions whilst at the same time making sure the Ra men get off scot free. It’s interesting that they say that when it comes to their own actions it was a ‘war’ and thus it was all conducted under the rules of war, making their murders “legit”, but for everyone else it was illegal terrorism. Can’t have it both ways. Me, I say draw a line in the sand, have a SA style truth and reconciliation commission and give amnesty to everyone so the truth can come out and we can move in from this gak.

Yes, I was listening to some news about that on Radio 4 last night.

It doesn't seem right to go after soldiers for stuff they are alleged to have done 30+ years ago at the supposedly lawful command of commissioned officers, while ignoring the "contributions" of the IRA and other paramilitary groups.

A lot of dirty stuff happened during the Troubles. It must be very difficult for people whose relatives were murdered or just disappeared to just fogive and forget.



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Corbyn has lashed out and declared both prefferred customs plans useless.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/may/09/jeremy-corbyn-both-of-mays-customs-union-plans-are-implausible

Is this a sign of Jezza finally coming off the fence?

In Windrush immigration scandal related news, Job Centres have been incorrectly sanctioning refugees for learning English.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/09/jobcentres-sanctioning-refugees-for-learning-english-watchdog-finds

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Labour peers have defied the party whip to vote with Tories and given MPs a vote on membership of the EEA.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/may/08/labour-peers-force-may-to-give-mps-vote-over-single-market-plans

Yea I was quite surprised about that, good on them though.

I wonder what the chances of it getting though the commons is. The only sure fire votes it will have are the Lib Dems and the Scottish Nationalists I think?
Hopefully Mrs may gives MPs a free vote on the matter.

No way will May give a free vote.

However a vote will have to be done, and offers MPs a number of opportunities.

The government has to get a hell of a lot of this kind of business through the house in the next few months.

Every thing added to the pile makes the whole job more difficult and leads us closer to the point of it all blowing up.

Every thing added to the pile makes the whole job more difficult and leads us closer to the point of it all blowing up.

That's not a good thing.
Crashing out with no deal will hurt economically. Ignoring the majority vote in a referendum damages our democracy.

Brexit with customs union seems the most palatable arrangement on all sides atm.

Cameroni gave a free vote on the EU to avoid taking sides and damaging the party, May could do the same.

Another Brexy Bonus!

TL/DR: If Airbus wins the Euro 200M contract to build the new Galileo satellite naviation system, all the work on the ground control will have to move away from Portsmouth to the EU.


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 Kroem wrote:

Every thing added to the pile makes the whole job more difficult and leads us closer to the point of it all blowing up.

That's not a good thing.
Crashing out with no deal will hurt economically. Ignoring the majority vote in a referendum damages our democracy.

Brexit with customs union seems the most palatable arrangement on all sides atm.

Cameroni gave a free vote on the EU to avoid taking sides and damaging the party, May could do the same.

I'm thinking the cabinet will blow up first under the weight of the contradictions -- see Boris versus May right now.

This will probably cause the government to blow up, triggering a general election. If May grants a free vote, it may trigger a general election anyway.

Crashing out with no deal would be a catastrophe. The majority vote can be respected by extending the deadline for Brexit to allow further negotiations to be carried out to find a compromise.

Well, some good news from The Commons. The utter bollocks that was Leveson part 2 has been shot down in flames, and good riddance to it.

Anybody who believes in a free press should celebrate. The minute the press needs accreditation from the government to operate, is a slippery slope from which there is no going back.

A lot of naysayers will bang on about Murdoch and Dacre getting away Scott-free, but this had the potential to hurt small regional newspapers, investigative journalism, and also, to damage magazines like Private Eye.

Shame on Ed Miliband for pushing this amendment.

If the UK Doesn't want it soldiers dragged into the dock for shooting civilians in cold blood and shooting unarmed men in the back...as a nationalist I'm okay with that. Fairs fair. BUT. On one condition. If they want their soldiers to avoid prosecution they must admit the situation was a war. If Britain continues to insist it wasn't a war, actions like Loughall were murder. I hate having to be a hypocrite on this issue: our boys were caught out, they died. They'd do the same if the circumstances were the other way around. But the shootings were carried out under civil law. They broke the rules, that they imposed on themselves out of a refusal to admit they were at war with the Irish Republican Army provisionals. Despite this being what they said when the IRA shot it's first soldier.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Well, some good news from The Commons. The utter bollocks that was Leveson part 2 has been shot down in flames, and good riddance to it.

Anybody who believes in a free press should celebrate. The minute the press needs accreditation from the government to operate, is a slippery slope from which there is no going back.

A lot of naysayers will bang on about Murdoch and Dacre getting away Scott-free, but this had the potential to hurt small regional newspapers, investigative journalism, and also, to damage magazines like Private Eye.

Shame on Ed Miliband for pushing this amendment.

Seriously?

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Well, some good news from The Commons. The utter bollocks that was Leveson part 2 has been shot down in flames, and good riddance to it.

Anybody who believes in a free press should celebrate. The minute the press needs accreditation from the government to operate, is a slippery slope from which there is no going back.

A lot of naysayers will bang on about Murdoch and Dacre getting away Scott-free, but this had the potential to hurt small regional newspapers, investigative journalism, and also, to damage magazines like Private Eye.

Shame on Ed Miliband for pushing this amendment.

My view on this is that the reasons behind the changes are sound, the implementation less so. It largely depends on who does the accreditation. IIRC that was likely to be farmed out to organisations owned or led by people that have a vested interest in the outcome. I would prefer to see an independent body that had more powers to, for example force papers to retract false statements at the same location (type font etc) as the original article. I also think that all media organisations pay to support this and where there are circumstances where, non-frivolous, legal action is requested to be taken then this is done by this organisation on the individuals behalf free or at a reduced fee depending on the means of the person requesting the action. If the media companies lose then larger fines should be levied as a disincentive. An element of the fine then goes to the individual and an element to the monitoring body.

There needs to be a balance between free press and just making **** up about people (or using underhand tactics) where that individual has little ability to take reasonable action because of the costs of losing.

Brexy Bonus!

Huge U-Turn on immigration policy as Home Office dumps the rule requiring the NHS to share patient nationality data with them.

How will this help us ban 1000s of doctors, nurses and cancer specialists from the UK every year?

Brexy Bonus!

Windrush fallout continues as predicted. New Home Office rules prevent visa applicants from seeing the accusations against them by the Home Office.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

The majority vote can be respected by extending the deadline for Brexit to allow further negotiations to be carried out to find a compromise.

Assuming all eu countries are happy with that(costing money) for uk's internal problems

 Kilkrazy wrote:
The majority vote can be respected by extending the deadline for Brexit to allow further negotiations to be carried out to find a compromise.

Doesn't that then cross into a new period of EU budgeting that the UK would have to be part of, further increasing the financial headache? I think the EU are pretty set on the end of 2020 to avoid that.

Well, there are several points to consider.

The first is that the EU's headache is losing the money from the UK, not the chance of getting more of it. The EU doesn't want the UK to leave, in other words.

The second point is that the 29th March deadline was set by the UK. The UK can change it without reference to the EU. There isn't a legal mechanism by which the EU can actually kick the UK out if we decide not to leave.

The third point is that if the UK leaves, the EU wants the closest possible relationship with minimum disruption of trade, and it makes sense to give more time to achieve that.

The fourth point is that everyone is winging it -- making stuff up as we go along, because there aren't any examples or rules for the process. The plus of this is that we aren't locked into a system and timetable.

Speaking of the EU, it's almost Eurovision o'clock.

No, I won't be watching. I never do.

But I am wondering if it's time we stopped pretending we actually take it seriously? No more sending Simon Cowell off to riffle through the bins of the local 'talent' school. No more has-been boy bands/pop groups being dusted off and carted on stage.

Let's do it badly properly. Send in Lawnmower Deth or The Toy Dolls - one of our surprisingly long lived, cult following, well loved Daft Bands. Just make some noise. Get the crowd going proper, then crash out gracefully with the Nil Point we were always gonna get since we voted Leave and pee'd off all of Europe.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Speaking of the EU, it's almost Eurovision o'clock.

No, I won't be watching. I never do.

But I am wondering if it's time we stopped pretending we actually take it seriously? No more sending Simon Cowell off to riffle through the bins of the local 'talent' school. No more has-been boy bands/pop groups being dusted off and carted on stage.

Let's do it badly properly. Send in Lawnmower Deth or The Toy Dolls - one of our surprisingly long lived, cult following, well loved Daft Bands. Just make some noise. Get the crowd going proper, then crash out gracefully with the Nil Point we were always gonna get since we voted Leave and pee'd off all of Europe.

Given what's been going on these past 2 years, we'll be bloody lucky to get nil points. That would be success for us



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 Kilkrazy wrote:
Well, there are several points to consider.

The first is that the EU's headache is losing the money from the UK, not the chance of getting more of it. The EU doesn't want the UK to leave, in other words.

The second point is that the 29th March deadline was set by the UK. The UK can change it without reference to the EU. There isn't a legal mechanism by which the EU can actually kick the UK out if we decide not to leave.

The third point is that if the UK leaves, the EU wants the closest possible relationship with minimum disruption of trade, and it makes sense to give more time to achieve that.

The fourth point is that everyone is winging it -- making stuff up as we go along, because there aren't any examples or rules for the process. The plus of this is that we aren't locked into a system and timetable.

With regards to your second point, numerous court cases are pending on all sorts of things concerning A50. It's obviously unchartered territory, but we may get some answers.

Why do we keep sending in acts that actually care about their positioning? Either hoping to launch a career or resurrect one?

Why can't we just send in a bunch of lads and lasses there to make their noise and have a good time? Those more than happy to faintly glow before blinking out, with the off-chance of being such outrageously good fun, they actually win the thing?

We are Great Britain. We've given the world not just bands like The Beatles, but entire genres of music. For a tiny island, our output of quality music and lasting bands is immense. Why are we then just pumping out stage school oiks for Eurovision?

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Well, some good news from The Commons. The utter bollocks that was Leveson part 2 has been shot down in flames, and good riddance to it.

Anybody who believes in a free press should celebrate. The minute the press needs accreditation from the government to operate, is a slippery slope from which there is no going back.

A lot of naysayers will bang on about Murdoch and Dacre getting away Scott-free, but this had the potential to hurt small regional newspapers, investigative journalism, and also, to damage magazines like Private Eye.

Shame on Ed Miliband for pushing this amendment.

Seriously?

Yeah, seriously.

On a serious note, I don't want to defend Murdoch and Dacre, I despise them as much as you do, but regional newspapers, which make up a huge chunk of Britain's readership, were going to be in the firing line and potentially having to shelve investigative journalism in things like local government.

Nobody wants to see the Canterbury Chronicle or the Oxford Express, or whatever they're called, have to shelve an investigation into local government corruption simply because they couldn't afford to pay court fes, even if they won the bloody case!

It ain't good for local democracy.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Why do we keep sending in acts that actually care about their positioning? Either hoping to launch a career or resurrect one?

Why can't we just send in a bunch of lads and lasses there to make their noise and have a good time? Those more than happy to faintly glow before blinking out, with the off-chance of being such outrageously good fun, they actually win the thing?

We are Great Britain. We've given the world not just bands like The Beatles, but entire genres of music. For a tiny island, our output of quality music and lasting bands is immense. Why are we then just pumping out stage school oiks for Eurovision?

Because we don't give a flying feth about Eurovision. We haven't got anything to prove, unlike most European countries.