Whirlwind wrote:

 Steve steveson wrote:
This is the Mirror. Hardly a bastion of quality and fairness. Given what is in the background of their shot, and that it is peak tourist season, it’s probably that they just wanted a picture of themselves in front of the Palace of Westminster. This isn’t exactly the twin towers or tube bombings. I’d suggest that this is more about the faux outrage of tabloids and the righteous anger of people who get angry about anything. IE Mirror readers.

Now I know some papers articles can be pretty biased one way or another, but the belief that the papers are now sending out their own staff to take pictures to make a story is rather delving into the paranoid tin-hat brigade. It is a bit crass to be taking photos when people could be seriously injured. Never mind that it could potentially result in delays of the emergency services getting to scene (e.g. an ambulance) where those few minutes delay could result in a life (or death). From my perspective and at a personal level I would have thought it was really a stupid thing to do. You have no idea whether it is an individual case or whether it is coordinated. If it could be the latter then you are putting yourself at greater risk as a crowd at a scene could make a tempting target.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
If it was a genuinely dangerous thing to do, by blocking an ambulance or something, the police would have moved them on.

Theresa May considers plan to register 3 million EU citizens 'alphabetically' to cope with flood of applications

Theresa May's government is considering a plan to register EU citizens who wish to remain in the UK after Brexit alphabetically to cope with the flood of expected applications, sources tell Business Insider.
Alternative plans to register applicants sector by sector, or by geographical region, are considered politically sensitive.
The Home Office needs to register up to 3.6 million EU citizens before the UK leaves the EU.
EU citizens' campaigners voiced concerns about the "unprecedented scale and timeframe" for the scheme.
"The Government is still woefully unprepared for the huge task of registering EU citizens applying for settled status if we leave the EU," Labour's Stella Creasy told Business Insider.

...
Home Office officials believe that the plan to register EU citizens alphabetically would be the least politically sensitive of all those under consideration.

Figures within government believe two alternative plans to register applicants industry sector by sector, or by geographical region, could cause a backlash among those left at the back of the queue.

While banks and other big businesses are pressing the government for a sectoral scheme, one industry source said that a scheme could risk a political backlash if it was seen to favour big business.

The geographical scheme could be complicated and risk a hostile reaction from whichever regions were not selected for processing first, they said, especially if London and the southeast were among the first to be processed.

The UK pilots’ association has revealed that a recent member survey has shown that only one in ten pilots think Brexit will have a positive impact on the UK aviation industry.

Members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) were asked whether they think Brexit will have a positive or negative effect on the industry. Half said they thought it would bring negative effects, with 39% saying it would have a neutral impact, and 2% saying they didn’t know. Just 9% think it will have a positive impact.

The survey of BALPA’s members, which is carried out by polling company ComRes, takes place every two years, and this year included the question on Brexit.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:

“The feedback from our members is that a significant proportion are concerned that Brexit will be bad for UK aviation.

“While BALPA remained neutral on the referendum itself, we do find the slow pace at which negotiations are taking place concerning.

“We sincerely hope the Government is doing all it can to get us the best possible deal, but flights for March 2019 will go on sale in just two months and passengers are yet to have any clarity on exactly what agreements will be in place when they’re booking their tickets.

“We’re now seeing that the EU is considering emergency plans to keep the UK flying should there be a ‘no deal’ Brexit but we’re unsure of exactly what this looks like and what effect this will have on our £60 billion-a-year industry.

“We’d like assurances from the Government on the arrangements that will be in place and that UK aviation will be able to continue to operate as normal post-Brexit.”

 Steve steveson wrote:


They don't need to. They just need to trawl twitter and see what they can find. What is worse? The tourists who are wanting their holiday snaps and may or may not know what is going on with the police, or the people who do know what is going on and take photos of the people taking photos so they can be outraged on twitter?

 Whirlwind wrote:

 Steve steveson wrote:


They don't need to. They just need to trawl twitter and see what they can find. What is worse? The tourists who are wanting their holiday snaps and may or may not know what is going on with the police, or the people who do know what is going on and take photos of the people taking photos so they can be outraged on twitter?

So you are saying people are deliberately going to the scene to take pictures of other people taking pictures so they can be outraged??

 reds8n wrote:

Home Office officials believe that the plan to register EU citizens alphabetically would be the least politically sensitive of all those under consideration.

The Govt. having had such success with IT projects like this of course.



perhaps we could get them to form an orderly queue or something -- to show their true British spirit.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

So you are saying people are deliberately going to the scene to take pictures of other people taking pictures so they can be outraged??

No, people who are at the scene are outraged and take pictures to share on twitter to show their outrage and then people see those and get outraged and so on.

 Whirlwind wrote:

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

So you are saying people are deliberately going to the scene to take pictures of other people taking pictures so they can be outraged??

No, people who are at the scene are outraged and take pictures to share on twitter to show their outrage and then people see those and get outraged and so on.

Can I be outraged at those at the site not taking pictures of those taking pictures of the CCTV systems not taking pictures of the police not taking pictures of the public taking pictures at the location?

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I have often thought that many people in the place to understand the demands of Brexit -- the better informed MPs and ministers, civil servants and so on -- have known from the beginning it was essentially impossible to get it all done properly in the time available, that they either thought it would get called off as sanity dawned on the nation, or just gave up under the impossibility of the task.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 Whirlwind wrote:

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

So you are saying people are deliberately going to the scene to take pictures of other people taking pictures so they can be outraged??

No, people who are at the scene are outraged and take pictures to share on twitter to show their outrage and then people see those and get outraged and so on.

Can I be outraged at those at the site not taking pictures of those taking pictures of the CCTV systems not taking pictures of the police not taking pictures of the public taking pictures at the location?

Yes, but only on a day preceded by a full moon.

 reds8n wrote:
o

The UK pilots’ association has revealed that a recent member survey has shown that only one in ten pilots think Brexit will have a positive impact on the UK aviation industry.

tneva82 wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
o

The UK pilots’ association has revealed that a recent member survey has shown that only one in ten pilots think Brexit will have a positive impact on the UK aviation industry.

Well. That's rather optimistic of them actually!

 Future War Cultist wrote:
It would be easier for some to just brush terrorism under the rug wouldn’t it? Helps avoid any awkward and uncomfortable questions.

tneva82 wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
o

The UK pilots’ association has revealed that a recent member survey has shown that only one in ten pilots think Brexit will have a positive impact on the UK aviation industry.

Well. That's rather optimistic of them actually!

Rule 7 MEMBERSHIP
7.1 Membership shall be open to any person who satisfies the definition of ‘Full Member’ or ‘Associate Member’ as defined below. In these Rules, any references to ‘member’ apply only to Full or Associate Members unless otherwise provided.
7.2 The NEC may create temporary grades of membership at its discretion.
7.3 Full Member: Subject to the provisions in Rule 10 and Rule 34, the following shall be eligible for full membership of BALPA, namely every person who falls within one or more of the following categories:
7.3.1 holds a current professional Pilot Licence issued by the UK or recognised by the CAA or EASA and is actively engaged in commercial flying and is based in the UK or is employed by a UK Company abroad;
7.3.2 holds a current Flight Engineers Licence issued by the UK or recognised by the CAA or EASA and is actively engaged in commercial flying and is based in the UK or is employed by a UK Company abroad;
7.3.3 is employed by any British company or organisation as Service Training or Contract Pilot, or is a pilot who is not required as a condition of employment to hold a current professional Pilots Licence issued by the UK or recognised by the CAA or EASA;
7.3.4 Helicopter Winchmen;
7.3.5 Weapons System Officers (WSO’s);
7.3.6 Ground Instructors, where they are part of a bargaining group which includes members in the categories set out in Rule 7.3.1, 7.3.2 or 7.3.3.
7.4 In cases of doubt, eligibility for membership shall be at the absolute discretion of the NEC, subject to a right of appeal under Rules 9.3 and 9.4.
Rule 8 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
8.1 Any person who fulfils the requirement of any part of this Rule shall be eligible for BALPA Associate Membership. Associate Members are not permitted to vote or stand for election for the purposes of these Rules.
8.2 Class A Associates: The following are eligible as Class A Associates, namely every person who falls within one or more of the following categories:
8.2.1 who is a pilot/flight engineer serving in H.M. Armed Forces; or
8.2.2 who would otherwise be qualified for membership but for the fact that they are based abroad and is not employed by a UK Company; or
8.2.3 who holds a professional RPAS qualification acceptable to the NEC
8.3 Retired Associates: A person who is no longer eligible for membership of BALPA, but who has been a member of BALPA is eligible to join s a Class A Associate. Such members may participate in elections to establish the Retired Flight Crew Committee (RFCC) in accordance with Rule 31.
8.4 Trans-National Associates: A full member of another pilot association who is employed by a UK company or associated company and where a reciprocal membership agreement exists with the Association concerned.
6
8.5 Trainee Associates: A trainee pilot/flight engineer shall be eligible as a trainee associate at the absolute discretion of the NEC.
8.6 Honorary Associates: The NEC may admit as an Honorary Associate any person who it may think fit so to admit, irrespective of such person’s qualifications.
8.7 Unemployed Members: Members dismissed, made redundant, or having accepted a compromise agreement or otherwise having resigned who notify the NEC in writing within 2 months of their loss of employment may be eligible for unemployed membership for 1 year from the date of termination of employment. Unemployed members are not entitled to hold office or stand for election to any position unless otherwise decided by the NEC.

 Whirlwind wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
If it was a genuinely dangerous thing to do, by blocking an ambulance or something, the police would have moved them on.

When it comes to blocking an ambulance it's not about being dangerous, it's about the additional delays (and potentially resources) required to manage them that results in delays. The same issues that arise when there are accidents on roads and people start rubber necking, it can cause more delays (and in the worst case results in more accidents). But then it probably is natural instinct. Trying to herd a crowd can be slow because 25% of the people do exactly what they are told; 50% mill about in abject confusion fror 2 minutes whilst the brain determines what they should be doing; and 25% only move as the absolute last resort.

Bran Dawri wrote:


This. There was a very serious accident on the freeway in the Netherlands only last week, and a bunch idiots started filming, taking selfies to the point they were actually hindering the police and ambulances. I don't recall if someone died because of it, but regardless, it's respectless and dangerous. On the plus side, every single one of these spankers is now expecting a very hefty fine, as the police noted the licence plates of everyone doing this.

 Future War Cultist wrote:
It would be easier for some to just brush terrorism under the rug wouldn’t it? Helps avoid any awkward and uncomfortable questions.

 Riquende wrote:

 Future War Cultist wrote:
It would be easier for some to just brush terrorism under the rug wouldn’t it? Helps avoid any awkward and uncomfortable questions.

You shouldn't brush terrorism under a carpet, your average household carpet will offer no protection in the case of explosives, and probably wouldn't stop a knife either, though you'd have to place yourself in a vulnerable position to suffer a knife attack through a laid carpet.

Former Carillion boss Mark Davies has been appointed as the managing director for the HS2 joint venture between Balfour Beatty and VINCI.

The project is one of the world’s largest construction projects with billions of pounds-worth of contracts put up for the first phase between West Midlands and London.

Davies joined Carillion in 2008 and rose to managing director of its UK Infrastructure business until the firm went bust in January 2018.


The liquidation cost hundreds of jobs and was the most drastic procedure in UK insolvency law, with liabilities of almost £7 billion.

MPs claimed the demise was down to “recklessness, hubris & greed”, with directors focusing on bonus pay-outs to senior executives even as the firm teetered on the brink of collapse.

But that hasn’t stopped Davies heading up contracts for Lot N1 and N2 of the HS2 project, between the Long Itchington Wood Green tunnel to Delta Junction / Birmingham Spur and from the Delta Junction to the West Coast Main Line tie-in.

Combined, these two contracts are worth approximately £2.5 billion.

The joint venture is also currently bidding for further railways systems packages and Old Oak Common station, together valued at £3.8 billion.

MPs claimed the demise was down to “recklessness, hubris & greed”, with directors focusing on bonus pay-outs to senior executives even as the firm teetered on the brink of collapse.

Almost one in four HS2 employees are being paid more than £100,000 a year, it has been revealed.

The news comes despite the government insisting it is "keeping a tough grip" on the cost of the controversial project.


Some 318 people - out of the 1,346 employed on the new high-speed railway - are earning at least £100,000 in salary and perks, according to a information given to The Times under the Freedom of Information Act.

This number is an increase compared with the 155 who were paid six figures in 2015/16, the newspaper reported.

Some 112 people are receiving more than £150,000 annually and 15 have pay packets topping £251,000.

 reds8n wrote:

MPs claimed the demise was down to “recklessness, hubris & greed”, with directors focusing on bonus pay-outs to senior executives even as the firm teetered on the brink of collapse.

..hmm.. well it's not like history is going to repeat itself , after all
https://news.sky.com/story/quarter-of-hs2-workers-on-pay-deals-over-100k-11465148

haulage firms have accused Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, of failing to put in place any credible contingency plans for a 'no-deal' Brexit scenario, as well as "knowing nothing" about their industry.

Speaking to the Telegraph, industry leaders said they were left astonished in recent meetings with Mr Grayling where he appeared to be unaware that British lorry drivers would not be able to carry goods on the continent if the UK crashes out of the bloc.

They also claimed the Department for Transport was trying to "hang its hat" on a flawed contingency plan involving a major lorry park at the port of Dover, known as Operation Brock, and an antiquated permit system, which they said...

I understand that senior members of Britain's road haulage industry came out of a recent meeting with Grayling where they were astonished by his lack of grasp of the key detail on Brexit
One of them, Kevin Hopper, who runs a major firm up in Yorkshire, said that he tried to explain to Grayling that if there is no Brexit deal then UK haulage drivers won't be able to drive in EU as their papers will be invalid

Grayling, he says, "looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language."

Kevin, who has 40 years industry experience, then showed to Grayling a copy of the EU's notice to stakeholders from the Commission's website, which confirms exactly that: no deal, no recognition of UK drivers. This document:

https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/legislation/brexit-notice-to-stakeholders-road-transport.pdf

Kevin says Grayling appeared to have never heard of this document but he insisted that "everything would be fine"

Grayling then said we "hope" there will be deal.
Kevin: "But what if there ISN'T a deal? Can you tell me, minister, what plans are there to remedy this situation?"
Grayling: "Well, could you suggest anything?"

Kevin: I can't believe this
Grayling: What do you expect from me?
Kevin: I expect clarity
Grayling: What do you mean?
Kevin: I mean I want clarity
Grayling: I can't give you that

This was infuriating for Kevin and colleagues because they have **already** been forced to turn down contracts with EU countries as they don't know if they will be able to do those jobs.

The Department for Transport, however, says it is confident that there will be a deal with the EU but that everything will be fine if there is no deal. And that there will be plenty of permits in deal scenario.

Illustrates just how frustrated and angry businesses are with UK handling of these talks, The government appears to be sleepwalking towards no deal while claiming it's fine and dandy because there will be deal. There is a serious disconnect between what it says and what it does

LONDON — A prominent pro-Leave Conservative MP and former Brexit minister has promoted and invested £70,000 in a financial services company that encourages the public to buy gold in order to avoid the negative impact of a no deal Brexit.

Steve Baker, who belongs to the Jacob Rees Mogg-led European Research Group of pro-Brexit Conservatives, is reportedly working on an "alternative" to Theresa May's Chequers plan, which will outline the "advantages" of leaving the European Union without a deal.

However, Baker, who resigned as a minister in the Brexit department earlier this year, is also a shareholder in the company Glint Pay Ltd, which has encouraged people to "buy, save & spend physical gold," as"financial insurance" against the potential economic impact of a hard Brexit.

Baker attended Glint Pay's launch earlier this year — two days after quitting the Department for Exiting the EU in protest against Prime Minister May's Brexit plan — and has repeatedly endorsed the company on his public Twitter account. He has shares in the company worth £70,000, according to an entry in his register of interests disclosed on June 22, 2017.

The London-based company, promoted by Baker, encourages potential customers to invest in gold in order to insure against the growing likelihood of a no deal Brexit, which it suggests could cause the pound to crash and economic growth to slow.

n a blog post published on August 9 , Glint Pay states that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox's recent claim that a no deal Brexit was increasingly likely "was leading to a drop in the value of the pound," adding that the recent fall of the pound had "been blamed squarely on the inability of the EU and the British government to agree a deal on Brexit."

The company also cites warnings that a no deal Brexit, which is currently being pushed by leading Brexiteers, will hurt the economy, individual pension funds and "be damaging for all parties, particularly the UK that could see growth shrink by up 8%."

On Wednesday, the pound fell for an 11th consecutive day against the dollar, its worst losing streak since the financial crisis. It traded at $1.27, it's lowest level in over a year.

Baker, the Conservative MP for Wycombe, is yet to respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

I was thinking of buying gold, and lots of tinned food.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
When the Daily Telegraph starts to report seriously on the problems of Brexit, it shows the wheels on the clown car are wobbling very dangerously indeed.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

I was thinking of buying gold, and lots of tinned food.

A series of government papers on a “no deal” Brexit, expected to be published from next week, will cover more than 80 specific subjects ranging from blood safety to fertilisers to driving licenses, according to a provisional list leaked to BuzzFeed News.

The list – drawn together from departments across Whitehall – underlines the scope of the potential disruption to British life if the UK crashes out of the European Union in March without a withdrawal agreement. And it starkly illustrates the extent of the challenge facing officials who have been ordered to prepare for such an outcome.

Some of the reports, judging by the subject headings, will be sweeping in scope – such as those covering financial services and climate – while others will be highly specific. One report, for example, is expected to be dedicated to how a no-deal Brexit would affect the ability of UK citizens to travel with their pets.

Under current plans, the reports will be published in batches, starting as early as next week and running through September, although the timetable could slip, people familiar with the documents said.

Last month, Theresa May told a parliamentary committee there would be around 70 “technical notifications” published to advise individuals and businesses on how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

But the number of reports to be published appears to have increased, according to the list seen by BuzzFeed News. The subjects they will cover are:

Spoiler:

Air services
Animal breeding
Aviation safety
Aviation security
Batch testing of medicine
Blood safety
Broadcasting
Chemicals regulation
Civil judicial cooperation
Civil nuclear
Climate
Commercial road haulage
Common Travel Area
Company law
Competition
Consumer protection
Cross-border gas trading
Customs and borders
Data
Driver licensing
Drugs
e-Commerce and geo-blocking
Electricity trading
Environmental standards
Equine movements
Erasmus
EU citizens in the UK
EU programmes and structural funds
EU space programmes
European regional development fund
European social fund
Export control regulation
Fertilisers
Financial services
Firearms
Fisheries, fish and seafood
Fluorinated gases and Ozone depleting substances
Food labelling
Genetically modified organisms
Geographical indicators
Health and identification marks for products of animal origin
Horizon 2020
Imports of food and feed
Insolvency
Intellectual property
Life sciences
Live animals and animal products
Maritime security
Motor insurance
New car and van CO2 emissions
NGOs
Nuclear research
Objects of cultural interest
Oil and gas
Organic food production
Organs, tissue, and cells
Passports
Payments to farmers
Pesticides regulations
Pet travel
Plants and seeds
Procurement
Product regulation
Registration of veterinary medicines
Renewable electricity issues
Rural Development Programme for England
Seafarer certification
Services
State aid
Telecoms
Timber trade
Tobacco
Trade agreements continuity
Trade in endangered species
Trade remedies
Trans-European energy infrastructure
UK citizens in the EU
UK LIFE projects
UK trade tariff
Upholding industrial emissions
VAT
Vehicle standards
Veterinary medicine products
Workplace rights

The reports are the product of a cross-Whitehall initiative ordered by the former Brexit secretary David Davis to ensure that the UK was prepared to leave the EU without a deal in the event that the Brexit negotiations broke down – and that its preparedness was visible.

Roughly half of the reports relate to matters overseen by either the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Department for Transport also accounts for a significant number of the matters covered.

Some of the most challenging issues, relating to customs and borders, fall under the umbrella of HMRC.

BuzzFeed News understands that the reports have been carefully written in a neutral, factual tone. The government has been accused repeatedly of scaremongering when it has released materials to bolster its arguments on Brexit, and the preparations for leaving without a deal are already highly volatile politically.

Nevertheless, officials are worried that some of the detail in certain reports will come as a shock to the public.

Fears about gridlock at customs borders such as Dover have already been widely aired, but the officials are concerned that people will have given far less thought to, for example, whether they’ll be able to legally drive in the EU with a UK driving license or to transport their dogs, cats and ferrets without having them quarantined, if Britain doesn’t secure an exit deal.

The Sunday Times has reported that Britain will be hit by shortages of medicine, fuel and food within a fortnight if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, according to a scenario drawn up by DExEU. Supermarkets and facilities in more distant locations, such as Cornwall and Scotland, would be the hardest hit. The newspaper also reported that ministers have prepared plans to send in the army to deal with the shortages, and deliver food, medicines and fuel.

In publishing the documents now, the government hopes to re-frame the political debate about Brexit.

Eurosceptic Tories argue that Britain’s negotiating hand will be strengthened if Brussels believes that it is genuinely willing to walk away from the talks without a deal. Some even believe that a no-deal Brexit is preferable to the agreement May is pursuing. These Eurosceptics are angry that the government hasn’t done more to prepare for such an eventuality.

By showing the serious consequences that crashing out without a deal will have on so many aspects of British life, the government hopes to silence those critics. It will also pray that publishing its analyses gives some reassurance to businesses that have been demanding more clarity so that they can prepare contingency plans.

The reports come at a delicate time in the negotiations. The chances of a no-deal have shot up since Theresa May’s Chequers agreement last month. Latvia’s foreign minister recently put the odds at 50:50, while UK international trade secretary, Liam Fox, sees the chances of a no deal at 60%. Bank of England governor Mark Carney has described the possibility of a no-deal Brexit as "uncomfortably high."

A DExEU spokesperson said: “We don't comment on leaks or speculation. However, as we've already made clear, individual departments are preparing specific technical notices to help citizens, businesses and consumers to prepare for March 2019 in the unlikely event of a no-deal scenario. This is part of our preparatory work that has been underway for the past two years.

"These will be published in August and September and will be available on gov.uk in a centralised location that is easy for people to access and use. The secretary of state for exiting the EU [Dominic Raab] and the prime minister confirmed this in July.”