@polseoglompa.bsky.social
A "no deal" would have been economic and political chaos!
A "EEA style" brexit would have resulted in lots of angry and radicalised brexiters shouting betrayal!
Fundamentally the referendum was a terrible idea and poorly executed to boot. This all sits with Cameron!
A "EEA style" brexit would have resulted in lots of angry and radicalised brexiters shouting betrayal!
Fundamentally the referendum was a terrible idea and poorly executed to boot. This all sits with Cameron!
December 9, 2025 at 11:09 PM
A "no deal" would have been economic and political chaos!
A "EEA style" brexit would have resulted in lots of angry and radicalised brexiters shouting betrayal!
Fundamentally the referendum was a terrible idea and poorly executed to boot. This all sits with Cameron!
A "EEA style" brexit would have resulted in lots of angry and radicalised brexiters shouting betrayal!
Fundamentally the referendum was a terrible idea and poorly executed to boot. This all sits with Cameron!
Brexit was always going to be lousy (and I'm an ardent rejoiner). But cynically I suspect the brexit we got was about the best brexit we could have got politically.
It delivered a lot of the anti rules, anti freedom of movement stuff. The economic damage was largely deferred!
It delivered a lot of the anti rules, anti freedom of movement stuff. The economic damage was largely deferred!
December 9, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Brexit was always going to be lousy (and I'm an ardent rejoiner). But cynically I suspect the brexit we got was about the best brexit we could have got politically.
It delivered a lot of the anti rules, anti freedom of movement stuff. The economic damage was largely deferred!
It delivered a lot of the anti rules, anti freedom of movement stuff. The economic damage was largely deferred!
The leave campaign were saying all sorts of contradictory stuff. Single market without immigration. Not following EU rules but trading relationship staying the same! It was just madness! Sadly It radicalised the people who voted for it!
December 9, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The leave campaign were saying all sorts of contradictory stuff. Single market without immigration. Not following EU rules but trading relationship staying the same! It was just madness! Sadly It radicalised the people who voted for it!
Yes it was hard brexit but in fairness to Theresa May, suspect her options were hard brexit or second referendum!
I really struggle to see how anything else on the Barnier ladder was going to work politically!
I really struggle to see how anything else on the Barnier ladder was going to work politically!
December 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Yes it was hard brexit but in fairness to Theresa May, suspect her options were hard brexit or second referendum!
I really struggle to see how anything else on the Barnier ladder was going to work politically!
I really struggle to see how anything else on the Barnier ladder was going to work politically!
Fundamentally this was all Cameron's fault. There was literally no plan for a brexit vote. There was no war gaming the implications of the vote. There was nobody who was accountable for delivering it!
December 9, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Fundamentally this was all Cameron's fault. There was literally no plan for a brexit vote. There was no war gaming the implications of the vote. There was nobody who was accountable for delivering it!
I suspect there was (in practice) no realistic soft brexit landing zone. Too many leave voters had been radicalised by a campaign that sold them the moon on the stick. Delivering a brexit where everything stayed the same but the UK gave up a commissioner would have landed worse than what we got!
December 9, 2025 at 10:42 PM
I suspect there was (in practice) no realistic soft brexit landing zone. Too many leave voters had been radicalised by a campaign that sold them the moon on the stick. Delivering a brexit where everything stayed the same but the UK gave up a commissioner would have landed worse than what we got!
I'm kind of reminded of the Max Planck quote "science advances one funeral at a time"
Seems to accurate (and cynically) capture how human progress works!
Seems to accurate (and cynically) capture how human progress works!
December 9, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I'm kind of reminded of the Max Planck quote "science advances one funeral at a time"
Seems to accurate (and cynically) capture how human progress works!
Seems to accurate (and cynically) capture how human progress works!
So her hacking crime was in 2008. So a lot depends on what she means by renewed. Did she renew just before the early 2000s, in which case she may have had a valid passport in 2008.
So many interesting questions for a keen journalist to ask!
So many interesting questions for a keen journalist to ask!
December 8, 2025 at 11:27 PM
So her hacking crime was in 2008. So a lot depends on what she means by renewed. Did she renew just before the early 2000s, in which case she may have had a valid passport in 2008.
So many interesting questions for a keen journalist to ask!
So many interesting questions for a keen journalist to ask!
People on the nationalist right often seem to be surprised at who their fellow travellers are!
December 8, 2025 at 11:16 PM
People on the nationalist right often seem to be surprised at who their fellow travellers are!
Wonder if she still had her Nigerian citizenship at that point!
December 8, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Wonder if she still had her Nigerian citizenship at that point!
... and yet he was/is considered a "serious" commentator on the pro brexit side.
On many political debates there are serious arguments for both sides. With brexit, I'm yet to see the serious arguments for it... mainly because most brexiters didn't want to acknowledge the costs to the economy!
On many political debates there are serious arguments for both sides. With brexit, I'm yet to see the serious arguments for it... mainly because most brexiters didn't want to acknowledge the costs to the economy!
December 8, 2025 at 8:58 AM
... and yet he was/is considered a "serious" commentator on the pro brexit side.
On many political debates there are serious arguments for both sides. With brexit, I'm yet to see the serious arguments for it... mainly because most brexiters didn't want to acknowledge the costs to the economy!
On many political debates there are serious arguments for both sides. With brexit, I'm yet to see the serious arguments for it... mainly because most brexiters didn't want to acknowledge the costs to the economy!
But Iain Martin said the London nightlife would save the financial services and therefore brexit would have no major impacts!
December 8, 2025 at 6:47 AM
But Iain Martin said the London nightlife would save the financial services and therefore brexit would have no major impacts!
I did say "used to be" agree they've gone badly off the rails chasing reform/ukip voters!
December 7, 2025 at 9:10 PM
I did say "used to be" agree they've gone badly off the rails chasing reform/ukip voters!
I think there is a distinction between harm done to the country and harm to individuals. Tories have a different philosophy on tax and spend but they used to be pragmatic patriots.
Not sure the same can be said for reform with their dodgy Russian money and dubious worldviews!
Not sure the same can be said for reform with their dodgy Russian money and dubious worldviews!
December 7, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I think there is a distinction between harm done to the country and harm to individuals. Tories have a different philosophy on tax and spend but they used to be pragmatic patriots.
Not sure the same can be said for reform with their dodgy Russian money and dubious worldviews!
Not sure the same can be said for reform with their dodgy Russian money and dubious worldviews!
Norway isn't in the customs Union. It is however in most of the single market (with some exceptions on agriculture). Point is it is complex and not something the UK can (or should) just copy!
UK should focus on a closer EU-UK relationship based on the TCA (ideally IMO heading to rejoin)!
UK should focus on a closer EU-UK relationship based on the TCA (ideally IMO heading to rejoin)!
December 6, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Norway isn't in the customs Union. It is however in most of the single market (with some exceptions on agriculture). Point is it is complex and not something the UK can (or should) just copy!
UK should focus on a closer EU-UK relationship based on the TCA (ideally IMO heading to rejoin)!
UK should focus on a closer EU-UK relationship based on the TCA (ideally IMO heading to rejoin)!
I don't think there is a significant liberal right these days. I'm not sure there ever really was... just the liberal right were very influential on the tories and the patriotic (but not racist) right had nowhere else to go!
December 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I don't think there is a significant liberal right these days. I'm not sure there ever really was... just the liberal right were very influential on the tories and the patriotic (but not racist) right had nowhere else to go!
Not sure shaky economics will be a huge problem (although it should be).
Any belief that the general public can follow economic arguments should have been put to bed by the brexit referendum. (The "350m a week" argument showed how people get confused by big numbers)
Any belief that the general public can follow economic arguments should have been put to bed by the brexit referendum. (The "350m a week" argument showed how people get confused by big numbers)
December 5, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Not sure shaky economics will be a huge problem (although it should be).
Any belief that the general public can follow economic arguments should have been put to bed by the brexit referendum. (The "350m a week" argument showed how people get confused by big numbers)
Any belief that the general public can follow economic arguments should have been put to bed by the brexit referendum. (The "350m a week" argument showed how people get confused by big numbers)
Indeed the campaign could then become better services and lower tax with labour. Increasing taxes and worse public services with reform....
Essentially are you prepared to pay for your xenophobia.... which is what the brexit campaign, if it had been honest, should have been!
Essentially are you prepared to pay for your xenophobia.... which is what the brexit campaign, if it had been honest, should have been!
December 5, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Indeed the campaign could then become better services and lower tax with labour. Increasing taxes and worse public services with reform....
Essentially are you prepared to pay for your xenophobia.... which is what the brexit campaign, if it had been honest, should have been!
Essentially are you prepared to pay for your xenophobia.... which is what the brexit campaign, if it had been honest, should have been!
I think we can agree the UK has a significant military which would complement that of other major powers in Europe (France, Germany, Italy and increasingly Poland) in the defense of Europe.
Given this it makes sense to have the UK in the fold if the politics can be made to work!
Given this it makes sense to have the UK in the fold if the politics can be made to work!
December 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I think we can agree the UK has a significant military which would complement that of other major powers in Europe (France, Germany, Italy and increasingly Poland) in the defense of Europe.
Given this it makes sense to have the UK in the fold if the politics can be made to work!
Given this it makes sense to have the UK in the fold if the politics can be made to work!
All this shows is that social media klout is more important than intellectual heft. This is true on both sides.
It also makes it so much easier to dunk on the opposite side (look at the jerks on social media making lame arguments for the other side)
It also makes it so much easier to dunk on the opposite side (look at the jerks on social media making lame arguments for the other side)
December 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
All this shows is that social media klout is more important than intellectual heft. This is true on both sides.
It also makes it so much easier to dunk on the opposite side (look at the jerks on social media making lame arguments for the other side)
It also makes it so much easier to dunk on the opposite side (look at the jerks on social media making lame arguments for the other side)
Stick by my earlier facetious comment. A lot of people will vote tactically in middle class areas simply out of self interest.
A reform MP is not a positive signifier for a town. Just look at the places that elect them. Meanwhile libdems are winning in very desirable areas!
A reform MP is not a positive signifier for a town. Just look at the places that elect them. Meanwhile libdems are winning in very desirable areas!
December 2, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Stick by my earlier facetious comment. A lot of people will vote tactically in middle class areas simply out of self interest.
A reform MP is not a positive signifier for a town. Just look at the places that elect them. Meanwhile libdems are winning in very desirable areas!
A reform MP is not a positive signifier for a town. Just look at the places that elect them. Meanwhile libdems are winning in very desirable areas!
The libdem leaflets write themselves....
Do you see this town as more likely Henley or more like a Yarmouth?
Do you see this town as more likely Henley or more like a Yarmouth?
December 2, 2025 at 11:25 PM
The libdem leaflets write themselves....
Do you see this town as more likely Henley or more like a Yarmouth?
Do you see this town as more likely Henley or more like a Yarmouth?
Wasn't there but do wonder if when things were a bit crazy in the 70s, a British establishment that were in cahoots with the media moghals prevented things going to far off the rails.
There were no significant far right breakthroughs even though there was a lot more racism in the 70s!
There were no significant far right breakthroughs even though there was a lot more racism in the 70s!
December 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Wasn't there but do wonder if when things were a bit crazy in the 70s, a British establishment that were in cahoots with the media moghals prevented things going to far off the rails.
There were no significant far right breakthroughs even though there was a lot more racism in the 70s!
There were no significant far right breakthroughs even though there was a lot more racism in the 70s!