one out all out: a brexit from the modern world and every one of its problems please (we're all gonna die lol)

an amusing yarn no doubt, but based on the only Gogol I've read - Dead Souls- that ‘worthy of Gogol’ from Major's private sec is fucking pushing it a bit imo.

Oh, this would be the sort of "English" films that will be the ONLY thing allowed in our brave new all hang together separate from everywhere etc.

Guardian as usual over-egging the pudding in the intro, and it would most likely be a terrible film, actual anecdote is good though.

Sincere thanks to Fizzles & Matt for the posts & links upthread, having a proper read through just now.

So John Redwood is getting a knighthood then.

For...

because someone else died and he's abhorrent cunt, still breathing.

In celebration of his knighthood: remembering the time Sir John Redwood wrote to the Telegraph to deny any suggestion that he swallows pebbles like an ostrich pic.twitter.com/YcNUlQfmwq

— Michael Deacon (@MichaelPDeacon) December 28, 2018

he's no maverick weirdo in the Stafford Cripps mold (who was a vegan and used to eat raw vegetables) but basically a cunt. Apparently his ex-wife alleges he is a mean, tight bastard and capable of severe cruelty.

Coincidentally, these being the ancient requirements for nobility

of course.

He was always depicted as an alien back in the day, which was really shorthand for "lacking in any empathy for other humans" - would not be a surprise if he also turned out to be a sadist.

Some of our most dangerously fash politicians are nothing to worry about when they get memed into such lolsome caricatures.

re "gig economy" just 1% of workers have a "gig" type (electronically mediated) job in the US, unchanged for a decade:

http://cepr.net/blogs/cepr-blog/just-one-percent-of-workers-do-gig-work-as-main-job-secondary-job-or-additional-income

This is interesting:

interesting:

Seaborne Freight yet to operate scheduled ferry service - seeking to reopen Ramsgate-Ostend service. It is so small it qualifies as an exempt Small Enterprise. £14m uncontested contract from Govt under emergency No Deal Brexit provision. How much is a Roro ferry? pic.twitter.com/GEJkD8jPRA

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) December 29, 2018

A small business that has never operated a ferry service has just won an uncontested £14m contract in preparation for the possibility of no deal. There is a lot of speculation that the registered owner, a Michael Bamford, might be related to the largest Tory donor, Anthony Bamford (and by extension Leeds’ Patrick).

There is going to be a vast amount of opportunist money to be made from government contracts over the next few years.

dirty tory plutocracy, dirty Leeds scum! what a heartwarming story.

wat if david peace modarn day?

bent yorkshire copper hav ipad

Really good piece by Stephen Bush that functions as a nice round-up of the year:

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/12/what-i-got-right-and-wrong-politics-2018

upthread already :)

still not really sure why they went with the big photo of Corbyn for it tho

Annoyed that Stephen Bush appears to have unilaterally settled the Machiavelli-Baldrick question but I think we all came to the same conclusion months ago.

So given our essential food and medical supplies will be arriving on non-existent ships is it time to start stockpiling yet?

it was time to start stockpiling on 24 june 2016 iirc

im the political editor of the new statesman now

I'd be interested in seeing what yougov's MRP model is predicting for a general election outcome now. anyone seen anything updated on that?

huge if true xp

can't wait for 2020 - Row for Victory. And seeing the huge flotilla of small sea vessels desperately bobbing up and down like corks in a storm.

Sky News with some evidence of being staffed by racists

Sky News has seen evidence of suspected migrants landing in Kent this morning https://t.co/0mD2gvW8Y3 pic.twitter.com/wX8RFn6fWO

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 30, 2018

Feeling a bit unsettled by yet another wave of anti-migrant hysteria leading into the new year, today it was Liz Kershaw moaning about her new year walk being spoiled that brought it home. most of the comments were on the side of basic humanity, 6 music followers on Twitter are not the UK though. on the plus side maybe this could lead to her being fired from 6 music.

There's something messed up with that family

It's OK, it turns out she's being bullied by virtue signallers

What does she think migrants are going to do at nuclear power stations?

I hope a seagull shits on her. Lol, didn't know she was related to Andy K.

Maybe she didn't dig the Bhundu Boys.

Have you never seen her or heard her speak?

Probably not in a few decades tbh

The bags under the eyes and Lancasheeeeere vowels are unmistakable.

I get her mixed up with Annie Nightingale.

Oh, Annie is well posh, Liz is common as muck.

I get her mixed up with Cheggers sister.

More details on Seaborne Ferries from a few months back:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/963579693754088/permalink/1694475693997814/

must remember to set up my own freighting company next time I win a hundred quid on the Irish lotto, I'll have more assets than them at least!

Hello, @BBC6Music I'd like to request "True Colours" by Cyndi Lauper.

— claire niven (@claireygirly) December 30, 2018

Happy New Year!

wow

extremely here for this tweet

Fine work

good piece
https://fromarsetoelbow.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-progressive-vote.html?spref=tw

he makes a good point in the comments too: people go on about how labour's polling is terrible when you look at who they are up against (the most incompetent tory government in ages etc etc.)

but actually - given the government's total lack of bandwidth to process anything but brexit, this means that one issue dominates the debate. in that context, it is pretty remarkable that labour have managed to sustain their figures at the level they have. however - there are clearly plenty of voters who are giving may the benefit of the doubt until march only. the tories will NOT maintain their current polling levels once the focus moves back to wages & housing

Banging piece

The polls just represent the prevalent polarisation since the last GE and it's hard to see what would change that, including if the Tories preside over a 2008-type crash reported or processed in the same way as the one Labour did and the austerity lie being further exposed. Don't think that would be enough on its own to win back lost Labour votes from 10+ years ago (without also a signficant shift on Brexit and Corbyn being replaced).

The one thing that's virtually guaranteed this year is either a big political or economic shock and that isn't really being priced in to the way people are treating polling data.

Depends on the type of shock and how that affects the UK specifically too - very hard to price in.

We've been due some kind of shock for a while but the EU and much of the world have been good at managing decline since Greece. The Tories have been very incompetent but they keep surviving. This year might be more of the same, especially if May manages to get her deal through.

Chris Grayling on Seaborne Ferries: "there is nothing wrong with backing a new British company".