Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister

[honeybee13]

The FT is digging up a lot of evidence on Ben Elliott, old-Etonian, Johnson's tennis partner and co-chair and chief fundraiser of the Conservative party. He's also the nephew of the Duchess of Cornwall and has access to Prince Charles.

 

He seems to be blurring the lines between his concierge company, Quintessentially, and political activities.

 

The Independent wrote about him last year.

 

'Luxury lifestyle' firm run by Boris Johnson's friend handed £1.4m to help super-rich 'network' with government

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

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Labour condemns contract with prime minister's Old Etonian tennis partner as 'blindingly obvious conflict of interest' – and demands investigation

 

[tobyjugg2]

and Cameron allegedly made £7 million quid from the collapsed wind and wee fake invoice company be lobbied the UK government to give 20 billion too (of which he would allegedly get 2 billion quid if he had been more successful)

As it was he seems/allegedly just cost the UK taxpayer a few hundred million quid for his (alleged) 7 million quid gratuity

 

Wait until its Johnson turn ... thos efigures above will undoubtedly look like chlorinated chicken feed

 

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

Wales did vote Leave didn't it.

Apparently Wales-Ireland port business has collapsed, along with support for all the jobs at the ports, and at motorway services etc

 

I think this describes Johnsons utter incompetence quite well:

 

"When the idiots voted Leave the Irish government launched a project to create a new terminal and a new channel in Dublin then ordered two of the world’s biggest Ro-Ro’s as “Brexit busters”. The second began operations two years ago which explains the growth in direct trade to the EU. (rather than Via ports in Wales to ports in England)
It is worth noting that they designed, ordered, built and operated two giant ferries for over two years and the UK government who “Got Brexit Done” are still searching for a lorry park in Pembrokeshire having still not built a single Inland Customs Point."

 

- credit to Kerry Davies

[honeybee13]

Where does Kerry Davies write please, TJ?

[tobyjugg2]

Traders 'abandon' Holyhead port post-Brexit, says Irish gov agency report

NATION.CYMRU

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Traders are abandoning the port of Holyhead post-Brexit, according to a report from an Irish government agency. The Irish Maritime Development...

 

 

in comments - but struck me as 'nail on the head'

 

i was reading around after seeing one of the stupid 'EU exports back to pre brexit levels

 

.. yep - for about 10 minutes if the stats were looked at in a specific way - with nothing like all around that carefully selected moment

- literally - I jest not

Edited August 13, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

google "Operation Bunter"

[unclebulgaria67]

Why would Ireland based traders transport out of the EU market  to UK and then through a UK port to EU ?

 

Bit obvious to anyone that Ireland would have goods cargo going straight to EU mainland.

 

[tobyjugg2]

no, actually it isn't.

 

the traffic went through the UK for a reason - it was cost effective and shipments were also transported part way through full routes to optimise load carrying (why the UK is in the Johnson now re HGV transport)

 

If it wasn't for the utter certainty that the Brexiters would use whatever they could against the EU, even if it meant damaging UK transportation of food/materials, as it has, no-one with any sense thought that the Brexiters would be reasonable or honour anything.

- you simply cant trust liars

- so the EU/RoI prepared for that even though there was significant cost.

 

A mutual trade deal would have made much of the extra cost redundant - but no-one with sense believed the Brexiters would do anything but cheat.

 

The UK will also be bypassed for trans-atlantic product unless its still profitable in the UK market

 

Johnson and the Brexiters vacillated about Brexit, the EU vaccinated against Brexit.

Edited August 13, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

oh - and of course the natural progression through the cause and effect

 

ALL of this just to avoid agreeing no slipping on existing standards with the EU which would have addressed around 90% of the UK/island of Ireland and EU border issues.

- No excuses - standards agreements are part of ALL agreements including TTIP

 

So VERY clearly, the Brexiters want to trash existing standards and safeguards - at ANY cost to our Nation and its businesses and population.

[honeybee13]

This article explains the author's view that no Brexit would ever be good enough for the hardliners and that the goalposts keep moving.

 

Paradox of Victimhood: No Form of Brexit Will Ever Satisfy Brexit Ultras – Byline Times

BYLINETIMES.COM

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Chris Grey explores the political psychology behind the increasingly extreme demands made around Brexit that satisfy one primary desire: not for...

 

[tobyjugg2]

There is a goal - lowered UK food, safety and work standards so middlemen investing and risking and doing NOTHING can make fortunes out of shipping us/australia/south America lower standards foodstuff to a captive UK audience

- Something largely impossible except in a limited form as member of or close partner to the EU

 

Just look at the cronyism, waste, self aggrandizement and taxpayer money squandering absolutely ingrained into Johnson and his accomplishes

 

just like the PPE middlemen used priority connections to generate millions for middlemen for crap, while quality UK suppliers ended up selling their produce to the EU when their offers to help were stonewalled.

- but on a VASTER scale

Edited August 13, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

LOL

 

Priti Patel to take on vacant security minister brief ‘on permanent footing’

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

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The prime minister has not yet replaced James Brokenshire, who resigned from the role five weeks ago

 

 

Priti Patel loses security minister brief after less than 24 hours

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

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Boris Johnson appoints another MP to take over role despite home secretary assuming responsibilities

 

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

Brexit ‘Before and after’ stories will leave you Express-perated

WWW.THELONDONECONOMIC.COM

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'How much would it cost to run a full page advert in The Express that just has a montage of all their old inaccurate stories?' - News

 

Johnsons diary

 

https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExpresslyPredictedBrexit

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[honeybee13]

I suppose that says it all, TJ.

[honeybee13]

How are people finding the situation in the shops?

 

I've heard from three different people in the south of England that fresh produce is starting to be in short supply and that cleaning products are harder to get hold of.

[tobyjugg2]

I'm seeing rather empty racks one day - filled the next - empty again a few days later - often with shorter than usual use by dates

Not THAT dramatic most of the time aside from being used to seeing lots - but occasionally the extent of the lack is a dramatic sight

 

Not entirely sure how much is lack of drivers/transport rather than lack of goods .. probably a mix of both

.. in which case less drivers needed to carry less available foodstuffs

 

and when even the BrEx-Press report on it (as its hard to deny) it is saying something - historically they would just deny it.

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

Think Brexit food shortages are bad now? Wait until October

WWW.THELONDONECONOMIC.COM

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New checks coming into effect from 1st October look to make food shortages worsen and increase prices. - Lifestyle

 

 

and in addition to car staff, NHS staff, fruit and veg workers, lorry drivers and hospitality staff

"In an extra twist to the new arrangements, both exports and imports of animal products will require inspection and certification from a vet as of 1^st October. However, the UK is experiencing a huge shortage of vets at present, having been reliant on a flow of qualified vets from European countries. Between 80-100 vets used to arrive in the UK each month, but since the end of the transition period, only 20 per month are coming in, leaving a significant shortfall."

 

and on the border protection front, a main soundbite point of the Brexit cheer leaders

"To conduct new checks, attempts to set up a border control post in Portsmouth has been impeded by a lack of government funding and no real knowledge over how much will flow through it. "

[honeybee13]

The situation in Afghanistan is so sad.

 

Albania is offering to take refugees, even though it's a poor country. A statement from their PM.

 

https://kryeministria.al/en/newsroom/hebrenjte-afganet-shqiperia/

 

Britain doesn't want to take many of the Afghans who helped British efforts because of the example it might set for other refugees, according to The Times.

[honeybee13]

More Afghans abandoned by the government. It's probably too late for the students now.

 

Boris Johnson intervenes over visas for Afghan students | Foreign policy | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Fears Chevening scholarship students blocked by Foreign Office could become targets of Taliban

 

[tobyjugg2]

I must admit to having little sympathy (other than the translators - which were far more than that) hard as that may sound

 

20 years and around $100 billion of support, training and fighting for them, to say nothing of the lives lost,

and within two weeks a few thousand largely Pakistani (alleged) trained Taliban with Kalashnikovs, truck loaded 50 cals and howitzers and some 'stolen American gear sweep across the country

- with the locals whinging and running rather than fighting.

 

Hard nosed I know, but If the locals wont fight after all that investment in them, it seems rather contrary for us to do so?

All that time effort money and lives seems to have built something largely as 'wrong' as the Taliban IMO -  just in apparently different ways

Edited August 16, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[honeybee13]

There is that aspect of it too, although some journos are saying that having troops there limited what Al Qaeda and Isis could do and are expecting terrorism to increase.

 

There will also be a refugee problem.

 

I just think that the last few weeks have been mismanaged by the UK and the US and that they could have done better for people. They don't seem to have seen this coming.

[tobyjugg2]

I think the last 20 years has been mismanaged by the US and UK,

and Afghanisan should long before now have had a democracy and Military that would reject and squash the Taliban like the bugs they are .

They learned nothing from the mistakes Russia made and have missed a great opportunity to have a developed and powerful ally in the area

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

no doubt China's belt and road approach with no issues with who the Taliban abuse, oppress, butcher and murder will be more to China's benefit and the Talibans taste.

[honeybee13]

I read earlier that China is buddying up with the Taliban, TJ.

 

On Afghanistan, this thread seems to be by an ex-special forces person who is well-informed.

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

an interesting and very American perspective - not wrong though

 

Trump followers are now trying to throw the blame on Biden and the democrats when it was clearly Trump that emboldened and re-empowered the Taliban:

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-removes-page-hailing-trump-taliban-deal-2021-8

 

Broader perspective:

 

China moves swiftly to exploit the void in Afghanistan

ASIA.NIKKEI.COM

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US military exit is likely to become Beijing's strategic gain

 

a bit of depth on the 'mechanisms' worth a peruse:

 

Searching for the Next War: What Happens When Contractors Leave Afghanistan? – The Diplomat

THEDIPLOMAT.COM

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As U.S. troops withdraw, many contract employees – most of them from poor countries, including Nepal – are leaving Afghanistan and fanning out...