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shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#181New Post! Oct 09, 2019 @ 15:51:59
Interesting hearing Juncker describe the UK leaving the EU as a 'sin'.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#182New Post! Oct 09, 2019 @ 16:42:25
@restoreone Said

I just read an article on the BBC. That with this brexit you will be at a 100 billion of debt. You will also be at 90% of your GPD IN debt.this has not happened in the last 50 years. I really do wish you luck in all of this.


I read that article. It doesnt say what will happen. Nobody knows the answer to that. Instead they offer forecasts of what they THINK will/could happen. And they are making forecasts up to 37 years into the future. Considering they havent been able to accurately predict what will happen 3 months into the future I dont put too much stock on what they say. Afterall, these are the same experts who failed to predict the GFC and whose every prediction concerning anything to do with Brexit has been consistently wrong. For example:
- in the event that the 'Leave' vote won in 2016 they predicted (among many things) high inflation (above 7%) and a decline in wages. Instead inflation is currently sitting at 1.7% whilst wages growth is at an 11 year high.
- They also predicted that the UK would enter into a recession immediately after a 'leave' vote. Never happened. Infact economic growth actually accelerated.
- They predicted that investment in UK businesses would plummet. Again, didnt happen. For example, just recently Jaguar Land Rover announced over £1 billion-worth of investment in its British factories. 2019 has also seen record levels of investment within Financial Technology.
- They also predicted an unemployment rate of 7.6% in the case of 'leave' winning. The current unemployment rate is 3.9%. In June 2016 it was 4.9%.
- They predicted 850,000 jobs lost. Instead over a million jobs have been created since the people's vote. The current employment rate is 76.1 per cent – its joint highest level since records began in 1971. Note in the UK the current youth unemployment figure is 10% compared to the EU average of 23%.

I could go on...
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#183New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 03:50:24
The Aussie is attempting to deflect the conversation but for a moment I will play his silly game before getting back to the real subject matter of the discussion which is the rats arse that Brexit has become (was always going to be)

The tories have fiddled the jobs figures by including the hated "Zero Hours" contract.

What this means is that a person is hired by a business on an 'ad hoc' basis. That is, unlike a regular job where a person has set hours (say, 40 hours a week) and will be paid either an hourly, daily or weekly rate, or a salary, the zero hours employee has no guarantee of any working hours at all.

Instead, the business will call them in to work only when needed. The employee may only get a few hours a week, and as often as not, none at all. However if a busy period strikes for the business then the employee can be called in to work whatever hours the business needs and will then be laid off again until such times as needed.

Also, zero hours employees are usually required to sign a waiver of the Working Hours Directive which limits the number of hours an employee can be required to work in any 24 hour period. In this way, the employer can demand that the worker put in shifts of 12, 13.........even 17 hour days are not unheard of. Peak times such as the retail industry in the run up to Christmas often exploit zero hours contracts.

And yet, being on a zero hours contract is enough to remove an individual from the unemployed register and disqualify him / her from some state benefits.

This is a legalised way of getting around many lawful worker protections because the employer makes the employee sign away their rights (eg: the Working Hours Directive) and other protections such as restrictions on the weight and type of stores to be manually moved.

The zero hours employee may not be entitled to holiday pay, sick pay or other benefits. Employers such as Sport Direct and J D Wetherspoon insert clauses into some contracts that deny workers their legal rights.

Such contracts are usually taken up only by the most desperate and other people who are unable to find any other form of employment.

It is pure exploitation and a future Labour government has pledged to abolish the practice and restore worker rights.

The only figure I could find for the number of people in UK on zero hours contracts is 780'000 between April and June 2018. I would not be at all surprised if the figure now is above 1 million.

I have, however, found the following: 90% of all MacDonalds employees (some 82'000)in UK are on zero hour contracts. Sportswear chain "Sport Direct" also employes 90% of its staff on ZHC. Pub chain J D Wetherspoon employs 24'000 (80%) of its staff in this way.

Those in favour of this form of exploitation say that it is good for people who only want to work part time, or students with busy study schedules, or other such employees, but this is debunked because the employee has no control over what hours they work. They can only work when wanted by the employer who may call on their services...... on pain of dismissal..... regardless of the employees requirements.

Some argue that the ZHC has been around a very long time in the form of "temping" (working set short-time hours), but in temping, the employee has a set number of hours, decides when they want to work, and they do it because it is convenient for them or fits their lifestyle. ZHC employees are usually desperately in need and will take whatever they can get and the employer knows this. The worker has no control over when they work or what they will be required to do. They also lose many vital workers protections. ZHC is NOT temping.

Although they have been around in one form or another for many, many years (for instance, for seasonal crop pickers in the agricultural industry) their use exploded after the introduction of the National Minimum Wage Act by the Blair Labour government in 1998.

The Tories now use them to fiddle the employment figures. People who are doing little or no work at all are removed from the unemployed register.

The number of people in employment is not what it is painted to be by the Tory government.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#184New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 04:07:35
@shadowen Said

BBC = Biased Broadcasting Corporation.



Very. Indeed, it is. Towards Brexit.

We often hear the likes of Farage and Johnson claiming the BBC is biased towards remain, but that is the sort of hot air we expect from them.

This is a more considered, thought-out assessment of the position of the national broadcaster by Professor Chris Gray, Head of Dept - Human Res. & Org Studies at University of London. Professor of Organisation Studies and Human Resource Management and the School of Business and Management.

The man has credentials.

The BBC and Pro-Brexit Bias: The Consequences of Liberal Guilt


Snip

In any case, as regards the Referendum campaign itself Nigel Farage, no less, stated (with surprise) that the BBC’s coverage had been “fair and balanced”. That should actually have set alarm bells ringing because if someone so far on one side of the debate, and so pre-disposed to see the BBC as biased against his cause, thinks that it does tend to suggest that the BBC went further in the pro-Brexit direction than impartiality would dictate.


But hey..... He's only a highly qualified, eminent expert with many years experience and qualification in what he does. What does he know..?

Let's ask the bloke down the pub what he thinks and give his opinion equal weight and hey, we'll even give the bloke down the pub more airtime and then we'll discuss his opinion extensively while forgetting all about what the expert said.

"We're tired of listening to experts" (Nigel Farage during the referendum campaign)
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#185New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 04:16:19
Deleted. Accidentally duplicated post. My oops.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#186New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 05:10:39
Now, getting back on topic after the Aussie's attempted deflections..... BTW
He's not talking to me anymore. . Have you noticed he hasn't commented on any of my points..? Either he's throwing a schoolboy strop "Not talking to her no more so ner, ner, ner" or he simply has no answer.


But I digress. Back on topic:


Boris has admitted that the UK won't leave the EU on 31 October.

Boris Admits He Won't Automatically Campaign For No Deal at the General Election


Interesting in as much as "I'd Rather Be Dead In A Ditch" Johnson has repeatedly stated that we will leave on 31 October, and yet a General Election could not now possibly be held before that date.

When asked if he would campaign for No Deal at the GE, shouldn't he have said "We will have left the EU by then so the question is irrelevant".

But he didn't. Why...?

He's come out with his usual piffle, wiffle, waffle, flannel and told that particular audience - the One Nation Group of some 80 MP's - what he thinks they wanted to hear.

Being the lying, duplicitous wretch that he is, he has probably gone straight back to the ERG and told them something completely different.

Surely the One Nation Geoup can't believe a word he says? Cummings rules the roost and we all know he wants no deal.

It's pure Trump tactics, dictated to Johnson by Dominic Cummings.

Change the message everyday. Tell whatever group of people you are in front of what they want to hear.

Johnson doesn't need to worry because to expect the media to call out the gross hypocrisy (like how the government says they won't break the law but in the same breath says they will be leaving on 31st October) is foolish. The Tory Brexit press will pass on whatever Cummings wants them to, to the Little Englanders of the Shires who make up the Brexit vote.

And they will lap it up.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#187New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 12:15:34
Auntie and Brexit

The BBC's two political discussion shows are 'Question Time' on BBC1 and 'Any Questions' on Radio Four. Recently the Institute for Economic Affairs conducted a study. They counted up every panellist on the two aforementioned shows. In doing so they discovered that 68% were Remain supporters and 32% were Leavers. Yep, that's nice and balanced.

Overall on the BBC there has been on average nearly 2 remain pollies to every leave pollie as guests for discussions pertaining to Brexit. For non-political guests the ratio of Remainers to Leavers is 3:1.

In an email BBC Economics Editor (now the BBC’s Editorial Director) Kamal Ahmed sent out he following to all BBC correspondents:

“On the Brexit economic forecasts if we leave the impression “well it might be right, it might be wrong” we would be doing a disservice to our audiences. On economics (and of course there are many other ways to judge Brexit, politically, culturally) the evidence from expert modellers who know what they are talking about (unlike many non-economist politicians) is clear – it’s a bit rubbish.”

Now these 'expert' modellers who "knew what they were talking about" spoke of recession, surging unemployment and collapsing inward investment etc in the event of a successful Leave vote. They then doubled down on these predictions after the result of the people's vote. The problem however has been that all of their predictions have turned out to be totally wrong. The economy grew, employment increased, inward investment grew. And yet despite these 'expert' modellers who "know what they are talking about" being constantly wrong they are still being quoted, and their predictions are still being treated by Auntie as fact.

Chris Morris is used by the BBC as their Mr Reality Check. He is wheeled out to give viewers the “correct” answer when any sort of debate arises. He has of course had plenty to say on Brexit. He even made a five-part programme for the BBC called "Brexit — A Guide For The Perplexed". He used 24 interviewees for this series. So you might expect something like a 50-50 split btw pro-Remain and Pro-Brexit. Not so much. His series actually featured 18 interviewees who were pro-Remain. Infact, only 7% of the words uttered on the programme were from Leavers. Yep, nice and balanced.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#188New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 12:33:59
Funny how times change. Earlier this year Jo Swinson was still backing (indeed demanding) another referendum. Now she and her party are saying that even if a 2nd referendum were held and the result was even stronger against remain she would still ignore it and seek to revoke article 50. Not a surprising stance from someone who leads a party that is neither liberal nor democratic.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#189New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 13:11:52
In light of the recent declaration from Jo Swineson re revoking article 50 and ignoring the single biggest democratic vote in the UK's history it was interesting listening to former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown. As the votes were being counted in 2016 he stated that it is the duty of politicians to carry out the referendum vote, whatever the outcome, as the democratic system cannot run if politicians don’t accept the democratic judgment. He stated that he would forgive no one who didnt accept the sovereign voice of the British people once they have spoken, be it by one percent or twenty percent.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#190New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 13:12:39
Paddy Ashdown went on to say that those who will not accept the sovereign voice of the British people when they vote, whatever they say, do not have the national interest at heart but rather are concerned only with their own interests...

“For all of us, in or out, when the British people have spoken you do what they say, they command it. You put the national interest first. Either you believe in democracy or you don’t. When democracy speaks, we obey. All of us do..."
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#191New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 13:14:56
Always interesting listening to Jo Swinson arguing that a Liberal Democrat general election victory would cancel Brexit but another SNP Holyrood win would not justify a second independence referendum.

The Liberal Democrat leader denied being guilty of "fundamental hypocrisy" by claiming her party would have an electoral mandate to revoke Article 50, but this would not apply to Nicola Sturgeon for another separation vote.

Nice one Jo.
shadowen On March 22, 2024




Bunyip Bend, Australia
#192New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 13:15:34
"I’ll have done my job if, in the end, the deal is so tough on the British that they’d prefer to stay in the EU."
- EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier to EU leaders, May 2017
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#193New Post! Oct 10, 2019 @ 17:58:46
Paddy Ashdown is dead. He is no longer the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He cannot lead the party because he is dead.

Jo Swinson is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. She has the support of her party members.

They no longer look to Paddy Ashdown for leadership because he is dead.

Simple concept.


I think Barnier has it right. His obligation is to the EU, not Britain. He is under no obligation, political, moral or legal to make things easy for Britain. His job is to do what is right for the European Union.

Britain is the 1 member state leaving. 27 member states are remaining. The job of all involved in running the EU must put the interests of the 27 countries remaining first.

If I were Barnier I would take exactly the same view. And so would you. If you didn't, you wouldn't be in your job for very long.

You can't have your cake and eat it.


But if you want to get on your high horse about the things people say, how about this from one Nigel Farage:

"I don't just want to bring Britain out of the EU, I want to do everything I can to bring the whole bloody thing crashing down."


The gloves aren't just off. They've never been on.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#194New Post! Oct 11, 2019 @ 01:23:56
BBC Question Time line up for 10 October 2019

Grant Schapps: Tory MP for Welwyn Hatfield. Extreme Brexiter

Lisa Nandy: Labour MP for Wigan. Brexiter

Julia Hartley-Brewer: Former journalist for the Daily Express, one of the 'big four' Brexit dailies. Extreme Brexiter

Theo Paphitis: Businessman. Panellist on TV Show "Dragon's Den". Brexiter.

Rupert Reed: Former Green councillor. Member of Extinction Rebellion. Remain.


So. 4 Brexiters out of 5 panellists* including the despicable Hartley-Brewer whose associations with "Spiked" and her appalling behaviour in posting the home address of Jolyon Maugham online after he had received a number of death threats to him and his family (from Brexiters, naturally) resulted in he and his family now needing round the clock police protection, have made her the most controversial addition to the panel ever.

Even more than when Nigel Farage clocked up his 50th appearance on the panel. It's worth questioning here if, when The Aussie quotes his figures for remainers who have appeared on QT, he has factored in the number of occasions on which panellists have appeared. He may (and I haven't checked yet).... just may... have a valid point about the comparable number of individual panellists but the thought struck me when I read that Farage has appeared 50 times. That's only one man, but when he gets multiple opportunities to get his message out there.........

But I digress. Julia Hartley-Brewer.

Some Twitter users called for the programme to be boycotted using the hashtag #boycottBBCQT.

One tweeted: "Julia Hartley-Brewer is a climate-change denier who regularly mocks Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl with Asperger's. Why are you giving this awful woman a platform to air her bigotry and crackpot views on #bbcqt, particularly on #WorldMentalHealthDay2019?"

Elinor Elliot wrote: "Why has BBCQT asked Hartley-Brewer to appear but never Jolyon Maugham? He was one of the claimants in the Supreme Court case, and recently in the Scottish Court of Session case. His views are far more relevant than those of this hatemongering hack."

Professor Tanja Bueltmann asked: "How dare you put Hartley-Brewer on your programme after she revealed @JolyonMaugham& #39;s home address following him getting death threats? Is this the new role of the national broadcaster—give platforms to those willing to risk someone's death to score some likes on Twitter? "


4 Brexiters on last night's panel and an audience loaded with the usual gammons but at least Billy Mitchell wasn't there last night. Since the orange jacketed "Brexit's-Man-On-Question-Time" was exposed by the Daily Mirror having appeared - and been allowed to table questions three times - the tactic has been changed. Instead of one man being planted in the audience to act as agent provocatuer they now flood the audience instead.

Remain groups have asked the BBC to tell how many of their audience come from outside the region in which the programme is based (it is held in a different town or city every week). They have refused to state any figure. I wonder why..?

Same Man Gets On Question Time on Multiple Occasions


So. Plenty of evidence of pro-remain bias there, then, eh..?


*and you can include the pro-Brexit Chairwoman Fiona Bruce who always gives the Brexiters more opportunities and longer time to get their point across. She seems to be drawn to the Brexiters too, when taking the discussion to them audience.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#195New Post! Oct 11, 2019 @ 01:35:33
An interesting article about pro-Brexit bias on the BBC.

I've not been able to find such an article before, but this one was pointed out to me by a friend on one of my LGBT sites


What's Going On At The BBC With Brexit Bias?

Especially read how the figures that the Aussie seems to be quick to use come from an organisation called News-Watch is the source of most figures used. And who owns and funds this site..?

Aaron Banks.

Well, waddya know.


snip from article:

Whether or not there's an agenda inside the BBC to push for Brexit, something just as pernicious is happening. The corporation has been frozen with fear after countless attacks from the reactionary right and is systematically failing to uphold its responsibilities for public education. It has prioritised character-driven political soap-opera over communicating the huge unpublicised evidence base. And the country is poorer for it.


Pro-Remain bias...? You've got to be kidding me.
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