UK prime minister Boris Johnson

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#2290920 6-Aug-2019 13:37

Dingbatt:
elpenguino:

Dingbatt:
SJB:

Fred99:

The UK would have probably avoided the worst of their present dilemma if they had PR rather than FPP.

You might be right there. The one thing PR can do is force compromises and in an age of such divided opinions that's no bad thing.

You mean like our MMP, where one person decided who the Prime Minister was going to be (on more than one occasion)?

Were you there at the negotiations?

Were you there at the NZ first internal discussions?

Please tell us how you know it was one person?

I presume you mean Winston Peters, leader of NZ first.

Do you think a political party might need some kind of consensus to keep gelled together?

Back on topic.

It doesn't really matter which leader the UK has, they're going to crash out of the EU, come hell or climate-change-induced-inundation.

Any leader is hostage to the referendum, russian interference or no.

You weren’t in the room when I formulated my post, I mentioned no names, yet you immediately thought of the Rt Hon Winston Peters. Nuff said.

Only if you'd prefer to argue style instead of substance. Whatever.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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#2293967 11-Aug-2019 11:42

BBC News - Brexit: Chancellor plans 50p coins to mark UK leaving EU

today

Chancellor Sajid Javid is drawing up plans for millions of commemorative 50p coin to be issued when the UK leaves the European Union later this year.

Mr Javid has asked officials to see whether it would be possible to produce the coins in time for the UK's scheduled departure date of 31 October, according to the Daily Telegraph.

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Fred99

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#2294972 12-Aug-2019 17:51

Interesting if not IMO entirely accurate article on Bloomberg, comparing the UK's exit from the EU to the position NZ found itself in when the UK joined the Common Market.

Clues for Brexit Future May Be Found on Islands Far, Far Away

Britain would experience an unprecedented hit to the supply side of the economy, according to Mark Carney, with overnight trade barriers hammering exports. The only relevant historical case the Bank of England governor has named is New Zealand in 1973.

...

What followed was two decades of anemic growth. Real GDP per capita gains averaged just a fraction of the years before. The country was forced to embark on a painful restructuring program, slashing subsidies and privatizing many state assets, including energy companies, airports and even forests. According to Llewellyn, that made Margaret Thatcher’s reforms of the 1980s look “quite mild by comparison.”

“They completely revamped labor law and took away a lot of social protection,” he said. “Job security went. Unemployment in my youth had never gone above 1%, and then it went over 10%. It was dramatic stuff.”

The islands were also probably more ready for change than the U.K. is now. According to New Zealand economist Brian Easton, it started preparations as early as 1961, when Britain began negotiating its entrance to the EEC.

“First was the effort to diversify away from the very high dependence on the British market both by finding new export commodities and new export markets,” he said. “One important element of this was the creation of a free-trade agreement with Australia.”

Another notable difference was New Zealand’s ability to negotiate a gradual reduction of its exports, rather than the overnight hit implied by a no-deal Brexit.

“We lost some market access, but not as much as was feared in 1961 and there was a five-year phase-out,” Easton said.

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#2295081 12-Aug-2019 19:40

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BBC News - Brexit: Chancellor plans 50p coins to mark UK leaving EU

today

Chancellor Sajid Javid is drawing up plans for millions of commemorative 50p coin to be issued when the UK leaves the European Union later this year.

Mr Javid has asked officials to see whether it would be possible to produce the coins in time for the UK's scheduled departure date of 31 October, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Swift action, best of British, the design's been finalised. Anything's possible - so a three sided coin it shall be!

Fred99

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#2298891 14-Aug-2019 09:57

So, Boris Johnson has contacted Jacinda Ardern suggesting / requesting discussions about an FTA between (post-Brexit) UK and NZ, and suggested that it's high priority. Of course NZ should say yes to talks.

From NZ's POV, that would be a great thing if it was genuine - but I very much doubt it is. There's really nothing in it for the UK, they already have essentially tariff-free goods and services access to the NZ market. There may be genuine biosecurity barriers (agriculture), but those would stay, there really are no non-tariff barriers, subsidy schemes (ie like CAP), the UK wouldn't gain from a FTA with NZ. What NZ may have to give up could be the limited controls we have on overseas ownership of property. That part of a deal might not be so popular here.

On the other hand, if the FTA was genuine, then with NZ access to the UK market and subsidies and non-tariff barriers like CAP removed, NZ would effectively wipe out much of the UK pastoral farming industry, milk/dairy, sheepmeat, beef farmers who would have no way to compete on price. One could assume that any such a proposed true FTA would provoke the kind of response by UK farmers as seen in France. It would also impact hard on rural areas who voted most strongly for Brexit. I can't see it happening.

An overwhelmingly generous offer from the UK for an FTA seems to be too good to be true, so perhaps you'd have to look at what the motives could be, and given Boris Johnson's history of "stretching the truth" and 180 degree policy turns, my guess is it's merely a stunt to help him win an election - to wave a proposal around as if it was a great victory now, to be watered down or forgotten completely once it's seen under the light of day - if he wins, as he probably will.

There have been mumblings about a "CANZUS" alliance. Not in your wildest dreams is the US is going to open their borders to the kind of arrangement we've got between NZ and Aus on travel/work or trade, so "CANZ" would be the more likely workable proposal. It seems to be "cherry picking" an opportunity to use historical ties going back to what was once the Empire, but asking only countries that remain predominantly ruled by white majorities to join the club.

SaltyNZ

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#2298950 14-Aug-2019 10:45

Fred99:

There's really nothing in it for the UK, they already have essentially tariff-free goods and services access to the NZ market.

Do they? From what agreement?

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#2299077 14-Aug-2019 11:24

SaltyNZ:

Fred99:

There's really nothing in it for the UK, they already have essentially tariff-free goods and services access to the NZ market.

Do they? From what agreement?

From the Labour Government of the 1980s, setting forth a process unwinding almost all tariff protection, quotas, import licensing etc.

Tariffs that remain are so small as to be almost insignificant, ie as an exception IIRC you'd pay a 10% tariff on CFR (landed cost price) for British shoes (but I think that's reducing anyway), so at retail price, I doubt the UK will be selling us heaps more pairs of shoes if they reduced in price. A local retailer might justify outrageous price differential between UK and NZ price by claiming duty is the cause, but they're really not telling the truth, especially when they slam 20% VAT on adult sized shoes in the UK vs 15% GST in NZ, so tax-included retail price would only be a few % higher in NZ. So the reason for our local high prices is demand (small market / high margins) and distance related.

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#2299092 14-Aug-2019 11:43

Ah, I see!

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#2300403 16-Aug-2019 13:00

In another twist to the ongoing leadership issues in Britain. Corbyn has proposed a plan to make him PM where he will enact two policies. First to call a snap general election and secondly to hold a new Brexit referendum at the same time. Initially thought to be an outside chance it looks like it is being entertained by pro-remain Tory MPs as well as thrid parties.

Edit: Forgot link to story https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/115047273/brexit-tory-rebels-back-oppositions-bid-to-topple-british-pm-boris-johnson

elpenguino

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#2300404 16-Aug-2019 13:05

Varkk:

In another twist to the ongoing leadership issues in Britain. Corbyn has proposed a plan to make him PM where he will enact two policies. First to call a snap general election and secondly to hold a new Brexit referendum at the same time. Initially thought to be an outside chance it looks like it is being entertained by pro-remain Tory MPs as well as thrid parties.

Edit: Forgot link to story https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/115047273/brexit-tory-rebels-back-oppositions-bid-to-topple-british-pm-boris-johnson

With a parliamentary majority of 1 seat, the tories are on thin ice. I saw in the news recently that a tory mp inadvertently revealed he was receiving emails titled 'action plan for GE2019 ' (or similar) so it appears brits will be going to the polls again.

It really is a farce wrapped in a c**kup.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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#2307591 29-Aug-2019 08:16

BBC - Parliament suspension: Queen approves PM's plan

BREAKING

Parliament will be suspended just days after MPs return to work in September - and only a few weeks before the Brexit deadline.

Boris Johnson said a Queen's Speech would take place after the suspension, on 14 October, to outline his "very exciting agenda".

But it means the time MPs have to pass laws to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October would be cut.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said it was a "constitutional outrage".

The Speaker, who does not traditionally comment on political announcements, continued: "However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of [suspending Parliament] now would be to stop [MPs] debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country." ...

Legal precedent and challenge

Shutting down Parliament - known as prorogation - happens after the prime minister advises the Queen to do it.

The decision to do it now is highly controversial because opponents say it would stop MPs being able to play their full democratic part in the Brexit process.

A number of high profile figures, including former Prime Minister John Major, have threatened to go to the courts to stop it, and a legal challenge led by the SNP's justice spokeswoman, Joanna Cherry, is already working its way through the Scottish courts.

After the announcement, Sir John said he had "no doubt" Mr Johnson's motive was to "bypass a sovereign Parliament that opposes his policy on Brexit", and he would continue to seek legal advice. ...

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#2308189 30-Aug-2019 02:42

Seems like a very undemocratic (but not unexpected) move from Boris.

I am quite surprised the Queen went along with it.

Is her role to ensure democracy?

I guess it keeps her son off the front page of the paper.

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#2308214 30-Aug-2019 08:06

JWR:

I am quite surprised the Queen went along with it.

The queen's role is to do what she's told to do.

Boris may have misled her (and she "probably" realises this) that he's got a majority, but that's untested hence "opinion". If she waded in and acted on her "opinion" - whatever that was - then that would be undemocratic.

Even if she merely expressed an opinion, she'd sabotage the future of the monarchy. She's been remarkably consistent in avoiding expressing opinions for 3/4 of a century.

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#2308225 30-Aug-2019 08:20

I'm not of (recent) English descent, but I think the Queen and her representative are the equivalent of the Kardashians.

‘The Royal Family are like the Kardashians’ MP unleashes SAVAGE attack against Queen's kin

The Express, By Aurora Bosotti

The newly elected MP for Kensington said the Royal Family has now become much like a TV show sensation.

Discussing the plans for her tenure in Parliament, Ms Dent Coad said: "It's just like the Kardashians.

"I’ve likened them to the Kardashians and it is I’m afraid. I’m sorry it got to that, I don’t really like that side of it.

"It’s a bit demeaning actually. The Royal Family, for what they stand for, mean more than that to people who support them."

Kim Kardashian and her family are the stars of a US reality show documenting their lives with millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter.

Ms Kardashian's step-sister, Kylie Jenner, is a rising fashion star and social media personality.

Ms Dent Coad had previously launched a scathing attack against the Middleton family.

The Kensington MP, who identifies as Republican, blasted the Middletons for behaving like reality TV stars.

She made the comments in July shortly after having refused to meet with the Queen after the Grenfell Tower fire.

Speaking on Pienaar's Politics, she continued to present her plans, suggesting it was now time to end tax payers' contribution to the Royal Family.

She said: "We should stop tax payer-funding of the monarchy. It’s an absolute outrage in this day and age when we’re struggling to pay for nurseries and childcare and so on.

"Paying a third of a billion pounds in our tax towards a family who is already very very wealthy, I don’t think that’s appropriate. So that’s number one on my list: to just stop tax payer-funding of them."

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/849510/Kardashian-royal-family-Kim-Kardashian-Queen-Elizabeth-Kylie-Jenner-UK-Labour-Party-video

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#2308229 30-Aug-2019 08:28

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/269157

Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate

Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures

Waiting for 1 day for a government response

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