Very interesting article about T May. Forgive me if it's been posted before.
I think that the author is proposing that the Murdoch media have been superseded by the Daily Mail in setting the agenda for 'British' and that Theresa May is a product and perpetrator of its agenda.
www.opendemocracy.net/uk/anthony-barnett/daily-mail-takes-power-0
The Daily Mail takes power
Anthony Barnett 5 October 2016
After 25 years in politics Theresa May has no obvious connections to any think tank. She shows no interest in ideas. Asked by Conservative Home in a Quick Quiz session to choose between Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France” or Louise Bagshawe’s “Desire”, she replied, “I wouldn’t read either of them, sorry.” The prime minister who faces arguably the Kingdom’s deepest constitutional predicament since George III was driven from the Cabinet by the loss of the American colonies dismissed out of hand the idea that she might ever turn to the pages of Burke, even though as a student she had chaired a society named after him.
As the country faces an unprecedented concatenation of economic, strategic, diplomatic and constitutional uncertainty, the woman at the helm seems devoid of intellectual resources. The one decision she has definitely taken is to give the go ahead to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, a boondoggle incapable of justification by any criteria of integrity. The Pharaohs built their own pyramids, Theodoric built his own mausoleum. But these were designed as monuments to generate the admiration of posterity. Surely only an idiot would make their first decision the go-ahead for a colossal radioactive tombstone to her regime.
But Theresa May should not be dismissed as an idiot. There is a striking and potentially formidable coherence to the general direction she has set for her new government, evidenced by the self-confidence of her ministers who remarkably quickly are singing from the same song-sheet. She does seem to have a clear ideology refreshingly different from her predecessors. Where has it come from?
The answer is The Daily Mail. On Sunday in her first speech to her party as its leader, she set out her view of Brexit and announced that she intends to trigger Article 50 to start the UK’s withdrawal from the EU before March. This was a moment of upmost gravity, to recognise and measure the immense divisions that have been opened up within the country, and consider the implications for the entire continent that Britain once helped liberate from fascism. Instead, her tone, brevity and apparent practicality were drawn as if directly from a Daily Mail editorial.
Intelligent comments section, too.
...and if that happened, how would you feel about the EU if you were told to leave?
Quite Roses!
Or even if they were allowed to remain but restrictions put on them which do not apply now, perhaps loss of the right to work, access halth care, visa free travel for their families?
I'll tell you what Roses, theyd be FURIOUS and blaming Theresa May for that too!
It is a large group of 5/6000 plus and linked to other similar groups and that is the general feeling. France is giving Carte Sejour - permission to live for at least ten years. We were at a Commune function and our Maire came and told us to go to see her at the Mairie if we wanted une Carte.
If Brits - particularly pensioners- need to return to UK it is likely to be because the UK stops participating in the reciprocal health care arrangements - in which case no doubt the Govt would be blamed by them!!
Just because other people and groups could feel more generous towards nations of people, which have been nothing but kind to us generally, than others do cannot simply be dismissed by you - just because it does not suit your argument.
Lucky you then in France. This doesnt mean every EU country will treat it's Brits well, and I think even you shouldn't be complacent, as of course Britain will not be part of the EU and agreements will have to be reached regarding health care.
It would be stupid for Britain to agree to the arrangements we have now which apply to all EU citizens and in which we lose out, so new mutual arrangements will need to be made for long term residents.
than others do cannot simply be dismissed by you
Nobody is being dismissed.
If you wish to achieve a win-win outcome in a negotiation you don't start by antagonising the other party. (Or further antagonising). The first step in a win-win negotiation is to establish rapport and try to build trust.
The alternative is to antagonise them, and get into a situation where they are trying for a win-lose with you as the loser. Leaving the EU is not a zero sum game where there is a defined amount of cake so she should not be playing it like that.
Both sides can potentially benefit from an amicable separation.
May has few options open to her to build rapport at the moment. This is one way she could do that.
She does not strike me as a woman who is a natural at building rapport - she appears to have got to the top by working hard not by being everyone's buddy. (Does she have any friends in the cabinet? In the house?) So all the more reason why she needs to play some positive cards with her EU colleagues.
And I wasn't joking about trade deals with the US being one of those "with friends like these..." situations.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/19/brussels-tough-wait-corporate-america-writes-the-rules?CMP=share_btn_tw
Welshwife
Clearly not every Brit in France has as Brit friendly a Mairie as you enjoy:
I was deeply distressed that my children, who have now lived in France for the last 14 years were refused a letter of residency by the Mairie in our town. This document forms part of what is required to apply for citizenship. My daughter who has just turned 18 asked to register to vote and was told she couldn't because there would be no elections prior to the UK leaving the EU.
When my son turned 18 this was not a problem and they issued proof of residency papers as a matter of course on the basis of a recent utilities bill and id.
Frankly this is not the first example of discrimination we have experienced since Brexit we have experienced.
It feels like we are being punished by the British and now by the French
britishexpats.com/forum/europe-55/hostility-towards-british-expats-throughout-europe-since-brexit-879746/
I am far from complacent I assure you - and neither is anyone else I know. However we may feel about our position within the EU we still feel for the people in a similar position in the UK.
Majority of Brits in the EU are extremely worried unless of course they have taken citizenship of the country they are living in. Some people are more worried than others - particularly those on a very low UK income as the sterling Euro ratio is having a big effect already without the worry of what will happen to them.
Many people are now finding themselves in a position not of their making simply because they were exercising the rights being part of the EU gave them.
I know you weren't joking. Let's not forget why Liam Fox had to resign:
www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/15/liam-fox-atlantic-bridge
Strangely (!), all references to Atlantic Bridge have disappeared from Fox's Wiki page.
It's ironic that people voted against an elite and to take back control, when this kind of thing has been going on - and still is.
Some of things which have happened is because there are some ignorant functionaries in France who believe that Brexit has happened! You do get ignorant people everywhere.
I am far from complacent I assure you - and neither is anyone else I know. However we may feel about our position within the EU we still feel for the people in a similar position in the UK.
Majority of Brits in the EU are extremely worried unless of course they have taken citizenship of the country they are living in.
Well exactly, so why do you want May NOT to safeguard your future but throw you to the mercy of the EU/ It doesn't make sense.
Some of things which have happened is because there are some ignorant functionaries in France who believe that Brexit has happened!
Maybe, but that clearly wasn't the case for the woman I mentioned.
You cannot say that - they tend not to have an electoral list in the years there is no election! This year the elections are Presidential ones and only French citizens get the vote. It was actually a reasonable response.
I can say it because the daughter was told she "couldn't because there would be no elections prior to the UK leaving the EU".
The mairie clearly did not think "Britain had already left".
Today's homework: come up with stories of UK citizens living in EU being attacked and abused and told to go home because of the referendum result. Because there are, as we know, many examples of EU citizens being made to feel unwelcome in the UK.
EU citizens living here in the long term and wanting UK citizenship have to sit an English exam, a very silly exam on UK culture and pay the thick end of £2,000 for the privilege. And more if they fail their history test. Another thing May could do is to say if they have been staying within the law and paying their taxes for 10 years or more they automatically get citizenship.
I belong to a language teachers' forum, where many of the members are worried about the difficulties of obtaining citizenship, after living in the UK for decades with British spouses and British-born children.
WARNING If you know anybody in that situation, please warn them that there are scam sites, which charge thousands and promise to process citizenship. They're taking the money and running. People must go through official government (gov.uk) sites.
We could go on and on arguing about rights for the British abroad and EU nationals here ( but it makes no sense to do so) and since some EU countries will not go ahead right now in sorting it out, it will have to be as soon as article 50 has been triggered.
If those same EU countries still won't agree anything, then Germany will have to use it's clout to get them to do it.All calls for us to go ahead now and guarantee rights will be seen as a weakness not a kindness.The very fact that T May tried to get it sorted out in Autumn shows that the UK is trying to 'build rapport' but she isn't a fool either, thankfully for us.
I do hope that May thinks very carefully about throwing in her/our lot with someone who is keen to break international law on torture. If it was any other country we would introduce sanctions, and that is what we should be considering.
I agree, rosesarered You don't go into negotiations having already agreed to something without reciprocal agreement and to go ahead now and guarantee rights would indeed be seen as a weakness not a kindness. Philanthropy is a good thing, but so is the common sense to make that philanthropy a two-way arrangement.
That letter says, " . . . the government cannot do anything to address their position [the EU nationals living here]] after Brexit until it has assurances that British citizens in Europe will receive reciprocal protection in the country where they have settled.
“Agreeing a unilateral position in advance of these negotiations would lose negotiating capital with respect to British citizens in EU member states and place the UK at an immediate disadvantage,” said the letter signed by Peter Grant, an official in the free movement policy team of the immigration and border policy directorate of the Home Office.
“The prime minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible are if British citizens’ rights in other EU member states were not protected in return,” it added.
That final paragraph sounds like a sensible intention to ensure fairness to all, not a cruel diktat.
Today's homework: come up with stories of UK citizens living in EU being attacked and abused and told to go home because of the referendum result. Because there are, as we know, many examples of EU citizens being made to feel unwelcome in the UK.
Your 'homework':
Examples of EU citizens being physically "attacked" due to the referendum?
Cases proven in the courts, not unevidenced reports by politically motivated Bremain extremists.
I belong to a language teachers' forum, where many of the members are worried about the difficulties of obtaining citizenship, after living in the UK for decades with British spouses and British-born children.
They needn't be. Hopefully you reassured them?
Merkel and other EU countries have stated that they won't agree to anything until Article 50 is triggered, not that they won't negotiate. The UK has known the rules all along. Perhaps we'll begin to see some action in a few weeks.
May is on record as saying she doesn't want to make guarantees to EU citizens already here, because she doesn't want an influx of people before any deadline.
How can I reassure them? I don't know any more than you do about what will actually happen. So far, it's all hot air and empty promises. The Home Office is currently taking people's passports away for ten weeks and not responding to enquiries.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-37291524
From a town near me...an unevidenced report from a political extremist? I don't think so!
The Home Office is currently taking people's passports away for ten weeks and not responding to enquiries.
I don't understand quite what that means daphnedill
Are these the passports of foreign nationals who have applied for British citizenship and they are 'hanging on to them for 10 weeks' because there is a sudden rush and a backlog? (rather like the backlog of two years ago which caused chaos to many including us and they were hopeless at responding to enquiries - the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing so to speak).
Or have they confiscated the British passports of foreign-born citizens for some reason and refusing to return them?
taking the passports away sounds very sinister as if they are going around confiscating passports of foreign nationals.
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