Project Hear

TUC chief Frances O'Grady has told the PM she should "start listening" and "stop playing to the bad boys at the back of the class".

The leader of the trade union movement in the UK called for a no-deal Brexit to be ruled out and for more time for "genuine talks" to take place.

She urged Theresa May to "get on to the priorities that matter to working people in Britain".

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-46987533/brexit-tuc-chief-tells-pm-to-start-listening

I'd welcome a special alliance between the North of England and Scotland

Me too, Caledonail

Thought about swapping place with my 'No' and 'Leave' voting sister who lives in Fife..
(But I like it here too much...)

Well said Nonnie. A nice, quick, quiet, peaceful vote would help solve the omnimess we are in.

We do know a lot more about the issues now and - if there are more than two options on the ballot paper - we should be able to put 1, 2 and 3 (or more) beside our choices, just like proportional representation. We should also have an agreement which covers any part of the country choosing something radically different from the rest.

And then ... we go for it! Peacefully and positively.

If politicians insist there could be a seamless border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, there could just as easily be one between Scotland and England. Or Wales and England.

I'd welcome a special alliance between the North of England and Scotland if it came to that. Between the two, there are plenty of ports which could act as an eastern hub for trade with the EU. And the ferries could be registered in Edinburgh, instead of Cyprus.

Win. Win.

GG with the £ slumped and the cost of leaving the EU there will not be a question of prioritising more money for any region. The question will be where can we reduce funding?

I heard on World at One from Sunderland that the reason Nissan is there is because Margaret Thatcher arranged the funding.

I just wish that those who apparently are walking round in blinkers and ear muffs because they don't want to admit they were fooled by the Leave campaign would open their minds. If not publicly, privately and if there is a vote on reality will quietly go in and vote for what is best for the country. They don't have to admit it to anyone.

If and when we leave the EU, the government (whoever that may be) will be able to prioritise UK problems and hopefully begin to ease the North South divide.

I admire your optimism, GG. 'The government' could have done that any time in the past decade and have chosen not to. In fact, since 2010 we've had that terrible austerity policy foisted on us which has made things considerable worse.

In fact, the NE has the EU to thank for a good deal of what economic wellbeing it does have. For example, 30,000 jobs dependent on Nissan, who are only here because of access to the EU market.

The only time the Tories have prioritised Scotland was when they foisted the Poll Tax on us a year before anybody else. And Mrs May's 500-word deal document doesn't mention Scotland once.

The fingers out of ears comment was not meant personally. It was aimed at those politicians who can't/won't listen to reasonable voices urging caution in a matter which will affect our lives and our future for generations.

If and when we leave the EU, the government (whoever that may be) will be able to prioritise UK problems and hopefully begin to ease the North South divide.

I have never had my "fingers in my ears" and I am well aware that there are problems in the UK, but I do not think that the EU is a panacea for all our troubles.

GrannyGravy, small-scale Scottish agriculture is very fragile and has been supported well by the EU which recognised the particular problems of our conditions and geography. Suzied is quite correct about the money your city friend claims is "pouring in". Leaving the EU is such a disaster for us in the north. We can't understand why nobody sees it. My OP was because I had hoped people might start listening to the bigger players like P&O or Sony.

The EU is not to blame for this. We are doing it to ourselves. Pause for thought and taking fingers out of ears is all I'm asking.

I think you will find that the UK manufacturing industry had been in decline long before the referendum in 2016.

Money is pouring in because the £ is weak and UK luxury property etc is a snip to foreign investors and buying/ selling debts - basically betting on the market. Doesn't mean the rest of us see any of this money. Doesn't mean our manufacturing or agricultural sector is out of the doldrums. We are still at the bottom of the productivity table.

Grannygravy
We were told that over the weekend by a friend who works in the city. His words were: "the money is pouring in"

Maybe posting a positive news story :-

Deloitte ranks UK top in Europe for Foreign Direct Investment, more than Germany and France combined.

UK takes in $140bn over the last 3 years.

What we need is Project Hear. Make folk hear the warnings and understand them.

There are two problems - unwillingness or inability to hear (perhaps because of fingers in ears) and unwillingness or inability to understand .

Apparently there were people who voted Leave because they thought they were voting for all the foreigners to leave the country, which explains the number of racist abuse incidents just after the referendum when EU citizens, other non-British citizens and even British citizens who just looked different were shouted at in the street by ignorant louts saying "We voted Leave. Why are you still here?"

No, Hear is what I meant as explained in the last two lines of the post.

Fear?

From today's Guardian
www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/22/no-deal-brexit-panic-grips-major-uk-firms

Dyson's HQ moving to Singapore; P&O's entire channel ferry fleet to go under Cypriot flag to keep EU tax benefits; Sony's European HQ moving from London to Amsterdam; Bentley describing Brexit as a "killer" and stockpiling parts ... as are Pets at Home and Dixons.

Chambers of Commerce say UK businesses are being forced to take emergency steps for March 29th.

We are almost at a point of no return on the economy. I don't believe that's what the "Just leave" movement really want.

I so wish I had an Irish grandmother.