Is the U.K. suffering from a kind of psychosis?

Don’t speak too soon ug

Article on the hustings today, and it seems that Tory members are listening to both contenders and realising that Hunt is the only one with answers and dignity. Many are saying that they are fond (?) of Johnson but need someone who is more statesmanlike.

There is a suggestion, that Johnson simply will never command a majority, as there are a number of Tory MPs who could not tolerate him as PM. The Queen could not accept his government as it would not have the ability to govern.

Well Olly Robbins has jumped before he’s pushed. We are getting the Boris dividend without his even having been elected yet. Highly unlikely Mr Robbins would be throwing in the towel if he thought Remainer Hunt would win. Really good news. Boris' announcement about the central figures in his new Brexit team is really encouraging too.

The EU has just negotiated a trade deal with the South American trading bloc and today is completing a trade treaty with Vietnam. Both these treaties have taken many years to negotiate. Never mind, with our crack (pot) negotiators we’ve got one with the Faroe Islands and I believe a transitional arrangement with Switzerland ( which we already had as EU members).

Good post mh

I agree. I’m sure the rest of the world is looking on with bemusement and horror as Britain, for so long a byword for calm, rational government, seems to be happy to throw itself off a cliff into an abyss.
We are intent on leaving the world’s biggest trading bloc and going it alone. And no one can come up with a rational reason why we would prosper outside the EU (apart from The Will of the People, taking back control, sovereignty and such meaningless phrases).
As for Boris becoming Tory Party leader and PM, the Serial adulterer who takes out a Non Disclosure Agreement to prevent us finding out how many children he has, proven liar, incompetent Mayor, bumbling Foreign Secretary, and general buffoon, seems unaccountably be popular with Tory party members.
However he is not popular with the general public so will be a handicap in fighting a General Election.
The Tory party is so blind that they can’t see that Boris will be a liability as PM.
A No Deal Brexit as advocated by Boris, would be a disaster for our economy and jobs.
I just hope enough people are brave enough to call out the Emperor for having no clothes before it is too late.
(Although I don’t like that mental image of Boris Johnson with no clothes on!)

And they are already being blamed by the Government for not being ready! How can they be ready when a) they have no idea what deal or No Deal we will have and b) when there are often NO solutions and c) it is costing them a fortune, at a time when business is slowing down or stalling, and the £ is so low:

Interesting video even though it wasn't what you meant to post Jura. The stress levels of some of the people running currently successful businesses must be dreadful.

I'm not saying that May is a skilled negotiator UG - the evidence would rather point to the contrary. I am saying that she wanted to get a good deal for the UK and the deal she got was the best she thinks could be got. I'm sure she had skilled negotiators on her team?

Sorry, wrong video loaded.

Basically what she said:

Both candidates are making promises they cannot possibly keep, both are deluded and lying- but Hunt is a bit nicer about it - so that's OK then.

I have often felt that Laura was biased- but she does not pull her punches now. The interview with Boris saw him bumbling and spluttering utter rubbish and nonsense the other day.

And today got even better, wow- she says it as it is:

www.facebook.com/FullEnglishBrexit/videos/465653300868821/

Even to the extent of surprising her Cabinet with a done deal at Chequers obviously!! She tried so hard (her vision) that it didn’t pass muster for debate and scrutiny by her Ministers! Remember ‘step down if you don’t agree, Leave your ministerial car and call a taxi’
❗️

Urmstongran the idea that as a remainer, Theresa May's heart wasn't in it is one that I've heard again and again. Sure she voted to remain in the first place, but I really do think that she wanted nothing more on Earth than to be remembered as the PM who negotiated a Brexit deal.

As for the skilled Australian negotiator! - if we haven't even got one highly skilled negotiator in the UK we are surely up s**t creek!

... and watch those in pro Brexit demos and marches - frothing at the mouth is the least of our worries.

I was not necessarily applying my description to anyone on here Urmonstongran but watch QT or any vox pop on local TV and you will see what I mean, there is always someone saying 'why don't we just leave? or my favourite 'well, they need us more than we need them'. My language is emotive because my argument is credible, I am very angry that people have made this decision which will affect me and mine, and I feel helpless as I watch it unfold. All for some vague promise of 'sovereignty' and 'taking back control' and still people witter on about trade deals, would that be the self same trade deals that the master negotiator Fox said would be the easiest ever?

I don’t know anyone ‘frothing at the mouth’ and I’m sure I know more Brexiteers than you Gill57!

The use of such emotive language just lessens the credibility of your argument I’m afraid.

I sometimes feel as if I am living in some strange kind of fiction, a sort of cross between the Emperor's New Set of Clothes and Years and Years. Everyone who tells you that we can leave on 31st October with/without a deal and that all will be well is lying. That bit I can understand for it is nothing new or unusual for politicians to tell people what they want to hear and then let them down when it is too late, but I am honestly staggered by the number of people who are still believing this nonsense. I sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear some frothing at the mouth, fervent Brexiteer twittering on about 'taking back control' or 'democracy' as a vague notion, and then happily discussing the potential proroguing of Parliament or giving the unelected Farage a job, in fact anything at all to achieve Brexit. Absolute bloody madness.

I keep coming back to the word complacency today. Maybe that is at the bottom of these seemingly psychotic states of mind. Those who want to break our trading relationship and, it appears, all other relationships are jumping up and down with glee because the believe in the illusion of the Tory leadership contest. In the minds, whoever is chosen will suddenly become a large and unconstrained figure able to do what they want.

It simply isn't true. They will be as restricted as May has been. There is the parliamentary maths, the slowly crumbling economics, the disappearance of any show of Tory unity and the inexorable determination of Brussels. The next leader faces the same as May did and the only change s either of them can make is in offering bribes to Tory MPs and posts to Farage and his ilk. Leverages will increase and reasons will be found for paying sweeteners to difficult constituencies. Some kind of fig-leaf will be begged from Brussels. And then another election. May may even get to watch the cheering as her deal is put through.

An Australian “crack negotiator”- only the one? he’ll be familiar with European law then, - that’s taking back control?
Good joke on Dead Ringers- Boris wants to bring in a points system so we can get immigrants who provide skills we are short of in the U.K. -such as Prime Ministers.

My copy of ' The Economist' has just come through the letter-box. Cover headline is "Can the City survive Brexit?".

That’s out with no deal. Anybody?

paddyann The GDP in Scotland is currently double that of the UK .Sadly our cash goes south and we get pocket money back

Do you have a reference for that statement?
According to Wikipedia, Scotland’s per capita GDP in 2018 was US$43,740 while the per capita GDP for the whole of the U.K. was US$44,740.

I’d really like to know the source of your information please.

I wonder hand on heart, who on here would take the U.K. out on 31 October, and if they would what would be their plan to mitigate any difficulties businesses would face?

Because generally the negotiating team will be mainly Civil Servants. The same ones, no doubt, Johnson will use.

It always puzzles me why those who are so convinced leaving is such a good democratic thing aren't putting their energies into campaigning for greater democracy in the UK - we have an unelected House of Lords and Head of State, we have a House of Commons following 18th century traditions which is not fit for for the 21st century, the first past the post system means a minority have a disproportionate power. We have so much inequality within society so pretend that we are democratic is nonsense. Th belief that Brexit makes us suddenly a model of democracy is simply wrong.

I have lived with someone who is, and neither that or your strange delusions could be called "silly".