Johnson’s Government

Another resignation before being sacked. Sir Alan Duncan. Another staunch Remainer.

The swamp is draining itself.

All these men ‘the Gaukeward Squad’ had no qualms about standing up for election on the Tory manifesto pledge to deliver Brexit!

An Aid Packet like they gave to Greece leaving Ireland in debt to the billions which would take years and years to pay?

Peter Foster, the Telegraph's Europe Editor tells us that "back-channel talks have started with several EU countries".

He adds that "However, there is little confidence on the Continent that a no-deal Brexit can be avoided."

If Johnson sticks to the red lines he set out during his campaign, it’s hard to see how any compromise can be reached. In the meantime, Europe is bracing hard, with The Times reporting that the European Commission is preparing a multibillion-pound aid package to help Dublin cope.

This, of course, will all bring joy to those who want to plunge the country into a no-deal outcome and become a supplicant to the USA among others.

If they [Nasa] could use hand-knitted computer code to make a frictionless re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere in 1969, we can solve the problem of frictionless trade at the Irish border. Quote from the "let's not do the detail Johnson" by Urmstongran Mon 22-Jul-19 07:55:19

But let's do some detail, hey. No doubt, if we spent £500 billion (the estimated cost of the Apollo programme adjusted for GDP growth ) over seven years, we would indeed solve the Irish border problem.

Quote from the detail in the Daily Telegraph daily email - or Borisgraph as it has been known recently.

I wouldn't be too sure that the EU negotiators will not offer Johnson and his team a better deal.
They say one thing and tend to mean another, and are already talking talking to him ( even though he isn’t PM yet.)

Then well done Boris ( on that bit of writing.)

Not any more UG.

It was from Boris’ weekly column in the Telegraph and perhaps he really does write it himself lemongrove

Johnson and those that support him have already turned down the "oh so easy" negotiated deal. He is unlikely to get another. So we are left with either no-deal or remain.

We were very specifically not told that leave meant a no-deal, nothing a negative. The only way out of this is to put it to the people. This cannot be done as a GE; GEs are about a complexity of what people want not one item. So we are left, whether Leavers like it, whether Remainers like it, with another vote.

That is typical of the nonsense he spouts but does nothing. We shall see but the fact that the pound has slumped so far does not bode well. The dollar and the euro are soon going to be equal value to the pound.

Urmston whoever wrote that last sentence has my admiration, it’s not only clever, but true! ?

The outgoing head of HMRC has said that there have been significant changes in many areas including customer service levels and making tax digital. As someone who completes over 100 tax returns each year I can assure you that this is not the case. HMRC are floundering at the moment with the introduction of MTD - just for VAT and call waiting times are regularly more than 20 minutes.

There are also problems with the systems for paying benefits. And yet, BJ thinks that a computerised system for dealing with the N Ireland border is possible. At the moment there are no border systems which allow for friction less trading. The often touted system between the USA and Canada can have long delays.

Was he waving a skipper in the air when he said that?₩

Boris is gearing up to deliver Brexit.

The front-runner to succeed Theresa May said that if man could find a way to get to the Moon and back 50 years ago, “we certainly have the technology” to solve the Northern Irish border problem – the one thing thought to stand in the way of a Brexit deal.

“If they [Nasa] could use hand-knitted computer code to make a frictionless re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere in 1969, we can solve the problem of frictionless trade at the Irish border.

“There is no task so simple that government cannot overcomplicate if it doesn’t want to do it. And there are few tasks so complex that humanity cannot solve if we have a real sense of mission to pull them off.”

Re :-

"HMRC head steps down after receiving death threats from Brextremists."
----

Hmm, that reads as though Sir Jonathan Thompson 'stepped down' because of receiving death threats.

That is not the reason why. Of course there are those who don't let a good twist in a story get in the way of the facts.

The truth and fact of the matter is Sir Jonathan Thompson is is actually ' heading up' a new financial regulator announced by Business Secretary Greg Clark in response to the comprehensive Independent Review led by Sir John Kingman. The new regulator will have a new mandate and stronger powers set down in law.

www.gov.uk/government/news/sir-jonathan-thompson-to-step-down-as-hmrc-chief-executive-in-the-autumn

"Sir Jonathan Thompson has announced today that he is to leave HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the Autumn after more than three years as Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary to take on a new role as Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).

Sir Jonathan joined HMRC in April 2016 and led the organisation through a period of change and significant performance improvements, including:

- successive, record-breaking increases in the collection of tax revenues due and compliance revenues
- a general downward trend in the tax gap – the gap between tax owed and tax paid
- an overall recovery in customer service levels
the introduction of Making Tax Digital – online business tax accounts
- opening HMRC’s first regional centre with two more due this year
- preparing for the challenges and opportunities of Brexit

Sir Jonathan will, along with the other new members of the FRC leadership team, take the organisation through its transformation to the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority.

This new enhanced regulator was announced by Business Secretary Greg Clark in response to the comprehensive Independent Review led by Sir John Kingman. The new regulator will have a new mandate and stronger powers set down in law.

Sir Jonathan will take up his new role in the Autumn.

Sir Jonathan said:

" It’s been a tremendous privilege to lead HMRC for more than three years, so to leave now has not been an easy decision for me to make. However, to have the opportunity to lead the Financial Reporting Council, as it turns into the Audit, Governance and Reporting Authority, and to promote public trust in doing business in the UK, at a point when we’re about to forge new alliances across the world, is too exciting to turn down.

I’m immensely proud to have led HMRC as we delivered year-on-year increases in the collection of revenues due for public services; prepared for Brexit and the challenges it will bring; and oversaw a recovery in customer service levels making dealing with their tax affairs easier for everyone."

I always got a really bad feeling about Stanley. Nasty man.

Interesting comment made by Andrew Marr this morning. He said that he wanted to make it clear that they had invited Johnson to appear on the programme several times, and he had refused. His keepers are obviously not keen on him being heard too much, all that bluster and fluff and fake promises and lies; doesn't bode too well for PMQ does it?

Whitewavemark2 - thank you, I've just read the article you've linked. I hope others who support BJ also take the time to read it and then comment. I've linked it again below to make it easily accessible without scrolling up.
t.co/Zc7WZZYYeu?amp=1

With difficulty, Dinahmo. BJ will need elocution lessons. Also he has to stop trying to be funny as soon as he opens his mouth. Jokes are notoriously tricky to translate into another language. He can forget about standing ovations and applause.

There seems to be a few BJ supporters out there. How do you imagine that the interpreters will cope with his language?

It would seem that John Bolton, Trump's security adviser has been stirring and that evidence is growing that his team were involved in the Gibralter incident. Iran vowed to retaliate for our "piracy" which they did with the capture of the Stena Impero.

John Bolton is a hawk. He was in favour of the Vietnam War although he avoided fighting by joining the Maryland National Guard. His background apparently convinced Tehran that Bolton is set on forcible regime change
which is understandable given the rhetoric flowing from the White House.

Passage through the Straits of Hormuz is governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. American warships are already there in addition to the British Navy there is no need for the EU to intervene and "come to our aid".

I looked it up (as I tend to) and for paddyannes delectation here is wha I wrote on another thread

Passage through the Gulf of Hormuz is governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Iran is a signatory to that Convention, but has regularly ignored its responsibilities under that treaty when in it chose to.

To reduce the risk of collision in the Strait, ships moving through it follow an agreed route, which is divided into lanes, each 2 miles wide, with a 2 mile separation lane between them. Inbound ships use one lane, outbound ships the other.

The Stena Imperio, was in the correct channel following the approved route.

Please do not try to curb paddyann There is nothing like a good old-fashioned rant from a good old-fashioned zenophobe to get a good giggle going and the day to a good start

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/project-fear-the-last-three-years-have-been-more-catastrophic-than-even-the-most-pessimistic-remainer-predicted

Project fear? The last three years have been more catastrophic than even the most pessimistic Remainer predicted

Hands up all those who feel we will be in safe hands over the Iranian furore, when Johnson is crowned next week? He did so well over the Ratcliffe debacle.

Anyone ???