"It has become clear that Chequers is no longer acceptable. That is why I am requisitioning Windsor Castle which will become the new official retreat of the British Prime Minister. God save the Brexit."
My favourite would be "nothing very much other than a lot of huffing and puffing about how rude the EU have been and a restatement of the Mayite position."
Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed.
Candidly, nothing much has.
I'm trying to work out what the EU is trying to achieve by being so blunt. Perhaps they think they will do better with whoever might replace her.
As I said on here last night, a pathetically predictable response from elements of the Conservative heartland.
The usual media suspects have gone overboard on their anti-European ranting pulling out all the old stereotypes and re-enforcing them because they dared not to strew rose petals on the path of the beloved Britannia.
Do I feel "insulted" or "humiliated" ? Not in the least. May's a grown up - she's been in politics long enough to know how the game is played and the dance is danced. Yesterday was a reality check - we've heard nothing but the mantra of "hard work" from the Prime Minister since July 2016 but has that work been done? It seems not.
We've gone there puffed up by our own expectations that the EU will roll over and do a deal - no, they won't. It's vital for them to make it as difficult as possible for us - "you can have the Euro any time you like but you can never leave".
None of this means a deal can't or won't be done but the deal will be a tough sell for May as it will mean more concessions even than Chequers and while it seems the red line for her isn't immigration but "our precious union" that might not be where other people's red lines are.
It now seems for some "no deal IS better than a bad deal" once again.
Of course if Blair had imposed transition controls on free movement from the new accession countries in 2004 as he could have done the immigration problem would have been much less of an issue.
As it is I think May will agree a stay in the single market and customs union through the transition period deal for the UK with a customs union backstop for NI but if that has not produced a FTA by the end of 2020 I think Boris will challenge on a Canada style FTA for GB platform
Even if Blair had imposed a transition period that would have done nothing other than delay the inevitable. Free movement would still be there. The issues would still be there.
We imposed the maximum possible transition controls on Romania, did that stop a surge in Romanian migrants? No of course it didn't. We now have more Romanians in this country than either Irish or Indians.
Transition controls are not the answer.
The lack of transition controls meant the largest number of the Eastern European migrants from Poland, Hungary etc flooded here rather than the rest of the EU for 7 years, after 7 years they were spread more evenly
Russian diplomats held secret talks in London last year with people close to Julian Assange to assess whether they could help him flee the UK, the Guardian has learned.
A tentative plan was devised that would have seen the WikiLeaks founder smuggled out of Ecuador’s London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country.
I remember the days when assange was the likes of the guardians hero.
My favourite would be "nothing very much other than a lot of huffing and puffing about how rude the EU have been and a restatement of the Mayite position."
"I have been taking advice from SeanT and as a result I have directed our armed forces to begin a bombardment of Brussels, except for four days a month when we will bombard Strasbourg instead"
My favourite would be "nothing very much other than a lot of huffing and puffing about how rude the EU have been and a restatement of the Mayite position."
Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed.
Candidly, nothing much has.
I'm trying to work out what the EU is trying to achieve by being so blunt. Perhaps they think they will do better with whoever might replace her.
Beyond me too. Seems to have an epic fail of diplomacy on all sides.
Russian diplomats held secret talks in London last year with people close to Julian Assange to assess whether they could help him flee the UK, the Guardian has learned.
A tentative plan was devised that would have seen the WikiLeaks founder smuggled out of Ecuador’s London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country.
I remember the days when assange was the likes of the guardians hero.
That was when Seamus Milne ran the comment section.
Do they mean proper, full-blown roadcrash No Deal? Or orderly exit on WTO terms with some sort of agreement to keep planes flying, medicines being licensed etc?
I understand the latter being a political position that people might strive for, especially in response to an alternative they find sub-optimal. My feeling is that an MP who doesn't do their utmost to avoid the former might find the referendum result a sweet but distant memory among constituents when they get blamed for bad outcomes.
Well I am not sure what she is going to say, but if it is just 'I am sticking with Chequers' she would be better off not saying it at all - it won't achieve anything except wind up everyone.
As I said on here last night, a pathetically predictable response from elements of the Conservative heartland.
The usual media suspects have gone overboard on their anti-European ranting pulling out all the old stereotypes and re-enforcing them because they dared not to strew rose petals on the path of the beloved Britannia.
Do I feel "insulted" or "humiliated" ? Not in the least. May's a grown up - she's been in politics long enough to know how the game is played and the dance is danced. Yesterday was a reality check - we've heard nothing but the mantra of "hard work" from the Prime Minister since July 2016 but has that work been done? It seems not.
We've gone there puffed up by our own expectations that the EU will roll over and do a deal - no, they won't. It's vital for them to make it as difficult as possible for us - "you can have the Euro any time you like but you can never leave".
None of this means a deal can't or won't be done but the deal will be a tough sell for May as it will mean more concessions even than Chequers and while it seems the red line for her isn't immigration but "our precious union" that might not be where other people's red lines are.
It now seems for some "no deal IS better than a bad deal" once again.
Of course if Blair had imposed transition controls on free movement from the new accession countries in 2004 as he could have done the immigration problem would have been much less of an issue.
As it is I think May will agree a stay in the single market and customs union through the transition period deal for the UK with a customs union backstop for NI but if that has not produced a FTA by the end of 2020 I think Boris will challenge on a Canada style FTA for GB platform
Even if Blair had imposed a transition period that would have done nothing other than delay the inevitable. Free movement would still be there. The issues would still be there.
We imposed the maximum possible transition controls on Romania, did that stop a surge in Romanian migrants? No of course it didn't. We now have more Romanians in this country than either Irish or Indians.
Transition controls are not the answer.
The lack of transition controls meant the largest number of the Eastern European migrants from Poland, Hungary etc flooded here rather than the rest of the EU for 7 years, after 7 years they were spread more evenly
The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot.
Laura K suggested on Politics Live that a Cabinet Minister had intended to resign at the weekend if Salzburg had confirmed progress towards a Chequers-style endpoint. How do we bet?
Well I am not sure what she is going to say, but if it is just 'I am sticking with Chequers' she would be better off not saying it at all - it won't achieve anything except wind up everyone.
She is delusional if she says that.
How can she possibly go into Conference still saying that after yesterday?
My scenario of David Davis getting a coronation to be PM for two years - to implement a Canada plus deal before standing down for a new leader - looks ever closer to reality today....
God forbid. The laziest politician in history. Though, actually, for those of us that think less government is a good thing.....
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
They do. No-one cares. (Well, other than people occasionally complaining that they don't have any policies, but without actually seeing if they do or they don't). The press don't cover the policies because the story's Brexit, which is understandable, if frustrating for the Lib Dems.
After the Tweet about Raab saying he isn't "sure" whether the EU are acting in good faith in these negotiations I wonder whether Theresa May is going to say she's suspending all talks until the EU can prove they're taking these negotiations seriously - And in the meantime we'll be stepping up "No Deal" planning?
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
Engineering degrees (very comparable to Medicine) are full-on - 9am to 5pm 5 days a week! Most other degrees, 2 to 3 hours a week!
Well, yeah. The question May's got to resolve isn't "What is compatible with the referendum result (literally anything that involves leaving the EU between a super-EEA-plus-plus-plus and implementation of Juche) and negotiable with the EU?", but "What is compatible with the referendum result and won't fuck the Conservative Party too badly?"
Asking for sympathy for the latter from people who aren't Conservative members is a bit optimistic.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
Labour are led by an OAP of considerably lower intellect than Cable, but it doesn't seem to stop the gullible young from thinking he is a slimmed down Santa. Maybe Cable needs to start being a little more anti-Semitic or perhaps visiting a shrine to some middle-eastern gangster/terrorist?
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Perhaps but I'm OK with it.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
Engineering degrees (very comparable to Medicine) are full-on - 9am to 5pm 5 days a week! Most other degrees, 2 to 3 hours a week!
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab. It's possible I might be biased. Or bitter. Medical students kept to themselves but disappeared off the wards each lunchtime to watch Neighbours (that dates me).
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Perhaps but I'm OK with it.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
Well it is a view I suppose, but considering a large number of people were voting for immigration control (or so we are told), then there are going to be a lot of very pissed off xenophobes when they realise immigration has just switched its focus
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
University now costs £50,000+. The squeezed middle not doing much was fine when you weren't in debt at the end of it nowadays you need to have a purpose to be there...
"Prime Ministerial crest on the podium so not an election", according to Twitter.
An election wouldn't solve anything - the problem isn't with Parliament.
It's just unfortunate timing as the country faces it's most serious crisis since the second World War (albeit a self inflicted crisis), we can depend on a political class (on all sides) who are at best, grade E.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
Labour are led by an OAP of considerably lower intellect than Cable, but it doesn't seem to stop the gullible young from thinking he is a slimmed down Santa. Maybe Cable needs to start being a little more anti-Semitic or perhaps visiting a shrine to some middle-eastern gangster/terrorist?
Corbyn has (IMO by luck rather than skill) become the candidate that people pin all their beliefs on, despite what he does or doesn't say. Hence huge numbers of people thinking he is pro-Brexit, while equal numbers think he is anti-Brexit.
He is right place, right time, whereby people are looking for some change and the Tories don't seem to stand for anything other than trying to tell people to keep calm and carry on while also unwilling to defend capitalism and Lib Dems are seen as simply the anti-Brexit party.
She went to Austria puffed up by widespread Tory and media expectations that the EU will roll over and do a deal. They've now realized, shockingly late, that this isn't in fact the case. And since that was the sole assumption underlying May's entire strategy (if you can call it that) it's difficult to overstate how much of a personal, UTTER disaster this has been for her.
You know what they say, never get high on your own supply. That applies to Brexiteer bullshit as well as hard drugs.
Some of this is just regular media dynamics rather than a particularly Brexit thing. The EU position is quite frustrating for the media because it's nuanced, which is bad, but it never really fundamentally changes, which is terrible. They have to get oohs and ahs from somewhere, so when they're having a "relations cooling" week they'll pick on comments saying the basic position, and when they're having a "relations warming" week they'll find comments saying we'd like to make deal, we're open to new ideas, everybody has to compromise etc etc.
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Perhaps but I'm OK with it.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
Well it is a view I suppose, but considering a large number of people were voting for immigration control (or so we are told), then there are going to be a lot of very pissed off xenophobes when they realise immigration has just switched its focus
Nigel, I keep meaning to ask you, why do you say F O Remain?
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
University now costs £50,000+. The squeezed middle not doing much was fine when you weren't in debt at the end of it nowadays you need to have a purpose to be there...
I actually think it starts earlier than that. Due to a combine of grade inflation and number of people believing uni is the only way you can get a good career, there is a lot more competition. Therefore, the attitude of I'll get 3B/C's at A-level and will still be ok, get into a uni and then still get a decent graudate job doesn't exist.
But I am also sure the fees / loans also focuses minds not to piss it all up the wall.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
Engineering degrees (very comparable to Medicine) are full-on - 9am to 5pm 5 days a week! Most other degrees, 2 to 3 hours a week!
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab. It's possible I might be biased. Or bitter. Medical students kept to themselves but disappeared off the wards each lunchtime to watch Neighbours (that dates me).
Medical students (male ones anyway) generally spend their time either banging on about how clever they are or banging anyone in a nurses uniform in any nearby and available hospital broom-cupboard
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Perhaps but I'm OK with it.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
Well it is a view I suppose, but considering a large number of people were voting for immigration control (or so we are told), then there are going to be a lot of very pissed off xenophobes when they realise immigration has just switched its focus
Switching our focus from allowing in any unskilled Eastern Europeans wanting an easy ride into a developed nation ... towards a focus on high-skilled, high-value migrants like an uncapped number of doctors etc will be good for the country and the economy.
Unlikely to be resignation as Mrs May would have seen the Queen first....
Not sure.
She could announce she's resigning as Con leader (but staying on as PM until a new leader is elected) In that situation she wouldn't need to see the Queen (as she would still be HMQ's PM)
The PM only needs to go to the Palace when they stop becoming PM (and then the new PM is sent for)
Unlikely to be resignation as Mrs May would have seen the Queen first....
Not sure.
She could announce she's resigning as Con leader (but staying on as PM until a new leader is elected) In that situation she wouldn't need to see the Queen (as she would still be HMQ's PM)
The PM only needs to go to the Palace when they stop becoming PM (and then the new PM is sent for)
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab.
The maths, stats and computer sciences students worked every single bloody hour and wonder where the time went...
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab.
The maths, stats and computer sciences students worked every single bloody hour and wonder where the time went...
I'm in work at the moment (I'm in a free room) so I won't be able to habituate this site easily. Is there a site that gives a real-time transcript of the speech as May gives it?
"The UK is an attractive country transition controls or no transition controls. Especially given our native language is a common second language now across the globe.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Perhaps but I'm OK with it.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
Well it is a view I suppose, but considering a large number of people were voting for immigration control (or so we are told), then there are going to be a lot of very pissed off xenophobes when they realise immigration has just switched its focus
Nigel, I keep meaning to ask you, why do you say F O Remain?
hehe. Well that is one interpretation! That is what 52% of people did. It could be my real name, or it could be a very poor joke on Nigel For Age, as it is mainly the elderly that support the leering fascist.
Unlikely to be resignation as Mrs May would have seen the Queen first....
Not sure.
She could announce she's resigning as Con leader (but staying on as PM until a new leader is elected) In that situation she wouldn't need to see the Queen (as she would still be HMQ's PM)
The PM only needs to go to the Palace when they stop becoming PM (and then the new PM is sent for)
Only 5 minutes to wait
Oh I don't think she's resigning. Just saying she *could* resign [as Con Leader, not PM yet] and not have to see HMQ first.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
University now costs £50,000+. The squeezed middle not doing much was fine when you weren't in debt at the end of it nowadays you need to have a purpose to be there...
I actually think it starts earlier than that. Due to a combine of grade inflation and number of people believing uni is the only way you can get a good career, there is a lot more competition. Therefore, the attitude of I'll get 3B/C's at A-level and will still be ok, get into a uni and then still get a decent graudate job doesn't exist.
But I am also sure the fees / loans also focuses minds not to piss it all up the wall.
Cultural as well. The schools are now very exam-focused, which carries forward, and for a lot of immigrant families, education was always seen as the way out of poverty and peasant farming back in the old country.
I'm in work at the moment (I'm in a free room) so I won't be able to habituate this site easily. Is there a site that gives a real-time transcript of the speech as May gives it?
I'm in work at the moment (I'm in a free room) so I won't be able to habituate this site easily. Is there a site that gives a real-time transcript of the speech as May gives it?
The Guardian live blog - while not real time transcript - is among the best at keeping up to date.
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab.
The maths, stats and computer sciences students worked every single bloody hour and wonder where the time went...
I'm in work at the moment (I'm in a free room) so I won't be able to habituate this site easily. Is there a site that gives a real-time transcript of the speech as May gives it?
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
University now costs £50,000+. The squeezed middle not doing much was fine when you weren't in debt at the end of it nowadays you need to have a purpose to be there...
I actually think it starts earlier than that. Due to a combine of grade inflation and number of people believing uni is the only way you can get a good career, there is a lot more competition. Therefore, the attitude of I'll get 3B/C's at A-level and will still be ok, get into a uni and then still get a decent graudate job doesn't exist.
But I am also sure the fees / loans also focuses minds not to piss it all up the wall.
Cultural as well. The schools are now very exam-focused, which carries forward, and for a lot of immigrant families, education was always seen as the way out of poverty and peasant farming back in the old country.
Oh absolutely. My only real issue as I have said in the past (when I was teaching at unis, I started to see this becoming more prevalent) that the primarily focus on was what was needed for an exam, not first trying to understand the subject (and enjoy doing so), then worrying about the exam.
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
It would be interesting to see the political split amongst graduates in different subjects.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
My experience on uni campuses is that there is a larger proportion than ever before that just head down with only goal of getting on a graduate scheme. While on one hand it is commendable, it is also negative in that in deep understanding of a subject is trumped by a "what do I need to get a 2:1" attitude. They don't want to get involved in any nonsense with fear of harming their job applications.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
University now costs £50,000+. The squeezed middle not doing much was fine when you weren't in debt at the end of it nowadays you need to have a purpose to be there...
I actually think it starts earlier than that. Due to a combine of grade inflation and number of people believing uni is the only way you can get a good career, there is a lot more competition. Therefore, the attitude of I'll get 3B/C's at A-level and will still be ok, get into a uni and then still get a decent graudate job doesn't exist.
But I am also sure the fees / loans also focuses minds not to piss it all up the wall.
You need 3 A's to get on the course you want at a Russell Group / Red Brick university and you need the name of the University to get you into the next stage..
Oh and we were at a 6th form introduction talk this week - it's now harder to get into some degree apprenticeships than it is to get into some medicine degrees...
Unlikely to be resignation as Mrs May would have seen the Queen first....
Not sure.
She could announce she's resigning as Con leader (but staying on as PM until a new leader is elected) In that situation she wouldn't need to see the Queen (as she would still be HMQ's PM)
The PM only needs to go to the Palace when they stop becoming PM (and then the new PM is sent for)
It won't be though. If she resigned as PM, she'd make it impossible for the government to conduct negotiations until a replacement was in place, which'd take at least a month and probably into November - as no-one would in the EU be able to trust what May said as she'd have no domestic base on which to give promises, but nor would anyone else be able to negotiate until the leadership election was over. That kind of delay, combined with the almost inevitable Leaver win, would mean No Deal would become almost inevitable, and May would get most of the blame. She must be aware of that.
Rubbish. Engineering students sat in the bar discussing heavy metal over a pint and a roll-up. Arts students sat under trees reading books. The only students working were the chemists who spent every afternoon in the lab and every evening writing up what they'd done in the lab.
The maths, stats and computer sciences students worked every single bloody hour and wonder where the time went...
Well that's what I tell people I did ;-)
That's what I did!
I wouldn't recommend anybody follow my approach to undergraduate study....Mr Red Bull did very well out of the times I actually decided to do work. By "decided", I mean the deadline was coming up fast and I needed to code something that was supposed to take 100hrs in a few days.
A good and depressing thread. twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043050192675762176?s=21 twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043051647642030080?s=21 twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043051728793464832?s=21
As the last tweet almost notes, the American president is more sceptical about NATO than Jeremy Corbyn.
Comments
https://mobile.twitter.com/MichaelLCrick/status/1043078678878609408
I'm trying to work out what the EU is trying to achieve by being so blunt. Perhaps they think they will do better with whoever might replace her.
NUMBER OF DAYS SINCE A TORY PRIME MINISTER WAS KILLED IN AN EU-RELATED ACCIDENT
0
Russian diplomats held secret talks in London last year with people close to Julian Assange to assess whether they could help him flee the UK, the Guardian has learned.
A tentative plan was devised that would have seen the WikiLeaks founder smuggled out of Ecuador’s London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country.
I remember the days when assange was the likes of the guardians hero.
I understand the latter being a political position that people might strive for, especially in response to an alternative they find sub-optimal. My feeling is that an MP who doesn't do their utmost to avoid the former might find the referendum result a sweet but distant memory among constituents when they get blamed for bad outcomes.
https://twitter.com/JudgesScotland/status/1043092934957121536
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot.
How can she possibly go into Conference still saying that after yesterday?
Imagine if the Lib Dems weren't led by an OAP and had some policies beyond stop Brexit.
https://twitter.com/GavinBarwell/status/1042717676374839296
https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/1042725911676825600
No-one cares.
(Well, other than people occasionally complaining that they don't have any policies, but without actually seeing if they do or they don't).
The press don't cover the policies because the story's Brexit, which is understandable, if frustrating for the Lib Dems.
In my day the sociology students were the left wing people who spent their time in the coffee bar and protesting whilst the engineers (like me) were working and non political.
We imposed the transition controls on Romania. Didn't change migration one jot"
Good post Mr Thompson. What you may not like though, is that it is for this very reason that in the long term Brexit will not make "one jot" of difference to immigration to this country. We will simply get less Eastern Europeans and more people from the Indian sub-continent and places like Somalia. That should get a few eyes in suburban Brexitopia swivelling
Asking for sympathy for the latter from people who aren't Conservative members is a bit optimistic.
If we end discrimination in favour of Europeans and come up with a more sensible solution then all the better. The Migration Advisory Council recently advised ending discrimination combined with abolishing the cap on skilled migrants. That looks reasonable.
And there is also a larger proportion of the loud mouth rabble, who appear to make it a job to get offended at the smallest thing.
The "squeezed middle" of those going to uni for a laugh, doing minimal work to get by and worrying about a career later is far smaller these days.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/21/joe-biden-anita-hill-kavanaugh-833598
He is right place, right time, whereby people are looking for some change and the Tories don't seem to stand for anything other than trying to tell people to keep calm and carry on while also unwilling to defend capitalism and Lib Dems are seen as simply the anti-Brexit party.
But I am also sure the fees / loans also focuses minds not to piss it all up the wall.
Xenophobes can go swivel.
She could announce she's resigning as Con leader (but staying on as PM until a new leader is elected) In that situation she wouldn't need to see the Queen (as she would still be HMQ's PM)
The PM only needs to go to the Palace when they stop becoming PM (and then the new PM is sent for)
Instead she needs to reset or resign.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2018/sep/21/theresa-may-makes-statement-outside-no-10
Oh and we were at a 6th form introduction talk this week - it's now harder to get into some degree apprenticeships than it is to get into some medicine degrees...
https://twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043050192675762176?s=21
https://twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043051647642030080?s=21
https://twitter.com/garvanwalshe/status/1043051728793464832?s=21