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So much for Brexit doom: IMF in embarrassing climbdown as it admits market turmoil has 'ebbed', while pound hits four-week high

Cameron gave special advisers pay rises of 24% when most of public sector got just 1% ...and on it goes. The more you look into Cameron, his background, and what he got up to, the more you realise what a self-serving lying turd we elected as a PM. It's almost as if we learned nothing from the Blair years. Perhaps this is part of why May is so keen that we should believe that she means what she says, and will actually get on with what she has promised. A long overdue overhaul of the honours system, and a total clean out the House of Lords can't be too big an ask - can it?

Like others, this particular good run obviously started on 23rd June. You'll likely need to thank the very many people in our area who possess excellent political judgement. What a glorious feelin' - I'm happy again

So, Juncker gets his EU Army - it's just about the only thing the Eurocrats can agree on, because it gives them more power! The Leave campaign was absolutely right about this and the Remainers deluding themselves. It's also emerging that there was a secret deal with Dodgy Dave that he wouldn't veto the plans when he won the referendum, whilst assuring us of the exact opposite! Hopefully our new PM isn't a serial liar! What is this army for other than to use against Europe's own peoples, or to have a go at Putin? One thing is for sure: it will grow and grow on every lame excuse, and absorb ever more of the EU GNP. It's a convenient tool to reduce the staggering EU youth unemployment, without actually doing anything positive to improve people's well-being. Our own leaders need to reaffirm our total commitment to NATO, and keep well away from any involvement or cooperation in so-called EU defence. Though, just how many of our politicos can we trust on this?

Simon Heffer in today's Telegraph speaks for me:

Yes I have; I told you quite clearly I'm happy with it, and like to point out you were wrong about it recovering! It couldn't be simpler. So that's a value is it? It will be an unfortunate consequence of our business turn-around that the pound will recover the value it had against the Euro in a few short years of having left. Meanwhile, it's more than likely that there will be at least one (and likely several) Eurozone crises which will weaken the Euro against other currencies. October could turn out a very bad month for the EZ (and Italian banks). But it is non binding; it was a referendum, not a legal vote. You're well aware of this. I'm aware that the will of the people is sovereign in this country (it's not continental Europe), and that any government that flouts it will be consigned to history. Fortunately, so is Mrs May, but a few parties like the Liberal non-Democrats (still) believe the people can be conned. I'm not annoyed. You sound very annoyed at the result of democratic process, else why are you urging a democratic decision should be ignored? Great questions; I worked for many years for a company that benefited greatly from EU trade arrangements. That affected me as we did more business, grew as a result, and I got to earn more money, buy a house, a car and so on. I don't see how a North-East based print and packaging company would have been able to sustain such business (and it still does) without the input of the EU in terms of financial grants and benefits, which were forthcoming at the time. Now, of course, those deals are not going to go away - they are solid - but will more be forthcoming? I can't say for sure yes or know as I am no longer employed by them, but I can say that there is considerable uncertainty at present as to how their business is to go forward until the buttons are pressed. You know as ell as I do the influence the EU has had on working conditions and so on, although if you want to try and make me believe there has been absolutely no benefit across 41 years than that's fine, but that doesn't really wash, does it? What would change from now on to make our stay worthwhile? What has changed to make us leave? I just don't get it. Back to what I've said many times: why did people vote to leave? Was it for the major economic benefits you tell me of? You know also that the majority of people who voted - and this is for both sides - did so in a state of confusion, of not actually understanding what the EU is, or what it does or doesn't do. How can anyone consider a decision made in such circumstances to be a sensible one? I maintain this is not a decision to be taken by 'the people' as we - by and large - are not suitably qualified. You are heavily conflating the Common Market with the EU here. We all agreed to the Common Market (including a naive me). What has change is that the lies of Heath have been exposed, and the salami slicing euro politicians are now driving their own agenda with vigour toward a European superstate. You've actually unwitting hit the nail on the head here when you say "did so in a state of confusion, of not actually understanding what the EU is" It's actually a prime requirement of the elites that ordinary people don't understand how the EU works. If they did they'd be even less likely to support it. What ordinary people have come to understand is that the loss of sovereignty means that our politicos have a ready excuse not to act on just about every significant problem You are actually a Mandleson type post-democrat. He'd have done well as a Soviet apparatchik. You fail to understand that the elites have no monopoly on wisdom, and the fact their mistakes are often bigger and deeper than those of the so-called uneducated That's partly because they are often compounded by group-think confirmation. Business proves that common sense and life-experience is the prime indicator of success; most trained accountants make an utter mess of running enterprises, though they can always tell you why they failed! One thing does bother me, though: if, as some tell me - yourself included - leaving the EU is such an obvious benefit to the country, it's economy, it's people, why hasn't Article 50 been invoked? I mean, I don't buy that May needs to get her teams in place before such a decision can be made - if that is so, then her predecessors really weren't prepared - and as she is an un-elected Prime Minister who will at some point come up against an election, surely getting things underway right now - of before now - would have been a sensible and clever political move, that would stand her in good stead for when she faces the music? Why the delays? You - and others - reckon before Christmas; I read something the other day saying next spring; I read another piece citing further delays. Why any delay? If it's the future, and so good for us, get it done! Until we do, one way or the other, these amazing trade deals that are being touted remain on the back-burner, as nobody is going to commit until the government do. So, 'we' voted; leave; let's leave, and stop fannying around. There are many parties praying that May does not call an election right now because she'd undoubtedly increase her majority. The delays are because dodgy Dave made no provision for the eventuality, in fact he positively ordered that there must be no work at all on Brexit preparations. The result is that no one in government has a clue as to how to approach matters, and they are having to recruit from wherever they can. Trade goes on regardless, because trade doesn't depend on deals by politicos in the apocryphal smoke-filled-rooms; it depends on people with enterprise - willing buyers and willing sellers. Mostly, politicos get in the way of this, and the EU has getting in the way in spades. Sooner or later even the people who think that getting part of our own money back, with strings attached, is a great deal will come around to seeing that being part of a rapidly fading trade cartel wasn't a "progressive" move, and that trade should be distanced from politicos as far as is possible. It's now looking like February, but it could be a month or two either way, depending on political pressure etc.

You still haven't answered the so simple simple question about what value the pound should have? Far from being annoyed I'm very happy to see it where it is today. The only person I've encountered who is annoyed about Sterling is a retired HMRC Tax Inspector, who - of course - is one of your fellow Remonians. Though, quite unlike yourself, he does have a genuine reason to be annoyed - his pension doesn't buy anything like as much as it did when he relocated. I assured him that relief was in sight from the overvalued (by 35%) Euro he has to pay his bills in. He still wasn't happy though - Remonians will never be happy living in the real world! I didn't try to explain to him that his house is now (notionally) worth more, as (being in the bombed-out EZ) in reality he'd have to sell it for less than he paid. Ah, that "non-binding" result of the referendum. Dream on! Oh, another question: as we've been in the EEC/EU for 41 years now, what exactly has it done for the ordinary working person in all this time? Supplementary: If we were to remain what exactly would change from now on to make our stay worthwhile? Some plain answers please, and not bald statements about how you suppose I feel.

Maybe the time has come for the bleeding-heart left to face some of the cost their religion of "multiculturalism" is imposing on the rest of society. That probably goes for politicos (of all persuasions) who insist on interfering in regions of the world they don't properly understand. They're very quick to point out the supposed economic benefits of mass immigration, but simply don't want to discuss the enormous cost of all this added "security", or the impact on innocent victims. Asylum-seeker who avoided deportation after public campaign faces JAIL for sex assault And - wonder of wonders - an overpaid HoC committee has only just discovered that 36% of all asylum applications are from pure economic migrants (mostly illegal) who are quite obviously playing the system. Keith Vaz finds this "deeply concerning" - well, welcome to the world of ordinary British folk who have been concerned about this since Blair quietly opened all the doors to satisfy his international elitist agenda Mr Vaz! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/14/third-of-asylum-claims-come-from-illegal-migrants-and-visa-overs/ May might now be urging a rethink, but, as our former Home Secretary, she's not at all blameless. If her excuse is that she was constrained by EU law then the wise British public have now removed the impediment. We need much more clarity from her government than we've seen so far.

Interesting article in the massively EUphile Financial Times:- The inevitable sour comment from a Remonian "Wonderful irony. Vote Brexit to keep out Johnny Foreigner and now look what happens!.... " entirely misses the essential point that tourists bring us some of their wealth, leave in a timely manner, and create jobs, not undercut native Brits in theirs!

No time to follow the thread at the moment, but - as the above flashed up on my phone - a point of information:- Olives are harvested by non-labour-intensive methods. Several ways to do it, but generally nets are involved, unless a flaily machine thing is used on pre-rolled ground. Whatever... there's no shortage of experienced drivers/machine operators/net gatherers in areas that have been economically devastated by the eurozone. The only jobs for illegals would be in the raking the last remnants up. You can't depend on this source of labour anyway: they are all heading for the legendary state benefits in Northern Europe, and mindful that Mutti Merkel simply can't get enough of this cultural enhancement thing. So, you can see their point: why stay in a place where you actually have to work to subsist?

What exchange rate would you like to see? You really need to tell us instead of these silly juvenile jibes. How about 35% overvalued like the Italian Euro? Result: absolutely no economic growth since Italy adopted the Euro, and now mass unemployment. If it wasn't for the 600,000 plus Italians that have been forced to flee to the economically enlightened UK to earn a crust Italy would be even further in the EUdoodoo!

Oh good - the Corbyn type of war then: invite the invaders to tea?

Great, some proper discussion, without ducking issues! I don't tend to have bar room arguments; the people who's company I enjoy don't get on my nerves! I like the "tend"! I suspect that the people "who's company I enjoy" defer to you for the sake of peace an quiet, and keep their thoughts to themselves. Only a suspicion! July 20th, you wrtote: "If there is more than a handful of genuine refugees - as you seem to believe - then why are they practically all young males?" Yes, I do believe there are more than a handful. Yes, that's a question you need to address. Look at the photos of refugee columns. Are those photos faked? Those pictures broadly accord with what I see with my own eyes, and I'm not in denial about what I see. Relative to the millions who are coming, it is fairly clear that only a tiny percentage overall have been displaced from their homes by military action. There's also evidence that rather a lot of non-Syrians blend in, and lie about their origins. The Germans employ a private firm, and their verification procedure is to ask the individuals where they came for. Don't you think that in these smartphone days there's a lot of conferring as to the best things to say? Reportedly this private firm has no comprehension of regional dialects or accents. And, you've ducked my other question about the eight points of the compass here too. "I did not say that the illegal immigrants I see are Syrians." Good, now we're getting somewhere. So, what is your take on the Syrians, fleeing the war zone (you accept it is a war zone?) Are they refugees, or economic migrants? You see, I thought the above comment - the one from July 20th - referred not to African illegal immigrants, whom you now talk about, but to Muslims seeking refuge (or not). My take is as above. They are a mixture, but genuine refugees tend to want to go home at the earliest instant. They also tend to want to live with their own peoples in their own region, and don't want to travel further than they really need to. Why make getting back to your locality after the conflict has passed over it any more tortuous or expensive? The vast majority of these people are seeking a new life in a country where they are told "the streets are paved with gold", and have no intention of returning anywhere at any future date. Consider: even if you lived in a war zone but didn't feel threatened yourself, don't you think you'd be inclined to exaggerate the dangers if there was a one-off opportunity of bypassing the immigration controls of a much more prosperous country? A country which was prepared to give you generous hand-outs to get established there, and one where you already spoke the language! I, too, have plenty of experience of immigrants (both legal and otherwise) thanks to my regular visits to the area around Boston, in Lincolnshire; the town itself has a strong Eastern European community, and I'm not sure all the women are prostitutes. Mind you, I do know how to tell an illegal immigrant: he will wear a long coat which, when opened, reveals not only a selection of fake Rolexes, but ducks poached from the local village pond, and perhaps the odd fish. Plus, he will speak in a dodgy accent, and be generally unclean. Either that or they work in the fields and drive taxis. You don't see what is landing on the Southern shores of Europe. The people you see - unless they've got in illegally - have been filtered by our immigration services who reject the majority of asylum applications. Those economic migrants have an alternative strategy, and it requires a little patience. (Islam is unbelievably patient though!) They take up Frau Merkel's (and the Swedish) over-generous invites, and then become EU citizens, at which point our immigration services have no say in the matter. This is a problem for the future unless we Brexit pronto. The reason a lot of immigrants don't want to learn the local lingo is that their English is generally a lot better than the local's English (Witness the altercation between the Swedish bus driver and the immigrant on yesterday's news), and their ultimate goal is to get to speak their good English in the country that claims to have originated it! Please don't distort what I said about a very few young immigrant females - I say what I see! The rest of Europe isn't taking all this lying down: Hungary taunts Merkel over terror and says 'our problem is not in Mecca, but in Brussels'

But now you can't "be bothered" to find my words to quote them accurately - well, well! I say what I see, and I don't make things up; nor do I constantly put words into other people's mouths! I did not say that the illegal immigrants I see are Syrians. Most of them seem to be North or Central Africans, but they try to conceal their origins by throwing their temporary papers away. They believe that they are better off without the paperwork they are given, and I can only conclude that this is because it enables them to pose as refugees, or merge into a refugee stream at some point on their travels North. I think this is the general consensus locally. Is this constant distortion of what people say an example of how you "win" your bar room arguments?

You know where this leads, don't you? Woman arrested over threats to Labour MP Naz Shah The irony here is that Ms Shah (a Muslim, and herself temporarily suspended from the LP over alleged anti-Semitic behaviour) did a spell as a PPS to a certain John McDonnell. If that wasn't irony enough she is being threatened by other Muslims for investigating "a so-called honour killing". Our first glimpse of Shariah Politics? Interesting comment on the Falklands. You believe we should have done nothing when they were invaded?

Have a safe journey! "We" already have a team there that has delivered the messages that they simply don't want to hear, but thanks for the offer. I know quite a few people who would like you to press the (immediate) (BR)Exit button.

Would you please stop attributing things to me I have never said! At no time have I said there are no refugees. And, it's a damnable lie to claim that I've ever said that all muslins are terrorists. No, I don't read the Daily Mail, and only arrive on the DM website on the odd occasion someone links me to it. It's nothing to do with which newspaper says what, it's the evidence of my own eyes and ears. I PERSONALLY MEET many illegal immigrants here, and that I have yet to meet one that tells me that he's fleeing from anything but a miserable life. When I find a someone who tells me he is fleeing from a war zone then you will be the first to know. Yes, they are virtually all young males and heading for Northern Europe. The only immigrant females I've seen are prostituting themselves out in the country on minor main roads - and there aren't that many. I don't make these things up and there's no need to exaggerate an already desperate situation. Illegal immigrants are sensitive to being photographed but I will try to get you some pictures in the coming weeks.

I think you need to improve this "scan reading" - it was a clear reference to my typo. Where did I say you are a Labour supporter? I said you might want to consider standing for them as they are desperate, and made a joke about you getting into the shadow cabinet, but that's hardly a claim that you are a Labour voter. I think I also referred to your views as left-wing Liberal at one time too, and you didn't object to that. Bananas relate to monkeys? Hand bananas to monkeys - ergo, the people who don't vote the way you think they should are monkeys? Correct me if I'm wrong. Clever would be to answer a few simple questions honestly. Always the best way of getting at the truth - ask any lawyer.

That's the royal "nobody else" is it? You haven't "bothered" to answer any searching questions for quite some time; bold unsubstantiated assertions work in the bar do they?

I'm saying that anyone who bills assassination of our politicians as "an act of goodness" probably isn't fit for high political office - no more and no less. That's the proposition, so if you believe he is fit then discuss freely. To answer your questions: a) I'm positively trawling for other opinions here, so that's clearly untrue. b ) Discuss the limits of "free speech". c) What is this anything? Don't you accept that there are limits to what should be said to the impressionable? We aren't talking about things which are said in private - this guy is addressing a public meeting that any nutter can attend! d ) ??? e ) I see very little evidence that there are right wing influences at school. On the other hand maybe I've simply been to the wrong schools? f ) Now we are getting silly! The open question here is "Is this really a joke?" I don't know the answer to this, though I for one have an open mind to what others say. Chill, and discuss rationally or ignore the topic entirely. We can accommodate all shades of opinion here without rancour, but detachment takes a little effort on all our parts.

Possibly an affect of the major BT DNS failure. Despite BT's statement that this is fixed customers still seem to be having issues. My thanks to Andy too - particularly as he reconfigured it under quite difficult circumstances.

You're right; I'd completely missed this. They are still short about £24.5K. I'm tempted, but will it do any good?

Great fun ganging up on someone when they don't have the time to take you on. Not quite as much fun when you are asked simple straightforward questions that expose your paucity of argument and evasive tactics. Have fun but don't do this to anyone else!

Careful, or we'll have a complaint from the CL/Merc-alliance about "hate speech" toward birds off prey.

Meet our Shadow Chancellor! Imagine for a second the reaction if someone from the right got to his feet and said this sort of thing to a public meeting concerning a Labour leader. Yes, this time around he's talking historically, but he's still offering the proposition that assassination is an acceptable ("an act of goodness") political tool, and at some point a political activist will pick up on this. I don't think this guy is fit to be anywhere near public office.