No Deal Brexit News

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 7 July

 

 

Brexit

 

This week revealed yet more ways the Brexit fantasy dream is turning into a real nightmare. In devastating news for the UK’s future trade, Canada refused to roll over the same deal they have with the EU for the UK. After years of negotiations, the Canadians refused to budge putting all future trade deals up for grabs in terms of conditions.

Local Councils in the UK are set for more misery after an £8bn EU fund for local growth will disappear in 2020.

There were several warnings this week from the likes of Theresa May and Liam Fox that the Union would not survive No Deal Brexit. Despite a poll of Conservative Party members finding that they prefer Brexit to keeping the Union if the choice had to be made. A sentiment supported by Nigel Farage.

Women are set to head-up EU institutions for the first time including Ursula Von Der Leyen who called Brexit ‘a burst bubble of hollow promises’.

 

 

Politics

The Conservative Party Leadership contest took a dangerous and worrying turn this week when it was revealed that Party Members are about to elect a Prime Minister who is not trusted by UK secuirity services. State secrets and sensitive material were routinely kept from Boris Johnson because he can’t be trusted with keeping them.

Boris Johnson also launched a bizarre proposal to review sugar tax.  Despite facing a backlash from medical professionals and other politicians, Johnson’s move wasn’t so strange when it was linked to paving the way for US high sugar food imports and the fact that his advisors have financial links to high-sugar drink brands.

Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were ridiculed for their No Deal Brexit threats with Philip Hammond claiming it would cost £90bn whilst other MPs are plotting to make sure Parliament can prevent it.

Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party became even more of a national embarrassment this week as they childishly turned their backs on the EU anthem at the opening of the EU Parliament in Brussels. The Press were far from impressed.

 

 

World

The heart-breaking protests in Hong Kong continue as China starts to clamp down hard on any unrest. Despairing Hong Kong freedom fighters are taking their own lives in the ultimate sacrifice for personal freedoms. The world is doing little but watch.

Donald Trump faced a severe backlash for militarising the traditional US 4^th of July celebrations through adding military vehicles and troops to the White House Parade. All the heads of the US armed forces were absent as a sign of protest as President Trump proudly proclaimed that the 1775 Revolutionary army took over airports.

 

 

Austerity

Five former chiefs of Scotland Yard announced this week that Government cuts had reduced policing to dangerously unsafe levels resulting in a feeling of lawlessness across the UK. Make no mistake, they said, the blame for this lies firmly with the Conservative Party.

 

Environment

This week scientists claimed that the answer to the Climate Emergency is right in front of our eyes. Planting 1 trillion trees would capture enough carbon to make a difference.  Greta Thunberg thanked OPEC for saying Climate Activists provided the greatest threat to oil and Prince Charles along with Chris Packham are planning an environmental summit.

Stories of the week 24 February

Politics

Brexit pressure blew Westminster wide open this week with both parties suffering major splits and defections.  The new Independent Group formed this week as the clock counts down to leaving. A group of Labour MPs left to seek a new referendum and a group of Conservative MPs left because of the ‘Ukipisation’ of the Party and the continuing Tory threat of No Deal. The Press, unlike the MPs, didn’t know which way to turn. Brexiter Press were running scared of the new group whilst more liberal, remain Press hoped for some kind of breakthrough.  There were recriminations, denials and accusations flying around as the various newspapers tried to come to terms with the fast-forming new political landscape. You can see how all sides of the Press lined up on the issue right here.

Brexit

In other news, it was still a pretty bad week for Brexit. Aviva moved assets worth £9bn out of the UK to Ireland. The US will support Ireland and not the UK over the issue of a hard border.  Tariffs on food will send prices soaring in the event of No Deal and the former World Trade Organisation boss warned that Brexiter No Deal trade plans are nonsense.

In more devastating news, Honda announced it was closing its Swindon plant. Brexiters immediately took their usual position of denial and denied it had got anything to do with Brexit. Remainers pointed to the recently signed free trade agreement, the largest ever made, between Japan and the EU as the final nail in the coffin for the UK car industry. Within seven years Japan will be able to import cars directly into the EU with zero tariffs making their investment in Brexit Britain redundant.

Middle East

The troubling case of Shamima Begum, the UK ISIS bride now with child, hit the headlines this week.  The Press, as you would expect, tried to ramp up the anti-Islam sentiments. The Government was accused of running away from the issue by removing Shamima’s UK citizenship. A move that was seen as dangerous, racist and illegal.

World

In moves harking back to the Cold War, Putin has threatened to target both the US and Europe with nuclear missiles if Trump deploys intermediate range missiles to the EU.

Environment

In continuing harrowing environmental news this week, Australia will let toxic sludge be dumped near the Great Barrier Reef, the biggest threat to health in the UK is air pollution and plummeting biodiversity will severely damage food production.

Science

And in our favourite headline of the week, a 12 year old created a nuclear reaction in his playroom lab.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 16 September

 

 

Brexit

Bank of England chief, Mark Carney, joined in with the various government warnings on a No Deal Brexit.  After alerting the public to the facts that a No Deal Brexit would be as bad as the 2008 financial crisis with rapidly rising interest rates and unemployment along with rapidly falling house prices. Carney was, of course, accused of spreading doom and gloom by Brexiters.

In more Brexit financial news, New York replaced London as the world’s top financial centre as uncertainty over Brexit continues.

 

 

Politics

After his burqa row, Boris Johnson continued with his inflammatory language commenting on Theresa May’s ‘Chequers Plan’.  Johnson decided to liken it to the Prime Minister putting ‘a suicide vest’ on the UK economy.

In more Boris Johnson news, the Government has been accused of ‘a power grab’ through changing constituency boundaries.  These proposed changes will reduce the number of MPs.  It will also reduce the majority of many Conservative MPs and puts both Boris Johnson’s and Jeremy Corbyn’s seats at risk.

 

 

Society

The Home Office warned of an ever-growing terror threat from the far right. For the first time there were more white people arrested on terrorism charges than any other ethnicity.

Mark Carney was back with more disturbing news. The Bank of England are considering the possibility that with the new industrial revolution and AI, people may never be able to retire in the future.

 

 

Austerity

This week Austerity stories demonstrated how cuts are having a real impact on everyday lives.

The Home Office admitted it had no idea how budget cuts were affecting the Police even though the Police were also preparing for civil unrest in the case of a No Deal Brexit. Proof of the effect of cuts wasn’t long in coming.  London’s Met Police dropped tens of thousands of cases.

The NHS financial crisis has long been in the news but this week it emerged that the NHS is selling its land at an increasing rate.

A report also revealed some incredible inequality in the UK. People in wealthier areas enjoy 19 more years of good health than people in the poorest areas.

 

 

Middle East

There have been many gruesome stories in the Syrian conflict. Idlib appeared to be potentially one of the worst with the UN predicting a humanitarian crisis if Assad’s Idlib offensive continued. Despite talk of attacks and counter attacks amongst the super powers, the threat of chemical weapons and the potential for one of the worst atrocities of the war, a ceasefire was established.

 

 

Environment

Two great stories this week really stood out.

After freak blizzards in Africa, there was snow on the Savannah and a US state didn’t like the idea of rising sea levels so passed a law against it.