2 minutes ago, jpinx said:

Instead of being dismissive - why don't you try to explain how the economy markers are so good, but the pound is so weak -- all at the same time?

As always -- constructive facts please

I am not an economist so I wouldn't even try. What is very obvious to me is that if your economy is on solid ground you don't normally see your currency heading for the basement. The markets make their own judgement of an economy and what is the likely outcome and the markets thus far are taking the view that following the Brexit announcement the pound should go lower and every time May opens her mouth to express a view it goes lower still. I will go with Thatcher on this, "you cannot buck the markets"

31 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

 

... down the drain

 

Agreed its called reality. But be of good cheer apparently our economy is powering ahead just ignore the pound going towards the basement.

40 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes it is all doom and gloom.

 

"Business activity across England and Wales hit an 18-month high at the end of last year in a further sign that the economy has so far shrugged off the effect of the Brexit vote.

Lloyds Bank’s regional purchasing managers’ index for December showed “strong and accelerated growth”, the lender said, led by the east of England, the southwest and the west Midlands.

Companies reported rising order books and employment growth, pointing to a promising start to 2017, Lloyds said in a survey styled as the “leading economic health check” for the regions.

England’s PMI rose to 57.2 from 55.8 in November, well above the recent low of 47.4 in July recorded after the vote to leave the European Union.

Wales, where the majority of voters plumped for Brexit, scored 57.4, outperforming the UK average for the seventh month running. Any reading above 50 signifies a growth in activity."

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/business-activity-at-18-month-high-as-firms-shrug-off-brexit-qrmdrsck2

And apparently with our economy powering ahead our currency is plummeting. I thought if our economy was in such good shape we would see the pound rising but for some reason the markets see it otherwise.

May will open her mouth shortly and we will see another decline in the value of the pound, amazing with such a successful economy.

19 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Farage was not saying that with regards to the lowering pound but in relation to populism rising through Europe. There are lots of people happy with the exchange rate going down. The whole referendum is finally coming to a close, so the UK can get out. it is looking rosy for the UK, sadly to some posters on here who would be happy with an apocalyptic UK going back to the dark ages.

 

Well this man has just said that the UK did right by leaving and he will trade with the UK.  Take that one Obama.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/brexit-will-be-a-great-thing-you-were-so-smart-to-get-out-09gp9z357

Just a snippet from the article on a pay site.

 

"There is no rancour or glee in his prediction of the break-up of the EU, quite the opposite. His demeanour is warm and genial, the flame-throwing rhetoric of his rallies and press conferences replaced with showers of compliments. He describes Jean-Claude Juncker as a very fine gentleman, and says that he has great respect for Mrs Merkel.

His pessimism about the EU is rooted in his view of it as anti-jobs and anti-growth. And it springs, as so much of his world view does, from his experience as a businessman rather than any ideological preconception.

“I own a big property in Ireland, magnificent property called Doonbeg. What happened is I went for an approval to do this massive, beautiful expansion — that was when I was a developer, now I couldn’t care less about it . . . but I learnt a lot because . . . they were using environmental tricks to stop a project from being built. I found it to be a very unpleasant experience. To get the approvals from the EU would have taken years. I don’t think that’s good for a country like Ireland. So you know what I did? I said forget it, I’m not gonna build it.”

Mr Trump’s view is that Europe is dominated by Germany, and Britain was wise to extract itself: “You look at the European Union and it’s Germany. Basically a vehicle for Germany. That’s why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out.”

 

Mr Trump’s hostility to the EU has been matched by his scepticism towards another pillar of the postwar order, Nato. But the president-elect was at pains to emphasise that he is committed to the defence of Europe and the West. His concerns are, principally, that Nato had not reformed to meet the main threat that we face — Islamist terrorism — and its members had relied too heavily on America. “I said a long time ago that Nato had problems. Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago. Number two the countries aren’t paying what they’re supposed to pay. I took such heat, when I said Nato was obsolete. It’s obsolete because it wasn’t taking care of terror. I took a lot of heat for two days. And then they started saying Trump is right."

 I will just take one phrase which seems to sum up this drift into unreality, "it is looking rosy for the UK" . The markets think otherwise and as Thatcher often opined you cannot buck the markets.

2 hours ago, onthesoi said:

Sterling falls below $1.20 ahead of May’s Brexit speech

It's truly amazing that people voted for the tories because of their promises to fix the economy, reduce debt and immigration, to mend broken Britain and make it great again!  ...& here we are, the pound in the shitter, almost zero growth predicted, almost 0% interest rates,  debt mountain and immigration continue to rise.....& still the head dalek wants to go ahead with brexit, even though the pound is getting gang raped in the currency markets every time she mentions or lurches towards a hard brexit. 

As Farage announce recently almost gleefully to some like minded supporters, if you thought 2016 was bad, 2017 is going to be a whole lot worse, so that is something to look forward to.

Still trying to dig ourselves out of the 2008 financial crisis we shoot ourselves in both feet and throw the shovel away. 

23 minutes ago, baboon said:

Unless it's Ronald Reagan of course, then it's an entirely different matter.

and Arnold Schwarzenegger and who can forget Clint Eastwood's conversation with a chair.

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

What a diatribe. Why not just say you don't like the result, it's so unfair on poor Hilary who thought it was her turn, so the rules and result should be ignored?

Would you have said the same if Trump had won the popular vote - and what was the difference in % and % of population terms, and Hilary have won the EC vote?

 

 

I have no problem with the result, I was making the point that we all know who would have had a problem with the result had the situation been reversed. As evidence of this I quoted the tweets he made in the 2012 contest and the answer Trump gave during this election when asked would he accept the result. However I note that you have ignored all that.

Can you imagine if these results had been reversed. If Hilary had won the electoral college and Trump led by nearly 3 million in the popular vote. 

Four years ago, the political landscape was just a little different. At one point during election night, it looked like Mitt Romney might win the popular vote, but lose the Electoral College and presidency to Obama.
At the time, politician-in-waiting Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his displeasure with that democratic result. Given what happened last night in the popular vote and Electoral College, these tweets are probably worth revisiting.

We can't let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!

Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.

This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!

Our country is now in serious and unprecedented trouble...like never before.

and my favourite of all:

The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.

In fact Obama won the electoral college and the popular vote.

15 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

Not sure why anyone cares what an actor thinks. They're someone paid to spend their entire life being people they're not

Obviouly Donald does.

9 hours ago, Opl said:

 

"This instinct to humiliate when it's modelled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life," she said.

 

It's an attitude  that has to be denounced and fought, and Merryl Streep nailed exactly what makes Trump  odious to those ( and they are many) who care for at least some human values and respect.

 

Merryl Streep has the courage to  speak out publicly .

 

 

 

 

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter in August 2015 if there are any actresses that he loves, Trump praised the Florence Foster Jenkins star. “Julia Roberts is terrific, and many others. Meryl Streep is excellent; she’s a fine person, too,” he said. Not any more it appears.

11 hours ago, Grouse said:

 

I have given up. I now realise that too many of my countrymen are beyond redemption. Too poorly educated if you prefer. Easier for me to go. Too much of an uphill struggle the other way. So, off you go and ENJOY...

Well as far as UKIP is concerned Nigel Farage said he is relieved to no longer be Ukip leader because it had meant “having to deal with low-grade people every day”.

6 minutes ago, heybruce said:

 

 

 

I see, you believe the all-seeing eye of the government allows no crime committed by the rich and well connected to go un-noticed and un-prosecuted.  Nothing naive about that.

And all this from Ulysses G who states that he voted for Obama first time around which is about as believable as Trump stating that he has read the Bible.

58 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

You made the suggestion that he could clear up illegal financial ties to Russia. The government has access to his tax returns and if they had any such information, it would have already been leaked. His tax returns are nothing but another baseless left wing talking point - another excuse to bash the man. He doesn't have to release them to the public and he won't. 

Of course he will not release his tax returns, he never was going to. That bit about being under audit and thus being prevented from releasing his tax returns was another of his lies. Nixon released his tax returns while under audit and as so many other top business people and tax lawyers have stated there is nothing about being under audit that prevents you from releasing your tax returns. Just as he will continue to run his businesses that is another of his lies.

As for being a baseless left wing talking point, every candidate for that office in the past 40 years has released their tax returns and it was Donald Trump who was urging Romney in 2012 to release his tax returns when he was somewhat reluctant to do so.

It was on the internet so it must be true.

2 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

there is a lot of mutual 'didn't we do well'?  going on when, in fact, I believe Obama is a nice guy but WHAT did he achieve in 8 years?  good marks for an economy inherited from the disaster Bush but what else?

 

It seems to me they are self-congratulating about not completely 'mucking-up' but that's hardly cause for great celebrations is it?  I'd give them a 'C' at best.  

Well apart from the economic mess it took him less than 2 years to finally get the guy who masterminded the biggest single attack on the USA since Pearl Harbor whereas the previous incumbent who had 7 years to accomplish that task informed us towards the end of his tenure he wasn't even thinking of Bin Laden.

20 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

Now THIS we agree on. That is certainly how I felt. However, now that he is in office, I am willing to give him a chance. I have been happy with the way that he has softened some of his positions and like some of the things that he intends to do.

 

I find the people who just want revenge -  because he proved them wrong - and want nothing more than to delegitimize his presidency,  sickening. They attack absolutely eveything that he says and does and are not sincere about their reasons for doing it. Their problem is that they have falsely cried wolf so often that no one is paying attention anymore.

Very much like what happened to Obama and one of the chief culprits was none other than the present President elect and his birther nonsense.

41 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Maybe use correct terminalogy to make your analogy to avoid confusion.

Using the USA, as BOTH Head of State (like the UK Queen) and Head of Government (like the UK PM) the POTUS does have some clout without congressional approval to negotiate and sign treaties. But they are not legally binding without congressional approval.

 

With regard to the UK, it appears (as I am not an expert in English law) that "under English law the capacity to negotiate and conclude treaties falls entirely within the executive [PM and Cabinet] arm of government.Nominally, Parliament plays no role at all in this process." BUT it appears that the UK Parliament has the theoretical  (as in when it so chooses) power to intercede in such a process.

http://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2829&context=cklawreview

 

UK Treat-making.pdf

Nothing has changed as Professor Michael Dougan so eloquently points out.

"The United Kingdom is a sovereign state under international law. There is no doubt whatsoever that the parliament in Westminster is the supreme law making authority in this country.

If the UK courts sometimes give priority to EU law in the event of a conflict with domestic law, it is purely because our parliament has expressly instructed them to do so in our own legislation."

Once again, parliament in Westminster is the supreme law making authority. Oliver Cromwell fought and won that battle in the 17th century and joining the EU hast changed that one bit.

4 hours ago, Happy Grumpy said:

 

Thai Buddhism. 

 

Very kind, peaceful, respectful. Just with the odd bit of murder, violence, drug running and money laundering from time to time. 

Alas it has been thus in the three Abrahamic religions throughout the centuries, no need for this to be any different.

4 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

I suggest you check out Gordon Brown's attendance at the commons after the 2010 election if you want to talk about taking the money and doing nothing.... Brown and Blair wanted to be commissioners but were rejected by the very people I am talking about.

Do you really believe in the EU project?

Can you not see what is and has been going on for 40+ years?

Do you believe in a democratic system?

And I ask you this; when your young kids ask: "Is Santa real?"

What do you say?

"Of course, but his real name is Junker, Tusk and Schulz..."

 

 

I don't have to go as far as the EU I just look at our own second chamber consisting entirely of the un-elected and until Blair came along and pushed the reforms only there due to an accident of birth or appointed for services rendered to some party or other. (I assume you don't approve of the Lords since you appear such a strong advocate of democracy) I don't have to go as far as the EU to look at corruption which is going to be part of whatever system you have but our own un-elected Lords let alone MPs have had their fair share of corruption. one of them now leads UKIP in Wales.

5 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

I give up, the electric supply died before I could reply and I can't be bothered to type it all again.

Briefly:

Glenys is in the HoL as is Neil. Brown made her a minister in the UK government. Yes she was elected as MEP for South Wales. What did she achieve in 15 years for the electorate?

The two have made millions out of their EU jobs and pensions.

 

So you agree she was elected now you have decided to ask what she achieved in that time which is something I am sure you do for every MEP or even every UK MP for that matter. Ones such as Farage who attended 1 out of 42 committee meetings he was elected to serve on and represent his constituents. However despite claiming maximum expenses while he was not attending these meetings I am sure he will also be forgoing his MEP Pension just to set an example. However its very noticeable that among all the MEPs that have been elected and all the Commissioners that have represented the UK since we have been members of that body the only two people that people mention on this forum are the Kinnocks. 

4 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Yes, and funny how the "left" forget they changed horses. Neil Kinnock, who was a Eurosceptic as was Corbyn, has made £10m from his time in Brussels along with his wife who never won an election in her life.

We talk about corruption in Thailand, but it is just a drop in the ocean compared to the trough the Eurocrats have their noses in.

Glenys Kinnock served for 15 years as the elected MEP for South Wales East.

In the UK we have a whole second house of Parliament to which nobody gets elected. 

9 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

 

Thank God, I was worried that 18% fall in the value of Sterling was real!

Also that left winger that currently occupies the post of Chancellor announced that Brexit had blown a 50 billion pound hole in the public finances, must be propaganda. Only recently Farage another left winger announced almost gleefully to some like minded friends that if we thought 2016 was bad then 2017 was going to be a whole lot worse.

I used to produce two letters from the Bangkok Bank, one showing the current balance and the other showing that the annual pension transfer had come from the UK and was done 3 months prior to my application. However for the past two years they have returned the proof of transfer letter and seem only interested in the current balance.

46 minutes ago, humqdpf said:

I get the feeling that the media just took the bait on this one.

Boris is far to good a political operator to make an obvious mistake. Instead, I think that this was all cooked up by the Prime Minister and Boris together for several reasons:

 

1. Someone needed to say something about this Sunni-Shia proxy war that has been going on for years and Theresa May is motivated possibly for religious reasons (she is a vicar's daughter) and to save Britain having to intervene in the Middle East yet again

2. Theresa May also needed a reason to show that she is a bit of an "iron lady" by putting Boris in his place. It would also play well with the Remain group in her party and show the Brexit supporters among the Tories that she is no push-over.

3. Boris gets to polish his credentials as the rebel of a sort, who gets to say it the way it is. Remember, he still has his eye on the prize of being prime minister one day.

 

 

 

You appear to have overlooked Occam's razor which basically states that the simplest explanation is usually going to be the correct one. In this case no need to look for some complex convoluted reason, Boris did the usual and put his foot in it. As it happens for once I tend to agree with him, it must be that pill I took this morning they told me it had side affects.