Freggyragh

'Believing' and 'Knowing' are two, barely similar concepts. 'Believing, on the basis of evidence' and 'Believing, on the basis of what I want to happen, or the basis of what a large number of culturally similar people believe' are also wildy different concepts.

QT from Clacton-on-Sea provided us with the best and most logical, well thought out argument for brexit I've heard yet. Well done to the lady who pointed out that when she went to France and Germany they were 'going up on their roofs with nothing'. If you saw it you'll have to agree, it was the most intelligent brexit point yet.

Comma after [Or], fullstops after [quantity] and [wrong].

I was going to contribute to this thread, as I thought it was about Boris Johnson and his lying, including about brexit. Am I to understand that that is not allowed now, to save the feelings of the true believers?

Brexit is a failure. Even Nigel Farage admits it. Now, the spivs will tell you it's not proper brexit, as if the EU is somehow to blame, or that brexit is only shit because Johnny Foreigner is being vindictive and forgotten that the British are special — the one thing they won't tell you is that, after behaving awfully for years, they now owe Britain a huge and sincere apology.

I don't think there's much doubt that an independent Scotland pays more in than it gets out, but even it was poorer per head now it wouldn't be if it was independent. Leasing fees from the US for Faslane alone would be huge. A border would be bad from England and Scotland, but access to the Single Market would negate that if one, or more likely both, rejoined. You'd be wrong to think it's all about money though. Look at Northern Ireland — a failed state without a democratic government, a union that costs the UK far more than the EU ever did — but the English seem prepared to go to any lengths to keep their last big(ish) colony.

I'm not disputing that it is strategic loss, just pointing out that it the Ukrainians were able to defend this town for seven months.

Worth remembering that Soledar had a pre-war population only slightly larger than Ramsey.

I realised in 1976, when my parish commissioners decided what we all needed was a silver jubilee mug and a union jack festival, that the English royal soap opera is for morons and consumers of the moronic English media. The ceremonies and fancy dress are ok, because the squaddies can put on a decent show, the rest of the circus is drivel. The spoilt multi-millionaire man-baby whinging that he didn't his fare share and charging morons £14 each to read about it isn't an aberration. That family is all about milking a ridiculous situation, the only benefit of which is keeping in check the pomposity of England's bloody awful political leadership.

Hate to break the news to you, but there's no empire left, so the EU has far better trade deals than the UK can possibly negotiate on its own. Even hardcore brexiters acknowledge that, except for the super wealthy, everyone was obviously going to be much poorer. (though they believe it is worth it for 'sovereignty') If there's a benchmark for Scotland it is the ROI per capita GDP of USD$99,152, compared to the UK per capita GDP of USD$47,334 (2021 stats). Ireland's per capita GDP was 63% of Scotland's at independence in 1922. It is now 122%. The gap has, of course, been widening rapidly since brexit — and their rivers aren't full of sewage either. So, support for Scottish Independence is pretty solidly in favour now, and has been for some time.

The top three healthcare systems in the world are said to be those of Denmark, Austria and Japan. Denmark's is better funded than the NHS by higher taxes. Austria has a two-tier system whereby those who can buy additional insurance, so the portion funded by government is lower. Japan's system only covers 70% of costs (with safety nets), so you have a financial incentive to stay healthy, but won't be ruined by the cost. The NHS is entirely free at the point of delivery, services an ageing and unhealthy population and is underfunded. The tories cashed in the goodwill of NHS staff long ago, as they have with teachers. We all know now that brexit was about protecting the super-wealthy from paying tax. They will have to pay though, because doctors, nurses and teachers won't work otherwise. In the past I would have said that teachers, nurses and doctors, etc, should never strike, but there's no getting away from it, the government has screwed them too hard and too long. Either the government will have to pay, or they will have to privatise.

In reality, it already has. England voted to leave the EU knowing full well what Scotland and occupied Ireland thought about brexit. Ireland had the lowest GDP per head in the these islands 100 years ago, now it has the highest. Occupied Ireland had failed, and Scotland, with all the water and renewables, and very little of the empire complex, will leave. I'm sorry about that, because now would be a good time to stick together — but realistically, who wants to live in the economic sewage fillled backwater little tory brexit england has chosen to be?

Could you explain how Hitler or Mussolini were good leaders? Seems to me like they got a lot of their followers killed, and destroyed their countries. Did I miss something?

Oh. So her skin colour, religion and gender had nothing to do with the story, except that it seems some people think she should have been dealt with differently because said she was a christian, or praying, or white.

Exactly. Our representatives should be pointing out that whilst perhaps being aligned with the UK has been mostly mutually beneficial in the past, and the links we have are strong, there are other countries we could align with that have far better trade advantages and all round better governance. To back that up, our MHKs should be working a little harder at exploring what other countries might offer.

I know quite a few elderly 'less than clever' Daily Express / Daily Mail readers who are just waking up to the fact that most of those foreigners that used to staff the NHS, the dentist's, the vet's and the chemists have gone, and won't be replaced, so waiting times and costs are just going to keep on getting worse. This effects them more than the economy, which they can blame on incompetent politicians, covid, or Putin, but even they are slowly realising the idiocy of Brexit.

Leavers still have their fingers in their ears, just like when Yellowhammer came out. Someone else's fault. Must be the airlines or the airports or something else run by furriners.

We live in a world where brexit chumps whose travel plans are in chaos are now, because they can't blame Europe, blaming the airport operators and airlines — the very people who warned them that brexit would make it impossible to staff the air industry. The penny will never drop with some people.

Not true. A lot of Rangers fans make a point of supporting England, and when they had money Rangers used to sign England players. Fans of most other clubs can't stand Rangers and so don't support England. Same dynamic applies somewhat to Celtic and the Republic of Ireland. Ask Scottish rugby fans who they support when England play South Africa or New Zealand, and you'll find that they, albeit without much enthusiasm, tend to favour their neighbours.

I was in favour of Scottish Independence when the UK was in the EU. I'm not so enthusiastic about Scottish independence now — at least until the Russia problem has been resolved. Given the Russian influence on both the extreme right-wing of Little England and some of the pro-indy Scot-Nats (eg; RT man Salmond), I'd prefer this debate be set aside for a few years.

Er, if you know anything about football you'll know about local rivalries. Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Everton, Man City - they all generally will each other to lose. Nothing to do with politics. No need to be so thin-skinned.

This English chauvinistic 'lover spurned' attitude of, 'go ahead and see how you get on without the reflected glory of us sometimes winning in the cricket against the four other countries who play it, and by the way you're not getting your share of the embassies or the government buildings in London, or the BBC or Armed Forces you also paid for' isn't going to win any 'no' votes — and is a recipe for a bad separation if it comes. A better approach from the English would be to respect that your mates who have stood by you through thick and thin might go their own way, and wish good look to them if they do. That way, they might not — but if they do, at least they leave as the best of friends (and allies). England and Scotland should study a bit more about the bad choices made when Ireland decided to opt out of the UK and think what are the best measures to take to avoid those mistakes.

When the tories needed a shameless liar to 'get brexit done', Boris was the man of the hour — problem was, he didn't just lie through his teeth to sell brexit, he seems to be unable to honest about anything at any time. Has there ever been a politician so disrespectful of his own character as this turd of a man?

Can you explain the woke content in say, PE, languages, English, Geography, RE, textiles, design tech, food tech, ICT, drama, music, history, mathematics, biology or chemistry? I'm struggling to imagine what you think 'woke' is. Thanks.

Hmmm, on second thoughts maybe I was being a bit generous there.