A Full Yorkshire Brexit

Nigel and Tallbloke chatting to stallholders on Barnsley market

Financial Times Dec 13:

“Where the Brexit party contested seats, they took more votes from Labour than the Tories, and Labour suffered greater losses on average where the Brexit party stood than where it did not.

“This was most evident in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber where the Brexit party had their best performances. For example, in the Don Valley seat, the Brexit party picked up 15 per cent of the vote as Labour’s share fell by 19 percentage points. Despite the strong showing by the Brexit party, the Conservative vote share ticked up from 42 to 43 per cent, allowing the Tories to unseat Labour’s Caroline Flint.”

Claim: No-deal Brexit would be a disaster for the climate

Misfits

It had to happen, didn’t it? ‘Project Fear’ merchants love to cite climate change and Brexit, so for them combining the two into yet another disaster rant is better still. Cue non-bendy bananas and missed emissions targets.
– – –
Boris Johnson’s leadership increases the likelihood of a hard exit from the EU, shattering the bloc’s solidarity and empowering a radical deregulation agenda, says Climate Home News.

The new UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, seems intent on leaving the EU with or without a deal on 31 October. The repercussions of a no-deal Brexit for the UK’s domestic climate policy – and its global climate leadership – could be disastrous.

For three decades, the UK has played a central role within the EU, consistently aligning itself with the green grouping of member states.

It contributed more than its fair share of the EU’s climate efforts, is penciled in for a significantly above-average contribution to the EU’s Paris Agreement pledge, and it has decarbonized faster than any other member state.

In a no-deal Brexit, the obvious first order impact is that the UK’s influence over the EU’s climate policy would end, and its successes at cutting emissions would no longer count to the bloc’s targets.

The loss of the UK’s influence at the table will be a major blow to European climate solidarity. It will undercut the EU’s future climate ambition by tilting the balance of power towards less ambitious member states – the likes of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This will damage the ability of the EU to project global leadership.

Even if the EU may be weakened, the UK government has been adamant that its climate diplomacy will fill the gap. It recently committed to reach “net zero” emissions by 2050, and to hosting Cop26 UN climate talks at the end of 2020.

However, in an ultra-hard Brexit, the one now on the table, the lofty ambition of UK leadership – like so much else associated with post-Brexit Britain – may be revealed as wishful thinking.

We must not forget the fantasy at the heart of Brexit – that the EU is rife with “Brussels bureaucrats” hell bent on regulating everything from the transport of smoked kippers to the bendiness of bananas.

Post-Brexit Britain, we have been reassured, is poised to “take back control” by casting off these pesky regulations.

Full article here.

The Long March To #Brexit : Current analysis

I’ve been on the March To Leave for a week, and just got a day off to visit family and give my plates of meat a rest. I’m back on the march tomorrow, so no time for a big write up yet. Here is my simple summary, as delivered to ITN news two days ago, and below, some more complex analysis of the current situation from Simon Pearson on twitter

As crowds gather for the #PutItToThePeopleMarch, Leavers say Remainers need to accept the result#MarchToLeavehttps://t.co/kP3pfGyiR4 pic.twitter.com/OK0uU2vp1a

— ITV News (@itvnews) March 23, 2019

I’ve worked it out. Bear with me…

1. The EU pronouncement on extensions to 12 Apr or 22 May was conditional on the WA being either approved or rejected.
2. For the WA to be approved or rejected Parliament has to have MV3.
3. No MV3 means no approval or rejection…👇

— Nomis 169 (@169Nomis) March 24, 2019

4. Which means EU dates become irrelevant and we still leave on 29 March.
5. Unless, that is, Remainers sieze control of Govt business from the back benches and across party?
6. But can they? To stop UK leaving on 29 March requires primary legislation – it is the law if the land.

The long march to #Brexit : Part One

• 

  Sixer of the fox patrol bearing the Union flag in 1972

When I was a ten year old kid back in 1974 I got a first inkling that my country becoming a member of an international club might have some downsides. One evening, I overheard my Grandfather, a veteran of two world wars, and my Dad, an engineer, discussing ‘the common market’. They both had misgivings about it being ‘the thin end of the wedge’. I don’t recall many of the details, but the following year during the referendum campaign, I chose to wear an ugly yellow pin badge handed out by local Labour party campaigners which said ‘NO’ on it in black block capitals. My sister chose the pretty white badge with the flying dove carrying an olive branch on it which said ‘YES’; a much more positive message from that nice Mr Heath.

By the age of twenty, I was far too busy riding fast motorcycles, courting young ladies and climbing mountains to be interested in international politics. It wasn’t until I joined the Motorcycle Action Group [MAG] that I learned about the increasing amounts of bureaucratic regulation emanating from Brussels which was affecting our lifestyle. This reached a head in 1992 when the Brussels commissioners sent a raft of new legislation called the ‘Vehicle Multi-directive’ to the European parliament for rubber stamping.

Britain’s supply of electric cars at risk from Brexit: think-tank

Credit: mining.com

As with climate, there’s always another Brexit scare story coming off the production line. This one comes via news agency AFP.

Britain risks a shortage of electric cars after Brexit as carmakers will lose an incentive to sell low-emission vehicles there, a Brussels-based think-tank warned.

Because British sales will no longer count towards carmakers’ EU carbon dioxide targets, they may choose to sell to other European countries instead, the Transport and Environment (T&E) group warned.

Britain was the third largest market for zero emission vehicles in the EU last year and the largest for plug-in hybrids, the group said in the report obtained by AFP.

At last: Britain preparing to scrap EU renewables targets after Brexit

Enthusiasm fading for renewables targets?

This could put a bit of sanity back into UK electricity generation policy, if it happens.

Britain is preparing to scrap EU green energy targets which will add more than £100 to the average energy bill as part of a bonfire of red tape after Brexit, says the GWPF.
 
Government sources told The Daily Telegraph that the target, under the EU Renewable Energy Directive, is likely to be scrapped after Brexit.

The UK is currently committed to getting 15 per cent of all energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2020. Ministers have long been critical of the targets because they exclude nuclear power, carbon capture or gains from energy efficiency.

The UK is currently on course to miss the target and incur millions of pounds in fines from the European Union.

Heathrow or Gatwick: Runway decision tomorrow

Heathrow expects… [credit: your.heathrow.com]

One thing’s for sure – they won’t be adopting the Guardian’s solution of no more runways ever. When one battle ends another will start, as ITV News reports.

The Government will tomorrow make a decision on where a new runway for the south should be built and Heathrow is expected to be the winner.

But it is expected that Gatwick could also be allowed to expand at a later date. The decision will then be subject to consultation ahead of a vote by MP’s in early 2018.

Brexit uncertainty strengthens the case for UK shale

[credit: cityam.com]

Jamie Ashcroft in Proactive Investor explains why declining North Sea gas and a weaker pound make a compelling case for pushing on with UK shale gas developments without further delays.
H/T GWPF

The pending exit from the European Union strengthens the argument for the development of Britain’s currently untapped shale gas resources.

Britain’s energy security should be a concern whether it remains in the EU or not, though the vote to leave makes this an increasingly acute issue. Quite simply Britain doesn’t produce enough gas of its own.

Brexit will make it harder for UK climate policies, Climate Minister warns

The UK Guardian newspaper is already wringing its hands over the effect of the Brexit vote on its hopes of seeing UK lands and shores smothered with wind turbines. UKIP getting some power on a Welsh climate committee has also spooked the paper. Of course the central problem remains: what happens when the wind doesn’t blow?
H/T GWPF

Offshore wind project in North Wales[image credit: northwales.com]

Brexit will make it harder for Britain to play its role in tackling climate change, the UK energy and climate secretary has said.

But Amber Rudd said that the UK remained committed to action on global warming and Whitehall sources have told the Guardian that on Thursday she will approve a world-leading carbon target for 2032.

Brexit: Paris climate agreement will have to be rewritten

Credit: thenewdaily.com.au

Britain will have to negotiate its own climate agreement after quitting the EU, the GWPF reports. This could be interesting if – as seems likely – climate sceptics are prominent in the new UK leadership.

Top UN climate change official Christiana Figueres said Britain’s decision to leave the EU meant the Paris agreement would need to be redrawn. This could delay EU ratifi­cation of the deal, which is already under pressure because India and Russia have said they were ­unlikely to sign this year.

Unless the Paris agreement is ratified this year by countries representing more than 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it will be vulnerable to being scrapped completely by a future Donald Trump presidency in the US.

Brexit’s energy lesson for California, et al

Credit: Wikipedia

Sanity went out of the window some time ago in the Western world’s ideas on electricity supply, and California’s leaders have been keen to lead that type of charge, in league with ‘green’ pressure groups, as Somewhat Reasonable points out.

“California’s largest utility and environmental groups announced a deal Tuesday [June 21] to shutter the last nuclear power plant in the state.” This statement from the Associated Press reporting about the announced closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant should startle you.

The news about shutting down California’s last operating nuclear power plant, especially after Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) had sought a 20-year extension of the operating licenses for the two reactors, is disappointing—not startling.

What should pique your ire is that the “negotiated proposal,” as the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) called it, is between the utility company and environmental groups—with no mention of the regulators elected to insure that consumers have efficient, effective and economical electricity.

Brexit: Australia to team with NZ to negotiate new trade, immigration deals

Credit: britzinoz.com

Needless to say the Brexit vote in the UK has not passed unnoticed in political circles ‘down under’, as ABC News Australia reports. New opportunities beckon.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced Australia will team up with New Zealand in a bid to negotiate new trade and immigration deals in the wake of the Brexit vote in the UK.

He has also ordered an urgent review from Treasury officials and diplomats over the implications of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

This is the Big One: #Brexit for Britain

 

https://twitter.com/RogTallbloke/status/745818092668862464

It’s half past four, and I’m about to get ready for the ‘dawn raid’ – a last minute leaflet drop to our pledged supporters reminding them it’s polling day today. Tom Banks and I have organised this across the 54 parliamentary constituencies of the Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire region.

Working on the ground campaign over the last three months, I’ve met thousands of people willing the Leave campaign on to victory. It has been an honour and a pleasure to work with so many dedicated people who all want to make Britain a better country. We share a vision of a free, fair, globally trading nation which lives in peace, at ease with itself, under its own laws.

#Brexit campaign day ‘disappeared’ by Press Association

Yesterday, around 3,500 Grassroots Out campaigners ran a countrywide action day to get their message out to the public at hundreds of street stalls in town centres across Britain.

The event in my home town Leeds was well supported by local campaigners from across several political parties as well as non-aligned Brexiteers and got a hugely positive response from shoppers in the town centre.

The Press Association, whose stories are syndicated by many news outlets published a story about the #GOactionDay entitled “Brexit backers report 3,500 campaigning in biggest day of action so far”, which was picked up and republished by many titles, including The Daily Mail amongst many others.

#Brexit The Movie: Update on Progress gives Talkshop a mention

Update from Martin Durkin’s team at WAG TV, with lots of links and a mention for the Talkshop!

We’ve said it before but we can’t really say it enough: THANK YOU all so very, very much for making BREXIT THE MOVIE a reality!

We’ve been amazed and truly honoured by the enthusiasm and support for this project. In total, we’ve raised an incredible £114,000 from a total of 1,685 backers.

But there’s no time to sit back and reflect on our success – BREXIT THE MOVIE is racing full steam ahead! We’re off to Newcastle on Wednesday, with shoots in Brussels and Switzerland also coming up very soon. Green screens and studio spaces are hired, and we’ve started hoarding reams of paper (but you’ll have to wait to find out why…..)

BREXIT THE MOVIE will be released in the first week of May– exact date TBC soon! Following the Premiere, the film will be online for the world to watch the very next day.

#Brexit The Movie Reaches £100k Target

We started our campaign to support Martin Durkin’s kickstarter project on Feb 1st and today an increased donation from the generous readers at the Talkshop pushed the total raised to the £100,000 target.

This is a people funded project to finance a project for the people. My heartfelt thanks to all at the Talkshop who have supported and assisted our contribution to making this happen.

David Davis MP: #Brexit – what would it look like?

Oct 23-24 2015  Yougov   Feb 3-4 2016

Reblogged from Rt Hon David Davis MP’s website, this is a comprehensive look at the case for Brexit.

David Davis: Brexit – what would it look like? – 4 February 2016

It has been over 43 years since Britain joined the European Economic Community. For all that time there have been calls for Europe to reform. For Europe to be more democratic, more competitive, more functional. And for Britain to lead that reform.

The result? If anything Europe has become less democratic, less competitive and more dysfunctional. And Britain has become more side-lined.

The EU has been in decline for some time now. There is no change of course in sight. The risks involved in staying are clear for all to see – low growth, high unemployment, and waning influence.

In 1975 the EU was the bright future, a vision of a better world. Now it is a crumbling relic from a gloomy past. We must raise our eyes to the wider world.

#Brexit: The Movie needs your help

 

UPDATE: The talkshop pledge is now up to £500 + a reserve, see comments.

We see your pledge going up – Thank you @RogTallbloke and your readers! @kickstarter @Martin_Durkin

— Brexit:The Movie (@BrexitTheMovie) February 2, 2016

Brexit: The Movie, is a new project set up by Martin Durkin, of ‘The great Global Warming Swindle’ fame. Martin is a top documentary maker, but none of the big TV channels are going to finance this one. Check out the trailer above and you’ll know why.

Climate sceptics have a lot of reasons to be eurosceptics too, given the nutty energy policy being dictated to the UK from Brussels thanks to their mad climate policies.