Brexit, for once some facts.

Woosh

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Boris Johnson exceeded his usual buffoon self this morning on Marr's show.

“We’re not going to have the influence of the European Court of Justice, that’s just BBC claptrap, we’re not going to be paying in after we come out.
Yes there will be an implementation period, but after we come out we’ll have what is effectively a gigantic free trade deal with all sorts of bolt-ons, and the advantage of the new arrangements is that it will be possible for either side to do things differently, to do things in their own way.”

and we won't check the trucks at our borders?

In your dreams.
 

oyster

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flecc

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Putin previously cut off gas to Europe by about 60%, which sparked an energy crisis on the continent.

It is believed he made the rash decision after his orders to invade neighbouring Georgia in 2008 were swiftly condemned by the international community.
No, it was caused by a payment problem created by the Ukraine Orange revolution government and them cuddling up to the EU.

While the Ukraine long remained friendly to Russia they had enjoyed gas at a quarter of the world price. When they swung towards joining the EU and the threat of them adding to the NATO collar around western Russia, Putin upped the price of gas to three-quarters of the world price to give them a taste of what it could cost them.

The Ukraine's reaction was to stop paying for it in protest, so Putin quite rightly first cut and later severely limited the supply line. Since it was a common pipeline with much of Europe, they lost supplies in consequence.

As ever Putin was unfairly attacked by the West for doing that, but since the Ukraine was stealing the gas by refusing to pay what was still a very low price, he had no other option.

The Ukraine's reaction was to start buying gas from EU gas traders, which was Russian gas anyway, and that continued for two years until a Stockholm court ordered the Ukraine to restart buying from Russia again, costing the EU gas traders some $1 billion in sales each year.

The Swedish court also ordered the Ukraine to pay at least 80% for the gas, more than if they'd coughed up in the first place instead of stealing, and the Russian supplies to the Ukraine are fully back on track at 5 billion cubic metres per year.

Sometimes justice does prevail.
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oyster

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Boris Johnson exceeded his usual buffoon self this morning on Marr's show.
I didn't watch, but...

Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43448682
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43448682

And just what was he doing about it before Salisbury? Had he really wanted to tell us, maybe to inform us or to try to put some pressure on Putin/Russia to desist, he could have done so at any time since he took office. What did he actually do? Looks like he kept his trap shut until such time as he could see that saying something is in his interests. Cynical exploitation...
 

oldgroaner

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I didn't watch, but...

Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43448682
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43448682

And just what was he doing about it before Salisbury? Had he really wanted to tell us, maybe to inform us or to try to put some pressure on Putin/Russia to desist, he could have done so at any time since he took office. What did he actually do? Looks like he kept his trap shut until such time as he could see that saying something is in his interests. Cynical exploitation...
More likely he made it up, he has form on that score.
And by now they have received all the money from Russians they are going to get?
 
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flecc

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Cynical exploitation...
If the story about stockpiling is even true. Since there is international access and control to get rid of these weapons and the inspectors have just destroyed 40,000 tonnes of it in Russia to conclude their work there, maybe that's the stuff during the last ten years he was referring to from before it's destruction.

This story smells of WMD all over again and I would never trust Johnson on anything whatsoever.
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oldgroaner

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The Telegraph this morning
"
Bodies of dead Russian exiles may be exhumed over Putin's stockpiling of nerve agent for assassinations "

So now whatever Boris and TM say are proven facts?
And why would expensive and complex manufacturing sites that are monitored, or even less likely new facilities be set up to manufacture the minute quantities required to kill a handful of people?
What an expensive and dangerous way to dispose of enemies! there are so many simpler ways that cost virtually nothing, but then to blame Russia for those would be harder to do, which makes this all the more suspicious.

Surely the Russians would have simply put a small amount aside for a "Rainy Day" rather than take the risk and expense of making more?
And one might ask, just what are we doing at Porton Down, are our "hands clean"?

If the UK Government "Knew" stockpiling to be true why didn't they something about this before?
How will they respond if the Russians ask that Porton Down be visited by the International Inspectorate?
 
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oyster

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OK - so we were so lax about establishing cause of death that they were buried without adequate checking for the various toxic substances that could have been used? (Is this the result of the privatisation of pathology services?) Were pathologists and undertakers potentially exposed to nerve agents without adequate protection?

Or do we assume all is well unless there is obvious prima facie evidence of bad things being done?

(Bit of a surprise that Russia didn't make sure they were cremated or buried at sea.)
 
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oldtom

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Meanwhile, the corruption that predicates everything this tory government touches continues:

29386478_726821711039008_5916612086670792894_n.jpg

It doesn't seem to matter where one looks, this tory government is simply awash with corruption. If only the UK had an independent, un-politicised police agency empowered to investigate parliamentarians and all who donate large sums to political parties!

Tom
 
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tillson

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the dictionary gives the word a dual meaning
And comments like Boris's can backfire big time
Britain depends on supplies from Russia.
And Russia isn’t afraid to suddenly cut off gas supplies.
Putin previously cut off gas to Europe by about 60%, which sparked an energy crisis on the continent.

It is believed he made the rash decision after his orders to invade neighbouring Georgia in 2008 were swiftly condemned by the international community.
I don’t think much gas which originates in Russia comes here. We mainly buy liquified gas from them, but the % is small.

We need to remobilise King Arthur’s army of colliers and not rely on imports.
 

oldtom

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We need to remobilise King Arthur’s army of colliers and not rely on imports.
That's the spirit! It's clearly time to embark on another 'Buy British' campaign - that would have these foreign Johnnies histting themselves!

How proud we would feel exporting all our finest products and produce overseas with a Union Flag emblazoned on every item! It wouldn't take much to get the wheels of industry turning again and I'm sure the plans for the Austin Montego, Morris Marina, the Hillman Avenger and the Ford Crapi are still lying around somewhere. Garages all across Europe would be delighted at the boost to their business by repairing maintaining such simple and easy to mend models and I'm sure a good sales team comprising Nigel Farage and Clive Sinclair could persuade our European neighbours to invest in an up-to-date version of such rustbuckets attractive models.

Oh hang on!.......

Tom
 

flecc

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I don’t think much gas which originates in Russia comes here. We mainly buy liquified gas from them, but the % is small.
We are only buying 7% of ours in liquid form from Russia, but Europe as a whole is very dependent on Russian gas, and increasingly so.

Russia's gas exports to Europe rose 8.1 per cent last year to a new record level of 194 billion cubic metres, supplying close to 40 per cent of all Europe’s gas.
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Zlatan

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All the rhetoric in media against Russia and you,d think they,d invaded a country or something...
 

flecc

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All the rhetoric in media against Russia and you,d think they,d invaded a country or something...
Apparently they have been accused of invading one recently.

Britain of course has constantly invaded countries for a millenium, including several very recently. Indeed the UK's newest ships are designed solely for invading other countries and have no defensive capability.
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Wicky

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Did you click the link?

"Murray Douglas, research director at Wood Mackenzie, said: "Each cargo provides around 0.1 billion cubic metres of gas. UK gas demand so far in 2018 stands at 21.15 billion cubic metres. So, direct Russian gas imports to the UK have accounted for 1.4% of total supply so far."
 

flecc

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Did you click the link?

"Murray Douglas, research director at Wood Mackenzie, said: "Each cargo provides around 0.1 billion cubic metres of gas. UK gas demand so far in 2018 stands at 21.15 billion cubic metres. So, direct Russian gas imports to the UK have accounted for 1.4% of total supply so far."
I took it you were asking the question, it didn't show clearly as a link, they don't in this forum which is why I always enhance mine in bold.

The information in your link conflicts with other sources online, but either way it's only a small amount and the UK isn't dependent on Russian gas.
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Danidl

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Apparently they have been accused of invading one.

The UK of course has constantly invaded countries for a millenium, including several very recently. Indeed the UK's newest ships are designed solely for invading other countries and have no defensive capability.
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Correction .. the UK only started doing that in 1802. The franchise was transferred from an older entity GB after Scotland was annexed in 1707 ,but it took Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, to make the current. UK..

Which begs the question before 1707 was it lesser great Britain ie LGB?.
 
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