[0762]

We had dumping of raw sewage up here in Scotland many, many years ago - into the Forth Estuary and it made headline news as there was a huge amount of poo from Seafield Treatment Works that drew a huge public outcry. It's not a perfect scenario up here, but I'd say the overall picture in our rivers and beaches since then is fairly good compared with what has been highlighted down south. Plus IMO public ownership is paramount in the management of such an important natural resource for public needs, farming etc. I'm glad any move to privatise this particular valuable resource (bearing in mind the threat of climate change) has always been resisted. Re the polio issue, I perceive we eradicated polio years ago and yet traces of it have been found recently in the London area and it is reckoned to have "travelled" to the USA, New York City (?). I'm wondering if the pathogen has been gradually "brought in" by certain incomers as polio is clearly active in certain other countries abroad.

---

I'm reading a critical report on the Brexit damage to the seed potato industry in Scotland. Before Brexit, 77k tonnes of seed potatoes left these shores, 20k tonnes going to European nations. This trade has been decimated beyond belief. For example, a seller in Auchterarder used to sell 40 high value varieties, completely lost all exports, half the company's sales, had a domestic market of 500M million people. Now cut to 50 million and number of varieties drastically cut. The owner's description of Brexit unprintable and no wonder! Also outrage recently when Scot farmers learned the EU ban on seed potatoes was a one-way deal and that some English growers were importing seed potatoes from Europe? My impression re the NFU of Scotland was their senior officials, landowners etc have always been well in with the Tories for "donkey's years" - when will they ever learn eh!!!?

[theo_luddite]

Farmers and fishermen alike fell for the baloney that we could leave and still have open access - well we could, if we'd stayed on as part of the Economic Area or the Customs Union, but no the shitheads wanted to go it alone and forge free trade agreements with exactly the same countries the EU now has free trade agreements with - such as Canada, Aus & NZ. Liz (copy and paste) Thatcher, sorry, Truss, has been doing a bostin' job on that front.

[hibeejim21]

Good old Liz, sticking to the French. That's just whats needed right now.


"Liz Truss may trigger article 16 days after becoming PM"

You would have to be literally nuts to do that, so possibly.

[theo_luddite]

Considering she's supposedly our number 1 diplomat in her current job, she hasn't a clue about diplomacy.

[0762]

She is nuts!! And she is bizarrely gonna be the next "lightweight" PM. Embarrassing and god knows what the likes of the French and the EU make of this "nutjob"! Who said intelligence and wisdom combine well in politics? It must have been evident during a different political era.

[ritchiebaby]

Intelligence and wisdom are a drawback in today's politics. That's why Keir Starmer has no chance of getting the top job.

Attention-grabbing headlines from "nutjobs" are what's required nowadays. Who needs the National Front when we have the Tories?

[0762]

That first line actually "ties in" nicely with an international news article that covered the rating of our own Scot First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon - an interesting article from an American journo, Ferrer Gotic, who said the FM is regarded as a good leader and hugely respected worldwide - not regarded as someone who is dividing Scotland, but a female leader in Europe and highly regarded with it. Many international observers watching the more aggressive and abusive manner in which she is treated in the UK by the MS media - the complete opposite of how the international media see her as a political leader in Scotland. Gotic describing it as "black and white". While observing that something is awry with the behaviour of leading politicians in the Brit govt in comparison with the FM's standing. I would just add that she has outlasted them all - Cameron, May, Johnson - all of these impostors gone and vying for the position of the worst PM in British political history, Johnson now number 1 on that list!!

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/bre...3eca111dc4

Brexit, the "monster in the room"? This is an understatement in this particular Guardian article that is "worth a read".

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/si...ea783f76bb

Maybe this is the start of Sinn Fein finally "upping the ante" against this utter shambles of a Brit govt/Brexit agreement (another negative Johnson legacy, a botch up!!), an EU exit forced on the NI people who never voted for it, much the same as voiced in Scotland!

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/li...50e0619dd9

Following on from my last thread, this pair of ultra RW morons should be nowhere near any govt position, let alone being let loose to cause potential mayhem in NI. And as for Baker, I'm surprised his person has not been violated at least once in the past two-three years - one of the most obnoxious Brexit-supporting politicians I've ever observed, a real scumbag of the highest order who prides himself in goading and clearly bullying different targets/individuals who don't agree with his extreme political views, a horrible specimen of a human being who prides himself being a nasty piece of shit.