U.K. Politics: Boris Johnson referred to police (AGAIN) over potential Covid rule breaches

[jio]

It won't dissolve because it serves an EU policy. Unless of course another concentration camp (the one Turkey proposes in Syria and the one that Germany supports which is based on massive ethnic cleansing) goes ahead.

[heppolo]

After another election defeat Zac Goldsmith was given a cabinet position and a peerage

[Wayne]

After another election defeat Zac Goldsmith was given a cabinet position and a peerage

He's the second person - Nicky Morgan will also be seated in the Lords as she's now no longer in an MP position and she'll retain a cabinet position as Culture Secretary.

It's ridiculous.

[heppolo]

He's the second person - Nicky Morgan will also be seated in the Lords as she's now no longer in an MP position and she'll retain a cabinet position as Culture Secretary.

It's ridiculous.

Shows the quality of those elected MPs if BoJo had to dig deep into the losers' bench.

[Thriller]

The UK is due to leave the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal was passed by MPs.

On 20 December 2019, MPs voted 358 to 234 - a majority of 124 - in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which now goes on to further scrutiny in Parliament.

Assuming the European Parliament also gives the green light, the UK will formally leave the EU on 31 January with a withdrawal deal.

However, this would only mark the next step in the Brexit process. Following its departure, the UK will enter a transition period until 31 December 2020.

During this period, the UK's trading relationship with the EU will remain the same while the two sides negotiate a free trade deal. At the same time, many other aspects of the UK's future relationship with the EU - including law enforcement, data sharing and security - will need to be agreed.

If a trade deal is ready in time, the UK's new relationship with the EU can begin immediately after the transition. If not, the UK faces the prospect of having to trade with no agreement in force. This would mean checks and tariffs on UK goods travelling to the EU.

Mr Johnson has also ruled out any form of extension to the transition period, meaning the clock is already ticking.

[matthew_dixon]

How did the vote go in everyone's constituencies? I voted Labour and got a Labour MP.

I voted Labour, as a tactical vote, and got a Labour MP.

Result was a shocking example of how badly First Past The Post works in terms of actually representing the views of the people. I would much rather we had something more proportional like we have in Wales and Scotland, where we still have perfectly functioning governments, even when they're frequently either minority governments or coalitions.

The other interesting thing was the breakdown of the votes - as analysed by the "exit poll" (which is always near enough spot on). It suggested that the old days of "working class = Labour / middle class = Tory" has totally broken down. In fact, working class people were the more likely demographic to vote Tory, albeit not by that much. The big differences were a truly stark differential in ages - younger people really overwhelmingly voting Labour (65%+) - and older people overwhelmingly voting Tory (65%+). There has been a bias before of younger people voting Labour and older ones voting Tory, but never to that extent, AFAIK. Also, and make of it what you will, a majority of people (i.e. over 50%) who quit school at 16 voted Tory, whilst if only those with degrees had voted, we would actually have a Labour majority government.

Going forward, Labour have the real challenge to deal with at present - where do they go from here? Their most popular periods in terms of share of the vote were in 1997 and 2001 (Blair prior to him going into war in Iraq) and in 2017 (at the height of Corbyn-mania). Quite how you get the best of both of those and put them together, I'm not sure, but I think there's some amongst their leadership contenders who might stand a reasonable chance at doing that.

[Thriller]

This article pretty much sums up how I feel: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices...-a9312436.html

The people the BBC chose to interview last night make me feel so ashamed to be British. Members of the great unwashed, clearly uneducated enough to actually know how to respond could only muster up something about “independence” and “sovereignty” - independence from what? Have we been freed from shackles that have hampered our every day existence?

It makes my blood boil that these people, these Proles, have decided on aspects of my future against my will.

[Wayne]

I mourn our exit - I love my family and I truly would never wish them any ill will but sitting in my car yesterday and listening to my Nanna talk about how delighted she was to leave the EU made me feel really sad. And then watching those interviews on the BBC, people referencing us getting our courts back from Germany (WTF) and regaining sovereignty - so disappointed.

I read something today about the voting stats and some clever person has predicted that we'll be back in the EU by 2036 (as that's when the majority of those who voted "OUT" will be dead).

[stevyy]

THIS hurts me.



I hope everything works out for the UK.

[Goldmoney]

I guess y’all aren’t doing that much better than Amerikkka.

[stevyy]

I guess y’all aren’t doing that much better than Amerikkka.

We are just one step behind burning other countries' flags... Europe is probably worse than AmeriKKKa now. In Europe it is illegal to resue people in the Mediterranean from drowning.

Yalls got dying children in cages, we got dead children bodies washed up on our shores. The keyword is, there is too many children DYING.

[LittleLinda]

THIS hurts me.



I hope everything works out for the UK.

Give it some time. Eventually they'll realise that their problems didn't magically disappear after leaving the EU and they fell for the oldest trick in the book: Being presented with a scapegoat that turned out not to be the root of the issue.

[heppolo]

Give it some time. Eventually they'll realise that their problems didn't magically disappear after leaving the EU and they fell for the oldest trick in the book: Being presented with a scapegoat that turned out not to be the root of the issue.

Tories will find a new scapegoat (migrants, different religions/race, etc.), that's what they do best.

[Jonathan]

EU Musicians Will Now Require Visas to Tour in Post-Brexit UK

The new system, which asks EU artists to prove they have £945 in savings, takes effect in 2021

The United Kingdom’s Home Office has announced new regulations that will require musicians from the European Union to apply for Tier 5 visas in order to tour in the UK once the Brexit transition period ends in December 2020.

The UK’s new “points-based immigration system” will end free movement from EU-member countries to the UK, subjecting musicians—as well as athletes and other entertainers—traveling from the EU to the same regulations as those traveling from outside the EU. The Tier 5 visa, which currently carries a £244 application fee, also requires a certificate of sponsorship and for workers to prove that they have at least £945 in savings for 90 days before they apply. Current regulations allow workers to travel throughout the UK without any fees or work permits.

Non-EU workers can currently apply for a 30-day Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) visa, though the process is arduous enough to have discouraged musicians from applying. The eligibility requirements also appear to disqualify touring bands who plan to continue their tour outside the UK.

Musician advocacy groups have been calling for the UK to adopt a 2-year, multi-entry visa. The Home Office has given no indication they plan to consider such a visa, despite culture minister Nigel Adams’ insistence that “touring is absolutely the lifeblood of the industry.”

[stevyy]

poor Rammstein... They have 3 concerts lined up in the UK this summer. A-Ha is also on tour there.

Also poor Niall Horan.

[Thriller]

poor Rammstein... They have 3 concerts lined up in the UK this summer. A-Ha is also on tour there.

Also poor Niall Horan.

They’ll be fine this summer, it’s from 2021. The savings thing seems harsh on smaller artists who might not necessarily have savings!

[Rihab]

Will be interesting to see if / how the EU reciprocates. EU artists could lose one market, British artists 27.

[Leo]

In a year in which Brexit dominated the UK Politics, UKmix name this the top General News thread of the year.

[stevyy]

Will be interesting to see if / how the EU reciprocates. EU artists could lose one market, British artists 27.

among them are 4 of the current top 10 music industries in the world.

[Wayne]

This exams fiasco has been a total farce. For those who don't live in the UK, this has become a political shit-storm - in response to COVID meaning that A level students could not sit their exams, the government introduced a system that based on a really dodgy algorithm estimated the grades that students were likely to achieve were they to sit their exams. This resulted in widespread condemnation as the algorithm unfairly favoured certain groups and meant that a student predicted to get 3 A grades could conceivably walk out with 3 D grades. After widespread condemnation and backlash, the government changed their mind and went with teacher predicted grades (which is the same as what's happened with GCSE students below).

GCSE results rise as grades done on teacher assessments

GCSE results are up significantly on last year after a decision to base them on teachers' assessment.

Qualifications Wales estimated almost three-quarters of grades awarded were A* to C, with more than 25% A* and A grades - up from 18.4% last year.

It follows the uproar after last week's A-levels with 42% of moderated grades lower than teacher assessments.

A pupil at Mary Immaculate school in Cardiff said the fallout from A-levels had caused stress for GCSE students.

"But seeing my results today, I'm really happy and proud of myself," said Louis. "The results I got are the ones I wanted."

The exams regulator Qualifications Wales said its "best estimate" was that 74.5% of GCSE grades were awarded at A*-C, compared to 62.8% in 2019.

For GCSE, A-level, AS-levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate, pupils now receive the highest grade, whether that was their teacher's prediction or the standardised grades.

The A-level fallout escalated into a major political row and a U-turn by the Welsh government, amid similar moves elsewhere in the UK.

Before the U-turn, an algorithm was applied to grades to "standardise" them.

Though thousands of students are getting GCSE results, it was announced on Wednesday that BTec results issued by Pearsons exam board would be held back for regrading.

Revised A-level results showed 41.3% of grades were A* and A, compared to 29.9% when results were released last week and 27.0% in 2019.

But the exams watchdog said A-level results were likely to go up slightly when a pledge that pupils will get their AS grade if that was higher is taken into account.

What has happened with BTecs?

A BTec student said she found out she would not receive her results on the news and social media.

Ellie Kidd, who studies travel and tourism at Coleg Cambria, near Wrexham, said she was "distraught" not to find out her exam results today.

GCSE-age students in Wales can study for a BTec qualification or its Wales-only equivalent, Entry Pathways.

BTec is a brand owned by Pearson and Entry Pathways is run by the WJEC.

It is not known how many students are receiving grades from Pearson in Wales, although Education Minister Kirsty Williams said it was a minority.

There will be no re-grading of WJEC vocational qualifications and those students will receive their grades today.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Ellie said it had caused her "unnecessary stress" and she could not confirm her place to study Level 3 at college next year.

"To have released it the night before seems a little unnecessary and has panicked me and a lot of people," she said.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams told Radio Wales she was "sorry" it had happened to some students, but explained it was a problem with exam board Pearson, rather than the WJEC.

"I'm am very pleased that the WJEC have been able to make their adjustments to their awards and those students are unaffected," she added.

Ms Williams added the WJEC had been able to adjust grades in time for them to be published on Thursday.

Pearson apologised for the delay, but added its "priority is to ensure fair outcomes" for students and it would be working "around the clock to provide revised grades as soon as we can".

Pupils at Ysgol y Creuddyn, in Penrhyn Bay, Conwy county, are among those picking up their results.

Miriam said she was "happy" with her results after readjusting her expectations last week.

"It's been hard - I didn't expect to get good results after everything that happened with A-levels," she explained.

"I wasn't nervous till A-level results day," said Nell Davies, who picked her results up at Prestatyn High School, Denbighshire.

"So I was relieved when I sat we were getting [teacher] assessed grades rather than the algorithm."

Sameer Burney, also at Ysgol y Creuddyn, said it was a relief after such an uncertain period.

"I didn't know what to expect and it was made worse because my predicted grades weren't great, but since then I've worked hard," he explained.

As usual, pupils getting their grades found out results through their school but, due to the pandemic, some received an email rather than visiting the school in person.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53834013

[KEY9481]

Something similar happened to France, excessively high score at the Baccalauréat. 98% students passing (usually it's 88%).

[Wayne]

Expected but crikey...just shows you how much coronavirus has impacted the world - debt at 100% of domestic output for the first time in 60 years...

UK government spending on virus measures pushes debt to £2 trillion

UK government debt has risen above £2 trillion for the first time amid heavy spending to support the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Spending on measures such as the furlough scheme means the debt figure now equals the value of everything the UK produces in a year.

Total debt hit £2.004tn in July, £227.6bn more than last year, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Economists warned the situation would worsen before improving.

It is the first time debt has been above 100% of gross domestic product (GDP) since the 1960-61 financial year, the ONS said.

The July borrowing figure - the difference between spending and tax income - was £26.7bn, down from a revised £29.5bn in June.

It was the fourth highest borrowing in any month since records began in 1993. The three higher figures were the previous three months.

Those are big figures. What do they mean?

Ruth Gregory, senior UK economist at Capital Economics, said July's borrowing figure was "another huge sum and pushes borrowing in the year to date to £150.5bn".

"That is close to the deficit for the whole of 2009-10 of £158.3bn, which was previously the largest cash deficit in history, reflecting the extraordinary fiscal support the government has put in place to see the economy through the crisis."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "This crisis has put the public finances under significant strain as we have seen a hit to our economy and taken action to support millions of jobs, businesses and livelihoods.

"Without that support, things would have been far worse.

"Today's figures are a stark reminder that we must return our public finances to a sustainable footing over time, which will require taking difficult decisions."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53859299

[heppolo]

UK going downhill fast, the shockwaves of coronavirus are only starting to kick in

[KEY9481]

At least they have an excuse and they now can blame something else other than Brexit.

[BeeBoy]

At least they have an excuse and they now can blame something else other than Brexit.

I was thinking the exact same thing after reading the news. Suuuure It's only related to Covid