The broad sunlit uplands of next March. Yeah, really. .

[grantp]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

I was working for Lotus at the time when we sold the 7 project to Caterham. No-one really knew what the component cost of a 7 was. When an order was received, the storeman from Lotus Racing (the division responsible for the 7) pretty well knew by heart what went into the car & he simply went to the stores & picked the parts.

So, we ended up with him spreading out a complete car in component form on the floor of the Director's garage & I priced it up.

Sounds rather like the way things are done today in this thread's original subject focal point.

No one knows how much anything costs (or, indeed, what value it really offers) so when the simple but hard questions are asked someone either calculated an answer or makes something up.

Or both.

That's not especially unusual but where politicians are concerned the chances of coming to a sensible arrangement are much less than would be the case, normally, in business.

IMO.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Eurotunnel had the government and DaFT by the short and curlies; whichever way they would have tried to fight the case, they were going to be shown up for the shower that they are. And the £33 million isn't their money anyway, it's ours.

Failing Grayling has been a disaster in every job that he has been given by both Cameron and May. Makes you wonder what hold he has/had over them?

Two possibilities.

He has potential influence at a personal level in some way but is so bad at his job that the best option is to attempt to promote him out of harm's way into some sort of backwater sinecure job where he can be kept under lock and key.

Occasional by chance and circumstance such plans go awry and the incompetent gets the keys to the Kingdom.

The second possibility is that the character seem plausible in some way but not threatening to one's position and if they really screw up (but not too publicly) it makes those above them look competent by comparison when in fact no obvious element of their competence has been observed.

If you get both options in one person it may be considered as a bonus in some situations.

One can then blame the Civil Service.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

Two possibilities.

He has potential influence at a personal level in some way but is so bad at his job that the best option is to attempt to promote him out of harm's way into some sort of backwater sinecure job where he can be kept under lock and key.

The old ‘Peter Principle’ then! Trouble is that the individual concerned hasn’t been promoted out of harm’s way.....

Seems to be a suggestion that the continued employment is related to him running the PM’s leadership campaign a while back?

[Mike Bell]

Seems that things aren’t going too smoothly across the channel! 3 days work to rule by customs officials leading to trucks queuing into Belgium today for Dunkirk, Calais and Eurotunnel. Also according to TV news, disruption to Eurostar services as well..... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/47454150

And we’ve still 3 weeks to go!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Seems that things aren’t going too smoothly across the channel! 3 days work to rule by customs officials leading to trucks queuing into Belgium today for Dunkirk, Calais and Eurotunnel. Also according to TV news, disruption to Eurostar services as well..... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/47454150

And we’ve still 3 weeks to go!

This is the French unions trying to demonstrate to their government that a no deal Brexit will lead to big problems for the French as well as the UK.

[Mike Bell]

Indeed it is..... Let’s hope they’re convinced all will be honky-dory by the 29th!

[Peter Mallett]

Or they may just be taking advantage of the situation. The French authorities have already said they won't immediately impose additional checks.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Or they may just be taking advantage of the situation. The French authorities have already said they won't immediately impose additional checks.

I’m sure that is the case Peter. But if the unions aren’t satisfied by the end of the month, there’s nothing to stop them doing the same again- regardless of what the authorities have said......

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed. But they have no case for it other than being typically French about it.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Agreed. But they have no case for it other than being typically French about it.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Agreed. But they have no case for it other than being typically French about it.

Isn't that what all Unions would do when presented with an opportunity that might allow them to increase head count membership and thus additional dues and a larger head count for people they 'represent'?

If they can display and ability to generate diversions and create something that might lead to havoc at the same time thay will consider it a job well done.

Meanwhile the workers they represent will mostly be striving to obtain money any way they can without concern about the actions of the leadership.

[midgetman]

I don't know if you've seen the latest hoot(s).

Brexit is being blamed for the downturn in the world economy. And I thought we were a small nation that has no influence on the world stage outside the EU.

Mark Carney has revised his predictions of doom. In fact he's halved his predictions for the contraction of the UK economy post leaving. No-one knows what's happening at all, do they?.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Mark Carney has revised his predictions of doom. In fact he's halved his predictions for the contraction of the UK economy post leaving. No-one knows what's happening at all, do they?.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

That was because it was pointed out that the dire predictions - which weren't in all honesty that dire - were based on the assumption that UK would make no effort to offset any bad effects. Which even for our government was unlikely......


When you look at some of the predictions it reminds me of the "worst case scenarios" we had to dream up when I was at BT to consider how we could deal with various disasters - it was great fun but completely unrealistic.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

That was because it was pointed out that the dire predictions - which weren't in all honesty that dire - were based on the assumption that UK would make no effort to offset any bad effects. Which even for our government was unlikely......


When you look at some of the predictions it reminds me of the "worst case scenarios" we had to dream up when I was at BT to consider how we could deal with various disasters - it was great fun but completely unrealistic.

The world seems to be full of such "research" being presented as "future fact".

Despite all of that the great and the good appeared to miss the financial challenges of 2008.

Or maybe they didn't miss the problem but decided that securing bonuses in advance of the problem was far more important.

And then there is this movement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-474...-have-children

I pity the kids being born today. However I would applaud all of the Eco sisters that decide not to have children on the basis that the world will be saved from a large number of indoctrinated kids at some future point.

It would be great if the now kids concept could be made compulsory as a condition of membership of the movement and means of confirming commitment by the ladies involved.

There is likely a downside though.

Without the kids to keep them occupied they would have more time to promote their opinions.

[Mike Bell]

The Gare du Nord yesterday.....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexi...ris/ar-BBUrhqf

[Gerard C]

Yep Mike a perfect example of oriented communication. I dont go often with Eurostar but my wife uses it one a week. They have all the necessary hardware and unpleasant custom officers since ages. Its a hassle but works fine may be better than at some airports.
From your link its clear that a jerk belonging to an Union decided he had to make a rehearsal of "what he thinks could happen in case of". As said by you and Peter it has nothing to see with our gov' but some Union wish to have more people employed… I guess its not of an interest for you but if you can have a look to how started our biggest union called CGT…

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The Gare du Nord yesterday.....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexi...ris/ar-BBUrhqf

This was interesting.

"As passengers and trains were hit by delays of up to two hours, one border guard declared: “This will be what it is like after Brexit. Back to 1970s.”"

Are they planning to close down Eurostar and fill in the tunnel?

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

This is the French unions trying to demonstrate to their government that a no deal Brexit will lead to big problems for the French as well as the UK.

No, it's a union ploy to use any opportunity to create havoc in the cause of increasing wages and blame something else - this time Brexit.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by morninggents

No, it's a union ploy to use any opportunity to create havoc in the cause of increasing wages and blame something else - this time Brexit.

Exactly, and as said a few posts ago, there’s nothing to stop the unions continuing their stance after the 29th. So even if ‘the authorities’ state that there will be no customs hold ups, there still could be!

[Dan Rear]

Why can't we reduce usage of Dover/Folkestone and make more use of Hull, Immingham, even the Geordie ports instead?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Why can't we reduce usage of Dover/Folkestone and make more use of Hull, Immingham, even the Geordie ports instead?

For those further ‘up north’ they are an option. As are Harwich and Felixstowe from here. Trouble is that Dover-Calais and Tunnel are the most direct / quickest / shortest route to a lot of Europe, and likewise coming this way. With driving hours rules (and especially with perishable goods), longer crossings are not an option for many businesses.

[Dan Rear]

I quite see that Mike, but it'd be a good way to balance the economy further north maybe?

[The Fat Clerk]

Why would the Politicians in London want to do that?

[The Fat Clerk]

They think the known world ends at the top of the Northern Line.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The Gare du Nord yesterday.....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexi...ris/ar-BBUrhqf

So they're working to rule and it's all slowed down to a standstill, I assume they haven't made up any rules and are just working to the existing ones which proves that they either ignore them normally or they are just **** taking for the day.....because they are french and that's what the French are good at.