Baron99

For the small cohort in the thread, rediculouly hypothesising, throwing "What if's" around like there's shortage of them & trying to link Begum's situation, (& treatment & revoking of with her British citizenship), by playing both class & race cards, well I'll see your cards & raise you English (Oxford born) to a Canadian father & British mother, (one an organic farmer, the other a charity fund raiser), your very own, very WHITE, very MIDDLE CLASS, PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATED, Jack Letts. Go look him up. Same as Begum, made his way out to Syria to fight for ISIS. Result, the British Govt. stripped him of his citizenship. Oh & his very MIDDLE CLASS parents were also convicted at the Old Bailey of sending him money on the basis that they were funding a terrorist organisation. So let's put the 'their picking on Begum because of who & what she is' hypothesis drivel to bed shall we.

They'll be asking for the Statue of Liberty back.

Here's M&S chief, Sir Archie Norman's view & its difficult not to agree with his assessment of the "Fandango of bureaucracy" with products requiring 720 pages of documentation, particularly as he states that the UK has HIGHER food standards than required by the EU & nothing has changed in those standards since we left the EU. https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/brexit-eu-pointless-bureaucracy-marks-and-spencer/ As Norman also states, "What we've discovered is that the European rules for governing borders at the customs union are really totally out of date and not suited for the purpose they're designed for." Eventually, the intransigence of politicians will be sorted out by big business.

Home computer pioneer, Sir Clive Sinclair has passed away at (the ironic age) of (ZX) 81. We had one of those in our household at one time until we splashes out & bought a Commadore Amiga. https://news.sky.com/story/sir-clive-sinclair-home-computing-pioneer-and-pocket-calculator-inventor-dies-aged-81-12409968

So you did get it but thought you say otherwise. You & I have played this game before on many, many, many, (yawn), threads over the years.

Watched some of the presentation announcing the new UK, US & Australian defence pact. Sleepy Joe was on form. "Thanks to Prime Minister, Boris Johnson & thanks to... thanks to, er, thanks to that guy from down under." Scott Morrison must have been chuffed? Two names Sleepy Joe, one of which you know well. Better keep him away from those important Executive Decisions.

Doesn't say different levels. I think you know full well what I mean. If you don't, I can't help you.

There was a story doing the rounds this morning that not after loosing his Min. of Education job, Gavin Williamson was spotted in the street on the phone to his mum, crying? There's a man for a crisis? There again, if my salary had been cut by nearly 50% in an instant, I might have a tear in my eye.

There's grooming AND grooming, regardless of ethnicity. Being encouraged to meet some down at the local park without telling anyone is one thing. If we are to believe her parents, that they knew nothing of her actions & intentions but to leave the UK, travel right across Europe then Turkey, then to sneak into Syria, shows purpose, clear intent & culpability. Anyway, less we forget during all this debate, Begum is no longer a British citizen.

As an ardent Brexiteer, I have to agree with Altus. It's little to do with Brexit. If you look back at the original contract, the French actually beat a number of other nations to the contract, including the Germans. As far as I can see, the UK didn't even bid at the time. I think its because the Australians were after diesel / electric subs? It will however be a massive bonus for a number of UK industry sectors & our economy. (Maybe the Australians, when they saw the sub's plan, didn't like the fact that next to the button that fires the torpedos was another button with the instructions, 'In case of emergency, press the Capitulation' button'.) - 😁

So Ms Begum has given an interview to the BBC, (also saw here briefly being interviewed this morning on GMB with Suzanna Reid, looking every inch the modern, early 20's year old Western woman - Begum not Reid). Good to see despite her troubles, Begum retains her sense of humour, telling the BBC that if she's allowed to return to the UK, she can help us in our fight against terrorism. Two ways of looking at that. One, she knows a lot & therefore, she's still a potential threat, so best leave her where she is. Two, she knows very little, therefore, she's no use to us, so best leave her where she is. As she told the BBC she could be "useful to society" - (No she wouldn't); and it would be a waste to let her "rot" in a Syrian camp - (Again, no it wouldn't). https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58573501

It was a good match but to concede right at the death, gutted. Reckon they missed Osborn tonight. I've not heard why he was playing?

I'd have thought given the number of opinion polls that have got it totally wrong in the past few years, people would be wary of them & treat them with a bit of cynical caution? Of course, the only poll that counts is the one where we all get to cast our vote. Remember that one? It's the one where the general public get to show the Labour Party what we really think about them. They really are annoying these General Elections aren't they? Never mind, stick to the joy that a YouGov poll brings.

They are on French soil. They have entered France illegally. The authorities, should round them up, (what's not to understand about that statement?), and deal with illegal migrants in their own country, rather than turning a blind eye to the problem. Of course that would mean acknowledging that it is French problem & therefore taking ownership of the problem. The finger print aspect, I'm talking about identifying people, long before they see a boat but picking them up within France as illegal immigrants & treating them as such. Let the French deport illegal them from their own soil, long before they become our problem.

Surely it only becomes biased if people AREN'T allowed to put an alternative point of view? I've not seen that over the years on SF, quite the contrary. Of course, if people can't be bothered to put up any counter arguments, that's a different issue entirely.