** The Brexit Thread ** - 'Brexit Means Brexit'

[mercalia]

Almost makes me into a Brexit-eer

Anger over £440,000 'golden goodbye' payments to EU top dogs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk when they stand down later this year

Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'It seems odd to have 'golden goodbyes' for people in a fixed-term job. It is another example of EU extravagance paid for in part by the British taxpayer. It's even more reason not to hand over the £39billion willy-nilly.'

Last night a European Commission spokesman said: 'The objective [of the payments] is to ensure a certain level of financial security until their next paid employment.'


https://a.msn.com/r/2/AACQmLX?m=en-gb

seems like they get £24,000-a-month basic salary at the moment

[Vorpal]

So a big thanks to the volunteer, unpaid moderators for keeping the thread going and a plea to everyone to keep it civilised.

Absolutely.

And a suggestion that if there are to be suspensions or bans, they would be better aimed at individuals than threads.

Perhaps, but the problem on this thread has tended to be that one or two start sniping at each other. If it's not dealt with immediately others jump in, and it degenerates quickly.

In October, I posted

On a very long and contentious thread, less than 1% of the posts have been removed. That does not include edited posts.

Given the nature of the thread, I think that is quite good, and speaks well for the members of the forum.

The proportions are in line with the proportions of posts on the thread. Of the removed posts, they numbered
37 by Remainers &/or attacking Brexiters
22 by Brexit supporters &/or attacking Remainers
15 Neutral, quoting removed material, or arguing about moderation.

Recently, on the other hand, we have removed the following numbers of posts
April: 15
May: 15
June (so far): 64

I don't think that our tolerance for insults and sniping have changed substantially. There has been a substantial increase in name-calling and insults, though as per usual, some posts have been removed just because they quoted / responded to removed material.

Therefore, I would much appreciate if folks can:
1) keep it polite & civil
2) if someone does post an insult, report it, don't respond
3) if it starts to degenerate into sniping, don't join in the fray, but report the posts

Permanently locking the thread is not what I want to do, but I volunteer to moderate a cycling forum, not a verbal Brexit brawl. As much as I enjoy this topic, I have better things to do with my time than spend hours editing it.

[roubaixtuesday]

Thank you for the reply Vorpal

[pete75]

Hi,

Consider this analogy:-
You have a bike that you ride everyday and it does the job though you are aware of some faults with it,these faults though some serious,aren't something that can't be put right with a some expenditure(both monetary and time).
Then you're offered a new bike but the snag is you aren't allowed to see it or test ride it,until you've bought it and the deal is done and your old bike is taken from you and rendered unrideable by the seller of the new bike.

That is Brexit as remainers see it,it also seems to remainers that leavers will do anything for an unseen new bike.

Sounds like half (posters not political) the posters on here, I haven't bought a new bike in over twenty years......have you

For the last twenty years I haven't been able to afford to.

Spa cycles will sell you an excellent tourer for less than a thousand quid. The thing about cycling is it's a relatively cheap hobby unless you go for top end road bikes and the like.

[kwackers]

Almost makes me into a Brexit-eer

Lots of things wrong with the EU.

Whatever trade deal we hammer out with them though will involve the flow of cash to them for the privilege.
From the outside we'll have no say on what they spend it on so its just tough.

On the inside there's a chance, just a chance that we could make a difference - although obviously you'd need a sympathetic government for that and as a fairly right wing country I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[horizon]

Almost makes me into a Brexit-eer

Anger over £440,000 'golden goodbye' payments to EU top dogs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk when they stand down later this year
[b]

I think Donald Tusk was worth it.

[Vorpal]

If you consider how much CEOs of large, international firms make, and the severance packages they get (often millions, even if the company is failing when they leave), or a British PM (iirc £153,000 per annum, plus a residence and expenses), it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.

You'd have to pay me far more than that to take the stress and public life of a job like that.

[reohn2]

Hi,

Consider this analogy:-
You have a bike that you ride everyday and it does the job though you are aware of some faults with it,these faults though some serious,aren't something that can't be put right with a some expenditure(both monetary and time).
Then you're offered a new bike but the snag is you aren't allowed to see it or test ride it,until you've bought it and the deal is done and your old bike is taken from you and rendered unrideable by the seller of the new bike.

That is Brexit as remainers see it,it also seems to remainers that leavers will do anything for an unseen new bike.

Sounds like half (posters not political) the posters on here, I haven't bought a new bike in over twenty years......have you

For the last twenty years I haven't been able to afford to.

And there was I thinking you could listen to a reasonable argument
PS,In the past twenty years I bought six new or nearly new bike that I can think of,but I did get to inspect and test ride them first though

[reohn2]

Almost makes me into a Brexit-eer

Lots of things wrong with the EU.

Agreed

Whatever trade deal we hammer out with them though will involve the flow of cash to them for the privilege.
From the outside we'll have no say on what they spend it on so its just tough

Not forgetting that 44% of our exports go to the EU compared to the 3% of the EU's total export coming our way.

On the inside there's a chance, just a chance that we could make a difference - although obviously you'd need a sympathetic government for that and as a fairly right wing country I don't see that happening anytime soon.

I think there's every chance we can make differences to EU policy though it needs decent MEPs and decent UK PM to do the negotiating,and not the dire negotiatore and PMs we've had over the past decade or more.

[reohn2]

If you consider how much CEOs of large, international firms make, and the severance packages they get (often millions, even if the company is failing when they leave), or a British PM (iirc £153,000 per annum, plus a residence and expenses), it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.

You'd have to pay me far more than that to take the stress and public life of a job like that.

Quite!
+++++++++++++++++++++
BTW as someone who's been moderated on this thread and others,thank you and all the moderators on this forum for giving up your time and wisdom in doing what is at times a thankless job.
I'll try better to save you work.
Thanks again

[kwackers]

If you consider how much CEOs of large, international firms make, and the severance packages they get (often millions, even if the company is failing when they leave), or a British PM (iirc £153,000 per annum, plus a residence and expenses), it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.

You'd have to pay me far more than that to take the stress and public life of a job like that.

Quite!

I must admit I've no idea whether the amount is outrageous or not - although IMO anyone that earns more than me is earning too much...

[reohn2]

If you consider how much CEOs of large, international firms make, and the severance packages they get (often millions, even if the company is failing when they leave), or a British PM (iirc £153,000 per annum, plus a residence and expenses), it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.

You'd have to pay me far more than that to take the stress and public life of a job like that.

Quite!

I must admit I've no idea whether the amount is outrageous or not - although IMO anyone that earns more than me is earning too much...

You're earning too much

[mercalia]

well any one listening to Boris' interview on The World At One. Didnt make a single gaff? or did he? Didnt come across too badly? Maybe he is growing up? ( we can hope)

[kwackers]

well any one listening to Boris' interview on The World At One. Didnt make a single gaff? or did he? Didnt come across too badly? Maybe he is growing up? ( we can hope)

Or he's got handlers.

(And given how restrained he's been recently I suspect at the least there's a few hints of; "keep it closed and I'll support you, in return....")

[RickH]

Hi,

Consider this analogy:-
You have a bike that you ride everyday and it does the job though you are aware of some faults with it,these faults though some serious,aren't something that can't be put right with a some expenditure(both monetary and time).
Then you're offered a new bike but the snag is you aren't allowed to see it or test ride it,until you've bought it and the deal is done and your old bike is taken from you and rendered unrideable by the seller of the new bike.

That is Brexit as remainers see it,it also seems to remainers that leavers will do anything for an unseen new bike.

Sounds like half (posters not political) the posters on here, I haven't bought a new bike in over twenty years......have you

For the last twenty years I haven't been able to afford to.

And there was I thinking you could listen to a reasonable argument
PS,In the past twenty years I bought six new or nearly new bike that I can think of,but I did get to inspect and test ride them first though

Maybe the anaolgy is more like being offered a bike, billed as top notch & ensuring stunning performance (but as yet unseen) free of charge. Not only that you've been told there is a cashback offer that you will also benefit from.

Once you've signed up there are worrying reports that the bike isn't all that it is cracked up to be, possibly not even roadworthy without considerable work & the cashback has mysteriously morphed into a sizeable charge.