back to article Brit MPs chide UK.gov: You're acting like EU data adequacy prep is easy

In the latest report slamming preparations for the UK’s departure from the European Union next year, and the subsequent transition period, Britain's Commons Home Affairs Committee has said it has “serious concerns” about the future of data flows. The government’s attitude to data flows post-Brexit – that compliance with …

  1. wolfetone Silver badge

    A friend of mine lives in Holland, and when he was over last we were talking about Brexit and he asked me how it was being reported. Told him what had been said etc, and he said that the whole 2 years thing was bizzarre to him, as the Dutch media have regularly reported that the process will take up to 10 years.

    So either the Dutch are wrong, or the UK MP's are disgustingly optimistic over time frames.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      I can't hear you!

      Where's the icon for someone sticking their fingers in their ears when you need it?

      This just one of the many situations where the government wants to leave the EU but stay part of the institutions and have a seat at the table.

      Have a slice of BoJo-Cake! You can eat as much of it as you like and you won't put on weight!

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Unhappy

        Have a slice of BoJo-Cake!

        Indeed.*

        You can eat as much as you like. The cake never gets smaller and you won't get fat.*

        *Some of these statements may not be entirely true.

    2. Warm Braw

      I suspect the Dutch media are simply unable to grasp that Brexit success will be defined by having blue passports on 29/3/19 regardless of any other consequences.

    3. ArrZarr Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Article 59 states that once triggered, the triggering country will not be a member of the EU after 2 years.

      The Dutch media are probably (rightly) pointing out that removing a complex country from a complex group is difficult and will probably take a decade to fix.

      However, the historical position of England is that instead of being part of Europe, it would rather be an island in the middle of the Atlantic where these petty, bickering continentals will leave us alone and we can be as insular and xenephobic as we always apparently wanted to be.

      1. wolfetone Silver badge

        "Article 59 states that once triggered, the triggering country will not be a member of the EU after 2 years.

        The Dutch media are probably (rightly) pointing out that removing a complex country from a complex group is difficult and will probably take a decade to fix."

        Quite right. This is a first for the EU, so the rules are being tested for the first time. Probably after the UK finishes the process the rules will be changed to either be less optimistic with the deadlines or have a better structure in place to deal with it all.

        1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

          re: Post Brexit rules in the EU

          Probably after the UK finishes the process the rules will be changed to either be less optimistic with the deadlines or have a better structure in place to deal with it all.

          More likely they will make it impossible for anyone to leave now that they have got rid of the thorn in their side that is the UK. constantly saying no to EU stuff and not embracing the Euro was the last straw for many in Brussels.

          Several people high up in the French Government have admitted that if there was a FREXIT Refferendum, they would not be surprised if the result would be for an exit. The EU obviously can't allow one of the founders of the European Iron and Steel Community to leave now can they?

          As I've said all along, the BREXIT process won't end well. The EU (esp Barnier) will make it so that we carry on bending over and letting them shaft us at will.

          1. Schultz

            "The EU obviously can't allow one of the founders... to leave"

            You are mistaken. Some countries (e.g. Germany) have strong federalistic traditions. From that point of view, it is bizarre that a country can force its regions to stay (Catalonia, Basque country,...). When Bavaria and Baden Würtenberg considered skipping out of the Federal Republic in the late 80s, the discussion was not about whether they can, but only whether is would be practical, sensible, and economically advantageous.

          2. pip2

            Re: re: Post Brexit rules in the EU

            Not at all, British people in the governance of the 7 institutions and 33 agencies are valued.

            "Our hearts are still open to you", said Donald Tusk.

            Leo Schulte-Nordholt, an administrator in the Council of the EU, has emailed me saying, "We are here, waiting, and full of hope".

      2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Coat

        "will leave us alone..we can be as insular and xenephobic as we always apparently wanted to be."

        Well, 52% of those who bothered to vote.

        As for the rest?

        1. pip2

          Re: "will leave us alone..we can be as insular and xenephobic as we always apparently wanted to be."

          At the rally in London in March last year, I stood next to people who had come in from France that morning. I heard of someone who had flown in from Greece to protest that he didn't get a vote.

          In Staines on Thames, flying a Euro flag in the town centre, I met a young man who said his father was so confused by the conflicting campaigns in 2016 he didn't vote.

          That father may now have a view.

      3. pip2

        Article 50.

        The dishonour of turning our backs on our neighbours. It is all appalling.

        We should be supporting our neighbours. Upholding the EU values of respect for human dignity, democracy, solidarity, human rights and the rule of law.

        Time to think again!

    4. Voland's right hand Silver badge
    5. EnviableOne

      Considering the EU-Canada trade deal took 9 years, and thats just trade. Brexit is going to take considerably longer to negotiate as its a lot more that needs decided on. Tentativley i recon to fully Brexit it will take at lest twice that and the relationships are so deep that it might even never complete (NI-Eire border etc.) and adequacy is going to be a hard sell as the people that decide it (Article 29 Working Party) have always had issues with how the 1998 DPA implemeted 95/46/EC and there are more concerns that were brought up in the article.

      There are already some lessons learned for the next EU exit process (probably Grexit or Itexit), article 50 will be modified to: anyone wishing to leave must agree a transition period which must end as the next EU budget cycle begins, or extend their membership for another budget cycle.

    6. rtfazeberdee

      Correct. Brexit MPs are saying 2 years because they are unrealistic and stupid. Remember the "cake and eat it" and a trade deal with the EU will be the easiest claims... they live on an island with unicorns and magic money trees

      1. veti Silver badge

        No, Brexit MPs are saying 2 years because that's what the law says will happen. Both EU and UK law agree on this. As of one year from next week, the UK will no longer be a member of the EU. To reverse that - is technically possible, but it would take political and legal manoeuvrings that would amount to a constitutional amendment.

        The whole argument is about what, exactly, "member of the EU" does and doesn't mean. That turns out to be a surprisingly complex question.

        If you'd asked me two years ago, for instance, I would have said that all member states send representatives to the council of ministers and to EU summits. But the UK stopped doing that immediately after the referendum. So in that sense, it's already not a full member of the EU.

        Other aspects of membership - being bound by EU laws, courts, common foreign policy, common fisheries policy, participation in EU budget etc. - all turn out to be negotiable. Again, not what I'd have said if you asked me pre-referendum. Who knew? We're in uncharted waters.

        "Ceasing to be a member" is easy. "Defining what that means" is something else entirely.

        1. Mike Pellatt

          "Ceasing to be a member" is easy. "Defining what that means" is something else entirely.

          Oh, come on. Have you been on a desert island for the last 2 years? We know exactly what it means.

          "Brexit means Brexit"

          Easy peasy.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Nerds to the rescue ?!

    So, will the mighty Nerds save Britain from Brexit Disaster ?!

    Proud of you guys, the best thing you've done since inventing the internet !

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      Coat

      Re: Nerds to the rescue ?!

      Call that a pep-talk? (Coz it comes across as a bit sarcastic if you don't mind me saying so).

      It should be noted, for the record, that no Nerds were instrumental in the decades of failed foreign and home-office policies of the UK government that have led us to being the lap-dogs of US/Europe.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The problem here is that half the government want brexit and half don't therefore it is an endless push pull can't be done throw toys out of pram over the fishing (or dead fish in the Thames, not sure what that's supposed to achieve or symbolise? Do we want dead fish? I'm confused) media circus extravaganza.

    Nobody is actually sitting down and saying this is what they want from us, this is what we will do, this is what they will do, this is what we want from them.

    Put it in a spreadsheet and sit down and discuss, colour the cell red and pass it up the line for further decisions if needed, colour it green if all is good. Once all green your good to go.

    I call this solution Brexcel. Next week I'll discuss my solution for Word Peace.

    1. m0rt

      So a Microsoft Brexit as opposed to a hard Brexit?

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
        Coat

        re: Microsoft Brexit

        One where you keep on paying your subscription for ever then?

        Mines the one with a 1913 Bradshaw in the pocket.

      2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Coat

        So a Microsoft Brexit as opposed to a hard Brexit?

        Never.

        We must have hard Brexit.

        We wants it.

    2. Filippo Silver badge

      In which scenarios does the UK retain Access to the single market?

    3. Andytug
      Joke

      Presumably you'd still also get Access to the single market?

      1. handleoclast

        Presumably you'd still also get Access to the single market?

        The Outlook on that is not good.

    4. DJO Silver badge

      The problem here is that half the government want brexit and half don't

      Oh if it was that simple life would be easy.

      Half want in, half want out, half want a hard out, half want a soft out, half want an intermediate position and half just want to go on holiday and leave the problems for somebody else to deal with.

      Yes that's 6 halves but as Tory MPs are capable of changing firmly held opinions several times over lunch it's probably about right.

      It's almost as they are deliberately trying to make it a disaster, mind you as any form of Brexit will be disastrous I suppose there's no real incentive to make it work.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        But whose fault will it be?

        Concentrate on the real outcome.

      2. veti Silver badge

        Yes that's 6 halves but as Tory MPs are capable of changing firmly held opinions several times over lunch it's probably about right.

        You say that as if "Tory MPs" are somehow worse than Labour ones in this regard. I don't see it.

        1. DJO Silver badge

          You say that as if "Tory MPs" are somehow worse than Labour ones

          Irrelevant, it's the Tories who are 100% responsible for this mess from instigation to execution. If Labour MPs are equally duplicitous, that is not an issue.

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            it's the Tories who are 100% responsible for this mess from instigation to execution

            Not *entirely* true. Sure, it was poshboy Cameron who was stupid enough to call the referrendum in order to appease the little Englander types in the Tories (the same people or the cultural allies of them, that John Major eventually got sick of) but the refferendum would never have got the slim majority it did if it were not for vast swathes of Labour voters also voting for Brexit.

            And Labour has its own divisions over Europe - the Blairites tend to be pro-EU and the hard left tend to be anti-EU (apart from, confusingly, the unions who can see first-hand how the EU rules have benefitted their members - especially things like the minimum wage).

            So there isn't really a Tory/Labour split here - both sides are equally split on the issue. And the only party that isn't is the party that Cameron was able to seduce and then discard once soiled..

      3. phuzz Silver badge

        "Half want in, half want out, half want a hard out, half want a soft out,"

        Which half want to shake it all about?

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      >(or dead fish in the Thames, not sure what that's supposed to achieve or symbolise? Do we want dead fish? I'm confused)

      Apparently this was to demonstrate that against the UK being part of the EU fishing policy for an extra 18 months. Now if only our MEP on the EU fishing commission had bothered to turn up to their meetings instead of protesting on the banks on the Thames.

      BTW the UK fishing industry is slightly larger than the pet insurance industry...

      1. Sir Runcible Spoon
        Paris Hilton

        @AC

        "BTW the UK fishing industry is slightly larger than the pet insurance industry..."

        Any thoughts on why that might be?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Any thoughts on why that might be?

          @Sir Runcible Spoon

          Not the AC that posted that but I would guess it's because hamsters are bigger than fish. Guinea pigs are bigger than hamsters, rabbits are bigger than Guinea pigs, cats are bigger than rabbits, dogs are bigger than cats, wolves are bigger than dogs, walrus's are bigger than wolves and walrus's can fish. Therefore fish are greater than pets once the circle is complete.

  4. Captain Hogwash
    Coat

    If we go with your Brexcel and Word Peace ideas, I'd say the Outlook is pretty good.

    1. ArrZarr Silver badge
      Coat

      All of these jokes are painfully OneNote.

      1. Geronimo!
        Coat

        Hmmm, I wonder if this has Office-ially been approved of?

        About time somebody puts some Power to the Point! (Ie. create wonderfull "decks of 60+ pages, filled with embedded tables in 2pt Arial, mixed with loveley BMPs of May's kitten(heel)s - which nobody will read)

        1. VinceH

          "Hey, it looks like you're trying to leave the EU! Would you like some help with that?"

          Note to El Reg: We need a Clippy icon!

          1. m0rt

            @VinceH

            " "Hey, it looks like you're trying to leave the EU! Would you like some help with that?"

            Note to El Reg: We need a Clippy icon!"

            Why hurt me?

        2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
          Holmes

          Re : The Outlook is good

          until all the important documents get lost forever inside Sharepoint.

  5. Teiwaz

    Magical thinking again

    Nothing particularly to do with Brexit.

    This is just UK govs magical thinking again.

    Brexit = take back control : Therefore : Can be involved with all the European agencies they want and none of the ones they don't.

    Done and dusted by end of 2019, knighthoods all round..

    1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Magical thinking again

      knighthoods all round..

      ..followed by retirement to Barbados[1] where they don't have to live with the consequences.

      [1] Or just retirement to Barbados for their money.. tax havens are so on y'know.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Correct to be concerned

    I think that the most obvious issue will be that data collected and held in the EU will only be accessible by parties that comply with EU laws and regulations - the EU will not allow the UK to access and use that data under conditions that would be illegal within the EU. Similarly, data collected under UK laws and regulations, if they are incompatible with EU laws and regulations, may be illegal and inadmissible in the EU.

    Then there is the cost; if the UK is not contributing to the cost of collecting and holding data collected in and by the EU then it will have to pay to access that data.

    The Dutch estimate of ten years may prove to be optimistic.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Correct to be concerned

      Why would the EU negotiate beyond the two year period? At the end of that period whatever hasn't been negotiated should be shutdown and Britian can start to negotiate with the EU as any other country outside of the EU would have to do for everything else. It seems to me that those responsible Brexit should be held accountable if there were lies being told, but otherwise I think the EU should say your out.

  7. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Coat

    It's beginning to look a lot like Brexit

    It's beginning to look a lot like Brexit

    Ev'rywhere you go;

    Take a look in the copper files, listening once again

    With micros and video cams aglow.

    It's beginning to look a lot like Brexit,

    Signs in ev'ry store,

    But the ugliest sight to see is the people that will soon be

    Marching beyond your own front door.

  8. Bill M

    Use Facebook

    They can simply store and transfer their data using Facebook. I am sure a huge global company like that would look after everything responsibly.

  9. codejunky Silver badge

    Ha

    I didnt realise this would be a problem after listening to remainers telling us we will kick out all foreigners once we leave the EU. Surely if the remainers are right and we get to be their little racist xenophobic little island (is it still little England?) we wont need such international cooperation as that would surely require actually being outward looking!

    But to now be serious it is not 'vital' to come to an agreement or the EU would stop jerking around and taking the piss. Lucky for remain it looks like the remainer May is keeping us in the EU for a bit longer (assuming the EU can agree on the result of their own negotiation) to give the EU longer to bumble about.

    As a leave voter why should the gov take the negotiation seriously? The EU doesnt.

    1. Not also known as SC

      Re: Ha

      I must be confused "I didnt realise this would be a problem after listening to remainers telling us we will kick out all foreigners once we leave the EU. Surely if the remainers are right and we get to be their little racist xenophobic little island". I thought it was the leave voters who didn't want foreigners coming over and taking our jobs. Didn't Farage or someone have a poster meant to be showing thousands of Turks (or similar) waiting at the EU border desperate to get to the UK? I thought it was leavers who wanted a 'racist xenophobic little island' whereas remainers wanted things to remain the same, free movement, free trade etc.

      1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

        Re: Ha

        Yeah, I think he's off his meds again.

        On a more serious note, all the leaver arguments I've heard boil down to xenophobia in one way or another.

        For instance the 'controlling borders' one is pretty obvious, the implication is that we don't want people from other countries coming here (never mind that fact that if they don't have work here, even if from the EU, they don't have a right to stay) .

        The 'sovereignty' argument centres on the idea that laws made by the EU parliament are somehow invasive and inferior to our nice wholesome home-grown laws (despite that fact that many of our human rights come from EU regulations, which our own government would like to do away with). In other words, laws made by foreigners are inferior to, and somehow less democratic than, British ones, despite being agreed on by representatives from 28 countries (including our own), rather than dictated by a single political party with lots of conflicted interests.

        The 'taking rules from Brussels' argument boils down to those rules somehow being inferior to ones dreamt up in the UK, despite the UK MEPs voting in favour of the vast majority of them in the EU parliament.

        If you take away the mind-set that Brits are somehow superior to foreigners, a lot of the pro-leave arguments mysteriously melt away with them. Somehow though, to suggest that brexit is the embodiment of xenophobia, is mudslinging and not a valid argument...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Ha

          "...despite being agreed on by representatives from 28 countries (including our own), rather than dictated by a single political party with lots of conflicted interests."

          It is that aspect that really shows the falsehood behind Brexit - the implication that EU laws and regulations were thrust upon us by those nasty bullying Europeans when the fact is that we were adopting laws and regulations that we helped define. The whole idea that we'd lost our sovereignty and needed to take it back was a lie right from the start.

        2. pip2

          Re: Ha

          May I encourage you to have a look at 'Your Europe - residence rights' on europa.eu.

          And 'More seriously misleading reporting on EU migration and benefits' in the European Commission Representation to the UK's 'Euromyths blog'.

      2. codejunky Silver badge

        Re: Ha

        @ Not also known as SC

        "I thought it was the leave voters who didn't want foreigners coming over and taking our jobs"

        You might believe that if you read remainer comments but outside of that you have to go out of the way to find racists and xenophobes. That is why I wrote what I wrote.

        "Didn't Farage or someone have a poster meant to be showing thousands of Turks"

        Yes it was Farage. It was quite amusing because this was at the time the EU were arguing between themselves that they should not be held hostage by Turkey who was demonstrating how little power the EU really had.

        "I thought it was leavers who wanted a 'racist xenophobic little island' whereas remainers wanted things to remain the same, free movement, free trade etc."

        Remainers want things to remain the same (which can be argued as racist and xenophobic) within their protectionist supranational borders but if we do leave the EU some are very vocal that we will be a racist xenophobic little island (just read remain comments on this site). The determination to be that is astounding.

        @ Loyal Commenter

        "On a more serious note, all the leaver arguments I've heard boil down to xenophobia in one way or another."

        Ok, so you now get to explain to me why my friends in the EU are more valid than the rest of my friends from Africa, Asia, Russia, Middle East and even the US. The hassle for them to be here (if they are allowed) is ridiculous and all who have made it here came as students. Compared to my friends who is from the EU.

        "For instance the 'controlling borders' one is pretty obvious, the implication is that we don't want people from other countries coming here"

        I guess if you cannot read that might be the same thing. If you can understand the difference it leads to my first question for you (see above).

        "The 'sovereignty' argument centres on the idea that laws made by the EU parliament are somehow invasive and inferior"

        So they are not invasive? They do not apply to us? If you are so up for being ruled beyond our electable's then why dont we become part of the US? Or China? But then to even have this discussion is to accept sovereignty has been given up, which doesnt really seem smart does it? Also loss of sovereignty on trade. With federalisation probably on monetary matters and military but that depends on the direction of the EU.

        "If you take away the mind-set that Brits are somehow superior to foreigners, a lot of the pro-leave arguments mysteriously melt away with them"

        That is interesting. Last time we discussed the EU you went strangely quiet when shown to be not just wrong but very wrong. I am glad you have taken some of it on board (now realising we have given away sovereignty) but last time you claim leave arguments didnt stand I said- Which one doesnt stand? I have argued this out plenty on the basis of economy, trade, sovereignty, immigration and democracy. Again that was when you went quiet (possibly because your previous arguments had been wrong).

        "Somehow though, to suggest that brexit is the embodiment of xenophobia, is mudslinging and not a valid argument..."

        Last time you didnt go with 'xenophobia' it was idiot. You might remember- I like that someone who disagrees with you but refutes your clearly incorrect statements is an idiot. How can I seriously respond to that?

        "Yeah, I think he's off his meds again."

        I guess reading through your comment it now makes sense why you started with this factually absent but insulting first line. Kudo's for avoiding responding to me but I still refute your mistakes.

        1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

          Re: Ha

          Ok, so you now get to explain to me why my friends in the EU are more valid than the rest of my friends from Africa, Asia, Russia, Middle East and even the US. The hassle for them to be here (if they are allowed) is ridiculous and all who have made it here came as students. Compared to my friends who is from the EU.

          Really? Do I? Even though I didn't suggest that? Or maybe I could figuratively put you inside that straw man and burn it?

          So they are not invasive? They do not apply to us? If you are so up for being ruled beyond our electable's then why dont we become part of the US? Or China?

          The word 'invasive' does not mean what you think it means. EU regulations are made by the EU parliament, along with 27 other countries. Those regulations apply equally to all 28 member nations; they aren't inflicted by 27 nations on one unless you have a singularly myopic viewpoint.

          As for being 'ruled'; in this country, we are ruled by our monarch. There isn't some dude sitting on a throne somewhere in Brussels issuing edicts. Again, you are using emotive language to distort the argument.

          And to respond to your point about the US and China; I'd rather be part of the EU because the US and China both have shitty human rights (The US has the highest prison population per capita of any country, and both have the death penalty), and the EU has strong provisions for fundamental human rights.

          Last time you didnt go with 'xenophobia' it was idiot. You might remember- I like that someone who disagrees with you but refutes your clearly incorrect statements is an idiot. How can I seriously respond to that?

          Actually, I said that you are either someone with a vested interest in brexit, or an idiot for still believing in it despite the fact that none of your arguments stand up to scrutiny. So technically, you are a xenophobe, and either an idiot or a thoroughly unpleasant individual akin to JRM. You may be all three.

          Of course, maybe you are correct in everything you say, brexit will be a huge success and everyone who matters totally agrees with you. The downvotes you seem to always attract suggest otherwise.

          I guess reading through your comment it now makes sense why you started with this factually absent but insulting first line. Kudo's for avoiding responding to me but I still refute your mistakes.

          Maybe it's just that you keep posting complete bullshit. Also, the words you are looking for are 'kudos', 'rebut', and 'facts'.

          1. Sir Runcible Spoon
            Unhappy

            I've changed my mind

            I originally voted for Brexit because I thought the British public and its institutions still had a spine; that a challenge would be an opportunity to put aside our collective apathy and take up the mantle of being responsible for the shit we've made in our own beds once again.

            However, upon reflection, I see that this was totally delusional and that there are simply too many people who prefer to blame anything and everything on someone else for this to actually work.

            If we accept, for the moment, that the decision to leave the EU has been made, where are the benefits of whining about it and blaming others instead of getting on with the job at hand?

            I'm truly saddened to say it, but we're toast - and have been for some time. I only wish I'd realized it was hopeless years ago.

            1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

              Re: I've changed my mind

              I'm truly saddened to say it, but we're toast

              That has been evident from the day after we voted to leave. The reaction of the EU was that we were to be punished and hard for daring to leave their cozy club and that they'd never let anyone be so foolish ever again.

              I look forward to paying £70++ for a Visa to go on holiday to Benidorm from 2021 onwards. But hey, we voted to go our own way didn't we?

              1. Teiwaz

                Re: I've changed my mind

                I look forward to paying £70++ for a Visa to go on holiday to Benidorm

                A friend has just been telling me he found it much much cheaper to get a two week holiday in Asia than spain the last few years. Granted, I think he wants a fly direct and hotel package rather than coach and tent, but still....

              2. pip2

                Re: I've changed my mind

                "We wouldn't do to anybody, what the UK is doing to itself right now".

                I am not sure who in the EU said that. But I heard it somewhere.

          2. codejunky Silver badge

            Re: Ha

            @ Loyal Commenter

            "Really? Do I? Even though I didn't suggest that?"

            My mistake. I thought by claiming leave to be xenophobic you were claiming not to be. My mistake.

            "Those regulations apply equally to all 28 member nations"

            EU makes regulation. EU enforces through penalty that it must be applied. But it is not invasive to dictate laws on another country? Even countries as you say.

            "And to respond to your point about the US and China; I'd rather be part of the EU because the US and China both have shitty human rights"

            So this is where you start telling me the EU laws are superior to the rest of the world. Maybe in your opinion but why would you assume everyone felt the same way?

            "So technically, you are a xenophobe, and either an idiot or a thoroughly unpleasant individual akin to JRM."

            I assume you now call me xenophobe because when you called me idiot I proved you were the idiot. Something still being proved as you call me xenophobe without a shred of evidence but purely because I disagree with your huge mistakes.

            "Of course, maybe you are correct in everything you say, brexit will be a huge success and everyone who matters totally agrees with you. The downvotes you seem to always attract suggest otherwise."

            Your again making stupid mistakes, I didnt say brexit will be a huge success and everyone who matters totally agrees with me. The idiot is oozing from that statement. But then somehow assuming the success of brexit is related to the downvotes is just a proof of that mistake. My comments were also unpopular opposing the Euro. I was also right.

            "Maybe it's just that you keep posting complete bullshit"

            Then maybe you aught to write something that stands up.

            "Also, the words you are looking for are 'kudos', 'rebut', and 'facts'."

            I have to admit to being dyslexic and not a stickler for perfect English so I figured I would give you the benefit of the doubt and check. Kudo's doesnt throw an error in spell check so I may be wrong but the computer doesnt think so. Refute was the word I was looking for 'prove that (someone) is wrong.' although rebut does seem similar and could be used, but can be to claim you wrong so has wiggle room to make you feel better. And nope, mistake is not at all even close to fact, on that you are wrong again (and no I didnt bother looking that one up).

      3. Joe Werner Silver badge

        Re: Ha

        "Rules imposed"...

        Yeah, f'ing hell! All governments complain at home that "the EU wants this". All of them. And those same idiots did vote for these rules beforehand. But it's so much easier to shift the blame to some abstract construct than to actually stand up for their decisions. And people actually eat this shite up and say that the bad EU wants their government to do stuff (that the government voted for...)

        And this is one of the problems we now have. In all European countries (including the island nations like the UK or Iceland ;p ).

        Cowards, all of them. All focused just on being reelected. Somehow I like the ancient Greek (ok... Athens? Not sure...) system, when anybody's time in an official position was limited to one period...

        Sorry for the rant, but this is what really ticks me off (and OS/2...)

        1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

          Re: Ha

          this is what really ticks me off (and OS/2...)

          [sucks teeth]

          You *very* nearly got a downvote for dissing the mighty OS/2..

    2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Go

      Re: Ha

      May is keeping us in the EU for a bit longer

      Look on the bright side: it means you can keep earning kopeks by posting shite…

      1. codejunky Silver badge

        Re: Ha

        @ Charlie Clark

        "Look on the bright side: it means you can keep earning kopeks by posting shite…"

        Lets see-

        Accusation of being paid. Check

        Lack of response to any of the points I make. Check

        Lack of anything of substance. Check

        I guess we can both look on the bright side, you can keep posting shite for whatever reason you do.

    3. pip2

      Re: Ha

      Please see the debates in the European Parliament "State of play in negotiations with UK". The EP's impact reports. The Commission's Notice to Stakeholders documents.

      And while you are at it, how about a look at the Balance of Competences Review? Produced by the UK government in 2014-15. The largest study ever done in Europe of how a country is affected by its EU membership. The result was overwhelmingly, what is the problem.

  10. Gordon Pryra

    Once we are our own seperate little Kingdom

    Can we bring back hanging and hang the people who conned the great unwashed into voting Brexit?

    Or just hang the 52% who were stupid enough to?

    I'm not saying eugenics, but it may just clean up our gene pool by removing the bad breeding partners...

    1. Teiwaz

      Re: Once we are our own seperate little Kingdom

      Can we bring back hanging and hang the people who conned the great unwashed into voting Brexit?

      Sure you're not a Tory MP?

      It's scary how every few years 'bring back X' get's tabled by some lineup of frothing at the mouth backbenchers like it's a plot from a 'New Statesman' episode.

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Coat

      Can we bring back hanging..hang the people who conned..into voting Brexit?

      Well given Gauleiter May's desire not to accountable to the ECJ yes you could.

      But.

      Have you never heard the expression "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas" ?*

      Although I'm sure JRM would find a traditional British hanging so much better than those nasty Continental firing squads, or the rather clinical IE non traditional lethal injection.

  11. John H Woods Silver badge

    "Can we bring back hanging and hang the people who conned the great unwashed into voting Brexit?"

    Erm, no. I'm an avid remainer but the furthest I'm prepared to go is insisting on a final yes/no referendum when the deal is on the table, and sticking to the result.

  12. Cynical Pie
    Holmes

    Brexit = struggle for adequacy...

    In other news water wet and sun a touch on the warm side...

    Its not like us folks in the DP business haven't been saying this since before the bloody referendum!

    That said those of use who do DP as a job are obviously experts so therefore we know nothing and are not to be trusted.

    Still on the plus side at least it guarantees me a gig as people try to unpick the adequacy shit-storm!!

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like