In reply to Alyson30:
> Basically it doesn't matter that much at this point whether there is a deal or not, the chance of getting a proper trading relationship has gone a long time ago.
I don't quite agree on this. The recent calamitously stupid acts of parliament, reneging on previous promises to the EU (probably deliberately) have scuppered a deal. Before this massive Tory clusterf*ck, I had some optimism of an agreement in principle before the end of 2020. Obviously, a trade deal would take many years (the Japanese made a trade deal with the EU recently and that took 8 years and their situation was less complex than that of the UK).
What's really happening is that the wretched Tory party are deliberately engineering a no deal in order to deregulate the economy and instigate a major transfer of income and wealth from ordinary folk to their own already bulging pockets (and those of their tax dodging, over-paid millionaire scamming mates). Huge job losses, massive public spending cuts, rising prices and lower quality of goods and services will affect the many, not the few in the evil Tory cartel at the top.
The Brexit referendum should never have happened. Why do we elect politicians only for them to delegate their duty and put a referendum to the people about an issue that most voters have little or no understanding. That mega-prick Cameron played political football with this country's future and lost and the other mega-prick Bojo must love being the new Robin Hood in reverse, robbing the poor to give to the already rich.
And I haven't even managed to get started on the rights of EU nationals residing here!
Honestly, what a total shitstorm! Seems Covid has been the perfect excuse to bury bad news.