UKC

When even John Major is exasperated at Tory unrealistic expectations, surely people need to start engaging their brains beyond 'wishful thinking' mode:

"I have watched with growing concern as the British people have been led to expect a future that seems to be unreal and over-optimistic," he said.
"Obstacles are brushed aside as of no consequence, whilst opportunities are inflated beyond any reasonable expectation of delivery."

As quoted in BBC online article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39109408

In reply to john arran:

He has always been so much better as a critic than he was as a PM.

'John Major - so boring he ran way from the circus to become an accountant.'

In reply to john arran:

He's just worried that the price of peas will go up.

In reply to john arran:
He wasn't describing the Maastricht Treaty, was he?

In reply to john arran:

I don't understand what we are expecting to get from Brexit. The two most prominent claims are busted flushes; the £350m a week for the NHS was simply fabricated, whilt Amber Rudd said yesterday that Brexit would "end freedom of movement as we know it" in Europe, but that her party were "against cliff edges" on immigration - ie the immigration numbers will not change for some (unspecified) time.

In reply to Shani:
deportations, though not for us - the audience for which this is being done

In reply to baron:

When there's Norwegian and Swiss people wondering why we'd want to Brexit (given their experience of trading with the EU as none members), and economists predicting a squeeze in living standards following it, doesn't it make you wonder?

The picture being painted by pro Brexit is that there's all these opportunities lining up for us as soon as we leave, with Britain as an international nation (in outlook) able to seize them and prosper, but Norway and Sweden are international countries too? Brexiters seem to be saying everything's going to be better for leaving.

In reply to john arran:

Are we going to get a new thread every time some has been disagrees with Brexit?

Just wondering....

In reply to Big Ger:


Oh no, the skies falling in said Chicken Licken to Turkey Lurkey etc

In reply to Big Ger:

I hope so, to offset the delusional fantasy of Brexit.

Anyway, you carry on. It's like watching a slow motion car crash; luckily from Canada (and by the way, forget any free trade deal from that quarter - the government is too preoccupied with preserving NAFTA with Trump in power, then it'll be the election. So maybe in 5 years time the 5-10 year negotiating process can start).

In reply to Big Ger:


Odd that you should take issue with someone starting a thread about the lead item on the evening news.

In reply to Timmd: Leaving the EU is not going to be easy. It will probably come at a financial and social cost.
Unless the majority of leave voters are delusional, as some have suggested, then choosing to leave shows the depth of feeling against the status quo, of which the EU is a major part.
Politicians like Mr Major failed to recognise how unhappy may people are and in doing so enabled the leave vote to happen.

In reply to baron:


And yet we'll almost certainly return a Conservative government in 2020, probably with an increased majority. Stories on the radio this morning: failing hospitals; failing prisons; failing social care; and yet further cuts of up to 6% across most government departments before the next election, but they'll still get in. Yeah, we really like to sock it to the man, don't we?

In reply to baron:


Strength of feeling is fine but in this case you've lashed out blindly against one of the improving factors on your despised status quo. From here there will be change and it will be for the worse. Turkeys cheering for Christmas.
jk

In reply to The New NickB:

Well, it's not like we don't have a few other Brexit threads it could have been added to, rather than opening a new one.

Here's a few where the term has cropped up...


https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/info/search.php?forum=0&dates=0&name=&top...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/info/search.php?forum=0&dates=1&name=&top...

In reply to George Ormerod:

Fixed that for ya!

In reply to john arran:

Spitting Image certainly did a good one on Major didn't it ?

In reply to GrahamD:


Major did a pretty good one on himself. 'Cones Hotline', anybody?

In reply to Rob Parsons:

Was that the code word to his private line to Edwina?

In reply to Rob Parsons:


I just googled this as I wasn't aware of it (being only 27). That's amazing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cones_Hotline

In reply to bouldery bits:

I think you're forgetting .... toilets on the M40! Churchill, you met your match.

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:
The next election result will probably be a reflection on the state of the Labour Party and the first past the post system rather than a ringing endorsement of the Conservatives

In reply to john arran:

Apparently Boris Johnson said the outcome of Brexit would be “fantastic”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/28/come-off-it-sunshine-boris...

fantastic
adjective
imaginative or fanciful; remote from reality.

For once I find myself agreeing with Boris. Given his remain tendencies, I wonder if he chose that word carefully with that in mind ?

In reply to john arran:

I can't take anything he says seriously. He's is the biggest bullshitter ever to have to risen to a position of power in our government.

In reply to pasbury:


Unless, of course, he's talking about Saudis.

In reply to john arran:

His views on brexit is not surprising anymore since, he was in favor on brexit.