56 thoughts on “De Friday Papers

  1. Formerly known as @ireland.com

    Oh look, some kids went to school. Boris in front of police officers – Trumpian.
    As Paul Keating, Aussie PM said: “I want to do you slowly.” I hope Boris gets down slowly. Hold off that election for as long as possible.
    My new favourite Twitter account:
    https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson_MP

    1. some old queen

      A week is a long time in politics they say- no more than this one. Once yes deal is passed, Johnson must go back to the EU for an extension or- figure how to get a general election- either by a one-line bill to amend the Fixed-term Parliament Act or calling a no-confidence vote in his own government.

      Johnson goes into an election after calling a no-confidence vote on himself? And now Labour want to delay the election until after the 31st October deadline- it’s a 3d chess game- I’m lost.

      The only thing for certain is- the damage being done to British manufacturing has to start showing in the returns soon- but its like they just don’t care.

  2. Formerly known as @ireland.com

    Oh look, some kids went to school. Boris in front of police officers – Trumpian.
    As Paul Keating, Aussie PM said: “I want to do you slowly.” I hope Boris gets done slowly. Hold off that election for as long as possible.
    My new favourite Twitter account:
    https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson_MP

  3. martco

    there was a very interesting discussion on Newsnight earlier….

    at the other end of all the current HP shenanigans & chess play that Bojo/Cummings/Rees-1837 will concoct that they will simply deliberately fail to supply a EU commissioner which is an instant game over moment in that the UK have to be automatically expelled.

    is that true?

    1. Otis Blue

      Which or whether. Have no doubt that the EU accepts that Britain is gone from the Union. They’ve lanced that boil. Von der Leyen presents her Commission next week. The Brits aren’t in it.

      https://www.politico.eu/article/von-der-leyen-will-present-new-commission-on-tuesday/

      Britain continues the fallacy that they EU want to trap them within the Union. Never mind. Old England is dying and the sunlit uplands will remain forever autumn.

      Me?

      I’ve watched Boris glitter in the dark. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

      Time to move on.

      1. martco

        yeah seems to all fit, doesn’t it?

        no wonder Rees-1837 is treating the whole circus in HP like a joke. because it IS a joke & the jokes on everyone not about to make a JP McManus size killing on the currency markets like he is.

        I wonder is there a concept of insider trading on the currency trading like stocks & shares? or is that kind of manipulation taking place at such an altitude that nobody polices that?

  4. Cú Chulainn

    Meanwhile, on more important matters: the Star have given us a ‘fearsome beast’ (an eel) and a big pair of boobs. I’m just surprised it’s not ‘my knockers sank giant eel’. Or Nessie smothered in my lock’..

    1. Termagant

      Listen, the highest allegiance an ethical journalistic publication can have is to the truth, it is their solemn duty to root out factual truth no matter where it lies, no matter how unsavoury it might be, no matter whose applecart it might upset, and to communicate that truth to the public that they might be accurately and fully informed as to the nature of their society. And the simple truth of the matter is that Kelly does look really swell, you can shrink away from it, try to shield yourself from the truth, but that doesn’t change the reality.

      1. Cú Chulainn

        Termagant, I have been stirred by your words.. I shall not shrink away anymore, but shall rise up, like that big strong eel, erect, and surrender myself to a good smothering by Kelly’s ‘knockers’..!!!

  5. scottser

    Brexit is finally dead. From here on in its just rats and sinking ships.
    All that is left to enjoy is Boris’s resignation and the DUP getting properly done for hitching their bandwagon to a donkey.
    I take it we won’t be seeing charger in these parts again?

  6. GiggidyGoo

    Varadkar trying his childishness on the international stage now. He just can’t help himself. A swipe at Rees Mogg. Aren’t his scriptwriters the clever little lads?
    Oh yeah…. how’s the ‘cast iron and bulletproof’ agreement these days?
    FG overseeing the return of border checks between NI and SI. West Brits do what West Brits do.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      (plus, there’s still no detail on what preparations FG are making. Just the usual waffle of what might happen, but nothing on how they’d intend to counteract it. Boys thinking they can do men’s jobs)

      1. some old queen

        Another day- another swipe at Leo eh? You are being very naive if you think Leo and Simon are on a solo run- either from the other main Irish parties or the other EU member states.

        It is no coincidence that the impact of no deal is being talked up right now because no matter what laws London pass- nothing has been proposed let alone agreed with the EU- and that is where the real horse trading will happen.

          1. GiggidyGoo

            Is that link meant to prove something?
            We have nothing yet from FG (and Varadkar is supposedly a Leader) about actual locations of border controls between NI and SI.
            Has he resolved his understanding about airspace yet?
            Does he believe BoJo about the Common Travel area being protected?
            Has he enough parking space for trucks at ports?
            Does he realise that in Rosslare, trucks have to leave the bonded port area and travel on a normal, non-bonded public road through a village to a newly-being-built, small truck park approx 1km away? How does he control that?
            If many medicines that are regulated in the UK, have to pass that regulation before coming here (which is the situation at the moment) has the bould Leo a solution to that? Has he control of supplies? Likewise, many of our own pharmaceutical companies export to the UK either for use there or onward export.

            Varadkar and Co. are not up to the job. When you have Coveney shushing Ross a few months ago, and now finding he has to have to admit that border controls will have to take place, then you get an idea of what i’m saying.

            Cast iron – bulletproof? Podium hired amid a flurry of excitement. And it was said at the time by many, including myself, that this was just for show and photo ops, and that there was nothing cast iron, nor bulletproof about it.

            I’m surprised at you taking the utterances of these boys lying down and not questioning them. Maybe in three months you can give an update from the border area?

          2. eoin

            Also, the slow learner Coveney has accused the UK of reneging on commitments for “fritionless trade” between the North and South. “We’re concerned that the current British government reneging on that commitment is a very significant and very negative step that has undermined trust very fundamentally.”, he’s reported to have said this week. Of course, Boris himself, the first thing he did as PM, was to renege on the December 2017 joint declaration which codified the backstop that we’re all now talking about. And we have general accusations that the UK is reneging on the Good Friday Agreement, by rowing back on commitments for NI citizens to choose between British and Irish identities etc.

            If the UK is doing all this reneging, then, how secure is that Common Travel Area and the Memorandum signed a few months ago by the slow-learning Simon?

    2. eoin

      “But once you start talking about checks anywhere near the Border, people will start delving into that and all of a sudden we’ll be the Government that reintroduced a physical border on the island of Ireland”

      Simon Coveney to Shane Ross, 15 January 2019, inadvertently picked up on reporters microphone

      1. GiggidyGoo

        Well, if you’re happy to think NI is a good abbreviation for Northern Ireland, then it should be clear that i’ve used SI in a similar fashion for Southern Ireland. But you’re such a clever (?) dude yourself that you have to change your name here yet again to take a swipe. GS.

          1. GiggidyGoo

            I live in Ireland. Not Northern Ireland, but the place below it (south of it) which is, surprise, surprise, Southern Ireland . SI

  7. eoin

    Yesterday, a gang was jailed in England for masterminding a people trafficking scam whereby people from Georgia (the peaceful Eurasian country, often does well in the Eurovision) were being brought into Ireland where they sought asylum. While waiting, they were then trafficked into the UK via Belfast. All for around £15,000 a head, payable to the ringleaders.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7430961/Boss-Georgian-human-trafficking-gang-35-jailed-six-years.html

    Charlie Flanagan should hang his head in shame. Just look below at the top countries for asylum applications in Ireland, these from a reply by Charlie Flanagan to a parliamentary question in July 2019. HOW THE FUPP DID NO-ONE REALISE WE WERE BEING SCAMMED BY GEORGIANS? What grounds would the citizens of a peaceful country in Eurasia have for claiming asylum anyway. It’s so incompetent that you’d have to wonder is someone in the Dept of Justice benefitting from the scam in some way.

    2017
    Syria,545
    Georgia, 302
    Albania, 282
    Zimbabwe, 262
    Pakistan, 200
    Others 1335
    Total 2926

    2018
    Albania, 459
    Georgia, 450
    Syria, 333
    Zimbabwe, 282
    Nigeria, 251
    Others, 1898
    Total 3673

      1. Otis Blue

        It does have a poor record on LGBT issues but it is far from a poo hole, more generally. As some Irish football fans will soon discover, Tbilisi is a decent spot, though not without its political and economic issues, as would be typical of any country transitioning to democracy. It’s significantly pro western and EU in outlook. The rural areas are like stepping back to 1950s Ireland, both good and bad.

        It’s worth remembering too that Russia has annexed two regions in Georgia and that creates significant issues in itself, not least in displacement of people. Your mention of the church – which is Georgian Orthodox rather than Eastern Orthodox – is relevant as it exerts considerable influence and is oft speculated that it is significantly influenced by Russia.

        1. some old queen

          My point is that it is deeply conservative and persecution of LGBT- which definitely happens there- would qualify as grounds for asylum. From my perspective Tbilisi does not look like ‘a decent spot’ – it looks like a complete poo hole and I personally would have safety concerns about going there.

          And just a point on the immigrant stats- it would be interesting to see how many asylum seekers are claiming on LGBT grounds. The government appear to be reluctant to release any stats as to why people are claiming asylum- most likely because it humanises the applicants.

          1. Otis Blue

            Undoubtedly there’s an LGBT issue there. It’s been well documented. Here’s a decent read that offers some insights

            https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/22/bassiani-tbilisi-techno-nightclub-georgia?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

            As for Tbilisi, I’ve worked there regularly over the last number of years and will be there again before the end of the month. LGBT issues aside, and they are important, I would have no hesitation in recommending the City nor would I have the slightest concern for my safety; I’d happily around at all hours though the usual caveats apply. While there’s a gritty post soviet feel to parts, there’s also plenty to like and much that is progressive and compelling.

    1. Cian

      how many of these Georgians were granted leave to stay?
      You may not realise this, but Charlie Flanagan can’t control who applies for asylum. *Anybody* can apply for asylum.

  8. eoin

    “Data Protection Commission to seek enforcement action over government’s refusal to comply with PSC findings”

    https://www.thejournal.ie/data-protection-commission-psc-4797429-Sep2019/

    Who’d have thought it! The data protection commissioner gave the draft findings of her PSC investigation to the government 13 months ago. She delivered her final report three weeks ago. The Commissioner has concluded the government, Regina Doherty especially have been engaged in the illegal mass surveillance of citizens. And what is the response from Regina? After having 13 months to discuss the findings with the Commissioner, Regina asks for a meeting! You couldn’t make it up.

    No wonder the Commissioner has now told Regina to fupp off “I can confirm that we have this evening responded to the Department and have declined their request for a meeting. ”

    Also, the Commissioner is to seek orders against the Department and minister. I hope she seeks committal orders against Regina. Jail the numpty!

  9. eoin

    Has Mick Clifford discovered another Sergeant Maurice McCabe, this time in the Irish prison service.

    Mick raises some important issues about the prison service and the independence of the inspector of prisons. Somehow David McDonald seems to me to be trying to jump on the Maurice whistleblower bandwagon, but regardless, the story deserves more profile.

    https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/specialreports/special-report-man-who-unlocked-secrets-of-the-prison-service-now-feels-confined-947663.html

  10. eoin

    Was that the editor of the “Irish” Daily Mail on Virgin’s premiere reputation laundering service last night.

    Following his conviction for contempt in July and the fine of €4,500, is he still trying to convince our Immigration and Nationalisation Service to give him Irish citizenship? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think this is the sort of character to whom we should be handing precious Irish citizenship. Also, Daily Mail.

  11. eoin

    Has Regina gone to the Circuit Court to appeal the findings by the data commissioner about the PSC card? The 3-week deadline for an appeal would have expired yesterday, wouldn’t it. Any word from Regina or is she still trying to look states(wo)manlike about Brexit, and getting away with it thanks to our government-dependent media?

    Also, why has Regina not published the 176-page report which the Commissioner is statutorily prevented from publishing herself. It’s the lowest contempt by an over-promoted failed entrepreneur who was only given a job in this govt because there are 33 ministers and only 49 FG TDs.

    “Under applicable laws, it is not open to the DPC to publish its Report without the prior agreement of the Department. The DPC has written to the Department asking it to confirm, within a period of seven days, that it will either publish the Report on its own website or, alternatively, that it will agree to the publication of the Report on the Commission’s website. The Department’s response is awaited.”

  12. eoin

    Jebus, a US $50 million loss at Dermot Desmond’s Datalex for 2018 according to the Irish Times and the auditors are refusing to give an opinion on the finances. There had been talk of a $5 (five) million loss when the shares were suspended a few months ago for accounting irregularities and failing to produce an annual report. The shares remain suspended.

    Never mind though, Dermot has installed Sean Corkery as CEO. Who is Sean, you might wonder, there’s a little bio of him here on the board of that other stellar success.

    https://www.digicelgroup.com/en/about/leadership.html

  13. Ian-O

    Again with the British version of the Daily Star with a good shot of someones cleavage?

    Why?

    What possible need is there to include in this otherwise interesting round up?????

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