You can't blame Brexit

Rachel Reeves recently "outed" Brexit. At an investment summit in Birmingham she said “The Office for Budget Responsibility do the forecasts for the economy. When we left the European Union, or when we voted to leave, they made an estimate about the impact that would have. What they’ve done this summer is go back to all of their forecasts and look at what actually happened compared to what they forecast. What that shows – and what they will set out – is that the economy has been weaker and productivity has been weaker than they forecast, despite the fact that they forecast that the economy would be weaker because of leaving the EU."

So are you saying there's nothing we can do about it? That Brexit has made us worse off and we just have to suck it up?

That's dishonest. If you say - and believe - that a Brexit Britain is intrinsically poorer than a not-Brexit Britain, isn't the logical thing to do something about that? Isn't it possible that proposing reuniting with the EU, or some aspect of that such as re-joining the Customs Union, could completely change the prospects of a left of centre government/coalition defeating the forces of the right at the next election? Could Labour really be bold enough to say "it hasn't worked so we need to reverse the referendum decision" as the central plank of their 2029 election campaign? I recently posted about rolling referendums or at least some clarity on repeat referendums but I'm not proposing a referendum. My proposal would be that a single issue "unBrexit" election would have exactly the same decisive effect as the 2019 Brexit election: a sea change.

I'm not saying any of that would be easy and I'm not saying that I believe it is the right thing to do. I'm just saying that political thought at the moment in the UK is dominated by the populist agenda and there is no counter-insurgency. The "centre ground" has become muddied by the belief that you have to fight populism on its own turf; maybe switching to a proactive, visionary approach could be more effective.

Could it work? Would the EU even want us back? Who knows. But it would be a clear differentiator which voters could understand as a positive vision for the future of the country. It could be a "dead cat" moment [no offence to cats] which distracts voters from the "mess" they think the country is in. Politically for Labour, it would establish clear water between them and Reform/Tory and would go some way towards negating pressure from the LibDems/Greens/nationalists ("we are the only de-Brexit party who can actually make it happen").

Does Labour even have a Boris figure who could make it happen? Not sure. Suggestions?

The Castle of Mey

The Castle of Mey. The solution to the King's problem.

The name of the problem is Andrew. Still a Prince, I believe. If I were the King (and I'm with Boris on this; it's a highly desirable life option) I'd be looking hard at where I would like him to live. Number one criterion is...as far away from me as possible. Hence the Castle of Mey, which is a few miles away from John o' Groats.700 miles away from London, only 200 from Norway.

The north of Scotland has a rich history with Norway so it's perfectly possible we could persuade Norway to annex that small portion of the north east coast of Scotland, in which case Andrew would be a Norway resident and they might even allow him to be extradited to the USA to give evidence in the Epstein/Maxwell investigation.

It should be easy to persuade Andrew of this. Large house? Tick - according to the Times it has 38 rooms including 15 bedrooms; not at all sure what he'd do with those but I'm guessing he would come up with some ideas. Grand living? Tick - it's a castle, for goodness sake. Title? You could call him King Of The North, which would have the additional advantage of annoying Andy Burnham. Two ticks.

Then there's the referendum. The next time there is one on Scottish independence, the King could legitimately campaign for the Yes camp, as "my brother is available to be your King". In which case, again, the extradition possibility comes into play.

You need to know how to play to people's egos, Charles.

Footy updates 2025/19

How did my forecasts fare this weekend? (And ChatGPT's)

Ipswich 1 West Brom 1 CGPT: 2-1 Result: 1-0
Only the second clean sheet of the season; that says everything. More needed

Hull 2 Charlton 1 CGPT: 2-1 Result: 1-1
A late equaliser for Charlton

Wycombe 1 Huddersfield 1 CGPT: 1-1 Result: 3-0
A very early red card for Huddersfield helps Wycombe further away from the relegation zone

Whitstable 2 Holmesdale 1 CGPT: 3-1 Result: 5-0 [attendance: 578]
2 goals for D Grant and 2 for 38yo Joe Healy (described on Wikipedia as a "former footballer")

Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 CGPT: 3-0 Result: 1-0
The juggernaut rolls on

Everton 1 Tottenham 1 CGPT: 2-1 Result: 0-3

Impressive away form. 3rd in the table, 5 points behind the Gunners

Correct results: 2 out of 6 (ChatGPT: 3)

Correct scores: 0 out of 6 (ChatGPT: 0)

Match score this season so far: usedtobecroquetman 1 Chat GPT 2

***********************

Upcoming midweek games (all EFL Cup 4th round):

Wycombe v Fulham

Arsenal v Brighton

Newcastle v Tottenham

Footy updates 2025/18

*******************************

Recent matches:

Snodland Town 1 Whitstable Town 5
Up to 2nd in the table

Ipswich 0 Charlton 3
Shocker. What has happened to Ipswich? And it's maybe Charlton who are promotion candidates

Arsenal 4 Atletico Madrid 0
Thrilling win against a tricky opponent

Monaco 0 Tottenham 0

Snoozefest

*******************************

My forecasts for this weekend: (and ChatGPT's):

Ipswich 1 West Brom 1 CGPT: 2-1

Hull 2 Charlton 1 CGPT: 2-1

Wycombe 1 Huddersfield 1 CGPT: 1-1

Whitstable 2 Holmesdale 1 CGPT: 3-1

Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 CGPT: 3-0

Everton 1 Tottenham 1 CGPT: 2-1

Footy updates 2025/17

How did my forecasts fare this weekend? (And ChatGPT's)

Middlesbrough 1 Ipswich 1 CGPT: 1-1 Result: 2-1
Top of the table Middlesbrough show Ipswich that control trounces flair

Charlton 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0 CGPT: 1-2 Result: 2-1
Wednesday are a basket case; I'd expect ChatGPT to know that 

Blackpool 1 Wycombe 2  CGPT: 1-2 Result: 1-1
113th minute equaliser keeps the Chairboys out of the relegation zone

Erith & Belvedere 1  Whitstable Town 2  CGPT: 1-2 Result: 0-1
Up to 5th; games in hand 

Fulham 0 Arsenal 1 CGPT: 0-2 Result: 0-1
Top of the table 

Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 0  CGPT: 2-1 Result: 1-2
Bit of a shocker really; Spurs 6th 

Correct results: 3 out of 6 (ChatGPT: 2)

Correct scores: 1 out of 6 (ChatGPT: 0)

Match score this season so far: usedtobecroquetman 1 Chat GPT 1

***********************

Upcoming midweek games:

Snodland Town v Whitstable Town 

Ipswich v Charlton 

Arsenal v Atletico Madrid 

Monaco v Tottenham 

Welcome to the 80s

On Being Eighty

On Being Eighty

Do not smile and pat me on the head
Because I’m eighty
Do not treat me as though I were a child
Because I’m eighty
Do not assume that I am 
Not as bright as you
Or that my opinion doesn’t count
Because I’m eighty
Do not talk about me 
As though I weren’t there
Because I’m eighty
Do not roll your eyes to heaven 
When I complain and please...Please 
Don’t call me dearie
Just because I’m eighty

Beatrice Boyle
****************************
Eighty Not Out
In the gay, gleamy morn I adore to go walking,
And oh what sweet people I meet on my way!
I hail them with joy for I love to be talking,
Although I have nothing important to say.
I cheer the old grannies whose needles are plying;
I watch the wee kiddies awhoop at their play:
When sunny the sky is, you'll not be denying
The morning's the bonniest bit of the day.
With hair that is silver the look should be smiling,
And lips that are ageful should surely be wise;
And so I go gaily with gentle beguiling,
Abidding for cheer in the bright of your eyes.
I look at the vines and the blossoms with loving;
I listen with glee to the thrush on the spray:
And so with a song in my heart I am proving
That life is more beautiful every day.

For I think that old age is the rapture of living,
And though I've had many a birthday of cheer,
Of all the delectable days of God's giving,
The best of the bunch is my eightieth year.
So I will go gay in the beam of the morning
Another decade,--Oh I haven't a doubt!
Adoring the world of the Lord's glad adorning,
And sing to the glory of Ninety-not-Out.
Robert William Service