Cont: General UK politics [2]

[P.J. Denyer]

Don’t worry about the cost of living crisis or fuel bills, the government has found a way to make it all better.
They are bringing forward plans for a new £1250 million 'flagship' to be Britain's 'Jewel in the Crown'. They plan to unveil it ahead of the Jubilee.

Can't they just use one of the seized Super Yachts?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...wn-national-flagship-unveiled-ahead-platinum/

That would be really awkward when they invite the original owner onboard to beg for donations.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

You missed an important part - the scheme will be described as 'world-leading'.

World Beating, 'Leading' suggests being foremost but in co-operation with those damned foreign johnnies.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

The NFU is asking the government to release an additional 10,000 visas under the Seasonal Workers Scheme, in addition to the 30,000 already granted.

Employers successfully applying for visas will also receive a free copy of "Ukrainian for Farmers" written by Daniel Kawczynski MP's language school owning cousin.

 

[Vixen]

It's being widely reported here Michael Gove's vacuous statement that oligarch's mansions 'could' be used for the Ukrainian refugees. They obviously don't realise Gove talks rubbish. The government has known from its intelligence reports that a Russian invasion was imminent (as soon as the Olympics were over). All this time and already we are in week three of the Russian invasion, with things starting to move for [some] refugees this coming Tuesday, and who will only be allowed to stay a year, and only now the thought has popped into Gove's head that all those luxurious largely empty properties owned by oligarchs 'could be used for refugees'? Please. How will that work, as all the government can do is 'sanction' the owner but it doesn't give them access to squat in the property. It would need to pass confiscation laws - maybe a CPO (and that means paying compensation to the owners) - and then, what, nationalise all these empty properties? All within a year? And having done that, can you imagine the SUN newspaper headlines about refugees living in Belgravia and Kensington palatial housing with high rise swimming pools, whilst Brexiteers whose kids have been told housing lists are twenty-years long, and army personnel, are living in substandard conditions?

 

[The Don]

Apparently there will be no cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees that will be allowed into the UK:

There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainian refugees who can live with UK host families under a new visa scheme, the government has confirmed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60731485

The thing is, if you make it ridiculously difficult to get a visa to enter the UK from Ukraine, you don't need an explicit limit on numbers.

It's like saying that there's no limit on the number of billionaires.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Apparently there will be no cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees that will be allowed into the UK:



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60731485

The thing is, if you make it ridiculously difficult to get a visa to enter the UK from Ukraine, you don't need an explicit limit on numbers.

It's like saying that there's no limit on the number of billionaires.

Visa application centre in Ukraine has been closed. It's either online or in France now.

 

[The Don]

Visa application centre in Ukraine has been closed. It's either online or in France now.

Exactly, make it nigh on impossible to get a visa and that'll keep the gammons happy.

 

[The Don]

That said, Mrs Don and I have signed up to take a family in Don Towers should they be able to get here.

 

[Vixen]

Description of sanctioned Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska's mansion in 5 Belgrave Square purportedly valued at £25m, which last night was taken over by an anarchist group called NFA-AF (No fixed abode - anti-fascist), and today about 30 vanloads of riot squad police, together with a cherry picker digger arrived to forcibly eject them tout suite:

Despite using the property as a secondary home – once staying for less than four weeks in 12 months – it is awash in the trappings of wealth.

Its walls are covered in artwork, including one depicting Cossacks on horses similar to works by the 19th century Russian painter Franz Roubaud, valued at approximately £60,000.

A statue that experts said was similar to those created by Barbara Hepworth can also be seen. Experts noted that there is one for sale at Christie’s for £50,000 to £80,000, although Deripaska’s is a larger, marble item and likely to be worth much more.

The footage shows a chandelier, a grand piano and home cinema, as well as walls painted with landscapes. The stairways are adorned with Russian Orthodox icons, each likely to be valued at up to £10,000.

A round table appears to be the work of David Linley, the Queen’s nephew, valued at approximately £16,000.

The lower floors of the seven-bedroom property, located close to numerous embassies, features a Turkish steam bath, gym and two kitchens.

THE TIMES

Considering the 'London Makhnovists' are a newly formed collective named after Nestor Makhno, a Ukrainian anarchist and were demonstrating on behalf of Ukrainians, whatever happened to Gove's fine words about using the sanctioned oligarch's homes to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing from Putin's brutal war? 20 policemen needed with riot shields?

'Deripaska, 54, made his £2 billion fortune in the aluminium wars — the chaotic and often violent privatisation of industry that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union. He grouped his businesses together in the EN+ Group, which was based in London and raised £1 billion when it was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2017.

ibid

So yet another Russian oligarch who got his filthy lucre from selling off nationalised assets and lining his pockets with the proceeds that should have been shared with the People. And a housing crisis in London.

 

[GlennB]

That said, Mrs Don and I have signed up to take a family in Don Towers should they be able to get here.

Good for you

 

[GlennB]

Description of sanctioned Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska's mansion in 5 Belgrave Square purportedly valued at £25m, which last night was taken over by an anarchist group called NFA-AF (No fixed abode - anti-fascist), and today about 30 vanloads of riot squad police, together with a cherry picker digger arrived to forcibly eject them tout suite:

So yet another Russian oligarch who got his filthy lucre from selling off nationalised assets and lining his pockets with the proceeds that should have been shared with the People. And a housing crisis in London.

And a rapid response, in force, by the Met. I wonder what 'donations' Deripaska made that gets the Met to respond so vigorously?

I'm beginning to feel deeply ashamed of my own country.

 

[Vixen]

43,000 Brits already signed up to the newly opened help a refuge scheme (housing). It is a relief to know it is only the UK government that is mean-spirited and not the British people.

 

[The Don]

43,000 Brits already signed up to the newly opened help a refuge scheme (housing). It is a relief to know it is only the UK government that is mean-spirited and not the British people.

A school in our local town is refurbishing a bungalow for use by Ukrainian refugees

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60740745

One of our concerns was that, because we live in a comparatively rural area with little or no public transport, we would be rejected as hosts. If there's a family in Chepstow then perhaps we will be considered suitable after all.

 

[The Don]

Report from the Daily Mirror (UK left-leaning tabloid so take that into account when assessing the accuracy and slant of the article) about a family's difficulty in getting a visa for a teenage niece.

After finding their niece at 2am on the Monday they stayed in a hotel before driving to a family member’s farm in Romania over dangerous icy roads in the Carpathian mountains – which William said they were “woefully unequipped” for. They then continued west, reaching Brussels on Wednesday.

On Thursday they applied for a standard visa and stayed with a friend of a friend before heading to Calais on Monday, only to be turned around as their application had been deferred.

Of the process, William said: “It’s very confusing. English is my first language and it was difficult.

“It’s heartbreaking. There’s no working system. It’s impossible, shameful and a disgrace.”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/we-drove-3300-miles-save-26452938

I understand that the UK government is trying to square a circle. On the one hand they don't want to make the fact that they are in the pockets of Russian oligarchs too obvious , so they make a lot of noise about helping Ukrainian refugees. On the other hand, their base don't really want too many Eastern Europeans in the country (in fact just enough to assuage their conscience ).

This seems the perfect solution, say that there is no limit on the number of refugees and establish a superficially generous scheme for their housing and then make the rules for actually getting a visa so arcane that the number of refugees arriving is trivial.

Likewise with the sanctions, make a lot of noise about placing sanctions on oligarchs but drag your heels so much over implementing them that the practical effect is close to zero.

 

[Vixen]

A school in our local town is refurbishing a bungalow for use by Ukrainian refugees

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60740745

One of our concerns was that, because we live in a comparatively rural area with little or no public transport, we would be rejected as hosts. If there's a family in Chepstow then perhaps we will be considered suitable after all.

That would be a shame as I dare say many Ukrainian refugees having had a stressful 2,000km journey and possibly the terror of shelling and bombing of their town, would find a quiet rural setting utterly blissful.

I understand local authorities will receive £10,000 per refugee so that might go towards providing some kind of transport service to access facilities.

Looks like for now it is only those refugees who have a named British UK relative who will be matched up. The others without UK connections will be coming via charities and faith organisations. They will be allowed to stay for three years and to work and claim benefits, so that should give them some breathing space after their severe trauma.

 

[The Don]

That would be a shame as I dare say many Ukrainian refugees having had a stressful 2,000km journey and possibly the terror of shelling and bombing of their town, would find a quiet rural setting utterly blissful.

I suppose it depends on how good their English is. If they don't speak some English (or German, French, Spanish or Italian) then I could imagine life in Don Towers could be quite isolating and lonely, especially as there isn't a local Ukrainian community.

I understand local authorities will receive £10,000 per refugee so that might go towards providing some kind of transport service to access facilities.

That would be great - even if they had an account with a local taxi firm that would make getting about a lot easier.

 

[Vixen]

I suppose it depends on how good their English is. If they don't speak some English (or German, French, Spanish or Italian) then I could imagine life in Don Towers could be quite isolating and lonely, especially as there isn't a local Ukrainian community.



That would be great - even if they had an account with a local taxi firm that would make getting about a lot easier.

Here in Finland, we have been using Ukrainian seasonal workers for berry picking and other fruit/vegetable farming help, so there are already many lodgings in place. AFAIAA the government is taking care of the accommodation, with help from the community, including one or two Ukrainian communities already here. Not speaking Finnish or Swedish doesn't seem to be a huge barrier, so far.

 

[The Don]

At band practice last night, we were totally unsurprised to find that our bassist and his wife have also signed up to host Ukrainian refugees. Like us they're "New Labour" types who have done very well professionally and look for ways to pay it back/forward. His wife has always worked in the children's charity sector and has good contacts among the refugee charities.

A number of friends and acquaintances in a 5 km radius have also signed up and a number of them have relevant experience in volunteering, fostering and safeguarding. A Zoom call has been set up for Thursday morning so that we can coordinate efforts and see what can be done to create a local support network for any refugees we do end up hosting.

The thought of opening up our home to complete strangers for a year or more is a little disconcerting given how settled our lives have become. Some controlled chaos like this is rather exciting and I hope that we're chosen as hosts. Apart from its comparative remoteness (the nearest village is 1.5km away, the nearest town 6km away, the nearest city 35km away) and poor internet connection (~7-8 Mbps), Don Towers is pretty ideal place with plenty of room. We can offer one ensuite room and two more double bedrooms with a shared, family, bathroom and over 100 square metres of lounge/kitchen/dining space. We could also convert the gym into a study/play space if needed and although our garden is tiny by local standards, it's still well over 500 square metres.

 

[The Don]

Meanwhile, despite the British people coming forward in their tens of thousands to host Ukrainian refugees, the UK Government is protecting our borders by dragging its heels over the visa application process:

The Home Office says there have been 4,600 successful visa applications under the scheme.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-60739970

Whoop-dee-frikkin-doo

To take liberally from the second verse of The New Colossus

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.....

....and I will bury them in an arcane visa application process and tell them to **** off and get lost

 

[Mojo]

Likewise with the sanctions, make a lot of noise about placing sanctions on oligarchs but drag your heels so much over implementing them that the practical effect is close to zero.

Unless it’s something that will get massive attention like, say, a Premier League football club.