Fullerene

We were on the winning side for two world wars. In the first, we were on the winning side but lost a quarter of our territory when the Republic of Ireland became a separate country. In the second, we were on the winning side but lost an empire. For some, losing the empire and significant influence on the world stage coincided with the rise of the EU (or more precisely its predecessors). There is this belief that if the EU disappeared, we could go back to being a major world power - especially as those continentals would spend all their time arguing and fighting each other. Unfortunately for them, the continentals think the EU is a good way to avoid arguing and fighting each other and are not willing to give it up. How unsporting.

Which one are you referring to?

You mean like the House of Commons discussing Brexit to the exclusion of everything else. Yes, I wonder when that is going to happen.

It allows people to express an opinion without being challenged. "Britain will be great again selling unicorn ivory to China which is not allowed under EU rules". Also it prevents any expert coming along and going into detail. "Do you think 'No deal' is worth it to curb immigration?" "Well, I work for the Migration Studies Institute and it really isn't that simple .." "Oh dear, is that the time?"

That's what they want you to think.

I am often amazed by those who admire the hours you work more than the work you get done. I can imagine them watching a marathon. "Yeah, there was this one guy who stopped running a lot sooner than anyone else. He just grabbed his trophy and went off home. What a lazy sod." "I was most impressed by the one that came last - glad to see that level of commitment. He was the best."

Aside from the EU, there are two significant issues that have changed things since "the good old days". One is the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. This meant a large population who were never able to visit the UK are now able to do so. Second is the creation of cheap flights through EasyJet, Ryanair and other airlines. This has also increased the number of people who can come to the UK. Unless there is an end to flights between the UK and the continent, I don't think anything will change there. In fact, if we crash out and the pound drops further in value, the UK will probably see more visitors having a cheap holiday. I doubt we will ever return to a time when everyone you meet speaks English as a first language and with the exact same accent.

Lucky you. I have never heard him play either but I do recall a time when he had a guitar he would use on the high street. Not sure if he knew how to tune it or the concept of a chord. It was a painful ordeal. There is an article stating how the council were delighted to give him a licence to sell his trinkets. Probably not the full story. "If we don't give him a licence - he'll go back to his guitar again and we don't want that".

"You can rest easy. I'll take all your pains away. I guarantee it." Yeah, that would work every time.

Pragmatism I would say. When faced with an overstretched health service involving too many patients and not enough doctors, he came up with his own solutions. Don't seem to see so much of that forward thinking nowadays.

The big problem with "No Deal" being an option is that a lot of Leave voters will choose it as if to say "Leave means Leave and we really, really mean it." Absolutely no attempt will be made to understand what it means - there are even people who think "No Deal" means everything stays the same as it is now.

I think a war sounds like great fun. They could do a remake of the Great Escape. Fifty prisoners escape from a Brexit POW camp and make their way across enemy territory. "Oh no, a road block - what do we do?" "You keep quiet, I will do all the talking." "Okay." "Take back control, send the immigrants home, Ulster will be forever British." "Hey that worked." "Yes but we will need be more careful next time."

Plus a few MPs being pelted with scones and teacakes from time to time.

Yes. The local Labour Party and Liberal Democrats both agreed not to stand - although they hated each other so that meant he would go to a meeting for one party after which he would be driven to a neutral location where the other party would then come and collect him for their party meeting. He only stood for one election. George Osborne became the next MP - someone Martin Bell described as a fine chap. Little did he know.

"Midnight train to Georgia" was originally a song about Joseph Stalin as he tired of being a Soviet ruler and just wanted to get back to the land of his birth. In order to improve record sales in America, they had to adjust the lyrics a little.

Oh God. Here we go again ...

Some papers have said that the SDP didn't fail because the Labour Party morphed into New Labour and did a lot of the things that the SDP was asking for. Reckless and Carswell would say the same about their effort - that the Tory party is now doing the things that they had turned to UKIP to do. I suspect most of the TIG MPs could lose their seats at a general election based on previous experience but if Brexit turns out to be the disaster they think it will be - then they become the "told you so" party and that might change things.

Again this reflects my view that when people are asked how they would vote, they will answer as if the next question is why. That TIG are against Brexit and for second referendum is a good thing. However apart from that it is difficult to define what they represent apart from generalities - "Something new, something different - oh great that's what I want." Anna Soubry talking about having no problem with austerity would have put off a lot of potential voters from the left. I think their best chance of success is if a lot of MPs defect to TIG and I mean a lot. Corbyn and May are frighten of splitting their parties but that position would be seriously weakened if dozens left.

Are you saying Dundee United supporters can't read?

In all fairness to Chester, isn't this a recurring theme with Question Time. In the EU referendum, Gibraltar voted 97% Remain but I have no doubt that if Question Time was in Gibraltar they would find the other 3% and have them on the show.

Oh great, John Barnes is on. I wonder if there will a question about that game his team had against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and all that Super Caley go ballistic stuff. Better than talking about Brexit and I wonder if other members have much insight on that game. I would also be curious if the usual raging idiots in the audience would have much to say about it either. Just a thought.

It all means you don't get a knock on the door in the middle of the night to be taken off to the gulag because you don't like the leader's hair cut. All the same, I think I better say that whatever else I think about Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn, I think their haircuts are okay. (Better safe than sorry - that's what I say)

Is there any chance we could just take it to penalties?

What if in the next few days a huge number of Labour MPs and a huge number of Tory MPs all decided to defect to this party that then became the largest party in the House of Commons but without having a leader or a manifesto or a platform or even knowing if it is a party of the left or the right, for austerity or against it, for nationalisation or for privation or basically more or less anything. Couldn't be any worse than where we are now.

The EU are not going to grant an extension unless there is a good reason. They are unwilling to simply kick the can down the road. The only options are a general election or a second referendum. Theresa May is unlikely to budge on either of these. There is lots of talk about the EU moving at the last minute. Personally I am not convinced. Either the UK government will move at the last minute or we will crash out without a deal. I suspect if we crash out, we will be desperate to rejoin within a few weeks but that is simply my opinion.