DJ Barry Hammond

So you’d be happy for your tax going to subsidise any company wishing to do trade to/from the UK, regardless of stature, import/export type, where the companies based, etc, etc, etc?

Not a great proposal is it.

Because companies / consumers pay tariffs, not the government

@murphy Ask yourself are you criticising the protest or trying to enforce your opinion on others? Your call for respect suggests you don’t think people should be allowed to protest? When does a country’s self interest become less important that a point of principle? Should we as a nation accept everything another country does if we stand to gain from it ourselves? At what point do you think protest against another countries national leader becomes legitimate? What threshold has to be reached? Or is there not one - should we be courteous to all World leaders?

What we should be looking for is the formation that kills 3 at the back - the new trend everyone else will want to copy. Part of Chelsea’s early success with 3 at the back was its newness in relative football terms - players and managers were unsure how to counteract it, but solutions are being found. Same with our high press 4-4-2, to start with a goldmine, now teams are wise. Thankfully, I have faith in Puel coming up with such a plan for this coming season and can’t wait to see how our 6 at the back with 2 holding midfielders formation works in pre-season.

Its also worth remembering America has a written constitution enshrining Freedom of Speech. So although some US citizens may not like the UK protests towards Trump, they should fight to the death for our right to make them. Mic drop 🎤

So what - as a nation we should be proud and bold enough to disrespect whoever we choose - including our own head of state.

As democratic as many other forms of democracy. Even if we take issue that the EU council proposes policy and have no elected officials, this role is largely akin to the UK’s civil service, that has the much bigger hand in creating and putting down the finer details of national policy than elected politicians. And if we consider the key key aspect of democracy is in the people having a say... well they do, not only through MEP’s, but through their national governments, interest movements and lobbying groups. The EU structure is easy to criticise on a simple level, but suggesting an effective alternative (getting rid doesn’t count) proves difficult, especially if you want to ensure the EU doesn’t attain a status that makes it stronger than National parliaments.

You make the mistake of thinking all American citizens support Trump - that is clearly not the case, there are plenty of demonstrations in his own country. Will the demo’s do much... probably not, Trump largely ignores these things, as leaders have to - having a thick skin and steadfast belief is part of the job. Yet if protest never worked, women wouldn’t have the vote and you’d still have separate seating arrangements on buses. However, to use a strawmen to provide perspective, there’s a long standing history in this country of public protests at the visits of people like Pinochet and Chinese dignitary visits. Lets face it, if one can protest at a person pleading guilty of Contempt of Court and facing those concequences, one can protest at whatever they want - regardless of how silly you may view either.

One of the most annoying aspects of last night was that the need for a change of shape was obvious - and Southgate essentially admitted that in one of his answers to reporters questions afterwards. We know only too well how difficult it is to switch a formation when you feel it is working for you... but a braver substitution and we may have got over the line. It had to be Loftus-Cheek for Sterling (who has flattered to deceive too much - does some great work, but always ****s it up 😠). Croatia had found us out, identified our flanks as the weak spot where time on the ball was all day and overloads plentiful. Yet we effectively did nothing - and the further annoyance, for the goals, defensively we were caught not attacking the ball twice. Walker... go head it, avert the danger. Stones... go head it, avert the danger. You want to win big prizes... take the criticism, learn from it, come back stronger.

There’s a lot of fudge reminents on this White Paper. Brexit means Brexit... except when you create newly worded associations that looks a lot like the thing before, only absurdly worse. Would a Brexitier dare say it - we might as well stay, if that’s leaving? As a remain voter, I’d call this ‘new plan’ a shitty one that achieves worse than nothing.

Given Barnier recently suggested a deal was 80% done, I suspect what has been presented at Chequers is the deal! ‘No Deal’ is not actually an option... unless we’d like to give up Northern Ireland and co-operation with the EU on other necessary or handy things - like which side of the Chunnel our border begins.

It seems to me Theresa May has ultimately realised that any sort of Brexit deal with the EU that would benefit this country would mean moving away from the previously stated hard red lines. The JRM led crowd are of course fiercely against this... that is understandable, but it doesn’t make their red line wishes any more workable in terms of establishing a deal with the EU. I’n not sure “No-deal” is possible anymore given the ‘backstop’ agreement now in place, we’d simply remain in eternal transition. So where we go from here is anyone’s guess and is liable to change by the day... ...but one certainty is with so much at stake both on a party political and personal basis, the final outcome that will be said to be “for the best interests of this country” will be anything but and require everyone else to make the best of it.

No-one Webbo, it was all funded by the magic money tree - although t-shirts and other paraphernalia were extra.

It should also be remembered how pissed off many were that we hadn’t signed him in the January window