Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

It looks like a General Election for 12th December is now on due to the majority of MPs voting for it - one can imagine thousands of people thinking "I'll pop into the Polling Station as soon as I have nipped into Boots to buy that Christmas present". The first December General Election since 1923.

So, remember when you write your Christmas cards and put 'X's on them, make sure you save just one for the ballot paper... (There are other Christmas election jokes, I know...)

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

When I get my 2020 diary, the first thing I will probably write inside it is an entry for Friday 31st January - "Brexit (or perhaps not?)"

The first thing I wrote when I got my 2019 diary was the word "Brexit" on the Friday 29th March entry, since crossed out of course.

[Richard1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Looks like you won't need them until February!

[zabadak]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I hope you have ventilation with all those baked beans!!!

[Zincubus]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

I obviously cannot comment on the 1970 General Election as I was too young to vote back then (if you know what I mean) , but I went to Polling Station as soon as it opened at 7.00 am on the day of the 2016 Referendum (was queueing for five minutes along with a dozen other voters before the powers that be opened the doors to let us in), and it was dry - I was wearing "summer" clothes on that day, I just popped to the local paper shop for a Times and an Express before walking down to the Polling Station, and so I assume that it didn't start raining until later on that day when I was indoors.

I have just been reading about the availability of Polling Stations in December on the BBC News website, and as I mentioned before, the points were made about Polling Stations being already booked on 12th December for Christmas parties, pantomimes, nativity plays, Father Christmas visiting and so on. My local Polling Station is a gospel church which I assume would be more quieter midweek rather than at weekends of course, but of course in December the probability is that there could be something happening on 12th December that wouldn't be happening on 12th June for example. In my old area, one of the Polling Stations (not my local one where I used to live) was a library which was closed on Thursdays - now, one can see why that was used as one. Usually, elections are indeed May and June events as the BBC News article observed.

Also, when I receive my Poll Card in the post, I often Blu Tack it to my noticeboard in my flat until the day of the election or Referendum - in December, I often Blu Tack Christmas cards that I receive in the post on my noticeboard. In a nutshell, it would almost be like having Wimbledon on the television in December!

[Richard1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Really the Leave should have a published a dossier to explain what happens next rather than make it up as they go along, or at least that how it fells.

Oddly both the referendum day & the date of the 1970 general election were unseasonally wet if I remember correctly.

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

At least with the Millennium Bug people had a few years to prepare for it, & because of their efforts disruption was minimised.

Any political party who lets something like a no deal happen is going to be toast, even to people who want it at the moment because they will soon find that thinking "it will never happen to me" won't protect them.

Calling an election in December is risky, especially because bad weather can effect the turnout, especially in rural areas.

I know that as early as 1996, the Millennium Bug was a "hot potato" in the news and in parliament although it wasn't a big issue to begin with, but on the other hand, Brexit itself has been around for around the same amount of time - the first mention of the portmanteau Brexit in a national newspaper was around 2012. The possibly of Boris Johnson becoming a future Prime Minister became a big issue as soon as David Cameron resigned.

A December General Election is indeed risky - even by-elections can have these factors when they are held so late in the year. Firstly, it will be held at a time of year when people are more likely to be doing their Christmas shopping, seeing nativity plays at their children's schools, having Christmas parties and so on. Secondly, as Richard has just said above, the cold weather and shorter daylight hours could affect the turnout, especially in areas with no public transport or a long distance to the nearest Polling Station, and especially in Scotland in the Grampians, Shetlands and Orkneys where daylight hours are even shorter than in England.

The polls will open when it is still dark outside and it will close when it is dark as well. Yes, the turnout will be affected mostly by virtue of the cold weather and Christmas being on many peoples' minds. I cannot see a northern Scotland constituency having much of a turnout, not only because of the cold weather, but also because of the Scottish status of wanting to remain in the European Union, and the SNP's support in that stance.

One aspect to note was that the 2016 Referendum was held on 23rd June in 2016 - the Thursday which was closest to the longest day of the year where at 10.00 pm when the Polling Stations closed, it would only be just getting dark, and it had been light for three hours when the polls opened. The 1970 General Election was also held on that equivalent Thursday as well.

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Great post !

Thanks, mate.

[Richard1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

At least with the Millennium Bug people had a few years to prepare for it, & because of their efforts disruption was minimised.

Any political party who lets something like a no deal happen is going to be toast, even to people who want it at the moment because they will soon find that thinking "it will never happen to me" won't protect them.

Calling an election in December is risky, especially because bad weather can effect the turnout, especially in rural areas.

[Zincubus]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

It's like the Millennium Bug thing from 20 years ago - back then the public were advised not to stockpile on food and things, such as a six month supply of Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the larder or a month's supply of frozen food because it was seen as an anti-social act by virtue of the fact that if everyone did it at the same time, supermarkets, business and society in general would grind to a halt and be on the brink of collapsing - that was what it was like in December 1999. I saw something in a Times supplement around that time which saw a family standing against what looked like to be a lorryload of food which was supposed to be the best part of a year's worth of food and drink.

As I have said before, I have a similar condition to Zincubus, and I have to say that with so much happening at the same time, I have been close to having a nervous breakdown on a number of occasions, and that was due to difficulties I have had personally in the last month or so - I don't like it when it all happens at once and would prefer to take one thing at a time - ironically enough, the Brexit situation can feel like a break from the norm at times. However, with regards to Brexit, it feels like I am watching a pantomime in the House of Commons as well with the Johnson / Corbyn "Punch and Judy"-alike double act, getting nowhere in particular very fast indeed.

If a General Election is needed to "soften" our journey forward and would help us get to the destination, then so be it. The only problem is that 12th December is: A) a bit too soon to Christmas (I cannot really imagine going to a Polling Station on a day when I have Christmas decorations up, as I think of elections as mostly a May or June sort of thing); and B) The 12th December this year happens to be a family anniversary, but apart from that, I would be all for it happening.

Great post !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

I know that the supermarkets have been stockpiling for months in their own warehouses...

I still think there will be lots of empty spaces on some shelves... I’ve already noticed a few instances in the last week or two ..

Being Aspergers/autistic I notice subtle changes in things ... the fact that I have a very specific/narrow diet complicates things ..

It's like the Millennium Bug thing from 20 years ago - back then the public were advised not to stockpile on food and things, such as a six month supply of Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the larder or a month's supply of frozen food because it was seen as an anti-social act by virtue of the fact that if everyone did it at the same time, supermarkets, business and society in general would grind to a halt and be on the brink of collapsing - that was what it was like in December 1999. I saw something in a Times supplement around that time which saw a family standing against what looked like to be a lorryload of food which was supposed to be the best part of a year's worth of food and drink.

As I have said before, I have a similar condition to Zincubus, and I have to say that with so much happening at the same time, I have been close to having a nervous breakdown on a number of occasions, and that was due to difficulties I have had personally in the last month or so - I don't like it when it all happens at once and would prefer to take one thing at a time - ironically enough, the Brexit situation can feel like a break from the norm at times. However, with regards to Brexit, it feels like I am watching a pantomime in the House of Commons as well with the Johnson / Corbyn "Punch and Judy"-alike double act, getting nowhere in particular very fast indeed.

If a General Election is needed to "soften" our journey forward and would help us get to the destination, then so be it. The only problem is that 12th December is: A) a bit too soon to Christmas (I cannot really imagine going to a Polling Station on a day when I have Christmas decorations up, as I think of elections as mostly a May or June sort of thing); and B) The 12th December this year happens to be a family anniversary, but apart from that, I would be all for it happening.

[George 1978]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Not really relevant where Brexit is concerned!

What is relevant in the circumstances?

[Zincubus]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

I know that the supermarkets have been stockpiling for months in their own warehouses...

I still think there will be lots of empty spaces on some shelves... I’ve already noticed a few instances in the last week or two ..

Being Aspergers/autistic I notice subtle changes in things ... the fact that I have a very specific/narrow diet complicates things ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[zabadak]

Re: Soooo .. Brexit looms ..anyone stockpiling ?

Common sense is the best way forward.

Not really relevant where Brexit is concerned!