IanD

Whether you believe in the benefits of privatisation or not, it's clearly been a disaster for bus (and rail) services in most of the UK, with many people having no way to get around, especially in the evenings -- unless they're well off enough to pay for taxis or to run a car. London is an exception, not just because of funding but because the whole transport system stayed in the control of a single unitary body, which has done a good job of making joined-up public transport work. Yes you see empty buses some of the time especially at night, but they're there for people who need to use them. Public transport driven by profit rather than the need to provide the service that society needs just doesn't work, because it's always more profitable to cut under-used routes even if this leaves some people effectively stranded. Rail also loses out because even if it's the most effective and eco-friendly way of moving lots of people it's also the most expensive. This is why many countries subsidise their public transport more than the UK does, but governments here for many years -- especially the Tories -- seem unable to see the benefit to society of this, they just see the cost 😞

As has often been pointed out, many people think they know a simple solution to a complex problem, and they're almost always wrong... 😉

We went clockwise and had no major problems, some low pounds going up the HNC but nothing we couldn't cope with. But as Alan points out, past performance is no guarantee for the future... But it's a great trip to do, and with two weeks you'd be unlucky to have a long enough stoppage to stop you doing it successfully...

Because every time he's confronted with facts he doesn't like he resorts straight back to name-calling and personal insults, in the hope that this will distract attention from his inability to back up his position. If you read my posts you should realise I try quite hard not to do the same, though the temptation to rant and rave at people is difficult to resist. And I block people because I know if I see one other asinine post from them I'll be unable to resist joining in the mudslinging; life is more relaxing with them tuned out. You complaining about harsh language really is the pot calling the kettle black... 😉 Try reading up on the subject, it's not difficult to find information about it -- the article on Wikipedia is a good start 😉

<sigh> the result of the referendum was advisory. The Government then voted for Article 50 which said we would leave in March. Then when they couldn't come to a decision they pushed the date back to October, and the default if nothing else happens is that we leave then without a deal. Absolutely nothing stops them changing their minds and delaying again, or exiting, or cancelling Article 50, because they're the government and can do -- or not do -- as they see fit, by passing new laws. And you're too ignorant to understand the difference between fact and opinion. Blocked.

Yes, along with all the other real possibilities I mentioned. Brexit has pushed the UK into constitutional chaos and nobody knows what's going to happen next or how to get us out of this mess.

Nope, I'm simply pointing out to people how government works in the UK and what the law is. And you're not my mate... 😞

The result of the referendum was advisory and still is. Parliament not implementing the result (yet) is them doing their job. If they decide to cancel Article 50, they can do just that. If you don't like that, vote them out. It's how politics works in the UK. If you don't like that, find a party to vote for who wants to change it and vote them in. You can't? Tough, that's the way it works.

The problem is that -- like many others -- she believes that the government has to do what was voted for in the referendum, and ignores anything that contradicts that view, including facts...

I was the one who said that the default position if nothing changes is to leave on October 29th, so what's your point? Parliament can just as easily vote to cancel it again, should it so choose. Or it can allow a no-deal Brexit to happen. Or it can ask the EU for yet another delay. Or it can have a fit and pass May's deal. Or the government could fall and we have a general election. Or Boris could talk so much boll*cks that his head explodes and destroys the House of Commons...

Patronising but accurate. The government does *not* legally have to listen to "the will of the people" or implement the result of any referendum, unless a law has previously been passed by Parliament to make it legally binding -- which it wasn't for Brexit, or the Welsh referendum. That is the law of the land, I even provided references to it which you could read instead of making more posts which are factually wrong. As has been said repeatedly, you're entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. Not even if you're Donald Trump or Boris Johnson... 😉 You know you're wasting your time, don't you?

Some people never get it, no matter how many times they're told... The government in a representative democracy *doesn't* have to do what "the people" want, especially if they disagree with it because they think it's dumb. Can you honestly see a revolution happening in Britain, especially about Brexit? What do you think is going to happen, millions of people out on the streets saying "Come on chaps, this just isn't cricket"? And almost as many millions out saying the exact opposite? In any case the government will ignore them, just like the last few times this has happened... (note that I didn't say which side was which -- all we can say for sure is that the country is pretty much split down the middle, and arguing about exactly who has a tiny majority over who is going to go on until at least page 1000 of this thread...)

We (six of us) did the ring in ten days, hiring from Shire Cruisers at Sowerby Bridge. Terrific trip, great pubs, Standedge, but you've got to *really* like locks since there are over 200 in 30-odd miles IIRC... No big problem going through Manchester but the whole trip takes careful planning -- should be much easier in two weeks (and with more margin if anything goes wrong) than it was for us 😉

The answer to your question is probably -- after WWII when Labour got in and did all that stuff like inventing the NHS/nationalising the railways/mines/steel/BOE. Whether you agree with all (or none...) of what they did, it certainly made a huge change in many people's lives, mostly for the better. Given that the seismic change currently under discussion is a no-deal Brexit, maybe it's time to remind people that seismic shocks tend to make lots of things collapse... 😉

I just explained that -- parties say lots of things in leaflets and manifestos that they don't (or can't) deliver, this should come as no surprise to anyone. If Parliament does nothing then the legal position today is that we'll leave without a deal on October 29th; however it is also perfectly within their constitutional powers -- because they run the country and make the laws -- to either ask the EU for a further delay, or block a no-deal Brexit, or cancel Article 50 so we stay in the EU. Or Boris might try and prorogue Parliament to stop them blocking a no-deal Brexit, in which case there might be a legal challenge or a vote of no confidence which could bring the Government down and lead to a general election -- in which case we're very unlikely to leave on October 29th because there probably won't be a government in power. And if this happens and the Tories lose the election, we might stay in the EU -- or leave with no deal if the Brexit party wins. In other words pretty much anything might happen and there's no easy way out of this constitutional mess that's going to please most of the people most of the time 😞