Brexit, for once some facts.

Wicky

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2014
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Colchester, Essex
www.jhepburn.co.uk
Pro-Brexit Tory minister says it's 'essential' free movement is protected
Tory Brexiteer and culture minister Nigel Adams has backed calls for freedom of movement, at least for musicians, despite the fact his government is planning to take it away.
"Visa rules for artists performing in the EU will not change until the implementation period ends in December 2020. But these are being considered, with other activity, and we welcome the views of [MPs] and the industry in respect of movement within Europe.

"It's absolutely essential that free movement for artists is protected post-2020."

The message is, you don't need a job with a minimum £30 grand, just go down to the local second hand shop and grab a second hand guitar.
And if you have no musical talent buy some bagpipes and if approached by an official just inflate the instrument and make warming up sounds like an animal being mistreated.
Immigration will wave you through.
Despite being a Scot I never fully recovered when my eldest daughter decided to learn to play them
Nothing better for melting a queue or emptying a room, thankfully she moved on to play a clarinet.

I think I shall have bagpipes played at my funeral, with luck there will be some people present who deserve it :cool:
You ain't heard the Hungarian bagpipes :cool:

 

wheeler

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 4, 2016
892
1,774
Scotland
Yet another example of government incompetence:

UK's smart motorways to be reviewed after huge rise in near-misses
BBC Panorama study shows increase on M25 from 72 to 1,485 in five years since conversion


It always seemed unbelievable that so-called smart motorways could be as safe. That they actually converted 200 miles before standing back and counting incidents/deaths is all too believable, sadly.

I was never happy driving on them.

Wonder how much it will cost to make them as safe as they were... ?
If these were near misses no harm was done other than some soiled underwear.
 

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
If these were near misses no harm was done other than some soiled underwear.
But not all were misses of any sort:

The death toll on stretches of smart or managed motorways has reached 38 in the last five years, including many in accidents that motoring organisations believe were avoidable after breakdowns.
 

Wicky

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2014
2,823
4,011
Colchester, Essex
www.jhepburn.co.uk
You might have thought that there would be other special interests which need the rules pushed out of the way for them. For example, film makers, journalists, actors...
Add plumbers, health workers, builders, cleaners, agricultural & hospitality industry workers - it will be interesting if any special sector exemptions are granted esp after Priti Patel just went lary at UK firms having the audacity for hiring EU workers.

I'm sure In the Tory bright ideas pipe line will be even more stringent measures to force more benefit claimants, disabled & elderly to fill the inevitable & growing gaps in the work force.
 
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oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
The USA keeps warning us we will lose our sovereignty if we choose Huawei. Just what does that say about brexit? Complete waste because it won't return sovereignty as repeatedly promised (or if it does, it disappears again, pronto). Schrödinger's sovereignty - as soon as you open the box it will be with EU, USA or China - but until then it could be with anyone you think it is with.

Or, do the other potential suppliers actually already have backdoors wide open to the USA spying on us? (Meaning either Huawei don't have a USA spy option or, just possibly, don't enable any spying!)

UK sovereignty in jeopardy if Huawei used for 5G, US warns
Mike Pompeo makes last-minute plea to ministers ahead of ‘momentous’ decision
 
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oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
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West West Wales
Timing could be interesting. Days to go and they decide to push this out.

Rolls-Royce sees SMRs on UK grid by 2029
24 January 2020

Paul Stein, chief technology officer for Rolls-Royce, told the BBC today the British engineering firm has a target of 2029 for commissioning small modular reactors (SMRs) in the UK. The ambition is part of the country's aim to achieve net zero by 2050, initially using former nuclear power sites in Cumbria and Wales.

Rolls-Royce is leading a consortium for its SMR project, which comprises Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Laing O’Rourke, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear AMRC, Rolls-Royce, Wood and The Welding Institute.

In an interview with business journalist Katie Prescott for Radio 4’s Today Programme, Stein said: "Our plan is to get energy on the grid in 2029. The obvious sites to put them are what we call brownfeld sites; sites where we're running elderly or decommissioned nuclear power stations. There are two sites in Wales and one in the northwest of England. Eventually in the UK we’ll be rolling out 10 to 15. We're also looking to a significant export market. In fact the current estimate for the export market for SMRs is GBP250 billion [USD328 billion], so this could be a huge industry."

The consortium calculates it can get the cost of a nuclear power station producing 440 MW to about GBP1.75 billion, which means being able to sell electricity at below GBP60/MWh, he said.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Rolls-Royce-sees-SMRs-on-UK-grid-by-2029

I wonder how many Euratom members states would accept a reactor from a non-member state? And, if the other current Euratom members would refuse, who would accept? Certainly would take a big slice out of any potential exports.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Schrödinger's sovereignty - as soon as you open the box it will be with EU, USA or China - but until then it could be with anyone you think it is with.
true enough but look at the positive side, we won't be introducing new laws on goods, environment, agriculture and consumers as much as we have been over the last 45 years because the conservative MPs are too busy with immigration, trade unions, law and order issues.
I still remember when the CE sticker became law. We were told to get our PC kits tested and each test costs about £10,000 then. You coud buy a good car for that sort of money. Needless to say that we stopped manufacturing and imported Chinese stuff that came with the sticker already affixed.
 
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oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
true enough but look at the positive side, we won't be introducing new laws on goods, environment, agriculture and consumers as much as we have been over the last 45 years because the conservative MPs are too busy with immigration, trade unions, law and order issues.
But that potentially has a whole load of negatives as well!

For example, we won't be unapplying existing laws (many of which were poorly framed or have become out of date) for the same reason.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
I wonder how many Euratom members states would accept a reactor from a non-member state? And, if the other current Euratom members would refuse, who would accept? Certainly would take a big slice out of any potential exports.
I strongly approve of the use of SMRs.

I don't see any problem at all with respect to Euratom which is mainly a research body, it is not an internationally recognised overriding authority. The commissioning authority rests with the national bodies like our UKAEA and the International Atomic Energy Authority.
.
 

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,608
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Ireland
true enough but look at the positive side, we won't be introducing new laws on goods, environment, agriculture and consumers as much as we have been over the last 45 years because the conservative MPs are too busy with immigration, trade unions, law and order issues.
I still remember when the CE sticker became law. We were told to get our PC kits tested and each test costs about £10,000 then. You coud buy a good car for that sort of money. Needless to say that we stopped manufacturing and imported Chinese stuff that came with the sticker already affixed.
Woosh, I think you were badly advised regarding CE marking. It is an assertion by the vendor that the product is compliant . Now one could be in trouble if they fraudulently claim CE compliance. Going to a testing house is just part of a due diligence ,"pass the buck " exercise.
 

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
I strongly approve of the use of SMRs.

I don't see any problem at all with respect to Euratom which is mainly a research body, it is not an internationally recognised overriding authority. The commissioning authority rests with the national bodies like our UKAEA and the International Atomic Energy Authority.
.
The House of Lords briefing document (unfortunately from as long ago as 2017) does raise many questions about the impact of leaving Euratom.

 
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Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Woosh, I think you were badly advised regarding CE marking. It is an assertion by the vendor that the product is compliant . Now one could be in trouble if they fraudulently claim CE compliance. Going to a testing house is just part of a due diligence ,"pass the buck " exercise.
a lot of companies that provided testing facilities (then) spread the fear of heavy fines (£2000 per product without CE stickers!) to encourage assemblers like ourselves to pay them for the test. Then there was the EMC directive, same rollercoaster, then the WEE directive, the rohs directive. The UN chips in too, they issue a raft of regulations to transport of DG classified goods, Lithium batteries are one of them.
Do you know that if I keep more than 300 batteries on premises, I have to have a trained battery safety manager? If I have 10 models, that's 30 each. I have more than 300 bikes on premises.
If you are a small business, you are sunk by compliance.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
The House of Lords briefing document (unfortunately from as long ago as 2017) does raise many questions about the impact of leaving Euratom.

Your link doesn't work. Leaving Euratom may have some effect, but it's only speculation what that might be and how it will affect national decisions. The IAEA is the overriding authority and wouldn't take kindly to intervention by what is in effect a national body intruding into their international remit.

In any case I don't see the EU as a good nuclear energy market for outsiders since France within the EU is so strong in that field. In addition Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Denmark are strongly anti-nuclear energy. Denmark and Austria even have laws banning aspects of nuclear use.

The international demand for SMRs beyond the EU could be very large as the need for climate change measures increases. Add to that the good name Rolls Royce enjoys internationally through its jet engines and we could have a lucrative future worldwide market outside of the EU.
.
 

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
Your link doesn't work. Leaving Euratom may have some effect, but it's only speculation what that might be and how it will affect national decisions. The IAEA is the overriding authority and wouldn't take kindly to intervention by what is in effect a national body intruding into their international remit.

In any case I don't see the EU as a good nuclear energy market for outsiders since France within the EU is so strong in that field. In addition Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Denmark are strongly anti-nuclear energy. Denmark and Austria even have laws banning nuclear use.

The international demand for SMRs beyond the EU could be very large as the need for climate change measures increases. Add to that the good name Rolls Royce enjoys internationally through its jet engines and we could have a lucrative future worldwide market outside of the EU.
.
Works for me (just checked again) - but on my PC the PDF downloads and does not open in browser. Could that be happening for you?

I agree it is (still) speculation.

Which actual countries would be good prospects?
 

Barry Shittpeas

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 1, 2020
2,325
3,210
Your link doesn't work. Leaving Euratom may have some effect, but it's only speculation what that might be and how it will affect national decisions. The IAEA is the overriding authority and wouldn't take kindly to intervention by what is in effect a national body intruding into their international remit.

In any case I don't see the EU as a good nuclear energy market for outsiders since France within the EU is so strong in that field. In addition Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Denmark are strongly anti-nuclear energy. Denmark and Austria even have laws banning aspects of nuclear use.

The international demand for SMRs beyond the EU could be very large as the need for climate change measures increases. Add to that the good name Rolls Royce enjoys internationally through its jet engines and we could have a lucrative future worldwide market outside of the EU.
.
Unless they sell it off for a quick pocket full of cash.
 
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