The Burnham Years - Can the new(ish) broom sweep clean?

[Farmer Saint]

34 minutes ago, iansums said:

Excellent GDP figures announced this morning +0.7% for Q3.

Agreed, with a strengthening pound and the promise of discussions with Europe on the table it is very positive. If it weren't for the war in the Middle East causing us inflation and interest rate issues we'd be in a very good position.

[iansums]

3 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Agreed, with a strengthening pound and the promise of discussions with Europe on the table it is very positive. If it weren't for the war in the Middle East causing us inflation and interest rate issues we'd be in a very good position.

Growth fuelled in part by AI where we are miles ahead of the EU, do we really want to be cosying up to a declining Europe?

[egg]

10 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Agreed, with a strengthening pound and the promise of discussions with Europe on the table it is very positive. If it weren't for the war in the Middle East causing us inflation and interest rate issues we'd be in a very good position.

I think your last sentence is a little ott.  Increasing debt is very much our achilles heel. 

[badgerx16]

32 minutes ago, iansums said:

Growth fuelled in part by AI where we are miles ahead of the EU, do we really want to be cosying up to a declining Europe?

Still our biggest trading partner by far. The EU is critically important for the UK economy.

Edited Thursday at 08:23 by badgerx16

[Farmer Saint]

3 hours ago, iansums said:

Growth fuelled in part by AI where we are miles ahead of the EU, do we really want to be cosying up to a declining Europe?

Yes, it's a huge market.

[iansums]

49 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Yes, it's a huge market.

My point being if we rejoin the EU then we would have to follow the EU AI regulations, the same regulations that are holding back AI growth in the EU.

[Farmer Saint]

3 hours ago, iansums said:

My point being if we rejoin the EU then we would have to follow the EU AI regulations, the same regulations that are holding back AI growth in the EU.

I didn't mentioned rejoining the EU? Although I think it would be positive, by the time it came around AI regulations will be markedly different all over the world. Unfortunately the cat is out the bag on AI, and the world is going to be a far worse place because of it.

[iansums]

2 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

I didn't mentioned rejoining the EU? Although I think it would be positive, by the time it came around AI regulations will be markedly different all over the world. Unfortunately the cat is out the bag on AI, and the world is going to be a far worse place because of it.

It was me who mentioned rejoining the EU. Just think what AI can do for robot mowers.

[Farmer Saint]

5 minutes ago, iansums said:

It was me who mentioned rejoining the EU. Just think what AI can do for robot mowers.

Either way, AI regulations will be very different to how it is now, so rejoining and taking on their regulations is pretty irrelevant.

[Weston Super Saint]

2 hours ago, iansums said:

It was me who mentioned rejoining the EU. Just think what AI can do for robot mowers.

Cut the grass on their own?

[iansums]

2 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Either way, AI regulations will be very different to how it is now, so rejoining and taking on their regulations is pretty irrelevant.

It’s massively relevant, why give up the advantage you have in AI technology just to meet the requirements of the EU? I read this earlier:

Andy Burnham won’t accept EU rules on artificial intelligence as a condition of closer ties, raising new questions about how far he is willing to go in his rethink of Brexit

“We have no plans to align with the EU AI Act,” a UK government spokesperson said. “Our approach to AI regulation will continue to be guided by UK priorities, with a focus on keeping people safe and supporting economic growth.”

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, iansums said:

It’s massively relevant, why give up the advantage you have in AI technology just to meet the requirements of the EU? I read this earlier:

Andy Burnham won’t accept EU rules on artificial intelligence as a condition of closer ties, raising new questions about how far he is willing to go in his rethink of Brexit

“We have no plans to align with the EU AI Act,” a UK government spokesperson said. “Our approach to AI regulation will continue to be guided by UK priorities, with a focus on keeping people safe and supporting economic growth.”

I'm really confused by what you're arguing. I've said we won't follow current EU AI regulations because it will all have changed by then, Burnham has said we won't follow EU rules, and yet you seem really hung up on it? 

Edited Thursday at 20:01 by Farmer Saint

[Mixedkebab]

On 12/11/2026 at 07:44, Farmer Saint said:

Agreed, with a strengthening pound and the promise of discussions with Europe on the table it is very positive. If it weren't for the war in the Middle East causing us inflation and interest rate issues we'd be in a very good position.

Yes, people like your good self who live in rural Sussex, whose buck toothed, ruddy cheeked family gave them some money, and who wear Fat Face sunglasses and tight cycling clothes, would be in a good position if not for the aforementioned pesky global instability! 

[Mixedkebab]

On 11/11/2026 at 22:14, egg said:

I think he's an angry idiot, but each to their own. 

Can’t you take a bit of humour Godfrey? I suppose it’s alright when you can ridicule the menial job cloggers (Screwfix etc) and lower classes over an IPA and a bang bang cauliflower sharer. Remember when you were poor back in the Steve Biko union bar? 

Edited 12 hours ago by Mixedkebab

[badgerx16]

9 hours ago, Mixedkebab said:

Yes, people like your good self who live in rural Sussex, whose buck toothed, ruddy cheeked family gave them some money, and who wear Fat Face sunglasses and tight cycling clothes, would be in a good position if not for the aforementioned pesky global instability! 

 

8 hours ago, Mixedkebab said:

Can’t you take a bit of humour Godfrey? I suppose it’s alright when you can ridicule the menial job cloggers (Screwfix etc) and lower classes over an IPA and a bang bang cauliflower sharer. Remember when you were poor back in the Steve Biko union bar?