Pete Rahn by Maryland GovPics licensed under Creative Commons.

Maryland State Secretary of Transportation Pete Rahn suddenly resigned on Monday, leaving behind a legacy on transit which includes cancelling Baltimores Red Line and axing Montgomery Countys Corridor Cities Transitway. Rahn is heading back to his native New Mexico, where hes been commuting from since Governor Larry Hogan tapped him to lead the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) in 2015.

During his almost five years in office, Rahn did garner praise from local and state politicians for helping to push through the Maryland Transit Administrations (MTA) Purple Line and securing funds for the expansion of the Howard Street Tunnel including important beneficiary, the Port of Baltimore. Yet like the Hogan administration, Rahn has mostly been actively hostile to transit.

Throughout his tenure, Rahn slashed transit while expanding highways and pushing more auto-centric roads, and sustained heavy criticism from many of those same legislators and transportation advocates. Most recently, he cut transit funding in Marylands transportation budget by $1.1 billion, from his penultimate edition in 2018 to his final annual budget in 2019. In his unofficial exit interview with the Washington Post, Rahn stated, I believe we still have a disproportionate share of the trust fund going to transit.

Rahns replacement, Gregory Slater, comes to the position from heading up the State Highway Administration, one of the agencies most directly involved in the highly controversial plans to install toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and I-270. Nonetheless, many Maryland lawmakers regard him more highly than Rahn. As one transportation sector expert told the Post, Greg [Slater] is much more careful with what he says. Hes very diplomatic.

Whether he was being praised or criticized, Rahn tended to galvanize public opinion in Maryland to an extent rare for any state cabinet secretary. That pattern didnt stop with his resignation this week. Heres what a few Maryland state and local politicians had to say about Rahns departure, his legacy, and their advice for Slater on replacing Rahn.

Delegate Vaughn Stewart, 19th District (Montgomery County), says:

Secretary Rahn championed asphalt and executed the hit on the Red Line at a time of climate crisis. With the planet burning, Rahn will be remembered as one of the last of his kinda state transportation secretary who cared about moving cars above all else.

Delegate Kirill Reznik, 39th District (Montgomery County):

Pete Rahn is clearly a very intelligent guy who believes in what he is selling. Its why Governor Hogan hired him in the first place. That being said, what he is selling are 20th century solutions to 21st century problems. And he was so convinced of these ideas, that he never bothered to check in with the Legislators who represent the people directly affected or other stakeholders that might hold a different opinion. He never chose to be a partner with us, rather felt the need to tell us how things will be. I have every reason to believe that Greg Slater will be a very different Transportation Secretary. Having spent over 20 years working for the Department in Maryland, he knows the process and the stakeholders well, and has a history of working with us, not in spite of us. Ultimately, he, like Rahn, will still answer to Governor Hogan, but I have every reason to believe that he will be a reasonable and moderating force in this relationship.

Delegate Brooke Lierman, 46th District (Baltimore City):

I was consistently disappointed in Sec. Rahns myopic approach to transportation policy in Maryland. He never fully appreciated that he was not the highway administrator, but instead was responsible for crafting a multi-modal strategy for all Marylanders. We have serious transportation challenges in this state and he was not up for meeting them. Despite clear data on the need for transit to support economic development, he seemed to view spending money on transit as charity rather than investment. If we are truly open for business in Maryland, we must fully embrace a complete multi-modal transportation policy. I hope that the new Secretary will understand that because Sec. Rahn never did.

Councilmember Ryan Dorsey, 3rd District (Baltimore City):

Though so much damage has already been done by him, Pete Rahn leaving is a very good thing for Maryland. At the end of the day, Governor Hogan is still the man behind the curtain, and so its likely that Rahn is nothing more than a mercenary, willing to be a figurehead following orders from a sprawl developer Governor. I would be delighted to be proven wrong by whatever happens next and see that a forward-thinking MDOT secretary would meaningfully demote cars and promote transit.

Readers: What do you think Rahns resignation and the new MDOT secretary will mean for Maryland?

Alex Holt is a New York state native, Maryland transplant, and freelance writer. He lives in Mt. Washington in Baltimore and enjoys geeking out about all things transit, sports, politics, and comics, not necessarily in that order.

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MDOT head Pete Rahn was hostile to transit. Will his replacement be better? - Greater Greater Washington

The battle to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader is already in full swing after the party suffered its worst defeat at the ballot box since 1935.

Mr Corbyn said he would stay in place until another leader has been appointed but contenders for the Labour crown are already jockeying for position behind the scenes.

As the contest gets under way,The Independent takes a look at how the Labour Party elects itsleader.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

When will the leadership contest take place?

The timetable for the leadership race will be decided by Labours ruling body, the national executive committee (NEC), which ismade up of MPs, trade union officials and members.

Contests can take months but John McDonnell said it was likely to take between eighr and 10 weeks, which means there could be a new Labour leader in place by March.

TheNEC will certainly want a new leader in place ahead of the local election in May 2020.

Corbyn has said he will remain in place until a replacement is found, as there is no deputy leader to fill his shoes after Tom Watson stood down as an MP.

The party rulebook says when both the deputy leader and the leader are permanently unavailable, the NECwill conduct a postal ballot of members and could appoint a temporary leader from the shadow cabinet.

Who can stand?

Only Labour MPs can stand to be leader. Under the rules, candidates must secure backing from 10 per cent of the parliamentary Labour party and the European parliamentary Labour party.

However, the EPLP will cease to exist if the UK leaves the EU on 31 January, so it is unlikely that contenders can count on the backing of MEPs to get on the ballot paper.

Any would-be leaders also need support from 5 per cent of constituency parties or 5 per cent of affiliated groups, two of which must be trade unions.

The latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox

The shadow education secretary is likely to be in the mix for the partys leadership after Corbyns resignation. Rayner was brought up on a council estate, left her local comprehensive school with no qualifications, and gave birth to her first son, Ryan, at the age of 16. She rose through the ranks of the trade union movement to become the most senior elected official of Unison before being elected to her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency in 2015. In her current role she spearheaded Labours national education service and has championed the abolition of tuition fees. After the devastating election result unfolded, Ms Rayner said: Thank you to all our volunteers, staff and activists who have worked their socks off. I know the exit poll is incredible devastating but we will continue to keep faith in our great movement and the UK." - Ashley Cowburn

PA

A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a proud socialist. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime ministers questions and during the general election debates.The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop. As the polls unfolded, she would not be drawn on whether she wanted to be the partys leader. Its not something that Im thinking about, I think we need to get through tonight, see where the chips fall and then we will re-group as a party, asses whats happened and what the next steps need to be, she said. - Ashley Cowburn

PA

The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has ambitions to lead the party, and is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labours shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the partys eventual backing of a second referendum. Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer - conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights.In June this year, a YouGov poll of party members found he was the narrow favourite in terms of being a good leader if Jeremy Corbyn stood down before the next election, ahead of Thornberry.Speaking after his re-election in Holborn & St Pancras, he said: There is no hiding from the overall result. It is devastating. It will hurt the millions of people who so desperately need a Labour government. They have suffered so much under ten years of Tory austerity and will suffer more because of this result. We must now reflect; we must also rebuild. - Ashley Cowburn

EPA

The MP for Birmingham Yardley has been a prominent critic of the Labour leadership, and said at her victory speech in the early hours of Friday morning that it was clear her party needed structural change. The reality is that the Labour Party has got to do a huge amount more than just think getting rid of one man will just simply make it OK, she added.Before being elected to parliament, Phillips worked for Womens Aid, supporting female victims of domestic abuse. She has previously suggested she would run for the leadership should the position become vacant, but given the left-wing membership of the Labour Party, Phillips would likely find it difficult to gain traction in any leadership contest. - Ashley Cowburn

PA

Corbyns constituency neighbour and friend, Emily Thornberry, has been critical of the partys Brexit stance, but has remained loyal to the leadership and has represented the Labour Party on various overseas visits. The 59-year-old was brought up on a council estate near Guildford in Surrey by her mother when her father, a human rights lawyer and academic, walked out on his family. "I was born into the Labour Party," she once said. "I was delivering leaflets by the age I could reach the letter box.First elected as MP for Islington South in 2005, the shadow foreign secretary is likely to be considering a bid for the leadership, but the party may be looking for a leadership outside its London stronghold.After winning back her seat in same venue as Corbyn, she said: We may be hurting tonight but we are not beaten. We will tell Boris Johnson no our fight is not over, our fight is just starting. - Ashley Cowburn

Reuters

Cooper came third in the Labour leadership election in 2015, with just 19 per cent of the vote share dwarfed by Corbyns 59%. But Cooper, who has maintained a high-profile in recent years as chair of the Commons home affairs committee for grilling ministers, could attempt a second shot at the leadership. Unlike the other possible contenders, Cooper, who has been an MP since 1997, has experience in government having served as chief secretary to the Treasury and secretary of state for work and pensions under Gordon Brown. - Ashley Cowburn

Reuters

The shadow education secretary is likely to be in the mix for the partys leadership after Corbyns resignation. Rayner was brought up on a council estate, left her local comprehensive school with no qualifications, and gave birth to her first son, Ryan, at the age of 16. She rose through the ranks of the trade union movement to become the most senior elected official of Unison before being elected to her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency in 2015. In her current role she spearheaded Labours national education service and has championed the abolition of tuition fees. After the devastating election result unfolded, Ms Rayner said: Thank you to all our volunteers, staff and activists who have worked their socks off. I know the exit poll is incredible devastating but we will continue to keep faith in our great movement and the UK." - Ashley Cowburn

PA

A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a proud socialist. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime ministers questions and during the general election debates.The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop. As the polls unfolded, she would not be drawn on whether she wanted to be the partys leader. Its not something that Im thinking about, I think we need to get through tonight, see where the chips fall and then we will re-group as a party, asses whats happened and what the next steps need to be, she said. - Ashley Cowburn

PA

The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has ambitions to lead the party, and is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labours shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the partys eventual backing of a second referendum. Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer - conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights.In June this year, a YouGov poll of party members found he was the narrow favourite in terms of being a good leader if Jeremy Corbyn stood down before the next election, ahead of Thornberry.Speaking after his re-election in Holborn & St Pancras, he said: There is no hiding from the overall result. It is devastating. It will hurt the millions of people who so desperately need a Labour government. They have suffered so much under ten years of Tory austerity and will suffer more because of this result. We must now reflect; we must also rebuild. - Ashley Cowburn

EPA

The MP for Birmingham Yardley has been a prominent critic of the Labour leadership, and said at her victory speech in the early hours of Friday morning that it was clear her party needed structural change. The reality is that the Labour Party has got to do a huge amount more than just think getting rid of one man will just simply make it OK, she added.Before being elected to parliament, Phillips worked for Womens Aid, supporting female victims of domestic abuse. She has previously suggested she would run for the leadership should the position become vacant, but given the left-wing membership of the Labour Party, Phillips would likely find it difficult to gain traction in any leadership contest. - Ashley Cowburn

PA

Corbyns constituency neighbour and friend, Emily Thornberry, has been critical of the partys Brexit stance, but has remained loyal to the leadership and has represented the Labour Party on various overseas visits. The 59-year-old was brought up on a council estate near Guildford in Surrey by her mother when her father, a human rights lawyer and academic, walked out on his family. "I was born into the Labour Party," she once said. "I was delivering leaflets by the age I could reach the letter box.First elected as MP for Islington South in 2005, the shadow foreign secretary is likely to be considering a bid for the leadership, but the party may be looking for a leadership outside its London stronghold.After winning back her seat in same venue as Corbyn, she said: We may be hurting tonight but we are not beaten. We will tell Boris Johnson no our fight is not over, our fight is just starting. - Ashley Cowburn

Reuters

Cooper came third in the Labour leadership election in 2015, with just 19 per cent of the vote share dwarfed by Corbyns 59%. But Cooper, who has maintained a high-profile in recent years as chair of the Commons home affairs committee for grilling ministers, could attempt a second shot at the leadership. Unlike the other possible contenders, Cooper, who has been an MP since 1997, has experience in government having served as chief secretary to the Treasury and secretary of state for work and pensions under Gordon Brown. - Ashley Cowburn

Reuters

The rules were changed in 2018 to reduce the influence of the PLP on who could get on the ballot paper, cutting the threshold from 15 to 10 per cent.

Who can vote?

Labour party activists, MPs, members of affiliated trade unions and socialist societies all have a single vote each.

In 2015, the rules were changed to allow registered supporters to cast a ballot in a leadership contest. The flood of voterswho signed up for a 3 fee overwhelmingly backed Corbyn.

The fee was raised to 25 in 2016, ahead of the leadershipchallenge against Corbyn by Owen Smith.

Voters rank the candidates in order of preference, which means anyone who wins more than half the vote is automatically elected.

If no one meets that threshold, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated and their second preference votes are distributed to other candidates. This process continues until one candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the votes.

Who might stand to be leader?

Shadow cabinet members such as Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, Dawn Butler and Angela Rayner are said to be considering their chances, while Corbynites are rowing in behind Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary.

Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips and David Lammy are also understood to be mulling a tilt from the back benches.

No one has officially declared their candidacy yet, but Nandysaid she was seriously thinking about it on Sunday.

What about the deputy leader?

The position is vacant since Watson decided to quit, so the NEC may decide to run the election alongsidethe leadership contest.

Some of the people named as runners and riders for the leadership may decide to stand for the deputy job instead. There is some speculation about joint tickets, with Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, saying he would back Long-Bailey but would consider running for the deputy role.

Read more:
Who will succeed Jeremy Corbyn and how does a Labour leadership contest work? - The Independent

(CNN) -- Man, what a decade!

What's that? it's only been a year???

Over the past year, President Donald Trump has talked and talked and talked. He has talked at photo ops at the White House. He has talked at impromptu press conferences while abroad. He has talked at campaign event after campaign event.

And I have watched or read it all -- poring over the transcripts to find the most, um, notable quotes. Below, we've gathered the best of the best -- or worst of the worst, depending on your point of view -- lines of 2019.

Enjoy!

1. "I could be the most popular person in Europe. I could be -- I could run for any office if I wanted to, but I don't want to." January 2 (Cabinet Meeting)

The President celebrated the new year with a 90+ minute Cabinet meeting -- and cameras were rolling the entire time. He answered question after question as his Cabinet sat silently.

2. "President Obama fired him and, essentially, so did I. I want results." January 2(Cabinet Meeting)

Trump is talking about former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who resigned in protest in the wake of Trump's decision to pull US troops out Syria. Trump didn't "essentially" fire him. At all.

3. "We're talking about sand and death. That's what we're talking about." January 2 (Cabinet Meeting)

The President of the United States offers his thoughts on Syria.

4. "I had a meeting at the Pentagon with lots of generals -- they were like from a movie, better looking than Tom Cruise and stronger -- and I had more generals than I've ever seen." January 2 (Cabinet Meeting)

This is so revealing. All of life is a casting call for Trump. These generals were good because they were good looking and strong. Even more than Tom Cruise!

5. "I said, this is the greatest room I've ever seen. I -- I saw more computer boards than, I think, that they make today." January 2 (Cabinet Meeting)

"Computer boards."

6. "I'm a professional at technology." January 10 (South Lawn)

"Computer boards."

7. "When during the campaign I would say, 'Mexico's going to pay for it,' obviously I never said this and I never meant they're going to write out a check." January 10(South Lawn)

This is a clear-as-day attempt to rewrite history by Trump during an impromptu news conference on his way to the southern border. He repeatedly said that Mexico would need to make a distinct $5 billion or $10 billion payment to the United States for the wall. And when he asked crowds at his rallies in 2016 who was going to pay for the wall, they shouted back "Mexico!" not "Mexico by way of theoretical gains we will make as a result of a restructured international trade deal!" I mean, come on.

8. "The buck stops with everybody." January 10(South Lawn)

Is that how that goes? The buck stops with everybody? (Remember: Trump hardly ever takes the blame for anything -- especially the things that are his fault.)

9. "Well, I haven't actually left the White House in months." January 15 (Jeanine Pirro interview)

He had, actually. Lots of times. Hell, he was in McAllen, Texas, two days before he said this.

10. "I would, I don't with care. I mean, I had a conversation like every president does. You sit with the president of various countries. I do it with all countries." January 15 (Pirro interview)

Pirro asks Trump here whether he would be willing to "release the conversation that you had with President (Vladimir) Putin in Helsinki." Here's the thing: He can't do that because, per The Washington Post, "there is no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump's face-to-face interactions with the Russian leader at five locations over the past two years."

11. "I was obviously a good candidate. I won every debate. I won everything I did, and I won, and I won easily."

When Trump said this, the 2016 election had ended 797 days ago.

12. "I guess they're well over 30 million dollars now on this Russian collusion hoax, and everybody knows it's a hoax. They've spent all this money. Nothing. No phone calls, no meetings, no nothing." January 31 (Daily Caller interview)

Trump was not that far off-base on the price tag -- $25 million had been spent at this point on special counsel Robert Mueller's probe since it began in May 2017. Where he REALLY missed the fact boat was in claiming that the Mueller probe had produced zero tangible results. To date when Trump said this, the investigation had produced 199 criminal counts against 37 people and entities. Seven people had pleaded guilty and four had been sentenced to prison. One -- Paul Manafort -- had been convicted by a jury of his peers. That's not nothing.

13. "I ran a great campaign. I ran a campaign that now they say was better than that gentleman's [Andrew Jackson's] campaign in the 1800s and we did a great job." January 30 (Daily Caller interview)

They say that, do they? (For more on Andrew Jackson's campaigns, read this!)

14. "I hope that she's healthy, I hope she's happy, and I hope she lives for a long time." January 30 (Daily Caller interview)

Trump's response here to a question on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg following her illness was -- dare I say it -- presidential.

15. "The world is not doing well and we're going great." January 30 (Daily Caller interview)

Trump on the global situation: America 🙂 Rest of world 🙁

16. "It looks like Elizabeth Warren has not caught on like they thought she would. She fell into a trap. It's called the Pocahontas trap." January 30 (Daily Caller interview)

"The Pocahontas Trap?" Is that a Disney flick?

17. "My intelligence people, if they said in fact that Iran is a wonderful kindergarten, I disagree with them a hundred percent." February 3 (Super Bowl interview)

In this quote from Trump's interview on CBS News before this year's Super Bowl, Trump questioned his intelligence community's assessment of Iran. Worth nothing: His "intelligence people" didn't say Iran was a kindergarten, they simply said they believed the country to be in compliance with the nuclear deal Trump pulled out of in May 2018.

18. "And a lot of people, including me, thought soccer would probably never make it in this country, but it really is moving forward rapidly." February 3 (Super Bowl interview)

Paging @MeninBlazers!!!! This was part of Trump's answer to whether he would allow his son, Barron, to play football.

19. "Roger is somebody that I've always liked, but a lot of people like Roger. Some people probably don't like Roger, but Roger Stone's somebody I've always liked." February 3 (Super Bowl interview)

"Roger is a stone-cold loser." -- Donald Trump in 2008

20. "Even the Mueller report said it had nothing to do with the campaign." February 3 ( Super Bowl interview)

The Mueller report hadn't come out yet.

21. "What a location. I'm in the real estate business, what a location." February 3 (Super Bowl interview)

Donald Trump on North Korea. Yup!

22. "I love this state, and I love the people of this state. We've had a great romance together. You know that. Been a great romance." February 11 (El Paso)

Donald Trump and Texas sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love then comes ... ah, you know the rest.

23. "This is like the Academy Awards used to be. Used to be. They've gone down a long ways since they started hitting us a little bit, right?" February 11 (El Paso)

There's so much here. First, Trump was comparing his rally to the Academy Awards because of the amount of press that was covering it. (But I thought he hated the media?) Then he's saying that the Oscars, like everything else, aren't as good as they used to be. And finally, he is attributing the decline of the Oscars to the fact that some of the actors have taken shots at him. He truly contains multitudes.

24. "So, someday, with all of us -- this is all of us -- and those hats are beautiful, by the way. Someday." February 11 (El Paso)

This an unedited "sentence" from the President of the United States. Someday.

25. "Where do these people come from? Where do they come from? They go back home to Mommy. They get punished when they get home." February 11 (El Paso)

When a protester interrupts a speech, that's when Trump's real bullying tendencies emerge.

26. "Is there any place that's more fun to be than a Trump rally? Is there any place?" February 11 (El Paso)

Remember: Trump views himself as an entertainer first and everything else second. So his measure of success is whether people are having fun.

27. "But I really don't like their policy of taking away your car, of taking away your airplane flights, of, 'Let's hop a train to California,' of ... 'You're not allowed to own cows anymore.'" February 11 (El Paso)

The "Green New Deal" to which Trump is referring had been introduced into Congress the week before by, among others, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. You can bet Trump is going to keep making it a major talking point in his effort to paint Democrats as totally out of touch with the average person in 2020.

28. "The fact is that the real collusion was between Hillary and the Democrats and the other side with Russia. That's where the collusion is." February 11 (El Paso)

Trump says this a lot. It's based on a theory that the entire Mueller probe began because of an anti-Trump dossier produced by former British spy Christopher Steele and funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. But we know for a fact that's not why the probe started; it started because George Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in Britain that he knew the Russians had dirt on Clinton. Read more about all of it here.

29. "Some of the most dishonest people in media are the so-called 'fact-checkers.'" February 11 (El Paso)

Oh, that is rich. Important note: Donald Trump made over 8,000 false or misleading claims in his first two years in office, according to The Washington Post's Fact Checker. By October 2019, that number had risen to 13,435.

30. "Pretty soon we're going to be saying keep America great. Keep America great." February 11 (El Paso)

Trump has already said, repeatedly, that "Keep America Great" is his preferred 2020 slogan. Also, he's been running for a second term since the day he won in 2016.

31. "How about the word 'caravan?' Caravan? I think that was one of mine." February 11 (El Paso)

In which Donald Trump claims to have invented the word "caravan."

32. "By the way, there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned German shepherd." February 11 (El Paso)

Yup. He said this.

33. "I wouldn't mind having one, honestly, but I don't have any time. I don't have -- how would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn?"

Words fail.

34. "Yeah, Obama had a dog. You're right. Both parties should come together to finally create a safe and lawful system of immigration."

This is not edited. He really said these sentences back-to-back.

35. "We're going to do it one way or the other. We have to do it -- not because it was a campaign promise, which it is." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

So, the President was declaring a national emergency on the southern US border because "we have to do it," not because he said we had to do it on the campaign trail. But ask yourself this: If it was such an emergency, why did Trump wait more than two years into his term to declare it one?

36. "They say walls don't work. Walls work 100%." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

No one has ever penetrated a wall. Can't happen. It's 1,000 feet high and made of sheer ice! Wait...

37. "I was a little new to the job, a little new to the profession, and we had a little disappointment for the first year and a half. People that should have stepped up did not step up. They didn't step up, and they should have." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

Important thing to always remember about Trump: Nothing is ever his fault. He is always the undeserving victim of other peoples' malice, incompetence or both.

38. "Go ahead, ABC -- not NBC. I like ABC a little bit more, not much. Come on, ABC -- not much, pretty close." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

(Trump while taking questions). ABC > NBC. But, IT'S CLOSE!

39. "But, you know, I never did politics before. Now I do politics." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

"Now I do politics." -- The President of the United States

40. "I believe he would have gone to war with North Korea. I think he was ready to go to war. In fact, he told me he was so close to starting a big war with North Korea." February 15 (Emergency wall declaration)

Wait, so former President Barack Obama told Trump he was planning a "big" war against North Korea? Interesting! I am sure that conversation happened exactly as Trump said it did!

41. [Trump comes out on stage, claps, and then bear-hugs an American flag] March 2 (CPAC)

Not a line, but this happened during Trump's two-hour-long speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

42. "But I found some very old laws from when our country was rich -- really rich. The old tariff laws -- we had to dust them off; you could hardly see, they were so dusty." March 2 (CPAC)

Ah, those rich -- and dusty -- days. Man, they were great. Tough on the allergies. But great.

43. "You know I'm totally off-script right now. And this is how I got elected, by being off-script. True." March 2 (CPAC)

It IS true. Voters seemed to believe that Trump's often rambling, hard-to-understand speeches.

44. "When the wind stops blowing, that's the end of your electric. Let's hurry up. 'Darling' -- 'Darling, is the wind blowing today? I'd like to watch television, darling.'" March 2 (CPAC)

"When the wind stop blowing, that's the end of your electric." -- The President of the United States. (Also, Trump is mocking the "Green New Deal" here.)

45. "I won't use a certain words because it's not politically -- but everybody knows the word I'd love to use. Should I use it? I won't do it." March 2 (CPAC)

Trump has even turned his infamous love for cursing into some sort of anti-elites mantra. Amazing.

46. "If you tell a joke, if you're sarcastic, if you're having fun with the audience, if you're on live television with millions of people and 25,000 people in an arena, and if you say something like, 'Russia, please, if you can, get us Hillary Clinton's emails. Please, Russia, please.'" March 2 (CPAC)

HA HA HA ... oh wait, on the same day Trump "jokingly" asked the Russians to get Hillary Clinton's deleted emails, the Russians began a cybercampaign to get Hillary Clinton's deleted emails.

47. "And unfortunately, you put the wrong people in a couple of positions, and they leave people for a long time that shouldn't be there. And, all of a sudden, they're trying to take you out with bullshit. OK? With bullshit." March 2 (CPAC)

I assume Trump is referring to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russia probe. Or maybe former FBI Director James Comey for launching the probe. Or deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for forming a special counsel to look into it. Maybe all of the above. Either way: It's total bullshit!

48. "I have one of the great inventions in history. It's called TiVo. I think it's actually better than television, because television is practically useless without TiVo, right?" March 2 (CPAC)

Go here to read the rest:
Donald Trump's 199 wildest lines of 2019 - KCTV Kansas City

Digital Government Minister Joyce Murray has been tasked with leading work on a next generation human resources and pay system to replace the problematic Phoenix program that has caused headaches for public servants since its introduction in 2016.

Shes also been tapped to lead the renewal of Shared Services Canada so that it is properly resourced and aligned to deliver common IT infrastructure that is reliable and secure. Shared Services is the federal agency responsible for consolidated IT services that has drawn the ire of critics both inside and outside government for its slow progress in completing major projects.

Murray was tasked with the responsibilities, as well as others, in her new mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, publicly released on Friday.

READ MORE: Murray handed responsibility for Shared Services Canada

Of course, the rocky rollout of the Phoenix pay system has seen thousands of pubic servants miss payments, or be overpaid or underpaid, or deal with other payment related issues. With the backlog of issues still to this day in the thousands, the Trudeau government committed near the end of its last mandate to replace Phoenix.

As part of her duties, Murray has also been asked to lead work across government to transition to a more digital government in order to improve citizen service and oversee the chief information officer and the Canadian Digital Service as they work with departments to develop solutions that will benefit Canadians and enhance the capacity to use modern tools and methodologies across government.

And Murray has been tasked with leading the work to analyze and improve the delivery of information technology within government, including identifying all core and at-risk IT systems and platforms.

As iPolitics reported last month, Murray replaced the public services and procurement minister as the responsible minister for Shared Services.

This past March, Murray was named president of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government after Jane Philpott resigned from the role amid the SNC-Lavalin scandal. In last months cabinet shuffle, she retained the digital government portfolio but was replaced as president of the Treasury Board by Jean-Yves Duclos.

Debi Daviau told iPolitics in November that she believed that developing the replacement to the troubled Phoenix pay system would eventually find its way under Shared Services (or Shared Services would at least have a role in it), as it was a task that fell under Treasury Board.

Murrays office still falls under the Treasury Board Secretariat.

In her retooled ministerial posting, Murray has also been tasked with working with the families, children and social development minister and national revenue minister to implement a voluntary, real-time e-payroll system with an initial focus on small businesses.

Her other priorities outlined in the mandate letter include:

READ MORE: Joly tasked with creating new technology and commercial support fund for Western Canada

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Murray handed reins of developing Phoenix replacement - iPolitics.ca

While Saturday marked the first anniversary of the start of landfill work at a planned U.S. base site in the Henoko coastal area in Okinawa, the dispute between the central government and the prefecture is seen heating up further, including over possible project revisions.

At a news conference on Friday, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki denounced the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for ignoring the will of local people and pressing ahead with the illegal landfill work.

Its an act of trampling on democracy, Tamaki said.

In a prefectural referendum last February, 70 percent of Okinawa voters rejected the Henoko base project, which calls for building a replacement facility for the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma air base in the Okinawa city of Ginowan. The plan is based on a Japan-U.S. agreement.

Ignoring the referendum result, the Abe administration continued the Henoko landfill work. The work has been completed for about 70 percent of sections where the work started in 2018 and about 10 percent of areas where reclamation started in March 2019.

We lack a trump card to stop the work, a prefectural assembly member close to Tamaki said.

The prefectural government has launched two lawsuits, both over the land ministers decision in April to override the prefectural governments revocation in August 2018 of its approval for the Henoko landfill work.

In one of the lawsuits, however, the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court in October dismissed the prefectural governments claim that the invalidation of the approval cancellation was illegal.

The Abe administration is aiming to have the Henoko work recognized as a done deal, observers said.

Well proceed (with the landfill work) based on related laws and regulations, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Friday.

The Defense Ministrys Okinawa Defense Bureau is poised to speed up the landfill work, planning to shortly deploy a large soil-carrying vessel.

One problem the Abe administration faces, however, is the discovery of soft ground in the eastern part of the Henoko landfill site.

The Defense Ministry is considering placing about 77,000 piles into the ground for reinforcement. Still, it would need to obtain the prefectural governments permission to conduct the work.

The ministry is expected to apply early next year for such permission, which the prefecture is expected to reject.

The central government could counter by filing a lawsuit, observers said.

The anticipated June 2020 Okinawa Prefectural Assembly election could have major implications for the Henoko base project, they also said.

Abes ruling Liberal Democratic Party and others supporting the Henoko project need to win a majority in the Okinawa assembly, an administration source said.

Suga is set to visit Okinawa next week, apparently in preparation for the prefectural election.

Tamaki, meanwhile, seems keen to help those backing him, including the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party, keep a majority in the prefectural assembly.

Continued here:
Henoko dispute between Okinawa and Japan's central government seen further intensifying - The Japan Times

Tonights Evening Brief is brought to you by iPoliticsLIVE Events. We bring together experts and leaders from various backgrounds and perspectives to advance innovative solutions to major challenges and facilitate dialogue. Join the Conversation!Click here for more information.

Good evening, readers.

The Lead

Mexico will not allow U.S. labour attaches in the country, said Gomez Camacho, Mexicos ambassador to Canada.

The ambassadors comments come in response to legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress that would send five U.S. labour attaches to Mexico to ensure labour provisions under the United-Stated-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) are being properly enforced. In an exclusive interview with iPolitics, Camacho said embassy personal must be approved by the host country and Mexican authorities would not allow labour attaches even if the U.S. Congress approved them.

If the intention was for these labour attaches to do any function of inspection, we absolutely disagree and we do not accept that he said.

Camacho said the proposal was put forward by U.S. lawmakers due to internal negotiations with trade unions who he said were concerned that U.S. jobs might go to Mexico if standards around wages were not set and enforced.

But, the ambassador said the three countries should follow the process currently laid out in USMCA. He said any of the three countries can make a labour complaint if they believe private businesses in another country is not following the provisions under USMCA.

Rachel Emmanuel reports.

In Canada

Ottawa is projected to run a $26.6 billion deficit in the current fiscal year, according to government economic and fiscal update released on Monday.

In the first presentation of federal finances since the October election, Finance Canada figures show Ottawa is expected to run annual deficits in the tens of billions of dollars for the immediate future.

The deficit total is expected to increase to a high of $28.1 billion next fiscal year, 2020-21, before gradually declining into 2024-25, when the estimated annual amount is projected to be $11.6 billion. The federal fiscal year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31.

Jolson Lim has the breakdown.

New Brunswicks premier says the prime minister told him his provinces plan to limit the greenhouse gas emissions of large emitters could be accepted as early as January, just days after the federal government announced it accepted the provinces plan that directly applies to consumers.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs was in Ottawa on Monday where he andPrime Minster Justin Trudeaumet and discussed the provinces proposed output-based pricing system for large industrial carbon emitters. Higgs said that Trudeau told him he would seek cabinets approval for New Brunswicks planned replacement for the federal governments own system sometime next month.

iPolitics reporter Charlie Pinkerton has the details.

A new Statistics Canada study shows the share of gig economy workers in Canada is increasing a trend that one economist says is worrisome.

The report from the federal agency released on Monday found about 1.7 million workers, 8.2 per cent of the Canadian labour force aged 15 and older, did some form of gig work in 2016. That marks an increase from about 1 million workers in 2005, 5.5 per cent.

Gig economy work is defined in the study as unincorporated self-employed workers who enter into various contracts with firms or individuals to complete a specific task or to work for a specific period of time. It includes freelancers and on-demand workers hired by online platforms such as Uber and Fiverr.

Lim has this one as well.

In Ontario, the provincial Alcohol and Gaming Commission was aware of at least one law enforcement matter, as well as ongoing investigative work, in the days following its last cannabis lottery, a document obtained by iPolitics shows just days after Ontario announced its impending move away from the lottery system.

A briefing note on the last retail lotterys results, acquired through a freedom of information request, contains multiple sections redacted due to information that could reasonably be expected to interfere with a law enforcement matter, or an investigation undertaken with a view to a law enforcement proceeding. Information was also redacted that was seen to possibly reveal investigative techniques in use or likely to be used. Much of the redacted information was contained under a section detailing the AGCOs next steps following the provincial draw.

Victoria Gibson reports from Toronto.

Lobby Wrap: Three consultants register for Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario

The Sprout: Mexico says no to U.S. labour inspectors, says ambassador

The Drilldown: Jason Kenney headed to London to talk energy

In Other Headlines

Morneau open to Alberta Premier Kenneys request for a boost to fiscal stabilization program (CBC News)

Conservative leadership gets committed candidate as political heavyweights mull options (CBC News)

Former Harper-era minister Michael Fortier looking very seriously at run for Conservative leadership (The Hill Times)

NDP wants more transparency, regular reviews of new North American trade deal (The Canadian Press)

Internationally

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his support for Hong Kongs embattled leader on Monday. Xi praised Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam for holding fast to the principle of one country, two systems, and for courage and commitment during an extraordinary period for Hong Kong, where Lam has faced harsh criticism for how she has handled months of fiery anti-government protests. (The Associated Press)

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday that President Donald Trump will announce an American troop drawdown from Afghanistan this week, potentially reducing the troops from 12,000 to 8,600. The senator said he supports the expected drawdown, saying the fewer U.S. troops would still be sufficient to guarantee that Afghanistan doesnt become a launching pad for another attack on U.S. soil. The withdrawal will likely begin next year. (The Associated Press)

The Kicker

How old do you think the worlds oldest couple is? Well, John and Charlotte Henderson recently celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary at 106 and 105-years-old respectively. I guess true love does exist.

More from iPolitics

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Evening Brief: Another hitch in USMCA negotiations - iPolitics.ca

In an email to colleagues sent just after 4pm on Tuesday, Mr Garling said: "I have been informed today that the government has not re-appointed me for a further term. I am not aware of the person who will replace me."

The Herald understands that Attorney-General Mark Speakman will announce Mr Garling's replacement as early as Wednesday.

NSW Labor spokesman for Finance Daniel Mookhey said the removal of Mr Garling from the WIRO was a "brutal show of force by a government determined to silence anyone who speaks truthfully about the failings of the NSW workers compensation system".

"Injured workers will be aghast to learn that the only independent advocate left to help them navigate a harsh and punitive workers compensation system has not been reappointed," Mr Mookhey said.

"The Minister must immediately explain his extraordinary decision. He must guarantee that WIRO will remain an independent voice for injured workers."

NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge described Mr Garling as a "genuine honest broker".

"And that hasn't always made him popular with the government," he said.

Mr Garling said he was proud of the achievements of his staff who had helped injured workers.

"The results have been astonishing with insurers admitting errors sometimes of $70,000 or more, Mr Garling said.

One of the very important functions was to make frank and positive comments about how the workers compensation system operates and I have been prepared to highlight areas where the system has not been successful in providing fairness for workers.

"I have put forward recommendations for improvements over my term. I was delighted when the Minister for Customer Service indicated that the Government would support the expansion of the WIRO office and its functions to provide a similar role for those persons injured in motor vehicle accidents.

The WIRO has been recognised internationally for its approach to the quick and efficient resolution of disputes.

"No other office has provided welcome relief for injured workers as quickly and cheaply as my staff have done," Mr Garling said. I wish the new WIRO well.

WIRO, the only independent office that reviews complaints from injured workers in dispute over their compensation claims, last year faced the threat of closure.

The NSW Law Society and Unions NSW argued for its retention and urged the state government to maintain a transparent dispute resolution process.

Attorney-General Mark Speakman said a new WIRO officer will soon be appointed following a competitive application process.

"Any allegation that Mr Garling is being punished is ridiculous," Mr Speakman said.

"Applicants for the role were assessed and interviewed by a highly-qualified selection panel who then provided impartial advice for consideration by government.

"I thank Mr Garling for his valuable contributions over his many years of service and wish him all the very best for his future endeavours."

Anna Patty is Workplace Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald. She is a former Education Editor, State Political Reporter and Health Reporter.

Visit link:
Workers compensation watchdog to be replaced - The Age

Published: Monday, Dec 16th, 2019

New emergency accommodation is set to be created for homeless people in Flintshire.

The county is currently without short term bed spaces for rough sleepers after a pilot scheme was withdrawn at short notice in September.

However, Flintshire Council is now planning to establish a new shelter in Shotton to meet the demand.

The local authority said it hoped to have the facility up and running by next month.

It comes after a senior official said it was now normal to see people sleeping on the streets in the area.

In a report, Neal Cockerton, the councils chief officer for housing and assets, said:Rough sleeping is often seen as a major issue only witnessed in our major towns and cities and presents these areas with their unique challenges particularly around the provision of appropriate facilities to deal with numbers of rough sleepers which are often high.

However, rough sleeping is no longer just an issue in these conurbations, it is now a fairly common sight to see rough sleepers in the communities of Flintshire.

There is currently no emergency bed provision in Flintshire, this was withdrawn at short notice by our service provider.

Since the provision ended at the end of September we have been working through options for replacement premises even on the basis that this may be relatively short term (up to two years).

In relation to this we have identified a building in Shotton which would present the most appropriate accommodation unit and work is underway to understand what we would need to do to fit approximately 50 per cent of this out.

Having been recently decanted this work would be relatively minimal.

Mr Cockerton said the aim of the facility would be to provide a number of services under one roof, includingdrug and alcohol services, medical support, housing assistance and signposting for rehabilitation.

He added the shelter was in a good location where most homeless people would easily be able to gain access.

During a recent six month period, approximately 109 young people who were either homeless or threatened with losing the roof over their heads approached the council for help.

The main reason why 16-24 year olds found themselves in crisis was because their parents were no longer willing to accommodate them.

Mr Cockerton said a number of measures had been put in place to help youngsters faced with homelessness.

He said: Flintshires housing solutions team currently have a youth provision within the service consisting of a dedicated housing solutions officer and a childrens services worker.

A youth worker was appointed in September 2019 to enable wider support to youths that are faced with homelessness and to enable a more joined up service that is seamless for the young person with one point of access and a wide range of support options available to them.

Cabinet members will be asked to support a number of updates to its local action plan on homelessness at a meeting being held tomorrow .

Liam Randall Local Democracy Reporter (more here).

Read more:
New emergency accommodation set to be created for homeless people in Flintshire - Deeside.com

The biggest lie of recent times, which turned into a political meme, is that cooperation with the IMF is a good signal for foreign investors. In fact, cooperation with the fund is a kind of leprosy stigma, a signal that this is a dangerous country, infected with the crisis. The largest inflow of foreign direct investment in Ukraine was observed in 2002-2007 when our country did not cooperate with the IMF, but since 2014, when relations with the fund became almost an integral part of the national idea, foreign direct investment (FDI) is at a freezing point: no more than 2, 3 billion USD a year. That's for whom our cooperation with the IMF is really important, so it is for portfolio investors, who are also called financial speculators. They are making hot investments in Ukrainian government debt. For them, the IMF loan allocated to Ukraine is a sure sign that they will be settled.

Few people thought about one simple fact, which is not particularly customary to spread: since 1994, we have not fully implemented any cooperation programs with the background, with the exception of the first one for 0.76 billion USD, which was implemented during the transition to a market economy from the post-Soviet planning system. The second program in 1995-1998 was implemented only by 54% due to the violation of the IMF requirements in terms of money supply growth and the size of the budget deficit. In 1998-2002, a scandal with the manipulation of National Bank (NBU) data regarding the size of foreign exchange reserves erupted. In 2002-2008, we did not cooperate with the fund and did not even use the working credit limit of 0.6 billion USD. But the crisis of 2008 was minimized thanks to IMF loans: then we received a total of 64% of the credit line in the amount of 16.5 billion USD, that is, 10.6 billion USD (three tranches). The reason for the suspension of the program is the failure to fulfill obligations to the fund. In this program, part of the credit tranches was credited directly to the budget, and not to the NBU reserves. In 2010, a new ambitious program was signed in the amount of 15.1 billion USD, but the percentage of its implementation was even less - 22%. In fact, this program was designed to prevent Ukraine from disrupting preparatory activities for Euro 2012.

In 2014, the IMF signed an emergency stand-by lending program with us, the specificity of which is to provide loans to replenish the reserves of the country's central bank in the face of structural deterioration in the balance of payments. The program was suspended by agreement of the parties, as the IMF decided that Ukraine, after a series of crises, was already ripe for systemic reforms. That is why the parties decided that instead of the stand-by, the new format of cooperation would be more suitable for the extended financing program, which, among other things, allows allocating tranches to replenish the state budget, but in return suggests a longer-term cooperation plan (while the stand-by is for a year or two), as well as deeper systemic reforms of the economy of the recipient country. The new program amounted to 17.5 billion USD, and Ukraine received four tranches for the first time, although the amount received was less than in the 2008 program: 8.7 billion USD. Finally, in 2018, the simplified format again replaced the extended lending program. Until the spring of 2020, Ukraine could receive up to 4 billion USD, and the first tranche was transferred at the end of 2018 in the amount of 1.4 billion USD.

Another two tranches of 1.3 billion USD were received by our country in 2019, but the second tranche, scheduled for May of this year, paused the judicial decisions on Privat Bank, adopted in the interests of its former owners in the interval between the first and second rounds of the presidential election, that is, in April 2019, when it became completely clear that Poroshenko resigns as president, and Zelensky comes to that. Just a few court decisions cost the country 2.6 billion USD, which had to be replaced with super-expensive private funding to receive peak payments on public debt in May and September. In total, we had to overpay approximately 100 million USD a year to service such a replacement of IMF loans with expensive private loans.

But the problem of paying public debts faces Ukraine just as acute next year. It will be necessary to attract 4.9 billion USD in the foreign market and more than 230 billion UAH (0,9 billion USD) in the domestic market to fulfill the plans for borrowing. IMF loans in most cases are not credited to the budget and cannot be used by the Ministry of Finance to pay off external debts.

They fall directly into the NBU's gold and foreign exchange reserves and can be used by the latter to conduct foreign exchange interventions, in particular, to sell foreign currency directly to the Ministry of Finance. This requires only the availability of hryvnia resources in a single treasury account, but even if there is no money in the required amount, the National Bank can replenish the TSA by transferring its profits to the budget or by quasi-fiscal domination. Thus, the use of IMF loans to pay off debts is indirect, but the very circuitry for transforming the NBU gold reserves into a resource in the foreign currency treasury account of the Ministry of Finance is quite simple.

In fact, the IMF is interested in continuing cooperation with Ukraine. There are several reasons for this. After Zelenskys conversation with the head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, the contours of the future program emerged. It will be a simple stand-by for three years in the amount of 4 billion SDR or 5.5 billion USD. It is worth noting that Ukraine owes the fund at the moment 8.78 billion USD, that is, more than three billion more, and we need to give them back in the coming years.

Thus, even after the signing of a new program of cooperation with the fund, the balance of financial flows will be in favor of the IMF, and we will not only refund the received, but also pay our 3 billion USD, plus we will remain under the new program. In addition, the IMF is a representative of external lenders, and he is interested in Ukraine repaying its debts to the last Ukrainian.

What is the key feature of the current negotiations? The fact is that, based on the government agenda, our country could not have had any problems getting new credit tranches. Our Cabinet tried to be holier than the Pope, that is, more toxic than the IMF itself: the governments program includes land reform with a bunch of systemic risks, and a new Labor Code that destroys the rights of an employee, and market utility tariffs, and the sale of state property for conditional hryvnia exchange rate. The IMF could not even dream of such a thing. If not for one factor that impedes further movement. It's about PrivatBank. Back in September, the Ukrainian negotiators made timid proposals regarding the so-called zero option, in which the nationalization of PrivatBank would be considered illegal with accrual of compensation in favor of the former owners, which could be offset by the amount of credit debt of companies directly or indirectly related to former beneficiaries of the bank. Naturally, the IMF could not agree for the implementation of this scenario, and moreover, the factor of trust in the new government was undermined.

The rest is here:
Ukraine-IMF cooperation: Myths and reality - 112 International

Boris Johnson will today tell newly elected MPs that their first parliamentary vote will be to get Brexit done.The Prime Minister will speak with the 109 newly-elected Tories as they arrive in Westminster following the partys thumping victory over Labour in the general election last week. However, the planned separation from the EU on January 31, may not stop the UK heavily funding the bloc, in fact, they may be relying on Mr Johnsons signature more than ever to fund a new project in space.

Horizon Europeis a planned seven-yearEU scientific research initiative meant to succeed the currentHorizon 2020programme, of which the European Commissiondrafted and approved a plan to raise EU science spending levels by 50 percent over the years 2021-2027.

Cabinet minister Chris Skidmore has explained why the UK may have to fork-out a significant investment into it.

He told Express.co.uk:When it comes to projects like Horizon Europe, I want us to continue with European research partnerships, Ive not met anyone who doesnt.

All the contingency measures weve got, all the existing programmes, we are continuing to pay for, even after we get our of the European Union for the lifetime of those programmes.

They need more than ever to achieve

Chris Skidmore

I think Ive spoken to every European researcher and its been a goal of mine to show that we want to continue in Horizon 2020 as a third country.

Obviously youve got this new programme, Horizon Europe, thats coming on stream from the beginning of 2021 onwards too.

Mr Skidmore explained why the UK will be keen to be a part of the Horizon Europe programme.

He added: Were in the last year of Horizon 2020 and our manifesto makes it clear that we want to continue in Horizon.

Now its about battling the naysayers who claim were not going to be able to do it.

JUST IN:UK Galileo replacement to integrate with US GPS as Brexit inspires new relationship

I honestly think that were going to be able to get around the table and pay into the budget.

The one thing is that the actual association articles arent open for negotiations yet because they are still agreeing the overall budget for Horizon Europe.

Mr Skidmore went on to detail why the EU is likely to want the UK to be a part of the project.

He continued: I think theyve come to a settlement now on 84billion about two days ago.

But they need more than ever to achieve that because we are currently the largest contributors financially into Horizon 2020.

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So Im assuming we will get full access to all the programmes and Ill be lobbying for that.

Horizon Europes framework is different to Horizon 2020, before, if you were a third-party country, you couldnt participate in certain core things like the European Research Council.

However, things will be different for the EUs new plans.

Mr Skidmore explained: Thats not the same with Horizon Europe, Ive been told by the commissioner that if we stump up the money we will be able to get full access.

I think theres a really strong case for continuing, we already put in about 1billion a year and get 1.3billion back, so its a net beneficial.

So if were going to be putting in 18billion into research and development, we can easily afford to buy into the programme.

As soon as we get Brexit done, I want to be straight back into having those discussions.

Mr Skidmore also confirmed the UK will build its own replacement for the Galileo system Europes Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), built to rival the USs GPS system that will be used for military defence and critical national infrastructure purposes.

Among the most crucial parts of the system is thePublic Regulated Service (PRS),an encrypted navigation service used by government agencies, the armed forces and emergency services.

The EU insists access to this will only be forthe bloc'smembers when it launches in 2020 and so it has now been confirmed Boris Johnson has pushed forward plans for a 5billion full system to launch in 2030.

Originally posted here:
They need us more than ever! EU depending on UK for 84bn post-Brexit project funding - Express