#Impact of Brexit

[head-post]

Northern Ireland votes to extend post-Brexit trade arrangements

Northern Ireland’s Stormont Assembly has voted in favour of retaining the special trade arrangements for Brexit for another four years.

This means Northern Ireland will retain some EU trade laws as a means of maintaining an invisible border on the island of Ireland, despite continued opposition in some unionist circles.

The 42 to 35 vote reflected long-standing divisions over Brexit, with Unionist Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) voting against it, while Nationalists and the non-sectarian Alliance Party supported it.

The decision came after hours of debate, which Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Sinéad McLaughlin as “triggering,” with Brexit points reiterated from the Unionist benches.

Consideration was given to the continued application of Articles 5-10 of the Windsor Framework, which deal with customs, movement of goods, VAT and excise duty, the single electricity market and state aid.

Emma Little-Pengelly, Deputy First Minister, said the DUP would “continue to fight for the full restoration of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK,” including the removal of the application of EU law and any barriers it creates to the UK’s internal market. “We must strive for something better,” she told the meeting.

Naomi Long, the Alliance Party’s justice minister, said it would not help anyone if Brexit was a “permanent open wound” and she would vote to keep the arrangements in place so the North could “move forward.”

Matthew O’Toole, SDLP leader at Stormont, said the protocol was flawed but urged party members to look forward. “There needs to be a concerted effort to improve the situation,” he added.

That prompted Steve Aiken of the Ulster Unionist Party to say the “strongest message” to Brussels and London was to unite behind a vote against the continuation of the Windsor framework.

“Illusion of democracy”

Tuesday’s vote was the first test for the compromise deal struck by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in February 2023.

Jonathan Buckley of the DUP called the vote an “illusion of democracy” as London will have the final say on which laws will prevail under trade agreements.

The framework was introduced after long opposition from the DUP and other parties over checks on farm-fresh products, from sausages to cheese, imported into the region from the rest of the UK.

Under the Windsor Framework, goods from Britain destined for storage in Northern Ireland pass through a “green lane,” while a separate “red lane” is provided for goods destined to cross the border into the Republic and therefore the EU.

Import bans on seed potatoes and 11 native British trees have also been lifted, as well as EU rules on the movement of pets from Northern Ireland to the UK.

Read more HERE

[etapereine]

really interesting interview with harry tanfield about the last-minute attempt that he and his brother and some friends are making to establish a continental team in britain. as it stands, with st. piran and trinity closing, there would be no registered uci continental teams left in the country.

he also talks about the (very) sad state of professional cycling in the uk and some of the challenges faced by conti-level teams and riders trying to get into the european racing scene.

also this article from cycling weekly gives a good overview:

[chainreactionpodcast]

In the News: Fashion Industry's Battle with Returns, US Economic Trends, and Key Automotive Recalls

In the latest episode of our podcast, we delve into some of the most pressing issues affecting various industries today. From the fashion industry’s battle against high return rates to the shifting economic trends in the US and significant automotive recalls, we cover it all. Let’s explore these topics in greater detail. Ever wondered how the fashion industry is managing the challenges posed by…

[troonwolf]

people need to be more wary when making fun of a country’s politics not to take it out on people who are just forced to live there

like yes it’s funny the UK standards of living are plummeting since Brexit, it’s not funny that plenty of folk in the UK are cold, starving, homeless, and that there will be more and more of us experiencing these things in the next decade

also annoying because when folk do this type of stuff @ Americans there’s like a million PSAs a second talking about how vulnerable citizens who don’t get a choice of where they live shouldn’t be made fun of because they can’t access medical care, but y’all will see an article on the rise of British homelessness and are like LOL TERF ISLAND!!! POLANDSWEEP!!! LOL SO FUNNEE!!! completely ignoring the fact that the grand majority of the people suffering aren’t going to be the lawmakers and the powerful bigots, it’s going to be the lower class queer people, disabled people, and POC who were already struggling and will now be struggling even more

geopolitics isn’t a popularity contest Karen people are dying

[dreamstz1]

Exploring the Relationship Between Politics and Economics: A Deep Dive

The connection between politics and economics is both intricate and inseparable. These two domains, though distinct, profoundly shape one another. In this post, we explore how politics influences economic policies, and how economic forces, in turn, affect political decisions. Understanding this relationship is key to grasping the broader socio-political landscape.How Politics Shapes Economic…

[thecpdiary]

The Impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on the Book Industry

When I had my first book published in January 2020 it was the right place but the wrong time to publish. I couldn't have foreseen, no one in the publishing or writing industry could have foreseen the car crash that was waiting to happen.

Brexit and Covid-19

This blog makes for sombre reading, but I will try to do a break-down of the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on the book industry, highlighting how these events might have affected your publishing experience.

As a result of Brexit and Covid-19, publishing anything from 2020 onwards has met with significant upheaval, affecting the book industry and other industries. Publishers and authors alike would eventually come to understand why – as an author, I include myself here. Brexit

Anxiety and uncertainty

The prolonged and complex Brexit negotiations created a sense of uncertainty, causing anxiety and stress among the UK population, particularly among those who were directly affected by the changes.

Fear of the unknown

The lack of clarity on post-Brexit arrangements led to concerns about potential economic instability, job security, and access to healthcare, which contributed to feelings of unease and anxiety.

Sense of disconnection

The weakening of ties with the EU has contributed to a sense of disconnection from European friends and family, especially for those who had built strong relationships across its borders. We now know small businesses have particularly been hard-hit.

Economic Uncertainty

Consumer Confidence

Brexit created economic uncertainty, which has led to reduced consumer spending. People have been more cautious with discretionary purchases, including books.

Currency Fluctuations

The value of the British pound fluctuated considerably, affecting the cost of importing and exporting books. This has impacted pricing and profitability for UK publishers and authors. Regulatory Changes

Trade Barriers

New trade barriers and tariffs introduced complexities in the distribution of books between the UK and the EU. This affected supply chains, making it more challenging to get books to international markets efficiently.

Intellectual Property

Changes in IP law and licensing agreements between the UK and the EU created additional hurdles for publishers, delaying the release of new titles and complicating rights sales. Market Adjustments

Industry Shifts

Publishers had to adapt to the new regulatory environment, diverting resources away from marketing and promotion of new authors.

Focus Shift

Some publishers might have shifted focus towards more established authors and safer bets in an uncertain market, making it harder for new authors to gain visibility.

Covid-19

Pandemic-induced stress and anxiety

The global pandemic has caused widespread stress, anxiety, and fear due to the rapid spread of the virus, lockdowns, and the uncertainty surrounding its impact on daily life.

Social isolation

Social distancing measures led to feelings of loneliness and disconnection from others, exacerbating mental health concerns like depression and anxiety disorders.

Fear of contagion

The risk of contracting Covid-19 has created a sense of hyper-vigilance, causing people to feel anxious about their own health and the health of those around them. Personally, Covid-19 (the pandemic) caused my anxiety to worsen, leaving me with a permanent sense of foreboding and in a continued state of panic.

Disruption to Retail

Bookstore Closures

At the start of Covid-19 with physical bookstores closed and operating at reduced capacity during lockdowns, primary sales for many books were severely disrupted.

Shift to E-commerce

While there was a significant shift to online book sales, not all authors and publishers were ready for the transition. New independent authors have also struggled to stand out in the crowded online marketplace. Supply Chain Issues

Printing and Distribution

Lock-downs and social distancing measures disrupted printing and distribution, leading to delays in the release of new books and potential shortages.

Increased Costs and my books

The rising costs of materials and shipping have had a significant impact on the pricing and profitability of books. My third book, Survival: The Covid Years, was published in the UK, whereas my first two books were published in the EU. When it came to publishing my third book, my publishers relocated the printing and production to the UK in an effort to reduce costs and to optimise their operations. Changes in Consumer Behaviour

Reading Habits

The pandemic change people's reading habits, with some people reading more due to lockdowns and others less due to stress, anxiety and uncertainty. The types of books and genres people were interested in also shifted, which may not have aligned with what authors published. My books are all non-fiction and all deal with mental health. Four years into the pandemic and many people are still failing to go back to reading physical books, particularly books on mental health. Marketing and Promotion

Event Cancellations

Book launches, signings and literary festivals were cancelled or were moved online. This affected the visibility and promotional opportunities for new releases.

Digital Marketing

There was an increased reliance on digital marketing, but cutting through the noise required significant investment, which will have been a challenge for new authors. (Source: onlinelibrarywileycom)

Conclusion

While Brexit has introduced regulatory and logistical challenges, Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformation and changed consumer behaviour, forcing the book industry to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and that's been difficult.

Both Brexit and COVID-19 have had significant impacts on our mental health and relationships with the European Union. While Brexit created uncertainty and disconnection, Covid-19 has exacerbated these effects by adding another layer of stress and anxiety.

However, with the right Government in place, these challenges may also present opportunities for strengthening relationships with the EU, therefore fostering greater international co-operation in the face of Brexit. It remains to be seen, however, whether Labour, the new incumbent party in the UK take up these challenges to mend the UK's relationship with the EU.

If you're interested and fancy grabbing copies of any of my books that deal with mental health, please go to the following link https://www.thecpdiary.com/my-books/ 

For more relatable, inspirational, lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

[britishbusinessonline]

Why The UK Economy Is Now Unbelievably PATHETIC

Discussing The UK Economy This is Great Britain it was once a global superpower that had grown to rule over 400 million people making it the largest Empire in history. Before we get into all this, great news today, about the UK Economy, Wednesday 19th of June 2024. UK inflation hit the Bank of England’s 2% target in May. However, this picture of Britain can now only be seen in history books…

[meoun-uk]

New Study Reveals Impact of Brexit on British EconomyBrexit, the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, has been a topic of heated debate a... https://www.meoun.uk/new-study-reveals-impact-of-brexit-on-british-economy/?feed_id=9386&_unique_id=6651bcdbb4993

[ironmanrecords]

Formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom to the people of the European Union regarding Brexit and a gesture of hospitality

Dear People of the European Union, I am writing this letter for and on behalf of the United Kingdom to extend our heartfelt apologies for the impact of Brexit on the people of the European Union, and for the personal insult, distress and uncertainty it has caused. I didn’t vote for Brexit, I voted to remain and I have had to learn to respect and accept the outcome of the referendum and it’s…

[alpha-mag-media]

Ex-GAA president Sean Kelly reveals ‘unexpected’ Brexit impact as it’s made him ‘miss the Brits’ in European Parliament | 0K510G1 | 2024-01-04 08:08:02 | January 04, 2024 at 09:08AM

Ex-GAA president Sean Kelly reveals ‘unexpected’ Brexit impact as it’s made him ‘miss the Brits’ in European Parliament | 0K510G1 | 2024-01-04 08:08:02 Read More … Check full articles at Source: ALPHA MAG

[toaarcan]

Rishi Sunak and the D-Day Disaster

Babes wake up, Rishi Sunak did a fuckup again!

Hokay, so, at time of writing, yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War II. This is a big deal for a lot of reasons, D-Day is one of the most significant events in the largest and most destructive war humanity ever fought, and this is likely to be the last major anniversary that the surviving veterans will be alive and well enough to attend.

Political leaders from the world over made their way to the Normandy beaches for a commemoration. Biden, Trudeau, Macron, Scholz, and Zelenskyy were present. Keir Starmer was there, as were King Prince Charles and Prince William, but the UK government proper was represented by Rishi Sunak and David Hameron.

Until suddenly it wasn't!

Let's run down everything (that I'm aware of) that went wrong!

As part of the British event, army paratroopers landed on the beach... and then had to reconvene in a tent to get their credentials checked by the French authorities. Because Brexit happened and we don't have free movement any more! Pro-Brexit nimrods have, predictably, complained about getting exactly what they voted for.

Once each nation's part of the proceedings were done, they were to reconvene at Omaha Beach for an International commemoration. Speeches, medals being awarded, that sort of thing. Except... Rishi Sunak was not present.

No, see, Rishi "The Least Elected PM Ever" Sunak had stayed until the end of the British event and then promptly fucked off back to England, snubbing the leaders of America, France, Canada, Germany, and Ukraine and leaving everything in the hands of the Hameron, his also-unelected foreign secretary that last rubbed shoulders with any International politicians when he was fucking everything up in 2016. Also, in the hands of his main rival, Starmer (Okay calling Starmer and Sunak rivals is a bit unfair, it implies Sunak has a snowball's chance in hell, which he does not).

Naturally, people were pretty fuckin' steamed about this, and put Rishi on blast for showing enormous disrespect to... literally everyone involved. Especially since this is right on the heels of Sunak proposing that they bring back National Service to "fill young British people with loyalty and honour."

Don't worry it gets worse.

Naturally, there are a lot of journalists with cameras present, and this means that we get to see images like these:

Image Description: Left to right, David Cameron, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Joe Biden, standing in front of a partially cloud blue sky. Macron, Scholz, and Biden are lit by the sun, while Cameron appears to be in the shade.

Image Description: Keir Starmer sits, centrally-framed, among D-Day veterans in ceremonial dress uniforms. To the right of the frame sits Emmanuel Macron.

Image Description: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer talking, with a photojournalist in the background aiming his camera at them. Both are smiling.

Quote Pippa Crerar, writing for the Guardian (You may remember her from that time she blew the lid off of Partygate!), Starmer is "already looking like a Prime Minister."

So this is really, really bad for Rishi. Britain has been keen to support Ukraine lately, and we've actually shipped a supply of our Challenger 2 tanks over to them for their use. The impact from this hasn't been as massive as you'd hope, largely because the British military has been absolutely gutted under the Tories, for reasons that I'm sure had absolutely nothing to do with all the financial support David Cameron got from Russians, but Britain has been trying to help.

Boris Johnson in particular liked to really stress the Ukraine point whenever he was losing control of the narrative, essentially making Ukraine's plight and his support for them a shield from criticism. And now, here's the leader of the opposition being photographed in a positive light with Zelenskyy. The optics are incredibly bad for Rishi.

But surely, Rishi had a reason why he had to zip back to British soil post haste? Maybe an emergency that he had to resolve?

No, he needed to record an interview with ITV, for his election campaign. That was it.

Well, interviews in election cycles become outdated pretty quickly. Normally a few days is enough to render them outdated. It must've been pretty urgent.

No, the interview is scheduled for release in six days' time.

That's an eternity in election season. There's a high chance that more than half of its content will be void by the time it airs.

As a reminder, we are four weeks from the big day. In fact, yesterday was exactly four weeks before election night. Time is very short.

Well, maybe this was the only time they could fit him in?

Nope, Paul Brand of ITV has confirmed that this was the date and time Rishi wanted, and they could've moved it to prevent scheduling conflicts!

So, how did a fuckup on such a grand magnitude happen? How did Rishi manage to create a clash between the 80th anniversary commemoration of an event with a specific date (6th June, 1944 is not hard to remember, my guy!) and the election that he called? Well that's very simple! He didn't want to be there at all.

Yes, it seems that Rishi had already told the French government a week ago that he wouldn't be attending at all. Someone seems to have convinced him that skipping the event entirely was a bad idea, but not enough for him to actually commit to it.

Image Description: A block of text reading "The French government was told a week ago that Rishi Sunak would not attend the D-Day 80th commemoration, Tory sources have confirmed. The message to Paris from his team was that he would be too busy campaigning in the general election to make the trip. The decision was reversed, and a short visit was the compromise, but it is extraordinary that an attendance by a Conservative PM, or any PM, was ever in doubt."

Rishi has denied this, however, so the whether it's true or Sunak has elected to not lie for once, well, that remains to be seen.

Quote John Healey, Labour's defence spokesperson, “Given that the prime minister has been campaigning on the idea young people should complete a year’s national service, what does it say that he appears to have been unable to complete a single afternoon of it?”

Conservative commentator Tim Montgomery called it "political malpractice."

And so, after thumbing his nose at half the world in order to pursue an already-foundering election campaign, Rishi Sunak decided that he needed to apologise. Via tweet.

It's been a very bad day for Rishi Sunak.

[itsallpoliticsstupid]

Throughout the election, I maintained to my boyfriend that I couldn't call who would win. Because it was just too close. I think that was always untrue, in my heart I always knew that Kamala didn't have a chance at becoming President.

I think there are a number of reasons for this. The car crash of a Presidential debate between Biden and Trump; the way she became the democratic candidate; her stance on the Israel/Gaza war, which turned away a lot of her more 'traditional' voters; the fact that, outside of abortion, there didn't seem to be any other real issue that she was running on - I mean I could literally go on and on. But it just felt everything was against her.

For me though, it boils down to 3 major issues:

The Economy

The fact Biden decided to run for a second term

'Democracy' (e.g. the way she became candidate)

And other Political Analysts will likely disagree with me, but I'm used to it.

The Economy

We look first at the economy. This is a huge motivating factor to why somebody would vote for a candidate. Under the democrats cost of living has increased, and people are struggling to maintain a good quality of life.

An average voter is going to ascribe that to the Government, and in this case the Democrats.

They're not going to know, or care, that the cost of living increase is a global issue caused by world events. Such as the War in Ukraine, War in the Middle East and Climate Change making large scale production more difficult due to the instability of the land.

So if the opposing Political Party are using that big issue to their advantage, claiming that they will help lower taxes for the normal working family, of course that's going to be an incentive to vote for them regardless of the other issues surrounding that candidate/party.

Biden's decision to stand

I think the moment Biden decided to go for a second term was the moment the democrats had no hope of winning the election.

It had become apparent quite late on in his presidency that he was struggling with his neurological health and it should have been advised much earlier that he shouldn't run for a second term.

Had he stepped away much earlier, they could have bought in a candidate who could run from the off. Somebody who would be able to put what they stood for across much earlier, and could really make an impact in an election.

Because really, who knows what Kamala stood for? Outside of the abortion rights, I can't tell you one thing. Yes, I wanted her to win, but that's because I do believe Trump will cause damage globally. But, I don't know what Kamala's policies were. Or what she really stood for. It felt like the democrats were more interested in damaging the Republican party's image than really showing what they were about.

In essence, negative campaigning. Which came to a head when she referred to him as a fascist.

And it just goes to show that negative campaigning doesn't work.

Democracy (How she became the candidate)

This leads me to the final point. How Kamala became candidate. In a parliamentary system, nobody would blink twice if you had a change of leader candidate half way through an election. Because you vote for the party, not the candidate.

I think changing the candidate half way through this election process made people feel a bit...off. And is probably why so many people said that threat to democracy was a core issue for them. Because, if it was mainly democrats answering the threat to democracy being a core issue, the election would have been a hell of a lot different.

Anyway, that's just my opinion and assessment.

It sucks right now but, as I said in my country after Brexit, you will get through, whether in the US or in another country. It will be a deeply uncertain, challenging time, but all you can do right now is have faith that things won't be as bad as we all believe.

Take care of yourselves in America. I may wait for the next 4 years to pass before reconsidering relocating over there for work.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: Last Place

37. ISRAEL Eden Golan - "Hurricane" 5th place

Decade Ranking: 150/153 [Above Noa Kirel, below Roxen]

Where do we start?

Let's begin, perhaps by stating the obvious. Israel's participation in this year ruined the contest. You encounter an entrant or two that completely warp the meta around them at every contest, but never to an extent this cataclysmic. Every sour note of this contest, and there were plenty, sprouted from the decision to allow Israel into the year. That was the tipping point. I believe that makes "Hurricane" the worst entry of all times in terms of the sheer negative impact its presence had on the edition it parttook in.

The ESC discourse -on asocial media- completely revolved around the conflict in Palestine either to denounce the war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli goverment and the subsequent silencing of critical voices calling it out, or to make a stand against the Poor Young Girl who was unfairly maligned by radicalized leftists for a conflict she had no hand in.

So was it any surprise that Israel won every Western televote? Be honest. I know that the Twitter manchildren claim Israel cheated, but they are in denial. The televote was genuine. The scalpel slices both ways, sadly. For every heckler booing Eden or protesting for Palestine or announcing a Eurovision boycot or lecturing the general public to not vote for Israel, a sympathy vote for her arises because "Aw She Doesn't Deserve So Much Negativity, Poor Thing". That she willingly chose to rep israel at THIS time with THAT song is blissfully ignored. Eden Golan is not a child. She's fully accountable for the effects that her participation caused, and is perfectly a-OK with it.

So, wake the fuck up. The sympathizing nutcases were OPENLY mobilizing to vote for Israel without even watching a second of the contest, to prove a point against you know, "insane leftist wokery" or whatever they call it. "You can't make me think what you want or do what you want, TAKE THAT". It's the same principle that led to Brexit and Trump beating Clinton. Similarly, they attempted to hijack the results like a particularly nasty species of asian hornet because their 'Freedom of Speech' is more important to them than fair results in an entertainment show, or a potential genocide. Or maybe they were just indoctrinated. A smaller sample size due to boycots + 20 votes per crazed zionist, it's honestly a miracle Croatia STILL beat them in the TV overall.

In other words, pretty much every opinion about Eden revolved around the politics that accompanied the flag she flew under.

And I'm sorry, but Eurovision is not supposed to be about Israel. Why should THAT country get more attention, or even preferential treatment in this otherwise excellent line-up? That's not what it should be about.

It is THEM who it should be about:

None of these artists asked to be a part of this shambolic display. So in that sense, let's do something many have FAILED. Let's do what we're supposed to dp: Discuss the SONG, outside of context.

Frankly, there's remarkably little to say. Even without the context, "Hurricane" would have been bottom of the barrel for me regardless? It's a mediocre sappy ballad aimed to Make People Cry. We see such ballads pop up all the time in NFs (most recently Krick in Luxembourg and Noble in Portugal), where -more often than not- their sucktitude catches up with them and manifests a loss.

I've seen people be outraged that Norway's jury gave it points but I mean, look at any recent scandi NF and tell me a Hurricane wouldn't fit within its ranks. It's Undo, What if, A Monster Like Me, all the tacky soulless ballads with poor narratives preying on the soft-hearted and the guillible with cheap emotional manip. "Hurricane"was cut from the same dementor-esque, sympathy-craving cloth. Call me old fashioned, but I was taught that sympathy requires a modicum of respect, which needs to be earned, not begged for like a dog's dinner. (I hope the Europapa fans are reading this because this also applies to him, and that ghastly outro). If your song was written with the idea in mind of pinkwashing the deaths of a few thousand children, then perhaps you may have not fully earned the benefit of the doubt, jussaying.~

In terms of performance, Eden was vocally good, at least. It's her voice that carries it although i don't find her particularly likeable as a lead. Then again, she is a Russian nepo brat whose family emigrated to Israel after the Ukrainian war so that her daddy to secure his financial assets and the Golans could continue their lavish, privileged lifestyle in a safer country. It was always a challenge, so to say, to consider Eden Golan a likeable individual.

Also what is UP with the choreography? Why do the dancers look like they are loading air rifles? A Choice, to say the least.

So all in all, a pretty weak entry that always would have been in my bottom 3 for any country, but that probably had a ceiling of lower top 10 in a normal, generic year of ESC.

However, this was NOT a generic ESC. There's NO imagining "Hurricane" without its context which makes it so, SO much worse. It was specifically written in support of the Israeli victims in the war (why go through that trouble and not simply withdraw and spend the participation fee on providing for the families of the hostages? Isn't that more effective charity? But hey, what do I know.) There is no "depoliticizing", no matter how often you retcon the lyrics into gibberish. Hurricane's intentions are present in its rhythm, its instrumentation, the keys in which it is sung. The notion that you can separate it from its context is absurd.

And yet, that is precisely what the EBU were hoping for when they allowed it in, and it exploded into their face like a firework. I can't say they didn't deserve it. Ultimately, the full blame for all of this rests with them. If a certain entity threatens the integrity of your being, you get rid of the threat. You don't passively sit back crossing your fingers they leave at their own volition. The Israeli's would understand the reasons for exclusion, surely, as they've been applying the exact same principles to the Gaza Strip since mid October.

The EBU allowed them in, officially to prove Eurovision wasn't political and United By Music (in reality because they're cowards and didn't want to be the first organization to ban Israel from an international event, and be branded antisemites as a result). The result was the most politically charged and divisive contest of all time, rife with incidents that were as avoidable as they were outrageous. It couldn't have been further away from "apolitical unity" if it tried.

Hurricane was NEVER worth the price of admission. All the controversy, the security risks, the boycots, the antisemitism and xenophobia, the censorship, the harrassment of other delegations (which the Israeli delegation EAGERLY participated in) and of course the Israeli embassies in participating countries OPENLY advocating to vote for Israel as "a signal". Even the tensions that led to Joost's dubious DQ which I doubt would have happened at any other contest. This could all have been foreseen and avoided by excluding the country that clearly would have brought the contest into disrepute. Eurovision is now on life support. Congratulations EBU. You KILLED your own contest.

It briefly looked like Israel could win (leave to RAI to be woefully incompetent and blasé), which would have been the final nail in Eurovision's coffin but then they magically lost the televote (thank you SO much Eastern Europe, you are SO real for this) and stranded themselves in 5th place. Instead of being the Worst Winner of All Time, Israel are merely a mediocre also-ran, which I can live with. It makes "Hurricane"' marginally less appalling than "Unicorn" and "I.M" for me. Let their fifth place serve as a grim reminder for future editions that Hatred Breeds Hatred, and also, thankfully, that Love Can indeed Prevail.

THE RANKING

[chaosghoulx]

𝚁𝚞𝚑𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚡 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚝 𝟸𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚜

I'm nervous as f to actually post a piece of my writing on here but gotta face your fears right skdjskfj Anyways here's a piece I've written for my darling @abyssghoulette , we're very normal about these two I swear.

I tried my best to proof-read this tho still if you see a typo, no you don't🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with these-?"

Brexit raised an eyebrow at the pile of paint and brushes in front of him.

"It's a tradition. See my face? That's my race paint. It represents you as a contestant." Espresso cleared the question for him with a bright smile.

"You have a creative freedom with this one, do whatever speaks to you the most, something others will remember you by."

The British engine gave a slow nod, eyeing the precisely painted bright ornaments on the other's face as he tried to take in all the information given.

This shouldn't be too hard right? Maybe he could ask for help, but as soon as he drew a breath to bring up the question, he's immediately interrupted again.

"You still have about another half an hour before the race starts, so you don't necessarily need to rush it. And I'm sure that whatever you come up with will be great~ See you on the start line, buddy~"

And before Brexit could stop him, Espresso was already gone, leaving the other alone to do his thing.

His gaze fell on the cosmetics in front of him once again...come on, it can't be that hard, right? If everybody else could do it, so could he.

Determined, he dipped one of the brushes into the paint and wept the excess on the edge, bringing it up to his face with great focus.

But despite his best tries, nothing was going right and slowly but surely Brexit was getting frustrated.

Too much blush here, a smudged paint there, a wonky eyeliner- and on the top of everything his hands were shaky as ever thanks to the time press he was getting into.

He checked his reflection in the mirror and truth be told, he himself was not sure if he should laugh or cry-

It was terrible, and with the snail speed he was progressing, there was no way he'd be able to fix it on time.

A sound of the doorknob turning nearly made him jump out of his skin.

"Still in here Brexit? How come you're not fertig yet, the race is about to-- are you alright?"

Oh no.

Out of everybody it had to be the German engine coming to check on him? Really? Well that's just about his luck.

"..'m alright- just give me a second-"

Brexit quickly mumbled and frantically started cleaning the paint off his face with a wet cloth.

Ruhrgold knit his brow and moved closer to see what the other was up to.

His eyes softly widened at the sight of the other's smudged paint, have nobody taught him how to work with it before?

"I tried my best--"

This is it, he'd embarrassed the hell out of himself and Ruhrgold is going to laugh at him, that's for sure, Brexit thought to himself and shut his eyes tight as if to brace for impact.

But there was nothing to brace for.

Instead, he felt the wet cloth on his cheek again, lightly flinching at the unexpected touch.

He cracked an eye open, only to see the other engine's face only inches away from his own, and he would have lied if he said that his heart didn't just almost skip a beat.

"We've all been there, you'll get a hold of it eventually."

Ruhrgold affirmed with a smile in attempt to cheer the British engine up a little while he cleaned his face.

Oh, that smile.

Brexit was smitten.

Momentarily he even managed to forget how stressed out he was only a while ago. One look into those blue eyes was enough to make his thoughts float.

Ruhrgold was doing no better.

As he was cleaning the paint of Brexit's face, he was finally able to take a look at him up close. Until now there wasn't a chance like this, especially because the other tended to shy away from longer conversations. Brexit was still rather new, this was his first championship, and Ruhrgold could remember being in the same position clear as day, stressed out of his mind and back then, there was nobody to reassure him. The least thing he could do for the other was to be there for him and help him out.

"There we go.."

The German engine put away the cloth to reach for the paint and- oh my god, were these freckles? Ruhrgold found the British engine quite adorable since the day one, but this tiny detail about him nearly made his heart melt.

He quickly blinked to prevent himself from staring for too long and forced his gaze back on the brush that he's been absent-mindedly dipping into the green paint for a good minute now.

"...J-just..stay still."

Brexit desperately tried to guide his eyes anywhere but towards the German engine and prayed that the blush he felt creeping up on his cheeks wasn't as prominent as he feared it was.

"A little to the left-"

Ruhrgold gently turned the other's chin, tilting his head to the side as he continued to work on his masterpiece, his hand lingering on the spot for a little longer than intended.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally inched away a little to take a look at the whole thing, and Brexit finally released the shaky breath he's been holding in for that whole time.

Following Ruhrgold's gesture towards the mirror, he turned his head to check his newest look.

A small, excited smile tugged at the corners of Brexit's lips as he looked back to Ruhrgold.

"Oh my- I...thank you, this is perfect- I mean...definitely much better than what I have came up with."

The British engine momentarily reached out for the other's hands, but stopped himself abruptly and leaned back onto his original place.

Ruhrgold just shook his head. "Don't mention it..I'm happy I could be of help."

He noticed how Brexit's hands moved forward and then back again...should he add on to it-?

An idea popped up in his head.

"...Actually- I think I need to check for details once more..do you mind-?"

He vaguely gestured towards his own eyes to hint the other to close his own.

After Brexit's eyelids fell shut, there was silence once again, and Ruhrgold could swear that he could hear his own rapid heartbeat now. A momentary wave of doubt washed over him. What if this isn't a good idea? Maybe he shouldn't do this, or should he? He's not sure anymore..but what he's more than certain about is if he doesn't decide soon his heart is going to explode.

You know what they say Ruhr, it's all or none.

And with that thought he closes the distance between their lips. It's merely a kiss, a peck maybe. But it's enough to get the point across, he thinks.

Brexit's whole body tenses up, the gentle act leaves him frozen for a moment before he pulls himself together again, his cheeks now inevitably burning red.

Ruhrgold is the first to break the silence by clearing his throat.

"That's-...for good luck-"

The German engine mumbles, feeling his own face flush a deep shade of pink as well.

"Well then-- in that case.." Brexit whispers shyly, finally locking eyes with the one in front of him again as he dares to lean just a little closer, their noses almost touching.

"...the luck is almost never on my side..it's rare when it is, really...and I fear that one kiss won't be enough to secure it."

Ruhrgold has to chuckle at his remark, pressing another, longer kiss on Brexit's forehead.

"..In that case, we better make sure you come out victorious today~"