ON TWITTER
#HOUSEOFFRASER
The flagship Frasers store in Edinburgh is among 31 set for closure by House of Fraser, with restructuring at the troubled chain set to put 6,000 jobs at risk. @Jame_sp lamented: “House Of Fraser to lose half its stores then. This growing death spiral will knock on, through families and across the local economies they support, impacting tax revenues, banking, retail, services, and will add to burdens elsewhere in the systems of the state. Lunacy.” @Jimfromoldham added: “Another big name going and hitting the high street and jobs as a result. Still government do little to help town and city centres to adapt, retain and grow. Need urgent action on business rates and incentives to be based in high street locations.” @Briefcasemike wondered: “These regular announcements of huge job losses (today House of Fraser) seem to have no impact on the unemployment figures. Do they all move seamlessly from redundancy to ‘selfemployed’ courier work?” @Dex333999 recalled: “Used to call the doorway of Edinburgh Frasers ‘heartbreak corner’ as people would be standing waiting on their date in days before mobile phones. Memories are made of this sadly.”
#BACKSTOP
Amid threats of resignation from her Brexit Secretary David Davis, Theresa May has published the Government’s ‘backstop plan’ to help ease the transition out of the Customs Union. @Davidallangreen wrote: “A backstop which is ‘time limited’ is not a backstop. The backstop applies until and unless there is an agreement otherwise. Backstop means backstop.” @Peterkgeoghan added: “May signed up to non time limited backstop in December to buy time to figure a ‘solution’ to NI border. Six months later Davis has no solution and seems unable to understand what he signed up for in December. Would be hilarious if wasn’t so serious.” @Profkaarmstrong agreed: “A ‘temporary’ backstop would be incompatible with what the UK Government agreed with the EU in December. If UK cannot fulfil obligations it accepted six months ago how can EU trust the UK on anything?”