The Westminster Arms

Morning and thanks for the breakfast Singing. I love crumpets. Not sure they are good for me but hey ho.

So crumpets and a large coffee and a seat by the fire and I'm set.

Can't believe Matteo might win in Italy. He says he will try for a GE if he wins. Italy has more elections than we do.

Watching the NHS bill with interest. Although I don't think the NHS can be sorted until social care is solved. Don't expect that to be soon.

Many years ago my DF was very ill. He was discharged from hospital into convalescent home. We need a similar model again.

I read about that interview earlier this morning Singing and thought there’s Len McCluskey being his usual charming self😊. Agree it’s not going to be pretty.

My cat tends to jump on top of me & stare into my face from about 6 every day

6am is a luxury. Happy to swap, Dusty. Just let me know when you're ready.

Still no news yet on how Lega has done in Calabria but closer to home, I saw this in the Spectator about Len McCluskey.

"On Pienaar's Politics, he also addressed suggestions that centrist MPs might quit if Long-Bailey, who is his union Unite's nominated candidate, won: 'Good riddance,' he said."

My take on that is that while the restructuring of the Conservative Party took place a few months ago (21 rebels having the whip withdrawn, a handful crossing over to the Changey-Wotsits, others either standing down at the GE or standing as Independents), the restructuring of the Labour Party is about to begin. It won't be pretty.

As a democrat, and I've said this over and over, I want to see a functioning opposition - a credible government-in-waiting - challenging the government, giving it a new perspective and keeping it on its toes. Looks like I'll have to wait a lot longer.

Morning Dirty.

Morning all - 5 more days! 🇬🇧🍸🇬🇧

And yes, ignore ignore ( & report ) our attention is what they crave. Don’t give it to them.

Thank you for my award walking!

It is ironic that bellini and I are pretty much in the same place over all this now 😂

It is a shame that there’s still so much animosity and so many people determined to cling on to the past though

I do hope neddie isn’t a man - their comments are always provoking and whilst it’s unnecessary and undignified if it’s a woman, I’d find it much worse if a man has chosen to do such a thing on a forum where they know it’s mainly women who post

I think the SNP is focused on Scotland and therefore it wouldn't care about UK situation beyond its impact on Scotland.

Morning, Time4, the cat woke me up at 2.31. He wanted food and a cuddle and now he's fast asleep. I, however, am not. Again.

I feel your pain

Morning Singing

Dog was playing up last night so abandoned hope of getting any sleep at around 4.30am so I could certainly go for a plate of crumpets about now😊.

Wasn’t aware of that debate in Parliament today so thanks for the heads up. It always amuses me when I see Ian Blackford rising to speak, it’s like wait for it, wait for it, yup there it is ‘Indyref 2” “Scotland’s voice cannot be ignored” shoehorned in at any and every opportunity.

Merkel of course does nothing.

She can't, Scary. Hoist with her own petard.

Just to help things along, Deutsche Bank is now being investigated for handing over $1.1million to a Saudi royal advisor to secure a private wealth management agreement. DB is blaming two rogue employees who acted without their knowledge or approval.

Must have taken it out of petty cash then.

I'm not suggesting that DB's underlying performance is sound, merely relaying that the expected loss is being attributed to the restructuring and bad debt write-offs. The fact that severe pruning was applied and such a significant amount of debt written off in the first place says much about previous custom and practice at the bank. This latest news suggests they are still finding dirt under the carpet. DB's troubles are not over and in the banking world, confidence is hard won and easily lost.

Morning, all,

It’s another big day for Ian Blackford. It’s the second reading of the NHS Funding Bill, the one that commits the government in law to spending an additional £33.9 billion a year by 2024 on the NHS in England.

What, you might ask, does this have to do with Oor Ian, given that NHS Scotland is a devolved matter in which Westminster has no say?

Well, this is the first bill since the election to trigger EVEL (English Votes for English Laws) and the first time it has ever applied to a major bill. Next week, MPs will sit as a Legislative English Grand Committee; only MPs from English constituencies can vote, although the report stage will follow when all MPs can vote.

The SNP of course really really object to EVEL (but have no probs with Scotland having a devolved government while England does not, obviously) so this is Oor Ian’s golden opportunity to drum home his favourite refrain - “Scotland’s voice cannot be ignored...taking Scotland out against her will...democratic mandate for Scotland...IndyRef2...” and so on.

Expect him to insist on making amendments to an English law on the grounds that it might, only might, possibly have an effect on the Barnett Formula.

You can’t blame a man for trying...but you don’t have to listen to him either.

Crumpets for breakfast - please help yourselves.

Kettle’s on ☕️☕️☕️

That's the interpretation you put on it, nothing to do with me. The poster it was aimed at has said they think mn might be having a bad effect on them so sounds like I was right

It smacks a bit of patting a little woman on the head neddie, and sounds like just the sort of shite my Dad used to come out with. Alternatively, you could be a Mother Superior type, and that's just as annoying (as is the tone of your comments).

In best MN parlance - did you mean to be so rude, (head tilt, tinkly little laugh).

In any case, it certainly wasn't intended as condescending as it followed on from a post by walkingdeadfangirl talking about reflection

I hope you aren't male niceguy as that might just be a condescending comment.

If you think it's a condescending comment what difference does it make if i'm male or female?

scary I’m actually going back to the men for a bit.

I used to belong to a male dominated board, well, I’m still registered, just dont post after I found MN.

But the mods there are hot on people having a peaceful Brexit thread - they’re good at moderating generally, no flashers on any topic - and you can ignore posters and can’t name change, so at the moment, I think I better head there. No such thing as a Brexit Arms here.

I think I have MN derangement syndrome. What set me off before Walking post was a post by another poster (Different thread) who’d just arrived to piss on everyone’s chips.

I don’t know any Brexiteers in real life, unless you count mum and lord knows I struggle to care for her anyway, I don’t want more chat in that part of my life. So I really enjoyed having a place on MN to chat about it, thanks to all the landladies and regulars.

Logging out now for a while.

News from France: Yesterday's manifs. ended in scuffled violence yesterday in Lyon, Toulouse, Narbonne, Lille and Strasbourg. This was reported in local press but not in the national press.

Italy:It looks as if Salvini has won in Calabria; the results are due in later today.

On the subject of Deutsche bank: Deutsche closing everywhere, as London, NYork and Singapore stop quoting on their exchanges. Selling out in Portugal, India and Poland. Severely trimming in Eire, 7th world bank in 2009 is now 17th and tumbling.
Merkel of course does nothing.

I think a period of reflection on your reaction to that would be a very good idea Should Autumn go to confession and say several mea culpas and a couple of Hail Mary's as well for good measure?

I hope you aren't male niceguy as that might just be a condescending comment.

Walking “Those 2 posters are not my idols but they are people who have tried with lots of abuse to straddle the divide.”

I’ve only been on for a very short period of time so I’ll take your word for it. Fair enough.

I think I might head into town Friday night after all, though I’m not sure exactly where to head, I don’t know Westminster very well.

walking one of those told everyone where we’d gone, so, no.

I think a period of reflection on your reaction to that would be a very good idea.

And oh dear me, please not Richard B as deputy. He always says such nonsensical things when he pops up on telly every five minutes

Autumn your right they did.

I am trying to reflect on what I did right and wrong and its not that easy to answer. I certainly haven't got it right. Brexit is now happening and am trying maybe failing to see how we move forward.

Those 2 posters are not my idols but they are people who have tried with lots of abuse to straddle the divide. I hope we can go forward now as a country.