Has Boris been outmanoevered? Will someone please tell me who is in charge?

[RedToothBrush]

Thread two from

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2670552-Has-Boris-been-outmanoeuvred?pg=1

Boris is saying no election because he think he might lose.

What's the difference between the Government AND Opposition and Baldrick?

Johnson also thinks he's the British President and has been possessed by the spirit of Churchill.

They are all staying within very narrow party and personal lines in their thinking. This isn't a situation where this helps.

Cameron, Boris, Corbyn, Sturgeon, all of them.

We need them to work together.

Sarah Vine is being rather selfpitying

"David Cameron was not supposed to go. This was not what this referendum was about; that was not why Michael backed Leave.

This was a debate about Britain’s membership of the EU, not a vote for or against the Prime Minister.

More than ever before, I felt the agony of what the business of politics had done to the people at the heart of all of this: how old friends had been wrenched apart in the most brutal of ways."

Yes, of course that's the real agony of it Sarah

Chardonnay

We already know Corbyn won't work with Cameron - he wouldn't appear with him in the campaign.

Sarah Vind writes that on the day after the referendum, the plan was for three 13 year old girls to go with Gove to his office on 'take your daughter to work' day.

That was the plan. To lose.

I know, and that worked well, didn't it!

I know they won't work together and it infuriates me even more that the bloody results.

National government anyone?

Labour were terrified of an early GE under Corbyn. As that threat recedes the more they look like dicks and it was a kneejerk reaction.

All parties had knee jerk reactions and now we'll have the mess of trying the sort the fallout of they knee jerk nonsense and the Ref mess.

And this is what happens when you have no plan.
Whenever I go to work I have a plan A and a pan B for my travel plans, in case something happens on the train.

Our leaders took us on one of the biggest rides without one.

Is Sarah Vine to be Lady in Waiting in the court of this Brave New UK.

Oh fucking joy.

Sarah fucking Vine and Michael fucking Gove. I'd have more faith in Fred and fucking Rose.

Presumably she now sees herself as the top Brexit Wag.

Talking of Roses, Where is Stuart Rose?

Wasn't he chairing the Remain campaign?

And as for this nugget

'Because, given Michael’s high-profile role in the Leave campaign, that means he — we — are now charged with implementing the instructions of 17 million people. And that is an awesome responsibility.'

Er, what?!

how old friends had been wrenched apart in the most brutal of ways

JEEZ

they're a piece of fucking work, those two

And these ones:

What I thought would bring to an end to months of uncertainly and anxiety — polling day itself — has, in fact, turned out to be merely the start of it.

She knew there was no plan if Leave won and there would be months of uncertainty. She really thought Remain would win.

Michael had retired at 10.30pm, before the first results, worn out by the campaign and keen to get some rest.

If I had thought I'd have been in with a chance of winning, I'd have been staying up.

This was absolutely, categorically not meant to happen.

No shit.

And they went to bed rather than stay up for the results? Again, er, what?!

The time for effective opposition was on Friday, and we got immediate acquiescence

I also agree with this. We could debate the whys and wherefores all day, but my overwhelming sense is one of incredulity that we have been so poorly served. The mealy-mouthed consensus that 'the people have spoken', when the referendum was so clearly mired in lies, propaganda and unmandated promises has really shaken my belief in the democratic process. As many commentators have noted, the penalties would have been more severe for a shampoo manufacturer making false claims for their product in a telly ad.

I also think that the last glimmers of hope are to be found in Scotland and NI, both in terms of how they are responding to the current crisis and also in the sense of their being a back door for the financial services industry and those of us who really don't like the look of the way England is going.

For those who are in need of a dose of informed optimism, can I recommend this blogger, who strongly suspects Article 50 will never be invoked.

Does anyone remember the "New Statesman" episode where Alan B'Stard swings a Tory victory (against all odds) by convincing Labour that North Sea Oil was about to run out, and that the new government would be so unpopular due to austerity measures that there would be blood on the streets ? The Labour party were so terrified they deliberately threw the election, and the Tories won (against all odds). Bagging a peerage and fat payoff for B'stard who engineered it and bet on the Tories to win.

Or (more worryingly) did I dream it ?

A bolt for the stable door, but nonetheless maybe worth it:

Petition to create an independent office to monitor political campaigns, like the Irish referendum committee.

Grasping at straws but US Secretary of State says Brexit could be walked back

I do wonder how much gets lost in the newspaper headlines.

Independent headline "Angela Merkel: Brexit is irreversible and it is 'wishful thinking' to hope for U-turn*.

IN the article she's quoted and saying "I see no way out* which is different from the headline.

Pausing, there are already laws about inciting racial hatred in electoral campaigning.

The Electoral Commission is supposed to enforce this and is supposed to be unbiased.

Brexit can only be walked back if the EU think that's in their best interests too.
It isn't.