The Westministenders Hunger Games continues. Boris still trying not to be outmanoevered.

[RedToothBrush]

Clearly Boris didn't get the memo, on when to quit the power games, even after Gove schooled him in the dark arts of the Tory Leadership....

So the Tory Smackdown rolls on whilst Corbyn STILL clings on. UKIP has now entered the race to make a challenge for who can make the biggest leadership contest shambles.

In The Blue Corner
May strikes fear into the hearts of EU citizens as she counts her bargaining chips.
Gove strikes fear into the hearts of humans, with his Martian twitch.
Loathsom strikes fear in the hearts of Britains by talking about babies brains.
Crabb strikes fear into the hearts of Torys by suggesting a plan that Corbyn might like. (and that beard doesn't help).
And Fox.
Well he just turned up.

Johnson is still waiting in the wings to stab Gove. He'd quite fancy a seat at the cabinet table too.
Osborne has gone quite again and we wait with baited breathe to see if he is the 'Charlie off Casualty' of the Tory Party (y'know whatever happens he somehow survives like a cockroach).

In The Red Corner
Corbyn apologies. So we know he's getting a bit desperate.
Will the Unions figure out something else to do other than sit with their head in hands.
Angela Eagle is still doing jellyfish impressions and hasn't found that backbone.
We STILL don't know who the fuck Owen Smith is?
Will Bliar's chicken's finally come home to roost?
The Cult of Momentum, rumbles on. We aren't quite sure who they actually vote for, but they seem to like their Dear Leader.
When will this country next have an opposition party?

Its kinda getting boring guys, we need some action now. End the Chicken Coup! The Tories are definitely out doing in the high drama stakes.

In the Purple Corner
Farage has gone! Hurrah. We hope only that he stays under that rock.
(Don't count on it. They'll wheel him out when they need publicity)
Will Leadsom be elected leader? Oh sorry, wrong party. I was getting confused for a second there.
Will they throw the cuckoo Carswell out? [:)]
Will they be able to find a less offensive leader than Farage who can unite them in their common goal of errrr..... yeah. That.
How long before one of their candidates has to apologise for something?

And I suppose I should ask, when will a50 be triggered....? And by whom?

All these questions and more.
Sense of humour compulsory. No experience necessary though

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

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2672388-Has-Boris-been-outmanoevered-Will-someone-please-tell-me-who-is-in-charge Previous thread 2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/a2673982-Have-Boris-and-Jeremy-been-stabbed-in-the-back-Please-can-we-have-some-leaders Previous thread 3

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2675432-Boris-outmaneovered-Et-tu-Gove-Corbyn-The-Westministenders-Hunger-Games-Continues? Previous thread 4

Apparent text from Nick Boles to others to try and vote tactically.

So there is a very real chance that the membership may vote in AL, despite TM's support by the MPs?

The problem as I see it is that if they are not happy to vote in TM, thus voting for AL, isn't the flip side of it that if it's Gove v May, they may then vote in Gove? How is that any better?

(trouble is, its a non-binding vote)

Did you not get the memo?

Non-binding now means binding.

Non-binding now means binding.

In this instance, I hope so.

GingerIvy from what I'm seeing on twitter, that's the Team Gove strategy. They think they have a shot at the membership betting on the fact that May is a Remainer and the membership are brexiteers.

Louise Mensch seems to be their head cheerleader.

God that woman is awful.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/06/how-the-most-powerful-female-politician-in-france-used-the-bbc-t/

Red Sorry, I've heard the name but not familiar (Mensch). Will go have a look for more info.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4377605.stm
The resignation letter of a government lawyer in 2003 over Iraq war.

Clearly not everyone is a bad 'un.

GingerIvy - that DT piece on the HardTalk interview is stretching credibility even for the DT. They don't seem to have noticed that HardTalk is a BBC Worldwide programme, it is made for an international audience, and most of the subjects are world leaders, not UK ones. The 'contempt' she has for democracy is her saying France “won’t make David Cameron’s mistake, I can assure you. We are not going to have a referendum for France’s exit from the European Union, I can assure you”, which is something a lot of people in this country have said, quite loudly!

I didn't see this interview, but I do watch it quite often, it can be very intense, it's about 25 minutes one-to-one, no breaks and Stephen Sackur is not afraid to ask hard questions, and ask them repeatedly if needed.

Louise Mensch was a Tory MP and resigned and is now a conservative political blogger.

She used to write 'chic lit' very successfully as Louise Bagshawe.

Louise Mensch seems to be their head cheerleader.
God that woman is awful.

She really is.
Ginger, she wrote chick-lit as Louise Bagshawe, but was slightly less successful (imo) than her sister Tilly. Prone to twitter spats and saying really quite stupid things. Played at being an MP for a couple of years, then jacked it in to go and set up a social media site of some sort for Murdoch, but I'm not sure anything came of it.

Likes the sound of her own voice a lot.

TBS I find it interesting that some countries are saying "never ever" and others have said "we want to have a referendum." I imagine most are watching to see how ours is going before they decide, but I'm very curious to see what will happen when another decides to go ahead. Will a second Leaving country kick off a meltdown in the EU?

Ginger - yes, probably, but it might depend on who it is. If it is a Eurozone country, almost certainly, because I can't imagine the chaos and instability that would cause.

The most shocking thing for me about Chilcot is not that TB is a war criminal (I think we all knew that). It is the role of Murdoch the Merciless

www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/15/rupert-murdoch-tony-blair-iraq-alastair-campbell

Who has had his sticky little mitts impacting Brexit through propoganda in his papers. I am no conspiracy enthusiast at all but WTAF

Remind me of the late Bill Hicks Joke (he died in 1994 btw but this is so apt)

I have this feeling man, 'cause you know, it's just a handful of people who run everything, you know … that's true, it's provable. It's not … I'm not a fucking conspiracy nut, it's provable. A handful, a very small elite, run and own these corporations, which include the mainstream media. I have this feeling that whoever is elected president, like Clinton was, no matter what you promise on the campaign trail – blah, blah, blah – when you win, you go into this smoke-filled room with the twelve industrialist capitalist scum-fucks who got you in there. And you're in this smoky room, and this little film screen comes down … and a big guy with a cigar goes, "Roll the film." And it's a shot of the Kennedy assassination from an angle you've never seen before … that looks suspiciously like it's from the grassy knoll. And then the screen goes up and the lights come up, and they go to the new president, "Any questions?" "Er, just what my agenda is." "First we bomb Baghdad." "You got it …

Full media strategy for war in #Iraq from 2002 - a YEAR BEFORE. Including a "list of 10 facts" for The Sun #Chilcot

They had a media strategy is place a year in advance, but never found time to think a little bit about how to deal afterwards with the power vacuum left by Saddam?? This just about sums up all that is wrong with modern politics.

I hope Alistair Campbell comes out of this smelling just as shitty as Blair.

I like Louise & Tilly Bagshawe novels
Didn't realise Louise Mensch was the same person til I saw her on hignfy and went off her v rapidly.
I think I might have to get private eye to read tomorrow morning when I'm killing time in town before Dd1's sports day.

Thank you for another v informative day everyone

Top result Andy Burnham and co. Did you all see BJ speaking in favour and voting for the motion

If you want a real laugh you should google what Krugman thinks about GO's austerity project. He reckons the UK at the moment makes the US look positively Socialist.

Louise Mensch is the one that was an MP for a couple of years before accepting a pension so she could travel to the US with her DH.

DD1 (US citizen) and DH (French dual Nat) are supporting Jo Wilfred. I am seriously considering auctioning them off if anyone wants to make me an offer.

indy100.independent.co.uk/article/remembering-what-the-sun-said-about-charles-kennedys-stance-on-the-iraq-war--ZkzlMM2PUrZ

In his speech during before the parliamentary vote on the war on 18 March 2003, he outlined why he did not believe there was a case for war, and that he believed there was no public support for such a decision:

“There is huge public anxiety in Britain. That is the mark of a fundamentally decent society. All of us, whatever our views, whatever our parties, know that the kind of people contacting us are very different from many of those with whom we deal regularly. They are the kind of people who say, 'I have never contacted a Member of Parliament before,' or 'I’ve never been politically active before.' They are the kind of people who have never gone on a march or attended a vigil before. Another significant point is that, whether or not they agree with the Prime Minister, only a tiny fraction ever call into question his sincerity in this matter.

I have never done so and I do not do so today. But much as they detest Saddam’s brutality, they are not persuaded that the case for war has been adequately made at this point, they are worried about the new doctrine of regime change, they are wary of the Bush Administration’s motives, and they do not like to see Britain separated from its natural international allies.

The cross-party amendment is the correct amendment. It is tabled at the correct time, and, if passed, would send the correct signal. It is on those grounds that the Liberal Democrats will vote for it tonight."

He was heavily criticised for this stance at the time, and parliament was also hostile.

He was repeatedly asked to give way during this speech, after which the Speaker made clear that he would not, and faced heckling from senior ministers for his position.

RIP CHARLES KENNEDY

Remember there are good ones

'World is better off without Saddam Hussein in power' - George W Bush

TB said the exact same thing. I am very uncomfortable with the idea that, to them, the ends justifies the means. This is not the way the government should work.

indy100.independent.co.uk/article/everyone-should-listen-again-to-robin-cooks-resignation-speech-over-the-iraq-war--WJe4kxLv8BW

"I intend to join those tomorrow night who will vote against military action now. It is for that reason, and for that reason alone, and with a heavy heart, that I resign from the government."

RIP ROBIN COOK

Remember there are good ones

RIP Charles Kennedy and also Robin Cook and the very lovely Mo Mowlam

Who wrote this:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/sep/05/foreignpolicy.iraq

We did believe them - but no one listened

RIP

Sorry Red x post

God, weird how all the good ones are dead now. Had Jeremy Corbyn better watch out?