Westministenders Continues. The one where are being grateful for having a Boris rather than a Trump and UKIP show Labour how it’s done.

[RedToothBrush]

THE BREXIT FALLOUT CONTINUES - THREAD TWELVE

The calm of the eye of the storm is upon us. The signs are there that more trouble is ahead. What now for Brexit, the blank cheque for our future?

May’s honeymoon can only last the Summer, until she has to do some proper graft. Her Cabinet have all gone on holiday and to swat up on their new specialised subject, and by god have they got some homework to do.

Well, all of them apart from Liam Fox, who has bugger all to do for some time.

Johnson needs to… well we all know what Boris needs to do. Bend over and take it like a good boy.

Davies needs to learn the entire structure and workings of the EU and its variations of trade agreements and relationships with other nations. Juncker has the FUKD in his little black book of people who have crossed him (yes, he actually has one of these) and has put Brit Hating Barnier in charge of the EU Brexit team. Davies must somehow hold his own against this experienced EU hardnut. In French. Oh and find a permanent office.

What do the others need to learn? Hammond - how to perform a bloody miracle. Patel - it is illegal to use foreign aid as a leverage for trade deals. Leadsom – er everything? Rudd – how to do bigger assault on liberty and human rights than her mentor. Fallon – how we will afford to defend ourselves with pitch forks, especially if we can’t use Trident for some reason and it becomes necessary. Our enemy; Russia? North Korea? Turkey? Isis? Na. Trump if he wins.

Brexit is now officially in the hands Whitehall’s unbelievers. Those overstretched officials who are already saying there is a gap in their capacity to deliver what Parliament wants without additional the burden of Brexit. These discredited experts are left wondering if their challenge is, in reality, Mission Impossible, and this is made worse by the pressure that just about every senior Brexiteer seems to say is ‘easy’ despite all the mounting evidence to the contrary. Which is cold comfort to everyone who voted – Remain or Leave alike.

We still don’t even know what Brexit is. It is still something which has no coherent ideology and no clear set of prescriptions for what ailes us as a society. It is a bundle of contradictions, united chiefly by what, and who, it opposes. Whatever the problem, Brexit can fix it. Whatever the threat, internal or external, Brexit can vanquish it, and it is unnecessary for Brexiteers to explain how.

May’s plan? Some say that she is the Dear Leader, some say she is an evil genius with Larry the Cat on her lap waiting for the Brexiteer Boys to fuck it up so we can Remain, some say she is blessed by the Ghost of Thatcher but we know her as The PM. –Sorry I’ve been itching to make the May/Hammond Top Gear gag for several weeks— The truth is, we just don't know yet.

Plus anything Brexit related about the Labour and UKIP leadership and the rest of the world thrown in to boot.

This is the quest for the answers that everyone wants and trying to keep an eye on those politicians and accountability (both here and abroad in the era of post-fact politics in the trail of Brexit). There maybe no single ‘truth’ but there sure as hell is a lot of bullshit to wade through. Get your wellies out, and plough on through with us.

No experience necessary. Sense of humour required.

-------------------------

Brexit Fall Out Timetable
Labour Hustings Nottinghamshire: Wednesday 17th August
Labour Hustings Birmingham: Thursday 18th August.
Labour Hustings Glasgow: Thursday 25th August.
Labour Hustings London: Thursday 1st September
UKIP Leadership Result: 15th September
Labour Leadership Result: Saturday 24th September
The Department for Exiting the European Union first question sessions in Parliament: Thursday 20th October
High Court hearing on a50: due 'no earlier than the third week in October'
US Presidential Election: 8th November
French Presidential Election 1st Round: 23 April 2017
French Presidential Election 2nd Round: 7th May 2017
German Federal Election: Between 27 August and 22 October 2017

Last thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2690632-Westminstenders-Continues-Boris-is-having-a-bad-week-Corbyn-resists-Its-gonna-be-a-long-summer?pg=1

Yes how and I've just remembered, the real local hero wasn't Burt Lancaster, it was Ben who wouldn't move out of his shack on the beach...

I won't pretend I'm wised up about fracking but if someone offered me money to let them dig up our 'back garden', my default position would be 'what's in it for you and what's the catch for me?'

My impression of the Telegraph piece was the same as Sapphire's. I noted the following:
What it wants to know is: does Brexit mean the loss of 5pc of investment banking jobs? In which case – OK.
“If it means the loss of 30pc of these jobs, then what’s the implication of tax revenue? Is passporting worth fighting for?”

The answer to the first would probably mean that a few high fliers left to work elsewhere but it was mostly business as usual and the relatively slight loss could be made up. The latter, i.e. 30% loss, would be a huge loss financially and would definitely make passporting worth fighting for. If it had to be on EEA terms then the answer would probably be 'so be it'. Since the Brexiters didn't speak with one voice as to what they wanted, no one could definitely say this wasn't what they voted for, because this is exactly what some did vote for.

The Telegraph article was linked to yesterday and I'll post the same quote again, with the same comment, "They would, wouldn't they? "

"The BBA wants the UK to leave the single market but retain unimpeded access to EU markets."

Oh look, there's a unicorn!

The BBA wants the UK to leave the single market but retain unimpeded access to EU markets.

I.e. We want our cake and eat it. EU response: 'I want gets nothing', or more charitably - 'what you meant to say was, please may we have our cake and eat it?' Either way, I think the answer will be No.

Labour supporters have won their court bid to be allowed to vote in the leadership election, even if they joined recently.

Labour has won the right to appeal.

Yes, Peregrina, I agree with all that, particularly the lack of a single unified Brexit voice.

On the loss of 5pc of investment banking jobs vs 30pc –I think even 5pc is him being optimistic, and I have to say I think it would mean more a few high fliers leaving. It's not insurmountable though, certainly. BUT I do think 5pc is slightly unrealistic.

pretty, yes, I saw your comment and totally agree. There's a lot of unicorn thinking around, I'm finding.

The unicorn (which represents Scotland in the royal coat of arms, which we see on our passport) is missing from the stupid, made up crest on the horrible Team GB Olympic kit, so everyone is having problems spotting them

The Express is leading on talks beginning, at last, it says. I have only read the excerpt shown in the link, but like the Telegraph piece it seems mostly talk, and no substance.

BTW I didn't know that the unicorn represented Scotland in the coat of arms - you learn something new each day.

Going just by the first page of that Express article, yes, it's all talk and spin. 'at last', 'the best way to cut ties' etc are all of a piece with their aggressive language and stance so far of freeing ourselves from the shackles etc etc.

Won't click on an Express link. In essence, what's it saying?

What does the Express article say: EU exit talks begin at last. Treasury chiefs get to work on how we cut ties with Brussels. Six weeks after the Brexit vote, talks with big business have begun.

I.E. almost b*gger all, certainly not talks with the EU.

David Allen Green, whose blog posts are often on here, blogs that he's been commissioned by OUP to write a book on Brexit. Could take ages - bet he has to wait years for it to fully happen.

....so if even the Express, the arch-Brexit paper, is saying this, then really bugger all is happening!

We're FUKD

Seems that NS did more and prepared more in the week after (even if it comes to nothing) than the whole apparatus of WM in 6 weeks

....although I recognise that a lot (both in WM, the EU and Scotland) will be going on behind the scenes and people/organisations involved won't be declaring their hands, beyond macho posturing.

....but on second thoughts, I suspect that a lot has been going on behind the scenes in Scotland and the EU (the EU activity not necessarily about Scotland, just preparing for Brexit) and sweet FA has been going on in WM.

I have this vision of the Civil Servants (like Sir Humphrey Appleby in the new Yes Minister sketch) revelling in the confusion

I think what's happened in WM is that May got Johnson, Fox and Davis together in a room and said 'I don't want to see your sorry arses again until you bring me a fucking plan.'

They're currently going round talking to businesses, politicians, experts etc, being given a different set of Brexit info, requirements, requests and non-negotiables by every fucker they meet, then crawling back to the Big Brexit House at night for a little cry.

I think what's happened in WM is that May got Johnson, Fox and Davis together in a room and said 'I don't want to see your sorry arses again until you bring me a fucking plan.'

I wish. .

Or words to that effect, anyway.

".....what do you mean, the EU won't let us leave the single market but still have full access to EU markets? That's not faaaaiiiirrr" "We deserve to have our cake and eat it " "We had an Empire, dontcha know? We've got nuclear weapons too. We're important "

This is the Express trying to give its readers what they want, allowing for the fact that they know Express readers mostly only read the headline, and also don't care if the paper prints two stories which directly contradict each other on consecutive days...

On the subject of the Express, Ukip leadership candidate Lisa Duffy has said this morning that Muslim women should not be allowed to wear the veil in public, and faith schools should be closed.
She also clarified that she only meant Muslim faith schools:

Arj Singh ‏@singharj 2h2 hours ago
UKIP leadership contender Lisa Duffy calling for a ban on the Muslim veil in public places, closure of faith schools

Labour members who were banned from voting by the cut off date, win right to vote in leadership election at the High Court.

www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/david-allen-green-brexit-means-brexit-but-in-reality-it-s-a-long-time-away-a3314616.html
Brexit - By David Allen Green

www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/08/savers-suffer-first-direct-cuts-rates-further-bank-of-england?CMP=twt_gu
First Direct cuts rates further than BoE. First sign that being a saver really sucks.

www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-hits-london-and-south-east-economy-hardest-a7178681.html
Brexit hits London hardest

www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-eu-immigration-idUSKCN10J0XC?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=57a8756e04d3012a7cd4e6f2&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
EU migrant deal not possible if EU don't meet Turkey's demands on visa waiver.

I wouldn't be too sad about the closure of ALL faith schools tbh.

From the Dave Allen Green article:

"A post-Brexit UK may be less about “taking back control” and more about giving it away in return for a trade deal. "

Indeed.

Red or even just to see an imposition of inclusive admissions. Unfortunately whether or not more grammar schools lead to an expansion of selection based on cramming ability, selection by faith, which where schools are oversubscribed leads to a similar failure of the schools to reflect the socio economic profile of the local community, has definitely expanded, facilitated by the government. Not just in sponsored free schools, which at least have to have a minimum of 50% inclusive admissions not based on faith but also in the preservation of the VA route to establish exclusive faith schools. The only route endorsed by the Catholic Education Service.

www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/anti-trump-republican-launching-independent-presidential-bid?utm_term=.vx38XEyMm#.tx53ZrEwO
Disgruntled Republicans have a new candidate they are standing as an Independent

www.poynter.org/2016/john-oliver-the-media-is-a-food-chain-which-would-fall-apart-without-local-newspapers/425319/
US based British comedian John Oliver does a piece on local journalism in the US. Hmm.... another similarity.

www.buzzfeed.com/jimwaterson/corbyn-court-costs?utm_term=.xi4nK7rAR#.wrJ1EaxyB
Labour have £1.25 million in damages hanging over them over the leadership vote cut off decision.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/postbrexit-bounce-for-uk-tourism-as-pounds-fall-boosts-visitor-numbers-34947426.html
Britain is over run by foreigners this summer. Its ok though. They are just on holiday.

Neera Tanden ‏@neeratanden
Trump's econ plan in a nutshell: tax cuts for the rich; Wall St dereg. Essentially, his populist rhetoric is a giant bait & switch. So cynical

He said he wanted to send Americans back down the coal mines.