Westministenders: Johnson defends his President whilst we try to defend Britain

[RedToothBrush]

Theresa and Donald
Sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First come Brexit
Then comes the Ban
Then comes the
Removal of Human Rights
… Damn

(Shamelessly stolen from a protest sign)

A couple of weeks ago people were still asking why we were talking about Trump on a Brexit thread. I think the answer has made itself all together too apparent.

What is happening in the US is not going to stop. It’s not going to get any better any time soon. The situation is grave with suggestions there has been a coup. What happens next is not going to be pretty. American institutions are struggling. The rule of law has been undermined. We are not talking about a developing country. We are talking about the country which has stood for freedom and democracy.

Our leadership looks weak in the face of this. We look like we are not only appeasing but endorsing. For what? A trade deal that he could revoke in 30 days?

We have but one question. How many of our ‘British Values’ will have to be sacrifice for the special relationship?

Make no bones about this: Cosying up to Trump threatens our national security. It threatens our democracy. It ruins what little moral authority we have left. It threatens our ties with Europe who we DO still need to have a relationship even if we are outside the EU. This is not world leadership. This is appeasement. This is cowardly weak and downright desperate.

Let us also not forget ‘Good old Boris’ pretending to be Churchill and calling the EU Nazis and Hitler during the Referendum and on several occasions since. He has now had the bare faced audicity to stand in the House of Commons and call MPs out repeatedly for ‘trivalising the holocaust’ or for making comparisons with the 1930s when they saying they have been told this by survivors of the holocaust. It is SHAMEFUL. I also note how many times Johnson referred to Trump being democratically elected as if this makes all the difference and he can’t possibly be a dictator if elected.

Why do they want to use the parallel themselves and HATE it when its used for things they use? Fascists hate being pointed out as fascists.

What would happen if you put it to the public? You have a choice, The EU or Trump? What would they say. At its most basic this is what Brexit is now. You can not hide it or disguise it any longer.

Get used to this. Be prepared to protest, to keep challenging, to keep calling things as they are. Fatigue might set in, but we need to keep on. This is for the long haul.

Today the a50 Bill starts in parliament. It’s not looking good, as it looks like MPs will completely fail in their DUTY to hold the government to account and will not have the balls to add amendments to the bill.

If it passes without any, get worried. It is not just about the EU.

It never was.

"Asked if she had come down with a case of "Brexit flu", Mr McDonnell said: “No I don’t think so. I think she’s not very well, we’ve all been down with various bugs over the last few weeks.”

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, Radio 4’s Today programme: “She wasn’t very well, there wasn’t going to be a close vote – if there was a close vote they would bring in even sick people, but she wasn’t very well so she wasn’t in attendance.”

The fact that it wasn't a close vote doesn't matter, does it. Diane Abbott is a coward for not voting yesterday.

I get migraines. I have had migraines that have left me with blurred vision and throwing up. They have left me being able to do not much else but lie down in a quiet darkened room.

For that vote, I would have been there.

Its a piss poor excuse.

She didn't want to vote against Corbyn, but was too gutless to do so.

Its that simple.

Bored, that picture is from Tuesday night, not last night. She was not hung over enough to stop her do a speech at 3.30pm yesterday. So that photo doesn't explain anything.

Fawful the reaction in France has been interesting. French friends who claimed prior to the referendum that they might vote leave too if they had the chance have gone very quiet...

I think for other nations - we will serve as a salutary tale of the wisdom of holding onto nurse for fear of finding something worse.

Diane Abbott should now publicly state what she would have voted if she hadn't been "ill".

David Davies has already fucked up his speak after about 50 words.

Fills you with confidence eh?

Speech not speak

It's just a rehash of TM's speech anyway.

Somebody upthread mentioned Frank Field the Labour lexiter (I think it was BigChoc). And then there's Kate Hoey who is another Lexiter. But what I don't understand is why? Why do they want us to leave the EU whilst being governed by a far right wing government. I keep trying to get my head round this and failing. I could understand their stance a bit more if we had a socialist party in power but we don't. So why are Lexiteers so keen for this to happen? Anyone?

Actually, the Lexiteers are the ones I feel most betrayed by in all this. I've voted Labour for over 20 years, as have all my family, but I'm not voting for them again until Corbyn is kicked out (another Lexiteer) and replaced by someone who has more sense, gumption and backbone.

Sorry for the rant, feeling very depressed today. I never post on these threads but do read them and really appreciate them. They help to keep me sane. So thank you all

Sorry for the blog spam everyone, but I was wondering if anyone would give me feedback on this? Just trying to summarise and respond to some things we've been talking about on here: resipsaloquitursite.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/2229/

If wanting fair treatment for women, refugees, LGBT and ethnic minorities makes me a bleeding heart liberal (?) than I shall wear that badge with pride

Me too. I'm thinking of getting a T-shirt made.

I have this vision of Paul Nuttall miserably sleeping on an inflatable mattress in an empty house in Stoke tonight because he got found out and its totally pointless anyway, which is cheering me up no end. I hope he has a cold, uncomfortable and miserable night! (Is that mean?) No, it's not mean. I wish him worse. I really hope this comes back to bite him on his sorry arse.

Respect to people like Chris Bryant who followed Churchill's advice and Clarke's lead I'm not a Bryant constituent but emailed him anyway to express my admiration and thanks for his stance. Voting as he did as MP of a Leave constituency is no small thing and must have taken great strength of belief and character on his part.

In stark contrast, my MP is Diane Fucking Abbott. I can't decide whether to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was incapacitated, or contact her to tell her I think her actions were cowardly, shameful and embarrassing.

Doesn't really matter seeing as she replies about 0.00000001% of the time anyway, I suppose.

I'm coming to the conclusion that Lexiters fall into one of two categories: the long termers who are prepared to see a generation of chaos eventually resettling into something that looks more like post-war Britain in terms of equality, and the idealists who just haven't thought it through.

allyjay I think they're just very very naïve.

They're anti-EU because they see it as capitalist, corporatist, corrupt, undemocratic etc. They say it hasn't done enough for workers in Greece, Spain etc. They say that the UK has its own workers' rights that predate the EU. That's true to some extent, but the EU protects them from being dismantled by the Tories. (Which is likely what will happen now).

It's the Lexiteers who we be among the first to turn against Brexit when the truth extent of the damage becomes clear. They have no loyalty to the Tories & it will be easier for them to claim they were 'betrayed'. They weren't - they just didn't listen.

:the long termers who are prepared to see a generation of chaos eventually resettling into something that looks more like post-war Britain in terms of equality, and the idealists who just haven't thought it through

The latter applies to the former surely.

I have had a very quick skim of the so called White Paper. What a load of lies waffle.

I take particular exception to TM's intro "The essential ingredient of our success. The strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen. "

And then the repeated lie that the devolved administrations are being involved. Talking at them is not "engagement" or involvement

There is no content in there: just a wish list and the statement that there will be a Great Repeal Bill but we're not going to give you the detail just now

At least the Scottish Government produced a 650 White Paper well in advance of the Referendum - people might have disagreed with the content but at least people knew the shape of what they were voting for (or against).

Cecile - just had a quick read of you blog. I think it's a good summary - and you're right: why aren't we protesting more about something that really will affect us? Why are we letting the Brexiteers silence us by belittling us as "Bremoaners" ? (The constructive contributors to this thread excepted )

In case you don't notice it, there's an "eve" rather than an "even" in the one of the early paragraphs.

Willing someone to make something happen is no guarantee of success.

Just look at any sport with enthusiastic supporters.

"The latter applies to the former surely."

Well, yes I would probably say so, Manon. But I suppose the distinction is in how much shit they are expecting everyone to have to swim through before we get to the unicorns.

I'm not sure either Frank Field or Kate Hoey can be genuinely described as Lexiters. They are both on the right of the Labour party. Indeed Field was a Conservative in his youth.

Iswym Kaija, it's true some are more aware of the shit than others. But if they really knew how much you'd think they'd be for remain.

Oh good grief:

twitter.com/Law_and_policy/status/827151882506354689/photo/1

It has not always felt as though parliament were sovereign. It says so in the White Paper. Feelings and snowflakes.

Thanks prettybird! I will correct the mistake anon.

Why did the vote on A50 take place a day before tories public the white paper?

We have voted for the feeling of sovereignty