Westministenders: Its time to fire the starting gun. At our own heads.

[RedToothBrush]

Its time for the suicide. The note will say simply, "The EU made us do it".

David Davies, says that despite May’s assertion that no deal is better than a bad deal for the UK, that actually we don’t know this as he hasn’t got round to quantifying the impact of no deal.

He still has no answers for anything apart from “I dunno” and “I’ll do it later”. I can’t wait for when the dog ate my homework excuse.

After 9 months. That’s how far we’ve got. Brexit negotiation skills will have 18 months (not 2 years as it’ll need to be ratified). We are still hiring people for the Brexit department. What about all these EU agencies that the UK will have to replicate and hire and train up in 2 years time?

I’m still waiting for Davies to tell me what all these potential benefits he keeps going on about are too. Benefits for who exactly? Ah yes we know the answer to this one too, even if its not being said. Its political elites and elites with lots of money who can consolidate power and enslave the population through debt and desperation. Goodie. Just what I’ve always wanted. As long as I can wave my Union Jack. Oh. Shit. Bugger.

Nicola Sturgeon, has been doing a good job of showing Brexiteers exactly what they look like to Remainers by holding up the mirror of irony to the Vampires of the 19th Century State. The sight of them tripping over themselves saying its irrational to hold a ‘blind vote’ and that the economic argument is flawed is hilarious. If you are not British.

Hammond has been forced to u-turn on NIC budget announcement as it was not in the spirit of the manifesto. What happened to the manifesto pledge to the protect interests in the Single Market. Lets be honest, the New Tory Manifesto read simply: “We’ll wing it and see what we can get away with”. I wonder how many people would vote for that.

Its Brexit at all costs. No matter what. We must keep the foreigners out. Even though Davis hasn’t done an assessment on the financial impact of migration. Just think about that for a second. Actually don’t because you might actually want to shoot yourself in the head.

At best the government are still relying on Game Theory as a basis for their negotiations and the EU are already going, “Er we don’t think so”.

Perhaps this is the intention of May’s tour to build consensus. She’s handing out guns and bullets to anyone who displays rational thought, to blow their own brains out.

May’s weakness is her manner and her chip on her shoulder for the law. Her own party are not immune to it. She seems to think trade deals are not done based on goodwill. May’s weakness is Britain’s folly.

Pass the blindfolds round, and get on your knees and await our own execution by our own hands.

Bang.

RIP The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. I will remember you with nostalgic fondness but equally with bitterness and shame. Our finest hours are long since passed (and were tainted with the excesses of exploitation anyway) and we must accept this as part of the process of ‘accepting Brexit’.

Now its time for the empty hand to start being shown and the blame game to begin in earnest. The politics of hate have only just begun and the divorce has not started yet. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar are the kids we might not get custody of.

We’ll be blacking up again, running around groping women like Benny Hill and pushing people back into the closet as we hit the off switch before you know it. As well as having nice shiny new ID cards we’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning and carrying at all times, to prove we aren’t nasty illegal immigrants or those equally nasty legal ones clogging up our NHS (by working for it).

Don’t worry though. Uncle Donny will save us. If he doesn’t die suddenly after eating a bowl of Russia soup or have a fatal heart attack after accidentally falling out of a tenth story window.

Hashi, wasn't your MP (like many others) involved in the 'MPs 2nd home expenses scandal'? Not exactly respecting the 'rule of law' British value, was it?

Hashi make a stink and ask that the school do something on violence against women.

I'm reading about Blair on Marr on Twitter. Comments vary from him supporting Osborne and sounding Lib Dem.

David Owen moment?

Back to Osborne, I must admit when I heard, I thought it was probably a bid to move back into the Tory leadership running via a stint as London mayor, taking on sadiq khan at the next mayoral elections in 3 years. The standard has a huge reach in London, being free - and effectively distributed, - just in time for the journey home! For most Londoners it's the only print media with actual content that they ever see. (Metro is recycled tabloid rubbish).

I think if our MP was coming to DD's school I'd prime her with a tricky question e.g. 'How will brexit improve my chances when I graduate?', with her mobile set on record in her pocket just in case the answer is not completely anodyne.

Sadly dd is only 6 so she's a little rubbish at priming with questions. DH and I have told her he is not a nice man and has said mean things so we don't think he should talk to them. So hopefully if they do take her into assembly she may hopefully say something like 'mummy says you're a mean and nasty man' . We're not invited in unfortunately as I know another few parents who would quite like to air some views.

Mayor of London would be a very effective way to earn some popularity for GO. I word that purposely

Teachers at my kids' schools have always been completely clear about stuff they have to do because the government tells them to. I've never been in any doubt that they do lots of things they don't agree with - they don't hide it. I'm very reassured by that.

I am very grateful that when my DD got to meet our MP as a member of the pupil parliament he was a good 'un with principles, and it was inspiring, not many of those any more :-(

The lonely voice of Christopher Booker providing facts @ Torygraph:

David Davis is leading Britain into an elephant trap

What is truly terrifying, as the days tick away to Theresa May’s triggering of Article 50, is how little those in charge have any grasp of what they will be facing."

David "Davis hoped we might be given an extension of the “electronic, light-touch customs checks” that allow 10,000 of our trucks a day to move goods anywhere in the EU without border controls < , hello it's that again >

What he still doesn’t seem have grasped is that the moment we leave the EU (and the European Economic Area) to become a “third country”, we are automatically excluded from this electronic system:

to be faced with all the need for paper documentation and inspection procedures which could soon have lorries backing up from Dover to London and beyond."

Davis did in passing mention the need for “phytosanitary” (plant health) checks,
but not the rules for veterinary inspection of our exports of live animals and “animal products”, including cheese and eggs,

which would now have to be diverted to an EU “border Inspection Post”.

The nearest, at Dunkirk, is so small that it would require massive expansion, and an army of new inspectors, with trucks waiting days for clearance.

Davis blithely hoped that we can somehow secure “mitigation” of all the rules and customs procedures which are the very essence of the EU

(although it is hard to imagine how we could negotiate “mitigation” through a deal we walk away from).
< Not just , but ["blithering idiot"] emoticon required ! >

But what beggars belief further is the idea that we could negotiate all this and far more in just two years.

As for the fond belief that, without any deal, we could continue to trade with the EU just “under WTO rules”, those still suggesting this are clearly unaware that
not a single developed country relies just on “WTO rules” to trade.

The EU treaty database shows that it alone has no fewer than 880 bilateral trading arrangements with almost every country in the world, including 20 with the US and 67 with China;
all of which we would drop out of by leaving the EU.

The horrifying fact is that our politicians are heading for these negotiations without any real idea of what a mighty elephant trap awaits them
– which could have been avoided if only we had been clued-up enough to leave the EU but remain in the European Economic Area.

Alas, we have preferred the elephant trap

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/18/david-davis-leading-britain-elephant-trap/

Empire 2.0

Is what you get when you make history - especially your own - a jke subject.

Even DC went out to weird auditoriums with his sleeves rolled up and a hot face.

Yes to talk. Not listen though. (I saw him at my DS school in 2009).

BigChoc That Telegraph link is terrifying. I watched TB on Andrew Marr this morning. He said that he has spent many months consulting with trade experts and he had absolutely no idea just how complex leaving the EU and securing trade deals are and he was PM for 10 years.
I feel like just becoming a hermit and sticking my head out in 20 years- if I'm still alive by then.

I'm not convinced TM would risk a n election (despite the polls). It belies her "65 million people behind me" line to the rEU and, to be honest, she just can't afford the distraction from Brexit. She knows how rancorous it is likely to be and she is fundamentally not a risk taker. As for that gossamer think skin, I can't see her going down the vote of no confidence route however manufactured they made it.

If a lot of money is being thrown at the local elections in May , could it be the LD surge in all the council by-elections since June has rattled her?

Thanks for the Booker link, Choc.

Ian Paisley Jr, who had been so conciliatory on Mc Guiness's retirement sounded petulant and rude today on Radio 4 news at one. Back to firing insults at SF and included St Patrick's day celebrations in his criticism.

Will watch Kate Hoey with interest in coming weeks. Picture in article below of Hoey with Farage and Paisley.
www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/why-i-back-leave-kate-hoey-1-7438115
I wonder how and why she is still a Labour MP, and how Labour leave will be working with the DUP and tories in NI over coming weeks. And if those polls showing indifference to Scottish independence from brexiteers, would show the same for NI re unification with ROI.

This article is a nice human take on growing up in NI over the last 40 years or so:
www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/st-patricks-day-2017-ireland-united-troubles-republic-eu-membership-stormont-elections-northern-a7626971.html

I'm not convinced TM would risk a n election (despite the polls). It belies her "65 million people behind me" line to the rEU and, to be honest, she just can't afford the distraction from Brexit.

There is no way that the Tories can focus on an election at the same time as undertaking the brexit process. A GE would either mean postponing A50, or taking government attention away from brexit at a critical time. I suppose there might be a small window if it is true that the EU is unlikely to give any serious attention to brexit until June (as has been reported in some places) but the government needs to use that time wisely not waste it on campaigning.

www.ft.com/content/5f18787e-0b1b-11e7-ac5a-903b21361b43#comments

Justice minister urges judges to ‘promote themselves to public’

Liz Truss warns of more scrutiny of UK judiciary after Brexit

Nothing to see here. Just politicised justice. That will work well...

Another step on the road to dictatorship

I watched TB on Andrew Marr this morning. He said that he has spent many months consulting with trade experts and he had absolutely no idea just how complex leaving the EU and securing trade deals are and he was PM for 10 years.

I certainly don't gave TB's credentials but I've spent the best part of a quarter of a century doing a job in which the analysis of trade flows plays an important part. And I had absolutely no idea about much of this. So it really doesn't surprise me that senior politicians (who have rarely done serious jobs in industry in the recent past) don't know this stuff.

But if you don't know, you need to ask someone who does, and then (critical point) listen very hard to what they say.

As is this:

White Paper on Great Repeal Bill coming when May triggers Article 50, @Telegraph understands. Source says around 50pgs long.

Christ, Liz Truss is a useless excuse for a government minister. Totally out of her depth.

Are there any government ministers who know (roughly) what they are doing? Hammond is the only one who springs to mind but there must be some competent junior ministers somewhere!

wrt GE, May will do whatever she judges will help

1. her career as PM
2. the Tory party
3. the country

Can't link but I just read Nick Cohen's column in the Observer (lambasting Corbyn). He says the real reason that TM won't risk a GE is that, even with a slim majority, she feels no threat from the opposition so there's no need. Senior Tories also worry that an election defeat would mean Corbyn being deposed and the risk of an EFFECTIVE leader replacing him who might start actually scrutinizing them. Cynical but true, I suppose .