Westministenders: Wake up and smell the coffee, shit just hit the fan.

[RedToothBrush]

Since the last update 12 days ago:

1. We have had the proposal to give barista visas. If we are giving out visas for this, what aren't we going to give visas for. Its just the announcement of a lot of red tape.
2. EU Banking and the Medicines agency are moving so they can serve the EU. In the EU. As serving them outside the EU is just weird. This is apparently a punishment for leaving the EU.
3. The number of students applying to become nurses has plummeted due to the removal of bursaries. This is as EU nurses leave.
4. The Brexit department published a couple of graphs promoting staying in the EU.
5. Theresa May said we were unified behind the idea of Brexit in her Easter message
6. The environment is being sacrificed for trade.
7. Turkey apparently has voted to become a dictatorship. This was a vote that Erdogan won by a whisper. His executive will not need scrutiny from parliament. Rather the UK referendum which at 0.6% more than the Turkish one is decisive. Donald Trump has congratulated him for it.
8. Trump has been dick swinging about nukes over North Korea. China are telling the children to behave.

And now we have a General Election.
Well if she can get 434 votes in the HoC tomorrow. That's ANOTHER broken promise. I'm sure its nothing but a formality.

What will Labour do? Support it? To get rid of Corbyn? Corbyn has backed the election. Given Corbyn is in charge, I'm not sure I'd have confidence to say that Labour will all vote for it, even with a three line whip. One Labour MP has already said he will not stand for reelection. (Tom Blenkinsop‏) I suspect there will be more.

Tim Farron has given support to the GE though, so it seems likely it will pass as that's a few of the votes that would be needed to block a GE.

(Note here abstentions do not count to the 434 votes needed.)

Trouble is what would happen if they didn't? Would the government collapse anyway? Might take May's head with it, but...

I guess the good news is that Corbyn will be gone by the end of June.

Otherwise the news is shit I fear. We will vote to give power to the executive with no parliamentary scrutiny. This is about getting rid of any opposition even from within her own party.

How will the campaigning go? Here's a clue:

Tim Montgomerie @montie
Tories want the exln to be about Corbyn and May; LibDems want it to be about Brexit; Labour want it to be about ?

then there is this:
fleetstreetfox‏*@fleetstreetfox*
I wonder what'll happen to the SNP. Polls not too chuffed about 2nd indy ref, Labour screwed... could parts of Scotland go blue again?

there will be lots of this about:
Dan Rebellato‏*@DanRebellato*
^Right. If we don’t want a huge Tory majority, we must all hold our nose and vote tactically. This MUST happen. How to organise that?

and the strategy is this:
Laura Kuenssberg‏*@bbclaurak*
Clear from May and hearing IDS that tories will go after idea of Labour Lib Dem coalition as risky

Council officials are now seeking legal advice over the Gorton By-Election that is scheduled for next month.

One more thing: Does this bury the election expenses row that is brewing and involves May's close adviser Nick Timothy?

Oh and the bottom line?
Alberto Nardelli‏ @AlbertoNardelli
Difference size of Tory majority will make to EU27 negotiating position: 0

Sigh.

David Cameron sent a supportive tweet to May. So that's nice.

'Brave - and right - decision by PM @Theresa_May. My very best wishes to all Conservative candidates. @Conservatives'

Thundering fuckwit.

Ok
I'm officially a member of the lib dems now.
Will do some leafleting locally...not much point as it's a Tory stronghold here but I'd love to give the current MP a shock, the right wing fuckwit

Surely Corbyn would stand down after losing a GE? Surely surely?

I am trying to look on the bright side that at least we might get an Opposition with decent leadership after this, but I can't see that helping much if there's hardly any MPs left.

Oh, spam face dave is getting in in the act is he?
What a mimsy bastard quisling fuck he is

I think best case scenario is;
Cons lib dem coalition
Labour get rid of Corbyn and start preparing for next GE with a decent leader

I think even Corbyn would have to admit defeat and step down after crashing out of a General Election. I mean I wouldn't bet my house on it, because with that man you just can't tell. But I think he would.

He was probably going to stand down after the May local elections (which are predicted to be an absolute disaster for Labour). This way, May gets an election in while Labour is battle-bruised and unable to elect another leader.

It is a ball-aching disaster for anyone with even the slightest interest in progressive politics.

Thundering Fuckwit

Would Watson step in if Corbyn stepped down? He looks exactly like the kind of person who would bumble into leading a party, perhaps even becoming PM, in a comedy!

I quite fancy mimsybastard or quislingfuck as a username actually!

Badders I have absolutely no idea how even the LibDems could accomplish the handbrake U-turn required for a Con/Lib Coalition. It would also be a surefire way to cause a UKIP resurgence rather than the hoped for wipe out.

For once I am unconflicted. Vote properly JC Labour and give NS a gigantic flea in her ear. (The carers' allowance policy announced by JC this morning is already the policy of the Scottish Conservatives. That is how far Left Labour needs to be in Scotland to win back a mandate.) - I am in an ex Labour safe seat which went SNP last time.

Be careful with tactical voting and don't underestimate the effect of differential turnout would be the lesson from Scotland of the 2015 election on the back of the 2014 Indyref.

Just pondering over the psychology of June GE rather than having opted for May together with the locals...

So many reasons why important.

The LDs have already ruled out a coalition with the Tories because they would never agree on Brexit, howabout.

Suckitup if I vote Labour and end up with TW I will definitely regret it. Now I'm conflicted again.

Sigh.
I know.
I'm being silly.
Just no idea how this will end in anything other than a huge Tory win which makes me feel physically ill

Well, news of the GE completely ruined my pleasant morning in the (weak) Scottish sunshine, gardening.

I'm wondering how this will affect Scottish elections in May, and the prospect of #ScotRef. I'm pro independence but nevertheless find EG a depressing development as regards it's likely impact on Brexit negotiations.

I can't vote labour with JC at the helm.
Nope.
So lib dem it is.

.

Perfect, squoosh. I shall be voting Labour. I'm off to buy an extremely large peg for my nose and a brandy for my nerves. Eight bleeding weeks of this hell to endure (and God knows how long of what new hell after that ).

This seems to be a good summary

@RichardJMurphy: On Easter Day May said there were signs that the UK is now united. Then she calls a general election because she says it isn’t.

Oh no, Westminster is not united. All of Parliament should agree with the government on everything, all the time, because otherwise they're Being Divisive

It is a ball-aching disaster for anyone with even the slightest interest in progressive politics

I really wish we could discuss what "progressive politics" actually is and how we can achieve it. I have rather more than a passing interest in progressive politics and it's not a lot of the increasingly antagonistic, finger pointing, name-calling, death-wishing stuff I've been reading from some posters on these threads. And I think this is why the opposition is in such a total mess. Perhaps if so many people hadn't spent the last year attacking people they actually have a lot in common with, we wouldn't be where we are now.

Faisal Islam ‏Verified account
@faisalislam

A Cabinet minister has told us that Gorton by election is off

Ew.
That would mean I'd have to vote labour.
Ew.