Westministenders: The Zombie PM

[RedToothBrush]

Back from the dead, May carries on whilst the vultures circle.

She had tried to out smart her rivals by running of to the palace to tell the queen she could form a government before they could act.

Definitely she stood and pretended nothing had changed. Except everything had. The wrath of her party was unleashed and there was open revolt. She has been summoned to appear before men in grey suits tomorrow at 5pm to hear their verdict.

How do she decide to make amends and reach out to moderate Tories? By sleeping with the DUP. And appointing Gove to her Cabinet.

How long will this last? How long can it last?

But WHY are they carrying on with this car crash? If we do crash out (seems increasingly likely) the country will be damaged and ordinary people will take the hit, its likely to result in devastation for the Tory party when it's clear the electorate are pushing back against this.

What do they have to gain from this?

Many of them genuinely believe in it. It is also important to remember that the Leave side really did win the vote. Yes, I believe that vote was artificially inflated by lies and also by the in/out format which eliminated offering options [Cameroon you NOB] but the EU is genuinely unpopular for a lot of reasons, not all of them wrong.

So May went to the country and said she needs to have an election because she needs a strong mandate for Brexit. She lost her existing majority which has shown the public not to give her a strong mandate yet she will not stop and reassess?

Plus she has had to delay the Queen's speech and the talks with DUP are potentially risking the GFA and peace in NI. This whole thing is absolutely disgusting. How dare a political party behave like this

My cousin in Germany said they do not u derstand what is happening with Brexit. It for once was not too taxing in my German skills as all I had to reply is 'neither do we'.

There is no unwinnable seat now’ – how Labour revolutionised its doorstep game

Labour’s election hopes were transformed by a flood of enthusiastic Momentum recruits. This is the inside story of how young volunteers allied with seasoned activists to unite a fractured party

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/13/there-is-no-unwinnable-seat-now-how-labour-revolutionised-its-doorstep-game

Bernie Saunders' loss is looking like labour's gain. Watching the horrorshow of Trump is helping too.

I think this might be why the tories are hanging on with their fingernails. Once out, it may be a little while before they or if they, get back in. Two generations know them too well now.

Thanks for that Math - I remember the Troubles kicking off in the early seventies. No wonder John Major spoke out yesterday - he did a lot of the spadework for the GFA and to see it squandered so selfishly must have appalled him.

I can only imagine that they actually believe that "80% now support Brexit" bullshit (thanks, Labour, by the way, for handing that to them on a plate). After all, they already believed before the election that "the country (all 65 million!) is coming together in support of Brexit" on the basis of no evidence, now as far as they're concerned - solid proof!!!

I can well believe that too - even though May has just been told by her electorate that they haven't, or else the 100 majority mandate would have been theirs for the taking. When is someone going to be able to knock some sense into them? Do they really want the Troubles to kick off again, and come back to Great Britain (i.e. the island of England, Wales and Scotland)? May being a non-student of history, and a woman of little vision, just won't have thought it through. Why on earth doesn't she just get on with a minority Government, shes only a handful of votes short? Harold Wilson managed, but he was a deal cleverer, i.e. more politically astute than she is.

May: I'm sticking to my Brexit blueprint

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is her 8/10/12 point wish list that is not even a plan never mind a "blueprint".

The EU knows it. The majority of the people of the UK know it. Every one also knows she has no mandate for her "non-blueprint" from the people of the UK too, now. It is for precisely this reason that one eighth and counting, of the total negotiating timeframe has passed with zero action.

So I appreciate the frustration. But I am not worried. I hope and expect things will look much worse very fast then within a week or two everything will collapse. And then it will start to reverse.

I'm puzzled by this, in today's Guardian.
So, does that mean Corbyn supports May on Brexit?

Abbott believes the sharp rise in support for Labour, including in seats in the Midlands and north of England, is a vindication of Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to back the government on Brexit when article 50 was triggered earlier this year – and move the political conversation on to the impact of austerity.

It is also important to remember that the Leave side really did win the vote.

Yes, they won on a First past the post basis, but almost no other organisation our country would accept that this was a win. Jeremy Hunt ignored the junior doctors when they voted by the same margin to reject his contract. Trade Unionists wouldn't be legally allowed to strike with those results. A reconciling and healing Prime Minister would have acknowledged that it was close and that there was a slight desire to leave the EU, and gone away to prepare the briefing papers that Cameron so shamefully elected.

Yes, I believe that vote was artificially inflated by lies and also by the in/out format which eliminated offering options [Cameroon you NOB] but the EU is genuinely unpopular for a lot of reasons, not all of them wrong.

I disagree; for most of the time, apart from the odd bit of chuntering, the vast majority of people neither knew nor cared. They do however, like their cheap flights, and the ability to decamp easily to Spain, which wasn't possible before. Even now, if you were campaigning in the election you will find that for many the here and now issues, like the closure of a local hospital, or a road building scheme or school places matters were the issues which were troubling people most.

If May causes a really serious deterioration in Northern Ireland and doesn't have the political capital and nous to improve things again, she really will have done the unforgivable. Unlikely this time that Trump will be able or willing to find us someone to support the process the way Clinton did.

All the clamour from eu sources saying they'd be ok with us changing our minds isn't to do with wanting us back. I suspect it's a lot more to do with knowing we're a year in with no plan, no mandate, possibly no functioning government and are not going to be able to brexit in any orderly fashion. Disorderly brexit massively affects them too, and they haven't collectively taken leave of their senses.

Abbott believes the sharp rise in support for Labour, including in seats in the Midlands and north of England, is a vindication of Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to back the government on Brexit when article 50 was triggered earlier this year – and move the political conversation on to the impact of austerity.

I agree with the move to austerity bit. I don't see the first part - see my previous post for why not. I still think they are looking over their shoulders at the threat from the now routed UKIP. I wish the whole lot of them would get on with talking and listening to people.

The Austerity Point is clear.

But what does she make a point of saying the bit about backing the government.

So, it would follow that Corbyn and May's positions on Brexit are the same?

So, it would follow that Corbyn and May's positions on Brexit are the same?

May's position is 'Brexit at all costs'. Corbyn's will prioritise economic well being, so there is more hope of pulling back if it looks like proving to be a disaster.

May is on a power trip still, although has just received a self-inflicted set back. Corbyn isn't, to my knowledge, on such a power trip.

is a vindication of Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to back the government on Brexit when article 50 was triggered earlier this year
I think I get this point. Its more of a Jc has shown he's willing to listen to the people so backed the decision to trigger article 50 and the public responded, rather than an indication of his position on it.
I'm not sure I agree with that sentiment personally.

I don't know Peregrine, what I think Dianne is saying is that Corbyn is happy to follow the government lead on Brexit, not because he agrees with it, but because he doesn't think it will be beneficial not to agree.

So any hopes of a soft Brexit with Labour are sadly misplaced.

Now, I don't let me Corbyn but I would welcome a soft Brexit, or no Brexit at all.

Nope chardonney disagree there.

This is real politik playing out, Labour had no choice last year but to support a50, now they're playing a long game, carefully. Labour know who their supporters are, and that they are mostly remain. They've just changed the narrative once, they will aim to do so again.

The history of traditional labour's opposition to the old EEC under Castle et al is very different and for very different aims to the hard right, currently imploding the tories.

Long game, here, and no chance of any deal with tory losers. But this Act needs to played out, unfortunately.

One thing the Labour Party has over the Tories in all this mess is that they appear to have an actual plan. I don't think Starmer has wasted the last year twiddling his thumbs like dd, he also appears to have greater knowledge of potential problem areas.

BBC Radio 4 Today @ BBCr4today
"I can't see anyone else who could conceivably take over as prime minister other than Theresa May," says Ken Clarke #r4today

Wow.

Tbf kc isn't going to say Jc is up to the job and it's a complete poisoned chalice within the Tories. Only a complete fool would want that job at the moment. Like bojo

No RTB, 'cos it's too difficult for them. Too toxic, too easy to get it wrong, just want to wait to see how things go and then ...

Ken, you've disappointed me.

There is a clear policy difference on Brexit
between Labour - pragmatic - prioritizing the form of Brexit that will cause least harm to the economy and living standards
vs the current Tory policy - driven by ideology - of the hardest possible Brexit, regardless of the pain to ordinary people.

"When your enemy is making a big mistake, don't interfere"

The Tories look likely to explode into civil war within the next few years, between Brexit Ultras who don't care if the economy and peoples' lives are destroyed vs those who do care, even if only about the large business donors.
We don't know which side will come out on top, or if they will do so in time to manage an EEA deal, or an extension.

Crashing out without a deal would cause an economic disaster that would keep the Tories out of power for a generation - providing Labour don't get involved.

If Labour atm came out against Brexit, the Tories would try to put the blame onto them for the economic hardship of a hard Brexit.
Fighting Labour might also be the only thing that could unite the Tories

Labour's strategy is pragmatically to say as little as possible about Brexit, while concentrating on other issues that affect people and waiting for the Tories to implode.
They think they can avoid any blame for Brexit - not being the govt in charge of the mess - and that they will win the next few GEs against a divided and discredited Tory party.

I agree with Chardonnay.

Labour have always had a choice not support art50, not to roll over on the Brexit bill, etc, to provide an effective opposition on a soft Brexit/Remain platform, but they (Corbyn) chose not to. I think the majority of Labour MPs are Remain, but Corbyn and maybe McD too are ideological Lexiters.

It suits Corbyn to follow the government because Brexit is where is heart is.

I'm not sure Ken's comment is a ringing endorsement of May. More a statement that the alternatives (and presume he's referring just to his own party) and more crap.

Which I would perhaps agree with tbh.