Westministenders: The bookends to a year of political chaos. Just how far have we come?

[RedToothBrush]

The 15th June 2016.

The Thames was filled with a flotilla of boats in a publicity stunt for the Leave campaign to draw attention to fisheries. Nigel Farage and Kate Hoey in their heads thought they were Leonardo and Kate, but the moment was rather more titanic in nature and could not have been more Alan Partridge if they had tried. Coming up behind was Bob Gedolf in a shameful and cringeworthy display of swearing and abuse that really didn’t help the Remain camp in anyway. Largely unnoticed was a small boat with a family following it all unfold…

The next day things went from fiasco to horror.

Farage unveiled the Dog Whistle Poster and Jo Cox was murdered. And the UK seemed set on its course for 7 days later when the world was turned upside down by the referendum itself.

14th June 2017.

Fast forward 365 days later and another tragedy unfolded. This time of a very different nature but with no less political significance.
Grenfell.

A moment of national shame. A symbol of so many things that had come to pass in the previous twelve months.

The election just the previous week had changed the direction of travel we seemed to be headed and left the Prime Minister exposed and looking wildly out of touch. The Maybot was given one more chance.

And the Maybot seems to be failing the test of her party who had the grace to grant her a second chance.

The Queen dressed in the same shade of blue, May delivered her ‘victory speech’ in, ignored the security threat and visited the ranks of the poor and the forgotten. A deliberate message to May not to forget who she serves? A Queen who feels aggrieved and angry by May’s behaviour? Who knows.

As for Brexit. The government looks lost. Adrift. The ‘Fight of the Summer’ over the EU’s plan for talks sounds out the window despite the denials from the Brexit Department. Hard Brexit is still on the cards. Apparently. But what does anyone believe now? May’s and the Brexiteers domination of the agenda is shattered, its power starting to be questioned.

What next?

This evening the anger is building.

Who knows, what will happen. Some of it might be predictable, but the future is far from certain and we have definitely entered a new era. We just don’t know who will lead it, or what its ambition or what the end goal now is.

What we do know, more acutely than ever is that we are all human and the wise words of Jo Cox about having ‘More in Common’ ring though ever more strongly.

Once again we feel ‘on the brink’.

Its CRINGE. But also funny just from the point of view of showing what a bunch of back stabbing creeps Tory MPs are and how they all schemed to become PM

Given the current course of events, it couldn't be worse timing for being broadcast from the Tory party POV.

Funnily enough, just seen this...

reaction.life/david-davis-prime-minister-soon-theresa-may-goes/
David Davis should be Prime Minister very soon when Theresa May goes

And if you were in any doubt that Davis is campaigning it says:

Davis is, I’m told, in the May-must-stay-have-you-all-lost-your-minds? camp.

This is noticeable too.

Against that, he is a grown-up, who grew up on a council estateas the son of single-mother who later remarried. A grammar school education culminated in his not doing well enough in his exams. He took a job andjoined theTA and retook his exams, going on to earn three degreesat Warwick, the London Business School and Harvard.Following asuccessful business career he got into parliament. Davis is a toughie, who has known setbacks. He is certainly not someone who would be nervousabout talking to angry or grieving people with genuine grievances on a council state or anywhere else. He can compromise sensibly on Brexit too if the EU seeks compromise.

They are scared BCF they didn't realise 'the people' were human.

DD was favourite to be tory leader in 2010? DT running with it:
David Davis tipped to become the next Conservative leader as Theresa May's allies refuse to back her
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/18/exclusive-david-davis-tipped-become-next-conservative-leader/

Paula Surridge‏*@p*_surridge
You can't understand the 'youth' vote by thinking in one dimension. They are not especially 'left' wing. They are especially 'liberal'.

Damn the liberals!

I do not remotely believe that Davis can compromise on Brexit, having seen his TV performances. He constantly spouts the "It will all be AMAZING" guff with no indication that he actually grasps the economic consequences of Brexit. Don't forget that he worked for 17 years for Tate and Lyle, a pro-Brexit company that stands to benefit from leaving the single market (because they produce sugar from sugar cane, sourced outside of the EU, rather than sugar beet).

DD still seems delusional that he can choose a special deal the EU haven't thought of

The ONLY 4 options available by March 2019 are:
+Remain
+EEA / EFTA with negotiated add-on for financial passporting (this is the least damagng Brexit)
+WTO - no EU deal (noticeable fall in living standards)
+No deal - Crashing out / Walking out - worst possible ending, massive fail

Thanks Red I might check it out on iPlayer.

This from Chris Grayling has just articulated everything I have felt about Brexit:

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-is-about-the-rich-rees-moggs-of-britain-not-anyone-else-1-4896702?platform=hootsuite

DD is regarded with total contempt by the E27 as an ignorant fool, who has learned nothing in his time as Brexit minister
Not a good position for a UK PM

They regard Bojo as a deliberate insult from the Tories to foreigners

BigChoc 'Transitional arrangements' are in the EU's published negotiation draft. The scope of that could be quite substantial...

I think it's guarantee of citizen rights, calculation of leaving bill and everything else might be 'transitional arrangements' until the will of the people aspect (which the EU will take much more seriously) is actually sorted.

Which of them has wrong info, Hammond or manufacturer ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/18/grenfell-tower-death-toll-expected-rise-58-police-say/

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hammond said:

"My understanding is the cladding in question, this flammable cladding which is banned in Europe and the US, is also banned here."

John Cowley, managing director of CEP Architectural Facades, which produced rainscreen panels and windows for Grenfell Tower's cladding sub-contractor Harley Facades Ltd, said:

"Reynobond PE is not banned in the UK.
"Current building regulations allow its use in both low-rise and high-rise structures.

"The key question now is whether the overall design of the building's complete exterior was properly tested and subsequently signed off by the relevant authorities including the fire officer, building compliance officer and architect before commencement of the project."

< afaik, the material is not recommended for buildings either more than 18 stories
However, I have not seen evidence that it is a legally binding regulation >

The responsibility for this event should fall with the Council first. Sadiq is not actually in the direct line of responsibility. I do think he perhaps could have done a bit more in the aftermath, but in order to do that, he had to tread on others toes and may not have had that authority (I imagine rests with the PM). Khan did write a letter - a very strong one - asking to hear from the PM that day about his concerns. Which fell on deaf ears and it took at least another day for May to get her act together and kick out the Council, who were 'acting efficiently' by going along with their plan of leaving it up to the housing association who were already on record as saying they couldn't cope with a comparatively small incident and were reliant on the red cross and would have to rely on the council in a bigger incident of a similar nature.

The recommendation may possibly only be from the manufacturer

I think Sadie tried to act behind the scenes, to avoid the appearance of playing politics / putting backs up and preventing progress

However, this wish to avoid politics may have left him looking as if he wasn't doing enough

Sadiq < ipad taking the lists ! >

taking the piss, seriously

I would imagine if materials have been used that are 'not fit for purpose' even if its not explicitly illegal for those products in that situation in law, a more general law will apply.

I could be wrong, but I bet there's a possibility of that, which would mean a criminal offence (in addition to the Civil Contingency Act).

And there is a fair chance you've got some people illegally subletting in there too.

Re the BBC Theresa V Boris programme, had to look up Gavin Williamson who seems to have played big role - Mr Tory Fixit apparently. He trotted off to Belfast for discussions with the DUP. And his pet tarantula came to the HOP it seems - there were complaints.

Jeremy Cliffe‏*@JeremyCliffe*

If you are 34 years old in Germany you have lived under just three chancellors.
And the way things are going, you may be closing in on 40 before that changes.

My son is two and....

Strong and stable

The tenacious and super-detailed criticisms coming from the Grenfell Action Group leave a very long paper trail...Hope they will be involved in the inquiry.

Back in my childhood, after my dad died and we were sofa-surfing, Mum and I weren't on any list, because we didn't know ourselves when we would leave and where we would next go to.
And we certainly weren't trying to stay hidden

There would be an unknown number - in any city or town - deliberately staying under the radar having fled domestic violenc / to avoid debt collectors / council tax etc / worried they may be asked to prove they are legally here / knowingly illegally here

There is a whole hidden world of those undocumented for a multitude of reasons

Let's hope that this is not used as a way to scapegoat responsibility.

I get the impression the police are trying to say they don't care if people were doing that, they just want to know any information regarding who was in the building at the time.

From that I would suggest they probably think there are bigger fish to fry.

Other countries choose to specifically ban materials is to stop their use before a tragedy,
rather than relying on commercial businesses or cost-cutting councils choosing the safest, but often more expensive, option.

If something is not specifically banned, it is possible, but much more difficult to gain a conviction - "beyond all reasonable doubt" - than when a specific law has been flouted.