Westministenders: Transition

[RedToothBrush]

Last thread opener, it was all about the government buzz word being shown to listen at every opportunity.

Now transition is creeping in as people realise that no we can't just do a settlement, arrange a new trade deal with the EU and have a whole host of other deals in place in two years.

Who'd have thought.

We will be getting Brexit because we give in to threats of terrorism. Not quite getting how that takes back control.

But Brexit will be good. It will be glorious. And in the long term we will be better off for it.

Er ok.

[prettybird]

Damien Green demonstrates the government's ability to stick its head in the sand to delude itself about state of the UK's Brexit negotiations at PMQ

From the BBC's summary of PMQ:

Mr Green tells Ms Thornberry her fears of "no deal" on Brexit are "probably overstated".

Probably? Probably?

He then goes on to say that negotiations will be successful because of the government's "positive frame of mind"

I'm all for the power of positive visualisation - but it does involve putting the work in too.

[LurkingHusband]

Anyone hear Barniers bon mots today ?

When questioned about Boris Johnsons (frankly infantile) comment about "whistling for it", Barnier replied:

The only sound I can hear is a clock ticking

J'adore le sens de l'humour français. C'est formidable

[ClashCityRocker]

Placemat King 👑

Incidentally, does anyone know when we are getting a budget? I'm curious as to whats going to happen with the 80% of the finance bill that was scrapped in the wash-up.

Including of course the ever popular making tax digital regime....

[PurplePeppers]

Thanks Red I hope you'll feel better soon.

Formthise of us who thought that MAYBE the Leavers had some good reasons to say that the EU was crap and we really really need to get out of there, incl this awful idea of having a European army
www.indy100.com/article/brexit-twitter-thread-political-analyst-european-union-united-kingdom-united-states-america-7834846
A very nice Twitter thread on how the UK was ACTIVELY involved in every single thing that the Leavers told us were so awful. And yes that's includingbthe bulbs and the ECJ and its fines....

[Valentine2]

I must confess now that I really liked Emily Thornberry in today's pmqs and probably have a small crush on her.

[PattyPenguin]

Purple I expect Leave leaders, and particularly Leave voters, would tell you that it wasn't the UK as a whole that was involved in these things, it was the UK's political elite. The very same elite the voters were sticking it to, in their minds. So probably no cognitive dissonance there.

[LurkingHusband]

Todays Gideon-boot-in:

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/government-admits-no-review-of-leaving-euratom-agency-was-ever-carried-out-a3586071.html

The Government came under fire today after it admitted it did not carry out a formal assessment of the impact of quitting the Euratom agency.

(contd)

(p.s. for RTB )

[prettybird]

Patty - by the some token, the general electorate, who, up until the referendum was announced, didn't place the EU high up in their list of concerns. because it was an internal Conservative Party disagreement

It was the anti-EU elite campaigners who provoked changed that

[PattyPenguin]

The Government came under fire today after it admitted it did not carry out a formal assessment of the impact of quitting the Euratom agency.

Despite the fact that Euratom is specifically mentioned in the Explanatory Notes to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. On page 4.

[whatwouldrondo]

I drove up the Westway today for the first time in the month since Grenfall. It is hard to describe just how traumatic it is to see that black skeleton of a pyre of humanity rising up beside it. My DD had to look away, it is viscerally shocking. Photographs do not really convey just how tragic and a symbol of evil it looks rising against a blue sky and the London skyline. It should be a complete game changer and yet the response has been so inadequate and we still have these facile shallow self interested politicians preferring to stay absorbed in stupid games that will just risk more of such suffering on a national scale .

Get better soon Red

[OlennasWimple]

Anyone fancy a new job?

Deputy Spokesperson to the PM has just been advertised. Length of employment is (optimistically?) described as 2-3 years with a view to permanency or a loan on a secondment basis.. Opening para of the job description is:

"This role will provide the successful candidate with a unique insight into how government works at the highest level and an opportunity to shape the communications for the Government's policy priorities."

The demands of the post include:

"The risk management and crisis communication skills needed to avoid pitfalls and fight fires"

[prettybird]

The government has accused the media of publishing "alarmist stories" about risks of leaving Euratom. (from the BBC PMQ feed)

....funny how Peregrina I think it was her was able to post a detailed analysis of why this was such a dangerous thing to do and its implications, before A50 was triggered

Going back to the theme of the last thread, the government really truly a representation of the three monkeys: "Hear nothing we don't want to be told no evil, See nothing that needs to done no evil, speak nothing unless it is about unicorns and everlasting cake no evil".

[LurkingHusband]

The risk management and crisis communication skills needed to avoid pitfalls and fight fires

Quite aside from the tortured metaphors, surely if one has avoided the pitfalls, one doesn't need to fight fires ?

Although, digging a pitfall might be a good idea as a firebreak ?

I may have just hit upon Tory party strategy 2017-2017 ....

[LurkingHusband]

I am getting heartily sick of this faux attempt at making Brexit like the Blitz, and sniping at truthful reporting as being "unhelpful", "unpatriotic" or some other synonym to subtly imply that opposing Brexit is opposing the divine order of the Universe and the mind of the Almighty.

Of course the Barmy Brexit Brigade dare not try and use the word "lie" themselves, as across the internet this picture immediately appears ..

[Mrsmartell08]

twitter.com/Independent/status/885162465956376576

[OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon]

OBR @OBR_UK
Just to be clear, we are NOT assessing 'no deal' and other possible Brexit negotiation outcomes in our Fiscal Risks Report tomorrow


Faisal Islam @faisalislam
Update: OBR contradicts what the First Secretary of State suggested about the OBR in answer to @EmilyThornberry at PMQs


Emily Thornberry @EmilyThornberry
I believe the phrase is: 'Quelle surprise'

[OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon]

Oh dear, doesn't bode well for May! Surely they wouldn't be that obvious about it though?

[LurkingHusband]

Oh dear, doesn't bode well for May! Surely they wouldn't be that obvious about it though?

"Goodbye ... or should that be 'au revoir' ?"
"No. Goodbye."

[Mrsmartell08]

Sorry should have prefaced link..
May taken off Tory homepage

[OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon]

Just as well there aren't serious negotiations going on at the same...ah never mind

Brexit: EU demands answers from UK on fate of its citizens within five days - and says 'the clock is ticking'

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-news-eu-uk-divorce-bill-pay-european-union-right-to-stay-five-days-michel-barnier-a7836911.html?amp

[SueMacartney]

.

[Mrsmartell08]

Grim read
twitter.com/Independent/status/885172400891060225

[Bolshybookworm]

BBC having a good dig on PM at Davies and Johnson and their lack of a plan for No Deal. They were pretty blunt about it likely being a disaster and the ridiculously contrary statements that Bojo and Davies have produced on it. Interesting.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Damian Green in HoC:
“We are saying that it is conceivable that we would be offered a punishment deal that would be worse than no deal”

< STILL thinking it's punishment to treat the UK after Brexit like any other 3rd country, no unicorns
The classic "when you are accustomed to privilege, then equality feels like oppression" >

Thornberry:

“The prime minister can hardly storm out of the negotiating room saying that she won’t accept the deal, and then pop her head round the door again and say, can she have two more years to prepare

That’s not how it works.
Does he accept that no deal also means no transitional arrangements?”
< you're not supposed to ask awkward questions >

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

^Damian Green in HoC:
“We are saying that it is conceivable that we would be offered a punishment deal hmm that would be worse than no deal”^

Oh for goodness sake. I though everyone with more than two brain cells to rub together had finally admitted "No deal is better than a bad deal" was utter bollocks.