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Brexit

Westminstenders: The beginning of the dictatorship and the end of Boris?

999 replies

RedToothBrush · 09/09/2017 10:55

Brexit is being fought in the UK media and parliament on the premise that the EU is being difficult and obstructive.

The fallacy can not be understated.

What the UK fails to understand is the right of the EU to put their own interests before the UKs. It doesn't under that our demands cannot be met even if the EU wanted to for practical and legal reasons - not political ones because our understanding of the situation and law is so poor.

The net result is the slippage of the next phase of Brexit talks being pushed to Christmas by the EU due to lack of progress by the UK. Barnier is open to more regular and intense talks but this is bad news for the UK with the a50 clock ticking.

The main stumbling block is NI a with Barnier warning not to use the border as a way to test EU resolve. Brexit always about the NI border. The UK have never provided a solution to the EU that does not produce a hard border. The idea being pushed by the UK will create one despite claiming it won't. The reality is the only viable solutions are either staying in the single market and customs union or NI being granted special status and being different to the rest of the country. The former is opposed by the government, the later opposed by the DUP.

The DUP are getting a taste of their own medicine. They have been warned that Assembly Members might have pay frozen and if they don't reform Stormont they won't get their Billion Pound Booty. Plus Ian Paisley Jr just found a new scandal for the party.

May is trying to channel Venezuela by getting rid of democracy when it suits. The Great Repel Bill (aka as the Withdrawal Bill) faces it's challenge. The much feared Henry VIII in clause 9 are not only facing criticism from Remainers but also from the secretive crackpots of Tory Bastard Club (aka ERG). The TBC want hard cliff edge Brexit. May seems to support given her goodwill burning interference at the Home Office which seeks to discriminate against all foreigners and make them sign a register. The visa system and how it will attract much needed staff for the NHS makes the mind boggle.

The Repel Bill also could end the possibility of transition due to clause 6 which requires us to leave the ECJ. Given the May's ambition to make EU citizens display their stars in job applications this is totally unable to the EU. If it passes the chances of transition drop dramatically. Bye bye Smooth and Orderly.

Then there is the May-Bot paradox: the one were she gives a friendly speech to the EU and a nasty on to the Swivel Eyed Loon gathering. As if neither will be reported to the other audience.

On top of this May is attempting the Parliament Rigging Act as she has a 'majority Government'. Yep I know, this is the general election version of 'will of the people'. The Rigging Act seeks to stack parliamentary committees with Tory majorities so they can stop any bill they don't like getting anywhere need the main chamber this limiting the power of opposition to irrelevant. Sadly I think this one will get through due to maths of the HoC atm.

We shouldn't forget the role of the HoL though and the lack of a majority government (why do you think May is saying majority government? It's down to the Sewell convention and trying to make the case it applies when the argument is it doesn't for a minority government).

The other development is the rumours that Boris is for the boot. And Rees-Mogg might get a promotion.

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woman11017 · 13/09/2017 07:29

This is so undemocratic and unreported, can't find it anywhere in msm media's nobbled too. Wondering what the time scale is for buying sacks of rice.

Badders08 · 13/09/2017 07:32

I'm feeling quite panicky this morning

woman11017 · 13/09/2017 07:42

Fascism: I sometimes fear...

Fascism: I sometimes fear...
I sometimes fear that
people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress
worn by grotesques and monsters
as played out in endless re-runs of the Nazis.

Fascism arrives as your friend.
It will restore your honour,
make you feel proud,
protect your house,
give you a job,
clean up the neighbourhood,
remind you of how great you once were,
clear out the venal and the corrupt,
remove anything you feel is unlike you...

It doesn't walk in saying,
"Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution."

michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fascism-i-sometimes-fear.html

woman11017 · 13/09/2017 07:42

Sorry that doesn't help much Badders ^

Badders08 · 13/09/2017 07:43

Not really no 😔😔😔😔

Badders08 · 13/09/2017 07:44

I can't find it on bbc ANYWHERE

woman11017 · 13/09/2017 07:46

Yep.
Even in trump's fiefdom where the crackers are armed, the NYT, Washington Post, CNN are reporting. Ah tae fuck.

BiglyBadgers · 13/09/2017 08:14

The Govt won the vote to topload all committees with Tories, by 320 to 301.
God. This is so undemocratic.

So, there is no longer any democratic oversight of Government decision making. Oh joy. How long before the House of Lords gets 'reformed' I wonder. Hmm

HesterThrale · 13/09/2017 08:16

The committee vote was mentioned on Radio 4 8am news.

EternalOptimistToo · 13/09/2017 08:18

Because we do not have an indépendant press (see the pressure of the government in the BBC). And the ones that are more indépendant in their reporting are now in a position where they just cannot report wo being branded 'against the will of people'.
In the US, the press has always been very strong which isn't the case for the uk unfortunately.

EternalOptimistToo · 13/09/2017 08:24

BigChoc thanks for that article.
Depressing yes but very close to what we have been saying in this thread too.
It reminds me to sort out a bank account in my own country and move money there. I meant to do that to avoid issues due to the pound falling anyway.

woman11017 · 13/09/2017 08:37

@mpc_1968 1h
Ian Dunt-'...what they govt have done is pass one of the most monstrous, irresponsible bills that I have ever seen in my life.'#skypapers

@ProfMarkElliott
New post | House of Lords Constitution Committee says EU (Withdrawal) Bill raises "profound constitutional concerns" publiclawforeveryone.com/2017/09/07/house-of-lords-constitution-committee-issues-interim-report-on-eu-withdrawal-bill/

I found the opposition, they are called HOL, Ian and Mark Smile

Only papers I can see leading on it is 'The National' in Scotland, whose angle on the attack on democracy is a nationalist one; understandable, but not very helpful when supremacy of the legislature is an international gold standard of democracy.

www.thenational.scot

TheElementsSong · 13/09/2017 08:46

Still, apparently it's all going wonderfully and anyone who is concerned is mentally ill. Hmm

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/09/2017 08:49

When mccluskey talks about illegal strikes, he's not talking about criminality. He's talking about striking even though unions have failed to comply exactly with the crazy and exhorbitantly expensive restrictions around a lawful strike ballot in the uk today.

Today's police are not interested in this sort of illegality. When the conservatives set about tightening up strike laws - again - in 2015, the Association of Chief Police Officers have evidence that they didn't actually need any change to the law as it was already perfectly adequate.

As long as the strike is peaceful, they will continue to 'police' it in just the same way as they would if the various civil rules had been met.

The threat is to union assets when employers (in this case the government, in public sector strikes) apply to sequester its assets. That's why unite has set aside a massive strike fund.

Interesting though to see May attempting to buy off the police. Thatcher did exactly the same in the lead up to the miners' strike.

We won't see a 'general' strike. It will be coordinated, lawful strikes across the public sector, with luck smashing through the new balloting thresholds and turning the Trade Union Act against the government without breaking the law. That would be a thing to see.

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/09/2017 08:50

Sorry - 'gave' evidence - predictive text!

prettybird · 13/09/2017 08:57

There are other ways that the police and others can protest without actually striking. Working to rule is amazingly effective and disruptive

Many people don't realise how much gets done through good will rather than what people are required to do.

TheElementsSong · 13/09/2017 09:02

Practical question: If it's likely that the Maybot will be announcing her programmers' plan next week as discussed upthread, do we think the pound is going to fall further? If so - should we (OK, me) convert a chunk of our savings to Euros this week?

(If only I'd had the foresight to move all my savings to Euros last June!)

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/09/2017 09:06

prettybird working to rule is also banned industrial action. E.g Just two months ago, the government secured a permanent injunction to prevent members of the prison officers association refusing to carry out voluntary tasks in the course of employment.

BigChocFrenzy · 13/09/2017 09:07

As I posted on the last thread, that senior civil servant JDD, who sometimes posts on R North's blog, stated that the first contingency plans DexEU drew up, basically the first wotk they did

was for State of Emergency and Martial Law in the event of post-Brexit civil unrest or food supply problems

Measures included banning public gatherings of more than 4 people.

I'd expect those contingency plans also include banning all strikes, whatever the ballot results.
Probaly even a ballot would be illegal

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/09/2017 09:08

In England and Wales only ... Not in Scotland where they are a bit more enlightened.

BigChocFrenzy · 13/09/2017 09:12

Sorry about posting the borderlex article - it was like crapping on everyones's breakfast table.

However, it got me seriously worried, coming from an international trade journal which is hardly a hotbed of leftwing activism

woman11017 · 13/09/2017 09:12

1992 Trades Union Act prepared the way for what's being done.

I can't see a general strike.

Over the last 30 years workers have lost all knowledge of how to organise and run a strike. The abolition of LEAs and HEAs were in part to dismantle collective consciousness of workers.

Strikes are as alien to millenials as telephone boxes or the Bay City Rollers ( thank god Grin)

Consumer boycotts are pretty good though.

I had to give up Rowntrees fruit gums as part of the glorious struggle against apartheid, and it won.

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/09/2017 09:12

It's instructive to look back at the last time policing by consent broke down in the uk with the riots in August 2011 - the immediate response was to issue fast, indiscriminate criminal penalties that were way out of proportion to the crimes eg Criminal record for taking a bottle of water etc. And the huge amount of media publicity given by the mainstream media to the sanctions, to put the genie back in the bottle - and the ordering of water cannon etc

RedToothBrush · 13/09/2017 09:13

That committees bill is bad news.

Wonder if Lords will be difficult.

More significant that Repel Bill at this stage.

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woman11017 · 13/09/2017 09:13

BigChoc if anyone's crapped on the breakfast table, it's Legatum.

Educate, agitate and organise comrade. Smile

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