Westministenders: The Return of Parliamentary Sleaze?

[RedToothBrush]

Brexit is quietly going round and round in ever decreasing circles.

The story is that the European parliament will not agree to a transition period beyond 1st January 2020.

The third minister responsible for getting the Repel Bill through the Lords has quit. There are now nearly 400 amendments. It is scheduled for 6 days parliamentary time in the Commons from this coming week. With another 2 possible the following week. Rather bravely AFTER the budget. Bored with May, CVs are being submitted for the position of Chancellor.

Interest Rates are looking likely to rise next week too with the message being 'this is as good as it gets'.

Another team of MPs has gone to the EU to see if they can check up on May and her team. This is unlikely to work as Nicola Sturgeon came across a brick wall.

And then there are the many many distractions from it all.

Catalonia has declared independence, which will consume EU time and energy.

There are rumours that the first prosecution in Trump Russia will be Monday (Guess who is currently in the US. Yep, the gurning one). And there are increasing muttering about Russia over here, with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg being called to respond to a Select Committee investigation into Fake News.

And then there's the sleaze. Jared O'Mara seems to be the first in the queue. There are rumours more will be outed in several parties. Suggestions include May's right hand man Damien Green who was previously named in 2008. And the Tory Whips have a 'sleaze list' which suggests they know whats going on, but have done nothing.

This morning we have Gove making ill advised jokes about Weinstein in this political climate. With Neil Kinnock laughing heartily in response.

Anything that happens will be political to discredit opponents not because there is a change of attitude towards the treatment of women. We know this, because of who is leading the charge on this. The skeletons are being dusted off out the cupboard rather than exposed for the first time in dramatic fashion.

Things, could take a very unexpected turn against this background.

Don't bet against it.

Eric joyce! I'd forgotten about him!

woman
Great writing, acting, score, casting, direction...loved it!
And now have a crush on Jason Isaacs but only when he's being a Russian general speaking in a broad yorkshire accent

Robert Peston FB
Michael Fallon has resigned as defence secretary because he was aware that his behaviour with women over many years would be regarded as inappropriate if disclosed.

According to one of his friends, he found the stress of waiting for someone to make a complaint debilitating. And therefore - after a conversation with the prime minister this afternoon - he has quit.

He has said he wants to hold himself to the standards expected of the armed forces - for whom he is responsible. But several women Tory MPs say he fell short of the conduct they expect of all men.

In going expeditiously he has both helped and harmed the prime minister.

Those same women MPs admire her “decisive action”.

But she dare not do more tomorrow then replace him rather than start the more ambitious reshuffle her party wants and expects - because she does not yet know which others of her ministers and MPs will be fatally tainted by allegations of abusive or harassing behaviour.

From 2014
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2706948/New-defence-secretary-Michael-Fallon-accused-calling-female-author-slut-drunken-bar-clash.html
New Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is accused of calling author Bryony Gordon a ‘SLUT’ in drunken bar clash

From that article:

In the days following the party, reports of ‘Fallon and the Russian blonde’ swirled around Westminster. One MP said: ‘Everyone was talking about it. So many people had seen it, we were worried it would all get out and cause a terrible fuss.'

A Defence Secretary and a Russian Blonde.

Nothing like this would ever happen in any of the EU countries ever.

Sky News reporter is saying a newspaper is to publish more details on Fallon tomorrow.

A Defence Secretary and a Russian Blonde.
Same old tories, but interesting variation of the dynamic with Russia atm.

Mordaunt - Leaver
Duncan - Remainer

In case you are wondering.

We've been here before
Tory govt runs out of (political) ideas, govt credibility dissolves amidst sex scandals:

+McMillan govt 1960s and Profumo (affair with serious national security implications)
+Heath govt 1970s and Jellicoe, Lambton
+Major govt 1990s and David Mellor, Tim Yeo, Michael Brown, umpteen others including an Earl whose wife committed suicide after his affair
and we've since learned Major succumbed to an inexplicable urge to shag Edwina Currie

Maybe one reason May and the 3 Dunces have got nowhere with Brexit is that they are all too busy shagging - and drinking
I still think the main reasons are stupidity, ignorance and putting party before country

Now why did I think of Profumo

Woman, I don't know that this is anything like what is going on in the US, but the mere fact that exists in black and white is something of an awkward situation for Fallon and May.

Imagine if everything in the US does blow up and blows up to the scale that seems to be possible.

Then that starts looking REALLY dodgy and starts to look potentially like a national security issue - not a harassment one. It compromises a lot of other decisions and policies.

Its not a good look at this moment in time.

The wording of Fallon's letter starts to make a lot more sense in that context too.

Isn't Penny Mordaunt a bit flexible with the truth?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/penny-mordaunt-andrew-marr-uk-veto-tory-minister-accused-of-flat-out-lying-over-turkey-joining-the-a7041956.html

The strangest, most tragic scandal was probably in the Major govt;

Tory MP Stephen Milligan - until then a rising young star - died of auto-erotic asphyxiation,
i.e. found dead in stocking and suspenders, noose around his neck, choked on a piece of fruit.
I did feel sorry for his family with all the jokes at the time
Most people organising a funeral don't have to do so in the midst of national sniggers.

Yep. They piss in the same pot. I'm wondering if Govey et al are channelling their inner Pence, waiting to pounce as this crew tumble out of power.
starts to look potentially like a national security issue
Is what Chapman was saying before he was silenced. Don't look at the J Patrick thread.

I was just about to say similar woman - albeit less eloquently!
Gove and bojo VERY quiet lately....

ladbrokes has tobias ellwood as fav to be the next defence secretary.

(quietly mulls over the apparent link between Ellwood and Papadopoulos)

He's a remainer.

Gove has been arguing with Fox about chlorinated chicken again today.

Gove is anti-chlorine whilst Fox is pro-manky chicken.

All the Tory/MP lists etc remind of the Malcolm/Stewart fight in the Thick of it.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZpG6a1zvs

.

manky chickens and queueing in the sea.

@PickardJE
John Redwood says he doesn't understand claims that Brexit will cause Dover lorry queues: "Does that mean they'll be queueing in the sea?"

@davidallengreen

Brexit Impact Paper No. 38 is on "Museums, galleries, and libraries".
This is one to be withheld so as to not "undermine" negotiations.

With all this going on I'm trying to imagine the British version of Trump PeePeeGate.

Liam fox won't be eating chlorinated fucking chicken will he, the potato faced, chinless cockwomble 😡😡😡

Clever geezer that Armando Iannucci

can recommend Richard Herrings with Armando ... lots of detail about the film.

Now why did I think of Profumo

er ... I was there first