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.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5042101/Australian-MP-posts-Fallon-10-minutes-quit.html
'Great to catch up with Sir Michael Fall… oh': Australian minister posts gushing tweet about meeting the Defence Secretary - 10 minutes AFTER he resigns

Article from earlier today. BEFORE Williamson's appointment. Note the last but one paragraph.

Chief Whip Gavin Williamson is said to have warned the Prime Minister there could be further allegations about Sir Michael, who has been the subject of Westminster gossip for years.

Key thing. Williamson is a Remainer. Supposedly.

www.gavinwilliamson.org/news/gavin-williamson-mp-pms-announcement-eu-referendum
Williamson on the EU in 2013

Worth a read. Lets see if he means it.

Lewis Goodall‏*@lewis*_goodall
Text from senior Tory MP about Gavin Williamson: "He's out of the shitstorm. Knifed Fallon and pinched his job. It's way above his ability."

Paul Waugh‏*@paulwaugh*
Another minister:" Gavin is an appalling appointment. He's never stepped foot in a dept + now he's running one of the most important"

Paul Waugh‏*@paulwaugh*

Minister tells me: "She's gone mad. It's real 'end of days' stuff. He's [Williamson] a real slimeball, w/ his own leadership team in place"

Once again, I'm remembering the scene from Die Hard where the FBI cuts the power ...

You asked for a miracle [to stop Brexit]. I give you a Tory civil war.

So presumably, this appointment - and the way it's being divined by the seers - paves the way for a lot of arselikan jostling to gain the favour of the putative next leader, and possibly PM ?

I'm really hoping for squeals of outrage from the Brexiteers.

Nick Timothy‏ @NickJTimothy
Gavin Williamson was TM’s campaign manager and has been a brilliant chief whip. The idea he appointed himself is absurd. She rates him.

Jason Groves‏**@JasonGroves1**
Minister emerging from Commons tea room describes Gavin Williamson appointment as 'the most unpopular political decision I have ever known'

Jason Groves‏**@JasonGroves1**
Fallon timeline: Gavin Williamson tells PM that Fallon might have to go. Fallon goes. Williamson gets his job

Right. Let me try to get this right in my somewhat befuddled brain.

Politics is sleazy. This ain't news. But somehow it's become news. The whips have a list of dirt and are believed to use it to blackmail and are believed to help cover shit up. List gets leaked. Best thing to do then is to promote the cheif whip?

Looks bad for tm.

However if he's promoted himself it shows TM as weak and potentially with something to hide herself.

Looks bad for tm.

Not sure how this looks good for her at all. Best case scenario is she's unwittingly taken part in a cabinet position coup. Still ain't great.

For some reason my phone wants to say ain't rather than is not and I CBA to correct it!

You know how there has been talk of 'controlling' May for some time. Is Williamson one of them?

Beth Rigby‏*@BethRigby*

Me to a (female) MP; Has Williamson’s appointment gone down badly? “You bet your f*king life”

May I please ask how you keep on top of all of this news, Red?

You should start a blog (if you haven't already), I would definitely follow as you have given me lots to think about and saved me some prep for my university seminars

Williamson positioning himself to be the next PM

He needs her to stay on at least a while though, because he would be a much strong contender with experience in a major cabinet post
Currently he has never run a department of any kind

So, if May just wants to hang on to being PM for another year or two, this makes a dangerous politician into her great ally

He would need to be appointed by acclamation though

• sounds like he is v unpopular among Tory MPs - all that blackmail arm-twisting and afaik the MPs contest, to whittle conte ders down to two, is secret ballot.

Nick Timothy‏ @NickJTimothy

Who was so right about calling an election. I think we can safely ignore anything he thinks he thinks.

TSE‏*@TSEofPB*
A friend texts

Theresa May is Caligula and Gavin Williamson is Incitatus.

Sarah Wollaston‏*@sarahwollaston*

There are times when offered a job that it would be better to advise that another would be more experienced & suited to the role

Tory MP goes on record to say this is a shit idea.

BoE has just raised interest rates.

Paul Waugh‏*@paulwaugh*
More Williamson backlash. Minister: "It looks like she's a prisoner of the men she's supposed to be leading..She's promoted two grey suits."

* Williamson positioning himself to be the next PM*

“You might very well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment.”

Joe Murphy‏*@JoeMurphyLondon*

Amazing Tory quotes about reshuffle" From senior MP: "He has walked away from shit-fest that is No10 and given himself best job in Govt”

Any goss on how the Brexiteer camp are taking this ?

Summary:

1. Perception is Williamson orchestrated in the leaked list Doesn't matter if this is untrue. It looks like he might have
2. He whispers in May's ear about Fallon, and effectively stabs him in the back about other possible scandals emerging.
3. Yesterday in the HoC Lisa Nandy said that the whips had power that was potentially being abused to hide things.
4. We are in a middle of a scandal in which the whips are implicated and the PM is accused of not doing anything - therefore the real power in the HoC is the power not the PM.
5. So she promotes one of the whips.
6. Underlying feeling that blackmail is used to control MPs isn't condemned. It is rewarded.
7. May doesn't look in control. Looks like a puppet to Williamson.
8. Williamson apparently wants the leadership.
9. MPs now more likely to rebel as this is such an unpopular decision and Williamson isn't in control as a whip anymore. Words like 'rage' and 'fury' being used to describe the appointment
10. This reflects on May and Williamson.
11. Williamson wants to be PM BUT can you see that happening given how much the appointment has provoked comments like this and he needs the support of MPs? So he needs time for the dust to settle. (On the flip side to that, are there many more popular candidates right now? Who do you stop if you are a Tory MP?)
12. You have Tory MPs saying themselves this is a bad idea and he hasn't got enough experience for the job. Its not about your ability but who you have dirt on and how nasty you are prepared to be.
13. You have Tory MPs saying publically this was inappropriate - not anonymously. Open rebellion.
14. This leaves the whips role weakened - at a time she needs it more than ever. Is this a mistake in its own right, never mind Williamson being promoted.
15. The Tory civil war really didn't need anymore shit stirring.
16. Remember that Brexit thing?

Its difficult to find much positive in the whole debacle. It even has the effect of making Gove's knifing in the back of Johnson look almost.... civilised and gentlemanly.

Any goss on how the Brexiteer camp are taking this ?

Yet to hear a positive comment from anyone but Nick Timothy. Laura K said on Daily Politics that reaction was 'very mixed'. That's the best I've heard.

Kevin Schofield‏*@PolhomeEditor*
Former Tory minister: "People are openly saying that Gavin Williamson appointed himself Defence Secretary - that is not good for the PM."
The minister added: "Gavin's gone to prepare his 2019 leadership bid and got his mate Julian Smith in the whips office minding the shop."

LOOOK something NICEEEEE!!!:

Beth Rigby‏ @BethRigby (Skynews journo)
Actually I’ve always found @GavinWilliamson to very personable and polite.

What a morning. To top it all interest rates up and sterling down 1%. Markets not impressed.

Nick Eardley‏*@nickeardleybbc*

I would be sacked if I tweeted the word one minister just used to describe new defence secretary Gavin Williamson

Robert Peston‏**@Peston**

The Bank of England blames Brexit, for above-target inflation, below-trend growth and the necessity to raise interest rates

Robert Peston‏**@Peston**

An MP formerly loyal to May: “she had a golden opportunity to do the right thing and appoint the right people to the right jobs. She’s just blown it and exposed herself as weaker than any of us thought. She’s being controlled by young men in suits. I now despair”