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.

TM has said that she will sack Cabinet Ministers who have been "sex pests" (though doesn't that term sound quaint?)

I haven't seen a list of 13 MPs - is it only behind pay walls?

He warned that if the corporation's negative coverage persists MPs could "escalate" their complaints to Ofcom, which takes over regulation of the BBC in a fortnight.

I expect Ofcom to be toothless, but if they were to investigate properly they would almost certainly find that the BBC's coverage tends to be pro-Brexit.

I have the utter rage every time I see Jeremy Hunt. He has a stupid smug look on his face all the time. He was wittering on about the improvement in mental health services this morning. The service is shit. It took two years for my ds to get to the top of the ASD waiting list. Two years when he didn't get any help because, well he's on the list. It took me having to call the police and take him to a and e because he was trying to kill himself to get anywhere.

I have a family member with a severe mental illness and the service they have received has been shit also. They were even told they should be in hospital but there were no places so it was left to family to deal with.

That's why I hate stupid smug twatface Jeremy Hunt. And because I don't think he really gives a shit about the NHS. It doesn't come across like it anyway.

Rant over.

The Irish press continually shows up the pathetic British press on Brexit realities

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/theresa-may-held-captive-by-tory-press-and-her-headbangers-1.3273074

One of the more astonishing aspects of the Brexit process is
the persistence with which the UK government keeps negotiating with itself rather than Brussels.

There is now widespread agreement that ideologues are now holding the country to ransom.

Robert Preston thinks the UK is displaying all the hallmarks of a country experiencing a collective nervous breakdown.
....
Ivan Rogers, formerly Britain’s top official in Brussels, this week told a select committee of the UK parliament that the key moment when May lost her negotiating power was when she triggered article 50.
< yup, we keep saying this - don't start the timer when you're the one who most needs a deal >
In his words Britain is now “screwed” in the negotiations with zero leverage.

All of the power rests with the EU27. In other words, the only people who can define what a “good deal” looks like are all in Brussels.

The chances of no deal, logically, keep rising with the passage of time.

pointythings I absolutely don’t want to derail this thread but I’m an alcoholic who has finally been given the option or residential detox/rehab after literally begging for years.
Really sorry for what you’re going through Addiction sucks x

13? Try closer to three times that number. Go on May, sack them all.

Chances of you sacking one are minimal.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/29/theresa-may-will-sack-cabinet-ministers-found-sex-pests-13-mps/amp/
Theresa May will sack sex pest Cabinet ministers, as 36 of her own MPs are accused of inappropriate behaviour

The Guido Fawkes website released a redacted spreadsheet of Conservative MPs, including two Cabinet ministers, 18 other serving ministers, 12 other MPs alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards women and four who are alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards men.

The names on the list make up more than one in ten Tory MPs. Notes next to the names include "handsy with women at parties", "paid a woman to be quiet" and "perpetually intoxicated and very inappropriate with women".

"We are shocked at the revelations".

Wait for it. Who will say it first. 36 Tories and apparently more in other parties.

Anyone shocked isn't paying attention.

This photo is not aging well.

36 sex pests is 11% of Conservative MPs
Women make up 21% of Conservative MPs.

Depressing thing is that after that list, comes those who make jokes like Gove. And after that there is the group with impeccable manners but want you staying firmly in the kitchen.

Still sexist. Just in a different way. But certainly don't see their female colleagues as their equal.

Oh Pointy

to pointy and MsHoolie. Good luck to you both.

In other words, the only people who can define what a “good deal” looks like are all in Brussels.

This might be a perfectly good deal, except that it won't suit the headbangers in the Tory party, for whom the only deal is No Deal.

Prominent commentator Robert Peston thinks the UK is displaying all the hallmarks of a country experiencing a collective nervous breakdown.

I don't think ordinary people are experiencing a nervous breakdown. The Tory party is, and the other parties are like helpless relatives looking on, not knowing what to do.

Good luck pointy and mrshoolie 🌹

It's badders here...mn went odd and I couldn't log on under my old name

Spot on 're Tory party breakdown...sadly they are taking the rest of us with them!

Saw death of Stalin on Saturday...as amazing. And funny. And sad. And scary. Had to keep reminding myself it all really did happen...

amp.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/30/revealed-ukip-whistleblowers-raised-fears-about-breitbart-influence-on-brexit
Revealed: Ukip whistleblowers raised fears about Breitbart influence on Brexit
Sources tell Guardian that senior ‘volunteers’ in Ukip before EU referendum were paid by the rightwing US website

Two internal Ukip whistleblowers filed complaints to the UK’s Electoral Commission over fears the party was making “unusual arrangements” with a pro-Trump website in the months before the 2016 EU referendum, the Guardian has learned.

The concerns included allegations that individuals who were being paid by Breitbart, a rightwing American news organisation, were working as senior unpaid Ukip volunteers, raising questions in their minds about whether their work could be construed as an indirect political donation by a foreign donor, according to sources who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity.

One whistleblower told the Guardian that concerns that the party was turning to “off-balance-sheet financing”, possibly in violation of UK rules, prompted the decision to turn to the electoral commission.

Best wishes to pointy and MrsHoolie too. Off to see Stalin tonite.

The complaints were brought to the attention of the Metropolitan police by the Electoral Commission, but the police decided to take no further action
From red posted article.

Ds1 and I laughed a lot woman.
Jason Isaacs was hilarious....channeling his inner Sean bean 😁

Taking DS1 too. MrsR

😁

Just barging in with some recent views:

Front page Saturday FT: “ The push of Brexit and the pull of a thriving economy hungry for talent and experience have persuaded many young, educated Poles to return home. As Poland racks up growth of 3.9 per cent in the second quarter, Poles like Marta Tondera, who took a job linked to a drugs group, is for the first time living in a flat she does not have to share and has swapped her one-hour London commute for a 15-minute ridge.” Good news, eh - foreign talent and experience not wanted here.

Today prog this morning: Peter Kellner of YouGov responded to Barry Sheerman’s comment that better educated people voted Remain. John Humphreys expressed increduility (ill-informed or biassed?). Peter Kellner confirmed it was the case, batted aside the question of intelligence, and talked about voting patterns - left school at 15/16, old = Leave & Tory; went to university, young = Remain & Labour.

Sky: Niall Paterson points out if Government spends massively in preparation for No Deal, big companies will leave; thinks second referendum possible - news.sky.com/story/dover-and-out-niall-paterson-takes-in-the-brexit-views-11103770

Peter Kellner confirmed it was the case, batted aside the question of intelligence, and talked about voting patterns - left school at 15/16, old = Leave & Tory; went to university, young = Remain & Labour.

And I think this explains why Cornwall votes arguably against its best interest. Brexit and Tory MPs at the moment despite all the EU money we get and despite us being such a poor region. We have a large retirement population. Added to which the lack of graduate or even close to graduate jobs mean young people who leave for uni mostly don't come back.

Truro/Falmouth voted remain but Truro is the main town and has the main hospital for the region, Falmouth has the university and art school. Interestingly the isles of scilly voted remain. I've never been there so can't speculate on that.

mrshoolies for you too. I hope it all works out for you.