Westministenders: A week in politics is a long time....

[RedToothBrush]

Lost track of politics in the last week or so?

Someone asked how do I keep on top of this? I’ve struggled this week there is so much going on.

Brexit seems to be on a bit of a back burner and we have become utterly swamped in mud and sleaze and corruption allegations

So here is a summary of the last week:

1. Government defeated over the impact reports due to an ancient parliamentary protocol. They must release papers to the public though this is likely to be heavily redacted.
2. Currently we are holding talks about talks with the EU. Instead of speeding up talks. They are annoyed at us for this.
3. Baroness Anelay, the minister responsible for getting the Repel Bill through the Lords, quit citing an injury caused by jumping out of a helicopter several years ago. She was the second person to quit this role. Lord Bridges quit saying it was impossible task.
4. Michael Gove has joined the Brexit Cabinet, which now has a majority of Leavers.
5. There is currently no one employed at the Brexit department for strategic planning.
6. Brexit Bill likely to face even more opposition in the face of Williamson’s self promotion. More Remainers who have been loyal to May talking of joining the Rebel Forces.
7. The has been a threat to rig the Lords to pass the Repel Bill according to Lord Adonis
8. Clegg, Adonis and Clarke went to see Barnier. Farage got jealous.
9. Talks for Stormont broke down. No direct rule but not home rule. Who is ruling is a mystery, but the same can be said in England at present. DUP are not getting their dosh.
10. FTA may not be possible on lines UK want as it would be better than Canada and South Korea and that’s not legally allowed. The real problem for the UK is services.
11. EHCR related issues – prisoner voting rights and letter to Romanian which brings into question whether the EHCR is deliberately being flouted.
12. Clause in the data protection bill which allows it to be ignored ‘cos immigration’.
13. The Electoral Commission are being sued for allowing over spending by Vote Leave
14. Arron Banks is being investigated by the Electoral Commission over how he donated to political causes
15. UKIP whistleblowers reported donations they thought were odd and not declared but only just has come to light
16. Arron Banks is winding up a charity under investigation by the Charities Commission
17. Arron Banks paid for Kate Hoey to go to Washington DC.
18. Lord Ashcroft apparently exposed by the Bermuda hack, like Robert Mercer
19. Steve Baker reported for taking money from the mysterious donor to the DUP
20. Priti Patel breaks ministerial code with an undisclosed trip to Israel with lobbyist. May says she has done nothing wrong, despite it being clear breech of the rules.
21. Michael Fallon quit over multiple incidents
22. Damien Green embroiled in accusation over Kate Maltby. Also having a fight with former counter terrorism copper who he has history with over ‘extreme porn’ found on his computer during a raid. Copper previously said he had been set up in the paper but dropped the accusation. Green is denying everything
23. Charlie Elphicke has had the whip removed and case has been referred to police. Says he has done nothing wrong and isn’t even aware of what he has been accused of.
24. Steven Crabb under investigation for sexting. Has apologised.
25. Michael Garnier under investigation for dildo buying. Has apologised
26. Daniel Kawcyznski allegedly tried to set up dates with aides and wealthy friends
27. Dan Poulter reported by fellow tory MP Andrew Bridgen for allegedly putting hands up skirts. Whips told in 2010.
28. Chris Pincher alleged pound shop Weinstein who attempted to untuck the shirt of former Olympic rower and tory activist Alex Story.
29. Gavin Barwell former whip and May’s special adviser. Broke special advisor code by tweeting politically controversial things. Is accused of being complicit in hiding the bodies and not taking action.
30. Gavin Williamson gave himself a promotion and pissed everyone off. As former whip knows all the dirt but is vulnerable as a result of that, as he didn’t report or discipline offenders.
31. ‘The Lift Lunger’ – as yet unnamed Tory MP said to have ‘attacked’ Labour MP in taxi. Date rape drugs possibly involved.
32. Boris Johnson, Alok Sharma and Tobias Ellwood all named as having contact with the mysterious Maltese professor named in the Papadopoulos indictment.
33. Farage makes anti-Semitic remarks on LBC. That’s Farage, a person of interest to the FBI.
34. Three indictments in USA for Trump Russia. Which implicate a whole load of people by association.
35. Some stuff is going on in Saudi Arabia which should have half an eye kept on it.
36. Jared O’Mara, Clive Lewis, Ivan Lewis and Kelvin Hopkins on the Labour Shit List. Also a rape allegation against a Labour activist which was shut down by a senior Labour figure

This week the Repel Bill and the Budget. Plus no doubt, lots more scandal.

www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2017/11/07/britain-has-no-longer-has-a-functioning-foreign-policy
Britain no longer has a functioning foreign policy

It's no surprise that leaders overseas are baffled by the current state of the UK. Theresa May has given up any notion of Cabinet discipline. Her lack of authority has created a set of little fiefdoms where a centralised British foreign policy used to be. All of them are able to speak and act independently of No.10 without consequence.

Britain no longer has a functioning policy on anything, especially Brexit

www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41899643

'Saudis accuse Iran of direct aggression'.

So maybe the US is fighting Iran by proxy here. Maybe the crown prince has been given the green light to eliminate anyone he wants to get rid of in SA with no questions asked, and to pursue any policy he wants wrt Yemen, and to put any pressure he wants on Iran, armed by the US (and by the UK).

BREAKING NEWS Labour politician who was suspended over Westminster sex allegations is found dead.

Former Welsh Government Chief Whip and Community and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant, 48, was found dead at an address in Connah's Quay, North Wales earlier today
apologies copied from DF

I'm sorry to break this news to you all.

You may want to sit down, it's pretty shocking and completely unexpected.

The 58 impact assessments don't exist. Steve Baker has confirmed it.

Sorry, dd has confirmed it. Steve Baker is suggesting that they do exist but in some, as far as I can make out, semi mythical form.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-41904161 BBC reporting now.

Sacked Labour minister Carl Sergeant dies.

Re. the impact assessments, it's as we suspected, but still a massive dereliction of duty, unless they are lying again?

And if they don't exist, what are they going to release in 3 weeks' time?

it's pretty shocking and completely unexpected.
describes most stuff atm.

Nigel Farage's peculiar wealth:
We need to talk about Russian money Kremlin cash to MPs, a smoking gun, and an angry producer
www.byline.com/column/67/article/1931

still a massive dereliction of duty

It's also a bit Arron Banksy in the contempt of parliament way.

They're having a larf.

No statement from buck palace yet then??

Hashi What does it mean that the 58 Brexit impact assessment studies do not exist? As in not written at all or just not full studies or they are not related to Brexit?

there exists some analysis of 58 sectors - not 58 separate studies. But there are also summaries (which DD says TM has read) and bits that are in excruciating detail (that neither he or she has read)

There are both this:
"The Brexit secretary, David Davis, has described the 58 impact studies as containing “excruciating detail” on the likely consequences of different departure scenarios. Of particular interest are those that imagine what would happen if Britain leaves the EU single market without a replacement trade deal and relies instead on World Trade Organisation rules.

A recently-released list of the sector headings – arranged in alphabetical order from advertising and marketing through to wholesale markets and investment banking – makes clear that the civil servants who drew up these studies nearly a year ago left almost no corner of the economy untouched. " (www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/02/what-the-brexit-impact-papers-may-or-may-not-reveal)

and this:
" As we have made clear, it is not the case that 58 sectoral impact assessments exist." [...]
" But it is not, nor has it ever been, a series of discrete impact assessments examining the quantitative impact of Brexit on these sectors. It is important that this is understood from the start."
www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Exiting-the-European-Union/17-19/Correspondence/Letter-to-Chair-from-Secretary-of-State-on-impact-assessments-03-November-2017.pdf

Just catching up on the new Westministenders thread (thanks RTB).

I'm coming to the conclusion that I must just have a different psychological make-up than Brexiteers. However hard I try to "get on with life" and "don't worry about anything yet" etc etc, I simply can't manage to make myself not gloomy in the face of everything that has happened (or not, as the case may be) in the past 18 months.

But they took time to write a list of 58 sectors to make it look like they've done it. Then argued against releasing them, not then mentioning the studies didn't exist in that form. Wasting Parliaments time several times. They think they're untouchable.

Something possibly exists somewhere, and if it does you can bet it's not positive. Or it's a piece of paper with just a heading on it.

Very dodgy.

But they took time to write a list of 58 sectors to make it look like they've done it. Then argued against releasing them, not then mentioning the studies didn't exist in that form. Wasting Parliaments time several times. They think they're untouchable.

^^This.

Also the sheer cheek that they're complaining that wasting time preparing the reports for publication would "distract ministers and officials from the Brexit negotiations." The time-wasting and distraction were all self-inflicted - not to mention, what about the expense and 6 weeks delay of the unnecessary general electioneering?

First post - Have mercy!

Something possibly exists somewhere, and if it does you can bet it's not positive. Or it's a piece of paper with just a heading on it.

So either the documents contain embarrassingly damning information (hence the reluctance to publish them) or they're so sketchy as to call DExEu's competence or even existence into question (hence the reluctance to publish them).

Hasenstein - you nailed it. Every time I think it can't get any worse ...

Well no surprise here

www.irishlegal.com/9221/barrister-chiefs-warn-brexit-and-good-friday-agreement-are-incompatible/

Barrister chiefs say Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement are "incompatible"

The heads of the barrister profession on both sides of the Irish border have warned that Brexit is not compatible with the Good Friday Agreement.

Paul McGarry SC, chairman of The Bar of Ireland, and Liam McCollum QC, chairman of The Bar of Northern Ireland, made the remarks at the Annual Bar Conference in London, The Brief reports.

The pair were speaking alongside four other UK legal figures in a panel discussion examining “Brexit and the Bar”.

Mr McGarry told conference delegates that “the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit are incompatible for a number of reasons”.

He said one was the guarantee on free movement in the Good Friday Agreement, which was not compatible with the imposition of a post-Brexit border; another the entitlement of people born in Northern Ireland to Irish citizenship, which would mean a direct route to EU citizenship.

Mr McCollum described it as “an insoluble an issue as you could possibly imagine”, and agreed Brexit would “undermine” the Agreement.

He pointed out that the Agreement could not be amended and would therefore have to be renegotiated.

Barrister chiefs say Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement are "incompatible"

Yes, that's all very well, but they don't really know what they are talking about do they ? I look forward to seeing how the BBC one bury this. Probably with this ?
(I draw peoples attention to the fact that reading the first two paragraphs as one makes it clear that as far as the BBC are concerned the UK and England are interchangeable.)

In the year after the UK narrowly voted to exit the European Union, there was a small but significant increase in the population's feeling of wellbeing, official statistics show.

The improvements in areas such as life satisfaction and happiness were seen only in England, however. Elsewhere, the rates flatlined.

People in Northern Ireland continued to report the highest levels of wellbeing.

Rates of anxiety increased slightly, but not significantly.

(contd)

They think they're untouchable.

I long for a tipping point to be reached, and for the moment when the little boy cries that the Emperor has no clothes. I think that's a bit of a mixed metaphor, but I want to see the back of substantial numbers of the current crop in Parliament, and not just on the Tory benches either, and I want someone to have the guts to say, Brexit will be a disaster, so let's call it off, and really start to address the problems that the country faces.

Currently, between Brexit, these financial leaks and the harassment stuff there is no time to get anything actually done for the good of the country.
Not aided by BBC News come Breitbart News. Looks like Brexit propaganda to me. Not factual, infers causation and completely misleading.