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.

What actually HAVE the current Cabinet done?
Have they done ANY work or are they just a total bunch of freeloaders?

New info on EU citizen status been released today.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/657694/TECHNICAL_NOTE_CITIZENS__RIGHTS_-_ADMINISTRATIVE_PROCEDURES_IN_THE_UK.pdf

Except

Peter Foster‏*@pmdfoster*

The UK's citizens tech paper really doesn't contain anything new.
Its really a smokescreen for bill deadlock.
UK sticks to its guns on Criminal records.
Will use vaguer EU standard before Brexit 2004/38, but tighter UK standard for after Brexit /2
The rest is reassurances on how the Home Office won't be it's usual "hostile environment" self when granting settled status to 3.2m cohort/3
But skips other tuff stuff:
- Governance/ECJ Q
- Scope of family reunion rights /4
Purpose of the document really to give impression of action/progress ahead of Thurs/Fri talks, where substantive discussion is stalled.

the3million‏*@The3Million*
1) New UK Gov proposal on simplified registration process out...
2) we still not agree with 'Settled Status' and Gov unwilling to discuss our alternative paper...
3) Criminality checks still in place though lighter touch...
4) Appeal process unclear. Worrying in regards to high Home Office error rate (currently 10%) & dire consequences under hostile environment
5) cut off date still not officially confirmed, leaving employers, banks & landlords in uncertainty. Leading to discrimination already...
6) fees proposed, however small, to prove rights we already hold...
7) warm words on Home Office case workers discretion - something that non-EU migrants can vouche for is not part of their current culture...
8) we also wonder about the timing of this release. Why the night before next Gov visit to Brussels. No opportunity to critique by...
9) the people affected. You can read our alternative proposal here:
www.the3million.org.uk/publications
//end

More on Priti Patel:

Sam Coates Times‏ @SamCoatesTimes

Priti Patel was on holiday in Israel Aug 13 to 25. FCO found out on Aug 24 that she was there, after meetings took place

Law and Policy‏*@davidallengreen*
"02/02/2017 04:17"

Bottom right of every page of White Paper, the time-stamp is left in showing when the all-nighter finished.

Seriously.

just read that article rainbow it is appalling. - there is no I repeat no break of the data around the brexit vote. I feel a complaint coming on!

I can't believe there has been no vote of no confidence yet.

Well given the FTPA, things are a bit more complex, I believe.

That said, how many votes about anything have there been in this parliament ? If I were a cynical person, I'd suggest the government was ducking any vote of substance for fear of losing.

If my grasp of the UKs nebulous constitution is right, they have to vote on the budget, or HMRC can't collect tax (not that I think they'd stop, legal or not).

(((Dan Hodges)))‏*@DPJHodges*

So let me get this right. The Ministerial Code covers vibrators, but not ministers conducting secret diplomacy with foreign heads of state.

I mean...honestly...wtf!?

Does anyone know what happens when Government are in contempt of Parliament? I mean other than blustering nothingness of course.

just read that article rainbow it is appalling. - there is no I repeat no break of the data around the brexit vote. I feel a complaint coming on!

They also conflate "England" with "the UK". The headline is "UK", but when you read the article it's just England, with the "rest of the UK flatlined"

But let's face it. The BBC just doesn't do Brexit. It's so obvious, you have to wonder what dossier the Tories have on the Beeb ??????

Does anyone know what happens when Government are in contempt of Parliament?

Change the law ? Retrospectively, if needed ?

Bear in mind, the Brexiteers credo seems to be driven by the Divine Right of Kings - only it's the government that can do no wrong, not the Monarch.

mother FTPA and vote of no confidence:

Section 2 of the Act also provides for two ways in which a general election can be held before the end of this five-year period:[2]

If the House of Commons resolves "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government", an early general election is held, unless the House of Commons subsequently resolves "That this House has confidence in Her Majesty's Government". This second resolution must be made within fourteen days of the first. This provision recognises that in a hung parliament it might be possible for a new government to be formed, commanding a majority.
If the House of Commons, with the support of two-thirds of its total membership (including vacant seats), resolves "That there shall be an early parliamentary general election".
In either of these two cases, the Monarch (on the recommendation of the prime minister) appoints the date of the new election by proclamation. Parliament is then dissolved 25 working days before that date.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-term_Parliaments_Act_2011

Labour are by no means a shoe in;, is why no one's calling for an election. Could be president boris.

But let's face it. The BBC just doesn't do Brexit. It's so obvious, you have to wonder what dossier the Tories have on the Beeb ??????

And yet if you read any HYS on the BBC involving Brexit, there are any number of foaming ragebots slagging off the "Brussels Broadcasting Corporation" for being lefty anti-Brexiteers.

@LordBuckethead

If Iran promptly releases Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, with the UK offering Boris Johnson in a swap deal, that would seem to be a win-win.

www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/07/tax-haven-lobby-superb-penetration-uk-government-paradise-papers
Tax haven lobby boasted of 'superb penetration' at top of UK government
Group worked frantically before 2013 G8 summit to thwart regulatory overhaul, and believed it had influenced David Cameron

This is everything in one little article isn't it?

Patrick Wintour‏*@patrickwintour*

Coincidence. Patel informed FCO of meetings with Israel Ministers on Aug 24 - the day politician Yair Lapid tweeted their meet-up.

And yet if you read any HYS on the BBC involving Brexit,

Ah, well that's where I'm going wrong . I'm trying to embrace Brexit by not giving a shit what other people think - so why waste my time reading about it ?

If you get your news from a variety - nay a cornucopia - of sources, localities and sensibilities varied over time, it's hard not to imagine the BBC just doesn't cover certain angles, or points of view.

I'd like to think that the idea of "balance at the Beeb" started as some sort of over-clever attempt to ridicule the pressures on the BBC by parodying it. However, like "Springtime for Hitler" it became a ratings hit, and now they are doomed to keep it, even though it's resulting in people - such as me - developing a "who cares ?" attitude to the continued survival of the BBC.

An opinion a few people commenting on this story share

www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/07/give_us_a_bloody_pin_mps_grill_bbc_bosses/

and here's a bit about balance ...

paulflynnmp.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/beeb-balance-mania.html

Tom Newton Dunn‏*@tnewtondunn*

No10: the PM only learned about Priti Patel's discussions to give aid to Israeli Army this morning, from @BBCJLandale. It gets worse.

Drifting a little, but I read an interesting suggestion yesterday that far from holding the reins and guiding the UK into the safe harbour of Brexit via disaster capitalism, there might be a possibility that it's emerging they've been played too, while playing us.

Which has a certain ... Cecilesque sense to it. Imagine being a Brexiteer now sandwiched between the remain camp and the cliff edge. You'd probably do anything to avoid falling either way. Enter the evil mastermind(s) ....

the PM only learned about Priti Patel's discussions to give aid to Israeli Army

So our soldiers can't afford boots, but ...

Guardian reporting Prince Charles's estate made big profit from stake in friend's offshore firm. Wonder if we will get an apology.

I love Lord Buckethead.

Returning to the impact studies for a moment- I wrote to my Tory MP ( tiny majority) a fortnight ago expressing my horror at the government's handling of Brexit, and asking him to use his influence to get the reports published. Still waiting for a response.

Now I am beginning to wonder with others, if they ever existed at all, in which case the House has been lied to. Or they are so ridiculously thin on detail they can't be published. In which case, what is the government basing its negotiating strategy on? The various excuses offered by the Dexeu ministers are ridiculous, contradictory and insulting to the intelligence.

The whole situation gets worse and worse by the day. We have no effective government when the country is facing its worst crisis in peacetime. I despair and I am scared, and I can't see any political solution either. Labour government? Repeal of Article 50 ? ( there seems no agreement on whether this is actually possible, let alone electorally workable)

All this has been said before, I know. Just wanted to add my voice.

Has anyone heard more from jdd ( whoever it actually is) on the North blog? The comments won't load on my iPad for some reason.

Even gentle nice Michael Crick's cross:
@MichaelLCrick
Senior Conservative MP: "Boris is an f disgrace & if he had an ounce of integrity - which he doesn't - he'd have walked immediately."

Just listening to Nazanin's husband on channel 4 . What a picture of gentle good sense, courtesy and dignity he is, despite the family's appalling situation. And how very different from the incompetents who call themselves our government.

Mightybanhammer yes, Richard Ratcliffe is so dignified.. The little details like Nazanin drawing reindeers with her now little girl during a jail visit, were so sad. He was so gracious about BJ too. I wish there were more gentlewomen and gentlemen like him in public office too. I so hope this burst of publicity might help.

Be patient:

DexEU are frantically hunting for the 58 fag papers;
then they have to transcribe them ....