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.

I think it's worth pointing out that Priti Patel is also under attack for her looks on twitter currently, which is something she does not deserve

I agree. And it detracts from her actions.

The Priti Patel stuff does remind me of May after the election (with the 1922 committee) and maybe to a certain extent Thatcher when she fell too. Like when things were good the Tories were happy to support a woman and then a non-white woman. But then the minute something goes wrong, it's get rid, disassociate and remember it's really a boys club at its heart and they have the power. I'm not saying Patel isn't right to go and of course it's ruthless for the male ministers too, to feel you had support and then you're out, but even more so if you're a woman.

The Patel media coverage will no doubt feature in a media studies course in the future.

It's a perfect example of how the media needs to grab onto something:

• concrete (Minister did X, which she should not have done)
• explainable in words of one syllable (see above)
• indicative of a wider problem, with plenty of Talking Heads potential for the evening news programs (May Cabinet / government crisis)
• social media friendly (Twitter, WhatsApp, map trackers....); and
• filmable (LHR shots for now, plane landing shortly, replacement minister walking into No 10 in due course)

With the added benefits of:

• international dimension
• opportunity to discuss gender and race in modern politics; and
• smoke and mirrors from wider, harder to crack problems

It's a perfect storm, really

Brexit impact reports: Steve Baker's attempted procrastination to be challenged - release by next Monday or face court action to force release:

goodlawproject.org/court-action-still-looms-government-force-public-disclosure-brexit-impact-studies/

The media circus is completely mental. 20K + following PP's flight on flight tracker BBC helicopter, it's like a global chase. But those are times we live in now it's infotainment.

Here's the Telegraph's list of favourites to replace PP

And here's Ladbrokes' list (Penny Mordaunt is the favourite for them)

Local news headline: Constituents Back Under-Fire Pritti Patel

If it was video footage, I doubt very much whether the BBC would have sprung for a chopper. Drones are much cheaper.

If they were still pictures, the View Heathrow observation deck is at Terminal 4, as it happens.

It is insane and I think to a degree it shows the level of steam building up around the Government and Brexit. It feels a bit like a valve has been released. The question is will it reduce the pressure enough to quieten things down for a bit or (mixed metaphor warning here) will the press and the public get a taste for cabinet minister's blood and just want more?

Seriously, Penny Mordaunt. How about for once someone who does not have a history of lying being in the Cabinet. Mordaunt lied 3/4 times on live TV about the UK veto over Turkey joining EU. Liars running the country. Any TV interview would have to ask after every sentence "Are you lying now, Mordaunt?' 'Is that a lie, Mordaunt?' Because you have told a bald lie on TV before.

They should ask Johnson that, too. It is just that you have lost your job twice before for being a liar.

Maybe the it is precisely the aim of the Brexiteers Barons is to be free of any money laundering or tax dodging restrictions. Piracy like in the good old days. Sorry, Buccaneer sounds less f*cker like.

With a compliant governance, maybe they can hide the dodgy trail.

No I don't just think its sexist why Johnson still has a job.

Re: Patel's appearance and jokes. Yes a certain amount is definitely sexist namecalling, but she unfortunately has a name that makes that an easy target too. Its not necessarily just because she's a woman (though as I say, it is a factor). It like someone being called Hunt.

Cailleach "Seriously, Penny Mordaunt. How about for once someone who does not have a history of lying being in the Cabinet."

You see, that's what I mean about "normal" and what we are prepared to accept as "normal" having been utterly transformed - already - by Brexit.

How has such an appointment become even conceivable? And what damage does it do to make such an appointment?

At the very least, it normalises the lies told during the Brexit campaign and tells us that known, proven liars are suitable for public office.

What an absolutely terrible state of affairs.

Local news headline: Constituents Back Under-Fire Pritti Patel

Sounds like a good call for an election then ?

On dfid being told to expect a new boss

Chris Addison @mrchrisaddison
This, lest we forget, is the opening of In The Loop.

You see, that's what I mean about "normal" and what we are prepared to accept as "normal" having been utterly transformed - already - by Brexit.

Exactly this.

Because of the religion of Brexit having repeatedly desensitised everyone to bald-faced lying, broken promises, utter incompetence, shady funding, attacks on the independence of judiciary and academia, (and on and on and on...), the public now seem supinely accepting of literally any old shit.

Which, of course, is precisely what so many of our online Brexit-y friends have been fervently crusading for. So well done, them.

Just for a bit of light relief.

Meanwhile in Romford

All the arguments for making Johnson Foreign Sec still hold true at the moment. (Keeps him busy, keeps him out of domestic politics, keeps him inside the Cabinet tent pissing out, mollifies Brexiteers, etc etc....)

Until the balance tips substantially to outweigh those, I can't see May getting rid of him. And he isn't going to resign, is he? (Except to mount a leadership campaign)

Hashi - that's great!

Just stumbled across this

Bloody love that film

Watching Jeremy Hunt I'm having to resist strongly the temptation to use his rhyming slang nickname denying that the NHS should get the £350 million/week that the Leave Campaign because it hadn't been a Government promise despite Boris Johnson, who is now in the Government, standing in front of it and supporting the message and despite the Government at the time insisting it was a just an advisory referendum and that we would stay in the Single Market double standards

The best he could come up with was if there is a Brexit dividend note his use of the word "if" , then the NHS should be at the front of the queue note his use of the words "should" and "queue"

We want our Brexit cash boost - NHS boss
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41908302

Fuck! The budget!

More likely....fuck the budget.