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.

that r4 iterview was so poor. They were discussing irish border and villiers was allowed to dodge it and diverted onto the money. should have been pressed on what they were going to do with the border. if hard in calais, it will also have to be hard in irl (if no special agreement).

Simon coveney said it was rubbish the sun blamed sf and varadkar's weakness for 'new' brexit standoff over border. it is rubbish article and why would they think irl won't take national interest seriously and was there from the start. irl's interest is eu's interest. tom newton dunn saying british ministers view. john fingleton tweet saying if brit ministers said ireland on the moon, would they print that as real too.

they expect ireland to roll over and take the hit. irl will be hit anyway but they won't take it on their own. uk created this mess and have to take responsibility for solutions.

Another tweet said they wouldn't even line the budgies cage with the article in the sun, but it is what passes for political analysis in uk these days.

WRT the Irish border, apparently the EU is stopping us from implementing a technological solution. Yes, that's right, the one which hasn't been developed yet. Know the reputation for Govt IT projects have for overrunning at a hopelessly increased budget, I am not holding my breath for this technology to be implemented any time soon.

Another of those "the irony is going to make my head explode" stories: Sector leaders in Cornwall are asking for special measures to permit higher (EU) immigration post-Brexit in Cornwall. Already, there has been enough of a fall in immigrant workers to cause problems in farming and they can see that becoming more of a problem post-Brexit.

Cornwall, which was rather pro-Leave.

A Pro-Leave vote almost certainly fuelled because of anti-immigration feeling.

Sector leaders asking to be exempt from post-Brexit immigration
restrictions.

I think the non-sector leaders of Cornwall may not be happy with what a post-Brexit UK delivers for them (less money for public amenities; continued immigration).

I am more and more convinced that many common or garden Leavers are going to be very unhappy indeed. However, those who always saw this as a chance to begin a new economic model in the UK - one far more like Victorian times, with a sharp distinction between the extremely rich and the poor, little regulation, little taxation, few public services - are going to be very happy indeed.

The Cornwall and Grimsby new thos week has made my eyes roll into another dimension
😩

MrsR

Surely Cornwall/Grimsby business sectors starting to make such calls is potentially positive in that it might encourage any remain-supporting Tory MP's who represent those leave areas to stand up to the government?

😂

Thanks BigChoc, I'd forgotten about the tax year element. It all makes sense now.

contemplates dropping that bomb on the leaver threads, I wonder what their excuse will be there

I don't think that business leaders calling for some forms of guest worker status or whatever they want would clash with the average Leave voter's worldview - it would confirm to them, and in fact to Remainers, that high earners/elite want immigration to keep down wages. The split comes in that I would see our EU membership as giving us protection from that pressure by supporting workers' rights and freedoms, and would blame government for not eg enforcing minimum wage, prosecuting abuses and planning infrastructure. Presumably they see the EU (which somehow doesn't include us despite 50 years' membership) as promoting bosses' interests.

I don't know, Somerville . I was thinking about that and my reasoning is this: The sector leaders always knew this and almost certainly voted Remain. They are, however, a very small part of the electorate.

The majority of the Leave voting electorate don't know and don't care about any of this. They won't be following a small story in (some) of the papers. They aren't doing long-term forecasts. What they would follow is a headline about 'turncoat MPs', presumably 'enemies of the people', who are intending to turn the country over to the immigrants they so fear.

A story like this doesn't actually change anything substantial, sadly. It merely brings into sharp relief factors that have been in play since day one. MPs can either act to follow the national interest and for the distantiated economic and social good, or they can act in their own (and the Party's) short-term interest (which also plays into the hands of the extreme, financial-libertarian right).

I'd like to think that stories such as this are, slowly, percolating through and changing the mind-set of the 'little Leavers' (the average people, not those who dream of a low-tax, low-protection haven) but ... I just don't see that happening.

And it's a vicious circle. I think that while the government pursues Brexit, and those in power remain silent on the negative consequences, it legitimises the belief that 'it's all going to be OK, really' - which people are desperate to believe - because they have to. They are already primed to listen harder to any suggestion that 'it's all going to be fine.'

And I completely agree with annandale, too.

I'm spending my morning trying to sort out a food bank drive for Xmas

In 21st century Britain

😔😡

MrsR Quite.
This is an interesting diagram.

Prasenjit Kumar in bottom right picture with teresa

Amnesty international have got a petition about Nazanin, if anyone is interested in signing it

www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/help-get-nazanin-home-iran-prisoner-british-mother?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=20171111090800&utm_campaign=UK%20-%20WEB&post_ID=1149835891

Thanks pain have signed and shared

Thanks, signed and shared and so have my DSs

Hope baby is sleeping well for you, Somerville.

Isn't the refrain 'the will of the people'? No matter what the gov't or their donors and editors decide brexit will mean. Any voice of reason was pre-empted and designated treasonous; thus neutered. The irony of those who want to scorch the earth. and they got the biggest potential losers to howl for it as their salvation.

really like gavin sheridan's blog. he is a stone in the shoe of the irish gov't. pushes hard for foi to throw light into dark corners. great for the screen grabs so evidence not deleted.

Dire warning that Brexit will leave Cornwall without farm and tourism industry staff

www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/farm-tourism-jobs-cornwall-brexit-716108

Some of the replies defy all logic

Dire warning that Brexit will leave Cornwall without farm and tourism industry staff

I really wish I'd started making tiny violins a year ago. At £1 a pop with 17,000,000 potential customers.

Some of the replies defy all logic

Especially as I can guarantee not every respondent could be bothered to vote in the Referendum anyway.

If the undergraduate Leavers "interviewed" (really being given a soapbox) on R4 this morning are representative of Leavers as a whole, then I suspect a bit more Strictly controversy, the John Lewis ad, and next years Bake Off will distract them enough to undo the vote. They really were not the brightest bunnies. (And not particularly nice, either. One of them - an admitted Conservative - was studying law and basically said "Yeah, well I voted to Leave as it won't affect me anyway.")

My neighbours voted leave
He works in the car industry
(Shakes head in wonder)
My village has an fb page for info/ recommendations/reviews/moaning etc
Saw a request last week for "a local English nail technician"
😮😯😡😔
It's a bit Royston vasey here at times....