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 peoples thoughts were on this
Noticed that brexiteer 'posters' on the other thread were arguing for independence day marches.

This is unpaywalled opinion column in the Times

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/halt-the-brexit-uncertainty-mrs-may-or-go-now-and-let-labour-sort-it-out-bk3qkjsc6?shareToken=caeffa8db93f27a96fe8e8459801c4d8
Halt the Brexit uncertainty, Mrs May, or go now and let Labour sort it out

By Jeremy Corbyn.

people seem to almost expect that the filthy rich will act in an amoral way
They've never particularly been bothered where they get their grubby hands on cash so long as they get to exert powers over the plebs.

I agree with woman in that ANY foreign influence needs to be thoroughly looked at. The Russian angle needs to be explored as much as others. Just because its probably multiple players doesn't mean its ok.

@AislingTax
As most of you know our economy collapsed a few years back. The EU & IMF bailed us out. And the response of the Irish political class must be borne in mind. They told us they messed up & that hard decisions had to be made to get us out of the mess we were in 2/n

The Irish Labour party destroyed itself, knowingly destroyed itself, to ensure a national unity government strong enough to push through the EU/ IMF programme to save the country 3/n

The Irish people ratified the TSCG by referendum because we knew it was necessary if painful. We couldn't understand Greek Government after Greek government refusing to do likewise. Putting party politics over the best interests of their country 4/n

Right now the Governing party from 1987 (Fianna Fail) are supporting a minority Government made up of the 1987 opposition (returning the favour) in the national interests to get us out of the economic woods

Don't get me wrong. There's loads wrong with our political classes. But for the most part. In an existential crisis (& only in an existential crisis) they put country before party. So they can't, we can't, understand this Tory Government doing the opposite/end

www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-politics-41958392
Police chief 'was told of Damian Green pornography claims'

That's a second former copper saying porn claim is true. Green called the other one a liar.

Patrick's articles are notably devoid of substance. If any themes appear later anywhere it is pure coincidence.

Poland seems to be attracting a lot of fellow travelers, but the basic animus there seems to be very, very conservative Catholicism that is wary of the social liberalism of western Europe and of Islam. It reminds me a bit of Ireland in the 80s, which had a similar culture war, only in Ireland the issues centered on women's rights, divorce, etc. NI is seeing a culture war at the moment.
www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/aftermath-of-bitter-culture-wars-has-left-us-with-a-legacy-of-compassion-34735871.html (written by a psychologist).

"Patrick's articles are notably devoid of substance"

They are based on very detailed analysis as show on the Byline Media website. Plus the other (academic, peer-reviewed) articles showing essentially the same thing (coordinated Russian bots).

Corbyn also has a column for the guardian online from late last night.

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/11/jeremy-corbyn-boris-johnson-iran
Boris Johnson has been embarrassing Britain for long enough. It’s time for him to go

the basic animus there seems to be very, very conservative Catholicism math I don't understand your posts now.

It's just pure contemporary fascism.

Like Putin, and Hitler, religion is used as a smokescreen, but the current and previous popes, have at least spoken out against xenophobia and racism.

Poland's national identity during Communist times was also very wrapped up in Catholicism and a sense of destiny as a beacon in the atheistic wasteland that sought to overwhelm it. It is the default identity of Poles when faced with a perceived threat, and the narrative suggests itself in many post Communist situations - "same shit, different bucket". Ireland's Catholicism was similarly a factor in the development of a national identity, serving to differentiate the nation from Godless Britain. It's too complex to describe in a paragraph here, but lots has been written about it. It took quite a convulsion to develop a different identity.

My Dsis was in Galway when it was revealed that the local bishop had fathered a child. She saw middle aged and older women simply crying in the streets as the story emerged, whether from rage at the hypocrisy of the man, or disappointment in a genuinely popular figure who stood for something very different from how he had lived his own life, or something else - she wondered if they were ashamed on his behalf - she couldn't tell.

"same shit, different bucket". agree there< notes for future use>

The bishops of Poland participated in a nationwide Rosary event at all the Polish borders on 7 October this year, the anniversary of the victory over the Turks at Lepanto, (which is also the RC Feast of the Most Holy Rosary as the praying of the Rosary is credited with bringing about the victory).

Catholicism in each major RC community or state (in this case Poland) has its own hot buttons. In Poland the idea of the freedom of the Catholic Polish nation, and a state in which this nation can be true to itself is very important, and can be explained by a long history of division and domination by all the neighbouring empires for hundreds of years.

Ireland is in a period of transition from this preoccupation.

In both countries, holding on steadfastly to Catholicism and never losing sight of the ideal of national independence form extremely significant elements of the national saga.

What the Pole says and what granny tells you about who you are and what your country stands for can be two different things, and many factors go into what imperative will be listened to.

Not "the Pole says" - I meant "what the Pope says"..

It's a lot more nuanced than 'pure contemporary fascism'.

Missmoon, I have read the JJ Patrick articles, and there really isn't anything more there than a throwing of the kitchen sink in the general direction of Russia. There is much dark hinting, much provision of unjoined dots. Maybe 'detailed analysis' means something completely different from what I think it does.

As most of you know our economy collapsed a few years back. The EU & IMF bailed us out. And the response of the Irish political class must be borne in mind. They told us they messed up & that hard decisions had to be made to get us out of the mess we were in

This is just a sideline on this Ireland theme of the thread, and the help given to Ireland in 2010 (?). I don't want to derail, but it is something I have never understood.Debates here and elsewhere, both now and before the referendum, often focus on benefits of belonging to the EU because of its role as the world's largest trading bloc, compared to other tariffs etc. Other aspects aired include its role in working to promote peace and human rights or being at the forefront of combating climate change.
However the other benefits of membership, as a fall back, as a source of emergency financial support by way of a loan if we ever needed it, rarely feature.
I guess there's a belief we will never need help, so perhaps its hubris again.However as far as I am aware this aspect rarely features in debates.I just find that odd.

as a fall back, as a source of emergency financial support by way of a loan if we ever needed it

Yep and:

@Pwebstertimes
Whether he intended it or not Gove - in strenuously backing Boris - has left the impression there is doubt over the Ratcliffe version of events

There is still some residual bitterness that at a time of financial crisis here, we were made to give the Irish a loan, with the complete lack of understanding that it was only done because if they collapsed it would cost us far more than the loan itself and that Cameron had offered assistance whether it be via the EU or just Anglo-Irish before the bailout was discussed. But you know, why let facts get in the way of a bit of hatred.

That bitterness, btw, often results in comments like ROI owe us so should be taking our lead. They owe the E27 a lote more collectively though for that bailout, but again, facts.

Lonelyplanetmum - maybe it's because the UK chose to stay out of the Eurozone so therefore the capability - let alone the willingness - of the EU to save us from financial difficulties is more limited?

In the same way that our exposure to supporting such bailouts/rescue packages of other EU countries that are in the Eurozone is likewise more limited.

Hmm. Wouldn't haven't needed to pay back all those orgs who invested without due diligence if the gov't hadn't taken the bank's private debt and said it would become sovereign debt. Irish taxpayers ended up paying these investors big rewards for what turned out to be no risk whatsoever. the high risk investors should have been forced to take the losses. you bet they weren't going to share the profits.

as for those in charge of brexit. davis trotted out the interests of spanish hoteliers will stop any aviation issues arising. when pressed on the fact it was a legal issue, nada.

@joncstone
So have I got this right? Gove is knifing a British citizen locked in an Iranian prison cell to save the career of a mate whose career he knifed last year

Gove is knifing a British citizen
*
On Gove -maybe he and Bojo have done some kind of Blair /Brown leadership deal now ?* Imagine being the Radcliffe family and having to rely on Bojo to save your loved one. Unthinkable.

On a financial back up. If I understand it correctly, there are different mechanisms to help with emergency loans if needed. One for those in the eurozone, but also under Article 122 we were ( past tense) entitled to emergency financial support as a member country if we were “....seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences” Then under certain conditions we could have had loans or financial assistance.

Just seems a useful back up rather than paddling our own canoe but this never features

But hey Trump would always bail us out if needed, and if he could afford to. Of course he would... kind honourable, sense of compassion. We can rely on him. Er hang on..

@krishgm
Gove’s answer makes Johnson’s mistake worse. To fail to ensure you’ve been briefed on the answer to this question is extraordinaryKrishnan

@tnewtondunn
Marr: "What was Zaghari-Ratcliffe doing in Iran?"
Gove: "I don't know"
Teheran will like this. This should have been the easiest question for him to answer all morning.
…

Johnson did not make a mistake.