Westministenders: The Art of the Deal

[RedToothBrush]

Well Trump seems to have put his foot in it.

Not that this should come as a surprise. For all the talk of closer ties with the US that was never going to happen. All that was need was for Trump to over step once too many.

By chance (?) Barnier also raised questions about our commitment to working with the EU on security.

Its almost as if we are being asked to choose whom we look to for security.

Meanwhile it sounds like the divorce bill is sorted - though this may not be as settled as that, if it comes with conditions. The deal might also be backtracked on, seeing as that appears to be the done thing presently.

Talks on Ireland are stalemated with Ireland threating to veto. No sign of a breakthrough here yet.

Talks on EU citz rights are reportedly going backwards (again) rather than going forward.

All of this is theatre for a British audience though, with the UK agreeing to everything. Because they gave again their cards when a50 was triggered.

The crunch is coming on whether we move to stage two before Christmas. We have no time to lose.

The darkest hour is just before dawn, and I think we're at 2am.

DUP deal's a smokescreen.

Do expand, woman! (although I'm not that optimistic about a dawn TBH).

Thinking more on that point, NI is actually the best point against the argument that MPs should vote on leaving in accordance with the wills of their constituents. It was discussed on here at the time and I think something like 5 of the 18 constituencies had MPs saying one thing and referendum results saying another. Obv this was before the 2017 GE, so there've been some changes, but I can still think of at least two seats that have a DUP MP but voted Remain- North and South Belfast. To further muddy the waters, the DUP lost one MLA in each of these constituencies in the March 2017 Assembly elections.

Rhiannon Maybe May decided that hard Brexit would destroy the UK and she should force the debate within her party out in the open and defeat the extremists. She, personally, only has her shackles to lose. No one seriously thought she was really in power even before yesterday.

I am joking obviously. She is a lightweight, but she could just be fed up.

Or as George Osborne put it:

Clowns to the left of May, jokers to the right
www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-may-stuck-in-the-middle-with-eu-tories-at-war-again-after-dup-shoots-down-deal-on-brexit-a3710616.html

He is so not bitter.

Re: David Davis and his refusal to be transparent or accountable:

Henry Zeffman
@hzeffman
DExEU has set up a reading room for MPs to see the impact assessments. "We recognise the benefits of parliamentary scrutiny"

twitter.com/hzeffman/status/937727456861130754

A reading room, eh? Bodleian rules no doubt. No phones or copying!

Impact papers available in secret room with magic key:

@JolyonMaugham
Jo Maugham QC Retweeted Henry Zeffman
We expect to issue proceedings to enable proper scrutiny of the actual documents - rather than DExEU's expedient syntheses - tomorrow.Jo Maugham QC added,

@hzeffman
DExEU has set up a reading room for MPs to see the impact assessments. "We recognise the benefits of parliamentary scrutiny"

Some commentators, have suggested that yesterday was staged.
DUP is a great 'squirrel' to keep us distracted.

Just looks like a set up for removing May and crashing out, is all. Other posters have suggested this too. I'm not good at the ins and outs, Rhiannon but it smells sinister to me.

I can think of nothing that's happened in parliament or executive in the last 18 months which suggests we're living in a democracy anymore.

Can anyone?

Isa wouldn't it be interesting if James Brokenshire did the unthinkable and called an Assembly election. It would be really interesting how people would vote now. Would they still vote on a themmuns and Usunns basis they quite possibly would.

While Nigel Dodds et al can threaten to bring down Theresa Mays government presumably Theresa May can threaten an assembly election back.

Of course it wouldn't change the MP's and it won't happen anyway.

Elena, flush out the swivel-eyed loons, eh? While it's not a terrible idea, she doesn't have the strength or the smarts to oversee such a bloodbath/dogfight.

DExEU has set up a reading room for MPs to see the impact assessments. I continue to be amazed at the arrogance and condescension of this bunch.

Maybe yesterday was staged. It just seems completely implausible that May could be that stupid. What's that old MN saying, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. Well that's what we need to do with the DUP!

are the new constituency boundaries ever going to be implemented, i wonder?

Isa wouldn't it be interesting if James Brokenshire did the unthinkable and called an Assembly election. It would be really interesting how people would vote now. Would they still vote on a themmuns and Usunns basis they quite possibly would.

I hope he wouldn't because this is the best Assembly composition realistically imaginable! No way the DUP would lose any more seats. I'd be worried about them getting the petition of concern back.

I think that there is some confusion in the media about the different terms used to describe geography and political groupings and they are sometimes not used accurately.
The British Isles is a purely geographical term which includes all of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Great Britain is the term for England, Scotland, Wales and their associated islands, it does not include any part of Ireland.
The United Kindgom is the political union, which includes the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
I know I am being pedantic but I can't help myself.

The British Isles is a purely geographical term which includes all of Ireland

Not any more. An independent Ireland doesn't accept that term. Rather like the UK don't accept the name for the Falklands is the Malvinas. It ain't an objective truth.

Quietly every single amendment to the repel bill has been voted down.

Including powers to devolved assemblies.

The democratic and legal framework we are discussing are already obsolete.

@StevePeers
Meanwhile, on the EU Withdrawal Bill, last night the government defeated four amendments which tried to retain powers of devolved assemblies

@HouseofCommons
MPs vote against Amendment 42 to the #EUWithdrawalBill by 316 to 292.
Amendment 42 would have removed the Bill’s proposed restrictions on the ability of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly to legislate on devolved matters

Las Malvinas surely if we're all being pedantic

Though there's really no point given that until recently there was a surprisingly high amount of people who didn't even know NI was part of the UK.

Impact papers available in secret room with magic key:

Vaguely reminds me of the legendary porn collections of the British Library, or Vatican ....

too lazy. had written 'the'. And look, you've made me write loads more to correct.

Including powers to devolved assemblies.

I can only think that they are storing up huge problems. Sooner or later Scotland will have a second Indy Ref, and I think it will go for Independence. It will be interesting to see how close it is, and whether say 55% for is declared to be an overwhelming mandate.

The British Library is a copyright library, isn't it. They have to receive a copy of everything. Do you have to present a good reason to request a copy of the naughty books, I wonder? Academic research.

Though there's really no point given that until recently there was a surprisingly high amount of people who didn't even know NI was part of the UK.

I bet there are still people who don't know, even now.

A small market next door is as valuable or more valuable than a large one far away. This is the iron law of economic gravity. Note that culture mitigates this – distance is both geographical and psychic. The outcome of this is that the UK trades as much with Ireland as it does with India and China combined.

The iron law of economic gravity. Isn't that the thing Minford doesn't take into account at all? He is an economist outlier.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/05/rejecting-eu-deal-dup-sold-northern-ireland

Sooner or later Scotland will have a second Indy Ref
Do you think president Mogg will allow that? If SF with their 'backup' are unable to staunch the DUP and Steve Baker's merry men, SNP won't be able to do a thing.

@SkyNewsBreak
Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs the issue of maintaining "a frictionless border between the UK and Ireland" will be dealt with in the next phase of negotiations

@SkyNewsBreak
Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs: "Any regulatory alignment we get as part of Brexit deal for Northern Ireland will apply for the whole country"

DD's EU party versus Mogg's evil bastards party?

@faisalislam
Worth noting - a senior DUP source told me last week that the most important thing for them is that there is no difference between GB & NI. Customs Union & Single Market not mentioned in DUP 2017 manifesto, though stopping ECJ jurisdiction is

Brexit was only about this: eliminating ECJ and ECHR rights for british/EU citizens.