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.

A bizarre aside about John Stalker is that he

Labour Spokesperson: we ain't getting involved in this fight, though we may occasionally throw in a small weapon from the sideline so they can't fight amongst themselves to the death.

So they can. Ffs autocorrect

What was everybody doing before the Brexit referendum? It has consumed everything trying to avert a balls up. From industry to banking. GFA under pressure. What is the aim? Is there a multitude of aims, are they contradictory from different sectors? What a stupid, stupid idea for a yes/no question on nothing concrete? What vision or scenario? Hobson's choice or Gove's choice?

I can't see how there shouldn't be some way of getting a mandate for something.

What would a "new relationship" with the Single Market involve ?

Chocolates, flowers, and the hope of a quick handjob at the bus stop ?

What was everybody doing before the Brexit referendum?

Well, for some, the answer is "working"

Jeez. An awning which protects against UV and you can have heating. Love it. German engineering as well.

He must have made a buck or two. His career was damaged, I suspect.

What was everyone doing?

Trying to remember back but I think we had okay growth forecasts and people thought the worst was over economically and austerity was going to reduce?

Personally we'd just bought a new house and were planning on settling down in U.K. long term.

Now overseas again and I am not working again, hence too much time on here avoiding housework.

Cailleach - I imagine JS's pension pot wasn't as big as he had anticipated it would be. But still - have you ever thought "hmm, I wasn't sure about whether to buy awnings for my house, but now that nice police man has told me about them, I think it's a really good idea?"

What was everyone doing before the Brexit referendum?

Well, there were quite a few major issues that needed serious attention, such as not enough money, a pensions time bomb, an aging population putting more and more strain on the NHS, an inadequate borders and immigration system, a growing threat of terrorist attack and a tragic reduction in the number of bees. To name a few off the top of my head!

In fact, as you might be able to tell, this is one of the things that pisses me off most about Brexit: it's the only show in town in government and Parliament right now, and yet there are so many other things that desperately need attention.

He must have made a buck or two. His career was damaged, I suspect.

It's getting on for 30 years ago, but I recall a story in Private Eye where he was attending some sort of official meeting sitting next to one of the senior RUC police officers there who markedly started doodling Stalkers family tree, with a clear implication that they knew his family and that there was some Catholic ancestry. It might have been a special feature on the STK inquiry, and how it was compromised.

In fact, as you might be able to tell, this is one of the things that pisses me off most about Brexit: it's the only show in town in government and Parliament right now, and yet there are so many other things that desperately need attention.

(Broken record mode) which was pointed out long before the referendum.

As a complete aside I need to vent, I've now has two conversations with Brexit voting parents at school:

1. One set announced moving to Aus at the end of the academic year. They do have family there. But the Mum's comment was " There's no future for our kids in the U.K. so we've decided to do it now, rather than talking about it"

1. The other one just told me that her DHs finance job was likely going to mean a move to Frankfurt or Paris. Although she seemed shocked her comment was " I don't care, I'm done with London anyway."

In both cases they were quite open about supporting leave in the run up to the referendum.

It is so so unfair. These Mums and their DHs voted out, and are now buggering off to pastures new. I know I'll sound like a right winger but shouldn't those who voted leave be morally obliged to stay and see it through?

In fact, as you might be able to tell, this is one of the things that pisses me off most about Brexit: it's the only show in town in government and Parliament right now, and yet there are so many other things that desperately need attention.

This! Exactly this!

Tangential, but put 27/28 Feb in your diaries, for a trip to London, if you're so inclined ....

It's getting on for 30 years ago, but I recall a story in Private Eye where he was attending some sort of official meeting sitting next to one of the senior RUC police officers there who markedly started doodling Stalkers family tree, with a clear implication that they knew his family and that there was some Catholic ancestry. It might have been a special feature on the STK inquiry, and how it was compromised.

Lol, heaven forfend.

It's hardly unusual in someone from the north west of England though. Fairly safe bet, if anything. Doubtless him being a Protestant wouldn't have been subject to the same level of controversy.

What would a "new relationship" with the Single Market involve ?
Chocolates, flowers, and the hope of a quick handjob at the bus stop ?

Seb Dance MEP
@SebDance
Arlene Foster insists it would be wrong to put a border between NI and GB because the “vast majority of our trade is with GB.” 🤯🤯

Well this is interesting

@bbclaurak
May has spoken to Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neil

"sitting next to one of the senior RUC police officers there who markedly started doodling Stalkers family tree, with a clear implication that they knew his family and that there was some Catholic ancestry"

Of course, the same would have applied to the RUC chappie. go back far enough and all christian ancestors in this neck of the woods were Catholic. Before diversification and state persecution, that is. He mightn't have enjoyed the irony in it, though.

Laura Kuenssberg
@bbclaurak
Knives emerging for officials who May surrounds herself with, with private claims that David Davis has been frozen out in last few days - but he is still in charge of govt dept meant to be managing Brexit and May is responsible for whole Westminster handling

David Allen Green‏

There is the concerning possibility that there has been a huge confidence trick over the last year by @DExEUgov about the "thorough" and "in-depth" 58 Brexit sector analyses - bigged up by ministers who believed they would never get disclosed.

We do not know yet - too early to be certain, and I will be happy to stand corrected.

But there is little direct evidence against this possibility, and a mass of circumstantial evidence in support of that possibility.

If so, dodgy Iraq dossier all over again.

@jessicaelgot
MPs and peers coming out of the Brexit impact papers reading room today really agitated... "completely ridiculous..." "nothing new..." "patronising"

@jessicaelgot
One senior peer: "You can't call it a Brexit impact assessment because it makes no assessment of the impact."

If so, dodgy Iraq dossier all over again

Yup.

Almost like they'd been planning a crash out since spring.

@thomasbrake
Seen sectoral reports in DeXEU under strict secrecy rules. Very hard to spot anything that couldn't be published and the EU would not be aware of already. What they don't do is provide any sense of the impact of a hard or soft Brexit on each sector. Brexit's a leap in the dark.

The govt haven't been planning anything wrt Brexit or any of the other major problems facing the country.
99% of their time and energy has been devoted to the Tory party meltdown.

Poor Juncker and Tusk - they thought they finally had a deal, then found the Uk PM has no authority tomcat for the UK

Maybe Barnier is saying "I told you they were that dysfunctional, so do you believe me now"