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Brexit

Westministers: Happy New Year?

976 replies

RedToothBrush · 05/01/2018 11:37

And so we enter a New Year full of hope that things might just be about to recover from our national nervous breakdown... or perhaps not.

As we have Damien Green ejected from his role as Deputy PM over allegations of inappropriate conduct towards woman and use of porn at the end of last year, 2018 sees a bright new progressive dawn with the appointment to the role of universities regulator of Toby Young. A man who has deleted 20,000 tweets including many which are inappropriate and offensive to women, is a fan of eugenics and hates the working class and disabled.

Meanwhile the NHS is facing a crisis which is totally unexpected to the government and couldn't possibly have been planned for by a man who has over seen it for over five years. Which naturally bodes really well for Brexit planning.

We are apparently planning to join the TPP. Never mind geopolitics we can move the UK to the Pacific region.

We still are not ready for trade talks because the Cabinet can not agree on anything. Not that it sounds like they have actually discussed anything along these lines yet.

Rumours are that the Cabinet - including arch leavers such as Gove - are leaning towards supporting May and a softer option, despite the disgust of Johnson, who once again is the subject of malicious chatter about his sacking in a forthcoming Cabinet Reshuffle.

There is talk of further Tory Party war with the revelation that membership of the party has dropped to a core of just 70,000 hardline authoritarian men, most of whom are over 60. Tory HQ now wants to (perhaps with some good reason to prevent the loons) rewrite the constitution and limit the power of local associations to select candidates. The Tory party is now lining up to be a power struggle between internal authoritarians, who don't like democracy voices or structure.

Meanwhile the Labour Party membership now apparently overwhelmingly looks upon staying in the customs union and single market favourably and is in favour of a second referendum. In opposition to the leadership who are utterly committed to Hard Brexit. Much to the annoyance of Lord Adonis who is pitching a fit about government corruption and incompetence and being accused of being elite because he going skiing. Unlike of prominent Leavers who are in touch with the working class.

And finally Nigel Farage has got a meeting with Barnier. Farage, unlike Clegg, Clarke and Adonis, will not be accused by the Right Wing Press of undermining the government's negotiating position because...

It appears that we are in for another year of Brexit nonsense then.

We've not even heard mention of Gibraltar yet.

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BiglyBadgers · 08/01/2018 16:51

Sorry for all the expletives, but really... I just can't...

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 16:51

Greg Clark stays as Business Secretary.

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DGRossetti · 08/01/2018 16:51

Oh look. An iceberg.

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 16:52

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn
The reshuffle is now in serious trouble. Hunt was supposed to emerge from No10 as the new Business Secretary. Appears Greg Clark has refused to budge.

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lifechangesforeverinjuly · 08/01/2018 16:54

I work in the NHS and on projects that are assigned by Jeremy Hunt.

This morning I was annoyed he was going to get a 'promotion' but glad he'd be far, far away from the NHS.

But no, they go and add a whole other sector of vulnerable people to his portfolio - a load more lives to ruin.

After the mass media coverage of the NHS this week, I just don't understand how she justifies this?!

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 16:54

Adam Bienkov @AdamBienkov
Former Conservative minister for Women Maria Miller, says Toby Young's appointment is "clearly at odds with the equality principles that this government is clearly supportive of".

She's pitching to get her old job back isn't she...?

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RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 16:56

Beth Rigby @BethRigby
Hunt made point in interview last week that we needed a ‘national conversation’ on longer term NHS/Social care funding. Expanding his portfolio to incorporate both suggests PM on the same page.

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RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 16:59

Raphael Hogarth @Raphael_Hogarth
This is a "reshuffle" in the same way that the cabinet is "making a success of Brexit"

I've been thinking of arrangements at drinking manufacturers.

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RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:01

The pundits are well impressed.

Robert Peston @Peston
Astonishing that Clark stays at Biz and Hunt stays at Health. Not what I was being briefed. If Clark refused to move, was it really so dangerous for @theresa_may if he went to backbenches?

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound
I don’t know a Downing Street official or special adviser who doesn’t think Greg Clark is useless and utterly incapable of making a decision. And he gets to stay. Weak.
Greg Clark is universally regarded as one of the least effectual cabinet ministers. He is also one of the few who would not launch a leadership campaign if sacked. And PM can’t even sack him. Unbelievable

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RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:02

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound
This stuff is really simple. If they won’t move and you fear them, back down. If you don’t fear them you sack them. Take a pin, stab it in a random picture and you’ve got a better business secretary

Ouch!

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BiglyBadgers · 08/01/2018 17:04

So, has anyone anywhere got anything good to say about this reshuffle? Maybe I am just living in my Twitter bubble, but everyone seems to think it's a disaster so far.

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:06

Frances Crook @francescrook
In seven years: Clarke, Grayling, Gove, Truss, Lidington and now something else will have to learn the complexities of the law, sentencing, prisons and human rights

I think this really does show the contempt that May has for the law and human rights in particular.

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Blastandtroph · 08/01/2018 17:06

I loathe Hunt with a passion but perhaps a combined health/social care Ministerial role could be a positive thing....

DGRossetti · 08/01/2018 17:07

Wish I could have refused to budge when I was made redundant Grin.

My DB in the US is pissing himself laughing.

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:08

Neil Coyle @coyleneil
3 Tory select committee chairs have questioned #TobyYoung appointment in today's debate. Govt embarrassing itself in failing to sack him.

Wow.

Williamson stays at The Department of Defence and Guns.

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RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:09

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound
Greg Clark got Downing Street to sack his own special adviser because he didn’t even have the guts to go that himself. He is held in contempt in Whitehall
Don’t take my word for this. There’s a reason why we all put Clark on our hit lists - because everyone around the PM regards him as a berk

Ouch!

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OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 08/01/2018 17:10

Tom Newton Dunn
@tnewtondunn
Breaking: the reshuffle's big shock - Jeremy Hunt refused a move to BEIS to insist he stay on as Health Sec with a beefed up brief of social care too.
Greg Clark saw the PM after Hunt's long chat with her, and must have been extremely surprised to have been swiftly reappointed BEIS Sec.

lalalonglegs · 08/01/2018 17:11

Wasn't this being advertised as TM rebooting the government and demonstrating her authority? Just a few days ago, it was being posited that BJ would be sacked/demoted and now she doesn't even dare to stand up to Greg bleeding Clark. Astonishingly weak/complacent/tone deaf/all three.

DGRossetti · 08/01/2018 17:12

In seven years: Clarke, Grayling, Gove, Truss, Lidington and now someone else will have to learn the complexities of the law, sentencing, prisons and human right

The end of that sentence implies that the previous 5 bothered to learn. I'm not so sure.

DGRossetti · 08/01/2018 17:13

Thank goodness this is all happening in private ...

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:17

David Allen Green @davidallengreen
Impressed by this new approach to reshuffles, where Cabinet ministers take it in turns to tell the Prime Minister what jobs they will have and any changes to the job titles.

In response to this tweet:
Tom Newton Dunn‏ @tnewtondunn
Breaking: the reshuffle's big shock - Jeremy Hunt refused a move to BEIS to insist he stay on as Health Sec with a beefed up brief of social care too.

Robert Peston @Peston
This was all supposed to be sorted out by PM's officials and chief whip yesterday. Bit of a shambles

So far this looks like
May wanted Grayling as Tory Chair but was forced to change mind at the last minute cos he's so shit
Wanted to demote Hunt to Business but he refused so she expanded his department and authority
Kept Clark at Business because she's so weak.
Has put a Pro-Lifer in a role to try and promote the party to women and represent their interests to the Tories.

David Gauwke has left DWP and gone to Justice. This fits with the rumour of Greening going to the DWP. However she should do what all the men are doing and just refuse, threatening to cause havoc on the back benches like Greg Clark.

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BiglyBadgers · 08/01/2018 17:17

I loathe Hunt with a passion but perhaps a combined health/social care Ministerial role could be a positive thing....

I guess it means Hunt can privatise all our care needs from cradle to grave without needing to move from his office. So that's nice...

While health and social care are clearly interconnected they are not the same thing. There are arrows between them, but I am not convinced of the benefits not joining them together as if they are overlapping. People who have social care involvement may have health needs, but not always and it is only a part of their needs. Just as not everyone with health issues will need social care involvement.

There is a need for closer working between the two areas, but education and employment are also very important and interlinked with social care. Social care links in with many different areas and I think we risk over simplifying it by too closely tying it with health. Joined up budgets in particular are concerning for me.

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:18

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound
Senior Tory source texts: “Greg Clark was 100% meant to be moved. He must have kicked off and threatened all sorts. He's a real shit.” That’s what his colleagues think

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HashiAsLarry · 08/01/2018 17:18

I'm pretty sure this is TM displaying her authority. Perfectly.

RedToothBrush · 08/01/2018 17:19

Bigly, joined up budgets are already being trialled. I know its already been done in Greater Manchester. I believe that Labour were also keen on the same thing.

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