Westministenders: KAAAAABBBOOOOOOOOMMMMM

[RedToothBrush]

'Quick' Recap.

Once upon a time, despite warnings to the contrary after previously attempting to recreate a speech from the 1930s, Theresa May triggered a50.

A series of events, which included a disastrous unnecessary General Election and losing seats, ensured that we have Brexit by Timetable in which every piece of goodwill was burnt up a long time ago, and the EU decided to go "see ya then".

Only this General Election, made this politically impossible as well as practically impossible, given how this would destroy our economy.

So May did the only thing she could and agreed to lock us in with sufficient progress deal, which is legally binding, if no deal is agreed. Thus giving us in essence a choice between staying in the Single Market and Customs Union due to NI or breaking an international agreement which would destroy all our international credibility and trust.

Except none of the Brexiteers really grasped what was happening. Until this week.

In the meantime we still have had spectacles of Nadine Dorries asking on the infamous WhatsApp Group why we can't stay in the CU. Any Davis saying that he has now apparently 'changed his mind' on the matter. Not that Labour are any better, with Corbyn saying we can't stay in the Single Market and leave the EU. Except of course, Norway is in the Single Market...

Fast forward through a sex scandal that's swept through Westminster, installing self appointing the vampiric Gavin Williamson as Defence Secretary, we eventually ended up with a reshuffle which was possibly as pointless and as successful as the General Election. And Gavin Williamson is caught up in a sex scandal.

May has managed to drag the Great Repel Bill through the Commons, without breaking the party, but with much back room dealing and compromise with Remainers. Hailed as something of a victory by Brexiteers, this rather is a fools paradise. At what price to their ideological purity did this come? Is there much Brexit left? And there is much more to come in the Lords, with the LDs committed to working with Labour on securing at least 10 amendments. The two parties have a majority in the Lords if they work together.

Away from parliament we have had the glorious demise of Toby Young, who is forever to be remembered for eugenics.

As it has become apparent that we are increasingly looking like we are on track for BINO, the EU have told us, that we should have sucked up a compromise proposal earlier and now the Norway Option is off the table as we fucked that up by taking too long to disagree amongst ourselves and being arses to EU citz. I paraphrase slightly here, but that's about he long and short of it. Instead we get the pleasure of 21 months of the EU interfering in our law without representation. And we are already locked into this. Now Leavers can moan about this, and shock horror, actually be correct about it too! Transition will be up to 31st Dec 2020 at the latest. Which realistically is still too soon, not that any lying arsed Brexiteer is willing to admit to this. Yet.

The only way to get out of this proposal for better terms? Either beg the EU for something there is no way they will give us or revoke / extend a50.

The fall out from May's reshuffle is still going on in slow motion. Rees-Mogg has got a bigger platform to spout shit he knows nothing about, admit that he has never changed a nappy nor wiped his own arse, thinks women should give birth to football teams, and how he has never visited IKEA and has no plans to do so. Johnson has tried to build bridges. And effed that one up again. Gove has made us all be obsessed by plastic straws and turn into environmental maniacs because no other minister is good at press releases and media stunts. Arch Remainac Liddington, got Deputy PM and took over Brexshit even more from DExEU. Hunt is in no way after becoming PM and Greening is really pissed and when straight back to lead from the Naughty Step.

To cut the long story short: they all hate May and think she's shit

There are thought to be nearly 48 letters to trigger a leadership election in Graham Brady's hands. But not quite. And its not about the letters its about needing 159 MPs to no confidence her... but that is starting to sound more and more plausible in the face of Brexshit hitting the fan.

We now have a leaked impact assessment that we really were not supposed to see which is slightly less worse than Project Fear. But not by much. Its supposed to be by DExEU. Its been suggested that its actually by alt-DExEU aka the Cabinet Department (Robbins and Liddington).

Anyway, nothing is decided. May might zombie on forever. She won't, she's in a crowded field of Tories with stakes. But that sub-committee meeting on Wed 7th Feb is crunch time for something or someone.

Tick tock, tick tock, went the Brexit Clock.

Oh yeah and there's going to be a trade war between the US and EU. And there's some stuff about a ex-Belize diplomat. And Trump's coming to visit us.

I realised why I don't watch QT very much anymore. I prefer any questions. So much shouting. I suppose the audiences being self selecting does open the door to certain groups packing the audience.

I am getting a bit tired of the lefty liberal elite trope too. Like wanting fairness is somehow wrong.

You decide:

twitter.com/liam_o_hare/status/956674908741873666?lang=en

Regular #bbcqt audience member David James bears a striking resemblance to David James, Conservative councillor for Castle Douglas, Dumfries.

I realised why I don't watch QT very much anymore.

Can't remember the last time I saw it. It's pure theatre now.

For me, the rot set in when they decided to have 5 guests (no idea why). Quite aside from the presentational issues of the asymmetry with all the scope for mischief therein, it diluted any content by a quarter.

I think the last one I saw all the way through was when Eric Pickles was blathering on about the "need" for a second home ..

because, David, you see members of parliament have certain duties and responsibilities that require they be in parliament at specified times ...

which gave DD one of the best retorts for a while ...

You mean "a job" ?

NotReadyToMove

I also remember that NI is refusing to have a different ‘status’ than the rest of the UK and wants to be treated the same.

Not NI... the DUP. Most NI parties consider the GFA to mean that there is already a special status for NI within the EU, and want that to continue.

And despite the way the press portray the DUP, as though they are the majority party of NI, they only got 28% support in the 2017 assembly elections.

Sorry if this has already been posted (I've been struggling to keep up):

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/noel-whelan-eu-rights-of-irish-citizens-in-north-a-brexit-dilemma-1.3385131?mode=amp

As has long been discussed on this thread, border issues are far from the only difficulty for NI. Another major one is how to uphold the enduring rights (under the GFA) of Irish people who were born in the north and live in the north/GB. That article explains the problems (and possible solutions) very well.

Another major one is how to uphold the enduring rights (under the GFA) of Irish people who were born in the north and live in the north/GB

How about other EU citizens ? I wonder what the position would be for an EU citizen (say French) in NI post-Brexit, compared to a pure non-Irish UK citizen ? Since that article points out that

Collins raised questions about how the EU rights of Irish citizens in Northern Ireland would be given effect after the UK left. The rights are of no value if they cannot be enforced. The question now arises as to what court will Irish citizens resident in Northern Ireland have recourse to enforce their EU citizenship rights.

I'm guessing that the bottom line is the UK can't remove NI citizens EU citizenship (GFA), and must guarantee them rights after Brexit.

And since EU law does not discriminate between member states that must mean any EU citizen in NI ?

It occurred to me a while back that the biggest impact of Brexit may well be to ensure UK citizens become second-class in their own country ....

How about other EU citizens ?

They do not have enduring rights under the GFA.

... the biggest impact of Brexit may we'll be to ensure UK citizens become second-class in their own country

If that happens, it will be a direct consequence of Britain causing generations of Irish people to be second-class citizens.

They do not have enduring rights under the GFA.

Does the GFA discriminate between EU citizens then ?

ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/justice-and-fundamental-rights/eu-citizenship/eu-citizenship_en

The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union gives EU citizens the right to

• non-discrimination on the basis of nationality

Speaking of NI:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42998211

Prime Minister Theresa May is considering coming to Northern Ireland next week to help secure a power-sharing deal, the BBC understands.

(contd)

I don't understand the question.

You seem to be thinking that a treaty negotiated in, signed in, and directly about the people of the north of Ireland, should have also covered everyone else in the EU?

The GFA bestowed/acknowledged the right of people born in the north to be treated as "British or Irish or both", and Irish and British government were both signatories to this.
A French person who moves to Belfast is French, and has rights as such. If they find British law to be discriminatory against them (as sadly could happen if Brexshit goes ahead) then they can ultimately move back to France.
This is a different situation from an Irish person who was born in Belfast.

If your issue is with the north of Ireland being Irish rather than British, I refer you to the long civil war already fought over this.

You seem to be thinking that a treaty negotiated in, signed in, and directly about the people of the north of Ireland, should have also covered everyone else in the EU?

I am asking how that statement squares with the principle that member states are not allowed to discriminate between EU citizens of different member states ? A principle that was reluctantly relaxed when the Easter European members states joined, but otherwise is a key tenet ?

I'm asking because I don't know, and would like to.

I am asking how that statement squares with the principle that member states are not allowed to discriminate between EU citizens of different member states ?

Britain will no longer be a member state.

I think we're hurtling towards the cliff edge of no deal. I can't see how the government will come to any other resolution, given that they are resisting all attempts of acknowledging reality

So apparently there is someone who sources audience members for QT. This article is a bit old but I just checked last night's credits and she is still working for QT. The headline is a little misleading as they do say in the article that she liked a Britain First post which was one of their poppy ones which apparently a lot of people were taken in by.

But I think it shows how a bias can occur.

www.opendemocracy.net/ourbeeb/tim-holmes/is-question-time-s-audience-producer-really-fascist

DOn't know what's happening here

Matthew Holehouse
‏*@mattholehouse*
So telling that key sticking points in the transition are Home Office obsessions - free movement rights and the UK's ability to opt in to fresh JHA measures

Yes, indeed. There's a row because UK wants to opt into NEW EU laws, tightening integration between UK and EU police, security and courts, during the transition, and the EU doesn't want to let them. #oppositesday #brexit

“To be frank, I’m surprised," says bone-dry Barnier

On a humorous note...

☕️

https://www.indy100.com/article/brexit-yorkshire-tea-not-grown-in-england-africa-india-tea-trade-twitter-viral-funny-8200416

@susanWalker - possible bias in selection & definite dimble bias - was happy to let Terry Christian be shouted over but insisted on silence for claire Perry and Richard tice.

Meanwhile ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43002908

Channel tunnel train operator Eurostar is launching direct services between London and Amsterdam.

Trains will run twice daily from 4 April, with the journey from St Pancras to Amsterdam taking three hours and 41 minutes.

However, for an initial period, the Eurostar service will only run direct from London to the Dutch city.

Passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will have to change at Brussels to clear passport controls.

(contd)

Love this

"Unrepentant pro-Brexit politicians like Boris Johnson are pushing the UK government to take a hardline approach to the country's divorce from the European Union. Their tactics reveal their deep-seated cynicism -- and the extent to which they are harming the country."
www.spiegel.de/international/europe/hardline-brexiteers-are-making-cynical-demands-in-uk-a-1192720.html#ref=nl-international

I wouldn't put it past Boris to push the country over a cliff just so he can ride in and rescue it (conveniently dumping the then discredited loons like JRM as collateral).

Well, that's the rumour I started on Twitter .

No one's going to stop it DGRossetti That's kind of the point.

Perfect summary of Brexit negotiations in that cartoon, susan

Funny how despite being so spectacularly wrong less than a year ago[1] people are in thrall to the polls again ?

Tbf, YouGov's methodology was pretty spot on for the GE17 when everyone else was thinking they'd lost the plot. But, as PP said, without a real upcoming GE, people's responses aren't too meaningful yet. I never get asked any politics questions by them any more.

YouGov - I was asked my voting intention by them a couple of days ago. I decided to say Lib Dem because of Corbyn’s confusing stance on Brexit. I'm probably not your average voter though.