Westminstenders: From Russia with Love

[RedToothBrush]

Things just got scary.

The colony of US puppet state or a vassel state of the EU?

Why not just let market forces take their course and let Russia buy the UK?

How did we get to stories of spies and mafia who buy politicians?

Just who are our enemies and allies?

Won't someone think of the effect on house prices in Salisbury?

Try not to don your foil hat, brace yourself and resist shouting 'money laundering too loud'.

More turbulence ahead.

Brexit still seems like such a cracking idea doesn't it?

Violetparis, quite possibly not.

Macron has different considerations whether we like it or not though. He isn't charged with defence of the UK. He isn't going to be the next PM. That's important.

There are reasons, politically, why withholding unconditional support for British defence might be a good tactical move for France and will play well with a French audience. All this business where we have been saying that the EU needs our intelligence more than we need theirs for example.

Or maybe leverage for this:
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/emmanuel-emmanuel-macron-eu-army-joint-defence-budget-french-president-nato-britain-brexit-russia-a7968346.html
Emmanuel Macron calls for EU army and shared defence budget

Its exactly the wedge between the UK and the EU that Brexit makes.

I also do know that Macron is domestically getting criticism for not being quite as liberal in practice as people in the UK profess too.

Corbyn's point ALLOWS Macron to take that line too. Unity at home would have made it more difficult for Macron to make a soft statement. It weakens the UK's call for political support on the matter.

If Macron had supported May, Macron would be under pressure to make a stronger statement. Corbyn gave him a get out of jail free card.

That plays to Macron's agenda. Why make a strong statement when you don't have to, when you maybe see your defensive plan moving in a different direction to where its been for the last 60 years?

And, inter alia, UK law is being hastily changed to allow police at the border to detain those feared to be seeking entry to the UK with the malign purpose of committing "hostile state activity".

Without parliamentary oversight ?

The one thing I like about May's response is that it's a sort of mild non-response, which will be easier to explain away or change with time.

Without parliamentary oversight ?

Par for the course for May.

Indeed

Andrew Adonis
@Andrew_Adonis
Long & v unsatisfactory Lords debate on the parliamentary process for considering Mrs May’s withdrawal treaty. Minister Lord Callanan wouldn’t even agree that parliament was sovereign and could determine the best course if that meant a referendum.

Henry Mance @henrymance
Four hours later, spot the new words in Jeremy Corbyn's response to the Skripal attack.

Thanks for your analysis Red

Doesn't matter. Too late now.

He's already played to his crowd and undermined the PM. He's planted that seed of doubt and trust in the security services.

mobile.twitter.com/estwebber/status/973967483823706113

Steve Bullock
@GuitarMoog
The Minister Lord Callanan apparently nonplussed by the suggestion that while it may be Govt policy that Art50 should not be revoked, they cannot assert that it will not happen as Parliament can decide that it will.

We are deep in a constitutional crisis IMHO.

pain's quote from DavidAllenGreen is telling:

"Looking at Corbyn, Farage and Trump, I guess the definition of "grassroots populist" is now someone unable to criticise Putin."

Telling… they are telling us who they are
…and who they are is very worrying

(Trump rates by far the highest sphincter factor, due to being the most powerful man in the world)

Btw, this was another Trump tactic.

Say something really controversial. Let it play to your core base.

Then reverse it, so your softer supporters come back rushing to your defence saying, 'well he's apologised now so its all ok'.

The problem is the damage was done initially. It has an effect on voter trust in the long term.

Its just a political play which is about power, not policy.

We need policy right now. From any party.

Btw has there been any more news about Nikolai Glushkov?

Sam Coates Times @SamCoatesTimes
The Press Association has named Seumas Milne as the Jeremy Corbyn spokesman who said that the history of the UK intelligence agencies is "problematic"

Retweeted by Caroline Lucas who added:

Caroline Lucas @CarolineLucas
It should not be controversial to say UK intelligence agencies have made serious, dangerous mistakes in the past.

But it's also fair to conclude - on the evidence given today - that the Salisbury attack was highly likely to be from Russia & tough action is needed.

Kevin Schofield @PolhomeEditor
Not every day the leader of the Greens is more hawkish than the leader of the Labour Party.

And here's the latest from Corbyn:
twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/973971196889980929

Jeremy Corbyn @jeremycorbyn
The attack in Salisbury was an appalling act of violence, which we condemn in the strongest terms.

The Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of the evidence and our response must be both decisive and proportionate.

Corbyn and Seamus don't seem to be able to decide the official Labour Line between them. This is all perfectly Normal and Healthy. I'm sure Labour MPs will be grateful when they are eventually told what lines they have to repeat back without critical thought.

That twitter feed was amazing. And actually if you widen it out from the trans thing is also the root cause of Brexit. Too many politicians trying to tell the working class what they need, instead of asking them what they need. Like the whole universal credit thing. That was wished on us from a sound principle of helping people into work but they didn't ask the people in question what would help them they ploughed on regardless.

Still dithering over whether to resign from labour or stay in so I can vote for the next leader.

Cheering myself up by watching back episodes of time team. Wall to wall experts. It's lovely.

I've eaten my body weight in biscuits today

For several reasons;

General depression and rage at the fucking state we're in

Biscuits are tasty

I'm laying down fat for the apocalypse

#biscuits make everything better
(I might suggest that as a new uk labour slogan. Makes more sense than their current shtick)

...and what happened to my ruddy paragraphs!!??

...well that was a busy day whilst I was working with no time for phone access. Corbyn seems to be trying to tweet his way out now.

Completely separately is this true in the Mirror? If so what has the referendum released?

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/black-boy-tied-lamppost-whipped-12180662

Also has this emerged today?

www.politico.eu/article/london-and-brussels-warm-to-brexit-israel-option/

MrsR < shakes head sadly > chocolate is good for depression

chocolate increases the brain's levels of serotonin, the same mood-enhancing chemical as in SSRIs (a widely used type of antidepressant)

This too

Four Muslim MPs receive suspicious packages at Westminster
Police say parcels contained ‘low-level noxious’ substance and letters advocating violence against Muslims

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/13/police-investigate-new-suspicious-package-sent-mp-rupa-huq-westminster

Apologies if this has been already posted too

'Punish a Muslim day' letters probed by terror police

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-43356769

Bath Chronicle is source for the whipping report:

Bath school governors refuse to expel boys accused of 'mock slave auction' of black pupil

Police are investigating, but alleged culprits are back at school.

https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/bath-school-governors-refuse-expel-1333724?_ga=2.102442309.53654179.1521056676-228972256.1521056676

The school did not tell parents about the incident until today (March 13), after they learned the Bath Chronicle was going to publish a story.

But news of the incident had already spread,
and several parents with children at the school had already contacted us to express their dismay at the shocking nature of the alleged incident and particularly the school’s handling of it.