Westminstenders: Exit 2020 Vision

[RedToothBrush]

Yet it is a great mistake to suppose that the only writers who matter are those whom the educated in their saner moments can take seriously. There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics for the benefit of the ignorant and the superstitious. There are times when this underworld emerges from the depths and suddenly fascinates, capturers and dominates multitudes of usually sane and responsible people, who thereupon take leave of sanity and responsibility. And it occasionally happens that this underworld becomes a political power and changes the course of history.
Norm Cohn ‘Warrant for Genocide’ 1970

(As referenced by Nick Cohen).

We have a deal (or bits of a deal). Bino til Dec 2020. Then the cliff?

Still a long way to go. It sounds better than it could be. But worse than it initially seems.

Sam Coates Times
@SamCoatesTimes
Interesting. Brexit Central - which claims to be a journalistic outfit and has Westminster press gallery passes - now issuing press releases discrediting campaign claims. I make no comment on substance, but should BC have privileged journo access to this place?

twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/978267574185193473

Oh lord we are like the States, resignation of high level people every few minutes because they simply disagree with what they're being asked to do or know it's impossible.

It's no contest is it - a job juggling Prince William's affairs, or being the lead civil servant tasked with finding a solution for the Irish border. Hmmm.

Eloise Todd
‏*@eloisetodd*
Categorical statement from Theresa May’s right-hand man on his role (or lack thereof) in alleged Leave campaign cheating

“No responsibility...”
“..entirely within the law....at all times”

all this coming from the heart of Number 10 feels very, very wrong.

Jo Maugham QC
‏*@JolyonMaugham*
More Jo Maugham QC Retweeted Eloise Todd
So the Electoral Commission has now been told by two senior Ministers - Johnson and Gove - and the Political Secretary to the PM (Stephen Parkinson) that there is nothing to see.

Terrifying how the Executive now thinks it's ok to prejudge the work of independent agencies.

Less than a month ago I wrote this (waitingfortax.com/2018/02/28/this-is-no-time-for-complacency-the-rule-of-law-is-under-threat/ …). The complacent and the ugly can sneer. But these are the facts about how our constitution is in peril - and they are serious.

We are jettisoning much of the post-war constitutional superstructure. We are losing the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Prime Minister has signalled her intention to ditch the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government’s EU Withdrawal Bill places broad law making powers directly into the hands of Ministers. The devolution settlements are under explicit threat. Cabinet Ministers are contemplating the reintroduction of a hard border in Northern Ireland. The Government routinely ignores in part or in whole motions in Parliament. It acts in breach of constitutional conventions (para 150). “Senior Brexit Tory MPs,” it is reported, are taking legal advice on whether the Executive can ignore the Supremacy of Parliament. The Prime Minister appointed as her official spokesman a man, James Slack, whose ‘Enemies of the People’ front page incited threats against judges.

Three top barristers conclude: 'Vote Leave committed crime on Brexit campaign

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/three-top-barristers-conclude-crime-committed-over-brexit-vote-a3799261.html

Terrifying how the Executive now thinks it's ok to prejudge the work of independent agencies
It is.

Pain- more legal advice on whether the supremacy of Parliament can be ignored by the executive? Coup. Coup.Coup.

Did the millions spent in legal fees appeal the decision over triggering Article 50 not teach a lesson about supremacy?

On job departures from DexEU.An opportune reminder of these stats from the FT:

•Dexeu staff departures are running at 9 per cent a quarter. The civil service average is 9 per cent a year.

•Civil Service People Survey found that 44 per cent of Dexeu civil servants said they planned to leave in 2018.

•	In 2017 Dexeu lost its top civil servant, three senior ministers and <a class="break-all" href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/governments-brexit-department-chaos-more-140-job-roles-still-unfilled-1652556" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">well over 100 of its 600 employees</a>. 

https://www.ft.com/content/b3fe6e08-f084-11e7-b220-857e26d1aca4

Sam Coates Times @SamCoatesTimes
NEW: Documents released by Bindmans law firm (who act for Wylie and Sanni) have a THIRD whistleblower - in other words a new one

I think "coup" is right

If it's proven that Leave campaigners broke the law, stole personal data, plus the Putin interference discrediting the Leave win is proven, what then?

I voted Remain and from what I've seen since the ref was 100% right to do so and would vote Remain again and would stop Brexit if I could. I am resigned to it happening though. I almost think the only way we are going to learn our lesson on this is leaving the EU seeing what a complete and utter disaster it is and rejoining on much worse terms in the 2030s.

Also why all this focus on what Stephen Parkinson knew about circumventing the electoral spending limits? Why does the buck stop with him?

Look. It's just that kind of basic, arrogant, not thought through and fairly unimaginative way of trying to weasel around the rules. Aaron Banks can't give us more money officially, so duh, we'll channel it through an effective subsidiary set up for that purpose.

Who was Parkinson's boss?
What was the hierarchy in that bit of Vote Leave? Which politicians? Farage or Gove?

I guess Kenn that the dirtier the referendum was (and it so was) then the easier it is to justify the closest BINO possible...or remaining.

Or I suppose another ref?

Margaret Hodge @margarethodge
Jeremy has allowed himself to become the poster boy of anti-Semites everywhere. He needs to act now to disassociate himself from these people and stamp out this anti-Semitism once and for all #EnoughIsEnough
We now have to seriously reconsider holding another inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Read my full statement here:
www.facebook.com/MargaretHodgeBarking/posts/1595959787107788

Pretty sure this has been posted already, but it's the DUP link which is what's rattling most cages, I imagine.
www.opendemocracy.net/David-Burnside-Putin-Russia-DUP-Brexit-Donaldson-Vincent-Tchenguiz

At the moment, Theresa May appears to think she is above the law, and only answerable to her extreme right wing.

I feel a sense of despair, and then take myself sharply in hand and tell myself that the fight isn't over yet. I suspect we may have to crash out, and then re-enter on worse terms. This will probably be extremely good for us in that it will finally shatter the inflated idea that we are important because we had a big empire. An empire which started to decline just over 70 years ago.

I suspect we may have to crash out, and then re-enter on worse terms. This will probably be extremely good for us in that it will finally shatter the inflated idea that we are important because we had a big empire.

I do sadly agree with this- it's the hubris, nemesis and catharsis thing again.

If it's proven that Leave campaigners broke the law, stole personal data, plus the Putin interference discrediting the Leave win is proven, what then?

Sometimes there is no remedy in law.

The third Corbyn apology.

Again saying he didn't study the mural closely. Which if you've read the letter to the Rev, is bullshit.

But there you go.

Obviously this has caused a storm within the party.

I was wondering hypothetically what could be worse?

We have Russian and psych graphic profiling and electoral funding fraud.

If the Leave campaign had, say, somehow electronically intercepted the referendum
result and transposed the figures.
Absurd I know- would there still be no redress?

My point is just how bad does the interference have to be?

@EdwardJDavey
Lib Dems seeking an emergency Commons debate on #CambridgeAnalytica scandal & the new evidence on illegal collusion between VoteLeave/BeLeave to fund “weapons-grade military propaganda machine” used on voters #ExitFromBrexit #FBPE

Dunt on Starmer's gamesmanship:
This is precisely what Starmer Prime is now trying to control. He plans to introduce an amendment to the EU withdrawal bill creating a statutory provision that it is for parliament to say what comes next if the motion is defeated, not the government. He wants to take the response to the defeat out of No.10's hands and back to the Commons

The government response was revealingly weak

Parliament, including the Labour party front bench, voted overwhelmingly to trigger Article 50 and did so in the knowledge that there would be a meaningful vote in both Houses," a Tory spokesperson said. "Once again, this is just Labour seeking to frustrate the Brexit process, coming as they refuse to rule out a second referendum

This is revealing. It's not a functioning argument. If anything, it is an argument against the Tory position, because a meaningful vote is impossible under the terms they have set for it. It shows how little they have in the rhetorical armoury to respond to moves like this.

^There is decent chance that enough Tories would vote for this amendment. It is sensible, it appeals to the 'take back parliamentary control' principles the referendum was based on, and it targets the exact moment of future political chaos when legislative control will be crucial.

It's the product of smart opposition. More of this please. And less nonsense about passports

www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2018/03/26/amid-all-the-nonsense-labour-starts-the-right-fight-on-brexi

Cheery new group just started in picture above.

I can't see enough Tories voting for anything except to preserve the Tory party. Sorry, I am very cynical.

I can't see enough Tories voting for anything except to preserve the Tory party.

Unless they wake up, and realise that the Tory party will do fuck all to protect them ...

Sam Coates Times
@SamCoatesTimes
Bindman release a 53 page document of Vote Leave emails and other docs

Just been surveyed by Populus. This one was about the UK union, are we better off in or out of EU, how much influence NI, Scotland, Wales and England have and how much influence do you think each has on the Union, and if the Government did various things at local level would it make much difference. There was also one about how much would Scottish independence negatively impact my local area. They did ask how voted in the Referendum.

Although actually, if it’s the whistleblower they might not want their identify publicised just yet. I regret posting that now

Going off in the Commons now:

Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak
Ben Bradshaw asks stinging Q of PM about outing of BeLeave campaigner - May says they were 'personal statements' not Number 10
Angela Eagle now asking about Stephen Parkinson - 'you should sack him' - PM says 'that is not what I should be doing' - 'any statements that were made were personal statements'