Westminstenders: Throwing Boomerangs

[RedToothBrush]

British politics and media in a nutshell.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang_effect_(psychology)#Political_beliefs

No EU progress, no discussion. Just this. Keep everyone in line by bouncing boomerangs.

Disaster capitalism looms, they just have to get us to the edge of the cliff before the centre reforms. That's it.

If the legal roads to stop Brexit are closed as David Allen Green says, then how do you force the political flood gates to open, especially with both the far left and the far right using micro-aggression against the public to keep the centre ground weak?

Answers on a ballot paper on 3rd May.

Two random thoughts struck me briefly in the night, as they do. I'd just like to get them off my chest but they've probably been addressed before.

1. Should remainers be genuinely ( or tactically) saying they want full Schengen and euro participation. That would perhaps pull compromise towards CU/SM and beyond it, if you see what I mean.

1. I was also worrying about the impact of any more terrorist attacks especially with all the focus on Royal weddings etc.

This made me re -ponder the impact on the referendum of the horrific French attacks. All that social media activity of changing your profile pic to include shading of a French flag. That spread like wildfire. I never do stuff like that, it just feels weird. I can't really articulate it very well, but from my acquaintances, the people who were outwardly showing all that (I am sure genuine sympathy) to France, also then voted Brexit.

There something about those flag campaigns which whilst showing solidarity, somehow also reinforce nationalism. The treatment also ties up France, and therefore the EU, with the threat of terrorism. Who starts those flag campaigns and is there any research into the psychological impact? Whilst it should be an EU solidarity thing, somehow it isn't.

I guess the Schengen and euro thoughts would just confirm Leavers' irrational fears.

It's just that when people don't agree, any compromise is more likely to be closer to what you want ( full membership) if you take a slightly more extreme position and can then make concessions.

Anecdata I know but there were unusually a lot of spare places in our primary school reception classes for the next academic year. We’re a warehouse town.

Jessica Elgot @ jessicaelgot
Huge delegation of MPs supporting Ruth Smeeth into Marc Wadsworth expulsion hearing
I think I can count about 40 MPs and peers - here supporting Ruth Smeeth - Luciana Berger, Stella Creasy, Alf Dubs, Lillian Greenwood, Wes Streeting... many more

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Wadsworth
Marc Wadsworth

Paul Brand @ paulbranditv
Have spotted Chris Williamson inside Ruth Smeeth hearing, presumably supporting Marc Wadsworth. This case pits Labour MP against Labour MP.

Chris Williamson is an absolute liability to Labour and Corbyn's actions yesterday where he refused to condemn him sharing a platform with anti-Semites really does not look good in this context.

Kevin Schofield @ polihomeeditor
Chris Williamson is apparently a character witness for Marc Wadsworth at his anti-Semitism hearing, and is due to give evidence on his behalf. One Labour MP said: "Williamson should be following Wadsworth out of the party, so will probably be in the Shadow Cabinet by Christmas."

This is in relation to the HMRC refusal to assist in the Lycamobile French money laundering investigation story that Buzzfeed ran:

Alex Campbell @alexcampbell
Just in: Nicky Morgan grills government on "extremely troubling" revelations about its refusal to help money laundering investigation citing that the suspect is a Tory donor. Story forthcoming from @Richard_AHolmes

Beth Rigby @ bethrigby
NEW: On back of that Macron/Trump love in, am hearing No 10 poised to announce the Trump visit to UK. Been talk of July 13....

Sam Coates Times @ samcoatestimes
Andrea Leadsom tells BBC Daily Politics that BOTH customs options for the NI border in last year's paper - including the "partnership" plan for UK to collect EU tariffs - are "workable", "plausible" and "reasonable".

Not sure Boris Johnson agrees with that

Andrea Leadsom confirms on BBC 2 Daily Politics that immigration policy is "subject to the negotiation", appearing to confirm that Brussels will have a role setting UK immigration policy.

Nicholas Mairs @ nicholas_mairs
Labour frontbencher Peter Dowd says parliamentary candidate Mandy Richards (who questioned the murder of Jo Cox and claimed MI5, the Met and others were harassing her) has been suspended from the party

Labour spox says she is not a candidate: "The NEC has not endorsed Mandy Richards as the Labour Party candidate for Worcester."

However she is not suspended from the Labour party

WTF? So is she suspended or not? And why not?!

John Stevens @ johnstevens
Mandy Richards has updated her Twitter bio

Sam Coates Times @ samcoatestimes
David Davis declares the government economic service modelling on trade is wrong. "The best modelling in the world is wrong," he says when asked this.

On this basis, DD appears to reject the principle of economic modelling to inform government policy altogether.

He's talking at the commons brexit select committee.

Tbh since brexit has been taken over by the Cabinet office and May has sidelined Davis, I haven't been bothered to watch. Seems a waste of time.

Anyway, this has somehow been buried:

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/capita-collapse-would-be-far-messier-carillion
Capita’s collapse would be far messier than Carillion’s

Yesterday Capita reported a £513 million annual loss, and now the company, one of the Government’s most favoured outsourcing providers, is planning to raise £701 million from shareholders.

This has drawn inevitable comparisons with the recent collapse of Carillion, which went into liquidation in January following the release of three profit warnings in the preceding six months. The Government has managed Carillion’s collapse with relatively little interruption to public contracts, continuing to pay staff working on them.

But if Capita was to fail, managing its collapse would not be as easy, and the damage would be significantly worse for government departments, local councils and the British public.

Capita was hit by one off costs (mostly writing down values of acquisitions made under previous management) and its underlying pre tax profits have increased, share price has increased 10% on the restructuring deal news. Seems that investors are more confident that the issues are being addressed?

More anecdata: I was speaking with three EU citizens yesterday and none of them were going to vote Labour at the local elections.

I know it's a miniscule sample but with 1 million EU nationals and a substantial Jewish community, I wouldn't be so surprised to hear that Labour is not polling well in London..

Esther Webber @estwebber
The big fight today in the Lords is over Henry VIII powers and we'll be bringing you all the action as it happens

Popcorn...?

George Eaton @georgeeaton
Exclusive: Len McCluskey accuses Labour MPs of “smearing” Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism and warns they will “be held to account”.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/04/exclusive-len-mccluskey-accuses-labour-mps-smearing-jeremy-corbyn-over-anti
Exclusive: Len McCluskey accuses Labour MPs of “smearing” Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism
The Unite general secretary warns in the New Statesman that “Corbyn-hater MPs” can “expect to be held to account”.

bangs head against brick wall repeatedly

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/25/arthur-snell-high-commissioner-baby-denied-uk-passport-2011?CMP=twt_gu
Not British enough': ex-high commissioner's baby denied UK passport in 2011
Arthur Snell says Home Office defaults to refusal of citizenship wherever possible to make it difficult for applicants

Esther Webber @estwebber
Peers now voting on crossbencher Lord Lisvane's amendment - would mean Henry VIII powers created in Brexit bill can only be used where "necessary" rather than where deemed "appropriate” by ministers
Govt defeat: Peers vote 349 to 221 for amendment meaning Henry VIII powers created in Brexit bill can only be used where "necessary" rather than where deemed "appropriate” by ministers

Amber Rudd currently getting an absolute doing from Yvette Cooper at the Home Affairs Select Committee.

AR denying any knowledge of removal targets (as apparently stated as existing by the previous person questioned) and then tries to obfuscate by asking whether the evidence had been about percentages (don't percentage targets have to be based on you know numbers ? - and by her very request for clarification/denial, actually admitted that there were targets? )

How many govt defeats is that in the past week?
I know a lot of people don't like the HoL because of the principle of holding unelected office - but I think they're showing their worth here. There is something to be said for people who don't have to worry about reelection or deselection- they can vote with their conscience and not with populism and the party whip. Plus they only get paid if they turn up.
I'd be sorry to see the Lords changed into an American style senate.

They had four defeats yesterday. One today. This one has been the biggest yet. Inc 13 Tory rebels.

Faisal Islam @faisalislam
It was the Immigration Services Union's Lucy Moreton who told the Committee from the same seats net removal target - "for removals targets its immigration enforcement - separated into regions"... Yes

NEW: "Net Removal targets certainly do exist, and I'm somewhat bemused as to why the Home Secretary would say they do not exist" says ISU's Lucy Moreton to @Skynews - indeed she tells me the number - 8,337

... further tells me that they were broken down by region, and the net removal targets appeared on posters all around the Home Office locations

This is not a good look for Amber Rudd (nor indeed May).

Would be interesting to see the break down.

There is something to be said for people who don't have to worry about reelection or deselection- they can vote with their conscience and not with populism and the party whip. Plus they only get paid if they turn up.

Absolutely. There are worse things than an unelected second house.

Kevin Schofield @PolhomeEditor
Labour MP Neil Coyle: ""This is hugely disrespectful to the leader. Jeremy has said there is a problem, and Len is saying he is wrong."

Labour MP Ian Austin: “Can’t Len McCluskey understand how offensive it is for Jewish people who have been caused such distress by antisemitism in the Labour Party for him to dismiss their concerns as smears?”

Two Irish stories.

Home Office withdraws Border Force job ads over discrimination fears.
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland says requirement for British passport is potentially unlawful.

Oops.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/25/home-office-withdraws-border-force-job-adverts-over-discrimination-fears?CMP=share_btn_tw

And

lisa o'carroll
‏*@lisaocarroll*

David Davis keep referring to Ireland as "the south". Memo to Davis: The south of Ireland is Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Wexford. Ireland does not reference itself in relation to Northern Ireland. It is a whole country in its own right and it is called Ireland, or the Republic of Ire