Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Brexit

Westministenders: Amber Alert

977 replies

RedToothBrush · 29/04/2018 19:25

The coming week is a busy one.

First on the menu is the fate of Amber Rudd, who after her long awaited fifth apology and denial that she saw a memo with targets on (and Brandon Lewis took the responsibility for her) ANOTHER leak has come out of a letter from her to the PM, talking about, you've guessed it Home Office targets.

She is to give a speech to the HoC on Monday. After avoiding the chop/resignation on Friday and receiving the PM's kiss of death with a "The Home Secretary has my full confidence" statement, rumours are most definitely not going away about her resignation.

If this happens, she is almost certain to go to the Naughty Corner to add to May's woes with the other rebels. This is not the week that May will appreciate it.

Watch out for Sajid Javid making more unsubtle hints that he wants the job and how it will be great PR for the party.

The EU withdrawal Bill is in the HoL again tomorrow. Last week it suffered numerous government defeats relating to the Customs Union and the limiting of Henry VIII powers. With the LDs and Labour control most of the house and together with cross benchers and the (to date no less than 17) Conservative Rebels, expect more defeats and amendments to be sent back to the Commons.

Today there is an amendment tabled by Viscount Hailsham (ex-MP Douglas Hogg) with Labour and Lib Dem support. It is being touted as a 'Lords Veto' to block Brexit by some, but is about making sure the government is held to account and does not overstep its powers by not consulting with parliament over final terms. It would in effect strengthen the power of the House of Commons (rather than the Lords) to influence the Withdrawal Bill.

So its quite a big and significant one.

If this wasn't enough, there is a key crucial vote over the Customs Union. Its been touted as Schrodinger's confidence vote. Its not the final vote on the matter (that's later in May) nor is a true confidence vote due to the Fixed Parliament Act, but at the same time it is a real test of May's commitment to leaving the Custom's Union and a real test of the resolve of the rebels. Last week several Conservatives who previously had not rebelled were dropping large hints they would, plus there is the fate of Rudd, who if she wants a future as an MP will find it difficult not to rebel due to her constituency being hugely remain and only having a majority of 300.

If May fails to follow through and bows to pressure from the rebels, Johnson and Davis have threatened to resign and there is some suggestion that letters will go to the 1922 Committee's Graham Brady.

May also has been put under significant pressure by Brexiteers to sack civil servant Ollie Robbins from the Cabinet Office (who has effectively taken over Brexit negotiations from Davis) because he's too Remainy got his hands tied with no where to go because reality.

Other things on the cards:
Tuesday: The Sanctions and Money Laundering Bill is back in the Commons. It might be worth a look at what goes on there (and who takes part).
Wednesday: Labour's Opposition Bill is about Windrush. Expect it to be last minute campaigning for the local elections every bit as much as about the scandal.
The Withdrawal Bill is in the Lords again.
Thursday: We get to listen to David Davis (if he hasn't resigned) making excuses in the HoC whilst in the Lords there is a debate on 'Brexit: Sanctions Policy' so another chance for them to point out great big wacking holes in government Brexit Policy.

Thursday is also the day of the Local Elections, so although Parliament adjourns on Thursday, we have a full day of spin on how Labour 'won' and are going plant magic money trees everywhere (to replace the ones they cut down in Sheffield no doubt) or how the campaign for bins now means that the Tories now have a 'mandate to leave the customs union'. Joy.

Also on the radar are sexual misconduct allegations against Labour's John Woodcock (the much hated by the left John Woodcock) and Labour and the expulsion of Marc Wadworth in the midst of the anti-Semitism row and threats the grass roots will revolt over it. Tuesday is also MayDay (a chequered day in Labour's history) and a mass resignation from the Labour Party by women is planned.

And I'm definitely not betting against there being a likely to be another scandal that rears its head because that's just British Politics at the moment.

But GOOD NEWS.

Eurovision starts next week!
(Israel have to be my fav - and are favs to win - but I do like our entry. Though this year looks to be a good year and our unashamed goodbye to the EU probably will be lost amongst them unless she pulls a blinder).

OP posts:
Thread gallery
51
HesterThrale · 03/05/2018 21:36

Wow. Parliament uniting against the Brexiteers?

Senior members of every main party said that if compromises were taken off the table by the Brexiteers, then they would unite to ensure Britain remained part of a customs union.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve said: “They [Brexiteers] may get 60 signatures to a letter, but the reality is there may be 500-plus MPs who disagree with them.”
Former education secretary Nicky Morgan said Chief Whip Julian Smith could not get the numbers to push a hard Brexit through Parliament. “If Government cannot make this critical decision, then I think Parliament is going to have to provide a real lead,” she said. Urging ministers to accept softer Brexit proposals, she said: “We remain prepared to help No 10 get to that position.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: “I hope that the large number of Conservatives who share our concerns about the doctrinaire obsession with leaving the customs union vote to remain within it.”

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-news-latest-theresa-may-warned-youll-lose-over-customs-union-a3830471.html

SwedishEdith · 03/05/2018 21:37

Looks like it, doesn't it? He's 70 in December. That's one hell of a stressful job although he claims he reads 5 books a week. Probably because he's not doing any Brexit work?

RedToothBrush · 03/05/2018 21:42

Reading Mr Tickle, Mr Strong, Mr Small, Mr Tall and Mr Grumpy in one week is NOT an achievement unless you are 5.

OP posts:
woman11017 · 03/05/2018 21:46

@tnewtondunn
Local elections latest, as polls close: senior Tory source tells me it’s two v different elections, London and then England 1/3

RedToothBrush · 03/05/2018 21:49

I would be prepared to bet a moderate sum of money that Brexit has literally driven David Davis to drink.

You were following Ian Dunt's twitter feed yon Tuesday?

Ian Dunt @ iandunt
It's really hard to take a screenshot of him where he looks sober.

And

Ian Dunt @ iandunt
DD very relaxed. And as ever looks like's recovering from brandy ingested while jogging

Westministenders: Amber Alert
Westministenders: Amber Alert
OP posts:
woman11017 · 03/05/2018 21:49

@tnewtondunn
In London; Labour swamping target areas with bodies. All about stemming losses for Tories, but now quite confident of keeping Hillingdon, plus probably Westminster & Wandsworth too 2/3

Outside of capital, Tories think they can make gains - especially in Midland swing seats; eg Dudley, Walsall, Derby. Source: “It’s all about who can turn out more of their own”. But turnout seems low everywhere 3/3

woman11017 · 03/05/2018 21:52

Dunt's twitter feed yesterday on DD was a thing of beauty. Grin

Mistigri · 03/05/2018 22:27

I hadn't seen that RTB (though I love Ian Dunt) - but he's not the first to suggest that DD might imbibe a little too much.

Alcohol is probably behind a lot of bad political decisions and incoherent policy.

SusanWalker · 03/05/2018 22:52

I'm feeling a bit left out as we have no elections here today. I am not even looking forward to the results as I don't want either May or Corbyn crowing about how well they've done. Politics is very depressing at the moment.

woman11017 · 03/05/2018 22:55

@tnewtondunn
Excl: Theresa May holds back Brexit bills from Commons until Autumn to duck defeats to keep UK in customs union;

BigChocFrenzy · 04/05/2018 00:07

swedish That's hysterical: DD doing exactly what he said only desperate ministers out of ideas did Grin
He's desperate and plucking technological solutions out of his arse

I agree DD seemed far more competent in the past - but was that when he didn't actually have to do anything much himself, just criticise others ?

He may just no longer have the mental flexibility to learn a highly technical, enormously complex, subject from scratch.
However, senior civil servants could & should have given him a primer, or he could have just read R North's blog
The problem is he also would require flexibility in changing deep seated beliefs to which he is emotionally attached

BigChocFrenzy · 04/05/2018 00:21

I'm seriously shocked that any "gatekeepers" didn't know that EU citizens with EU ID and polling cards are still entitled to vote in local elections

These are trained public servants wrongly preventing legitimate votes

I hope those turned away, even if they were later allowed to vote, definitely make a complaint
We need to know how a normally efficient system made this kind of error

Reports in Tower Hamlets: I wonder how many EU citizens across the country were unable to vote, because they could be an important group of voters - maybe for the first and last time

3.7 million EU citizens, including of the RoI, live in the Uk - that could be about 2 million voters

BigChocFrenzy · 04/05/2018 00:25

I know EU citizens may not be entitled to vote again in the UK, but it is still important to find out why this happened,

in order to make sure that ID checks at future elections don't exclude people that look furrin, or likely to support a particular party

RedToothBrush · 04/05/2018 03:00

Derby leader loses to UKIP
The Labour leader of Derby Council, Ranjit Banwait, has lost his seat to UKIP. BBC Radio Derby's political reporter Chris Doidge says Mr Banwait was present for neither count, nor declaration.

Lots of other stories tonight but ukip holding any seats is out there. UkIP GAINS are frightening.

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 04/05/2018 03:08

Just putting this here as is customary at 3am to have a good old fashioned Sunderland moment:

Pallion (Sunderland) result:

LDem: 60.1% (+57.0)
Lab: 29.4% (-18.4)
Con: 7.3% (-7.0)
Grn: 3.1% (-1.7)

LDem GAIN.

No UKIP (-30.1) as prev.

Overall for the council
Sunderland council, results of seats up:

Lab: 17 seats (-4)
Con: 5 (+2)
LDem: 3 (+3)
Ind: 0 (-1)

Chgs. w/ 2014

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 04/05/2018 05:56

why on Earth are pilots about non existent voter fraud happening?

Because it serves the interests of the Tories to suggest that voter fraud is a real problem, that opposition forces are willing to resort to dirty tricks to defeat the patriots with the blue rosettes, that British democracy is being subverted by unnamed but heavily hinted-at Others.

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 04/05/2018 06:04

Nothing to do with voter suppression?

Mistigri · 04/05/2018 06:06

LE results a very damp squib so far, which means that all the parties except UKIP will be able to spin the results in their favour, and the Tories will spin hardest and best as usual.

Disappointing but unsurprising.

Mistigri · 04/05/2018 06:12

Nothing to do with voter suppression?

Everything to do with voter suppression.

A voter ID scheme in countries where there no free, obligatory national ID card is always about voter suppression.

lonelyplanetmum · 04/05/2018 06:16

Because it serves the interests of the Tories to suggest that voter fraud is a real problem..

Yes. Only 28 confirmed cases of voter fraud in a country of 66.6 million people. Does this really deserve govt time and resources.The following things aren't worthy of similar levels of attention:

  1. Senior cabinet members' knowledge about electoral funding fraud (BeLeave).
  1. The influence of psychographic profiling and data misuse on recent important votes (CA).
Dobby1sAFreeElf · 04/05/2018 06:26

Just got back from our count. Some interesting results from within the vote share but overall much of a muchness in terms of who are elected. Bad night for Labour here though.

OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 04/05/2018 06:50

Kuenssberg's take so far matches what you saw dobby

Local elections 2018: Voters back the status quo so far
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44000529

VivaKondo · 04/05/2018 07:05

in order to make sure that ID checks at future elections don't exclude people that look furrin, or likely to support a particular party

The thing is it’s not JUST elections. When you have created a system where the NHS, employers, landlords p, banks etc are responsible to check if x person is staying in the country legally, then the door is WIDE OPEN to end up in a situation where anyone will have to prove their identity and citizenship.
I know there has already being some issues with people from Scotland needing care in a london hospital. They were refused on the grounds that they were ‘clearly’ foreigners from their accent and needed to first present their passport (that they didn’t have as they were still in the U.K...)
I’m sure the same thing will happen in other areas (banks for example). It just hasn’t happened enough yet to create an outcry (and the Windrush scandal shows it can take a very long time and a lot of people affected before it becomes an issue).

Imo voting rights are just a very small part of the issue there (bar the fact it could be very easily solved by having free or very low cost ID cards)

VivaKondo · 04/05/2018 07:14

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/may/04/labour-and-tories-enjoy-mixed-night-of-results-in-local-elections-in-england

So as far as we can see, no major changes between labour and conservatives.
And UKIP collapsed.

Peregrina · 04/05/2018 07:17

Quite a good night for the Lib Dems, I see - up 41 seats.