Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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
Dobby1sAFreeElf · 10/05/2018 21:16

from @guitarmoog
UK: You know the 21 month transition we agreed?
EU: Yes
UK: Can we have 36 months instead?
EU: Why?
UK: Because we can't decide among ourselves whether to go for the option you described as 'fantasy', or the one you described as 'unworkable'.
EU: Guys🤦‍♂️!

RedToothBrush · 10/05/2018 22:11

Harry Cole @MrHarryCole
EXC: So tonight it’s Max Fac on the up. MPs told privately by No10 it’s on agenda like never before as PM tasks cabinet critics of the hi-tech Brexit customs fix to sit down with DD and make it work:
www.thesun.co.uk/news/6258797/brexit-theresa-may-max-fac-customs-union/
MAX FACTOR Theresa May submits to Brexiteer pressure and could pick a high-tech customs plan after weeks of opposing it

Theresa May today summoned Karen Bradley and Greg Clark - the biggest advocates for a Customs Partnership - to form a new Cabinet working group with DD to stress test and fix Max Fac for the Irish border.
A second working group was set up (Fox/Gove/Liddington) to seek consensus on doomed Customs Partnership. But as one Whitehall source says tonight: “that’s not going to happen.”
Meanwhile two dozen angry Tory MPs lobbied Chief Whip to kill Customs Partnership and were told Max Fac finally being taken seriously as the fix

Apart from it being impossible to achieve in the time frame and having been already rejected by the EU, its not compatible with the GFA...

OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 10/05/2018 22:32

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dup-faces-heavy-responsibility-for-brexit-position-taken-lightly-1.3489256

DUP faces heavy responsibility for Brexit position taken lightly
Party publicly panicking as UK plan for EU customs partnership falls apart. Good article from the Irish Times.

I'm seriously Envy at Lisbon and Eurovision.

BigChocFrenzy · 10/05/2018 22:33

All this noise & fury over plans the EU has already rejected 🤦🏻‍♀️

BigChocFrenzy · 10/05/2018 22:41

While the Uk govt is arguing with itself over 6 impossible things before breakfast …

It is likely that the European Council meeting on 28-29 June will stop trade talks,
because it will assess that the Uk has no realistic proposal for a frictionless NI-RoI border.

The Uk govt has assumed they will have until early October,
BUT
that date is for the final proposal to be fully in a legal document, to give time for all the govts to approve before w2 March 2019

The EU would stop the clock to allow more time to clarify details, but may not when it is a case of the UK govt hardly progressing or learning anything, since invoking A50

BigChocFrenzy · 10/05/2018 23:56

The vice-chancellor of Oxford University has said the UK stands to miss out on billions in EU research funding under current (UK payg) Brexit proposals.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/may/10/brexit-could-cost-uk-research-sector-billions-says-oxford-boss

lonelyplanetmum · 11/05/2018 00:25

Well, having chatted to some lovely German, Swedish, Ukrainian, Belgian, Australian, Irish and Portuguese Eurovision fans today, I can say being linked to other Europeans in any way is a complete honour.

Whilst we have truly f'd it all up, I take some small comfort from the fact that at least we were lucky enough to be a member for forty years.

mathanxiety · 11/05/2018 03:17

The pressures of that poverty on families, Dr Cheung says, are becoming tragically clear. “A few months ago we had discussions with social services about whether a child was being cared for properly,” he recalls. “But it just turned out that the mother was working two jobs, she had two other children and was simply under pressure not to take more time off to go to an asthma appointment. In the end, we agreed to see the child at home because that was the only way we could make it work.

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/23/poorer-children-disproportionately-need-hospital-treatment
From RTB's Guardian link posted earlier.

Parents not able to take time off work means many children's illnesses develop to the point where they may become catastrophic.

lalalonglegs · 11/05/2018 07:54

BBC is reporting that Leave.EU has been fined by the Electoral Commission for misspending... They must pay £80,000 - barely a rap on the knuckles.

ScreenQueen · 11/05/2018 07:58

Who was responsible for the funding issue? Electoral commission has just tweeted "she" has been referred to the Met.

ScreenQueen · 11/05/2018 07:58

*Met police For criminal offences

Buteo · 11/05/2018 08:03

Electoral Commussion report names Elizabeth Bilney as the responsible person?

Dobby1sAFreeElf · 11/05/2018 08:04

We really need to give some real teeth to the electoral commission. But I can't see a lot of mps seeing this as being in their party's interests so it's can be filed under never going to happen.

lalalonglegs · 11/05/2018 08:04

Elizabeth Bilney clearly the person responsible for this Hmm.

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2018 08:05

Why am I not surprised that its a woman who has been reported to the met?

OP posts:
Dobby1sAFreeElf · 11/05/2018 08:06

She claims to be the CEO of leave.eu.
I say claim as it's via her Twitter profile and I haven't bothered verifying it.

Buteo · 11/05/2018 08:14

She is Leave.EU CEO, plus a director of Westmonster Ltd, Better For The Country Ltd, various big data and polling companies, and, ooh look, Eldon Insurance Group.

Which the Arron Banks’s firm that funnelled £12 million into Leave.EU.

Dodgy, no?

Buteo · 11/05/2018 08:18

Although Companies House lists only Banks as a person with significant control over Leave.EU (as in 75% or more ownership or voting rights).

Buteo · 11/05/2018 08:20

She lists herself in LinkedIn as CEO of Eldon Insurance ...

Buteo · 11/05/2018 08:33

And she set up a company in Feb 2018 with Banks’s brother, a HK based lawyer (who helped Banks settle out of court in 2015 when the purchaser of his Brightside company were suing him for various management failings).

Curious.

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2018 09:07

Robert Wright @ RKWinvisibleman
Public appointments: a how-not-to guide from the UK government:
amp.ft.com/content/7324c92a-5445-11e8-b24e-cad6aa67e23e?__twitter_impression=true
Ousted student loan chief was appointed despite Whitehall warning
Steve Lamey later suspended then dismissed over allegations of misconduct

Familiar pattern?

Headhunters told the business department in March 2016 that Mr Lamey was the only appointable candidate for chief executive of the SLC.

Does this worry you in the context of Brexit? Cos it petrifies me.

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 11/05/2018 09:09

Damien Collins @ damiencollins
@CommonsCMS will question @ElectoralCommUK on Leave.Eu this Tuesday and @Arron_banks and @andywigmore on 12 June

OP posts:
DGRossetti · 11/05/2018 11:39

Current Labour response to policy suggestions:

Many thanks for getting in touch about exiting the European Union.

Labour respect the referendum result and will fight for a Brexit deal that protects jobs, the economy
and rights. Tory divisions and incompetence over Brexit are putting jobs and the economy at risk.

In order to avoid a cliff-edge for our economy, Labour would seek to negotiate a transitional period
on the same basic terms as now – including within the Single Market and a Customs Union with the EU, abiding by the common rules of both.

Beyond that, Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to ensure that
there are no tariffs with Europe, to support our manufacturing industry and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland. This arrangement would ensure the UK would have an appropriate say on any new trade deal terms.

Labour would also negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that retains the
benefits, including full tariff-free access, no new impediments to trade and put a floor under existing rights, standards and protections.

We want a close future relationship with the EU based on our values of internationalism, solidarity and equality. Labour will continue to cooperate
closely with the EU on a wide range of issues including climate change, research, technology, security and counter-terrorism.

A Labour Government would immediately guarantee existing rights for all EU nationals living in Britain
and secure reciprocal rights for UK citizens who have chosen to make their lives in EU countries.

Tory divisions and incompetence over Brexit are putting jobs and the economy at risk. The Prime Minister
must start putting the needs of the country before her party and negotiate a future relationship with the EU that puts jobs and the economy first. Businesses need certainty and stability from the Government, not more confusion and chaos. The Tories have not
offered any viable way to ensure frictionless trade with Europe, protect our manufacturing industry or prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland.

You can play a part in shaping Labour policy by sharing your ideas in a submission. The relevant Policy
Commission will consider your submission as part of our open and democratic policymaking process.

The International Policy Commission develops Labour’s international policy. It is responsible for
foreign policy, international development, defence and Britain’s future relationship with Europe. You can find out more by clicking on the following link:
www.policyforum.labour.org.uk/commissions/international

Thanks once again for your email, and for sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

Arborea · 11/05/2018 12:44

Ooh DG Rosetti, I look forward to playing buzzword bingo with that response if my MP bothers to reply to me!

I also wanted to share this remarkable thread on Twitter: it's worth a read for the comprehensive takedown of Andrew Lilico's angle on how the Customs changes can/should be managed: twitter.com/andrew_lilico/status/994370481955524608?s=20

BigChocFrenzy · 11/05/2018 13:20

U.K. Only Now Asks Business to Map Supply Chain Ahead of Brexit

LATE, LATE, LATE !! Shock

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-10/u-k-only-now-asks-business-to-map-supply-chain-ahead-of-brexit

The U.K. government has asked business groups to map their supply chains to flag the areas of the economy most at risk if Brexit imposes additional trading costs on exporters, two people familiar with the matter said.

One of the people expressed bafflement that it’s taken so long for the government to ask for the data. It’s just 10 months until the country formally quits the European Union, and Prime Minister Theresa May’s Cabinet and indeed her Conservative Party is still procrastinating on what kind of customs arrangements to pursue post-divorce.

One question is why has it taken this long to ask.
The work is highly complex, with some manufacturers using components that cross borders several times during the production process.
Some will have to delve not only into their own supply chain, but into their suppliers’ as well.

Swipe left for the next trending thread