Westministenders: High Drama at The Ok Coral

[RedToothBrush]

3:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 26, 1881, Tombstone, Arizona.

After months of death threats from the Cowboy Billys, their long simmering feud with the law thing came to a head. The Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday faced the criminals down in a shootout.

Tomorrow's 'sleepover' is starting to feel like the Gunfight at the OK Coral.

The outcome of the real story was three of the outlaws were killed. Another two claimed they were unarmed and ran from the fight. Virgil, Morgan, and Doc Holliday were wounded, but Wyatt Earp was unharmed.

How many Brexiteers can we expect to roll over and resign from the Cabinet and how many will surrender to May and the Pro-Business lobby? ONly time will tell.

Please place your bets for the number of resignations and the number of 'I support the PM' comments.

But don't get too excited. The showdown wasn't the end of the matter.

One of the outlaws who legged it, filed murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday. It took them some time for them to be acquitted.

Then Virgil Earp was ambushed and disabled in the arm later that year in December and Morgan Earp was assassinated in March 1882. Wyatt Earp, then thinking he had no other option, went on a personal vendetta to kill the outlaws and then fled the state.

Given the Tory Cabinet and the perchant for stabbing each other in the back and settling personal scores, a repeat of a wild west gun fight, really doesn't sound too wildly off the cards now does it?

Buckle up. Its time to play at Chequers.

Strumpets due on Thursday- so he could be getting the hat treatment to make he feel the visit is more pomp and circumstance. I doubt she's off to a wedding.

Or maybe it's just hats in the heat week ( from yesterday).

Ah mystery of the hat is solved. Perhaps it will be a cooler day news wise until the white paper on Thursday-coinciding with Trump's arrival.

Peston:
Brexiter Tory MPs warn me that May’s Chequers plan could lead to break up of Conservative Party
Facebook blog

Thanks RTB. But is not May's Chequers plan that will make the Tory party split. It's a chasm that's had a gossamer thin plaster over it for a very long time.

Labour's role is critical though

" ...the PM seems to be relying on the support of Corbyn and Labour to push through plans that would undermine British sovereignty as much if not more than staying in the EU.
If she does that, she will split the Tory party”.

Peston is talking shite in that linked Facebook post surely - the idea that TM is stronger now is laughable. She may have patched up her Cabinet with spit and a prayer but she still has to face the Brexiters just waiting to move against her & the fact that her Cabinet support is surely conditional and can turn on a dime. Hunt, Javid, Gove et al would love a tilt at the leadership and they're only lying in wait, not waiting out of loyalty

Brexiter Tory MPs warn me that May’s Chequers plan could lead to break up of Conservative Party

The irony being it's Brexiteers that started it.

Maybe this is the start of a new age of English politics ? But we'd have to get used to coalitions.

However, even then, there really is no reconciling extreme Leavers and (let's be honest) extreme Remainers.

One thing which has been lost in the noise, or forgotten, is that there were some people who voted "remain" but whose direction of ambition was for much more "U" in "EU" ... that federalist dream is still alive somewhere. And - much as I am a remainer - it's not something I would be in favour of.

Peston is talking shite in that linked Facebook post surely - the idea that TM is stronger now is laughable.

What does not kill me makes me stronger ...

I think May is playing a dangerous game in terms of her leadership of the tory party

This is someone who called an unnecessary election, which she then proceeded to lose, and who has managed - against all and every odds - to still be in power.

It's hard to see what more can be thrown at her.

Lord Carrington has died.

Foreign Secretary and Tory grandee who served in Churchill’s government, did not mention his MC in his memoirs and was much admired for his honourable resignation over the Falklands

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-carrington-obituary-drxtphbz7

Contrast with the last Foreign secretary could not be more stark.

People like JRM and BJ are completely oblivious as to how a deep recession affects the average person because they have spent their lives cushioned in an Eton bubble. Even if they had experienced the sick man of Europe phase it wouldn't be the experience of most people. That's why they don't get it.

PMQs tomorrow. JC better not go on buses.

Brexit Taliban by Carl Bildt.
The intellectual dishonesty of the Brexit Taliban is now in full view
www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/07/09/the-intellectual-dishonesty-of-the-brexit-taliban-is-now-in-full-view/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6d080e2be3df

One thing which has been lost in the noise, or forgotten, is that there were some people who voted "remain" but whose direction of ambition was for much more "U" in "EU" ... that federalist dream is still alive somewhere

That's nice and vague... I'm sure to be on the look out for all 3 of them. But way to scare to the horses. If these hardcore remainers who want to do away with any form of national identity have been forgotten it's because they are minescule in number and have no power. There certainly aren't any in govt - so they won't need to learn to get along in a coalition. So why bring them up now? FFS.

Way to undermine the turning of the tide.

What are extreme remainders?

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/would-this-be-a-bad-time-to-say-your-new-plans-bollocks-asks-eu-20180710175162

He continued: “This is like watching a dog jump off a cliff chasing a stick when you had only pretended to throw the stick."

100 years of RAF and fly past at Buck House, I believe

She's technically governing but not really in power - she is being governed by others and blows any direction in the wind. When all she can say is 'it's me or Corbyn,' you know how monumentally weak she is.

The top ministers are loyal until it suits them. They don't want to do a Boris right now but the sharks are circling

It's not 'what doesn't kill me makes me stronger' more like 'what doesn't kill me now will help do me in later'

Does Peston have a track record of being right?

IMO if May had put forward this plan in the Autumn/Winter of 2016/17 I think it would have been seen as a useful starting point for discussions. Another 18 months of shilly shallying and soundbites to play to a UK audience, forgetting that most EU negotiators speak English so know what was being said, has put paid to that.

What I find quite funny though is the ones who are saying that the will of the people is not being dealt with by the chequers deal, are the ones who really normally never give a jot about the people they are talking about.

It's almost as if 'will of the people' has become code for 'the good of my bank balance'

One thing which has been lost in the noise, or forgotten, is that there were some people who voted "remain" but whose direction of ambition was for much more "U" in "EU" ... that federalist dream is still alive somewhere

I would probably be an extreme remainer! I like the idea of a more federal Europe - would even like to be part of a United States of Europe, albeit in an idealistic know it will never happen kind of way. The thing is that I am well aware that I'm in a tiny minority even amongst those who support the EU and wouldn't dream of trying to foist my ideals on other remainers (or leavers) unlike the loony Brexiteers who think we should all support their ultra-hard Brexit that chucks us over the cliff.

On Novichok, press reports are saying that the police believe that it was passed on by handling a container, whilst the Chief Medical Officer has warned people in the Salisbury area not to pick up containers or other objects that they haven't themselves dropped. In the first link, there's also a video of a senior Russian official saying that Russia doesn't have to explain the deaths of alcoholics and drug takers

Beth Rigby @ bethrigby
And Trump on his friend @BorisJohnson (May will HATE this). “Boris Johnson’s been a friend of mine he’s been very nice to me...I might speak to him when I’m over there”

That's nice and vague... I'm sure to be on the look out for all 3 of them.

Wikipedia might help

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalisation_of_the_European_Union

But way to scare to the horses. If these hardcore remainers who want to do away with any form of national identity have been forgotten it's because they are minescule in number and have no power. There certainly aren't any in govt - so they won't need to learn to get along in a coalition. So why bring them up now? FFS.

Because I'm not a Brexiteer and don't see the need to operate by lies and omission ?

Way to undermine the turning of the tide.

By being honest ? Unless we are at war, if the price of anything is deceit, I'm not sure I'm buying.