Westministenders: May's Turd Way covered in Donald's Glittery Tickertape from his Parade

[RedToothBrush]

Where next?

Auditions for chief turd polisher to Mrs May are in full action, whilst those who don't believe in the turd, wade about knee deep in their own shit, still searching for that illusive plan for Brexit which doesn't stink to high heaven of crap.

After the dual resignation of Davis and Johnson, amongst the stench there is an air of uncertainity and expectation of all hell breaking loose.

In the last 48 hours we have been told that

1. May is more secure having crushed the brexiteers,
2. May about to be ousted by a no confidence vote, triggering a leadership election,
3. The Tory Party are about to split,
4. Brexiteers are in disarray fighting amongst themselves,
5. We will remain in the EU,
6. We get an EEA deal,
7. We will get no deal,
8. A People's vote is inevitable and
9. There will be a General Election.

Which only serves to merely highlight just how little of a clue ANYONE has about what happens next.

What bothers me now, is that Johnson seems not to have surfaced yet and there are rumours that Gove has gone to ground, whilst Donald Trump is practically on the plane and is stirring the pot praising Johnson.

Instead we seem to have a series of junior ministers and Tory HQ figures quitting in a long drawn out coordinated toy throwing out of the pram exercise, to try and get what hard brexiteers want.

If I had to hazard a guess at the general silence from key figures, I might be tempted to say that someone is going to use Trump's visit to throw a political grenade and actively invite him to endorse them.

That might sound ridiculous given that the public hates Trump, but that loses sight of the fact that the people who will vote for the next leader of the Tory Party are overwhelming authoritarian leaning and likely to be those who like Trump and would be impressed by such a move.

I note this tweet today from the wise Sarah Kendzior:

Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior
"There are parallels to past authoritarianism, but what's happening with Trump, in the digital age, is new and transnational. The president's loyalty is not necessarily to a state but to foreign leaders and multinational criminal alliances. The state is just something to sell."

It is clear that others in the parliamentary party will be very alarmed at the prospect. There were Tory MPs who were openly tweeted how please that disgusting Johnson had gone and are no fans of Trump.

May still seems to think that she can get her plan through and approved by the EU in its current form. The White Paper is due on Thursday.

Much speculation is that it will be significant if she fails to produce this on time, as she will have capitulated to the Brexiteers. And this will lead to the EU just giving up on us anyway.

She also announced to the Cabinet today, that preparations for No Deal were to be stepped up significantly.

We still are left wondering who, she is stitching up; the Brexiteers whose heads are currently exploding or the friends she keeps closest to her (friends? or ideological enemies).

The problem is that there just no other viable way forward at the moment, as the country is divided, both Labour and the Conservatives are divided and are more interested in their own future than that of the party and there are far too many ambitious 'celebrity MPs' who want to make their mark. No one gives a shit about ordinary workers or business. Plus there is the divine observation that DGRossetti made at the end of the last thread: The biggest obstacle to Brexit has been Brexiteers

The grab for post-Brexit power shows the whole of Westminister up as the cess pit of self interest it is, with Boris Johnson merely its biggest figure head.

Wait until the GFA officially has its head put on the chopping block awaiting its fate. Perhaps we can flog NI to Donald and get a Brexit Dividend afterall.

I must admit to finding it hard to have a view that is altogether different to this:
James Patrick @J_amesp
There is no way back from all of this. The next seven days simply decide how badly - on a scale of fucked to smouldering crater - it is going to end.

One final predictation, which I am DAMN certain of: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all going to be grim for political watching if you are into democratic values and principles. It will be a 4 day sales pitch for Brand Trump in all its All American Overblown Horror that Brits tend to find utterly distasteful. Expect the red carpet of full of turd glitter to be rolled out for Donald Trump Show. Expect May to embarass herself in her fawning all over him, as if she's star struck. Expect that hideously cringeworthy photo thats totally inevitable.

Politics is going to get worse. It may never get better.

(But yay football gets to cover it all up... Come on England!)

Well, from his reported speech he was on a loser's course then as so many in the UK are blissfully unaware of anything beyond Dover let alone 'global'. Whilst a grand start I feel he may be about 50 years too late and the rest of the world has moved on without the UK.
A shame really as there are many British Entrepreneurs who are now less likely to get good funding to get innovative products onto the market. Still, as he said recently 'F%$£ business' which is strangely not what he was saying in this grand speech.

Justine Greening's asking for a People's Vote.

I think it would be good to

a. start explaining to people what 'No Vote' actually means. Oddly, I think the Queen's position, that Brexit is 'complicated', might prove quite useful when wheeled out to confront idiots who think the UK can just walk away.

b. start pressuring for at least 3 options in a ballot. I think that would be hugely important. No deal, some deal (spelt out in detail), and remain.

I'm wondering if it's worth a starting a writing campaign now.

Genuinely, shit thought the prospect of a stalled Parliament is, and the prospect of May trying to see of the nutters is alarming (she's not managed it so far), I just cannot see them going for a GE. They'd be crazy at this point.

On a tangent, I keep being surprised by talk of votes and work tomorrow

It's Fair Monday tomorrow here in Glasgow, the start of Fair Fortnight, and as such is a public holiday that's why it has started raining

Boris Johnson is truly vile. A man whose morals are about two inches wide and all about himself. Disgusting man. I genuinely cannot imagine living with that degree of a capacity to dissimulate and cause harm to others, all in the pursuit of such a limited set of purely selfish goals.

Wow! I have rain-envy. It is still utterly, incredibly hot here. and Wanstead Flats appear to be on fire.

I wonder if Queenie was being a bit Machiavellian: knowing that #presidentbawbag wouldn't be able to resist leaking something she said, she was able to subtly and credibly get out that she thought it would be "complicated" rather than the previous "leaks", where it was claimed that she thought we should leave and didn't know why "we didn't just leave"

Boris is damaged goods. Gove...yuk. But how big a threat is Gavin 'I made her so I can break her' Williamson...?

Peston on FB
When an influential centre-right Tory, who has served in May's cabinet, says that the prime ministers' Brexit plan is the "worst of both worlds" and a "fudge I cannot support", it is clear beyond doubt that the PM's most important policy is in trouble.

For Justine Greening, the proposal to follow EU rules for the production and consumption of goods and food, and to collect tariffs for the EU, is neither properly leaving the EU or a rational "softer" Brexit.

What she says she fears, in an article for the Times, is parliament rejecting May's plan, but finding it completely impossible to force through a more satisfactory relationship with the EU.

So - and this is something of a shock - she has come round to the idea that there should be a further referendum.

And importantly she thinks there should be three choices on the ballot paper, May's package, Brexit with "no deal" or remaining in the EU.

That would necessitate all of us being asked to pick our first and second preferences out of the three, and the result probably being decided on second preferences.

The theory is this would settle this nation-sundering question once and for all. Which could be a naive hope, but may be worth the risk for Tory MPs if the alternative is the collapse of their government.

Greening is convinced that her position will seem the only sensible one perhaps as early as close of play tomorrow, after the Brexiters of the European Research Group have attempted to frustrate May's Chequers compromise with their amendments to the Trade Bill.

So for many, Greening's promotion of a tripod plebiscite will be seductive. The former education secretary believes she already has support from disappointed Remainer Tory MPs, like herself, and disappointed Brexiter MPs.

Greening may have lit a fuse. There's only once certainty - Theresa May will be furiously trying to blow it out.

On twitter:
"Ok so parliament breaks up this coming Friday - then back on 5th sept .. then breaks up again on 14th sept .. we have 5 days this week - then 9 on their return - then a few days after that to have a deal .. #shithashitthefan ..."

"So... Guess what? No deal it is!"

I haven't read Justine's piece, but the argument seems to assume the EU will go for May's plan?

b. start pressuring for at least 3 options in a ballot. I think that would be hugely important. No deal,

I really don't think they should put 'no deal' down as an option. No govt should ever give the electorate the democratic power to commit national suicide. Especially not an electorate that has already proved it cannot be trusted to vote in its own best interests.

And that is even before we take into account the 'complication' of NI and the border.

2 options - either we leave with the deal on offer ... or we remain. Which do the people prefer? For those who just want out ... any deal should do, it still gives them what they want. Any deal to leave fulfils the mandate from the in/out no details given referendum. So now we get to decide if out is really what is best for us. And if it isn't ... remain.

If remain won I would be tempted to start campaigning for a hard remain - just to troll the leavers, as it is the will of the people don'tcha know?

See i could not vote in that 3 way vote Justine Greening is advocating. Because I will not have any form of brexit done in my name

There is no second option for me on that ballot paper - and I assume only ticking one box would count as spoiled and not be added to the total.
But I will not be classed as part of a percentage that voted for brexit.

It's a pernicious attempt to get through some form of damaging brexit (though not a no deal) however considering how everything else this lot has done manages to backfire spectacularly... this could go horribly wrong for them.

It also looks suspiciously like an AV version of voting. Now didn't we have a referendum (a binding one at that) where the will of the people decreed we did not want the AV system?
And also - forcing through the second option - are they really pinning their hopes on reuniting the country by making sure everyone is miserable? Because I won't forget which 52% I blame for all this... even if they are unhappy too. especially if they are unhappy too they have no right to complain about whatever kind of brexit they get

I entirely agree, pretzels. The government cannot offer an option to the electorate which would mean tearing up an international peace treaty. Even that option being offered, without endorsement by the government, would be the death knell to the GFA.

I can't remember if this has been raised already on this thread. The EU's latest discussion re rights of Irish citizens in NI is very concerning - and if enacted would render the GFA useless.

www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/irish-citizens-in-ni-could-lose-eu-rights-post-brexit-warning-1.3565855?mode=amp

I suspect that May will dismiss Greening's suggestion out of hand, as being that of a disgruntled ex-Minister.

I somehow can't see them putting the option of Remain in the EU on any Referendum paper now - it's taken as a given that 'the will of the people" is the only thing which matters,

There are still people around on these threads arguing about all that matters is that we are out of the EU, and apparently not worried about their jobs or the country going into decline.

The government cannot offer an option to the electorate which would mean tearing up an international peace treaty.

But they did that with the last Referendum, so what would stop them doing it again?

I really don't think they should put 'no deal' down as an option.

I agree pretzels. And anyway aren't elements of no-deal virtually illegal? (not paying the 39 billion, tearing up the GFA etc?) You can't give the populace an illegal option.

The 3 way vote idea really worries me. If the country was painfully split into two by the Ref, imagine what a mess it would be if the vote went quite evenly three ways... Three groups endlessly arguing with each other. The nation would never recover.

Re the post about potential con MPs turning on TM Chris Green has already resigned as pps to the Brexit dept as Brexit doesn't mean Brexit any more. As many of his constituents work in Manchester/ service sector I don't know where he thinks new jobs in the area will come from.

Farming Today reporting on lack of fruit pickers, fruit rotting in the fields...”TM and Govt waiting for a disaster before they will do anything”.
Minister unavailable for interview. Bland statement instead.

It would blow the GFA out of the water, Somerville

Wrt pressure on the Tory flanks from UKIP - just over a hundred years ago the Tories solved the problem of a rabid pressure group that showed no evidence of accepting constitutional niceties by incorporating it into their own party and vowing to carry on its fight. Hence the 'Conservative and Unionist Party'.

math the Tories solved the problem of a rabid pressure group that showed no evidence of accepting constitutional niceties by incorporating it into their own party

Sounds like the ERG! They're already in the party. Problems stem from having too many radically diverse views in one party already.

Two years of depressing disregard for NI, indifference to many jobs and businesses, deceit, in-fighting, bigotry, xenophobia and sheer lack of nouse.

But there is something positive today.

🎺 Trumpety has departed ! 🎺

@kylegriffin1
British investigators believe the same Russian military intelligence service now accused of 2016 election interference—the GRU— may also be responsible for the nerve agent attack in Britain against ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal, NYT reports.

The one positive is that Justine’s article has totally eclipsed that of Boris.