Westminstenders: Summer Season

[RedToothBrush]

No its not the weather making your brain rot and stop thinking.

Thats just Brexit.

Read the article right to the end !

A while back, I contacted the Labour Party to say I can't vote Labour while they support Brexit. I'm not a member. (Got a typical reply.)
If very many people do this now, I guess it would be reported to the leadership. Worth a try.

labour.org.uk/contact/#policy

action.labour.org.uk/page/s/policy-contact-form

Is the Brexit Broadcastring Corporation ramping up its efforts.
Reportedly the Independent front page was missing from "In the Papers"
(- can anyone who watched say if this was so)

FYI, here is the Indie:

btw, I wish the Indie wouldn't go for black background and red type:

for (some of ) those of us with visual handicaps, it literally requires a bloody microscope to read the most important words

Please prioritise accessibility over arty-farty !

Was that a new red bus, and are the brakes fully up to scratch?
Just asking.

To misquote Marie Antoinette, on hearing of a bread shortage, Let them eat gruel. It seems the 'sunny uplands' might be Northern Norway in winter.

I doubt it's as planned as it sounds, but it looks like Mays Big Idea ("big" being a relative term, of course) is something about the UK exporting the massive economic divide it has - apparently proudly - created in the UK abroad ? Clearly the JRMs et al of the Barmy Brexit Brigade think the rest of the world needs some experience in how to really create a social divide so big it could be seen from space.

(By an EU or US satellite naturally.)

To misquote Marie Antoinette, on hearing of a bread shortage, Let them eat gruel.

Or not completely ape the late Queen, why not create a play farm with silver milk churns for posh people ?

Marie Antoinette makes Quite an interesting comparison ... yes there's the misquoted brushing off of real concerns. But eventually she was executed for treason, if memory serves ? After Louis XVII was caught trying to sneak out of the country ....

And then the terror began ...

btw, I wish the Indie wouldn't go for black background and red type: for (some of ) those of us with visual handicaps, it literally requires a bloody microscope to read the most important words Please prioritise accessibility over arty-farty !

While you're quite right about website accessibility (it's a criminal disgrace, considering accessibility was pretty much baked into the first standards for HTML, and have been developed considerably since then) you can apply client-side stylesheets to override theirs, and there are apps like screen magnifiers and text-to-speech readers.

In my role, I cast this rune 10 years ago: as the internet becomes the accepted default medium, the older users (for example people who may have been 50 in 2000 when they started surfing) are going to need some adaptations, or they won't be able to spend that lovely lolly they've so thoughtfully stashed away. And in an example of where everything goes wrong, it wasn't possible to justify any extra expense predicated on 10 years in the future. Probably still isn't ...

The next big thing in phones/tablets will be changes to the visual interface (more users, worse eyesight) and enhanced/extended battery life (because they're so essential for a full days use).

What is the point if the people vote for an MP who then makes his/her own mind up about what is 'counted' when at Westminster?

The thing about a representative as opposed to a direct democracy is that MPs are meant to represent their constituents' best interests. We don't just elect people to do what we tell them; we elect people who we assume and trust (hah) to be in a better position than we are to make important decisions.

Also sent a message to the labour party. I don't know if I have emailed them before - or if they are just a pessimistic bunch but when I let autofill put in all my details it filled in a message title 'why you are no longer getting my vote'... doesn't really speak to their confidence in themselves if that's the auto title.

As to the 'snap' election in March (how 'snap' can it be if it's being planned now?) and TM's belief that is labour oppose brexit then her party will walk it has TM a) remembered what happened to her last time she called a snap election she expected to walk? b) been watching the opinion polls and the shift towards remain? c) remembered people are 'bored' of brexit - and so less likely to turn out to vote - except for all those people who keep going on anti- brexit marches (which keep getting bigger)? d) remembered that in the past 2 years, many older people have died and many younger people have turned 18 - and the young, as a general rule, support remain and don't vote tory? e) Does she have ANY memory WHATSOEVER that the original vote was only a 52/48 split - and that there are over 16 million people in the country who never wanted this, and would quite happily vote for a party which opposes brexit? Or has she genuinely convinced herself that 80% of the population support brexit and are behind her?

No one ever remembers the 48% - one day, that will be to their detriment.

The thing about a representative as opposed to a direct democracy is that MPs are meant to represent their constituents' best interests. We don't just elect people to do what we tell them; we elect people who we assume and trust (hah) to be in a better position than we are to make important decisions.

And most of the time, Thank God. But we seem to have a situation where some MPs who genuinely believe they are acting in their constituents best interests have managed to become allied with some MPs who are simply pursuing their own best interests.

The road to hell, etc ...

I agree no-one remembers the 48%. There is an ongoing assumption that they have given up/accepted that a terrible decision has been made and there's nothing further to be discussed. And perhaps that's right for some, especially the people who don't as a general rule pay much attention to current events. How many of the 48% that is I've no idea, though.

I agree no-one remembers the 48%. There is an ongoing assumption that they have given up/accepted that a terrible decision has been made and there's nothing further to be discussed.

Sadly that's how UK politics has always worked. One side wins, and everyone else can go fuck themselves. It might lead to the oft-trumpeted "strong" government. However "strong" is a word that appears when trying to define" tyrant" and "totalitarian". Speaking of which, did anyone see the story about the Home Office ignoring yet another court judgement ?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45340295

Unfortunately there is no requirement for MPs to be trained or actually KNOW anything. It seems many get on by telling a half decent story.
My 'guess' at the number of leave voters, when No Deal happens is about 6. Putin, JRM, Fox and a couple more.

It is not allowed, muppets, so don't suggest it as a solution.

I think this should be the new Tory party strap line.

Meanwhile, Trump does appear to learn - from Bazza ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45340275

Trump warns of 'left-wing violence' if Democrats win mid-term elections

(contd).

Not shades of; not echoes of; a direct callback to Hitler. This ain't no Godwin. This is the real deal folks. Let's wait for the Tory party conference threatening violence if Labour win a GE.

@Mother
Damn all these pesky details, what happened to the unicorns?
Getting any deals' done 'quickly' will depend on decent 'financial encouragement' (euphemistic term) or having not pissed off various countries in the past.....Good luck!

Thanks Hester. I will also be emailing the Labour Party. Voted Labour the majority of my life, but I also just cannot vote for any party which supports Brexit.

I see Tim Farron is suggesting some MPs get a backbone.
It was only a Sky or BBC headline I saw but if he could cobble up a Remain party there ios a possibility it could do well IF the leavers would only stop lying and read some facts rather than relying of pre digested, regurgitated soundbites.
I think Tim's ambitions might be a touch grand as he suggests fixing everything, for me getting back to how we were 3 years ago would be a good start then get the UK MEPs to concentrate on fixing EU related issues while the rest of the MPs actually sort out the UK.
Is this a bit too 'unicorn like'?

Mrsr8

"Sent an e mail
I got a bit ranty towards the end..."

So did I - had to go back and edit it radically