Westministenders: Gin O'Clock

[RedToothBrush]

After disaster after Salzberg and a very predictable humilation over the Chequers Deal which the ERG reject, moderate Brexiteers reject, Remainers reject and the EU reject....

May does a press conference...

...which is delayed by a power shortage inside No. 10.

And....

I ate a grasshopper in Japan. Quite tasty, although the legs tend to get stuck between your teeth.

You can already buy squirrel to eat. Saw some on offer in Edinburgh. Makes sense, as grey squirrels are culled in Scotland.

Many years ago, I went for a meal with some friends (drink may have been involved) and we ended up at an Italian bistro which had lumache on the (untranslated) menu. I translated, and my friends decided to be brave, and have snail starters.

The waiter came, took the order, and returned with some interesting cutlery for them. When they asked "what are these for ?" of some little sprung tongs, I said "It's to hold the shell while you pick the snail out" there was a 3-face flush of green.

Did I say I was a vegetarian at the time ?

You can already buy squirrel to eat

I bet you can't round here . Only just found a butcher that sells (frozen) rabbit. Say what you will about "that London" but it's diversity of food is simply beyond compare.

There's only one shop within 40 miles that does Provolone :(

Just given DH a lift to work.

Had an argument most of the way.

Conversation involved what would we do during civil unrest (we ended up in zombie apocalyse ground and how he wanted an air rifle anyway and could teach me cross bow), how rationing would go and who would starve first (that was interesting... sorry London), how I was 'making up' the holodomor (met with stunned silence after reading wikipedia out loud), how secure my Brexit food plan is (apparently I'm nuts), what would happen if restuarants were exempt from rationing (we agreed on this - the answer is badly) and just generally how nuts May is (he thinks she'll crack, i don't).

I am trying to work out where his line in the sand is, over at what point he says "yes we should go to the EU".

Cos its a long long way from mine.

bangs head against wall

He's been told we WILL be stockpiling, whether he bloody well likes it or not. Asked where we will put it, he got short shrift. He pulled a face and I'm sure we have more arguements in the pipeline on this front. I don't give one.

Grey squirrels are classified as vermin. I suspect the pest control guy might have been more concerned about the way that the squirrel died, in a trap not designed for it. Either that or he just didn't realise the difference between grey and red squirrels.

We have a huge rat population in this country.

The ERG say they will revolt on Chequers Deal. Today Amber Rudd says 40 Tory MPs will revolt over Canada Deal.

We have a huge rat population in this country.

Aye. In westminster.

Seriously caught a glimpse of one shooting across out lawn last night, going by GISS.

DW was just sorting out some recycling and called me through just now. There was a squirrel quite happily bounding around our back garden ....

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bc2863ce-c1dd-11e8-b39e-4a881a3e11ca
Theresa May losing cabinet support for no-deal Brexit if EU talks fail

Theresa May is losing cabinet support for her plan to revert to a no-deal Brexit if Europe rejects the Chequers proposals, sources have told The Times.

Senior ministers are increasingly worried that the prime minister will stick to her promise to force a no-deal Brexit if Europe rejects her plan again next month. Mrs May said on Tuesday: “I’ve always said no deal is better than a bad deal, and I think a bad deal, for example, would be something that broke up the United Kingdom.”

Sam Coates Times@SamCoatesTimes
This morning on Times p1 we set out latest cabinet thinking about Brexit

Key swing voters in cabinet - Raab, Gove, Hunt, Javid said to be the list - are worrying about “no deal” if Chequers rejected

Some important context

1. All 4 say they are loyalists. All 4 back Chequers for now. This means all 4 will help her thru conference 2. This concern only arises if the Oct 18 EU council effectively halts negotiations. No10 hope that it won’t 3. There’s less faith amongst the 4 after Salzburg

4. Some senior Whitehall figures see Salzburg as primarily a mistake in the messaging and communication, not strategy, and nothing fundamental changed 5. If Britain moves on embracing customs union for longer and EU softens hostility to SM for goods, some see deal possible

6. At the “no deal” cabinet meeting 2 weeks ago, the cabinet agreed that in the event the “meaningful vote” is lost there would be no further negotiations to salvage talks and all attention would switch to “no deal” .... but ....

7. The idea that some in Whitehall think that’s what’ll happen in practice nonsense. “The idea Olly won’t be on a train to Brussels the day after a lost vote is ridiculous.” (I’m loving the high regard some officials have for some Cabinet ministers and vice versa at the moment)

8. But big big no deal planning decisions need to be taken in October and timing is tight

Aye. In westminster.

Ah good. Bait taken

8. But big big no deal planning decisions need to be taken in October and timing is tight

Events, dear boy, events ....

We have a huge rat population in this country.

ERG is revolting now, it's not news!
I am relatively happy to have 'fluffy creatures' around (except rats) on the understanding they don't eat cables and pipes as keep quiet when I have gone to bed.

In my Brexit planning it has crossed my mind that pet rabbits are a cracking idea...

This concern only arises if the Oct 18 EU council effectively halts negotiations. No10 hope that it won’t

May has zero leeway from the EU since Salzburg. If she tries to bring back Chequers without showing she understands the problems, she'll have the door slammed in her face. No need for a November summit. How the UK responds, as a sovereign country, will be up to the UK.

Basically she has one more shot. No ifs, buts or maybes. She'll have to pretend she's presenting a case to a UK Home Office immigration tribunal. Get it wrong, and she'll be shipped back to the UK to argue her case from there.

Looks like the rest of the world has zoned out too ...

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/27/theresa-may-un-iran-brexit-analysis

TL;DR is that the UKs slipping out of sight on the world stage. As the article ends, looks like there could be a bunfight over the UKs seat on the security council next year.

Does she have one more chance?, she's already done her televised no deal speech. That means she's already decided and the EU have been telling her since before the ref that it's a straight choice for the UK not a negotiation.

The whole framing of the British press is based on the fallacy of a negotiation process rather than a British choice

The butcher said that squirrel tastes a bit like rabbit

Does she have one more chance?, she's already done her televised no deal speech. That means she's already decided and the EU have been telling her since before the ref that it's a straight choice for the UK not a negotiation.

The EUs pragmatic, and not given to wasting its - or anybody elses time. If they're scheduling a summit next month, then they're prepared to work with the UK for a deal. The ball is clearly in the UKs court.

If the UK could pull it's head out of it's arse, it would realise that quietly, the eyes of the world are on this. It's giving China and the US a very good look at how the EU copes with serious challenges, so they are aware that they need to be consistent, realistic, pragmatic, and above all solid.

(By the same token, the US and China are looking at how the UK is managing such a fundamental challenge and - when they can stop laughing - will realise we are easy pickings. As Goldman Sachs have hinted with their foray into UK investings ....)

{https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/sep/27/how-to-a}
Sorry, bit of a fail there but the Guardian is on about 'old' recipes.
Interesting, a fair few from t'north.

FUCK !
The millenium bug myth beloved of the thickest of Leavers has come up again on the Brexit food thread

I keep telling myself this is only spouted by the very thick minority, but it is really hard when other Leavers don't correct these delusions

DG These European Coucil summits are usually every month, on a Thursday
So it's quite normal for one to be scheduled

The issue is whether Brexit will be included on the agenda

Now if there is a December meeting, that would be an emergency
and if it's because of Brexit, mightily pissed too.

How do you cook a 'Millenium bug'?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/27/no-deal-brexit-could-result-in-northern-ireland-blackouts-leaks-reveal