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....

Red My DH was quite dismissive about stockpiling. I just went ahead and did it in the summer anyway. Even bought a bigger fridge freezer. Nowadays he is scared, too.

red I knew of the huge famines - some deliberate evil, some incompetence - in the USSR during the 1930s
I didn't know the name "holodomor," so thanks for that info
(I don;t know if that name has come into more recent use than the time I learned of the famines)

I continue to be amazed by hearing of intelligent educaated people who are completely unaware of important historical events, especially within Europe

This explains why so many people think nothing can really go wrong in the UK - they are missing key historical comparisons of disaster to draw on as part of their assessments

There is the widespread fixed idea that chaos and food shortages happen only in Africa, or parts of Asia,
not to "people like us"

bigchoc
And that's the difference I think with the rest of Europe, especially Eastern Europe.
FiL's earliest memory is that of cold and hunger as a small child and post war refugee.

BigChoc, it was something I found out about recently too.

DH's condensing comment was along the lines of 'where did you hear this hysterical bollocks from' this time, especially when I said that it lead to cannilabilism.

When I explained where I'd heard about it (non-political avenue) and gave him the info about where, who, when and information that backed up my point about cannibalism being a direct consequence of a man made famine that was completely unnecessary he did (eventually) STFU and admit his ignorance.

But I resent his attitude that he gave me first.

Right now we have people on another thread, literally arguing that man made moves which might result in rationing (or worse) are acceptable in the name of long term political ambitions.

The idea that we are immune from acts of great self harm or destruction to ourselves or our fellow citizens because we are British is crap or because of a lack of historical knowledge.

I don't expect holodomor outcomes by any stretch of the imagination, but if rationing is a reality then the consequences will not be benign to many either.

I found DH's attitude more depressing than his lack of knowledge to be honest. History and politics are my bag. He's good at it, but he doesn't have the background or interest I do. Yet of course he knows best.

I'm still fuming.

And yes, I believe the word holodomor is a modern name which is supposed to try and put the famines into the public consciousness and awareness in the same way as the holocaust as a warning to never allow it to happen again.

There have been attempts to get it catagorised as a genocide but this has been blocked. Make of that what you will by looking at who and why its been blocked...

On a different topic: is anyone else slightly puzzled by BoJo's conspicuous absence?

On a different topic: is anyone else slightly puzzled by BoJo's conspicuous absence?

He's watching and plotting.

Andy Street is going for the leadership it seems www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/news-opinion/conservative-mayor-andy-street-tells-15202317

Boris and Barry agree on a few things.

Sarah Hayward @Sarah_Hayward
Brexit is in crisis. The government is crisis. There is nothing on the twitter feeds of @UKLabour, @jeremycorbyn, @Keir_Starmer, @EmilyThornberry, or @BarryGardiner in response. My once great party.

Retweeted by Barry Gardiner with the comment:

Barry Gardiner @BarryGardiner - Sep 21
“Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake”

On a reddit thread someone has suggested Boris is plotting to support a People's Vote and Remain.
I would normally say, don't be so fucking ridiculous... But we live in abnormal and ridiculous times. Who knows?

Millennium Bugs are a bit like little ladybirds but with markings that resemble a plane plummeting from the sky.

On a different topic: is anyone else slightly puzzled by BoJo's conspicuous absence?

Perhaps he's feeling a bit rudderless without the STBXW.

Boris looks like a man that needs a woman at home to keep his life running, his socks are now mismatched, he's lost his keys, doesnt know how the microwave works so is surviving off toast and doesn't know how to pay the maid to make things better.

Idiot.

Andy Street is going for the leadership it seems

Ah yes, our erstwhile mayor who sent out a puff piece "Birmingham Champion" that wasn't available online, or in any format for the visually impaired. When I challenged him about there was no reply. My MP also challenged him on my behalf and also got no reply (they noted that this was pretty poor form).

The only consolation was it was printed using party funds, not public funds, which means (a) it could sneak past any accessibility legislation and (b) we can all learn how much thought the less able take up in Tory mindsets.

Guys a twunt.

Kilsally (Alan Day) @Kilsally
DUP says @iealondon Brexit plan is "vague & contradictory" (via Belfast Newsletter) #Brexit #PlanAPlus

Sam Coates Times @SamCoatesTimes
This would appear to be significant.... Sammy Wilson too

Hopefully, you can read the article. If you can't the main point is the DUP's Sammy Wilson said that Chequers should be ripped up. But he's now ALSO said that ERG backed, David Davis / Jacob Rees Mogg plan is a total load of bollocks too. And that the DUP can not endorse either plan.

Question: When Amber Rudd said there were 40 MPs who would rebel over a Canada deal, was she just referring to Tories, cos I'd assume she was.

Patrick Maguire @patrickkmaguire
Squint and you can see the logic of those in cabinet who @SamCoatesTimes revealed want Canada as May's Brexit plan B, to avoid no deal. But it only makes sense if you ignore the DUP - who rejected that very plan today - and indeed Corbyn yesterday.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2018/09/brexit-cabinet-and-dup-are-moving-different-directions
On Brexit, the cabinet and the DUP are moving in different directions

Ministers want May to pursue a Canada-style agreement as a plan B to avoid no deal. But it has been rejected by the DUP and instead they should be pushing for a softer, not harder, Brexit.

On a different topic: is anyone else slightly puzzled by BoJo's conspicuous absence?

It has been noted ...

On a reddit thread someone has suggested Boris is plotting to support a People's Vote and Remain.

We're not there yet. If that is to happen. I'm guessing there will need to be some alignments in the political firmament. Bear in mind this has to be played out to an audience that isn't best known for it's attention to detail nor the subtleties of the plot (the "lower" audience that Shakespeare was writing for at the same time as the toffs ...).

To my mind, that sounds like a "happening". Something external. Something "unexpected". Something which presents a window of opportunity.

Personally (although I'm happy to concede it might be a simple lack of imagination) the only narrative to go with is "look what a mess these twatsacks have made of it, we're in danger of never being able to recover if we do it this way ... the best thing for the country is to cancel Brexit, and use the lessons learned to draw up a proper Leave strategy".

Throw in a few "I stand before you humbled" and some fighting rhetoric, and the relief and acclaim from Remainers will certainly challenge the (faux ?) outrage from the papers.

(Obviously a key area for team Boris is to ensure the MSM is onside beforehand).

For some reason the song title "The Needle and the Damage Done" spring to mind. Got a feeling it's Neil Young ? My late DM was quite a NY fan.

Oh, got carried away.

Continuing with the If Boris notion ...

Any swing to Remain will need a villain (as Gore Vidal noted it's not enough to win. Others must lose ) playing out the achingly teasing tweets and whispers, the divergence of the DUP from the cabinet, and the ERG from the cabinet starts to suggest that if a sacrificial lamb is needed, Treeza has nailed it. Any recriminations can be directed squarely at her, leaving the cabinet pretty off the hook.

In fact, it would be fun to imagine frustrated Brexiteers arguing over what action was the worst. The 2017 election ? Triggering A50 ? Cosying up to the DUP ? (who will be the ones who are blamed for nothing in this, you can be sure. They are slippery customers).

All of this on one of the most glorious September 27th days I can remember. It's 22C outside and beautiful.

For those who like a sneak behind the veil of Majesty, and were curious about where The Royals stand on Brexit, there was a snippety story in last weeks Private Eye that a certain HRH Prince Charles has been very keen to bend the ears of the government to ensure that he won't lose any subsidies from Brexit. I suspect he's too seasoned an operator to need to say he doesn't give a toss about his future subjects, as it would be taken for granted.

Peter Walker @peterwalker99
Breaking: Ukip MEP William Dartmouth resigns from the party, saying Ukip under Gerard Batten is now "widely perceived as both homophobic and anti-Islamic".
Strong words from Dartmouth, who says Batten – who describes Islam as "a death cult" - has "hijacked the party".

Erm. About that...

DGRossetti, I totally agree with you on Johnson, down to the 'I stand before you humbled' style.

File under "who'd have thunk it ?"

www.standard.co.uk/news/health/urgent-9-million-order-for-112-ambulances-amid-brexit-shortage-fears-a3947276.html

An “urgent” £9 million order for 112 new ambulances has been placed by health chiefs amid fears none will be available after Brexit, the Evening Standard can reveal.

The emergency vehicles, built by Mercedes in Germany and finished off in Ireland, are desperately needed by London Ambulance Service to help hit 999 response times over winter. Concern at the highest levels of LAS over a no-deal Brexit has seen the order rushed through to ensure they arrive before Britain leaves the EU on March 29 next year.

(contd)

In fact, it would be fun to imagine frustrated Brexiteers arguing over what action was the worst.

Oh, it would. It would be a sort of bliss.

And how would the Daily Mail and Express report it? Hmmm. George Osborne's Standard would be a joy to read!

I believe that in Leeds and Manchester they are searching the free ads to find hand carts to carry the dead on.

There was an item on Facebook earlier about a couple who got wrestled to the floor and arrested by police in Tesco for trying to buy more bottles of water than allowed. I thought it was a spoof but no, it was a real story. An omen of things to come?