Westministenders: Talks Walk Out?

[RedToothBrush]

We are now on the countdown to whether we get a backstop Withdrawal Deal. May is hoping to get the EU to backdown on this saying that we will stay in the customs union until a deal is agreed on NI. That would mean come 29th March, we'd have no transistion period, but we'd still have a hard border in NI because we were out of the single market. And if the EU don't agree to it we are into the chances of accidental Brexit being sky high. The only way out would be revoking a50. May has hinted that if Tory MPs don't give her support we could end up with no brexit at all - whether she means revoking a50 or Beano isn't clear.

So onward to 18th October...

I have just made the mistake of reading some readers’ comments on Brexit related articles in the DM. (Not a site I would usually browse but I was following a Google search for Nicola’s speech today.)

The overall tone has made me feel physically sick and frightened. I really hope they were trolls/bots rather than real people, but there were some themes (particularly the use of demeaning “funny” nicknames for anyone they didn’t like) which seemed convincingly real.

I’m obviously completely naive, as I generally don’t stray far from this thread.

I’ve just been trying to book a second seat on the cosch I’m booked on and it’s full - that’s two full coaches from my home town.

woman11017 no coaches from anywhere remotely near here. It’s probably considered too horribly Leavey to make it worthwhile. . We did think the lack of train tickets was a good sign - unless it’s a load of Leavers travelling up to cause trouble?

I can’t leave DH alone all day - his mobility is far too bad - so we’re planning on driving to his DM and DSF the day before so he can spend Saturday with them and I’ll travel in from there. Hoping to meet up with someone at Green Park but not sure how easy that will be.

Hmm just had an argument with DH - a closet Leaver of the whatabout Greece school. We needn't impose tariffs - food will be cheaper. I won't let him forget!

Scooby Avoid reading those comments, just as you'd avoid hardcore porn.

All this news of sold-out buses suggests a ginormous turnout 

Sorry to hear that, Peregrina It must try your patience
Has he always been dim, or did he fall and hit his head on the TV while QT was on ?

Out of interest I’ve just checked on all the coaches via the event rite link posted by woman. It seems you can’t buy a ticket for any of them. Most say ‘sold out’, some, rather ambiguously, say ‘sales ended’ but I’m hoping this too means sold out. A few said cancelled (wonder why? Lack of take-up?) and an annoying number just linked to a 404 error page.

Overall it looks like demand is outstripping supply. Hope people can find alternative means of travel.

woman I keep swinging between thinking May will dither untl we crash out
and thinking she'll agree to a deal with backstop, but is just looking for helpful words from the EU - "she's a bloody diffcult woman and she beat us on everything", but couched in sauve Barnier terms

Eventbrite fat fingers babooshka...

I’m planning on travelling to London by train on Friday 19th and staying with family overnight. My DD is accompanying me, it’s her birthday on the 20th so that’s her birthday treat!

Oh Peregrina poor you. Mine is an ostrich. BCF In theory a crash is inevitable. Hope and anger resists. Tiring though. Hope it works out SInging

DH says he voted Remain, and maybe he has an argument about Greece. But he couldn't explain why this meant we had to leave, and how we would be able to survive on our own. Classic leaver arguments trotted out. I told him that the Empire won't come back, and don't expect the Americans to give us any say in making their food laws. It is about the first argument we have had, normally he won't discuss it. Going on demos is not promoting reform of the EU he says. But going on demos to show you support it, at least shows a commitment, and if we stayed in, a willingness to try to reform. (He's just brought me a cup of tea, as a peace offering. We don't normally argue much.)

Some of the evenbrite links were for the June march - which is perhaps why the sale has ended. One or two did have tickets for sale, but not where I am.

I really hope it is a good turn out - sounds good that the oxford coaches are sold out (maybe they should put another on if there's still demand?) Do the coaches on the event brite link include the celebrity coaches? Draco Malfoy's dad is putting one on from Liverpool. Draco Malfoy's dad! When the death eaters are telling you brexit is wrong, you know it's time to worry. #voldemortfortheEU

I'm going down on the train the night before.

.

Ours said Sale ended on event brite so I emailed the organiser and he extended the date as there were seats left. Might be worth a try?

DD is coming with me now.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/08/tax-return-error-costs-family-their-life-saving-nhs-care

This is disgusting. I think he eventually won his case last week but he and his family should never have been put in that situation.
I’m in London so don’t have an excuse not to go on the 20th.
I hope it’s not just wishful thinking but there is definitely something in the air round here - loads of Bollocks to Brexit stickers, posters in windows and people wearing EU badges. I know lots of people going who never usually ‘bother with politics’.
My DPs live in a safe Tory seat in the Shires.
I knew Thatcher was in trouble when my DM’s WI colleagues started demonstrating against the Poll Tax.

I'm unfortunately out of the country next week and coming back on Sunday but I'll be there at least in thoughts! D

This is nice. Some EU style knitting thingies.
ottocr.at/knit-for-victory/

Another knitting pattern, courtesy of Anke Klempner.
It can be knitted on a pair of needles if you don't like knitting on four.

(Take no notice of the straw hat underneath.)

PCPlums truly appalling. The daily evidence of heartlessness is becoming unbearable. I wonder if anyone has set up a crowdfunding initiative to help this family? Will google.

Here it is:

www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/help-owais

Sorry, that was an old link. This is the current one. Haven’t had a chance to look into the detail but it looks like although they have been given leave to stay they are still in financial difficulties.

www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/owais-raja

I did indeed chuckle at the "Never has so much been lost by so many to satisfy so few."

Interestingly, the BBC didn't include that bit of Nicola's speech in their reports.

Speaking of BBC reports, I was away for the weekend (without TV or much data), so am not sure how many of you are aware of (or whether it was even reported) of the large "All Under One Banner" independence rally that was held at the weekend in Edinburgh. The BBC report (hidden away in the BBC Scotland politics section) reported it as only 20,000 - but Police Scotland apparently said there were over 100,000

Other awful cases too. And T May is behind this. Shocking how the little people in the Home Office are embracing this.

I imagine that Nicola will wait till the shit really hits the fan before becoming more insistent on another independence referendum.