Westministenders: Deadline Day #1

[RedToothBrush]

We have hit another Deadline Day.

As it stands, the EU are looking for more progress. May is digging in her heels by suggesting there is new a requirement for backstop to a backstop. The backstop to all intents and purposes is the GFA. So May is saying in effect, that the EU are forcing her to put in provisions to protect an international agreement we are signed up to, and if we breech it we risk peace in NI.

After lots of noise it seems that the Cabinet have decided to stick by May. For now.

The EU look like they are talking as if their meeting next month will exclude the UK and just go straight to No Deal planning.

There is also other talk of alternatives to allow the UK to stay in the customs union. But theres not much to that and it still doesn't solve the ERG and the DUP problem.

May is vastly unestimating how much the ERG and the DUP want to break the GFA. Which is a huge misjudgment.

There is also talk of the final final Deadline Day actually being Dec 13. For various reasons its not. Thats 29th March.

So Wednesday is Deadline Day #1. Expect more.

Question for threetrees:

When we had the first referendum in 1975 and voted overwhelmingly to remain was it undemocratic for all the eurosceptics to continue to campaign for leave? And if not why is it now undemocratic for people to campaign to remain following the second referendum, when it wasn't before?

I suspect things are going pear shaped in Brexit land.

The "success" of any Brexit news is directly proportional to the amount of coverage the BBC deems fit for it's top half.

Currently running at less than 5% (1 story in over 20).

twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1053256798365466625

After the day I'm having.

(And you don't know the HALF of it)

GIVE. ME. GIN.

NOW.

Patrick Kielty has also just had a BBC appearance cancelled.

Dim question, but: you mean, as opposed to him cancelling it? As in, they no longer want him on? Are they afraid of what he might say?

I suspect things are going pear shaped in Brexit land
Here's hoping they destroy each other before they destroy even more of us then.

Are there any betting odds running on imminent torykip implosion?

Yes. Nikita . He posted a great twitter thread on what living in war conditions caused by the british government on Ireland was like for his family, last time.

@10degreestostarboard - there is no Leave/Remain debate. There is Leave Badly or Leave Catastrophically Badly.

Y' ok red?

Ah but I think a realist would realise that ‘remain’ wouldn’t now be exactly what we had before. I strongly doubt we would retain our rebate for example.

Assuming we can just revoke A50 before 29th March then our membership would continue unchanged - including the rebate but minus a lot of good will. The rules for withdrawing from the EU are very short and concise, there's no mechanism (or necessity) for rewriting treaties or renegotiating membership should we subsequently decide to withdraw our notice.

If we can't revoke A50 or we 'change our minds' after 29th March then it may well be another matter.

Threetrees. From a left wing worker or union perspective, the union ballot their workers for what they want to negotiate. Usually this is set well above expectations, e.g. we want 10% pay rise, shorter hours, back pay, more holiday etc. Ofcourse everyone votes for this because it's popular, so the union leaders negotiate but soon find that the best deal they can offer is 2% pay rise, no change to conditions, a days extra holiday based on years served and productivity improvement, and no back pay.
So the union leaders then ask their members to vote on this deal I.e. the reality. Nearly always in recent times the workers vote to accept rather than the damage if striking and no pay - sounds pretty democratic to me....and people feel they have had their say with both the intention and the reality.
And for Theresa to lead a party that called an early opportunistic election because she was ahead in the polls but to deny the people a vote on brexit now they know about food, medicine shortages and job losses across manufacturing seems very undemocratic to me.
Let the people make the final decision if they want to jump off a cliff

Thanks, woman11017. That's a pity. He was very good on the Troubles in that programme he did about it for the Beeb.

I'm fine.

Just rather fluxomed and stunned.

Plus I have a much awaited night out, tonight which I am excited about.

red have a nice one.

Nick Clegg is moving to California to take up the position of Head of Global Affairs at Facebook.

Nick Clegg - Man of Principle

Christopher Hope @christopherhope
Are you sitting comfortably? Some Tory MPs tell me David Davis is being lined up as an interim leader to take the UK through Brexit talks. DD - 70 in December - would then stand aside for a younger leader late next year.

If somebody offered me a juicy job in San Francisco I'd be off sharpish too

I didn't think the Tory leadership worked like that. The ERG may want Davis to stand because they know he won't do anything and they can manipulate him.

I actually don't blame Clegg. People forget that he is multi-lingual and spent c6 years working for international organisations (mostly the European Commission) as well as his time in politics.

Sky News Breaking @SkyNewsBreak
WikiLeaks has announced founder Julian Assange is to launch legal action against the government of Ecuador accusing it of violating his "fundamental rights and freedoms"

RTB I grew up in your part of the world. Feeling really shocked about Kendals.

You'd work for Facebook?

You'd work for Facebook?

Me? Hah, not like they'd have me anyway.

But I would love to move to SF.

I actually don't blame Clegg.

He did his best for the country when he could (if you agree a formal coalition was much better for the UK than any other form of dealing with no majority). He knew in doing it that it would probably damage the LibDems as a political entity as well as himself personally. But he did it anyway for the good of the country.

It would be a much better outcome for the UK if he stayed, and we offloaded Boris, Davies, Fox and Farage (who sound like the worst folk band you never heard of) to Zuck towers.