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.

It is easy to get seduced by the stereotypes, whilst the majority of over 50s voted leave millions still didn’t. And being a parent / grandparent, especially of a child who has been or may be deprived of opportunity by Brexit, is a powerful motivator. I saw plenty of families marching with three generations.

Seems like more young people than last time?

And I think Leavers must know they probably couldn’t mobilise 700,000 marchers...

My uber brexiteer MP was tweeting about giving a talk on his political success to some students today somewhere localish but not near our constituency. If that makes any sense.

The marches always are wonderful to show that whilst there's weight to demographics, there are always big exceptions. There were a number of 60+ people near me holding placards about this being their grandchildren's future which was lovely.

Ran into Toby Jones too which was awesome.

We also very much enjoyed getting tuts on our train home from people seeing our stickers as we approached our brexit heartland

And I think Leavers must know they probably couldn’t mobilise 700,000 marchers...

That’s why they’re all desperately posting/tweeting “It wasn’t 17 million” - another empty slogan they can add to our Bingo cards their list of Brexit articles of faith.

Yes, I think the older and family demographic was actually similar to last time, a few more 16-25, but a big increase in the 25 to 50 group. Not surprisingly....

The thing is you don’t march unless

The thing is you don’t march unless you think / feel something is really wrong. It is easy to put a tick on a ballot paper or to have an opinion but to actually get off your arse, and enough of you to get off your arse to be in the 100ks then that something is more than likely actually wrong which is why history will eventually catch up one way or another.....

We marched with this 75 year old and his partner for a bit - they were admiring our Welsh flags. Couldnt think where I knew him from until my friend pointed out he was the former leader of Plaid Cymru.

the doorman told me to shout extra loud for them.

I love noticing things like that. At the Manchester march last year, a young policeman start applauding one of the speeches before he remembered he was working.

Well done everyone!!

Papers tonight talking a lot about the march. But May has survived the Sunday Press. Apparently she has 72hrs till a leadership challenge... Unless she pulls a miracle

singing so glad you had a good time and got to meet Femi!

Great pictures from the march everyone!

Erm - anyone else notice the French tricolore flying outside Horse Guards?

I saw plenty of families marching with three generations

Yes, this was one of the things that struck me too. The other was the lack of the Socialist Workers Party, and no official Labour Party. They are usually at every march!

My most moving moment was seeing the 3 Million banner (they were just behind us), playing Brazilian / Portuguese music, and with people representing every EU nationality in the UK.

We didn’t make it to Trafalgar Square, it took us nearly 2 1/2 hours to get to the start of the march from Marble Arch, there were so many people!

I loved this sign:

Has there been much reporting of the march by media in other EU countries?

Hurricane, yes, lots. Two of the biggest German newspapers / magazines were tweeting about it yesterday as it was happening (Spiegel and Die Zeit), as was the Spanish El Pais. Same for the Dutch newspapers. I heard from a Dutch friend that it was the lead item on their evening news.

I looked quickly yesterday and fairly extensive in France and Belgium. NYT also had a piece. But I found this in Spiegel online, not about the march though:
www.spiegel.de/international/europe/brexit-talks-watching-a-country-make-a-fool-of-itself-a-1234143.html
Both fair and damning, unfortunately.

Oh and just about everywhere Brexit coverage is way below the Khashoggi murder and a number of other stories.

The headline in Le Monde was "marre du Brexshit". 😀

I didn't manage to find any MNers, either. ☹️ Not even Woman - Darn all those people showing up and overwhelming the mobile services! 😁

Wasn't sure how much I'd manage but in the end made it as far as Trafalgar Square, until sheer numbers meant we could get no further!

It was brilliant!

I'm finding it increasingly amazing that the numbers on the marches keep rising, despite the position we represent not being represented by one of the major political parties.

I do wonder how this is going to work out as Brexit economics really start to bite.

And the cognitive dissonance is astonishing. So many people STILL prepared to march. We haven't gone away, we haven't accepted it ... it's not going to turn out well, is it?

The Brexit -supporters (outside Parliament)? I doubt they'd manage those numbers. No, I'm quite sure they wouldn't. Brexit really doesn't have that support. It's a delusion. But a delusion that is being acted upon in Parliament.

The delusion IS going to break - as Brexit economics kick in - and it's not going to be pretty.

☹️

I said a while ago that I thought something massive would happen that would be a game changer...I don’t think the march is quite it - but it’s getting there, I think.

I was 8 when I moved to the UK. I was 36 when I left (with several stints 'abroad' as a student thown in). I have received the message loud and clear that I am not welcome back (with my degrees and 20 years of experience).

There was coverage here in Belgium. Brexshit it reported on repeatedly by the news. Usually with a lot of 'nobody knows' thrown in.

When the news about a possible extended negotiating period came in, people here were not happy. Brexit is costing EU country's taxpayers a lot of money. And we didn't vote for this either ( I know none of you lovelies did either).

I just hope there is some clarity and certainty soon for everyone (and that it means you'll stay in the SM).

The way it looks from Belgium is that May was banking on being able to get backing from a couple of EU heads of state with whom she would be able to threaten the break-down of the EU if the EU didn't give her everything she wanted. This is why she triggered a50 and set her red lines so horrible. Her strategy has failed so now she is stuck between backing off or jumping of the cliff... I just hope she backs off.

It felt more like a carnival than a March. I'm sure if they held it in other regional cities simultaneously, we could get millions.
I wonder if this weakens May more? The EU are already wary that they could reach a deal with her that she can't get through at home. They must surely be boosted by the scale of the anti Brexit support. Hopefully we just made her job a tad harder yesterday guys. Or impossible?