Westministenders: Reality Bytes

[RedToothBrush]

Tonight the Corbyn and McDonnell Labour Party supported the Tory Party in improving the tax allowance for higher rate tax payers.

Yes you read that right. Did you even blink?

You've been so conditioned into seeing non existant opposition which seems to go against everything the Labour Party stand for that you no longer are shocked.

That's what 2 and a half years of Brexit has done to you.

You no longer care that Boris Johnson got £14,000 from the Saudis a couple of days before the Khashoggi murder. You know longer care that the former Defence Secretary is employed for £75,000 a year to advise a major Saudi Investor.

You are just happy that Trump hasn't started a war with Iran or North Korea yet. And hasn't started a civil war. (Though he's trying hard and next week is his best opportunity to stir it all up). You aren't surprised to hear that predictions are that the Democrats will fail to make gains in the mid terms.

You've suffered the 4657 story about how Therea May is just about to be challenged for the leadership.

You've heard about the squad set up at the Home Office to clear up all the cases the media get their hands on as the latest burning injustice. You are hearing that EU nationals who have been promised they are 'safe' are being subjected to questions about their right to stay. And you just shrug and say, "Yeah well thats the Home Office for you. The Bastards". And you do mean it, but you are so jaded by it all. And you worry that another 12 months from now, you won't even be interested in another story like that, and the press will stop printing them as they no longer interest the reader. What happens to your friends, your family, or even you then? Who is going to care then?

And then you have today.

A day where you hear that Bannon is being investigated by the Senate Intel Committee, Farage has been upgraded to the FBI's Really Naughty List and Banks has (FINALLY) been refered to the NCA. (We were only speculating on the possibility, on the 26th March...)

And you go 'Ooooooooo maybe there is hope'.

Maybe we COULD remain in the EU and avoid Turnip Soup and wiping your arse with leaves because of the national bog roll shortage. Or at least get a decent deal which suits us as a nation. Maybe, just maybe!

And that lasts for about 2 minutes before you log into twitter and the very first thing you see this:

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn
Excl: David Cameron tells friends he’d like a return to frontline politics, and fancies Foreign Secretary
www.thesun.co.uk/news/7639377/david-cameron-return-to-politics/

And you let out a high pitched screech as if you are were a dying cat as you remember this is 2018, and it just wants to beat the life out of you.

On the plus side, it shows you do still care enough to think 'Don't let that fucking bastard anywhere near power ever, ever again.'.

Ho hum.

Keep on, keeping on. Don't let the bastards win.
Keep caring. It matters.

Is there really an overlap, diabetes - Leave? Leaver voters are more likely to be older, this is a risk factor for diabetes. Also I would have to see the maps side by side with a little more analysis. Not saying the correlation is wrong, just need more evidence. I do come into this with the view that the poor are scapegoats for Brexit. Lots of very well off pensioners voted Leave.

Bonbardier to lose staff. Again not strictly 'Brexit', but a blow none the less.

Lico I really like Olivier Cadiz.
I read one if his speech at the HoC and I felt he really convey how it feels to be an EU citizen in the UK atm

The politics, economics, race and sex factors of those who live with diabetes, obesity and related health risks is fascinating, and right now, so important Bigchoc

I have a feeling the diabetes map of South Wales would be similar if not worse

Oh look, it's little Stevie Baker - a man who most of the country wouldn't be able to pick out of a line up - appearing to be running the country on behalf of the ERG:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/08/tory-brexiters-reject-deal-irish-backstop-exit-clause-steve-baker

I read that article earlier Pineapple and these two paragraphs really jumped out at me:

But Baker said few would be convinced. If the deal is voted down, he predicted there would be a moment of “profound political crisis”, during which Eurosceptic Tory MPs would be able to shift the government’s negotiating stance towards a looser future relationship with the EU.

Meanwhile, anti-Brexit MPs believe if the deal is voted down, the crucial days afterwards could be when parliament seizes control of the process and insists on a second referendum or at least a closer future relationship with the EU.

It’s like a battle between good and evil, but which side will triumph? And clearly who you assign to each group will depend on which way you voted.

MyBrexit:
Yes, I did not realise that 60% of 2 million British Citizens living in continental Europe were not allowed to vote in the referendum.
Cadic also shut up Rees Mogg

www.oliviercadic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Discours-OCadic-Parliament-5nov2018.pdf

At least Olivier Cadic is a politician that I would be happy to trust (not even sure or is right or left!). The fact he is speaking sense is making such a big change from what we normally hear.

Yes, I did not realise that 60% of 2 million British Citizens living in continental Europe were not allowed to vote in the referendum.

In addition to the 0% of EU citizens in the UK who were allowed to vote. A large proportion were/are long-term residents of this country (assuming the 5-year qualification period for PR) and will arguably be more affected than most people in terms of loss of rights.

.

I wrote a long post and it has totally disappeared. EU citizens of Malta and Cyprus resident here were allowed to vote, because they are also Commonwealth citizens. The whole electoral system was a complete shambles.

That's weird, Peregrina. Malta and Cyprus. I see. Not surprising.
Utterly corrupt of the english, though.
Item on Channel 4 news on Anguilla citizens also stitched up by the english.
www.channel4.com/news/anguilla-eyes-uncertain-future-after-brexit

@ThatTimWalker
The man in the inner circle of the Brexit decision-making process - whose views I keep hearing about these days - is Philip May.

There's nothing to see here; move along. Of course this won't be reported by the media wing of the Tory party aka the BBC.

Yes, I did not realise that 60% of 2 million British Citizens living in continental Europe were not allowed to vote in the referendum.

The most shocking thing about this , is when the Conservatives gave an absolute commitment to abolish the 15 year rule. They promised that British expats/ migrants would be able to vote before the 2015 general election.

2015 

It was a manifesto commitment designed to protect the rights of overseas citizens residents who had “contributed to Britain all their lives” according to the then Tory party chairman.

This is from 2014 before the ref was a reality.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/11068438/Tories-pledge-to-give-vote-back-to-all-expats.html

Lying crooks 🤬

Did anyone hear Farage on R4 last night ? He was on with a MEP from the Netherlands, his response to her measured and factual replies was 'you cannot have a rational conversation with these fanatics'.

frumpety I heard that interview - it was in response to Barnier’s comments:

"We all have to fight against those who want to demolish Europe with their fear, their populist deceit, their attacks against the European project. There is now a Farage in every country."

He was in full Brexit sound bite rant mode. She (Sophie in’t Veld?) kept her cool quite well - liked how she pointed out that Farage’s Brussels unelected included elected MEPs like himself.

T.S. Eliot (again)

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time

Or, in Brexit terms, Arlenes spotted the border fudge (again)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46147628

The DUP has accused the PM of breaking promises over plans to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland post-Brexit.

The party reacted angrily to a letter from Theresa May to DUP leader Arlene Foster, later leaked to the Times.

In the letter, Mrs May explains the EU wants a contingency of Northern Ireland staying in a customs union if no border solution is found during the post-Brexit transition period.

(contd)

I guess if nothing else, the sight of the UK government completely untrusted anywhere raises a grim smile.

The man in the inner circle of the Brexit decision-making process - whose views I keep hearing about these days - is Philip May.

Funny this, isn't it? Leavers go on and on about the 'unelected' like Juncker, who is elected, but the influence of an unelected spouse who has a massive conflict of interest is totally ignored.

Philip May crosses some other lines in the sky ...

_ No-deal plan_ ‘will include new border in Irish Sea’-

If that's May's NO deal plan, then unless May's a complete fool, she must put it in the DEAL plan too.

red Do you think that means there already is a deal penciled in and May is just waiting until the last possible moment to ram it though the HoC
/ or is May stll plucking up courage to do this
/ or just anothe fake news story ?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/no-deal-plan-will-include-new-border-in-irish-sea-3qqc908gh

A Brussels plan to put a customs border in the Irish Sea if there is no Brexit agreementnt_ will be included in a divorce deal,*
a leaked letter from Theresa May suggests.

The prime minister was accused last night of breaking her promise to the Democratic Unionist Party that she would never sign up to a deal that could allow Northern Ireland to be divided from the rest of the United Kingdom.

The European plan, known as the “backstop to the backstopop”, would leave Northern Ireland tied to the single market and customs union if Brexit talks collapse.^_

Brussels wants this insurance policy to avoid a hard border in Ireland.d.^_

< their price for doing emergency mini-deals for flights etc ? >

This is presumably all still referring to the TRADE deal to be negotiated after Brexit Day
and the WA would contain a transition period in which the UK keeps all the EU rules and enjoys full SM & CU benefits, until a trade deal is negotiated