Westministenders: Passing the Buck

[RedToothBrush]

There's a deal.

The press are over excited.

May has united the country.

Everyone hates it.
(Apart from David Allen Green)

Parliament might yet reject it.

Nothing is yet decided and everything is still to be sorted.

Gavan Reilly @gavreilly
Irish diplomatic source, while May is speaking: “Our caution is being shown to be well placed… If the crazies tear it down, the Irish people will know the crazies tore it down.“

Diplomat calling british MPs 'crazies'

Is this man fucking stupid or what?

I think I'm going to go with 'or what' actually.

Diplomat calling british MPs 'crazies'

Considerably more restrained than some of the things British MPs called the Irish.

James Forsyth @JGForsyth
Rory Stewart was just asked to go and talk to the Chief Whip, by the deputy Chief Whip. Stewart has now left the chamber

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn
Promotion to Cabinet I expect... Stewart is a deal loyalist (a rare thing)

Ah that explains the Comical Ali moment then.

Carl Dinnen @carldinnen
Right now I’d say the chances are of;
1. No deal
2. No Brexit
3. This deal
.... in that order. But don’t rule out a managed ‘No deal’ Brexit.

Probably about right.

Corbyn says it is a false choice - this deal or no deal. He is wrong - these are the only options - this deal or no deal. He says it does not have the backing of the cabinet but it does.

Jesus Christ. Every time I think this situation couldn't go more batshit, it does.

Rory Stewart is an interesting person, with an unusually varied background and range of talents and skills:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_Stewart

Tony Connelly @tconnellyRTE
Senior EU official: Withdrawal Agreemt is subject to approval by both sides. Barnier says text meets mandate given to him, and the EU27 have been fully involved.
That doesn’t mean we’re not 100pc sure that people don’t have ideas to improve the proposal. But, we have exhausted the room for manoeuvre within our respective mandates.
Another EU source says: The EU is at the limit of what will work on EU side - this is an extraordinarily generous EU approach to the British.

David Allen Green @davidallengreen
The draft Withdrawal Agreement on table contain the EU's offered terms.

That's likely to be it.

Tony Connellyy@tconnellyRTE*

Another EU source says: The EU is at the limit of what will work on EU side - this is an extraordinarily generous EU approach to the British.

< Translation : we are NOT negotiating with you loonies any more >

Dh and I were supposed to be going into town this morning for breakfast and a Christmas wander around the shops to get ideas for presents for each other.

....we have been sidetracked by the car crash going on in London

The plan is now to go in tomorrow - but who knows what will be happening then?!

She really has wiped the floor with that ill prepared tosser.
The Tories on the back benches will love it. Maybe she will live to fight another day.

Ken Clarke - a grown up and sensible MP. Seemingly one of the few at the moment.

Imagine if Yvette Cooper was doing it instead.....

Ed Conway @EdConwaySky
Fast coming to conclusion, as per @rbrharrison, that the only way Theresa May could get her Brexit deal through Parliament is a re-run of US TARP 2008.
Parliament votes it down => Market chaos, end of world nigh etc => Parliament reconsiders, adds a few riders => approves

Sophy Ridge @SophyRidgeSky
This was also suggested to me by an MP yesterday

May has to survive to do that. And it relies on the assumption of MPs bottling it.

Perhaps the best suggestion I've heard yet today though.

Ken Clarke - yes!! Well said.

I can't watch 🙈

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound
1m1 minute ago
Both Julian Smith and Graham Brady furiously texting. Are they talking to each other? Lidington passed PM a note 5 minutes ago...

Uhoh.

May has to survive to do that

Like no deal, that's the default. I still can't see the numbers being able to force a leadership election and return a clear winner.

If the past two years have taught us anything (again !) it's that you simply can't steamroller 48% of anything with the other 52%.

Rory Stewart has just been wheeled out to the BBC telling us to be calm

OK. I read that (twice) as Rod Stewart. Can’t tell you what that did to my brain...

Maggie May
I don't want to talk about it...

Iain Duncan S, got to the heart of one point which the brexiteers won't like - if all else fails the new deal means we stay in unless both sides agree - back stop issue. May agreed with his interpretation.

Tbf Rod Stewart in the Cabinet, possibly isn't as bad as some actually ministers.

God John Redwood is the gift that keeps on giving