Westministenders: Well this is getting interesting!

[RedToothBrush]

The Minister responsible for writing a deal with the EU has succeeded in coming to an agreement. And has subsequently resigned because he can not agree with it. This man previously didn't know where Dover was, and why this was important. This man is a solicitor used to writing and reading complicated documents.

And we are supposed to believe he has done the honourable thing and has quit on a matter of principle. And has in no way, been a Carpetbagger all along and has deliberately intended to scupper a deal.

Mundell is not wrong about his former Cabinet College but its not terribly polite.

Esther has fucked off too. She was cut out the loop over the UC slow down and was precorded as civil servants thought she'd go crackers if she gave a live interview. This seems consistent with reports that she threw a tantrum in the Cabinet meeting, demanding a vote, before Sir Humphrey told her to refer to the Cabinet Handbook that states that votes are not allowed.

Rees-Smugg seems to have triggered a split in the ERG and has submitted a letter to Graham. Graham has been to see Julian, to tell him that he's not had enough fan mail - yet. Other ERG seem more content to just attempt to vote the deal down. Will there be a confidence vote? If there is, will May win? If she does she gets a special prize of 12 months immunity albeit with the booby prize of still having to get a deal through Parliament.

May now seems to be running a minority government as there are suggestions that the confidence and supply deal with the DUP is over. Kate Hoey appear to have joined the DUP. Perhaps she should have resigned from the Labour party first.

Gove was offered the poison chalice of the Brexit Secretary post. Initial reports said he baulked at the responsibility. Will he resign? Is he just going to go for the top job now? There is now suggestion, he hasn't rejected it afterall. Maybe she should just abolish the department and reallocate resources to the Cabinet office (like she's already done anyway).

Mordaunt is meeting the PM this afternoon to be told personally that there isn't a cat in hell's chance that May will have a free vote over Brexit. Just so she can get the PR for her leadership bid. Resignation scheduled for this afternoon.

Hunt and Javid just sat on the front bench after making noises to please leavers and set themselves up for their leadership bid.

Johnson is lurking. No statement today. Got some ringing around to get supporters for his leadership bid? Will he be the stalking horse?

Loathsome and Fox, admit their political careers have reached their zenith, and they got a cat in hell's chance of getting another Cabinet post. They are not resigning. Today at least.

Greyling is currently silent. There is speculation that his resignation is running late. Twitter is having a field day with jokes.

Duncan has said that an ERG candidate won't be able to form a government - implying that Tories would resign the whip if they did.

Stewart, has done his honourable best to support May through thick and thin, with his best Comical Ali impression and spouting any old bollocks on the radio. Bless Little Rory.

Neill retweets him. Soames doesn't sounds unlike them both. Morgan wouldn't mind a Cabinet job again. Soubry doesn't really care who is in charge as long anymore so long as its not the ERG.

Hancock said in Cabinet that he couldn't guarentee no deaths in a no deal situation. Leavers do not have an alternative idea to May's deal but No Deal. They don't mind risking Hancock being unable to protect people from death.

There are 10 days to go until the EU Summit. We have no idea if we will have a clear PM. Two days later we find out if unilateral revokation is an option to save our necks from disaster if we get that far.

If there is a no confidence vote, its penciled in for Tuesday.

The only Brexit certainity you can be sure of is this thread won't make it til then.

Andrew Bridgen is private sector. I don't think it's necessarily about whether they've worked or not, it's about whether they're intelligent and capable enough.

{I don't see men worrying how they will feed their kids...}
I worry about feeding mine in the future and it is the f$%^ing people that voted to leave that are making it infinitely harder for me.
Obviously at an 'overview' level, men do think differently to women.
If you want to go out and it is raining, a man will grab a coat and go out. A woman would have to grab the right colour coat. I haven't bothered counting up the time waiting for OH to find the right jumper, bag, coat, gloves over the years.

Agree Thomasinaa.

If the test includes proof reading I’d fail. Didn’t notice I’d put PM instead of MP.

I think you have a point though, assessment centre for MPs isn’t a bad idea.

A lot of head teachers or GPs would probably have to take a pay cut to become an PM.

Yep.

The situation is worse for local government too. Many councillors have full time jobs on top of what they do for the council. Which is why it favours older people to be councillors in the first place. How can you have a part time council commitment, on top of a full time job and be a single parent of young children? What does that do to representation?

Labour and the Conservatives also have an advantage here because of how they are funded and support the party through donations.

Any pay that LD MPs or councillors (and I believe Greens) recieve are subject to a tythe to the central party. Thus those MPs and councillors don't get the take home pay that their red and blue colleagues get.

And its even naturally even worse for independents.

There's a lot to be said for the model in other countries where the state gives political parties a set amount.

Also when you consider the above think about how MP candidates come up through local government first too.

To answer a comment earlier- Dominic Grieve is the most credible politician I have come across. I heard him speak at the People's Vote rally on Tuesday. I don't support his party, but he spoke absolute sense. I would say the same for Justine Greening.
As someone who has campaigned for a People's Vote, my concern now is that some people would vote for hard Brexit ie leaving without a deal.

Part of the problem with the quality of MPs, and this has been engineered in some ways by a very hostile press, many people with any kind of emotional intelligence or sense don’t want to do it anymore.

Because it involves exposing yourself and your family to a level of insane scrutiny. And a bullying/hectoring work environment.

Some of the intense scrutiny is good e.g. what are your business dealings. Sometimes not so much e.g. what if the press find out your brother has a cannabis conviction.

In a lot of areas parties are desperate for people to stand for office, and virtually anyone who walks through the door looking half likely will get chivvied into it quick smart. That’s totally different from the PPE-Think Tank- Intern- Front bencher funnel.

But for the rank and file back bencher, they are often scraping the barrel. Because who, with sense, would want to do it now?

The problem with a people's vote now is that this deal vs now deal could easily end as no deal as so many hate the deal (leave and remain alike). Equally with no deal, this deal, and remain could split the remain vote between those that are remain or bust and those that pragmatically believe any deal better than risk of no deal.

Only chance of a remain Win would be this deal or remain, and I can't see that happening.

I voted Remain but I would vote for this deal vs no deal because no deal is too ghastly to contemplate.

Only chance of a remain Win would be this deal or remain, and I can't see that happening

Not sure a government could put No Deal on a ballot. The question has to be approved (by Electoral Commision?) and I don't (this is from various tweets from people who seem to know about this type of thing) think they could have an option which would cause significant harm to the nation. Remember, even Fox is coming out with "a deal is better than no deal" now.

This what we’ve been reduced to as a nation. Gameshow decision making- Deal or No Deal.

Whilst the US is in the thrall of the Apprentice.

I'm not lobbying for a "Remain win". That is done. But I am lobbying for " I don't care what you do but don't send us over a fucking cliff". I wonder if the electoral commission would allow that on a ballot.

We absolutely can't put no deal on a ballot paper given that it's quite possible deaths/civil collapse would result from a vote in favour. It would have to be this deal v Remain.

Of course the biggest game changer would be to know what the majority of industry, both manufacturing and services will actually do.
Many can't survive in the UK without SM/CU and while leaving is not only about industry it rather overshadows things when you get past the 'feelz'.
There has been no real suggestion as to how the UK economy can grow or even survive without being in league with a larger state. The choices boil down to close ties with the USA, Russia, China or the EU.
Take your pick from that bunch.
Of course none of these are going to overtly relieve the real issue of inequality in the UK although it would be possible to think that some options will make it more universally shit, which I don't remember being on the ballot paper.
Bribing companies to stay in the UK when they are already looking to contract a bit in Europe with possible movement to the developing markets which will be further away from the UK, is not a sustainable plan. It is as foolish as the traditional unions fighting over steel production closures when the world is not buying steel.

I think industry has been having a few "don't be so fucking stupid" meetings with government. Hence Gove not resigning.

Can't believe people would support this deal over remain on the basis that remain lost 2.5 years ago 🤔. Do these people always vote for the same party in every election ever?

Of course I'd prefer Remain but all this "will of the people" shit means we would be lucky to get any kind of referendum. As long as we don't have no deal. That's my main concern now.

If there is a people's vote it should be no brexit or this deal. We've moved on as a country it's not leave or remain anymore it's this deal which drags on brexit talk for decades or no brexit and a shut up talking about it.

In my view, the only good system for a people's vote would be a ref in two rounds: 1. ask again Leave or Remain 2. If leave, this deal or no deal. It would be the only way to really address the question.

Bellinisurge I obviously misinterpreted these words "I'm not lobbying for a "Remain win". That is done."

My take is what's the point lobbying for something crap that no one wants, why not lobby for something beneficial that lots of people want.

Whatever @Hazardswan . As long as the people aren't given the chance of committing economic suicide with the option of no deal, I am past caring. I want us to stay in the EU. If we have to go, I want us to go via some shitty deal that gives us a transition period.

All thof s deal has done is divided us even more because it's split both "teams".

I don't think we've moved on from leave or remain, which is why the question must be asked again- but with that second round should leave win again.

Can't believe people would support this deal over remain on the basis that remain lost 2.5 years ago

I'd like to stress that there is no such thing as continuity remain. The Brexit vote and subsequent events have changed that.

It would involve defending the CAP for starters. Whilst continuing to be represented by a lot of Ukip MEPs.

Imho CAP will now go regardless of whether we stay or go. That alone would change our relationship with the EU, our economic situation, our logistics and food supply chains.

We also will see political consequences to remaining. Without understanding how we benefit in the EU, we will never fully be signed up to it. There's been a movement to blame the EU for UK politician ineptitude for decades which has to be faced up to and tackled. And I've got to be honest, can we do that if we did remain?

Yes I have changed my vote in the past. I have changed it because the political situation has changed. My views have changed over time slightly, but the way I've changed my vote has been driven far more by circumstance and political climate.

I would not say I would not lean towards remaining, but I do think its a different question and a different outcome than a pure rerun of 2016 even with exactly the same question.

It's naive to suggest it is.