Westminstenders: A vote too far?

[RedToothBrush]

The ECJ have ruled that the UK can unilaterally revoke A50.

There maybe lots of other news today, but that's the big one.

May has her big vote tomorrow. Or does she.

Will she survive until the end of the week?

Meanwhile well done leavers! The jump jumpers (that is, actually, the staff) are deserting our hospitals:

amp.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/11/nhs-staff-demands-rise-as-eu-applicants-drop-off-a-cliff

One of a thousand bits of shit hitting the fan with hurricane force and that's before the shortages of No Deal.

I'm not just worried this morning, I'm fucking angry with this rank incompetence, and that includes the followers of the unicorn cult.

If this crap is allowed to continue, the whole country will wake up in April like a hungover stag who gambled his house in Vegas, spent his last dollar on coke and caught an STD along the way.

quillette.com/2018/12/11/sad-radicals/#comments
Sad Radicals

No worldview maps reality perfectly. But when a worldview encounters discordant knowledge, it can either evolve to accommodate it, or it can treat it as a threat to the worldview’s integrity. If a worldview treats all discordant knowledge as threat, then it is an ideology. Its adherents learn to see themselves as guardians rather than seekers of the truth. The practical consequences of such a worldview can be devastating.

This article today is my recommendation for the day.

It sums up current political movements on both the left and right with this notion of guardians v truth seekers.

That's authoritarianism v liberalism in a nutshell

I don't agree with it all, but its a good read.

The chaos in the Commons is engulfing the front pages. It’s obliterated the other really important news about the ECJ Revoke ruling. (May’s probably pleased about that.)

Revoking is the only clear, quick way out of this. It will take a different leader though. And some common sense.
I like this Prof Brian Cox quote:

We are in control. We can revoke article 50 and retain control of our borders (we are not in schengen), our money (we are not in the Euro) and our laws (parliament is sovereign). This deal - the best deal of any EU member state by a mile - is available. Let’s put it to voters.

mobile.twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/1072044297103527936

Politics home @ politicshome
BREAKING: Jeremy Corbyn, Vince Cable, Ian Blackford, Caroline Lucas and Liz Saville Roberts write joint-letter to Theresa May accusing her of "contempt of parliament" for delaying vote on her Brexit deal.

Not sure this means contempt of Parliament as in the Speaker can do something. Perhaps more 'She has shown her contempt for parliament' in a literal fashion.

But we shall see.

The speakers intervention yesterday did suggest he thought it wasn't in the spirit of the house. But he didn't through the book at her either.

I note the absence of a Tory signatury and a DUP signatury. So it does seem more political rather than procedural.

Carol Cadwalladr wins another award.

mobile.twitter.com/ObserverUK/status/1072247295931006976

m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/theresa-may-whips-office-brexit-vote-postponed_uk_5c0eff00e4b08bcb27eb987f/
Knives Out For Theresa May’s Whips Office As Her Brexit Plan Teeters On The Edge Of Collapse
PM buys time, but the blame game has started in earnest.

This is utterly fascinating. It describes the relationship between the DUP and the government and how it largely rests on the relationship with Gavin Williamson, with the DUP hating the NI sec and chief whips (if you remember it was Williamson not May who signed the deal with the DUP)

The whips are getting blamed for a whole lot of stuff - I doubt they could change the situation given the beliefs of many but the incite is fascinating as to how small things have led to a feeling of them being incompetent at their jobs. To the point that they are no longer trusted and some back benches are going straight to Williamson.

Indeed it looks a lot like Williamson is just about holding things together for May and is acting a lot like a whip still...

Uhoh.

Is this palace advisors putting out this story or the Queen and Charles themselves?

I find it hard to believe that the Queen isn't in on this story. Is she losing confidence in her PM?!

Sam Coates Times @samcoatestimes
Times Writethrough exc

Senior Palace figures “very worried”, as courtiers brush up on the Fixed Term Parliament Act scenarios and the Cabinet Manual in case of constitutional chaos

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/83736612-fcc7-11e8-9a88-fa81ced0c139
Brexit: Bragging Tory whips accused of doing too little, too late

And again, blame being laid on the whips...

I’m surprised there’s no more talk of overthrowing Corbyn. It’s been more than 12mo since the last NC vote for him hasn’t it?

Listening to CU calling for a vote of confidence he admitted the Labour Party does not, as yet, have the votes to win I was acutely aware that the whole PV strategy is in fact a device to dump JC along with Brexit.

That is why I raised the hypocrisy of all the Labour politicians standing up yesterday criticising Tories for not supporting TM's Deal and calling for PV rather than Revoke Art 50.

Completely agree with Math on the DUP. They don't and never have feared JC. They power share with SF at Stormont already (except when everyone goes off in a giant huff for a couple of years)

Faisal Islam@faisalislam
Opposition leaders write to PM accusing her of showing contempt for Parliament over pulling the vote, the debate, and whether section 13 of Withdrawal Act re vote by Jan 21st still applies.

But not DUP, who did sign equivalent last week re legal advice.

Steve Baker tells Today, PM has got to go, as he has said for a few weeks now but further she now has a “duty to go”

NB DUP MPs sounded as furious with PM yesterday as anybody - but PM phones Foster just before her statement yesterday, and has perhaps bought a brief period of time.. such that DUP did not join in with other parties in that letter.

Jim Pickard@pickardje
Steve Baker MP is arguing that a new, more hardline Brexiteer prime minister would “unite the country” #today

calling for PV rather than Revoke Art 50.

To be honest, I'm not sure they can vote to revoke article 50 without a clear mandate as their manifesto was based on honouring the result of the referendum. Perhaps legally they could (I'm certainly no expert) but the damage done to the public trust in Parliament could be irreversible. I absolutely would love article 50 to be revoked, but I (personally) want it to do be done with the backing of the electorate - either through a second referendum or a general election in which one party includes it in their manifesto.

Although I understand that referenda are advisory, it seems many of the electorate either don't understand that or don't agree with it. I'm not a fan of Parliament wilfully ignoring the clearly stated will of the people. I'm not convinced that the results of a second referendum would go my way, but I don't think forcing revoke A50 though Parliament is really any way to run a representative democracy.

Steve Baker MP is arguing that a new, more hardline Brexiteer prime minister would “unite the country”

www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/next-tory-leader-to-be-someone-you-hate-even-more-20181210180367

I don't know why Hunt looks so like Mr Burns from the Simpsons to me.

Checking in for the fresh fuckery a new day brings in the United lol Kingdom.

Laura Kuennsberg@bbclaurak
Wowsers - Leadsom articulating what lots of Cabinet ministers say in private and what they discusssed at their meeting last week - questioning whether Bercow is impartial on all of this and whether his views on Brexit are part of making life difficult for the PM

Leadsom claiming that because time running out last the EU might budge - 'we need to go back to the drawing board' she says to get new legal guarantees on backstop - problem is there's no sign they will + indeed, this is same argument Cabinet ministers have been making for weeks

Isobel I agree with you in the issue which is why I think a PV would just add to the confusion / undermining of normal democracy.

The route which I think could get them off the hook would be:

1. Vote to revoke because the country is in deadlock
2. Hold a GE with all parties nailing their colours to the mast on Tony Blair's Remain vs Leave straight choice

That would require a great deal more honesty than either Labour or the Conservatives have shown on the issue all the way back to before 2014.

I don't see anything in the ECJ judgement which would prevent this route - pp suggested once back in we couldn't start the Out process again - I don't think that is correct.

oh that's just fabulous - let's undermine the basic principles of our democracy and rule of law by declaring any impediment biased. Can't think which playbook they got that from.

If anyone has a spare fiver

www.crowdjustice.com/case/ukineuchallenge/

There's a possibility of an appeal of yesterday's Judge's decision.

without a clear mandate as their manifesto was based on honouring the result of the referendum. Perhaps legally they could

Manifesto promises are broken on a regular basis. They are not legally binding. And tbh, there isn't much to say they are politically binding either, if there is a reason given for the uturn.

The idea that political trust will be broken as a result of not honouring this is bonkers, mainly cos that's just what happens in politics. People and politicians change their minds based on changes of circumstances.

Pragmatism is a necessary part of managing anything including a country.

Morning all. Well, yesterday was quite the clusterfuck, wasn't it?

Every day is another nail in the coffin of "the English are pragmatic, tolerant, good at business, believe in fair play and good government..."

Honestly, at the end of this what exactly IS Britain's brand? I feel like I spend all my time looking longingly back to 2012.

As RTB says, when did any of them stick to their manifestos? It seems to be the only argument they have left now. It's absolutely fine to say that with further information and having tried really hard at negotiating we've all come to realise it was a bloody stupid idea.

If they had done the talking and the analysis before we went to referendum and actually worked out what brexit looked like, then that might have been a different picture. But flaming nora, it's ok change their minds and not to jump off a cliff just because they marched off in the wrong direction.

Steve Baker MP is arguing that a new, more hardline Brexiteer prime minister would “unite the country” #today

No, this would do the opposite. It would anger Remainers, and completely shaft the ordinary Leavers.