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?

Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar
Number 10 insiders tell me they think a second referendum is on the cards. "We’re not preparing for it and she doesn’t want it but it might be the only way. We think that’s where we’ll end up".

BUT there's a long way to go until we get to that point:
1. PM heads back to Brussels to try to win more concessions.
2. EU will say no to re-opening negotiations - offering warm words instead.
3. But warm words won't be enough for Brexiteers.
4. Stalemate.
Can she survive?

www.thenational.scot/news/17287747.scottish-tory-mp-launches-attack-on-his-partys-stand-in-leader/

YOU'D think that this week more than any other the Tories would at least try to pretend they are united on Brexit.

It's no secret that many in Theresa May's party are unhappy with her Brexit deal and many plan to display their discontent by voting against her plan at tomorrow's meaningful vote.

But it seems that some are far too self-interested to let party loyalty enter their thinking.

Step forward Ross Thomson, the gift that just keeps on giving, who this time has taken aim at stand-in Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw for a comment piece he wrote in today's Daily Mail.

(contd)

I think it's a little bit silly not to have appointed a minister for Brexit to save the PM having to do all the running. Surely she's got better things to worry about with the state of the world ?

Lewis Goodall @lewis_goodall
Some Tory MPs now saying they won’t vote to call the meaningful vote off if a vote is required. This could get very dangerous. There could be no greater display of political impotence than a prime minister who not only can’t win a vote but can’t even cancel one.

There could be no greater display of political impotence than a prime minister who not only can’t win a vote but can’t even cancel one.

Hubris ?

MPs may be be trying to nail down the coffin lid over her head

If someone like Boris or DD gets in - delusional - who'll expect to the very last minute that the EU will blink,
then an unplanned, unintentional No Deal becomes likely

Robert Peston@Peston

@theresa_may taking astonishing risk in trying to cancel vote on her Brexit plan.
Absolutely no sign in other European capitals of willingness to re-open and renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement that DUP and her Brexiter MPs hate.
Delay and then second failure to get deal...

...that MPs could support would surely mean the end of her time in Number 10.
Although she is always saying none of this is about her, it is about the nation, it is currently seen by her colleagues as all about her

Hi mother
Bigchoc I agree with you on PM ought to be able to revoke without PV or legislation. However in wake of Gina Miller and to mirror decision to invoke, which had Parliamentary endorsement I agree with the paper I posted that Legislation to revoke Art 50 is the safest path.

We are at cross purposes on the Commission's negotiating process. The UK is still part of the EU, so to my mind, it should have been a mandate to come up with an exit proposal endorsed by all 28 - not 27 against 1.

Imho most of Labour's problems can be laid at the door of jettisoning Scottish voices to the SNP - sure there was SNP pull but there was also a lot of push (Tam Dayell is good on this). The nail in the coffin was when people started to say Gordon Brown couldn't be PM as he was a Scottish MP. Ironic that the Tories, having got away with that and EVEL, are now desperate to adopt Struth and have the Gove putting his spanner in willy nilly.

For all the hard words of the EU not wiling to renetioate I suspect they would, but only if we drop our red lines.

I go out for A COUPLE OF HOURS and come back to find that not only is the last thread full, but this one's already up to 7 pages. Must be something up; better scan back for a while!

Is it just me, or is it like the BBC really don't like reporting on this at all ? Very ... staid and waffly.

Guy Verhofstadt
‏*@guyverhofstadt*
I can’t follow anymore. After two years of negotiations, the Tory government wants to delay the vote. Just keep in mind that we will never let the Irish down. This delay will further aggravate the uncertainty for people & businesses. It’s time they make up their mind! #brexit

Esther Webber @estwebber
The sidiest of sidebars: Lords are due to vote on the deal today. Does that get pulled as well?

Sorry, slight correction: Lords debate on the Brexit deal should go ahead today as planned, but the vote is less certain - peers could take the view there's no point

Labour Lords UK @labourlordsuk
Our debate will go ahead, either way

• Settles down with a cup of hot chocolate for the rest of the afternoon, whilst looking mournfully at the state of the pound today...

Copied this from The Guardian, apparently she wants to renegotiate the un-renogiatable.

Steven Swinford
(@Steven_Swinford)
NEW:

PM told Cabinet Tories would suffer a 'notable' loss if they pressed ahead with vote on her deal.

She said 'risks are too great' and she is going back to Brussels to secure 'legally-binding assurance' we won't be trapped in backstop indefinitely.t.co/y9aUOMM6PC

December 10, 2018
Steven Swinford
(@Steven_Swinford)
PM told Cabinet 'this is the right deal' and claimed that there is 'broad support' for getting it through but acknowledged that the backstop is a concern.

Sounds like she could head to Brussels imminently to attempt to try and secure new terms.

December 10, 2018

Mark Wallace @wallaceme
Pretty dire insight into the state of things - just asked a (normally loyal) MP “Have you sent your letter?”
“No...I don’t think I’ll need to, there are plenty of others.”

You want folks who are committed to the breakup of the UK running the Labour party?! Wither solidarity?

Kezia floated Federalism as a policy position not long before she resigned. This could well reunite the SNP and Labour if they could settle the egos and also sort the English Regional / London divide.

The current Smith Commission settlement for Scotland is not stable or satisfactory and Stormont isn't even running. Not sure who is in charge in Wales these days or what they are in charge of.

Mark Wallace calling it

I can’t follow anymore. You and me both, Guy.

Just keep in mind that we will never let the Irish down.

12 words that simply blow 2 years of Theresa Mays bullshit about the UK out of the water.

You know, I always thought of myself as straight, but GV could be making me reidentify .....

Nick Gutteridge @nick_gutteridge
EU diplomat tells me Robbins has been sent back to Brussels to seek a ‘legally binding’ commitment backstop will never be used. Says anything other than a political commitment to ‘do our best’ to avoid triggering it is unlikely to get past EU27. Feeling here is May has panicked.

" 'Our Prime Minister is made of the right stuff. A woman of substance. Her incredible resilience, fortitude, selflessness and sense of duty are an example to us all.' "

Did he happen to mention how much the husband of this brave, selfless, dutiful woman stands to make from 'No Deal' Brexit?

Dh has just asked if Theresa May had a horse

When I asked him why he was asking, he said if she did, she'd soon be appointing it her SoS for Brexit

We really are descending to that level of absurdity.

For all the hard words of the EU not wiling to renetioate I suspect they would, but only if we drop our red lines.

I think so too.

Even I agree with Guy. Too much messing around in hyperspace already and that is what is at the heart of what is wrong with the Withdrawal Agreement - more endless negotiation (dropping backstop solves very little imho and reading what Steve Baker posted)

which, among other reasons, neatly explains (thank goodness!) why Kezia is no longer Scottish Labour leader.

On the substantive issue, heaven knows what we'll be getting at 3:30 this afternoon!