Westminstenders: Dear Santa for Christmas I'd like...

[RedToothBrush]

The ERG to be the grinch that stole the Tory Party Christmas who ultimately get what they deserve.

To remain in the EU

Donald Trump's impeachment

For politics to be boring again

A trex toy for my son

or was it

Fares Fair ?

Livingstone is hardly a great example given his poor judgement over the poor at which Hitler "went mad". Again, another one who only thinks words matter as far as keeping in with the cool kids.
Livingstone and his like making a happy home for antisemites is one of the reasons Jewish people don't feel safe in the Labour Party and, in some cases, in the UK.

point at which not "poor at which"

I think Ken Livingstone - Leader of GLC, and co-architect of the changes in London Transport which still throw shadows to this day - is a different beast to the 2 times Ken Livingstone mayor of London, and latter day full time pillock.

My DM voted for KL and BJ (as indeed I would have) - because we both felt that it was more important that the Mayor be a Londoner before a politician. Maybe the same drive which makes Irn Bru the better selling sickly soft drink of choice in Scotland ?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/commons-condemns-tories-decision-to-readmit-mps-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-just-before-vote-of-no-a8681661.html

Tory MP's 'sex texts' read out as Conservatives condemned for lifting his suspension in time for May vote
@BenKentish

The Conservatives' decision to restore the party whip for two MPs accused of sexual misconduct has been condemned in the Commons chamber, with Labour MPs suggesting the Tories had prioritised "political power" over "protecting victims".

Andrew Griffiths and Charlie Elphicke were told they were being readmitted to the party just hours before the vote of no confidence in Theresa May, allowing them to take part in the ballot.

Mr Griffiths was suspended by the Tories in July after it emerged that he had sent more than 2000 text messages, many of them explicit, to a female constituent and her friend. Mr Elphicke had the whip withdrawn in November 2017 over "serious allegations" of a sexual nature, and was later referred to police.
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The decision to readmit the pair just in time for the vote on Ms May's leadership was widely condemned.

The matter was raised by Labour MPs Jess Phillips and Louise Haigh during Commons business questions on Thursday, forcing Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, to respond for the government.

Quoting one of Ms Griffiths messages, Ms Phillips said: "'She's so cute, so sweet, I can't wait to beat her. Can she take a beating?' Not my words Mr Speaker - the words of the MP for Burton while barraging two of his female constituents with thousands of sexual text messages.

"Last night the Leader of the House's party gave him and the MP for Dover [Mr Elphicke] the whip back without any due process.

"What message does this send about how any process here in this place can ever be trusted?"

Turning to Ms Leadsom, she added: "I ask her to answer me that question and also to answer me: what matters more, political power or protecting victims of sexual harassment and abuse?"

In response, the cabinet minister said she was not involved in the decision, which was taken by the chief whip, Julian Smith.

She said: "I am absolutely committed to changing the culture of this place and to seeing that everybody here is treated with dignity and respect.

"There has been a process that has been undertaken. It has been a decision by the chief whip. It's not something I have been privy to."

She assured MPs that the new parliamentary complaints procedure, introduced after the Westminster harassment scandal last year, will allow "everybody who works or visits this place to be able to take any complaints that they have to an independent place for proper investigation and proper sanction to be applied."

But Ms Haigh said the decision to readmit the two MPs meant the government had "lost any ounce of credibility in leading the investigation into sexual harassment and bullying in this place".

She said: "It is thoroughly implausible that it just so happened their investigations concluded yesterday.

"How can we be assured that party politics is taken out of investigations into such allegations and out of crucial appointments to committees governing standards and privileges in this House?

Theresa May wins vote of no confidence by 200 to 117

Ms Leadsom insisted the new complaints procedure would "ensure that any complaints in future would not have to go down party political routes".

"That is the right way for complaints to be taken forward in this House, to give people the assurance that party politics won't get in the way" she said.

After having the whip restored, Mr Griffiths declared that he would back Ms May in the no confidence vote.

It is unlikely how Mr Elphicke voted, although he was expected to oppose the prime minister.

Government sources said the fact the pair were likely to vote in different ways as evidence that the decision to readmit them to the party was not politically motivated.

Osborne is still having fun.

Which is SOP for the lefty left lefties, from my experience. So ironically, they're partly to blame. Especially trying to police language.

I agree. And if their appeasement of the TRAs and #nodebate is anything to go by, they haven't even learned their lesson. But I admit to having a biased opinion on these things as I fall heavily on the side of freedom of speech.

I don't think Corbyn is an extremist, most of his policies would be considered quite mainstream in the rest of Europe.

In fact, I fear we will find ourselves in a situation when his good left-of-centre ideas will be ditched with him, when he (inevitably) goes.

This doesn't really feel like news but

Jack Maidment
@jrmaidment
New: Downing Street guarantees Article 50 will not be revoked.

Asked if there were any circumstances in which the PM would revoke A50, her spokesman said: “No. The PM has been really clear about that.”

No deal it is then.

If that's true then I am sad she won yesterday's no confidence vote!

I think it was something she was always going to say though - she's going to try and push the WA through and conceding that there's any possibility of revocation would weaken the threat that if it isn't her deal, it's no deal.

TM has said lots of things that haven't panned out so this doesn't seem significant (though that is my very shaky grasp on events so no idea about how accurate it is!)

Laura Kuenssberg
‏*@bbclaurak*
No 10's now confirmed meaningful vote on Brexit agreement won't be before Christmas

Come on she can't be that toxic? If that were the case (no deal) then why would the ERG complain at all?

If that is truly the case then whatever she needs to do to get the WA passed, she needs to do it damn smartish.

I agree. And if their appeasement of the TRAs and #nodebate is anything to go by, they haven't even learned their lesson.

I try very, very hard to keep my nose out of things that don't affect me. Hence my lack of interest in whatever the current flavour of the hour is for "- issues".

However I do know it was predicted years ago .. i'm struggling to recall the magazine (I read and have read an awful lot - and that's before I picked up whatever DM was reading). Can't recall the author, or even the overall thrust of the piece. But one thing that I did store was the assertion that trying to eliminate racism by eliminating discussion of "race" would actually intensify racism - which the article concluded might be the entire point of the movement.

This would have been late 1970s - early 80s ?

I remembered it when I registered with the student union, and refused to answer "ethnicity" on the form. The official tried (bless them) and said "Ooops, you've forgotten to fill this bit in ...".

It was inevitable that allowing people to "self identify" was going to lead to abuse and unintended consequences. Although, I am also quite happy to accept that the reverse - allowing someone else to determine your identity - leads to the very bad places that apartheid South Africa or Jim Crow US were (and maybe still is).

As usual TM is talking bollocks. She claims she will not revoke in order to get the WA passed. If it gets to March and still not passed (or any variant thereof) she will revoke because she has looked into the abyss of no deal (no food, no medicines, economy crashed and burned - and all at the behest of the Tories and) she will blink. The DUP will not blink - no surrender. But Teresa will - she has form for it.

But that also doesn’t match up with her saying yesterday than any new PM would either have to revoke or extend A50. If no deal is still a viable option, and it was the ERG looking to oust and replace her, neither revoking or extending would be necessary.

Tbh though, I don’t believe anything she says anymore apart from that she’ll “fight with everything she has”.

Faisal Islam
‏*@faisalislam*
Just had fascinating exchange with Taoiseach Varadkar

• who said No to idea of bilateral deal between London & Dublin as way through impasse
• who said the EU can help if the UK wants to avoid No Deal with A59 extension
• backed enthusiastically the UK-Ireland 2030 World Cup bid

NEW: Taoiseach appeals over head of Government directly to UK Parliament telling me on @skynews* “it is within gift of Govt and UK Parliament to take the threat of No Deal off the table... by revoking Article 50 or seeking an extension of A50”.

2/3 Varadkar to @Skynews: in gift of UK/ PArliament to “revoke article 50 or if that’s a step too far to seek an extension of a50 so that the UK Parliament has more time to come together to decide what they would like the outcome to be”

3/3: Varadkar to @skynews: “because it seems to me there is a majority in Westminster in favour of the proposition there shouldn’t be no deal, but there doesn’t seem to be a majority in favor of any particular deal.
So it is absolutely in gift of UK to take No Deal off the table”

Those comments to me were just after the Taoiseach had met with Theresa May here in Brussels which rather raises the question of whether he discussed the idea with her...

His answer was in response to my question of why in insisting on backstop is he is risking in 4 months time getting exactly what he seeks to avoid in 4 years time.

My take: he specifically seems to channel the European Court of Justice ruling from earlier in the week in talking about revoking Article 50.
He mentioned UK PArliament 3 times, clearly acknowledging his perception of its position (no to No Deal) which is not the Governments.

Shorter take:
EU leaders have effectively started public negotiations, not with Government, but with Parliament.

I like Taoisearch.

- who said No to idea of bilateral deal between London & Dublin as way through impasse

Anyone translate that ? I can. Basically it's "we don't trust you feckers"

Faisal Islam:
* NEW: Taoiseach appeals over head of Government directly to UK Parliament telling me on @skynews “it is within gift of Govt and UK Parliament to take the threat of No Deal off the table... by revoking Article 50 or seeking an extension of A50”.

Is it just me thinking HIM saying this now makes it much more difficult for the UK Govt to do?

YY painintheear. I've no idea whether TM wants to or will attempt A50 revocation, but she's unlikely to say so at this point even if she's definitely planning on it. So I don't set any store by her denial. We had no idea before she denied it, we have no idea now.

- who said No to idea of bilateral deal between London & Dublin as way through impasse

Anyone translate that ? I can. Basically it's we've got a lucrative powerful trading bloc, who take the lead from us regarding the border, we trust them more than you.

I've no idea whether TM wants to or will attempt A50 revocation, but she's unlikely to say so at this point even if she's definitely planning on it.

Well remember she told the EU leaders before she told her cabinet that the WA vote was postponed.