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

On the basis that crashing out will almost certainly be economic suicide for the UK and reinforced by the fact that NO ONE has suggested any plan that makes a scrap of financial sense, given that big chunks of finance raising industry WILL leave in a no deal situation it leaves either the WA or remain.
If the mouse in the corner came up with a plan that GUARANTEES that the UK will not be worse off (setting the bar a lot lower than unicorns) WHEN industry leaves then there would be a chance.
They are all too busy savaging May and the WA without taking heed of the vultures circling overhead who are most likely NOT UK citizens but who are being enabled by the duplicity of those like the ERG.
There IS a bigger picture, I don't know what it is but having the piranhas circling in the Westminster fishbowl while we all look on in fascination taking our eyes off the real plot is letting them get away with it.
By relatively simple financial management, all of the ERG/May bunch etc can easily make more than enough money for themselves personally with the chaos that is happening now so they probably don't NEED this fiasco to go on beyond March 2019 for them to retire very comfortably. Spam face Dave could stay in his garden office and leave the world in peace, he doesn't NEED to actually work again.

The problem is I can't see any person or party who could comfortably win a GE. Out of the Tories I can't see anyone who will do less disastrously than May and Labour has the Corbyn factor, plus their fencepost sitting on Brexit has alienated quite a lot of the serious Corbyn fans I know.

While I don't think it's the most likely outcome I think there is a real chance of ending up with extremes from either side, but particularly the far right (stand up Tommy Robinson) ending up gaining unprecedented amounts of power and representation should we have an election now.

For this reason alone I would rather have May piss about being an incompetent robot than have a GE right this minute. To be honest the thought of an election scares the hell out of me.

This is just perfect bloody timing. I
will be spending best part of the next 72 hours in a car with my Leave voting DM who loves Boris and JRM and who makes Ghenghis Khan look like a liberal snowflake. She will be in Seventh Heaven.

I think I will need a lot of

Yes OP! Finally some sense. Would you like to be Prime minister?

NB. DUP siding with Labour triggers a GE. It does not hand the keys to Labour. Theresa May could not be challenged if she won today but if the Tories had any hope of winning a GE she would, I think, be persuaded to resign having failed to get her Deal through.

In other news, today is Scottish Budget Day at the Scottish Parliament.

Getting in with the day job

on not "in"

Bloody autocarrot.

Bigly Paul Mason advising Labour to go for Remain and Reform if there is a GE. I think they could win on that basis, especially if they played the Revoke / Unrevoke Art 50 threat to persuade Lexiters.

Question is how many JC opponents would be prepared to put Remain as their primary concern?

Please can someone shoot that bloody 'Mccrapburgers' prancing reindeer thingy. It is reminding me of May and/ or the Leave voters.

pretty it's just round 1 of Scottish Budget Day. Hoping the Greens force Council Tax Reform and the LibDems finesse some sort of way of placating the teachers.

Will wait for the blue smoke in a couple of weeks.

I wish she'd stop this bloody deceitful mantra- it really really winds me up.
" taking back control of our money, borders and laws"

I'll rewrite it

" Taking back control of 0.7% of GDP, swapping EU nurses for Indian ones, and adding basic food, agriculture and environmental regulations to all the other things we already have complete control over anyway.'

{Question is how many JC opponents would be prepared to put Remain as their primary concern}
The real problem is that JC is 'Leave' and can't be trusted to actually remain. I suppose the fact that Labour have no real plan for economic prosperity/survival COULD be taken that remain/revoke is their plan.

lonely from the opposite side of the divide I completely agree. There has been nothing but abdicating control from her.

The fact we agree on this surely tells us she is toast?

Just when you think it can't get any more ridiculous... I keep emailing friends living abroad and asking what the countries they are in are saying about us. Almost always the answer is along the lines of "they think you've gone crazy".

especially if they played the Revoke / Unrevoke Art 50 threat to persuade Lexiters

But the ECJ summary says that revocation must be done in good faith so surely this would be unrealistic?

Agreed Lonely
If you strip out the repeats and the lies/exaggerations she didn't actually say much. Obviously as a Furby, someone had put new batteries in her as she can't possibly have had much sleep for the last few days.

I agree howabout. If there is a GE labour absolutely need to make their minds up and play the "well we would have got unicorns and fairies but conservatives made such a mess the only option is to remain and reform" line, maybe say they would revisit leave in 10 years or something I'd people want it.

I am just not yet convinced that this will happen with Corbyn in place and if it does whether it will be enough to keep the far right out. It's all a bit blooming dangerous.

6 pages! Blimey.

Place mark.

I must say, I do enjoy a good Tory leadership contest, so much blood being spilt, they really do know how to stick the knife in.

May should have expected this. Who was it who said that you had to be nice to people when you were on your way up, so that they would be nice to you on your way down? TM appears not to have learnt that.

Agreed Bigly.

"Good faith" is NOT in the ECJ judgement. The judgement is much stronger in emphasising the sovereignty of the UK and its autonomy versus the EU. "Good faith" was in its legal officer's advice. However it looks to be spelled out by the ECJ as meaning - revoking having followed due process in the UK.

5-10 years is a reasonable good faith timeframe for Reform and also satisfies Leavers as no longer than neverending transition under Withdrawal Agreement.

Plum voiced pompous Tory suggesting DUP mind its manners re dictating Tory Leadership - don't think that will go down well with Arlene and co.

Well I'm off to do something for the day. I may be able to check in this morning but I'm off this pm.

I SHOULD be back for May's talk to the 1922 at 5pm.

I think the rest of the day until then will be largely speculative anyway.

Until we get to the crunch of the vote it'll be a lot of hot air. Will try and pop in when I can to keep.

Cross your fingers. Not sure what for at this point, but cross them.

Back later...

Simon Clarke MP
‏*@SimonClarkeMP*
I will vote for change tonight. The EU negotiations are horribly off course and do not command support in Parliament. The policy is inextricable from the person of the Prime Minister, and the stakes are simply too high for endless deferral.

Laura Kuenssberg
‏bbclaurak
After all Cabinet digital expressions of loyalty... some backbencher starting to say in here they’ll vote against

May has expected this, that is why she did not resigned. This is the only way she is allowed to participate in the leadership contest.

Sorta don't know what to do with myself today I'm to preoccupied being braced for... something