Westministenders: BAH HUMBUG said Mr Rees-Mogg

[RedToothBrush]

"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge Rees-Mogg, ... it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons hostels?"

"Plenty of prisons hostels..."

"And the Union workhouses foodbanks." demanded Scrooge Jacob. "Are they still in operation?"

"Both very busy, sir..."

"Those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge ^Rees-Mogg, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

He continued "Besides I do not believe that anyone would die without them. I think Theresa is right, there are many complex reasons why nurses go to food banks. The real reason for the rise in numbers is that people know that they are there and Labour deliberately didn't tell them. To have charitable support given by people voluntarily to support their fellow citizens I think is rather uplifting and shows what a good, compassionate country we are"

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This thread is dedicated to Mrs8 and anyone else who is working to make life just a little better in the difficult circumstances that ALL politicians are currently doing their best to ignore (despite what they profess).

No Deal = even more poverty and destitution.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HERES HOPING FOR A HAPPIER NEW YEAR
especially to those of you, who might be having a tough time or facing real uncertainity.

I've been flying the European flag on my bicycle ever since I moved here, right after the ref
and I have one in my office.

However, it's uncontroversial in Germany and 2 gym pals copied the bike idea.

In warmer weather, I was wearing my EU T-shirts and light jacket.
I can still wear my EU cap ... when the the sun peers through the winter gloom
and I wear an EU T in the gym

I have just seen a bloke in full Santa gear cycle past wearing an EU hat

My DD and I drove 2.5 hours each way to visit family yesterday (we shared the driving, me out, her back) and it was so worth it, from chilly misty pre-dawn hillsides to the bright lights of London and then back again in the late evening. So today is quiet and reflective with mince pies, a good book and Christmas champagne.
I’d invite you all to me for a pre Brexit party but I’m so far off the beaten track! I have an EU flag on the mantelpiece but the cat keeps knocking it off. Perhaps she’s a UKIP-kitty.

DD is going to a Brexit party in Austria on the 29th March
I believe there are several being arranged ....
we could all pick one and turn up at it and see if we can work out who each other are

TiP Are these parties held by sad / embarassed expats ....or by EU citizens waving goodbye to the problem child ?

Bigchoc
DD's one is through Erasmus so a grand mixture
The UK ones are often based around research universities - oddly enough

Ode to Joy is a key piece of music in one of the best Christmas films - Die Hard. Obviously it's for the bad guys encapsulated in the person of Alan Rickman. Yippee Kay Yay, MothaFecka.

Your food sounds fantastic mrsr!

We have just been for a walk to burn off my mum’s fantastic cooking - unfortunately didn’t get very far or burn off very much going at toddler pace

The last guests have just left, so I'm settling down to catch up on Westminsterenders. Had a lovely, peaceful few days, no Brexit arguments at all, although a couple of Brexit-related books did appear as presents! I got DP the Fintan O'Toole on (?Heroic Failures, I think) and he bought a Brexit Survival Manual for a (remainer) friend

Now looking forward to may favourite part of Christmas - the lazy, leftover-filled few days between now and new year...

Thanks to all of you for keeping me sane this year!

Checking in with a belated merry Christmas to all you wonderful online companions.

Lessons I have learned this Christmas:

1.If you inherit a large two-oven range cooker when you move it’s a really, really, really, really, really, really good idea to test that both ovens work even if you ordinarily only need to use one. Make sure you do not wait until Christmas morning to undertake this test. Only a fool would do this 🙄

1. Many people would imagine one bottle of Tanqueray Flor de Seville started on Christmas Eve would last four adults beyond Boxing Day. The people who imagine this are very wrong.

1. If you give up pretty much all chocolate for six weeks to support DH

after a pre-diabetic diagnosis but then mainline it from 9.00am Christmas morning you will find yourself feeling pretty queasy by 10.00pm Boxing Day.

Hazard hope DP is a little better today.

Bellini my former boss had a Die Hard Christmas jumper. It looked like a classic Scandi-knit but when you looked closely the pattern that would have normally had snowflakes or reindeer etc was actually rows of little armed men and the words ‘Ho Ho Ho. Now I have a machine gun’ knitted into it!

Yesterday took a lot out of me and family looking after me today. Had breakfast in bed courtesy of dgd which was lovely. Tomorrow off to local food bank with unopened biscuits, crackers, chocolates and anything I can find like pickles etc plus I have £20 in shopping vouchers to get some staples like teabags, sugar, rice etc to take too.

The clever, humorous, insightful minds who contribute to this thread, give me faith that whatever happens, we will somehow get through it. Not because of politicians, but because of sensible, moderate people like the Westminstenders

That's a lovely thing to say @LucyLastic.
I'm hopeful that the sensible, moderate people of GB (those born here and those who've made it their home) will mean that we will somehow get through whatever follows 29th March 2019.

Family gone, so almost back to normal and catching up with day to day jobs and wasting time on MN.

Good idea about the food bank, I will see if we have anything we can contribute. Don't think they want cold turkey, an unopened packet of giblets or the remains of a ham which is going a bit dry, though.

@SingingBabooshkaBadly - I want that Christmas jumper.

I've had Pringles and a satsuma for breakfast..

Late to the discussion, but my Christmas day supper was a bowl of BBQ Pringles and a generous helping of toffee pecan meringue roulade. After smoked salmon and scrambled egg for breakfast and sn enourmous meat-heavy lunch, I didn't feel the need for any more protein.

This guy got 2018 mostly right, and here are his predictions for 2019:

www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2018/12/26/with-just-five-days-to-go-the-pb-alastair-meeks-predictions-for-2019/

(There is a link at the top to an article about how his 2018 forecast turned out).

Hard to argue with any this, although I think he may be overestimating how tribal Brexit has become, because both the ardent leave and ardent remain elements are echo chambers. I have the sense that while many leavers would still identify as leave, it's more because people have trouble changing their minds than because they are still devoted to the cause. I spoke to my long-time (as in decades) eurosceptic dad for the first time in ages and even the slightest mention of Brexit (I mentioned that if we come to the UK this year it will be before March) resulted in a rapid change of subject.

Regardless I think that it's no longer possible to argue against a people's vote on the basis that it will entrench divisions, because that's going to happen anyway. (There are other, better arguments against a people's vote though).

Thanks for those predictions Mistigri.

I found it interesting how there are only 11% with no strong feelings now.

Also i think we all agree If there is a fresh referendum, it will be close.
I disagree when he says that the Leavers who have talked about boycotting a fresh referendum shouldn’t! I think a few of them should!

Also Interesting that he says much of the dynamic would still favour Leave.

I agree that Brexit has moved from the political to encompass the personal too. 44% of people saying that they are a very strong Remainer or Leaver. Articles like this are good but do help entrench views too!

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1075567606864719872.html

Also Interesting that he says much of the dynamic would still favour Leave.

I think that will depend on a number of other factors. Once people start losing jobs it might change some minds. In some ways the longer a second referendum is delayed the more likely remain is to win, even though the longer it takes the more likely it is that even if we remain there will be significant negative consequences.