Westminstenders: What The Hell Happens Next?!

[RedToothBrush]

John Bercow has just spent over at an hour dealing with a Points of Order, in which he has argued that he is defending the soverignty of the House of Commons and that is his duty, not to simply to be a cheerleader for the executive.

Taking back control seems to have rather upset ERG Brexiteers.

As Jess Phillips astutely pointed out:
"People only care about procedures, and protecting and conserving the procedures, when they don't like the outcome of the thing that is about to happen and never when it is going in their favour."

And given what we have seen the Executive do over the last few months in terms of trying to use procedure for its own political gain, this is quite a fair point.

There are however certain constitutional questions this is all raising. And we have a very real constitutional crisis here.

Bercow has ruled that he CAN allow an amendment (because the previous vote had prevented only a motion and a debate) put forward by Grieve to go to a vote.

This amendment would - if it is passed by the house - require May to report to the house within 3 days if the WA fails to pass next week.

This would be a significant victory, if it passed because at present the position is where May can delay reporting back to the house until it start to get to the point where politically the opposition can't influence things, and a 'meaningful vote' will in practice be more like a gun to the head by the Executive, rather than the House of Commons acting in a sovereign manner and being free to make its own decisions rather than be forced into a corner by Parliamentary Procedure and the politicking of Parliamentary Procedure to undermine the independence of the HoC.

Allowing more time for the opposition to hold the government to account, does not necessarily change anything. It just means the executive can not just run down the clock in the way it perhaps has been intending.

The HoC could of course, vote against the amendment.

The WA is to come to the HoC next week.

And we have no idea what the hell is going to happen next.

@Ta1kinPeace , now you are spoiling us!

{Civil Contingencies Act for a National Emergency}
Unfortunately it is the government that is CAUSING the National Emergency. These measures are to allow a competent government to deal with a major disaster like flooding.

Mt 'second best' unicorn (behind revoking as we were over 2 years ago) would be WA with accelerated leave, say 6 months of transition only which would allow adjustments but considerably less panic and mayhem. Even a 'crash out' would take months to implement once the immediate legal niceties have been addressed.
'Just' revoking and not being 'out' for a period will only antagonise the leavers of all levels as they will (rightly although flawed way) feel cheated of their referendum vote. Pain has to be inflicted to get this element satisfied. No one in any bits of government has actually put forward a workable plan to resolve the real issues behind Brexit so I see this period in the wilderness as necessary.

I looked up Yvette Cooper's background last night, and while sadly she isn't my MP (no chance of being voted in here if you're not Tory) she went to the local school and college just down the road, in what is quite a small town.

Totally irrelevant of course but I did like the local connection to her.

Sweet Jesus - the middle class leavers of Tewkesbury just interviewed on C4 news are a bunch of thick twats.

WHAT a day. I watched 30 minutes of the point of order discussion in Parliament and it was more entertaining than anything else on TV over Christmas.

I'll save the other cat pictures for when discussion gets heated ;-)
I've had some cracking cats over the years

Ta1kinPeace
Has your friend got a passport and is he a good mouser?
If so, reply to box 12345 France as I will look after him.

LeClerc
Current cat is VERY good at killing rodents but is dumber than Chris Grayling his dad and granddad are the same cat

Ha! I was just about to say the same re: cats.

I have four currently but will save my other three in reserve for the next time we need a bit of a break in between the madness.

I have one with the intellect of Chris Grayling but she is, at least, beautiful.

Cross post!

I'm calling today another bucket on the fire!

I can't stockpile all of DPs meds for no deal, the WA is insidious, I can and will stick an ice cream cone on a pony and name it Revoke!

PMK ta red

Oh and lovely card everyone! ❤

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 can only be used by the govt to invoke emergency powers,
which councils etc can use.
I see no way for the HoC to invoke it, other than bringing down the govt and installing a new one - who could then just Revoke without all that palaver

Any Tory who supports a Labour NC motion has killed their political career in the Tories
(they could switch parties, but it often doesnt end well)
So, particularly with Corbyn being leader, they would have to be convinced that it was the only way to avoid a catastrophe

Hence doing their duty depite the dangers.
in the case of MPs like Soubry and Boles, definite physical dangers and death threats.

btw, most other Tory MPs supported Remain before the ref and almost certainly for economic reasons, not EU fandom
Now most apparently don't and they can't all have suddenly changed their minds about the economics
That's a clear example of putting party / career before country

May too, before the ref, warned of the very serious consequences of Brexit to both the economy and to the GFA / peace in NI
She did a 180 degree turn after becoming PM
Shameless

"dumber than Chris Grayling his dad and granddad are the same cat"

TiP You may have hit on why Failing is so dumb !
DId a remote village sent their most inbred idiot to the HoC ?

www.conservativehome.com/platform/2019/01/greg-hands-the-two-vengeful-eu-officials-who-are-driving-the-brexit-talks.html
Greg Hands: “The power is with us.” The two EU officials who want to punish Britain, crafted the deal – and claim they are winning.

On Conservative Home...

It's one hell of a reality check that our own government has willingly triggered events that have been defined as a National Emergency just 15 years ago.
The definition is wider than flooding, btw, including disruption of transportation and supplies of food.
How has the UK come to this, in just 15 short years, where people on the street, in the legislature and even in the executive itself, see this as a valid outcome for their own country and citizens.
I agree with the EU on this as on many things. The political theatrics and posturing needs to stop. We have less than 3 months. Sort this bloody shit out or get off the train.

Thread in brexit topic someone can't get meds and pharma says it's brexit uncertainty.

www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/national/health-science/experts-warn-of-safety-and-security-risks-from-government-shutdown/2019/01/08/855472e4-1362-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?utm_term=.15a329aed96d&__twitter_impression=true
With inspectors furloughed, reduced FDA inspections ‘put our food supply at risk’

The furloughing of hundreds of Food and Drug Administration inspectors has sharply reduced inspections of the nation’s food supply — one of many repercussions of the partial government shutdown that make Americans potentially less safe.

The agency, which oversees 80 percent of the food supply, has suspended all routine inspections of domestic food-processing facilities, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview. He said he’s working on a plan to bring back inspectors as early as next week to resume inspections of high-risk facilities, which handle foods such as soft cheese or seafood, or have a history of problems.

“We are doing what we can to mitigate any risk to consumers through the shutdown,” Gottlieb said.

Who wants a food deal with the US? Anyone?

I have bad news for Greg Hands. There is a conspiracy against the Conservatives in that most humans have 2 legs.
The UK had a referendum and voted to leave a 'club' which the EU has accepted with some dismay.
The Conservatives have buggered around for over 2 years and failed to create a plan. Why is this the EU's fault?

{The political theatrics and posturing needs to stop. We have less than 3 months. Sort this bloody shit out or get off the train.}
Well if you have knobs like Greg in charge you have problems.

Anyone going on holiday to the US? When do we stop flights from the US if they can't guarantee security? What's the risk of bribes in this?

www.thedailybeast.com/TSA-WORKERS-FORCED-TO-WORK-WITHOUT-PAY-DURING-SHUTDOWN-ARE-ALREADY-QUITTING-UNION-SAYS
TSA Officers Are Already Quitting Over the Shutdown, Union Says

“The loss of officers, while we're already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travelers since we don't have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires. Our TSOs already do an amazing job without the proper staffing levels, but if this keeps up there are problems that will arise—least of which would be increased wait times for travelers.”

Because the security officers are considered essential employees, they have to work regardless of whether they get paid. Some have called out sick, whether in protest or to work another job.

This all scares me, as I fear no deal will look very like this... Just by a different method

@DangermousesSidekick I agree.

There used to be regular exercises as I've said before in the 80s 90s and noughties where all plans were rigorously tested under different hypothetical and scary scenarios.

What was left of that corporate experience and memory in local authorities and government nationally and regionally has largely bitten the dust under austerity. Although I don't doubt for a second everyone is doing their utmost in impossible circumstances.

Brexit in so many ways is a 'perfect storm'

You can't model chaos. You can't argue with stupidity.

I really fear for the country at the moment.
Judging by the standard of driving today, nihilism is seeping in.

Has everyone seen the thread - currently in trending? 'death penalty for Bellfield.' Apparently the OP wants to know if people think that - following brexit - we should bring back the death penalty. Probably a troll - but it does link in with the idea that those who voted brexit overwhelmingly had authoritarian views - and that when they ticked the leave box, they were voting for things that were not on the ballot paper.

#ShutdownStories is a harrowing read.

Utterly terrifying what the implications are. Trump can just sit there laughing then buy everything up.