Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Brexit

Westminstenders: It's oh so quiet...

989 replies

RedToothBrush · 04/02/2019 15:14

It's oh so quiet // It's oh so still // You're all alone // And so peaceful until

You ring the news // Bim bam // You shout and you yell // Hi ho ho // You broke the spell // Gee, this is swell you almost have a fit // Brexit is fab and I got hit // There's no mistake get on with it

'Til it's over and then // It's nice and quiet //
Shh shh // But soon again // Shh shh // Uh oh let's start a big riot

You blow a fuse // Zing boom // The devil cuts loose // Zing boom // What's the use
Wow bam // Of leaving the EU

It's gone quiet.

May was supposed to go on a tour of the EU to get concessions. She hasn't.

Instead we are currently stuck in an internal never ending debate about Alternative Arrangements (which is being abbreved too A. A. by less convinced souls) and how Germany got all the money from Marshall Aid (it didn't) and how navy ships can suddenly sprout front opening hulls to become roll on roll off ferries to emulate the spirit of Dunkirk. One of our greatest ever military defeats, which merely had good PR.

The idea that there is going to be any shift in position between now and 14th Feb seems unlikely. It suits the EU and it suits the ERG to be blunt about it. It does not suit the UK national interest though.

Instead our livihoods and futures are slowly drip, drip, dripping away. Invisible to those loved up on the idea of Leaving. But like a newly wed, how long does that feeling last? 42% of British marriages end in divorce after all. When do people fall out of love with Brexit?

The revelation of the need for the WAIB is scary too. The WAIB is the Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Bill. You can read more about it here:
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1091734003265224708.html
Well I say you can read about it, but from the thread you can see that the WAIB hasn't been published yet. And for us to Brexit without a legal and constitutional nightmare parliament needs to pass both the WA And the WAIB. And if you thought it was difficult to get the WA through just wait until you clap eyes on the WAIB details.

With this in mind there are noises from the ERG about an A50 extension. Y'know the one we can't have unless the EU think it's it their interests too.

mlexmarketinsight.com/insights-center/editors-picks/brexit/europe/the-uk-rips-out-its-eu-law-drip,-only-to-hook-up-to-another
More on the WAIB.

Of course there is a more sinister explanation: May does indeed intend to no deal and or use civil contingency law to pass the WAIB in whatever form she sees fit without parliamentary scrutiny.

Tick, tick, tick.

A friend told me today not to worry about brexit as "we survived before and we'll survive again". I didn't say much. My history lessons were rather grimmer in reminding me, that the ones who didn't survive don't get to be so optimistic.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
PestyMachtubernahme · 06/02/2019 22:28

Brace, Brace

Bubastes · 06/02/2019 22:32

So the border surveillance plans would involve the UK spying on the citizens of a foreign country.

Can't see any problems with that...

SwedishEdith · 06/02/2019 22:32

Jonathan Portes
‏*@jdportes*

Labour's new Brexit stance: as important as "permanent customs union" is single market access "underpinned by shared institutions". Means EEA membership or similar - and means free movement or similar.

www.scribd.com/document/399055327/Letter-to-PM-06-February-2019-1

Bubastes · 06/02/2019 22:34

Delaying the vore until the 25th?! Fucking hell. What a farce of a government. What a farce of democracy.

GD12 · 06/02/2019 22:35

Meanwhile...

The Malthouse thing was never serious.

twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1093274687004659712?s=19
Excl: Theresa May wants the EU’s help to abandon the Malthouse Compromise and focus on legal changes to current backstop - allies
t.co/wc6mnQqIaK

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 22:45

Jas Listen to Tusk
He very clearly told Remainers who have not yet realised:

Neither Remain nor PV are feasible options any more:

That won't just be his own political judgement;
he'll have access to the analysis of the E27 embassies in the UK who will have a damn good count of which MPs are prepared to stand up and be counted, for either PV or Remain
They are far too few

Of course Rejoin would be more complicated than Remaining
BUT
Remain is not happening

So let's deal with the situation we have, not the one we dream we have
Otherwise, the No Dealers will win

The problem with Rejoin would be to get the public support and political will on the UK side
If this existed, the EU Commission made it clear there could be a Fast Track Rejoin in transition
I know that at least German politicans and public would support this - but the change in attitide must come from the UK side

HesterThrale · 06/02/2019 22:51

I feel so lacking in energy with all this nonsense.
Perhaps we shouldn’t argue with Leavers any more. Just say...
‘Ok, it’s your call. We’re leaving. Make it work. Make it good. Make it better than it was before. Like you said it would be.’

Maybe that would make them go quiet. Pause for thought. And worry that it’s not going to be good.
Sometimes when you keep arguing with people, they keep defending, and believing in, their arguments. If we stop, maybe they’ll start examining them themselves. Have doubts. They might believe self-doubts more than Remainer doubts.

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 22:52

swedish That's just people and vehicles - we have the tech to do that Big Brother stuff-

The surveillance has yet to be developed that can look inside boxes and vans, to check for meat, plants, electrical goods , toys etc that are not up to EU standards

Loletta · 06/02/2019 22:53

Labour have been a useless Opposition because of one person: Corbyn - again the Labour Party voters were deceived by an image.
With any other leader, they have a reasonable amount of talent that could have worked with Tory remainers - hardly any will work with Corbyn.

While I agree with you BCF that Corbyn has been a complete let down, personally definitely didn't vote for him for his "image". I was a member of the Labour Party at the time (through Unison) and I voted for Corbyn because he was the only one that was saying things that made sense to me from an anti-austerity perspective. I work in a frontline role and see the effects of austerity every day. Corbyn was the only one who didn't sound like a "Tory light" and his voting record supported what he was advocating during the Leadership contest. I do bitterly regret my decision to vote for Corbyn now. But it definitely wasn't his persona that tricked me.

cherin · 06/02/2019 22:53

I don’t know how we’ll ever be considered for rejoin if our economy is in tatters. We (U.K. in the EU) have had very strong opinion and criteria before allowing other countries to join....that’s not going to be set aside as if we were a special case

SwedishEdith · 06/02/2019 22:54

I'm not agreeing with it BCF. I'm horrified at the naive/cavalier proposals of Liam Fox, that's all.

lljkk · 06/02/2019 22:54

Something about places in Hell for next thread title?!

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 22:57

The tech exists also to check Safe Traders, by pre-approval etc away from the border

The problem is UnSafe Traders, bringing in goods from the UK - e.g. cheap food from the US - that do not meet EU standards

We have to stop the goods getting into NI, but the DUP won't allow checks between GB & NI
This is even though GB could start diverging from EU norms from Day #1 and legally the EU would have to assume this could happen and deal with it.

PestyMachtubernahme · 06/02/2019 22:57

Hell hath no fury like a brexiteer scorned?

Apileofballyhoo · 06/02/2019 22:59

7days (hope I'm getting your name right). DH and I are also moderate and mild. And we have the rage. And the tears. I've actually cried about this, cried for Ireland and the people of Ireland. I've never known anger like it. And it horrified us both to think that if we are that angry, how angry are the people that put down their arms and signed up to the GFA and the freedom to drive down the road in their own country?

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 23:02

Corbyn again ...

Laura Kuenssberg@bbclaurak

Corbyn's letter to May might sound uncontroversial and pragmatic, but it's bound to ruffle a lot of labour feathers
....

Chris Leslie@ChrisLeslieMP

Seriously? Offering to help Tory Govt enable #Brexit?

It’s not just Labour’s conference policy in the bin

When the jobs go & revenues for services dry up as a result - Labour’s leadership will have ZERO right to complain: they share responsibility

Corbyn lays out Labour’s terms for backing May on Brexit

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/06/corbyn-lays-out-labours-terms-for-backing-may-on-brexit?

Letter offers Labour’s support if PM makes five binding commitments – including joining a customs union

BjorkShush · 06/02/2019 23:03

Corbyn wants to retire.

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 23:05

Tusk had it right about both the PM and the Leader of the Opposition being pro-brexit, at least now

That's why the Remainers in the HoC are powerless.
V difficult to force a PM to do something she opposes
Impossible when the Leader of the Opposition supports her basic aim of Brexit
and joins with her in beating down any Remain voices

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 23:06

He need to resign and let the PLP elect someone at least temporarily in this emergency - no time for a membership vote

Of course, none of that will happen
just a dream

prettybird · 06/02/2019 23:07

From the AIBU thread.... But.........to prefer Tusk over our own elected representatives is so unpatriotic as to be almost insane.

Confused

So now agreeing with someone who states the obvious and calls out the real culprits is unpatriotic Hmm

I've obviously not had the correct brainwashing Wink

Hazards · 06/02/2019 23:07

Didnt i read earlier that labour are officially backing an extension of A50?

Hazards · 06/02/2019 23:09

Oh god pretty i dont think Ive had the right brain washing either.

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 23:11

Nick Gutteridgee@nick*_gutteridge

EP Brexit chief @guyverhofstadt after meeting Varadkar: ‘

We‘ll never abandon Ireland.
We‘ll never prioritise demands of minority of Eurosceptic MPs from a departing Member State over interests of a MS.

It’s UK's obligation to propose a positive & viable proposal on way forward.’

BigChocFrenzy · 06/02/2019 23:14

Tony Connelly@tconnellyRTE

Varadkar: EU solidarity for a small country resonates not just in Ireland but in other small countries
....
Denmark's Kristian Jensen -
There are two kinds of European nations.
There are small nations and there are countries that have not yet realised they are small nations.

Jericho1 · 06/02/2019 23:15

It’s not just Labour’s conference policy in the bin

So let's deal with the situation we have, not the one we dream we have

I'm confused BigChocFrenzy
You are saying that there's no way Britain can remain in the EU now. Labour is proposing a sort of EEA/Norway type arrangement, isn't that a solution?

May's not acting in good faith. She clearly has no intention of trying to pass her current WA and aims for a crash out.

Surely Labour is now being practical in trying to get a compromise?

I've actually cried about this, cried for Ireland and the people of Ireland I've never known anger like it

Flowers Apileofballyhoo
After the Cooper amendment was lost last week, I cried. I went for an evening walk round my snowy town, and wondered what it would look like in 6 months, and how the people would be, and how life would never be the same again.