Westminstenders: Distract and divert. Just close your eyes.

[RedToothBrush]

This morning Jeremy Hunt declared that, 'With vision on both sides we can find a way through that has the support of Parliament and also works for the EU'

Of course this is 18th February 2019 and the UK has yet to demostrate they understand the problem, much less have the vision to solve it. And we leave the EU next month.

It needs to be stressed at this point: DON'T FORGET TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Everything else is a tactic to make you close your eyes and miss what is really going on. Everything. Brexit looks increasingly like a hypnotist making their subject do ever increasing acts of ridiculousness on stage. Except I do not know if the public or the politicians are that poor sod. It is the magician who uses tricks of slight of hand to make you look the wrong way, whilst they makes all the big moves out of your vision.

There are so many stories that are coming out to try and make you miss what the government are failing to do. Stay focused. We can't ignore all these stories, but understand whether they are really important to the end game too.

A labour split, a march on the 23rd March, talk of a PV, the Brady amendment, the Malthouse Compromise, Cooper-Boles halting no deal?

No we need more than that.

The time for fantasies are gone. Its time to face reality and be pragmatic. The only thing that matters is the approaching cliff. Which we will go over not on the 29th March but in the next couple of weeks. We might not realise the ground disappearing beneath our feet at first. Our momentum as we go forward will carry for a short while before gravity kicks in.

But we can not defy the laws of physics and suddenly be able to fly because we develop magic superhuman powers of vision.

And no one will come to save us either.

Our national humilation will be total, if we don't acknowledge what is coming and stop.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/3492426-Westministenders-Abbreviation
Brexit Abbreviation Thread

So, not only are the UK politicians clueless about how or when to leave the EU they can't even decide which door to exit through between themselves for more than 7 at a time.

It might be quite a smart move to not actually be a political party. Be a sort of franchise movement. Want to stand? Call yourself an independent, get your info from the website. Start a crowdfunder and off you go.

There are people who voted leave knowing it would cause their sons/daughters/grandchildren to lose their jobs.

Even knowing in cases it meant they had to leave the UK.

It's all worth it, apparently.

But when asked to define in what way go oddly coy OR start with the soundbites;

Soveriegnity!

Taking back control!

They dont like it up em!

Robert Kimbell @redhotsquirrel
For those who claim Brits don't make cars anymore...

Allard
Alvis
Ariel
Aston Martin
Atalanta
Briggs (BAC)
Bristol
Broadley
Caterham
David Brown
Lister
Marlin
Morgan
Noble
Pembleton
Proteus
Radical
TVR
Westfield

...are British.

The UK has the world's #1 specialist car sector.

Thats nice.

Now which one can I
a) afford
b) stick a couple of kids in the back in car seats
c) fit my shopping in the boot of
d) stick a push chair in the back of
e) wouldn't you be bothered if your child vomited all over the backseat

Which of these companies employ 3500 staff at one plant and an additional 6000 indirectly.

God these people are fuckwits.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/party-preferences-british-jews/
LSE piece on what has happened to the Jewish vote since 2010.

Spoiler: It's not pretty for Labour.

James Bickerton @ jbickertonuk
Surely the most shocking thing about today is we've yet to see any serious effort by either the Labour leadership, or its media outriders, to refute the allegation (from their former MPs) that Labour is now institutionally anti-Semitic.

I cannot believe Angela Smith's "funny tinge" remark - WTF was she thinking? The Ind Group will have to do something super good to wipe that one off the chart. Meanwhile, it's all, as Red says, a distraction.

Ben Wright @ bbcbenwright
One Lab MP leaves the PLP saying it’s a ‘dialogue of the deaf’ and a complete waste of time

New acronym alert

Members of The Independent Group are known as 'TIGGERS'.

Why oh why does Labour have to be so shit that they are managing to outshine the Tories shitness? For pities sake. We should be talking about Brexit and austerity.

Angela Smith is right though, wrong shape eyes, slight tinge to the skin, unusual accent makes people other. DH and DS often get asked where they are from.

Dan Bloom @ danbloom1
Finally some light humour... the Independent Group, whose MPs oppose Brexit, is based above a branch of Wetherspoons, which, erm, does not oppose Brexit.

And the name of their new odd couple neighbour?

'The Unicorn'

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/independent-groups-office-revealed-above-14016696.amp?__twitter_impression=true
Independent Group's office revealed - above Brexit-backing Wetherspoons called The Unicorn
It's a new pro-Remain movement. It's founded on rational solutions to politics. So of course the Independent Group is based above a branch of Brexit-backing Wetherspoons called The Unicorn

Based in Altrincham. Graham Brady’s constituency.

Dan Bloom @danbloom1
And on a slightly more serious note... the Electoral Commission has now got in touch with the Independent Group to "understand its structure" after speculation about the transparency of its donations

The EC doing something???!!

Soooooo will there be more resign tomorrow? Will they do it in dribs and drabs for more effect? Why do it now and not say 6 months ago or a year ago? What do they really want to achieve? Form a new party or destroy labour? If Corbyn gets defeated will they go back to labour? So many questions. ( sigh)

Hannah Al-Othman @ hannahalothman
NEW: Derek Hatton has officially been readmitted to Labour. Source says a three person panel chaired by Jim Kennedy recently heard the case.

red unicorn, weatherspoons, remainers made me laugh! Thanks for cheering me up!

James Bickerton @ jbickertonuk
Labour MP Louise Ellman brands the leadership of her Party "institutionally antisemitic". On a normal day this would be a major news story...

Dgd is currently reading a book that claims everyone is racist, mostly unknowingly. She said it was interesting reading and makes her think about herself and views and actions. I asked to borrow it after she finishes it. I know its written by an American woman, can't remember name. Could it really be possible all people are racist in some ways?

sis yeah it's possible, largely it's an unconscious biase. Have a read, it blows your mind at first but when you think about it, it makes sense.

Steve Peers @
1/ The Home Secretary has written to his EU counterparts asking for adjustment to a no deal scenario. Story by @lisaocarroll with a comment from me. And here's the text of the letter ->

Sajid Javid warns EU counterparts of joint policing 'disruption'
amp.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/18/sajid-javid-warns-eu-counterparts-of-joint-policing-disruption?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet&__twitter_impression=true
Sajid Javid warns EU counterparts of joint policing 'disruption'
Minister says no deal is in place for extradition, data sharing and arrest warrants after Brexit

2/ Page 1. The Home Secretary admits that law enforcement alternatives in the event of no deal Brexit are "less efficient" and need more staff, ie cost more. UK has to change law. So might Member States. In six weeks?

3/ Page 2. Home Secretary: Please use Interpol instead of the Schengen Information System. There's no fall back in place for passenger name record exchange used for anti-terrorist checks

4/ The Annex, page 1. Sets out the various back ups.

5/ The Annex, page 2. More details of the backups which would replace cooperation on the basis of EU law

Thanks hazard I will!

Pmk

Well there goes any last vistage if feeling safe then!

Rob Ford @ robfordmancs
On the day Mike Gapes, one of those who led the fight against Militant, departs Labour the Militant leader he fought to expel is readmitted

Could it really be possible all people are racist in some ways?

Yea, absolutely. We are all to some extent formed by the environment we grow up in. I'd you grow up in a western country with a culture of racism (with the US and the UK certainly have) than its really impossible for you to avoid that completely. We are all subject to unconscious bias. It's the same with misogyny. Even women tend to unconsciously view men as more capable simply because that is the message that runs as an undercurrent through our culture.

We can, however, do things that cause us to recognise and challenge our bias.