Westminstenders: Stuck in the Middle With TIGGERS

[RedToothBrush]

Well I don't know how we got here tonight.
We've got the feeling that something ain't right.
We're so scared as we leave the EU
And we're wondering how we'll get out of this stew

Antisemites to the left of me!
Dog Whistles to the right!
Here I am stuck in the middle whilst we leave the EU.

'Cause I'm stuck in the middle whilst we leave the EU.
And I'm wondering what it is we should do.
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face.
Losing control and running all over the place.

Clowns to the left of me!
Jokers to the right!
Here I am stuck in the middle whilst we leave the EU.

When you started off with rights
And you're starting to wonder if thats for life.
And all the politicians come crawling
Slap you on the back and say
Please . . .
Please . . .
Vote Leave and back EU Withdrawal

But we see it makes no sense at all.

Best to keep your money offshore
Than to visit the bookstore

Deniers to the left of me!
Islamaphobes to the right!
Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

Its finally happened. FINALLY.

MPs have seen that their leaders have lost the plot and are hell bent on destruction and politicial ideology ahead of practicality and will justify the unjustifable in the face of democracy and they have jumped ship.

Enter stage left and stage right: The TIGGERS - members of The Independent Group.

Will there be more. Hard to say no. It seems almost certain there will be more.

Will it make a difference? Difficult to call, but these MPs would be driven out sooner or later. Such is our accelerating politicial polarisation and narrowing of views. This is their last stand. They have nothing left to lose on a personal level.

Whether you agree with the TIGGERS or still look to the other parties for policy, I do think that the emergence of the TIGGERS marks a feeling of optimism and much needed hope for many many Remainers / Moderates, even if it ultimately does fizzle out.

A reflection from 2017: People voted for Corbyn because they were looking for Hope. When he's failed to deliver that, its led to disillusionment and he can not pull the same trick again at a future GE. This makes that doubly so. People are STILL very much looking for that hope. If Brexit does go tits up in a big fashion, then what happens? To what direction do people look? I'm sure there will be the bitterest of recriminations, but... hope is a big deal. We need something...

Tick tick tick. 37 days til Brexit.

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

Justine Greening: “If we simply become the Brexit party, then I do not believe we have a successful future ahead of us …. I don’t think I would be able to stay part of a party that was a Brexit party that had crashed us out of the European Union.”

With every remainer MP that leaves, the Tory party will become more the Brexit party - if it isn't already.

There is the electoral threat to the Tories that after a No Deal Brexit - or indeed even after the WA -
the Tiggers would attract Tory and centrist Remainers who'd never vote for Labour under Corbyn
and who don't like / trust the LDems

the Tiggers would attract Tory and centrist Remainers who'd never vote for Labour under Corbyn and who don't like / trust the LDems

Someone called ?

7. The cosmetic chemicals we sell are regulated by REACH.

They need to put Rees-Mogg onto this one. Wasn't he pontificating about it the other night? I thought to myself, "what do you know about it chum?" but he says it with that oh so confident/entitled voice that it tends to disguise the fact that he is talking hogwash.

Anna Soubry MPP@Anna*_Soubry

Why I have resigned from the Conservative Party.

https://mailchi.mp/d728da7ecc44/looking-good-1598483?fbclid=IwAR1fsMxXiC1F2YB5G6wLpzaPk5LsjVFbDUmqZyvGD4tV-STJqGcportwbVw

I have written of my belief that the Conservative Party is drifting to the right wing of British politics.

I have also recognised that many constituents feel their views are not represented by either of the two main parties.
Nottingham East MP Chris Leslie < labour > said on Monday in his resignation speech, “enough is enough”.

I agree with him; in the last few years I have come to the firm view that I have more in common with his values and principles than many people in the Conservative Party.

It is time to realign British politics and get back to the centre moderate ground.

Late PMK

Political pics @ politicalpics
Philip Lee just left No10 and got his spad to do a selfie at the door! Last pic maybe

Maybe. Maybe not.

But his presence at no 10 at all is interesting

There seems to be a few Tories saying they won't resign (yet) but using the hashtag enough is enough...

I would hope to see a Parliament of say 50 Independents, which would break the whipping system and might just force some politicians to try to listen to others and consider their views. Instead we had the farcical situation the other week of May going down to a 230 defeat, but then the Tories voting their confidence in the Government. Once that was done, the ERG went back to undermining May at every turn.

This Parliament of Independents would only work while May has her very fragile majority - it won't work with Thatcherite or Blairite majorities.

Political pics @politicalpics
Dr Philip Lee MP leaving No10 this morning gets his spad to do maybe the last snap at the door, he did look jolly unhappy !!!!

He certainly doesn't look cheerful...

I wonder if Philip Lee will go? Bigger scalps would be Justine Greening and Nicky Morgan.

I think if the WA is presented again next week or whatever TM brings back from EU if it fails then we will see more jumping triggers. Not expecting many ( if any) until then. They will hang on to see if TM really goes through with no deal first.

She can revoke of course (TM) she is the only one able to do it I suppose. A lot of pigs flying at the moment!

Lee will go. It's a question of when.

I suspect Greening will go too. She's London in a heavily pro remain area if I recall correctly. Her seat is unsafe if she stays with the Tories IMHO, so nothing to lose.

Morgan is the one I have doubts about.

My fingers are crossed for Nicky Morgan and David Lammy to join the TIGgers.

Philip Lee just left No10 and got his spad to do a selfie at the door! Last pic maybe

Just looked him up - he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for Youth Justice, Victims, Female Offenders & Offender Health at the Ministry of Justice.[

SB perhaps?

Oh the big guns will hang on for dear life till even after we fall out of EU with no deal which is no damn good then. If they gonna jump ship now is the time to do it with a little chance of changing things. Another couple of weeks may be too late.

PMK

Aside from the odd run of days when it all gets too much, I've been following from the very beginning. I mainly lurk as I have little to add (I get all my information here!) but post every now and then to support those who are doing the heavy lifting here. So thank you everyone, especially red for the threads themselves and all the regulars (I won't list in case I miss someone out and cause tantrums...).

Bigly said
Never underestimate the power of the "it can't happen to me" delusion. People simply find it hard to really accept that really bad stuff can happen to them. There is still the idea that somebody will stop it, that 'they' won't let it happen. Bad things happen to other people in other places.

I think connected to this is the idea that people to whom bad things happen deserve it (see any thread on benefits) and that because they are good hard-working people who don't deserve bad things then they will be okay. The Tory demonisation of the poor has made this far worse.

A lot of people may learn some very hard lessons about how deserving turns out to have very little to do with it.

the Tiggers would attract Tory and centrist Remainers who'd never vote for Labour under Corbyn and who don't like / trust the LDems

I'm left of centre but I'm interested in TIG. I left the Lib Dems behind in their swamp because of Rennard, their ingrained sexism and croneyism, and some of their unpleasant, dishonest Peers; plus their nasty LBGTQ Twitter account and the response of their frankly odd 'pastoral care' person(s).

I hope TIG don't accept the Lib Dems into their fold.

I see Junker doing his usual doom and gloom threat because nothings changed. As if we need reminding

www.scotsman.com/news/conservative-mp-charged-with-making-false-expenses-claims-1-4876802/amp?__twitter_impression=true
Conservative MP charged with making false expenses claims

The Crown Prosecution Service said Christopher Davies, the MP for Brecon and Radnor, is accused of two counts of making a false instrument and one of providing false or misleading information in relation to allowance claims.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 22.

Serious note on this one:

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Davies are now active and that he has a right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

I don't know what the possible sentence is, but May can ill afford to lose a single MP that week.

But one Lib Dem did resign, didn't he, so is already Independent. If he could go and sit with the Tiggers then we have the makings of a cross-party grouping. This could be what we need to get us out of the mess we are in - first we need a stay of execution to pause Brexit... and then?

Chiara History is my thing and yes. I've felt for some time that we're in the run-up to a war. A self-inflicted and completely avoidable one.

My 90-something mother served in the last one and I have a genuine dread that she may well die from her complex health condition if no deal happens and her medication isn't available. In my darkest moments I feel as though I might not be responsible for my actions were that to happen.

A lot of people may learn some very hard lessons about how deserving turns out to have very little to do with it.

It is utterly heartbreaking.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/02/21/brexit-latest-news-labour-tories-brace-walkouts-defectors-reshape/

I went back to the Lib Dems because they have been one of the only two pro European parties and Brexit is the biggest threat to basically everything.

I'm keeping an interested eye on the new group, they need to absolutely keep rejecting racism and xenophobia and be pro freedom of movement for me.