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

I get that it will be UK asking for it and it's not as if TM has much pride left is it? But, my point stands, how would it help?

That's just it. It wouldn't It's just prolonging the gridlock that has developed between parties, MPs, parliament, government and the people.

People are suggest it would help the EU to extend, but I really think that ship has sailed. Tusks comments last week weren't random, nor incendiary. I read them as a clear signal "that's it". And doubtless, as he expected, the UK completely missed the import ... I don't think the EU27 did.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but having grown up around enough people who aren't English to sometimes feel a bit out of place myself, that was what I sensed. Sort of thing my DF would have done with a customer - or supplier.

I don't think it's percolated yet quite how deep the wound from TM being unable to deliver her own sodding agreement has cut. It was a game changer.

Incidentally, every hour we get closer to B-Day is another hour it's less likely any extension could be worked out.

DG I read that a lot of Europeans think UK has already left. They've moved on to their own concerns. They don't seem to me to benefit from holding us afloat for another 2 months or 3 months or whatever. Companies that used to export to us have a host of other countries that they can make deals with and were told by EU to assume UK is heading for no deal and thus to prepare. I can only assume they have done so rather than looking across the channel and thinking "Wow, what a coordinated bunch of politicians, i'll trust in them rather than my own politicians that my shipments will be fine for the foreseeable future" . The EU have been using the time wisely rather than running around like a fox got into the chicken coup at the last minute.

While I am not sure the EU are quite that prepared I would expect that bits that aren't ready will be to the detriment to the UK rather than itself.
So there may be new customs/security personnel and cabins etc, but no paperwork from the UK side so the holdups will be a problem for the UK (kind of thing).

I think @LonelyandTiredandLow pretty much sums it up ... which is why I still think it's no-deal. Nothing anyone has done in parliament in the past 2 years has made me think they are capable of doing what it takes to stop no-deal. Mainly because they've missed the chance. We are where we are precisely because they were happy to have no-deal as an option 2 years ago. They must have been, because if they weren't they would not have voted for it - even by default.

Parliament - like the whole of the UK - is being held to what was decided in a different time and a different place. At the risk of sounding snarky, it must be a little bit like living in Northern Ireland.

May ultimate weapon - interestingly not yet deployed - is to say what I have written ... that she is delivering the will of the people as expressed by parliament and if that means no deal, then so be it. We already know that people are no longer allowed to change their mind. Which has to be embedded in the public mind as things get more and more shitty.

After all, I have yet to hear a single MP state that they would not have voted for A50 if they had known we could end up with no deal. As with all I think (to prove I'm not a Brexiteer) I look forward to being proved wrong.

Adam Wagner @AdamWagner1
Ian Austin MP was subjected, in my view, to a clear case of victimisation (within the meaning of the Equality Act) when disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him for complaining about antisemtism.

In a sense, he has been constructively dismissed

www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/news/100181/labour-drops-disciplinary-action-ian-austin
Labour drops disciplinary action into Ian Austin following clash with Jeremy Corbyn

This is victimisation. It is being treated less well (or punished) for, for example, complaining about discrimination. @IanAustinMP made an entirely justifiable complaint and was taken through a months' long disciplinary process to attempt to punish him for doing so

The party claims it was all about his manner in shouting in Parliament. But this was in the context of a fiercely contested debate over Labour attempting to write it's own definition of antisemitism. That's what happened on 16-17 July, the days the complaints relate to

Austin was a fierce (and in my view fair) critic of the party's actions over antisemitism and the attempt to discipline him was ill-judged, as was the attempt to discipline another fierce critic, Margaret Hodge

Politics can be passionate and difficult and there has been little more passionate or difficult than this issue for Labour. But to use formal disciplinary proceedings against @IanAustinMP was a huge mistake in the context. It should never have happened.

I would note that John Woodcock, Jared O'Mara and Ivan Lewis ALL left the Labour Party after being subjects of Labour Party investigations (which were never concluded because they left). In those cases, there were allegations of sexual misconduct and poor conduct.

With the treatment of Luciana Berger and Ian Austin, these start to look dodgy as fuck (even if they ultimately were right to be investigated). It certainly looks as if the party has a problem with their disciplinary procedure. It looks like both Berger and Austin were constructly forced out of the party.

Meanwhile Chris Williamson tweets brazenly anti-semitic shit on a regular basis without the party disciplinary system batting an eye lid.

It is starting to look like something incredibly rotten and resembling an orchestrated purge and witch hunt.

It stinks to high heaven.

It just says 'Who is next?' Rather than putting a lid on it.

Adam Wagner @AdamWagner1
For those saying that Austin brought the party into disrepute.

Compare the case of Peter Willsman, friend of the leadership, who ranted at an NEC meeting about rabbis being "trump fanatics" making of antisemitism claims.

No disciplinary action taken.

www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/31/corbyn-ally-says-jewish-trump-fanatics-make-up-antisemitism-claims
Corbyn ally says 'Jewish Trump fanatics making up' antisemitism claims
Labour MP calls for NEC member Peter Willsman to be suspended after comments are recorded

Oh funny. Corbyn's mate.

A month and day away from Brexit, and we have to dig through the Labour parties navel fluff ....

This is my worry -
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/22/city-free-port-brexit-deal-bankers

The greatest irony is that London and the south-east of England, which voted overwhelmingly for remain, will emerge from a hard Brexit richer than ever. It is the provinces that voted leave that will suffer. Manufacturing will slide towards recession, while Londoners smile all the way to the bank

There seem to be rumours of an extension to April 18th. Is this true?

The greatest irony is that London and the south-east of England, which voted overwhelmingly for remain, will emerge from a hard Brexit richer than ever. It is the provinces that voted leave that will suffer. Manufacturing will slide towards recession, while Londoners smile all the way to the bank

It would only be ironic if it were somehow unplanned or unwarned of. As things are, it would be mission accomplished.

David Clark
@DavidKClark
Huge story breaking in Italy. Putin agreed to a request from Lega Nord leader Matteo Salvini to covertly finance his Euro election campaign. The plan was to conceal the payment behind an apparently normal business deal. Sound familiar?
(link: espresso.repubblica.it/inchieste/2019/02/20/news/esclusivo-lega-milioni-russia-1.331835) espresso.repubblica.it/inchieste/2019… via
@espressonline

Esclusivo - La trattativa segreta per finanziare con soldi russi la Lega di Matteo Salvini
espresso.repubblica.it
7:25 AM · Feb 22, 2019 · Twitter for iPad
554
Retweets
560
Likes
David Clark
David Clark
@DavidKClark
·
2h
Replying to
@DavidKClark
The Salvini-Putin funding scandal shows, yet again, that the far right and so called ‘national populists’ work for the Kremlin and are happy to take its illegal cash. Traitors and crooks the lot of them.
David Clark
David Clark
@DavidKClark
·
2h
The plot to covertly fund Lega Nord with Russian cash also confirms Putin as Europe’s top sponsor of fascism. Anyone on the left boosting Putin or seeking to justify his actions deserves to be regarded as a collaborator. I don’t give a crap how many Antifa demos they go on.

The Lega Nord basically want to cut the south of Italy adrift ...

Tom McTague @TomMcTague
Labour MPs jittery this morning. Some concern 3 more resignations could happen amid strange WhatsApp behaviour over last 12 hours

More to come?

Lots of speculation about Margaret Hodge and John Mann.

It doesn't sound like Hodge is going (today at least). She tweeted this 25mins ago

Margaret Hodge @margarethodge
Really sad to see another hardworking MP leave Labour because of antisemitism. This is another massive wake up call to the leadership. With my Labour colleagues I want to continue fighting & calling out antisemitism in the Labour movement

Twitter is horrible today with people shouting at her, Jess Phillips and Tom Watson to get out of the Party. Truly hideous.

Companies that used to export to us have a host of other countries that they can make deals with and were told by EU to assume UK is heading for no deal and thus to prepare.

I fear that in many cases this hasn't happened. Most Europeans don't get the emotion that is associated with Brexit. The past years they have assumed that the UK would stay within the common market, as that is the most logical thing to do. It is only very recently that the local governments have warned them to prepare for no-deal and many companies don't have time to do so.

There was a company on the radio in Belgium that produces plants for garden centers. 90% of their market is the UK. Finding new markets is not so simpel due to the nature (get it??) of their business. They are likely to have a very difficult time if the UK market implodes and if they are not able to easily and cheaply trade with the UK.

Other companies don't yet have the documents in place to export out of the EU as they have never had to. They also don't have the expertise in house.

So it is not just lorries getting stuck that will be the problem, it is also EU companies being ready to even start the export process of their goods.

An extension would help focus the minds of company leaders in the EU and give them time to prepare better.

Leavers aren't suddenly going to be fine with us staying because we choose to delay and it will take the attention off the failure of our govt again and make them think back to why they want to leave

Leavers aren't homogeneous though. The plumber I quoted above will almost certainly go back to being apathetic.

There seem to be rumours of an extension to April 18th. Is this true?

I've not seen a sausage of this on my twitter feed. It could be true, but I'm not hearing it.

Kevin Schofield @PolhomeEditor
Tom Watson’s reaction to Ian Austin’s resignation from Labour. Says it’s “a serious blow to my party”.

The contrast between this and what @LabourLeft are retweeting, is just incredible.

and this

Jess Phillips @jessphillips
Last 2 days I have twice been trending on twitter mainly because of messages from those who hate me. This is a terrible campaign technique on their part & should highlight to people that others can see their vitriol and it's not a good look for the party they claim to love

Tom Watson @tom_watson
To say this is not a good look is an understatement.

Honestly. Twitter today is one of the nastiest day's I've ever seen it.

May lost all pride a long time ago. She now has no shame. You are so right, Red, but isn't that a deeply shocking thing. Almost as shocking as the continuing denial of the Labour Party that anti-semitism exists there. When people like Ian Austin and Margaret Hodge are disciplined for complaining about the party's failure to deal with it, we really are moving into the realms of Stalinism.

Leavers aren't suddenly going to be fine with us staying because we choose to delay

Part of the reasons Leavers are starting to attract the thick label previously reserved for Brexiteers is when they repeatedly fail to grasp they will not get what they wanted . No one will. Remainers (obviously) least of all, but the vast majority of Leavers.

May lost all pride a long time ago. She now has no shame. You are so right, Red, but isn't that a deeply shocking thing.

Not really. Maybe 15 years ago, but not in 2019.

I'm shocked, DG!

What does "normal" look like anymore ?

What does "normal" look like anymore ?

Just abuse.

Abuse is normal.

Phew looks like Flybe (not bmi) are going to be OK, been rumours for a while that they might not be. If anyone is flying with them in the near future, check the hand luggage sizes, DH has been flying with them for ages and suddenly had to pay a £50 check in fee the other day, a long with about 20 other people. Their hand luggage size is smaller than some other airlines.

The Scotsman @ thescotsman
UKIP ridiculed for error-strewn pamphlet which misspells ‘Britain’
www.scotsman.com/read-this/ukip-ridiculed-for-error-strewn-pamphlet-which-misspells-britain/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

You don't have to be good at spelling. Just be smart enough to get someone to use check on public facing material. Which even if have six degrees and a PhD in English language is what you should do.

Pet hate.

Loving the UKIP eye patch look though!

Abuse is normal.

This is something that is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment.

I feel as a nation we have lost so much compassion / empathy and social media just fuels such hatred.

If you disagree with the majority then you are pounced upon, attacked and ridiculed.

I am appalled at this Shamima Begum stuff. I do not condone her at all and I would quite happily see her rot - but she is British and she is our problem and like it or not we have to deal with her.

JC put out a sensible statement yesterday and he got ripped to shreds on another group I am on. I despise JC but I agree with him in this instance.