Westminstenders: Neglectful Drunkeness!

[RedToothBrush]

The HoC has spend the past 3 years in a state of Neglectful Drunkeness.

As it stands less then two weeks from Brexit Day, there is no deal we were promised. The Conservative and Labour Parties are more divided than ever.

The government is in disarray as 8 Cabinet ministers plus the chief whip voted against the Prime Minister including the Brexit Secretary who had minutes earlier argued for an extension only to vote against it. He is now on the brink of resignation.

The DUP look like they may be about to capitulate and vote for a deal. But it may not be enough even then.

This is what the cliff edge looks like.

Who wants to take a closer look?

She's resigning at the next GE anyway. As she's determined to deliver Brexit, I think she'd take the deal if she thought it would be enough to make it pass. I bet she's bloody exhausted and would be glad to pass the poisoned chalice on!

The Spiegel piece is spot on. They are excellent on Brexit.

Ive got a bad bad feeling that the WA is going to pass if she agrees to stand down,

Why would she ? The last person that is going to lose their job over Brexit - and let me be clear about this - is Theresa May.

She's too stubborn to be blackmailed.

Arlene is trying to make the DUP stranglehold on British politics permanent
She's looking ahead to after the next GE, when the DUP probably won't hold the balance of power

However, we keep hearing that no govt can bind future Parliaments,
so I hope any future PM will feel free to repeal any stranglehold laws that May signs up to

We can't tolerate 290,000 DUP voters having the final say over what happens to 65 million people in the UK

I'm fully in favour of a federal UK with the smaller nations having far more power,
but not to that extent
and not just NI: Scotland and Wales should have at least equal say, having much larger electorates than NI.

Arlene is trying to make the DUP stranglehold on British politics permanent

Which might be enough reason for some Tories to still not vote for the WA ... again better to rule in hell than serve in Heaven.

I could see May promising to resign after a WA Brexit actually happens.

She'll have achieved what she wants and then avoids the years of more negotiation - and the blame when cake is still absent.
She probably wants some other bugger to take the flak as 2nd worst ever PM, after Cameron.

Also, she looks like her health is deteriorating - being PM is very aging even for younger PMs and in much easier times -
so I expect her DH would be encouraging her to retire as soon as she can.

I don't know how much good it will do the Brexiteers to pick on and issue ultimatums to TM. Many people seem to have a grudging respect for her even while acknowledging that her troubles are mostly of her own making, whereas they see the ERG/DUP as arrogant mischief makers pushing their own deeply political and deeply suspicious agenda.

Maybe TM offering to resign would win over some Tory hardliners, but surely it would have the opposite effect on anyone else, given the concern over any promises being reneged on by a new incumbent? It's been difficult enough for anyone to pin anything on the current one.

I could see May promising to resign after a WA Brexit actually happens.

£1 says she doesn't.

Also, even a promise of her resigning might deter some WA votes. The strapline "vote WA, get Boris" really isn't the selling point it once was.

I don't know how much good it will do the Brexiteers to pick on and issue ultimatums to TM.

It's proven track record does justify it ....

There's been another shooting

Utrecht shooting: Gunman carries out mass shooting on tram - police on scene
A GUNMAN has opened fire in the central Dutch city of Utrecht injuring a number of people, police said.

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1101632/Utrecht-shooting-tram-station-Netherlands-police-emergency-terror-fears

View from NL: Perhaps they’d better go

Interesting to hear that the UK pulled out of EU engagement several years ago, as govt policy, not just after the ref.

Many in the EU have been expressing concern that the UK after a bitter Revoke would switch from this policy of indifference and blocking further integration
to outright wrecking from inside as a deliberate tactic to bring down the EU

Some Brexiters are advocating this as the fallback plan, to achieve their desired tariff-free trade with minimum rules

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/03/14/perhaps-theyd-better-go-a3953265

The United Kingdom always had one leg in the EU and one outside.

That served a purpose: they saw things that the Dutch or French wouldn’t notice...

But they couldn’t get out of that outsider role anymore.

Now many in Brussels want them to go

Oh my god. How awful. Public transport is extra busy in the Netherlands today because of a huge police strike and go slow on the motorways.

BCF
That’s true about U.K. being wreckers in the EU. In my previous work roles I have learnt how embarrassing the govt has been particularly since 2010 when it has spiked but also a few cases before that, in the last labour govt. There was a case in 2008 that put U.K. govt noses out of joint and in any case since the Iraq war in 2003 and more particularly the build up and aftermath the govt have hardly been anything but Billy no mates.

I say govt, rather than including me , as I distance myself from their actions. All not in my name.

The UK desperately needs the EU, not just for trade:

• Brexit has revealed the dreadful incompetence in both parties at atually running the country

and how civil service expertise / competence has been cut to an extent that it may no longer cope with major crises

The EU needs the UK too - but only if it will switch to being a partner, not a wrecker

Gosh BCF reading that article makes me so sad. I have always felt European. Clearly many here in the uk don’t.

You know I was brought up with many European friends who stayed with us for lengths of time. I am sure this has had an influence on my outlook. What I don’t understand is that my brother who had the same experience is a fervent leaver.

That Dutch article (posted by BCF) has spooked me somewhat. Although I have never been involved or interested in politics and previous voting was on the 'the ones that are lying the least' basis it is pretty much how I feel about this, and the basis for my wish for the UK to leave, but by the least painful way possible as I fully acknowledge that the technological thinking of the 'brains' of UK, France Germany the Netherlands etc are pretty similar.

I am 'rotating' my stockpile
I suspect that 29th March will happen by accident.
Which is the worst of all possible outcomes.

The WA is just the start of the process after all.

Maybe TM offering to resign would win over some Tory hardliners

The trouble is doesn’t she need some Labour MPs to vote for the deal too?

If she confirms she will resign will those Labour MPs still vote for the WA? If it means we could end up with Boris Johnson as PM in the near future?

There are reportedly 30-60 Labour MPs in Leave seats who would defy the party whip and vote for the WA
BUT
since they would get grief for this, they would only do so if they are reasonably sure the WA would pass with their votes

The UK's problems are only just starting.
There is nothing like a 'leader' who can drive the UK forwards, backwards or even sideways at the moment.
Almost all of Westminster need to go out into the playground to have a punch up, then come back in when they have got it out of their system. Until that has happened the UK is good for nothing.

Gosh BCF reading that article makes me so sad

And me - so much so I couldn't finish reading it. It even left me wondering whether my Dutch friend (since we were 12yrs old) will ring me for a catch up on my 80th birthday next month - which of course she will, but even that wandering thought shows the shame and negative impact in my reaction to the article.

I've always felt a part of Europe, from those early days when I actively sought a Dutch penfriend, then later when I spent time in Vienna during my college summer holidays and teamed up with some lads staying in the university hostel; we had a great time hitch hiking to Salzburg to attend the final rehearsal (very cheap admittance) for a Festival concert, having a 'standing place' at the Vienna State Opera for four hours (such stamina in those days!) of Wagner, and taking the tram up to Grinzing for an evening at the new wine festival... after they'd left for home, I hitched around Austria on my own, and still remember it all so vividly. Later throughout my twenties I'd aim for 'The Continent' and via Aachen to points south, sometimes as far as Italy. I met so many lovely and interesting people through hitching and staying in youth hostels. And usually finished up at my Dutch friend's for a quick clean up before coming back here!!

I just want the same opportunities for my grandchildren and two great grandchildren

Tom Newton Dunn
@tnewtondunn
No10 sets new deadline for MPs: unless it’s clear there is a majority for an MV3 when Parliament rises on Tuesday night, PM will go to Brussels on Thursday and apply for long A50 extension (that’s the last possible moment to table an MV motion for debate on Weds)

So Olly Robbins being overheard in a bar is the nearest to an honest announcement of the state of play as we are going to get.

Wanders off to check what else he has been overheard to say.

There are reportedly 30-60 Labour MPs in Leave seats who would defy the party whip and vote for the WA

Depends how strong the narrative that this is a "Tory Brexit" is with their constituents.