Westminstenders: The Last Rites

[RedToothBrush]

After May's disastrous speech to the nation, we've hit the impasse once and for all.

She managed to enrage everyone from Brexiteers to hard Remainers and everyone in between. It was so poorly judged it's difficult to know where to begin. It just feeds the division and anger in our society in all quarters.

It's also massively undermines her appeal to the EU for an extension. If France thought we were a political basket case they were well shot of, and didn't want more social contagion from before 8pm, then they certainly won't have changed their minds since.

May's speech was that of a would be dictator. After next Friday, she effectively has both the justification and the power to act upon those instincts. She has spoken out against parliamentary democracy and consistently disregarded the law.

It's hard to see any outcome but no deal with no extension at this point. We are no waiting on a miracle to save us and that's no more than a forlorn hope. Something we hold on to, until reality presents itself.

The Last Rites of British Democracy have been served this week.

And now we face the wait for what seems now inevitable.

Milne is infuriating

and now I'm a 'sad sad person'. So I corrected his other, gramatical, error as well and pointed out that he wasn't helping the public perception of Leavers. The village will be out with pitchforks for me tonight!!

Nor is this thread

robert shrimsley @robertshrimsley
What if Theresa May has genuinely decided that no-deal is the second best option? Many assume Theresa May is running a “madman” strategy to scare MPs into voting for her deal. (although strategy is a big word to attach to the PM’s approach) - a Thread 1/n

But what if they are wrong and Mrs May no longer sees no-deal as the worst outcome. If, as some Tories now believe, the PM has reached that view - either from personal conviction or under pressure from chief whip and cabinet and for reasons of party unity? 2/n

If her deal is voted down could and Mrs May sees no-deal as the next best option it could be very hard to stop her taking the UK out March 29. 3/n

The nightmare scenario for the 400 MPs opposed to no deal is an emergency summit next Thursday, the day before Brexit. Her deal has been heavily defeated but the EU, with reluctance, offers an extension. If it is simply a few weeks to prepare for no-deal, the PM agrees. 4/n

But if the extension comes with conditions she dislikes or is a lengthy delay of the kind she has so definitively ruled out, May can effectively block it. If she refuses to accept the delay there is probably little parliament can do in the time available to rectify matters 5/n

There is one possible insurance measure. If the Letwin/Cooper plan to take control of the Commons timetable succeed in doing so, they could use the time to delete the scheduled Brexit date before the summit, stopping the clock until a new date is agreed. 6/n

But bottom line, if May has flipped - and it is an if - and her deal loses as it looks like it will, then no-deal could be very hard to avoid. 7/7

Addendum: a no-confidence vote won't change things. a) Brexit date has to be changed in law - no time if govt opposed. 2) Defeated govt has 2 weeks to secure a new majority, so clock still runs down, and no Tory cand who wants to win likely to support delay 8/7

And all of this, of course is predicated on the EU being prepared to offer an extension in those circumstances - which looks a long way from a given 9/7

Bugger! I shall have to resend it.
Does anyone have the link, please?

Fuel : Fuel in a proper container is safe to keep in the boot of the car.

Yes, but apply that across a possible thousands of people and it's a racing certainty that someone somewhere won't.

If there are signs people are stockpiling fuel, I'd hope the fire brigade make an announcement. (It's also worth noting that the fire service has a statutory power to enter premises if they suspect there is a risk of fire and/or explosion.)

Argh! Long-time lurker here. I have a dilemma. I really want to come to the march. I'd written it off as too far away - I live in Edinburgh - but now with everything that's happened I'm thinking 'fuck it, let's do it'.

Except I'm too late for a seat on the organized coaches, so I'd be getting an overnight bus down tomorrow night and another back home on Saturday, and I'll be on my own. I'll have to hang around till 10.30pm for the bus back and my partner is worried I'll get mugged.

Is anyone else going on their own? I feel like if I don't go I'll really regret it, but ... argh! It's 8+ hours each way!

courage I've lived in London all my thirty years and never been mugged. At 10.30 in Central London loads of people will be about.

Here we go. twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1108779699931660288?s=19

I've been in London for the last few days - had to return and can't go on the march so have donated the train fare to funds. Courage I always feel quite safe walking around in London because there are lots of people about. thank you Red again for these threads - I missed reading them while I was away. They grow so fast though!

Pepinana - Yes, that's what I figure, especially on a Saturday. Thanks!

courage come!

So I corrected his other, gramatical, error as well and pointed out that he wasn't helping the public perception of Leavers.

Ah, but the "liberal elite" epithet then comes into play ... you really can't win. It's better not to engage unless you enjoy trolling.

Theresa in her bunker shouting at people while all is falling to bits around her? Seen that one before?

It's grammatical not gramatical. Damn auto check.

My group is growing. We are over 15 people now including lots of children.
If you want to join us Courage private message me - or perhaps pepinana could join you as I think she was slightly worried about crowds?!

With Operation Yellowhammer and Operation Redfold, May's Brexit isn't looking very red, white and blue.

Courage honestly you will be perfectly safe, London is very busy especially on a Saturday & the bus station will have lots n lots of people milling/waiting for the coaches.

This was one of my favourite sights from the last march (I hadn't intended to be on it, had to be in London that day then sort of got caught up in it as I travelled in and then back, from Euston).

What I saw of it was very good-tempered and there were plenty of young people and children.

Some people do like a bit of drama...
Sky News can reveal the armed forces have activated a team in a nuclear bunker beneath the Ministry of Defence to step up preparations for a 'no-deal' Brexit
twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1108779699931660288

Why do they have to make it sound like a sci fi drama? "activated a team" - were they all comatose until now? "Nuclear bunker" - what's wrong with an office on a military base? Do they really think that the military couldn't defend a base against rioters.

Can she be arrested for, I don't know, crimes against the state or something? She can't just do what she wants.

Cheers Missbell

lonely how kind of you! I would love to join you. I'll send you a message when I get home

2.1% or Rees Smuggs electors have signed .....

Surely we can section her?

Brit of Irish extraction de-lurking from Germany to say thank you to RTB, BCF and everyone who has contributed to these fascinating and informative threads, which I've been reading since the beginning.

Haven't had anything to add so far that someone else hasn't already said more eloquently - just one thought now:

Brexiteers show so much touching concern for Leave voters, many of whom had allegedly never voted before or seen their vote have any effect. These voters, they claim, are the reason why it is absolutely necessary to implement a Leave mandate which is almost universally agreed to be damaging and past its use-by date.

Shouldn’t Brexiters (and all of us) be more concerned about ensuring that these Leave voters’ voices are heard in the future – like by moving from FPTP to proportional representation – than ensuring that they collect their Brexit, this one-off booby prize?

Will be at the march on Saturday sporting the reddest toothbrush I could find!

The writers of 'The Now Show' are going to have to work hard to top this sort of news!