Westminstenders: Flextension

[RedToothBrush]

Just wrote an intro and wiped it. So this is as quick as I can sum up.

EU response is extension to 22nd May if May passes her deal by 29th March

Or an unconditional extension to 12 April which could be extended with a plan and understanding to take part in EU elections.

This isn't what may wanted. It gives her less time and leverage

It opens up the possibility of her being ousted as PM in the next couple of days. Graham Brady asked her to quit on Monday. Remain Cabinet ministers are threatening to quit if May whips a vote to support no deal.

The talk is May has indeed flipped to supporting no deal with many think she's pretty much gone full on Colonel Kurtz.

The EU are in effect supporting parliamentary sovereignty and are being incredibly reasonable.

May now has to decide whether to accept.

The whole situation looks explosive and likely that one half of the cabinet or the other are on the brink of walking. And May's power is so shattered.

However she remains the gatekeeper and as it stands if she's hell bent on no deal, it will be extremely difficult for Parliament to prevent that.

Parly @parlyapp
The Speaker has granted three UQs today @mtpennycook on extension to the Article 50 Process, @EmilyThornberry on UNHRC inquiry into Gaza deaths and @LouHaigh on PM’s emergency knife crime summit

Pmk plus just to say we all need to also manage our mental health around brexit too as we're in it for the long haul. We have to take time out or we'll lose our minds. I've just been on a well-tined stress management course ... techniques like walking in nature, playing with a pet, breathing exercises, guided imagery, etc can all be really helpful.

I think we also have to give ourselves permission to loom away for a while if we need to....I mean it's great to do what we can like march, stockpile, sign the petition, email MPs etc but some activities can be compulsive like constantly refreshing the news, checking petition numbers etc that just get us more wound up and can be damaging to our resilience and mental health. And it's also damaging to catastrophise about things that are pretty unlikely like civil war, body bags, etc.

Gove is a total fucking idiot. He's probably one of the 25% who thinks No Deal means no change.

It really does depend on where you are coming from, I'd get dropped at a tube station and get the tube in or overground in.

James Crisp @jamescrisp6
Cracking detail from @MehreenKhn and @alexebarker on Viktor Orban at the #EUCO. That's one of Britain's supposed Brexit pals by the way.

Try this link: parkandridelondon.com/traveling-from/the-north

Is Gove likely to want to avoid no deal?

It's been posted before that of all the cabinet, Gove is probably most aware of the damage no-deal would do. Whilst I loath the man, he does seem to try and get a grip on his department. Not so sure he'll be a friend of the DUP though.

All of that said, I still think the next Tory leader is effectively going to be a PMK . There is no way Brexit can be anything but a disaster and it will be the Tory leader that comes after that who will get the glory.

More cooperative link:parkandridelondon.com

No idea how good this is, as I've never needed to use it, but worth a look at this, chevvy ?

Park and Ride London

Tells you which stations you can park at and then continue your onward journey easily by tube.

Epic x-post with OYBK

David Henig @davidheniguk
We learnt yesterday once again why the EU is such a formidable negotiator - despite all their so called splits they came out with a position that put all the pressure straight back on the UK, carefully ensuring they wouldn't be blamed for no-deal

Not only that, but the EU were clearly aware of the PM's tactics of delay to the last minuter and elegantly dismantled them - to get an extension to May the deal must be voted for next week, otherwise come up with another plan by April 11.

And recall once again that those of us with Brussels connections - as ever the likes of @pmdfoster and @GeorginaEWright - always said an extension would be available. But the current UK Government has rarely seemed to want to understand the EU.

Iain Martin @ iainmartin1
Anyone finding the whole EU27 grilling UK PM then deciding fate of Britain behind closed doors thing making you feel really no dealy?

David Henig @davidheniguk
Also I'm afraid that this rather exemplifies too much of the mood in Government and media right now - glorying in not being in the room and not wanting to understand - which is stunningly short-sighted because we'll need deals whatever happens

I wonder how many marketing bods are looking at that petition heat map thinking "That'll help our next maildrop" ?????

Irony alert: Nigel Farage on the today program saying the petition needs investigating for russian interference.

Well we've booked a car parking space.

Eeeek.

Booked a space.

Eeek!

Oh weird.

Posted twice.

Farage has told the Today programme that 20 million people will have joined his march "in spirit" when it arrives in London

Not in Doncaster, though:

www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/not-welcome-in-doncaster-nigel-farage-blasted-as-pro-brexit-march-heads-to-town-1-9661009

It's been posted before that of all the cabinet, Gove is probably most aware of the damage no-deal would do. Whilst I loath the man, he does seem to try and get a grip on his department. Not so sure he'll be a friend of the DUP though.

Sadly given the alternatives Gove does appear to be on paper to be one of the better options by a long shot.

He isn't workshy.
He has a certain level of understanding of reality
He has a certain level of understanding of obstacles and he acknowledges them.

This is all relative though. And this doesn't stop him being a lying, scheming, untrustworthy and dangerous man.

The idea of him as PM is terrifying. But if its a choice between him and Johnson, I guess I'd have to say Gove with a gun at my head.

Gove seems to be a sort of moderate hardcore Brexiter. He warned farmers that U.K. farming would not recover from No Deal, but then said they would be protected by tariffs. He was reported to have talked up soft Brexit at a dinner, but he’s not really in the soft Brexit faction. I don’t know where he stands on No Deal.

I was watching Queer Eye on Netflix last night. Jonathan, the hairdresser commented to his client that he needed "A border in your hair line. Not a hard one, a soft one like Ireland and Northern Ireland pre Brexit".

I couldn't believe that not only was this reference being made, but understood, in Kansas City, Missouri. And yet people in bloody parliament don't see the problem.

"we could walk a long way down that road and England could end up a lot like NI was in bad times if we do not tread very carefully."
Dear Red and All,
This is why I prefer to verbalise these thoughts, rather than not. I believe that if we can put our fears into words, they can take a shape which can also become possible to manage.

All in all, while standing up for beliefs and values, this type of discussion reminds me how important it is to keep "treading carefully" and to take good care of ourselves.

In this light, though I still hope that a PV will be possible, I can understand why the WA could be a wise option ( in terms of trying to keep the country "united").

Thinking about you all. And encouraging everyone here to to look after themselves.

Gove seems to be a sort of moderate hardcore Brexiter.

The words Gove and moderate and the words moderate hardcore Brexiteer do not belong in the same sentence.

Can we not try and normalise them please? !

I remember the day Gove left Education.
I went to pick up my daughter from her primary school and there was a message written up on the playground noticeboard "Gove's Gone!!! ".

Parents and teachers alike were smiling and happy.

I don’t think it would be BoJo as 6 ministers have said they would leave the party if he became PM. He seems to have jumped the shark.