Westminstenders: Pragmatism versus Purity

[RedToothBrush]

There is one question for the HoC in the next week and that's will you persue pragmatism or purity?

May looks as if she is being sidelined after a backbench withdrawal of support, the DUPs withdrawal of support and an omminous silence eminenating from the Cabinet.

Her speech on Thursday where she pitted the people against parliament has been her last mistake. She's now a danger to the country's stability and the safety of MPs.

The priority for the week is to pass the SI to change the UK exit date from 29th March to the EU's new terms.

After that, with May's deal stuffed due to lack of support and a Bercow ruling it looks like we are facing some sort of indicative free vote. This seems to be being supported by ministers in government regardless of leave or remain.

The prospect of a Tory Leader Election contest looms. It remains to seen if that can happen in the next three weeks with so much else at stake. But this is the Tory party.

The penny seems to be finally dropping about the reality of leaving the EU and how we leave the EU. A week before we were due to go. The incompetence of Parliament is laid bare in all its glorious full scale.

I got back home about 9ish and have just been catching up on the threads. We didn't even make it to Trafalgar Square before we couldn't get any further - never mind Parliament! And we thought we started off near the front ... turns out we really really didn't.

Way more people than last time - and way more than a million I would say.
Well done everyone who was out today! Enjoy a well earned restful Sunday

We really wished you could have been there Hazard.

Who is mates with Toby Young at the moment. He is pushing for more austerity.

Love and thanks to all who marched, and to all those who sent kind thoughts to the marchers.

Off to bed now with the creeping feeling I may be a bit deflated in the morning after all this excitement...I may need to take up extreme sports to compensate.

And of course, by take up extreme sports I mean eat lots of sugary snacks in front of the telly.

Happy to have marched today. I only decided the night before. Met up with a few people beforehand but managed to lose sight of them immediately. So I marched on my own sad loser but I was so glad I did/was able. Would have kicked myself if I hadn't gone. I live in London and had no excuse. I'm quite proud of myself!

@Motheroffourdragons

Summary for you. We are still fucked. But the Zombie PM looks likely to be decapitated once and for all on Monday. Hopefully this is a good thing at this point. Apparently she will only go quietly to someone she approves of, so it's likely to be the pro EU Liddington. Who the ERG hate. Liddington is thought likely to get the scissors handy with red tape. Downside is that No11 is liable to become home to Pob. The ERG might go a bit mental and try and trigger a GE though. So Labour Jezzabetter not be absolute tools and encourage it.

My antibrexiting talk is having a knock on effect on my French colleagues and there is a lot discussion about French / European politics now. A term which keeps getting bandied about is « ultra- liberalist Europe ».

For social reasons, I am very much for Europe but I don’t have enough understanding of European economics to discuss this concept with them. Listening to their points of view has it limits. When they start arguing each other down, I’m not learning much on that subject because the debating moves on pretty fast.

Trusted people here, could I ask for any thoughts on this concept « ultra- liberalist Europe » ? I’ve looked around a bit on the web for stuff but I’ve not really got very far. If anyone has any pointers to suggest...?

@SingingBabooshkaBadly I was behind a placard calling Farage a vile little man-frog for most of the March, were you carrying it?!

One telling image: in a Brussels corridor, the EU takes back control of Brexit

Who's who in this iconic photo

• when Brexit is in the history books, this photo will be ubiquitous.

An inspired snapshot of a turning point in power

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/23/brexit-eu-takes-back-control-brussels-corridor-viral-photo

A photo of an ad hoc crisis meeting gives an insight into the < EU > efforts made to cope with a floundering British government

sos meant to say yesterday well done for recruiting so many people to the sign the petition - you did fab!

singing hope your not feeling to deflated today

Police estimate of numbers in March

1. MILLION!!

🍾🍾🍾🍾

On March 😳😳

Runningintothesunset, no, that wasn’t me but I have called him that consistently on these threads so perhaps it was another Westminstender. Mind you, it’s so obvious that what he is I’m sure lots of us have come up with it independently of each other.

whitewave 2 million! Someone told me yesterday the police weren’t going to estimate. Surely they have to take notice? Wonderful though, if nothing else, that others in the EU will be able to see the strength of feeling.

Hazard still buzzing

Pleased if that’s the acknowledged number!
lonely and I both (independently) multiplied last time’s 700000 by 3 and came to an estimated 2 million beforehand on the basis of the extra people we alone knew were coming (and by what was being said on here).
I foolishly left my little EU flag behind but now I have another bigger one for the cat to knock down. Or I might fly it on my balcony, lots of walkers go past here and would see it!

I forgot my Euro hat - but did have the t-shirt and was a bit of a menace with my flag (according to my DD!) Someone accidentally clonked me with their banner, but no damage done!

I’m panicking a bit now about the 2 million. I saw it very early on twitter this morning and now can’t find it to give a reference.

So you may have to take it with a pinch of salt.

Oh dear sorry to mislead. I got over excited. Fingers crossed though that it is the correct number

I hate to sound all Brexity by using my feelz as facts but as far as Brexit news today feels different like maybe, maybe this shitshow isnt going to happend and yesterday was a turning point of some kind or is it that im too far into my sunday morning confirmation bias? Any opinions?

Oh and if Jezza bangs on about a GE that we really dont fucking need right now Jeremy fucking seriously but of course he fucking will this week I shant be impressed tbh

What I will say for certainty though is that I was so impressed with the strength of character shown by the body of the march..

People were determined but peaceful. Assertive but no aggression was in evidence.

The real British character was on display.

I would dearly loved to have been there but family commitments prevented me attending (mum 100 years old)

I shall now settle back and watch the petition whizz up and up.

This thread may have been where it came from?

mobile.twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1109534678141276160

Just coming up for air after a fantastic day shuffling slowly marching in London, topped off with spying Anna Soubry in an EU beret in our chosen watering hole near Millbank.

I only spotted 1 other red toothbrush: someone with it sticking out of her backpack and pegging it along near Green Park station with a 7/8 year old in tow. I was going to say hi but it looked like you were on a mission!

I just took a sneaky look at the DM. There are several articles on there this morning bemoaning the fact that Brexit is now a dead duck, because TM has lost control and parliament is almost certain to seize control of proceedings next week and opt for a soft exit or even a second referendum. Looks like it’s bye bye, Brexit!

Met Police do not give crowd estimates.

2M on march.
4.8M on Petition.
And May out on Monday? (fingers crossed)