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.

Looks a lot like May is gonna survive again and the coup is probably off.

(sniffs) as I said yesterday, "May will go" has been "news" since 2017.

What I find fascinating is the open - not clandestine - admission from Tories that whoever follows May is a Dead Person Walking. Hence the sudden creation (a bit like some socialist states) of the new position of interim Tory Leader. That suddenly appeared between Thursday and today ...

My view is the cliff edge has now been turned into a brick wall, and the UK is being invited to repeatedly bang it's head against it as much as it likes - nothing - nothing can change. It's the Brexiteers worst nightmare in a way. Their predictions - made to scare the Leave vote - are slowly looking like coming into reality. The UK - in the person of Theresa May and her henchpeople - has been comprehensively outgunned and outmanoeuvred.

What did he do yesterday?

Went out campaigning as if there wasnt anything else going on in the country

No deal.

And utter chaos.

I think May has flipped to no deal too. It would explain Remainers leading charge in cabinet to undermine her. They know if May is hell bent on no deal there is little they can do to stop her. Every time they push, she's leant harder towards the ERG in the end. And we now have her having a meeting at Chequers with ERG leading figures.

Unless she is telling them to effectively to piss off out of the party (she's not) then it's a bloody bad sign.

We have in effect almost two parallel sources of power in control, but the office of PM is the ultimate one. And two conflicting powers in government harks back to the 1600s.

It also suggests the extent to which May has slipped into authoritarianism. Is it dictatoral? Maybe not. But no deal would give her that capacity. Cos of the fecking idiots voting for Henry VIII powers.

This does not bode well at all.

I was (slightly) warming to Gove as he seemed to be a (slightly) more sensible brexiteer but his pound shop Lady Macbeth wife has been at it again claiming the marchers are elitist and would have lynched any leavers that turned up yesterday

Meanwhile in the background, West Midlands Ring and Ride goes bust ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47679222

A firm which runs Ring and Ride services used by thousands of people in the West Midlands has gone into administration.

Network West Midlands confirmed Accessible Transport Group (ATG) had gone into administration and would provide further details on Monday.

"We are working with the administrators and the service continues to operate," Network West Midlands said.

ATG has 900 staff and also transports children and adults with special needs.

(contd)

Of course for some people, less disabled people getting out and about is a bonus . Out of sight, out of mind, eh ?

Hazard we only need £150 to register a political party, shall we have a whip round ? We need a name and a snazzy emblem to go on ballot papers, we should probably also have some idea of what we want to achieve, but in todays current political climate I am not sure that would be absolutely necessary

frumpety youre a bit centrist for me so no vote from me sorry

• you're all sorry

Just how do you know we are centrist , you haven't seen our manifesto yet ? Where do you stand on penis beakers ?

I might need to rephrase that last question

They should be nationalised

Has there been any movement on the SI to change the date of the cliff edge?

Just

Sorry everyone, I know this is very serious, will bugger off to work and leave you all in peace

Just is right about one thing though , I am a far centrist supporter and would favour a new extreme centrist party, TTFN

Can someone send me a message by carrier pigeon when it's all over please?
Asking on behalf of the EU.

The list of invitees to Chequers today shows that the PM is doing her usual brilliant job of "listening" to all sides/voices/opinions

One of the things I like about these threads is that I generally disagree with a lot of the political leanings of a lot of people on here but we can all support each other over brexit and accept disagreeing on other things. It's a nice bastion of unity in an increasingly fractured landscape.

frumpety far centrist that made me chuckle I would love to know what that would look like

littlebelina "pound shop Lady MacBeth" is a perfect description of Sarah Vine; thank you for the comic relief!

Red I have to admit that you are scaring me a little bit this morning. I guess we should all be frightened.

I’ve been terrified for weeks - now I just have that calm sense of helplessness when you’re powerless to do anything and see disaster occurring in slow motion.

frumpety and just literal LOL!

Where do you stand on penis beakers?

Nationalized.

I'm dead 😂