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.

She's going for no deal on Friday, isn't she??

Jesus.

Littlespaces ignorance is bliss as they say! Like the nurse I spoke to a few weeks back who said it was all passing her by as she's in her own little bubble it must be nice to be in a bubble. I'm guessing she and her husband are well off enough not to be worried or just clueless as to what brexit will mean for us all. Both I suspect.

Brexit shambles latest: early evening yesterday ministers told to turn up an hour before 10am cabinet to read important papers presumed to be about indicative votes (as I reported); late last night they were told not to bother.

Another leaf from the "How to run a Dictatorship" manual.

I guess if the Brexiteers stance is correct, when Britain turns Nazi, it does it properly. Unlike those slapdash foreigners.

But I thought she can't no deal us on Friday because the EU will still recognise us as a member?

@Peston

Brexit shambles latest: early evening yesterday ministers told to turn up an hour before 10am cabinet to read important papers presumed to be about indicative votes (as I reported); late last night they were told not to bother.

I can see those people in white coats turning up pretty soon on my doorstep.....' They're coming to take me away ha ha! He he! They're coming to take me away.......

She's going for no deal on Friday, isn't she??

There are still checks and balances. The parliament is still there. If she tries a no deal coup, not sure it's constitutionally valid.

If it really did go to dictatorship we are all stuffed as we have left a trail of online comments.

Hopefully the moderates will spring into action.

I did say TM only need sit back and for absolutely nothing and fall out of brexit. She might as well go the whole hog (as she's not going to take notice of indicative votes which she will whip against ALL of them) and shut down Parliament by calling a GE and resigning. Cut and run dear. Cut and run.

Tony Blair said only 2% chance of no deal on remaniacs podcast. Some really interesting points on how to run the next campaign.

I cast you out demon and return to the crypt whence you came

or more to the point

Just fuck off tony

I'd have more faith in the contingency plans if the govt weren't in headless chicken mode
which may have interefered with civil service prepping - it certainly delayed the start

I also hear that many departments and local govt are expected to use their existing budgets - intended only for normal duties - to cover much of Brexit.
New money is only for headline / pet projects

With the Tory party heavily in favour of No Deal and going batshit at delay,
the impact statements must be truly horrendous to have stopped the Cabinet unanimously going for that

That should have read TM need only sit back and do nothing till April 12th.

If it really did go to dictatorship we are all stuffed as we have left a trail of online comments.

Freedom of expression and true democracy are more important than anything else. My great grand father lost his life in the Resistance. His widow lost an actual fortune. I understand why he did it. I'm glad he did.

{If it really did go to dictatorship we are all stuffed as we have left a trail of online comments. }
There is a reason I refer to Mr Macron as Mr Macron. Similarly Mr Barnier and others.
Unfortunately Dover is only 20 miles away (apparently).

TICK TOCK, tick tock. Tickety tock tick tock.............arrrrrgh!

If ever there were a God, then they are punishing Tony Blair (quite aside from the visible weight he carries, like a latter day Jacob Marley) by his being ignored over the UKs present crisis. Quite frankly, as someone who dragged the UK into a war - despite over a million people marching Not In My Name, he's getting his karma instant.

The emergency powers in the Civil Contingencies Act gives the govt authority to pass laws or repeal them with Parliament

The CCA is supposed to be invoked from today - I don't know whether May has to confirm that, or if it the date was already decided a few weeks ago

That. together with Henry VIII powers, makes me wonder if May could impose either the WA or No Deal - without a vote

I'd just like to point out that in the past hour or so the numbers on petition has surpassed the entire population of Scotland ... how can they not listen?

It is also significantly higher than the populations of: Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia and Cyprus. And has overtaken the populations of: Ireland, Slovakia and Croatia.

Our next targets are Finland and Denmark (should easy happen today).

How - how can a petition have reached numbers in excess of 9 member state's populations, have overtaken the population of 3 out of 4 of our constituent parts and still still not be listened to?

The cabinet could always play a game of potatoes to decide....one potatoes two potatoes, three potatoes 4 ........or eeny miney mo.........

Aaargh iPad

The emergency powers in the Civil Contingencies Act gives the govt authority to pass laws or repeal them withOUT Parliament

I was under the impression that the CCA needs a majority vote in the HoC. Is that wrong?

That. together with Henry VIII powers, makes me wonder if May could impose either the WA or No Deal - without a vote

With things moving so fast, it's easy to lose track. Did anyone consider what would happen if May just carried on without winning a vote, but as if she had. Squawking about the will of the people ?

Ah so much for checks and balances then...

From Sky News politics live, 1:19pm:

The prime minister's official spokesman has been speaking to reporters at a daily Westminster briefing.

[...]

On the subject of no-deal, he says that the government is working hard to take steps to minimise the disruption which would be caused by such a scenario.

They’re not even trying to pretend that they want to avoid no deal anymore, or that they intend to listen to what parliament says.

Very good point, pretzels illustrating yet again how England politically overwhelms the other 3 UK nations

• and yet it is typically English voters aying they are "swamped" by foreigners