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 know people keep saying the situation has changed
Yes, the political situation in the UK has changed

Not in the EU

In fact German politicians - e.g. Weber - are giving out ever harder statements
Merkel is under pressure to get tougher with the UK

Opinion polls here show overwhelmingly that the public oppose any more concessions to the UK
My colleagues & social circle here reflect the hard line, even the damn AfD canvasser lecturing me on how we are all European ,

I'll believe the EU policy has changed when they say it
So far, in 2 years they have not blinked

If we can’t have revoke then I can’t help feeling that WA with the opportunity to negotiate afterwards, assuming that we have someone sane who is prepared to drop May’s red lines, would be safer than PV.
That’s unless we can be sure that the next referendum won’t be manipulated for others’ gains.
I absolutely hate saying that though and am aware that it’s only May, with her devious, cunning, self serving tactics, who has put us in this position.
I don’t think there is much chance WA will be passed though. Especially after she blamed other ministers for the whole sorry saga.

I agree with you wood, despite being delighted at the turnout today.

PRIDE AND HOPE #MarchForMe

twitter.com/donaldtusk/status/1109466249732476928?s=21

BCF do you honestly believe that, even if we said ‘fine we’ll stay in SM/CU’ that the EU would say ‘fine, we’ll just leave the original WA in place’

Seriously?

I wouldn’t trust a PV unless no deal wasn’t on it

PMK
My DBro is at the March today as says it’s fantastic and the atmosphere is electric. Thank you to all Westminstenders who are marching today.

{do you honestly believe that, even if we said ‘fine we’ll stay in SM/CU’ that the EU would say ‘fine, we’ll just leave the original WA in place’}

I believe this. All trust has been lost, and the EU has said multiple times from several sources that it will not reopen the WA for negotiation.

Who would agree the choices on a PV?

Leave/Remain
Leave with WA/Remain
Leave with WA/No Deal/Remain

?

I totally agree that we do not deserve it, but if we significantly moved our position to say staying in SM/CU, the EU would say they had amended the WA, even if they just added a full stop.

Hello! I’ve marched. I’m now very tired and waiting for a train home.

Petition closing in on 4.5 million ...

BCF - sorry, my £1 is still on no deal

I felt a bit tearful when I got to the end of Pall Mall and “ode to joy” was being played over the speakers.

Sam Coates Times
@SamCoatesTimes
Tory MPs now texting round saying Theresa May should go this week and a Gove / Lidington / Hunt triumvirate should sort out this mess

Well done Oub

Calls grow for public inquiry into Brexit

Investigation could look at ballot wording, May’s red lines and negotiation strategy

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/23/calls-grow-for-public-inquiry-into-brexit

Calls for a public inquiry into Brexit are mounting among diplomats, business figures, peers and MPs, amid claims that the civil service is already planning for a future investigation into how it has been handled.

The decision to call the referendum, the red lines drawn up by Theresa May and Britain’s negotiating strategy are all issues that senior figures would like to be examined.

Bob Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, said an inquiry was needed into “the biggest humiliation since Suez, certainly since the IMF crisis [in 1976]”. The cross-party peer said he believed the civil service “is both expecting and preparing for this”.

“We do need to understand how on earth we ended up where we have and it probably needs to go back to the decisions around holding a referendum and the way the question was framed,” he said. “It would need to be a public inquiry, probably judge-led.”

My money is on No Deal on 12 April - or even still on 29 March as Parliament might not get its act together to pass the SIs

I don't see the WA passing even if there is a MV3, and then, even if there are indicative votes, I don't see Parliament managing to get its act together (after all, it hasn't for the last 2 years ) to pass the legislation required to hold the EP elections in May.

I know the SNP and LibDems have already prepared and selected their candidates and would be ready (I presume Plaid and the Greens too) - but I think that Labour and the Conservatives have a) stuck their heads in the sand and b) quite literally don't have the money to spend on an AP campaign (let along a GE ) - so would rather jump off the cliff and blame the EU/the Conservatives/Parliament (delete as appropriate )

Calls for a public inquiry into Brexit are mounting among diplomats, business figures, peers and MPs, amid claims that the civil service is already planning for a future investigation into how it has been handled.

I wonder if there is a very nasty tasting deal to be done to drop the heavy guns if certain key people drop their Brexit backing

Moreover, is that a price anyone would pay for revoke ?

I mean we've all seen "House of Cards" .....

Pmk

Oh, DG

Incidentally, Gove as Brexit secretary ? Unlikely. He was offered it before and said "fuck off !" and that was before it become the graveyard it is now ...

That's the problem now for the hardcore Brexiteers ... they've had their chance and so comprehensively fucked it up, no one can salvage it. In fact the only way it could be remotely pulled back is to put someone in charge who is outside the UKs political machine - like a US senator on a fixed term contract. Hardly what "taking back control" looks like.

21/03/19
The European Council reiterates that there can be no opening of the Withdrawal Agreement that was agreed between the Union and the United Kingdom in November 2018. Any unilateral commitment, statement or other act should be compatible with the letter and the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement.

www.consilium.europa.eu/media/38744/21-euco-art50-conclusions-en.pdf

Bear this is as good and up to date as the evidence gets.

One million march for PV ! (Sky)

Brilliant, Oubliette & all the 1 million Marchers 💐

🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺
🇪🇺 #IAmEuropean 🇪🇺
🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺

I love "Ode to Joy" too
I have a very fast trance rock track of it, #1 on my playlist for long Rhine walks 🎸🥁

DG Barnier is retiring - he might like some contract work ....

Just in case you were wondering what JC is up to in Wales today:

twitter.com/gabyhinsliff/status/1109412226455220226?s=20