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.

Interesting from Twitter just now (from The Secret Barrister account):

While researching Book 2 I’ve discovered a fun fact.

The author of almost every Daily Mail legal aid fake news piece from 2008-2017 was Home Affairs editor James Slack.

He also wrote the Enemies of the People headline.

In 2017, he was appointed Theresa May’s official spokesman

Thanks to all who went - I'm away with work. Went to the October one and will be there in future, should there be more time to march again!

How do you pronounce Taoiseach? I see it in print but because as pp have said the BBC etc don't use it in news reports, I haven't heard it said aloud.

I've never seen so many people...it was quite a crush at times.

Such a great atmosphere though and some very funny signs 😂

PMK

This is rather funny.

www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/local-news/brexit-ferry-protest-plymouth-no-2677855?fbclid=IwAR2DiY1yn4HmFq2nQTcQ0vt64LgXjJNE_HKZbjR7AiRJbjHfaFXhaNwQJBI

EU flags aren't very flammable due to EU safety regs 🇪🇺😂

@Butterymuffin - I've heard it many times on BBC radio, and it's pronounced something like "Tee-shirk"

Actually, there's a sound file at the top of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoiseach - sounds like "Tee-shurc" but with the c at the end getting stuck in the throat.

That's a fantastic write up of the Plymouth protest - someone had a lot of fun writing that

I’d agree with 2 million. 1.5 at least.
Last time 700000: I left at about 3:30, having got to the Cenotaph and not able to go further, got Tube at St James Park, busy but not unduly so.
This time: left at about 3:30 at St James Palace when march stalled, same Tube, jammed with march overspill.
lonely, how far towards Parliament Square did you get?
Hi to bees and Courage! Sorry I had to go but needed to be home reasonably early (ie by 7 or so).

PMK,,

I couldn't go on the March today, but was cheering everyone virtually.

Given the huge numbers of people signing the petition to Revoke Article 50, and enormous amount of people marching today versus the piss poor turnout on the March to Leave, I was wondering exactly what would happen to social order if Article 50 was revoked? Leavers would probably be very vocal from the safety of their computer screens, but would they really turn out on the streets and start some civil disobedience? They all seem to be all mouth and no trousers. Which leads me even more to believe that TM and the Brexit Tories are definitely more scared of the implosion of their beloved party, than any civil unrest revoking would provoke.

Taoiseach = 'tee-shukh'.

The T is not an English T sound and not an English Th sound either.

It's the T sound you find in French - you make it with the tip of your tongue against your front teeth.

The writer didn't have to try very hard, the protestors gave them all the ammunition....

Mrs Gadd admitted she was disappointed with the turn out

"People on Facebook were saying they're coming - they but haven't turned up, I feel sorry for people having to to grow up in this country. I'm advising my kids to leave the country - to go to Greece or somewhere."

Yes Mrs Gadd, thanks to you, your children will no longer be able to move to Greece.

..but apparently Leavers aren't thick.

@DadDadDad - sounds like "Tee-shurc" but with the c at the end getting stuck in the throat.

It's more tee-schuck. There's no r sound at the end.

We didnt quite get to the cenotaph, but not far off.

Huge, huge crowds.

Aerial footage. Good work Westminstenders! Yet again!
twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1109502078005714945

I think I was really lucky with the march - I'm not that far from London so could get in easily by train, then headed for Trafalgar Square at about 1pm and was able to walk down Whitehall with the march to Parliament Square.

I heard/saw the beginning of the speeches (I just happened to be standing very near to the stage, by total chance) and got away before the crush got too bad. So many people - a great turn-out and some fantastic banners. One of my favourites here....

I didn't see any red toothbrushes, though. I looked and looked!

dolreally - you're right; as a south-east English speaker, my 'r's get lost anyway (non-rhotic I think it's called), so I didn't think to take it out of my lame attempt at phonetics.

@jasjas1973 - I'm advising my kids to leave the country - to go to Greece or somewhere."

That is comedy gold.

Home from March Sore feet. Way more than a million. Interestingly one person I spoke to said she hadn't been planning on coming but after she saw May's speech on Thursday she changed her mind!

@Pilcrow - That is a fantastic poster. I can't make out who it is on the poster, although I can think of quite a number of individuals who would fit the description.

Me too.
May's speech is why I marched.
That woman must be stopped.

Hello :) It feels weird to be not putting the march link on here.

Cream crackered. AMAZING day.

We didn't make it to Parliament until after 5pm despite being near the start at Park Lane, the people that got funnelled in ahead was immense. In fact, it took hours to leave Park Lane.