Westminstenders: Arse about Face

[RedToothBrush]

Everything about Brexit seems to have been done wrongly.

Setting red lines to rule out a compromise

The attempt to use executive power to trigger A50, that resulted in a court case

Triggering A50 before knowing what the UK wanted

Agreeing to the backstop before any Tory MP understood the GFA

Appointing a Brexit minister before checking he understood where Dover was.

May going on about NI and pissing off the DUP before they were just about to climb down.

Having a Meaningless Vote repeatedly with a gun to head.

Contempt of Parliament and just general fucking up.

Tonight, 3 days before we were due to leave the HoC finally sat down to decide what Brexit outcomes they thought would be a good idea - more than 2years after that should have happened.

And we now we are told the meaningful vote might be may even more meaningless by being wrapped up in the illusive Withdrawal Agreement Implimentation Bill.

Farce doesn't even cover it.

Anyway Indicative Vote results incoming in approx 15 mins.

Formally withdraw earlier suggestion helicopter activity was near parliament. Has been incident in Regent’s Park area.

Apparently TM spoke with JC for 20 minutes on the phone today. Maybe they have a pact that he'll call an NC vote if it goes tits up tomorrow!

Lucky they say you have to be a member for three months before you can take part. Whether that would be counted from when they call a leadership contest, or when it's opened up to members for the vote, I don't know. But I figured it was worth a shot and joined up last night (I know, but.. ) if you opt to pay by direct debit it's £2.09 a month, so less than a tenner potentially if you cancel as soon as it's over.

Whether or not the are actually separate documents is up for debate - as the PD is referenced in the WA a vote for WA on its own may be the same thing as voting for the two combined.

Or, if they are separate documents, you could make the argument that by passing the WA and not the PD we aren't fulfilling the requirements of the EU Withdrawal Act and Article 50, so are still technically in a No Deal situation.

But, tbh, it may well be moot because it is unlikely to pass.

Sorry, that was in response to fedupofbrexit.

The fact it's split doesn't change the content. I dont think it does pass bercrows rules but he says it does so ho hum

Swedish Two are real life friends, one is a colleague.

Has politics always been so shit? Based on the PM trying to hoodwink the stupid people and blackmail their own MPs in order to get their own way??

She has been kicking the can down the road for months and is now trying AGAIN to get her shit deal agreed tomorrow by wrapping it up in a lucky dip bag and saying it’ll all be ok!

I just bloody hope MPs aren’t falling for it!

I dont think it does pass bercrows rules but he says it does so ho hum

The main point in enforcing Erskine May apart from due process was to try and force the gov to try something new surely?

Since then something new is being attempted? So now it's fairly academic If May tries to get through a dressed up MVIIIs and MVIVs.

As long as that's not the only strategy being adopted she may as well be given enough rope iyswim?

holiday, I think this one is about forcing Brexiteers to vote against Brexit on Brexit Day.

I think the EU would allow an extension for a GE. But I assume it would mean that we have to hold EP elections. In which case, I imagine that they would go for both on 23rd May. I think it's too late now to arrange a GE for 2nd May.

It will be interesting - I would hope that the Tories get slaughtered and the Corbyn could only form a government by putting together a coalition. As for the EP - people before didn't realise that Farage was an MEP. With splits in UKIP and remainers now much more clued up, this would be all to play for.

BTW the petition is still clocking up numbers, just under 55,000 to hit six million.

Must admit, FB is just for people I like plus some obligatory relatives. I don't do debate on there. I'd delete or hide them as well, OYBBK.

Peregrina

BTW the petition is still clocking up numbers, just under 55,000 to hit six million.”

Been avidly checking all day! It spiked after the votes last night, have a feeling it may well do the same tomorrow after WA. Here’s hoping.

We are listening to historic HOP talking about devolution, David Steele is currently speaking. They all sound much more 'posh' but there's so much less braying and few interruptions.

They all sound much more 'posh' but there's so much less braying and few interruptions

This, to quote Amy Siskind, is not normal.

Looks like I was right about compromises on the soft Brexit indicative vote options. From Jessica Elgot in the Guardian:

"
MPs interested in a softer Brexit are scrambling to find a workable compromise, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.

Here an excerpt:

MPs backing a soft Brexit are hoping to forge compromise options to be put to parliament when the next round of indicative votes take place in the House of Commons.

Supporters of a Norway-style approach, dubbed “common market 2.0”, as well those MPs backing a customs union, hope they can come together and attract a majority for a form of soft Brexit.

Discussions are taking place to persuade the Labour frontbench to adopt more broadly appealing wording for a softer Brexit proposal, rather than put their own version of a Labour Brexit deal as one of the options in the next round of voting.

Unless Theresa May’s deal passes on Friday, MPs are expecting to vote again on a series of Brexit options on Monday, using a similar system to the first round of voting this Wednesday, where options are put down by MPs and selected by the speaker.
"

RHT I’ve been told not to come into work tomorrow as it’s too dangerous (I work near Parliament and we are expecting the nasty leave underbelly to be out in force

^^ Seriously ???? You have been told not to come into work in the UK in 2019 , because a campaign that wasn't supposed to win , won. But no-one in 'power' actually wanted it to win, even though they allowed a shed load of money be spent on making sure it almost did, but the daft bastard element of the electorate took that campaign at their word, so voted leave and now everyone in power is shit scared of telling aforementioned electorate the bloody truth, that it was just supposed to shake things up a bit. Not ruin the fooking country

Am off to watch Sean Bean say bastard several times to calm me nerves

A link in case anyone cares to join me

Introducing 'The Stormont Lock'

amp.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/if-we-are-going-to-have-a-backstop-important-stormont-has-role-says-dodds-as-dup-secures-strengthened-domestic-legislation-pledge-37961860.html?__twitter_impression=TRUE
If we are going to have a backstop, important Stormont has role, says Dodds as DUP secures 'strengthened domestic legislation' pledge

It hasn't lasted long

Peter Foster @pmdfoster
NEW. So @NigelDoddsDUP tells Belfast Telegraph that DUP has secured “Stormont Lock” concessions - but will still vote against deal tomorrow.

No way DUP gets to have cake and eat it, says senior source: “those clauses are being shredded”.

Have only been able to skim read as a bit swamped with RL but trying my best to keep up.

for everyone whose MH is suffering - I know how it feels. I feel so despondent and am finding it quite hard to get up in the mornings because of it.

I just watched the report on child poverty a PP mentioned (sorry, it’s a few pages back so can’t name-check) It was actually 4.1million not 3. 75% of children living in poverty from working families and 1 in 3 are under the age of five. And yet we waste all this time and money on bloody Brexit. I feel full of rage and totally frustrated.

@frumpety , my dh is doing a Hillary Clinton and watching cats on the internet. He doesn't really like cats. He's a mild mannered soul and I regularly have to talk him out of spitting vitriol.

frumpety you’ve pretty much summed it up. I’ve been in my job over ten years. The location does mean we are in the midst of stuff and it can get interesting getting in and out of the building at times but we’ve never just shut up shop before.

Am off to watch Sean Bean say bastard several times to calm me nerves
oh I do love a good episode of Sharpe! not the one where little Perkins dies though and I haven't watched the end of the Waterloo episode because I know what happens to Hagman and Harris and I won't watch it.

I went to the bicentennial celebration (?not sure that is the word) of the battle of Waterloo. It's an amazing place and the museums are excellent. That was before all this bullshit started ... the good old days.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/243613

Hold European Parliamentary elections in UK if Brexit is delayed
If the UK is still a member of the EU on May 23rd, British citizens and EU27 citizens in the UK must have representation through their MEPs in the European Parliament. Having representation in these elections also crucially allows the UK time to arrange a second referendum on EU membership.

On 803 at the moment ...

splasho.com/petitions/index.php?petition=241584 ticking away towards 6 million: revoke now