Westminstenders: The May Compromise

[RedToothBrush]

After a marathon cabinet meeting, which no one seems to have resigned from, May has had another podium moment.

This time instead of blaming everyone but herself, she's gone for the 'let's compromise approach' to Corbyn.

This comes after Nick Boles crossed the floor saying his side wasn't prepared to compromise on anything after May secretly whipped on a 'free' vote against him.

May also said she we needed more of an extension to the 22nd May but without promise of EU elections this means No Deal inevitable if May can't pass the WA by then. Provided EU allow an extension until then without EU elections.

She also hinted at respecting a majority idea over indicative votes, if she and Corbyn fail to agree - remembering she tried successfully to sabotage that last night.

Already many are saying this is a trap to ensnare others into the mess that is Brexit in the blame game. With no deal ultimately the end goal.

The idea that May can find a compromise with Corbyn seems a fantasy.

And the EU might have every reason to refuse a longer extension under the circumstances.

For May to compromise she surely would have to break the Tories to do it as Labour will only go for a soft option which is unacceptable to the ERG. Unless her idea of compromise is simply its the WA or No deal which it seems hard to conceive Labour going near with the realistic prospect of the next PM being a hardliner.

All in all it seems more likely to be a framing exercise in damage limitation rather than something which has more substance and a realistic prospect of working. And if that's really the case, it certainly would explain why no one's resigned yet.

Indicative Votes 3 and a pretty dodgy Cooper Amendment designed to be a last ditch attempt to prevent no deal are both scheduled.

Its desparation stakes and the EU more or less have us down as a failed state. And the pro Brexit bombs don't really add much optimist to the mood.

Finally PMK ..... taken ages to catch up this morning!!

Aubrey Allegretti @breeallegretti
NEW: Theresa May has written to all Tory MPs after call for national unity.

Her ultimatum: "With some colleagues unwilling to support the Government in the division lobbies, this is the only way to deliver the smooth, orderly Brexit that we promised."

I do get the humour/training aspect. I wonder if there are other pictures of people to train them to shoot unquestioningly on command.

Many years ago, there was a terrible pile-up and fire on the motorway near where I lived. People wrote in outrage to the local paper, having seen some of the firemen laughing at inappropriate jokes, not realising that this is how they get through tasks of unimaginable horror that most of us could never do.
A fireman friend of mine said at the time “You have to laugh or you’d break down crying and never bloody stop!”

I think the EU Emergency Summit point on that chart might be attempting to show that it is the EU deciding whether an extension is granted.

Tse @tseofpb
Asking for a friend.

Why is it ok for the ERG to vote with Corbyn to stop Mrs May's Brexit deal but Mrs May is evil for trying to get Corbyn's votes to pass a deal?

No DGR, it was Nicola that called the meeting

Ah, in that case it will be to pile on the pressure building for IndyRef 2 ?

I feel quite jealous of the Scots ... it must be incredible having a leader who so clearly and competently is looking out for the entire country. Maybe it''ll catch on in England one day ?

Pmk.

So jealous of all the lovely cats.

Steven Swinford@steven_swinford
Chris Heaton-Harris, a Brexit minister, apparently very unhappy with Theresa May's tack to Labour to reach a Brexit compromise

Several colleagues think he could resign

They point out that Nigel Adams is his flatmate and friend...

Former chief whip and outside leadership contender Mark Harper

"outside leadership contender" : that makes him a dead cert then

Roger Mullin @ rogmull
It is now three weeks and still no Minister for the Disabled in UK government to deal with pressing issues. At least four other resignations in last three weeks are also unfilled. A stark reminder of the incompetence of UK gov, where the vulnerable are having to pay the price.

Love this.

So jealous of all the lovely cats

Me too. I would love to be a cat right now.
As a sign of how doolally the whole Brexit thing is making me, I even found myself telling one of my cats that the other day. He didn’t give a fuck, obviously!

I thought there was more going on this week than that timeline is showing?

As I said, a 'generic' face rather than identifiable persons ought to be used.
Killing is wrong, but a fraction of a second's hesitation could mean the difference between the life of the 'foe' or 'your' side.
Those engaged with ISIS and similar are under the stress of near 24/7 alert and have to be able to function in harrowing circumstances, an intensity hopefully most of us will never experience.

Stopping lurking for a minute to ask what is happening today - weren't there supposed to be more indicative votes?

I don't have a cat, so here is Ddog

The First Cat says:

twitter.com/Number10cat/status/1113077628200775681

In case you hadn't noticed Louise - Labour didn't win the 2017 GE (nor, for that matter, did the Conservatives ). In such cases, the manifesto becomes nothing more than dead trees as they then have to think about what would be more acceptable to the electorate and start preparing their next manifesto.

Not that manifestos were ever "tablets of stone" - eg the commitment in the 2015 Conservative Mamifesto to give the vote back to those who'd been out of the country for more than 15 years (and who then weren't able to vote in the Referendum that was going to directly affect them).

PMK

pmk

“As I said, a 'generic' face rather than identifiable persons ought to be used.
Killing is wrong, but a fraction of a second's hesitation could mean the difference between the life of the 'foe' or 'your' side.”

That might be why they do use recognisable faces. I can imagine a training session taking place where a recognisable person who would make a soldier hesitate irl might be used by certain teams.

I’m more interested in who leaked it and why.

Prettybird. I am aware you don't agree on this. I have noticed the general election result. Manifestos do not conveniently cease to exist the moment Members are returned. MPs that have been elected to this current parliament are elected on the basis of the commitments they have made. Holding them to them is in no way unreasonable.

prettybird - I agree with what you say about manifestos given that no party has a majority, so I had a look at the last Queen's Speech which sets out the current government's programme and would have been approved by the Commons (in 2017). What it has to say on Brexit is fairly high level, but it does say this:

My ministers are committed to working with Parliament, the devolved administrations, business and others to build the widest possible consensus on the country’s future outside the European Union.

So May could say by talking to Corbyn (and Sturgeon) she is implementing this promise. Pity it's taken her two years to decide to do so.

Just watched Steve Barclay answering questions to the exiting the EU committee. TM has no intention of putting anything agreed between JC into EU political agreement. So the meeting between JC and TM just for show and to stop Cooper's amendment gaining impetus.
They really are slimeballs the Tory Government.

Hearing politicians on 5 live today wriggling around this subject makes me realise that any compromise is not going to be easy.
They distrust J C , he distrusts them.
I still
Think they will try to stitch him up.