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.

prettybird - I agree. The point I was making (which I thought was in support of your point about manifestos) is that Tory Brexiteers go on about "no customs union" being in their manifesto, but only a minority of MPs were elected on that manifesto, whereas the Queen's Speech has a different emphasis and a majority of MPs voted for it (as you say with DUP support).

And as we keep being told, if a majority of set X vote for something (even if it's only 52%), then it is the will of all of set X (forever, and forever, amen).

Oh honestly, what do people want
Not an army which shoots at pictures of the leaders of HM opposition in charge of food distribution.

Perhaps they should have put pictures up of uniformed or armed enemies to practise who they should be shooting at not unarmed civilians.

Caught a Tory MP on R4 news blathering that his constituents "didn't vote for this" as his justification for not supporting a Customs Union. Presumably he's quite relaxed that MPs whose constituents did vote for it do support it then ?

Every time I feel like my fear of British soldiers is abating, something like this happens and I get the shivers around them all over again

Exactly. And so sorry somerville

Culture that is being fomented would have made Pinochet feel at home.

I know that post will rile some on hear so sorry in advance.

Ayes to the right 1 million in support of dogs on the thread. I love a woofter.

I've seen about 15 soldiers in the past half hour ....

WhenDoISleep - lots of Lurkers coming out the woodwork

It's a good question: iirc, Joanna Cherry's motion was in the case that we were still at No Deal 2 days before the cliff edge, the UK would revoke. I would imagine that the 2 remaining days would be have to be used to put in place the legislation, otherwise the UK would be in breach of EU law . With which of course, it would continue to have to comply as we would still be a member state

PMQ is good!

Jeremy appears to have a bit of fire in his belly.

Theresa appears to be bordering on insanity with all of her head rolling and laughing at things which aren't funny!

As a brief respite, does anyone want a comedy glimpse back into the past.... ??

it was so grim here yesterday I was doing a fire and really had to scrabble at the bottom of the kindling basket for some paper to start it off and came up with, no joke, the Evening Standard from 17 Feb 2015 ie the day after they voted to trigger A50.

My favourite 2 quotes:

“The principles (of her speech and the White Paper) include providing certainty and clarity”

And

"It (The White Paper) stressed the importance of London staying a pre-eminent global financial centre vowing to seek “the freest possible trade in financial services between the UK and EU member states”

Disgusting behaviour by the Paras 😡

Those supervising the soldiers on the shooting range should be court-martialled,
as well as whoever brought the picture, if it was someone different

It may indeed be them showing defiance after Soldier F having to stand trial for 2 of the Bloody Sunday murders

The army has always had some far right elements from the squaddies right up to the generals

• the military appeals to many who support authoritarianism and fascism

Remember those selfies of those Northern regiments' recruits with Yaxley-Lennon

Those of use who are old enough can remember all those retired - and not yet retired - generals & the intelligence services plotting coups against the pretty moderate Harold Wilson

imo, there is insufficient vetting and later weeding out of soldiers with fascist views
We need an enquiry into fascist infiltration of the military

I wonder how much other menacing behaviour by soldiers - especially Paras - has escaped notice , because noone filmed it ?

Jeremy appears to have a bit of fire in his belly.

Perhaps he's reflecting Mays contempt for him ? After all, the fact he had to learn she wanted to talk to him via press conferences is a bit shitty.

Theresa appears to be bordering on insanity with all of her head rolling and laughing at things which aren't funny!

Has anyone tried switching her off and back on again?

I've been out.....

Usual clusterfuck then?

Manifesto (from Parliament website glossary page) - It contains the set of policies that the party stands for and would wish to implement if elected to govern.

It is neither required, nor feasible, for a losing party to implement their manifesto policies. In fact, it isn't even possible to insist a winning party implements them.

This is important outside of Brexit World too - it is part of the reason I felt a bit sorry for Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems getting so much flack for dropping some of their manifesto policies.

The core values of the party will remain the same, but some actual policies simply have to change as they have been rejected by the electorate.

PMQ is good
Sorry, I can't agree there. Scripted nonsense about not brexit Corbyn's back to being utterly hopeless; May's back to her creepy laugh.

The 'summit' is clearly theatre for the plebs, while the preparations are ongoing for the military thingy event at 11pm next Friday.

Fusion hang on to that Standard, it's a nice bit of evidence of what was actually being said then! Perhaps Led By Donkeys could use it..

I am a cat person but I would support all manner of mental health boosting animals on the thread.

Andrea Leadsom really is extraordinarily stupid.

Usual clusterfuck then
Yup.

imo, there is insufficient vetting and later weeding out of soldiers with fascist views We need an enquiry into fascist infiltration of the military

Reginald D. Hunter recounted a gig he did in Germany for US troops ... as he commented ...

"Thank God we have a military. Thank God we have a place for these people to be ...^

I imagine it's my hippy lefty leanings, but while I totally get an army primed and trained to defend our shores, the further away from the UK they get sent, the more I wonder how is this defending the UK ?

This is important outside of Brexit World too - it is part of the reason I felt a bit sorry for Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems getting so much flack for dropping some of their manifesto policies.

This really bemuses me as the LDs were the - very - minor party in a coalition government, so were NEVER going to be in a position to implement their manifesto. What they did do is temper the Tories to some extent, but I do feel they're judged too harshly on the period of coalition.

Even winning parties aren't bound by their manifestos once they enter government
either circumstances change, or they have access to more facts, or they change because of politics

e.g. no reason for Cameron to abandon his promise of extending votes for expats; he just decided against,
possibly due to opposition from his own Brexiter MPs

Losing parties discard their manifestos after the GE, because those policies were rejected by the electorate

For either govt or Opposition, Party Conference decisions would normally overwrite any previous manifesto promise anyway,
unless it is a really pet project by the party leadership

Labour should by now have adopted the PV policy, as vited for by conference

Particularly with a membership and voters that are over 70% Remain supporters

Sam Coates Times
‏*@SamCoatesTimes*
Pizza Club met before PMQs says source

• Was “an angry” meeting
• “Pretty much nothing decided”, another meeting tomorrow
• Leadsom, Grayling, Truss, Mordaunt there
• Plus “lots” of brexiteer ministers
• 👀Hunt, Gove, Javid weren’t there👀

@Cordelia. Agree in part. Clearly a party that looses an election (i.e. another party has more MPs than they do) cannot implement its manifesto. Generally that's true, unless through forming a coalition it can command a majority in the HoC and the largest party cannot.

My point is the vast majority of Members of Parliament whom we elect stand on a manifesto, as part of a party. If they make commitments before an election, it is reasonable IMV to hold them, personally, to those, even if their party does not form the government.

My sympathy for Mr Clegg was, is, and always will be very limited. The LD situation was even worse, they signed personal pledges and then reneged on them en masse.