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.

Has JC sold out to May? Anyone know wtf is going on please?

The bit about briefings is vaguely interesting

Am at rail station waiting for dgd and radio 4 hasn't mentioned anything!

Hang on a minute. It’s emmental in a croque monsieur? Emmental?

I’ve always used guyrere. Don’t tell me I’ve been doing my croques wrong all these years?

(Gruyere much tastier though )

Melted cheese is the work of satan and smells of vomit.

That is all I have to say on that.

Gruyère is the business

It would be great if JC did say TM has to resign before he agrees to anything. Bet the twat hasn't thought of doing that though.

Yeah - then he can be personally responsible for Boris taking over brexit. I wonder why he didn't think of that ...

How would it possibly be legit to make signing up to an agreement contingent on the resignation of one of its signatories?

If it isn't legit for pro-Brexit Tories to do this to TM (and it isn't) it would hardly be a legit condition for Corbyn to impose.

It would be great if JC did say TM has to resign before he agrees to anything. Bet the twat hasn't thought of doing that though.

He'd be a fool if he did.

There are ways, and there are ways, as DM used to say.

If it were I, I'd be gushing about how productive the meeting was. How common ground was found to be more than anticipated, and a fullsome shit-eating-grin about how I was looking forward to progressing things.

Then nip back to my allotment, and wait for the Tories to do the rest.

UK politics (or politicians) seriously lack imagination.

DG Re long extension:

I'm surprised at UK politicians - and some here - assuming the EU would give this even if we dropped some red lines

It's very doubtful.
The EU want the UK to decide between Revoke (thought v unlikely) and the WA
Or they'll accept No Deal if we can't decide

Those are the 3 options: Revoke, this WA, No Deal
They just want us to FINALLY choose one

They don't care about the PD, since it is impossible to make legally binding a trade deal which has not yet been negotiated.

There still seems this belief - despite the EU saying it's not possible - that the UK can renegotiate the WA if it drops red lines
Won't happen

The EU won't drop the backstop and also won't add any more EU benefits

• because the latter would only come after the future trade deal has been negotiated and signed

The WA is the prerequisite for starting trade negotiations, whether during transition, or after a No Deal

Some people seem to want to negotiate the trade deal before Brexit

• that would take several years and the EU anyway can NOT negotiate a trade deal with an existing member

In Germany at least, businesses are giving Merkel grief over the current extension, because they prepped - mostly stockpiling British components - and now they have to keep these stockpiles until whenever Brexit happens, if it does.

It's wasted money for businesses that followed instructions and prepped

Merkel has been very supportive of giving the UK more time to decide, but even she may be reaching the limits of her patience and the political capital she's prepared to invest

I'm also surprised at that estimate of 17% posted above for No Deal
It is still thought by far the most likely outcome here,
because the UK still doesn't realise it can't invent its own choices

I just did school run plus impromptu friend back for play date and I'm lost. Has the 4 pm
Statement happened.

Thanks for the warning about that horrid thread, finishers
I'll avoid it, too much nastiness around already, withoiut going out looking for it

No problem Bigchoc I have spent far too much time on it today... don't fall into my trap

DG if Corbyn did respond in the way you said you'd respond I'd be amazed and assume he'd had a personality transplant. And intelligence transplant

because the UK still doesn't realise it can't invent its own choices

But we have a unicorn on our shield!

It was wrong for Tory Brexiters to demand May's resignation and it would be outrageous for a Labour leader to do so

Besides, he'll want her to stay as long as possible:

she was godawful in the 2017 GE and she'd be toxic to a large number of her pro-Brexit voters in the next - and in the coming locals too

Tories are absolutely ruthless when a leader becomes a liability and they only really got May by accident,
so they were never particularly keen on her.

The ERG screwed the pooch by trying to remove her too early, but those 160 No Dealers and the party in the country will make her life hell.
Won't be a pleasant spectacle

I don't think JC forcing the resignation of TM would be the best outcome. Door open for hard Brexiteer in number 10, JC the villain. I suspect he'd know that though.

Emmental or Gruyère or Comté in a French Croque.

Gruyère is undoubtedly better. The question was about the Frogside equivalent of mild Cheddar for cooking.

There's the problem Littlespaces - the unicorn is Scotland's national animal, so it's working as a 5th columnist

too much nastiness around already
Have a virtual Lindt. Is that allowed?

if Corbyn did respond in the way you said you'd respond I'd be amazed and assume he'd had a personality transplant

UK politics - well the English dimension - lacks imagination. And the problem is, there really is a correlation between imagination and intelligence. I guess vying for membership of something as homogenous as the Tory or Labour party does hint at a lack of imagination to start with.

The only good thing, for our dreary politicians is that they are lucky to be faced with the UK media - which also lacks imagination.

I don't want unicycling clowns whose manifesto is performed in 3 hour interactive dance segments. But at least some vision beyond "that's how we've always done it ..."

I'm sure she'd already said she wouldn't stand in any GE anyway. Even before her offer to go last week.

Oooooh my favourite woman