Westminstenders: The Bill Cash Appreciation Society

[RedToothBrush]

We've had a new thread pretty much everyday for the last week or so, so I'm short on inspiration.

There haven't been too many new developments today. There have been two ministerial resignations. Both were ministers close to Boris Johnson.

We had a vote to add an extension if we still have no deal agreed at the end of next week to the Withdrawal Bill. May has said she will do this anyway; this would merely tie her hands. It passed by 5 votes. It now is fast tracked to the committee stage and third reading.

A business of the house amendment by Benn to secure a debate and Indicative Vote 3 next week failed after a speakers vote. Bercow followed convention and didn't create a majority where there was not one (though under Erskine May he is free to do the opposite at his discretion).

Corbyn has met May for talks which have been described as construction, though we have no further details though curiously Emily Thornberry put out a statement demanding a ref on whatever was decided which suggests Corbyn isn't keen on the idea. Rumours are of Schrodingers Customs Union: somehow being in a union but not a union. It can't be called a customs union. And Liam Fox has said Corbyn can't have his union. Though he may have a vested interest as he loses his job if Corbyn gets his way.

Oh and the Commons photocopier broke so no one knows what is currently supposed to be happening.

Otherwise it's been a quiet day, all things considered. Too quiet?

I heard that on the radio yes. Will they listen?

Schona Jolly QC @womaninhavana
So @BBCNewsnight reveals NHS Eng & Wales has been unable to stockpile some key drugs AND the senior clinicians who know have been told to keep quiet.

Brave doctor blows the whistle.

Every MP, esp those Cabinet members supporting #NoDeal is a disgrace, unfit for public office.

Neurologist describes impact for epilepsy drugs as being “absolutely life changing” for someone working, driving seizure-free for many years could stop driving, working & with a potential risk of death or injury from seizures. Says “it’s as serious as it gets”. #NoDealDisgrace

Changing the subject, does anyone work, or know people who work, for the EU institutions? I am guessing they had all lined up new jobs for after Brexit (although I suppose quite a few qualified for French/Luxembourgish/Belgian nationality so were able to stay). I'm just wondering what sort of mess the extension has caused and whether some have left anyway so leaving jobs unfilled. Or whether people had been recruited to take over and have been asked to wait, but then they might have left other jobs and need to start on time. It seems to me like it could be a massive mess!

I also saw someone tweeting about British language learners being told about translation jobs in the EU. Well that's all fine and dandy if you can sort out an EU (EEA?) passport from somewhere...

this is just another step along the way to an ultimate aim of Parliament not to deliver Brexit

We can but hope.

Half of parliament happy with no deal - doesn’t that say something?

Yes, that they're a bunch of rich arseholes who don't give a fuck about no deal because they know it won't affect them.

RevokeRemain Please don't continue this myth that Germany tells the EU what to do.
It's one of the favourite Brexiter myths - that Germany will save us (while being the brutal Huns)

They have the most influence, since they are by far the largest eceonomy
and they always elect sensible chancellors who are good at building build a consensus to support them in the EU

However, they can certainly be outvoted
and for an extension, only 1 country need veto

Merkel is near the limit of her patience & willingness to help, anyway

• she is already under pressure from business (I live in Germany) for the current extension

and polls show the German public is hugely against furtehr concessions to the UK

So May needs to work on her justification for an extension AND make sure she finds a compromise with Corbyn / Starmer that can win HoC approval.

If she reverts to Maybot mode, she won't get an extension
if she retains the "chastened" software update, we have a decent chance of a reasonable Brexit outcome that most people can live with.

I'm worried that JC (a Leaver after all) is going to sell out to TM and agree to something that does not include a 2nd ref. I know avoiding No Deal is the most important thing but I don't want him to throw away the 2nd ref chances.

Loving the SOS 😍

• rEU needs to see signs of sanity and affection from the UK, as often as possible

I also saw someone tweeting about British language learners being told about translation jobs in the EU. Well that's all fine and dandy if you can sort out an EU (EEA?) passport from somewhere...

One of the cannot-be-allowed results of Brexit is for UK citizens who are also EU citizens end up with more options that mere UK citizens ...

Which is why I am sceptical about how sincere the desire to end FoM really is.

Student1: What you doing when you graduate ?
Student2: I've been offered a job in Paris.
Student1: How come ? I couldn't get a permit.
Student2: Because my Dads Spanish, I can go anywhere in the EU to work and live. Why can't you ?
Student1: Because the older generation fucked me over right royally.
Student2: Is that why you'll never vote ?
Student1: What do you think ?

I think one of the reasons the EU has been so patient is that they recognise this anti-EU campaign extends beyond the UK.
They wanted to wait and see what was grubbed up during the investigations into the forces behind Leave so they could prepare and plan for their own future elections.

And what a lot is now being dragged, blinking and mewling, into the sunlight!

DH said the police have warned MPs to tone down the rhetoric

Any chance Mark Francois will listen? Someone pointed out he looks like Peter Griffin and I can’t stop seeing it now.

I have reached the point where I no longer have the foggiest as to what is happening. Am I on the utterly confused bench on my own?

. Jeremay

I had to share these, might be a bit outing but hay ho.

These are from my children’s Easter display. They each had to create an egg inspired scene / creation. Quite political this year

I also think we have some MPs who are actually against no deal but will not come out and say it as they are fearful of the reaction of their constituents.

My Mp does not want no deal but he’s a loyal Tory puppy so will do as he is told.

In my opinion he is relying on others to take a stand (like he always does).

This man will never get my vote .....

Lego That's why I think they should agree a deal AND that a PV should be put in an amendment for which both parties allow FREE votes for all their MPs, including Cabinet

That way both can claim they didn't choose PV - the HoC did

Tom Newton Dunn@tnewtondunn

Excl: Fifteen more Brexiteer ministers “on the edge” of resigning - 5 from the Cabinet - in a mass protest at PM's softer Brexit bid

This made me well up www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sos-eu-video-brexit-uk-south-coast-brighton-south-coast-europe-a8849696.html

DG Germany and several other (wealthy) E27 countries are trying to encourage more non-EU workers, especially the young & healthy ones

The EU citizens will have first dibs at the best jobs, but there is at least the chance for others

I see with my own large employer that some from India, S Korea, China are moving up the management chain
After their 1st 5 year work visa, they easily get longterm residence

I had a conversation with DS (ages 3) which gave me fresh insights into the EU perspective on this process:
'Do you want to go outside?'
'No'
' So shall we stay inside then?'
'No'
'Outside then?'
'No'
'Inside?'
'No'
....
'Do you actually know what you're saying no to?'
'No'
'Are you just saying no for the sake of it?'
'No'

EU negotiators, I feel your pain. You don't need trade experts, you need supernanny!

Haven't kept up with these threads as they move so fast and also, to be honest, I'm finding it too head-clutchingly awful. The stockpile is healthy and since my MP is Liz Truss, I have no chance of having any effect on her views whatsoever... but the parallels between my parenting woes and the Brexit clusterfuck were just too close not to share!

Sorry mother

I also think we have some MPs who are actually against no deal but will not come out and say it as they are fearful of the reaction of their constituents

It's happened already, if you look at how the votes broke down last night.
I wonder how Cooper would have voted if she hadn't been threatened by this character and his organisation. I wonder how many other MPs are in the same position.

I am so thankful for the courage of those MPs who are voting with their consciences and for the police for continuing to protect them.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/labour-mp-rosie-cooper-targeted-in-murder-plot-calls-for-nonjury-terrorism-trials-as-she-says-our-a4108646.html

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-47803925/labour-s-rosie-cooper-tells-mps-our-democracy-is-under-threat

spudlet That's my big worry about the extension
Even supernanny must need to go outside and scream sometimes ... and the UK is not their responsibility

Has the foundation of maths/statistics altered overnight and I wasn't aware??

chevvy I think it’s prep for a second referendum in case they need to claim the larger number is not the majority

I've no idea why leavers think leaving with no plan is better personally. It defies all logic, and they MUST know it deep down?

lonely I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. One of the many disturbing aspects of what is happening is how the narrative of Brexit has been manipulated resulting in the radicalisation of a lot of Leave supporters. The move from having voting to Leave to the claim they voted for No Deal is very worrying. I think they’ve been told so often that they voted for No Deal that many of them now really believe it. Anything other than No Deal, to them, is not Brexit at all.

Others, I’m sure, as you say, know No Deal is a terrible idea but can’t back down and lose face. They would probably be relieved if we avoid it but will still moan and say how much better it would have been if the true, pure Brexit hadn’t been denied us.

I do also think there are probably a lot of people who did vote No Deal, in as much as they thought they could simply vote Leave on 23 June and wake up on the 24 June to find we’d already left the EU and having pressed the reset button we’d just carry on as we were pre EU. A lot of these people still don’t understand why that couldn’t happen so still support No Deal