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?

Conversation

Matt Wells
@MatthewWells
Baroness Hayter says she'll be "here all night" and is taking orders for breakfast, which begins at 7.30am

Cement/concrete and glass are some of the most energy inefficient things to make.
Old houses in France use 'random' and prepared stone and often clay to stop them wobbling with only the pointing being of lime mortar to keep the rain from washing the clay out. Insulation, often using straw with a clay binder. Inner walls 'plastered' with clay and fibres (horsehair?)
Using hardwood, not treated, the woodworm give up eventually (get bored?)
It takes more skill and effort to build 'nicely' rather than the all too predictable brick with a good slart of mortar.
Glasgow buildings with the cut stonework and minimal mortar always impressed me.

Baroness Hayter says she'll be "here all night" and is taking orders for breakfast, which begins at 7.30am

Wifework in the HOL?

Labour have to balance whether they lose more votes / seats from the now over 70% of Labour voters who wnat Remain
vs
from the 30% who want Leave in some form, including soft & hard

no indication that the Tory vote was erroded.

There's no clear indication of Labour's vote having being eroded, they gained 1K votes after the collapse of UKIP and the Tories gained 6K so unless I'm reading it right the tories switched to the kippers and then switched back, can anyone else confirm or correct me if I'm reading the numbers wrong

Labour have to balance whether they lose more votes / seats from the now over 70% of Labour voters who wnat Remain
vs
from the 30% who want Leave in some form, including soft & hard

While this is undoubtedly true, they also need to win seats/votes.

can anyone else confirm or correct me if I'm reading the numbers wrong

tories seem to have benefited from UKIP collapse, but it seems unclear about what happened from the prior election to the one where Cash stood. Only think i can tell for sure is that the LD's died

Morellokisses
The data on the petition is being crunched here
www.livefrombrexit.com/petitions/241584
with lots of sort options and search options
there is one glaring elephant in the signing stats but I'll get permanently barred from this site if I type it

{May had better get serious in her talks with Corbyn and compromise until they agree a deal.}

There is also a consideration that May and Corbyn might come up with a joint plan, but having seen the duplicity of the last 3 years view it with great suspicion as it won't be 'law' therefore likely to be reneged on.

I'm encouraged that today it's David Lidington and Keir Starmer having talks, reported in the Guardian.

a government team headed by David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, will spend the day in talks with a Labour team headed by Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary.

Those of you who are looking to stand as MEP candidates - the Womens Equality Party could be an option?

I’m not, but if I was, I wouldn’t choose the WEP. I believe that I disagree with them about what a woman is, which seems quite fundamental to me!

@TalkinPaece

thanks

I think the only real reasons the EU can agree to a long extension are for a GE or PV, because they won't want to be seen (on the world stage) as anti-democratic. And contrary to widespread Brexiteer opinion, more votes is always democratic. Blocking votes is anti-democratic.

One for you Susan

@sturdyAlex
Fabulous line by @MaryCreaghMP on customs union without single market: "We don't want to end up in a situation where a can of beans has more rights than a person." #PoliticsLive

It's a bottom line for the majority of the pro EU UK now.

The comparison to the Berlin Wall which the removal of our FOM rights is apt.

JC will learn through the ballot box one way or another.

One of our neighbours moved unexpectedly last week. They had the house sold out from under them and there was a dispute over the sale. The sign went up a week earlier, then was taken down and the house didn't actually go on sale until the following week. The couple moved out 2 days later and they were distraught but fortunately found somewhere very quickly so decided not to fight the inevitable. They loved living here and had seats in the front garden to get the best of the sun and to appreciate the green space opposite. Out of everyone living here I always felt they perhaps loved it more than anyone. They were in their 50s so the chance of getting a mortgage remote. DH and I reflected on how awful that insecurity of losing your house would be and how at the mercy of others you are. I'm glad it's something we don't have to deal with personally.

The laws here are utterly shocking. They need massive reform.

One of my closest friends has a couple of buy to let's and she a decent sort and fairly good landlord but there's things she's done that have made me uncomfortable and I know she has dodged some existing law because "no one enforces it anyway, and the council know everyone is doing it but don't care". It's nothing significant but it upsets me and I wish she wasn't so honest with me some days.

I largely agree with everything everyone's said on property (though I live in a new build estate that bucks the trend and has a couple of properties built especially with disabilities in mind). We've personally benefitted from when planning is done well.

I've made a point of expressing how my generation are only able to afford small family homes at best, which are considerably smaller than their peers 20 years older I've had a brick wall from local councillors. All of whom are much older. It was only when I gave them a load of figures on affordability locally that their jaws dropped (apart from the one who called DH and I Marxists). And I've been very pleased that the new 4 bed executive homes built over 12 months ago are still struggling to sell when smaller 3/4 beds fly off the market. It's proved my point perfectly.

To illustrate the demand and pressure on housing, there are a number of shared ownership properties nearby. The '50%' properties are marketed at £117k for half and £235 for 100%. Identical properties which are only available at full price are selling for a max of £215. Demand has firmly pushed the price of 50% shares up and they can't be really described as 50% anymore as there is a significant premium for only buying half. This has only happened in the last 3 years.

The local council are still challenging new developments on the wrong grounds though too. A proposed estate of 15 affordable homes got binned after they moaned over stupid stuff much to our annoyance. Apparently it was one too many. And now none of them will be built. I despair of it.

Indeed one of the local councillors said to me in confidence last year during an in depth discussion on housing, that no deal might have one advantage to the area; it would put all new building on hold, including a new large estate he really didn't want which has been given planning. (it's also really not awful at all and much needed. He just wanted a sports centre on that site). This would also give them time to put together their plan for more housing in the area that they approved of. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! The man is one of the hardest line Remainers I know but no deal suits his Nimbysm!

My patience with some richer Remainers who express a desire for no deal in any form, is really wearing thin atm (as you might be able to tell). I've heard a few too many comments I greatly despise.

No one wants to face up to, and address, structural problems.

Just I was surprised when he said it. It was an old Channel 4 clip from the time that I only picked up on last week. When I checked the voting numbers from 2017 election with no UKIP candidate standing labour had increased there share a lot Tory’s only a small amount so on the face of it he is right. All I am suggesting is that nothing can be generalised every constituency is full of little quirks and local issues and Brexit just is not on party lines at all so it is going to be really difficult for any one party to keep all voters happy.

I was just chatting to a client who has had to deal with the
we have to buy from them because they are British not foreign
types (the UK based product is distinctly inferior)
I suggested she asked the person to look at where their phone is made

user1471429825

labour had increased there share a lot Tory’s only a small amount

Are you looking at the same numbers?

Labour gained about a thousand votes and the Tories gained 6 thousand

DH and I reflected on how awful that insecurity of losing your house would be and how at the mercy of others you are

Property and buy to let ownership is used by the affluent in this country as part of their private pension plan. Is this part of the reason for the mess of the housing market here?

EU in 2019 was about to introduce pension equalisation rulings as well as the tax regs the ERG and their funders, are so desperate to avoid?

Britain has the lowest state pension of any developed country.

RTB
Its horrible isn't it.
Our lovely Polish neighbours got so fed up of waiting for the landlord to do essential repairs, they have moved away.
The landlord is now having to spend a fortune making the house fit for habitation again.
(ex council house that they bought under Right to buy. The owners have lived in Spain for years)

Britain has the lowest state pension of any developed country.

Even the US? I'm not surprised we are worse than a lot of the EU but I'm shocked that it is lower than US.

Happy 80th Birthday Geist

Yeah it is awful. I suspect our neighbours old home will be empty for months. It's overpriced.

I've just heard a friend is applying to get on the short list to be an MEP. I managed to talk someone else out of applying last week. They wanted to do it for a while but their personal circumstances atm don't really lend themselves to it.

I confess I'm worried for the friend who has gone for it.

I’m not, but if I was, I wouldn’t choose the WEP. I believe that I disagree with them about what a woman is, which seems quite fundamental to me

Hmmm I will go and inform myself. Thanks for that. I had assumed that the WEP would support biological women!

Jack Maidment
‏*@jrmaidment*
New: Downing Street suggests any compromise deal/indicative votes will not have to be done before the EU summit next week.

Seems the Govt feels it will just need to have agreed a plan to break the impasse to show EU there is a "clear path through" to get a new extension date.

Jo Maugham QC
‏*@JolyonMaugham*
If this is right, the Government is playing roulette with our future. And following the decision of MPs (and the unforgiveable decision of the Labour Party) not to support the Cherry Motion, power to decide whether to No Deal or Revoke rests entirely in the hands of a Tory PM.