Westminstenders: Compromise is a difficult word

[RedToothBrush]

Today the HoC had a water leak. It closed the house for the day. This isn't without consequence; any hope for the opportunity of Indicative Votes on Monday had cold water poured on it.

Meanwhile talks between talks between May and Corbyn were about as productive as you'd imagine. But apparently they had nice tea and biscuits.

The Cooper Bill, the last minute lock on May getting a extension to prevent no deal, has been in the Lords today. I say it's been in the Lords but Tories have filibuster Ed on procedure for over 6 hours to prevent the chance of it passing the house. Tory whips are timetabled until 6am but the opposition benches have vowed to go to 7.30am. So far the votes to ruin the procedure have failed comfortably so the opposition have the number. Its just a question of time.

The trouble is with the Lords not sitting tomorrow that means the bill won't get passed until Monday and there are fears it won't get royal assent until Tuesday.

The bill doesn't prevent accidental no deal but it would be a barrier to May.

It therefore looks like May's gambit with the EU to get an extension is to say her plan is ongoing talks with Labour for a cross party solution. It won't wash.

No deal looks more and more likely.

I hope that the good MEPs will stand again and can continue in post. Some of them have been excellent in supporting the British in Europe.
I am torn between not wanting Farage and his chums to stand in the first place, or standing and suffering a humiliating defeat.

lonelyplanetmum, I'd argue that is better than fine. If she can recognise when it is appropriate to use multiplication and can do the multiplication itself then that demonstrates a much deeper understanding of how maths works than rote learning ever can. Which Gove would know if he ever talked to any bloody experts before deciding government policy.

May seems to be fixated on 30 June as the end date for the extension. Hmmm.

Dear Mr Tusk - could you please see if the EU27 will agree to an flextension until 30 June 2020? That way she (TM) might feel she got her way, but we’ll still have plenty of time to actually sort something out.

Prettybird, thats something I'm really interested in. Its very clear that presenting facts does not win an argument - something I struggle with because I tend to work with logic and I can't understand how if you present something logically, that doesn't persuade people. In general people seem to go with gut and emotions rather than logic. It's odd.

Not sure if this short Led by Donkeys video has been posted?

Save Our Star.

mobile.twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1113766270627930117

I expect May is fixated with June 30th cos she has a nice walking holiday booked somewhere in July.

As mentioned previously, we have to drive to Germany this weekend for a funeral.

Having checked with various sources, I contacted my car insurers with a view to getting a Green Card. They confirmed it was necessary and promised to email me one within the hour. That was Tuesday. We still haven't received it.

I've now called 5 times and each time they've promised to send it (although yesterday said it would take "up to 24 hours"). I gave them a different email address in case the first wouldn't work. Still nothing this morning and we're leaving tomorrow.

Why would they be doing this? Five separate assurances, but not one has followed up. Am I being paranoid in thinking that there must be some ulterior motive? I could understand incompetence once or twice, but 5 times now? Would they have any reason for not wishing to issue a Green Card?

I posted the Lawson story at the end of the last thread but think I was on there on my own at that stage so I hope it’s ok to repost the following as it may not have been seen and I wanted to respond to stripey and woman

stripeychina💐 apologies for the late reply - I’ve been offline for some time this evening. I’m so sorry you’re in this position. It’s just wrong and makes me so angry. Susan too 💐 People should not feel unable to claim what they are entitled to through fear of ending up worse off. DH and I are lucky in that, although we are far from wealthy, we are not in the position of so many others, having to worry about how to put food on the table or pay the bills. I’m well aware that could change, especially with DH’s health. What happens if I’m unable to provide adequate care for him in the future? We do have savings but we had to pay for help that would not last. But, as I say, for now we are amongst the lucky ones. Just watched C4 New’s report on breadline Britain. So many people with next to nothing. It’s heartbreaking.

to all battling with this (I’m sure there are a fair few lurkers this applies to as well) and flowers also to Chevvy and all others (sorry, I don’t remember the names I’m sure there’s at least one other poster) putting in the hours at the food bank.

And also reposting this from Led By Donkeys as it’s too good to miss:

Oh, just when I thought I couldn’t love Led By Donkeys more...
twitter.com/bydonkeys/status/1113827097930280960?s=21

I have just found myself humming the song, "...until the twelfth of never..." (I'll still be in the EU) 😀

Lewis Goodall @lewis_goodall
Spare a thought for Britain’s MEPs who had been planning new lives and careers and may now be asked by their parties to put them on hold to contest elections for a body in which they may never even sit (and where even if they do they might be made unemployed at any time). Madness

And even more than them- their staff.

Chris Hills @ hillsey_92
Yep. Many have been having goodbye parties and leaving their homes not knowing whether they are actually saying goodbye. This indecisiveness is playing in many ways with people’s lives and careers. A lot of young people work there from all accounts.

On that note, do you think Charles Tannock will put his name forward again? And if he does could the Conservatives deselect him??

Instant recall of tables does not teach maths skills, just instant recall ones. Gove is an instant recall freak, shame he does not display many comprehensive, critical thinking skills.
Take 7x8, a student who thinks 7x7=49, but I really want 7x8 so must add another 7 to get 56, has learnt maths and critical thinking skills.

Be curious to see the EU response to Mays "request". Dog-ears because it has the tone of a demand, and I don't really think the UK is in the position to be demanding much. Well, it can demand, but may not get.

Chatting to DB (now in the US) yesterday. Apparently someone commented to him that if there was a shadowy cabal determined to prevent Brexit without tipping their hand, the 2017 election would have been a primary intervention ... after all, if May hadn't lost the Tory majority, we wouldn't be here now. A50 would have come and gone, and whatever Brexit the Tories wanted, they would have got.

How do people feel about the possible PD that might come out of these 'discussions' (I'm still a bit cynical), so a CU and possible mechanism for dynamic regulatory alignment?

I'm in two minds - it's safe which is great compared to no deal. It protects our biggest trading relationship

But...I can see why Leavers hate it. We won't be able to make our own trade deals, set tariffs, etc. Which means the EU, who will effectively be a competitor after Brexit, will set them. We won't have any say in regulations, again our competitor will set them. I can see that this might be acceptable for smaller countries but as a big economy I have concerns that this is not a good route for us.

I would have actually preferred no deal to this if we'd done three years of prep for it and if the Govt had painted a vision of what we were going to be.

Obviously I realise we mostly want to remain but let's assume that isn't an option for a moment. How do people feel about CU+?

Thanks Red.

I am oddly interested in how you know that they had nice tea and biscuits. And what kind of biscuits?

I could never do my times tables (apart from the easy ones), and I still can't!

It's never made one jot of difference to my qualifications or success. Gove going for something that sounds good in the Torygraph but has no basis in reality - who would've thought...

justanothermile hope your dog is OK.

Jacob Rees-Mogg @JacobReesMogg
If a long extension leaves us stuck in the EU we should be as difficult as possible. We could veto any increase in the budget, obstruct the putative EU army and block Mr Macron’s integrationist schemes.

The UKIP toddler is having another tantrum.

.

PMK thank you Red

@DGRossetti

My eyes, my eyes!!

(not envy)

If CU+ keeps the door to rejoining the EU open, then I can probably live with it if I really have to. But I’m struggling with any form of Brexit that doesn’t guarantee FoM. That’s my personal red line. I’m finding it difficult to envisage crossing it.

@wheresmymojo Personally I'm with Jess Phillips that "everything is Remain minus". CU would stop the cliff edge but it does stop all of the unicorns Brexiteers wanted so badly, and they will always crave those if they aren't at least 'allowed' to try for them.

I now foresee all of the targeted campaigns on fb starting to generate Kippers as MEP's...Mogg and Farage really are bitter and vindictive arseholes. The worst of this country on show to the world.

James o Brian talking about Jacobs tweet.
He is pointing out we did have power in the EU when he has said we haven't in the past.

Lonelyplanetmum it’s not even how Gove was taught at school.
By the 70s and mid-80s, rote-learning tables was considered old-fashioned and a waste of time.
Rote-learning is a hark-back to the pre-calculator generation before him.

A question about the TM request to extend Art 50 on the basis that UK will prep for EU elections May 23 with an aim that we depart before then so no need to actually hold MEP elections. My recollection is that if the UK were to leave the EU, our current number of MEPs is redistributed to other EU member states so the EU Parliament continues with the same total number of MEPs. If that is the case, does our delay but then pull out of elections at the 11th hour, mean that those other MSs that might get more MEPs are prevented from increasing their lists of candidates/internal MEP constituencies?
I should add I think we will hold MEP elections here so my question is moot but does indicate a further cause of irritation to fellow EU member states.
I also agree that Mrs May's prevarication has so far shown no recognition of the disruption and uncertainty this particular wrinkle causes for all UK MEPS, their staff and families.