Westminstenders: The gall of the french

[RedToothBrush]

We are full steam ahead with European Parliamentary Elections! Something that seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago.

May still remains adament that they will not happen, but the die has been cast.

May is off to beg Macron and Merkel to back an extension but the French are already stating they want assurances we won't screw thing up for everyone else.

May still is pushing for a deal with Corbyn and a Not a compromise.

Still there is no sign of a breakthrough either for an extension nor over a cross party deal. It drags on, but at least no one has mentioned the WA for ten minutes.

We might yet be in Europe for another Eurovision. Psychologically this feels important.

The ERG are not happy.

I suspect "Plan B" looks a lot like PLAN A

Pretty, they were not endangered in the 1940s. They survived the blitz. They were hard little birds: the Germans didn t scare them during WW2 or the really bad winter of 63 didn't see them off either.
Their cousins may emigrate to warmer climes but the humble sparrow got on with it! Then ' our vera' sung about bluebirds..
all very odd.

German press have been calling it "May's Begging Tour"

It really was an odd start to a visit, leaving May to find her own way in
Merkel's never done that before, afaik.

I hope that was just cockup somewhere, May arriving before Merkel had her face on,
or things could be worse than we realise

Now BBC have cottoned on .....

jenny hill@jennyhillBBC

Slightly awkward start to what the German press call Theresa May’s ‘begging tour’

Angela Merkel normally waits on red carpet to greet guests on arrival ....not today...

No words - how the state broadcaster are trying to keep Brexit 'interesting'; Brexit Escape Room

Then ' our vera' sung about bluebirds..all very odd.

Not really, it was written by an American ....

what the German press call Theresa May’s ‘begging tour’

Oh, please, in German !

.

Mother, people voted to leave the EU as they had heard all about what the workers get over there and saw it as ' a gravy train' with our taxpayers money funding it all!
Just one small reason but it went towards the vote leave ' reasons to say no'.

I did see a programme ( pre vote) with Paxman who went over there and even he was a bit ' why are we paying these people ?'

English song written by an American. Ah, makes sense now! ( didn't know this)

Re discussion on armed forces - there is no Royal army as the regiments were raised by local gentry, for Parliament or the King cue British civil wars 1640s (monstrous over simplification and generalisation but you get the gist hopefully). Glorious revolution 1688, Charles II creates a standing army (from Parliamentary and Royalist forces) and here we are 330 years later ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_Army

There is a Royal Navy and a RAF as they were created/paid for by the monarch to carry out a service. The regiments were raised by 'Gentlemen' to fight for King/parliament and they paid their men (having been paid/rewarded by King/Parliament). Typical British fudge - but we always did it this way ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Royal_Navy#The_beginnings_of_an_organized_English_navy,_1485%E2%80%931603

"The Queen is a traitor"!

Now waiting for anarchy to be organised...

An example of how Brit expats will be able to stay post-Brexit, but now - if lacking EU citizenship - as 2nd class residents:

Meet the Scottish mayor in north Germany being pushed out due to Brexit

https://www.thelocal.de/20190405/meet-the-scots-mayor-in-north-germany-being-pushed-out-due-to-brexit

As an EU citizen, Macnab had the right to stand for election at the local level of German government.

But on Brexit day he will lose both his EU citizenship and his job as mayor.

Instead, he will have to start all the way from the bottom again by applying for a German residency permit.

{Their cousins may emigrate to warmer climes but the humble sparrow got on with it! Then ' our vera' sung about bluebirds..}

Poor eyesight, they were just very cold sparrows.

The EU ' gravy train' idea was rolled out in the right wing press everyday.
I'm not saying it's right, but without the facts to back anything up people believed it and questioned why they needed their new buildings and big pensions and exactly what they did.
(More than they question why we need a big parliament with the same over here. Although the Palace of Westminster is hardly new of course. )
Just more fuel to the fire.

Poor sparrows eh?
Still, they survived back then. That's what matters.

The EU ' gravy train' idea was rolled out in the right wing press everyday.

Given there's a UK gravy train too, it's hard to see what the point is ... since Brexiteers are so religious (I know, who'd have thought ) it's apt to remind them about Matthew 7:3.

The Duke of Atholl commands a legal private "army", the Atholl Highlanders - the only private army in Europe

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atholl_Highlanders

Just had a self evident thought: if Brexit is delayed andother couple of months, even if it's only to the end of June (but maybe probably longer), then that means that all the EU citizens who weren't going to be able to vote in the local elections in England (none in Scotland - not sure about Wales), let alone the EP elections, will. Be. Able. To. Vote.

.... just what the Conservatives wanted No wonder they're facing a wipe out!

Is anyone else watching the debate in the HoC?

I'm very much in love with Yvette Cooper!

I thought the ‘blue birds’ referred to the RAF uniforms?

What are they debating today?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(There%27ll_Be_Bluebirds_Over)_The_White_Cliffs_of_Dover

They're debating the extension to Article 50. I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen after the debate or what legal / political effect it will have though as I've not looked!

I'm just very impressed with Yvette.

There's barely any sod in the House, however.