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.

As the main parties seem short of money, there is presumably incentive there too, to move the locals to the EP date

However, we won't know until EOB Wednesday - and maybe not even then, if the extension is conditional - whether we would hold EP elections

I'm not sure of the latest date to be able to change the local elections date

"anyone" as in women " worth knowing eh !

"EU citizens have a marker against their name. " feel like putting a ⭐️next to this ...
Wonder why ...

Just before we all get excited about applying to be an MP assistant ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/education-47853438

Brexit timeline (version 6) according to the EU
epthinktank.eu/2019/04/09/ratifying-the-eu-uk-withdrawal-deal-state-of-play-and-possible-scenarios/brexit-timeline-v6/

We must be driving them mad and costing a fortune

You need to register by April12th to vote in the local elections in Northern Ireland and some parts of England on 2 May.
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Students can be on the voting register where there are students as well as home address.
www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/students
Can I vote twice – at home and at university?
If your home and university addresses are in two different local authority areas, you can vote in local elections in both areas.
(postal vote /Proxy vote deadline 15 April 5pm )-not sure if same eveywhere.
European Union Citizens
Citizens of the European Union (who are not Citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus or Malta) living in the relevant countries, regions or areas of the UK are eligible to vote in:
European Parliament elections
Local council elections
www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/which-elections-can-i-vote-in

So if I understand this correctly EU Nationals on the Electoral register who are students could potentially vote in two local elections if we are still in the EU on May the 2nd depending on where they live/attend University.

That also describes mine. Unfortunately - and I can assure you I hate myself for this - I find myself slightly fancying

I often wonder if any other Westminstenders live in my constituency. On the basis of this post I have conclusively ruled out Maud.

My MP, of course, is on that list. I don’t understand him. He voted to remain in the referendum but has since become a member of the ERG and voted no to everything but No Deal.

Anything about naturalized British citizens? Part of why we did it was for EU FOM

A US friend of mine is a naturalised British citizen - but now lives in Australia anyway so is giving it up to become Australian. Makes sense, especially if there is going to be zero advantage to being British!

Thanks Pesty.

Draft conclusion from EU - not sure if it has been leaked or is official

twitter.com/Malky58/status/1115690678468730880

Mr Johnson sn. wishes to persuade the EU that they are wrong to not reopen the WA www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/shelagh-fogarty/stanley-johnson-stand-tory-candidate-eu-elections/

Oh FGS and he's a remainer.

What part of "the withdrawl agreement is not up for negotiation" so they not understand?

The problem is they've got used to May. We will not have a GE. Oh we're having a GE. Ha ha.

We will leave the EU on 29th March. Oh can we leave later please. Ha ha.

We are going to have loads of new young pro EUers standing.

I saw this excellent young woman at a Women4EU event many years ago, after that ancient old referendum in 2016.

There's a great new group of young proEU ers about to stand.

@NinaParker

I am standing to be an MEP.

Watch this space.

That does look like a very plausible EU draft, with expected conditions,
extension ends if EP elections not held, plus yet enother reminder that the WA cannot be altered

Just extension end date to be filled in

They may still tweak conditions though

It is the draft, Faisal Islam has it too.

twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1115662778864427010

About as good a plea for extension as we can make:

David Allen Greenn@davidallengreen*

Dear EU,

Please give the UK a long extension, as it gives the UK a chance at this end to sort out this mess

Anything less than that will just mean a recurrence of the last couple of weeks.

Please.

We don't deserve it, we know, but we would be ever so grateful.

< but our PM wants a SCHLONG ! >

May 2nd elections will not move for ANYTHING
the schedules are set years in advance

@DeborahMeaden
Dear EU @eucopresident , I am writing to let you know that @JacobReesMogg is one of the least representative people of the country I know, love and care for that I could possibly imagine. Please ignore him,,,,he doesn't speak for a Nation, he speaks for himself.

Liked.

I hope Johnson snr, Leadsom / al the other fantasists read point 4 of that draft:

The WA cannot be altered

and the PD cannot change or contradict it, either

EU citizens can vote in local elections this May regardless of if we are in the EU or not. Their right to vote in local elections is enshrined in law and hasn’t been repealed and I think the govt has said they don’t plan to change that for these elections

So they should still be on the register and still able to vote for now.

We are so lucky with Tusk.

How quickly and efficiently we always get a response too.

I think it was Davis who used to make false accusations of delay too.

Deborah Haynes@haynesdeborah

Press conference by @MichelBarnier after meeting with a mix of EU27 foreign and European affairs ministers
.......
< leaked draft presumably from that meeting >
.......
So... an extension until the end of the year with some kind of "way-point" in October^
- to check the UK is behaving fairly with the EU -
is being discussed among member states, with a diplomatic source saying he thinks something like this will be the position agreed tomorrow 1/

No country at meeting of EU27 ministers in Luxembourg spoke out against a long Brexit extension, which could be until spring 2020,
2 diplomatic sources said
But France, Spain, Greece, Austria + Slovenia signalled they were more in favour of a 30 June extension - date UK wants 2/

Other member states prefer a longer extension date – though few are keen on a full 12-months as suggested by @eucopresident^ with his "flextension"^ (awful word)
The 2 sources said there would be 3 conditions attached to any extension given to the UK. 3//

Extension conditions

1 No reopening of Withdrawal Agreement
2 UK to participate in European parliamentary elections
3 An assurance of what's already been assured by UK of "sincere cooperation" with EU. Basically a promise the UK will “behave” itself & not disrupt EU business 4/

It's not clear what form this assurance of UK good behaviour will take with some wanting a written text and others happy with trusting UK's word on this already.
There could well be a form of words that emerge this evening after EU27 ambassadors meet, which will clarify things 5/

Deborah Haynes@haynesdeborah
NEW:
Belgium confirms pre-Brexit summit “coordination meeting” tomorrow from 1530 for EU countries most affected by #Brexit
(ie those neighbouring the North Sea).

“The meeting aims at preparing for the potential consequences of Brexit on different levels (customs, border control)

The thing I dont get about the EU elections: so we go for them, we vote people in, but then it all goes tits up, they are no longer UK elected MEPs because, god forbid, we crash out. What happens to the spaces that would have gone to the other member states?

It's not going to happen is it ?