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.

This is getting outing, but I'm Canadian by birth. My family are watching the situation with a mix of puzzlement and horror. We know what it's like to be a small fish next door to a big shark, and can't believe that the UK wants to snuggle up to it on purpose, leaving the cooperative pod of other small to medium fish that together... Ok it's a shitty analogy, the shark will just eat all the fish regardless.

Still, it's got us weighing up our options. We could probably sell up here this summer and find jobs back in Canada.

Sir Bill cash currently on LBC talking about a legal challenge to the long extension. Seems to be suggesting TM would be breaking the law if she were to accept it.

I’ve been out all morning and get back to find everyone on this thread is talking as though Brexit is already dead and buried. Think I might just take that and disappear again before anyone corrects me!

What I feel is that things are shifting. I don't want to tempt fate as even if we get a flextension TM or her successor could still crash us out on a months' notice

Every day now is a chance for more Brexiteer bullshit to be debunked. They simply won't be able to deploy enough JRMs and Borises to appear in all the places that it will start to leak from.

Already, not even 2 weeks on, the failure to leave on March 29th - for whatever reason - is a body blow to Project Brexit. Brexiteers knew it, but ultimately didn't have the firepower to make it happen. Maybe, maybe if they'd had a 70/30 or even 60/40 majority, they could have done it. But 52/48 isn't really and never was a "majority" politically. Arithmetically, yes. But as we should know already, politics and logic are uneasy bedfellows at the best of times.

Wasn't Nick Ferrari a big Farage proponent ? Pretty certain Farage appeared in Ferraris progs a lot (I know Farage also had his own slot).

Anyway, against the Met Offices project fear for today, it's turned out to be gloriously sunny. Not as warm as it could be. But certain gloom-dispelling.

their concerns about population growth without proper infrastructure were shouted down as racism.

They should have been shouted down, not as racism, but as nothing to do with the EU and everything to do with WM government austerity policy ( especially given that the nett impact of EU immigration is +ve ), everything up do with WM government discredited "trickle down" economics policy, which makes the rich richer and the poor poorer , everything to do with WM government's lack of regional development policy, which increases regional disparities.

Scotland needs more immigration: its population is static and aging. Cornwall needs immigration/seasonal workers as the young move away

The UK is not as a whole, an overpopulated island. It is WM Government policy that has led to infrastructure, housing, education eye investment not being made

(interesting to look at the contrast with the investment in social housing and building new schools in Scotland : it's about choices and not predicating policy on tax cuts).

(but I'm preaching to the choir )

Sir Bill cash currently on LBC talking about a legal challenge to the long extension. Seems to be suggesting TM would be breaking the law if she were to accept it.

Far cry from blood on the streets. How much more English could you be ? He'll be writing a stern letter next.

I don't get the whole Empire nostalgia. It was a shitty way to treat the colonised people and never really benefited the majority of the working class that much - they were parcelled off to fight wars, used as indenture labour and got to die of new and exciting diseases. The industrial revolution was (eventually) the solution and the reason why you are seeing similar in China and Africa now..

I would rather have equality with my neighbours.

Returning to that N|Z article, I did like the concept "overpoliticised"

Overpoliticisation is not simply where a government can't get its way in an unco-operative parliament. That is standard in a democracy. It will often occur for perfectly legitimate reasons of difference over principle or policy. As the chaos of the British parliament demonstrates, overpoliticisation is where there is a breakdown of any goodwill or discipline within the parties themselves.

It's a loose descendant of a tendency P.J.O'Rourke noticed 30 years ago, where the population look to "the government" to fix everything.

I don't get the whole Empire nostalgia. It was a shitty way to treat the colonised people and never really benefited the majority of the working class that much

But it wasn't sold as that at the time. And even now, any bad bits are simply dismissed as "wasn't us, we weren't born" as a way of disconnecting now from then.

Yes, totally agree lonelyplanetmum, I don't think that pushing a positive EU focused story will resonante with English people (and I am using the word English advisedly here). But I would think it should be focused on reframing a positive future, celebrating current and future sucesses, and not pulling on the past. So it's more, I dunno, British Bake Off than jam at the Women's Institute?

But prettybird nobody engaged with them at all. They just screamed in faux-horror "that's racist" and refused to debate the issue. Of course it's down the UK government to fund population growth properly - the EU can't build schools and fund the NHS! But a educative debate should have been had rather than telling them they were racist low-lifes whose opinion didn't matter.

As for Scotland, if the weather were better, it would be very/even more popular with immigrants (both from overseas and from other parts of the UK). I wanted to move there when ds was very small but DH said it was too cold in the winter. I did say it wasn't exactly the difference between Iceland and Sicily, but he wouldn't go. At the time schools were much better than in England. To be honest, the winters are a lot more clement in the south of England but quality of life is definitely better in Scotland.

What I’ve never understood about “there will be riots” is that in the most recent riots weren’t the majority young, poor, non-white and in inner London? I don’t think many are Brexiteers. Is it playing on a fear of the memories of those riots, or going back to the poll tax ones? Nearly 30 years ago. My riot knowledge is lacking I think.

As the chaos of the British parliament demonstrates

Actually the British parliament has been doing its job. Not letting the government do what it wants.

"SO...if Brexit doesn't happen and we've suffered global humiliation, lost lovely workers and friends abroad, lost business, lost power within EU, broken democracy etc for nothing...what will this period in history be called?"
a) getting on an equal footing
b) welcome to the 21st century
c) having our come uppance

It is all so depressing.

@BBCkatyaadler
Merkel just now to Bundestag before arrive at #Brexit summit: ‘I think the extension should be as short as possible but it should be long enough to create calm, so we don’t have to meet every two weeks to talk about the same subject.”

Actually the British parliament has been doing its job. Not letting the government do what it wants.

If nothing else you would hope that if nothing else, Brexit has educated people about their own political system. However I am also willing to bet it hasn't to any great extent.

The distinction between government and parliament has been key, and not really grasped by many. Let alone the distinction between Executive and Legislature.

Much as I want brexit to be over and buried for good - I'm getting increasing uncomfortable with the tone of the thread and now I'm going to have go and spend about half an hour touching various wooden surfaces and wishing on my bunnies' feet. Can we please stop counting chickens? She can fuck this up. We can still crash out. We haven't won yet - nor is it certain we will. We are so close - now is not the time to start jinxing it.

The "British" Empire does still exist: but the major "Colonies" now consist of Scotland, Wales and NI - with both willing and unwilling subjects.

"Internal Colonialism: the Celtic Fringe in British National Development" was written in the 70s by Michael Hechter (studied by dh as part of his geography degree) and has been updated since then to take into account devolution (probably needs another update )

I may have mentioned this book before

What we are witnessing is hopefully imperialism in its death throes

"What we are witnessing is imperialism in its death throes "
Agreed Prettybird. And it's not a pretty sight.

Much as I want brexit to be over and buried for good - I'm getting increasing uncomfortable with the tone of the thread and now I'm going to have go and spend about half an hour touching various wooden surfaces and wishing on my bunnies' feet. Can we please stop counting chickens? She can fuck this up. We can still crash out. We haven't won yet - nor is it certain we will. We are so close - now is not the time to start jinxing it.

Even if we end up not revoking and following the WA into a "proper" Brexit, I think it's clear the no-deal apocalyptic Brexit that JRM & co. wanted is dying by degrees as I type.

The question is, when the Big Bad Boys of Brexit realise it will be nothing like they were gambling on, how quick will they run away ? After all, why piss around with a dead Brexit when there are new and exciting opportunities to fuck up some other countries emerging every day.

Voter ID pilots UQ in HOC now or Voter Suppression as a Labour MP has just called it.

Voter ID pilots will run in 10 local authorities and will require voters to present personal identification before casting their ballot
www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-id-pilots-for-local-elections-in-may-2019

Chloe Smith not doing very well defending it.

@PARLYapp
11 million people 24% of the electorate do not have either a passport or driving licence says @CatSmithMP

11m + EU5m = ?

Yikes.

Interesting article from Jo Maugham. Even he is not suggesting Revoke and pretend the whole thing never happened.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-news-article-50-revoke-theresa-may-eu-merkel-deal-a8861191.html

More Revoke and then hold a review into how to leave properly and whether it is worth the effort. He doesn't suggest it is a practical impossibility.

Hey Littlespaces, Methinks you need a dose of BB to cheer you up.
She struck again yesterday ...

www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-47872635/people-s-vote-betty-boothroyd-says-nobody-voted-for-this-mess

Yup pretzels it is nerve wrecking. I have zero confidence in her not messing it up.

If we do get to vote in EU elections though. Predictions thatSocialist parties would be in the majority in EUParli? Been a lot of solidarity from many. May come in useful later................

@TerryReintke
As a Member of the European Parliament, an EU citizen and a passionate European, I say:

We should give the UK enough time to put the Brexit decision back to the people.

True friends show solidarity even when it gets hard. Let us be true European friends today.

Was thinking last night. Not very original thoughts.

The main thing to take from Brexit to my mind is the lack of responsibility. A deliberate and mendacious lack of responsibility. First and foremost by Cameron. Then by all Brexiteers. With lashings of downright irresponsibility. You could say Theresa May has tried to take responsibility for Brexit; although not for her almighty fuck ups with bad decision making.

To this end I think it was totally deliberate that the Tories went for the no confidence in May vote when they did because they knew they couldn't win then. And be unable to shift her for another year. To avoid taking responsibility. Why would Boris want to take over now?

Jeremy Corbyn hasn't shown much responsibility either. Although, to be fair, he hasn't had to in the same way.

The only people who have taken responsibility are Cooper/Letwin/Boles types.