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.

Hello snail and others.

I really don't want a date that ruins Christmas. A year would be good and hopefully everyone would then get bored & give up on the shittiest of ideas.

Sigh.
Now I want tinned sprouts....

Nikos Chrysoloras@nchrysoloras

May was repeatedly asked about her talks with Labour, and she was evasive, two EU diplomats tell us. 🤔

Meanwhile, French official says no-deal better than a bad deal (top trolling). 🤔

For those thinking some worrying positivity crept into thread earlier I've been reminded of a negative thought.

In the FT Vince Cable said this
"Now that Brexit is the status quo and Remain the insurgency, I believe we have an opportunity to demonstrate the appetite for stopping Brexit..."

This has triggered a worry I had. A lot of the ref was reactionary, reacting against austerity, against Cameron, against broken politics etc.

What happens if May or her replacement or in fact anyone in power does openly embrace a remain or very aligned Brexit position. Then as soon as that becomes establishment it will lose support again.

www.ft.com/content/652f2416-56d1-11e9-8b71-f5b0066105fe

Hello snail . I think of this thread as my imaginary friends too

OMG I am sitting here with the online shop open and refreshing this thread! Thanks for the update on likely timing red , might be a while to wait yet then.

sprouts coated in oil and a dash of passata and slow roasted are LUSH

Oh dear, seems this report in a German magazine that May claimed asylum here wasn't true ?
Anyway, indicates the mood in Germany !

https://www.the-postillon.com/2019/04/may-asylum.html

British Prime Minister, Theresa May, today made an asylum application in Germany.

The shock move came following her discussions with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Mrs May then reported to a police station in central Berlin where she cited harassment and persecution in her home country, the UK, as reasons for her official application for asylum.
She has now been moved into refugee accommodation in Berlin.

An inside source reports that Mrs May already seemed nervous when discussing the possibility of a Brexit extension with Mrs Merkel.
This source told us,
“She arrived with a suspiciously large amount of luggage and asked lots of questions about life in Germany while she was talking to the Chancellor.”

She wanted to know whether it rained as often in Germany as in her native UK,
whether it was difficult to drive on the right
and whether a person of her age could still find good career opportunities on the German job market, among other questions.

Shortly afterward, Mrs May presented her asylum application to the Berlin Police and was assessed by a psychologist as ‘severely traumatised’.

Mrs May is therefore not to receive any news broadcasts regarding Brexit or be able to view proceedings in the House of Commons from her new accommodation.
This should help to alleviate the risk of a nervous breakdown or panic attacks.

Those crazy Germans with their sense of humour !!!!

I've been a passenger from the start. It has been a privilege.

bigchoc

Daniel Boffey @ danielboffey
Summit: Told May didn’t push back against suggestion of long extension in address to leaders, instead insisting priority was to be able to leave once the deal approved. The PM asked leaders to avoid situation in which would have to return to Brussels to ask for extension.

Translation: please, whatever you do, don't make me have to come and beg here again.

Daniel Boffey @danielboffey
Summit: Juncker told the EU27 that an extension to 30 June (which is gaining some weight in the discussions) was a bad, messy date. An October end date has also been raised in the room. But that dangerous due to party conference season, heightened rhetoric, and time of EU flux

Sounding like 30th June and end Oct / start Nov out.

Just another zillion alternatives to consider

Tried reading the first thread but it made me wanna cry. Three years of shite and the referendum was NON-BINDING.

I remember trying to explain non binding vs legally binding, the implications of it being non binding to a degree riddled, leaver, Tory voter... wasn't the best use of my time.

Bad news @WhatWouldScoobyDoo

Paul Brand @paulbranditv
LATEST: Sources suggest major hold up at EU27 dinner as Macron digs in. Also different opinions in the room about length of extension.

Feb 2020 vote XXIV, the Noes have it, the noes have it.

John Stevens @ johnestevens
DUP press release says Arlene Foster meeting Barnier tomorrow with "Ian Duncan Smith" and "Owen Patterson". Both misspelt

No surprise that the EU are not convinced by her talks with Labour

George Parker@GeorgeWParker

T May had hoped for quick Con-Lab Brexit deal and a speedy second reading for the Withdrawal Agreement bill this week.
Not any more.

MPs, told to stick around for big stuff in the Commons on Thurs, Fri, Mon and Tues, about to be sent off for Easter hols

www.ft.com/content/d0f58c54-5ba3-11e9-9dde-7aedca0a081a

DP has been hanging out with the SODEM lot at Parliament Square today.

Apparently the tv production crews tell them when to start yelling. And there's a lot of cake. So, there you go

Beat these
paleokitchenlab.com/2015/03/24/brussels-sprout-muffins/

EP President is pissed off about how extension will mess about MEPs

• presumably wants extension just to 22 May ! - very unlikely, but illustrates the conflicting povs & interests

 Nick Gutteridge@nick_gutteridge

EP Pres Tajani:
‘We’re not going to be taken for granted.

Electing MEPs and then them not taking up their posts, please, that’s not possible.

We’ll fight any action that hinders the image of our institution.’

Says he’s ‘fine’ with Boris Johnson’s dad standing in EU elections.
.....
So if UK decides to hold elections on May 23 then leave before June 30, as is the PM’s plan, the EP is going to be very unhappy indeed...

Tajani was basically saying such a scenario would make a mockery of his institution.

Owen Paterson? The Owen Paterson? The one who gets paid £100,00 per annum by Randox for lobbying?
www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/07/mp-owen-paterson-lobbied-government-for-firm-he-worked-for

Paterson has faced criticism that unknown donors have funded nearly £39,000 of his trips by routing the funds through his personal think tank, UK 2020. The think tank has been used to pay for 10 trips.

BTW they’re not really muffins.

Whether Revoke or Brexit, our name with the EU will be mud for years, with all those we've messed about

Pat Leahyy@PatLeahyIT*

A read from inside the Council room

– several leaders have spoken, vast majority in favour of a long extension, with some favouring December and some March of next year.
Dutch PM Mark Rutte spoke first.

Macron has not spoken yet.

Born that is more of a crustless brussel quiche.

I'm guessing there are a fair few EU bods who would like this sorted by Easter.