Westminstenders: Why the Irish Border isn't a Remain/EU Plot

[RedToothBrush]

I hope the events of this week give the ERG the kick up the backside over this that they need.

I doubt it will, but I live in hope. The alternative is too horrid to contemplate.

I'll leave this here instead as a reminder of what choice Brexit was always going to come down to.

Happy Easter everyone.

Madame may is definitely an English CofE xtian

Coverage of sorry events in Sri Lanka noticeably odd on BBC world which amusingly lists itself as a 'trusted' news source

Wilson's relationships with unions were strained hence ' In place of strife' etc.

I remember beer & sandwich meetings at Nr 10
The unions had the power of being consulted much more, but Wilson was not a union pawn

Well, I finally caught up with the last episode of Derry Girls, thinking it would cheer me up.

Balling my eyes out.

Fucking Brexit.

May - and much of the Tory CofE Home Counties bedrock - ignore these inconvenient bits of the Gospels:

Matthew 25:36-40
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me'

iirc Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was saying most CofE members voted Brexit
and here he is, supporting them (12 April 2019):

‘We’ve got to accept we voted to leave, we’ve got to leave’

https://www.channel4.com/news/archbishop-of-canterbury-justin-welby-on-brexit-weve-got-to-accept-we-voted-to-leave-weve-got-to-leave

Yes @Bigchoc, I always saw Easter as a joyful time of year - the religious side (as I recall it) being more about new life having overcome, fresh starts, joys of Spring, etc. I don't remember so much the fear and preachings about people who 'persecuted' and ominous warnings...but I suspect this is dependant on the type of Christianity you adhere to. That's why TM deliberately making Easter into something fearful stuck me as odd. Which is why I said it fit their agenda. She could have just as easily said it was time to make a fresh start and come together, love they neighbour, etc.

Anyway, half term is over and a new week of politics looms!

Mays christianity is more to do with political gain than the common good.

They presented an appearance of being 'clean' (self-restrained, not involved in carnal matters), yet they were dirty inside: they seethed with hidden worldly desires, carnality. They were full of greed and self-indulgence

These posts reminded me of this article from 2015 about Cameron and Christianity - www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/02/guardian-view-easter-david-cameron-wonky-cross

@MissMalice - yes!

I was put off religion by people who didn't know the meaning of altruism and felt they were excused any bad behaviour because they made the effort to go to church. I have to say this specific type of religion seems very far removed from what I remember being told it was all about and if I were a Christian I think I'd be quite annoyed at how it is used in the political sphere. We talk a lot in this country about extremists in other religions mis-quoting their religious books but it doesn't seem common to do that in the UK.

Just thinking about my leaver friend who this school year started sending her two boys to Sunday school and the Christian after school group despite previously loudly deriding religion in all forms. In fact she used to say in her lessons that believing in a God was akin to having a mental illness . I am now considering this as part of the 'culture' shift of Brexit she now is adhering to. She did struggle to explain it as she has been so incredibly vocal on religion in the past embarrassingly so to people she doesn't know even!

I was busy with double bank holiday play dates yesterday so lost track of the thread.

Has everyone seen this from Caroline Lucas. This is a terrifying change...

Something Liam Fox is quietly bringing in through the back door.

"But something that has slipped by virtually unnoticed is the government’s plan to include investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in future trade deals. ISDS clauses let foreign investors sue national governments for introducing policies that harm their profits. They have led to global corporations taking governments to secretive private arbitration courts in cases that can cost taxpayers billions.

Caroline~Lucas~Article~in the ~Guardian

That’s very worrying, lonely. Let’s hope it gets lots of exposure, though I doubt the BBC will notice.
In other news, my cat’s just thrown up. I so hate it when she does it first thing but maybe it’s the Fox effect.

lonelyplanet Disgraceful even for Fox
an example of Brexit handing over control to multinationals & the wealthiest investors

Although a future govt could repeal any trade treaties, it could be costly:

• Companies could sue for losses as a result of this change in govt policy

• The US in particular (and possibly other powerful countries / blocs) in response could apply punitive fines & tariffs, even confiscate certain UK assets and apply sanctions

Ironically if there was something like that in place with EU trade deals now, foreign investors could sue the UK over Brexit.

Despite the weather its been quite an awful Easter time so far hasn't it. Poor Lyra and now Sri Lanka. Some of my closest friends are Sri Lankan and are devastated, having felt they'd come so far with their own troubles and now this.

Even without trade treaties, existing laws to protect wealthy investors - not the ordinary pleb ! - mean the UK could be sued over Brexit
iirc, Hammond reserved some billions in an earlier budget for this.

In the Times, item no. 4736 in the series:
"everything you always needed to know about Brexit but they were too afraid to tell you beforehand…"

“The government could face multibillion-pound legal claims from foreign investors if their profits suffer because of Brexit, investment lawyers have told The Times.

International arbitration specialists have been advising overseas companies that
if they lose access to the EU single market, they could sue the UK for damages under its bilateral investment treaties with their home countries.

Holger Hestermeyer, an international dispute resolution academic at King’s College London and former staff member at the European Court of Justice, said:

“The EU’s so-called divorce bill has sparked much excitement.

“It is insignificant, however, compared to the damages the UK might have to pay to investors if they successfully take the UK to court for damages they suffered because of Brexit.”

Britain has 95 bilateral investment treaties, including with Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Russia…”

Checking in for the resumption of cross party talks. Let's see what crap this week brings.

I have no words about Sri Lanka and NI events. Just awful. I'd like the world to stop so I can get off and go somewhere else.

Checking in for the resumption of cross party talks.

Oh your so funny!!!

The week before local elections? Cross Party talks? Oh that's hilarious.

As is this

www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8916207/theresa-may-brexit-irish-backstop-rival-plan/
Brexiteers’ Irish border plan gets a boost after Theresa May asks officials to look again at the proposals
Senior Tory Brexiteers want the PM to push the EU to adopt their “alternative arrangements”

You can feel the rolling of eyes in Europe and the USA just reading that.

{investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in future trade deals.}
This has been mentioned on Westminsterenders perhaps 6 months ago (time flies, unlike progress).
The upshot being that the likes of Nissan withdrawing new models, they can also sue for breach of contract with the UK government.
It was relatively quietly reported that the Wherrity sniffer had taken complete control of international trade several weeks back.

A senior Tory Brexiteer source added: “This is the only solution. We know it, the EU know it.

“All we need is for the vested interests to climb down - Olly Robbins and the Commission hardliners, Sabine Weyand and Martin Selmayr.”

Errr no.

Tom Newton Dunn @tnewtondunn
Excl: Theresa May “reluctantly” asks officials to look again at feasibility of renegotiating alternative arrangements with EU after heavy pressure from Tory Brexiteers

Retweeted by Mark Di Stefano

Mark Di Stefano @markdistef
@albertonardelli

Alberto Nardelli @albertonardelli
am taking an extra day off

That exchange says everything!!

I have often wanted to ask Theresa May how she squares her Hostile Environment policy, with that extract from Matthew's Gospel. It would make for some interesting 'justifications', I suspect.

As for Cameron - I don't think he made any great pretence of being particularly religious, just had that watered down public school Anglicanism which didn't really mean a great lot to him. As for May, she makes such a show of her religion, the sort of show one clergyman described as religiosity.

I didn't mean to be funny! State broadcaster says that cross party talks are to resume today. Silly me. Shouldn't post before my second cup of tea I imagine cross party talks is actually a euphemism for cross party bickering and prevarication.

I wonder what the grass roots no confidence vote result will be? It's non binding though so seems pointless as it's just another vote TM can ignore.

My DS was shouting "Clear the lobby! " from the top of the playground yesterday 😂 I'm perversely missing all the votes.

We have a distraction! Incoming dead cat ahead of local elections!

Cordelia Lynch @cordeliaskynews
I understand from 3 sources that @realDonaldTrump will make a state visit to the UK in June. I am told that the announcement is likely to take place tomorrow.

Surely head honchos can leave the electioneering in the hands of less senior ministers / the local candidates / party etc while they get on with talking? I don't see why it should be an either / or situation.

Time will tell, in any event.

I always feel a slight disconnect to elections as, having a postal vote, I vote quite early, before electioneering reaches fever pitch! I posted mine on Friday, so that job is done.

Ironically if there was something like that in place with EU trade deals now, foreign investors could sue the UK over Brexit.

Who says they aren't ? I'm no lawyer, but one of the oft-trumpeted "wonders" of English law is it's flexibity and adaptability through courts rather than statue.

If I was a foreign firm that had lost several million thanks to the UK governments bad faith actions (or that's what I would sell to the court) a few hundred thousand on a Jarndyce v. Jarndyce would be a wise investment. Especially if it was joined by a lot of similar cases and blocked up the courts for years.

Of course the government could pass a law preventing such actions. But I suspect that's not going to encourage countries to do deals with the UK.