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.

This is from Peston 5 hrs ago

Robert Peston @peston
This matters. The International Commission of Labour’s National Policy Forum - which consists of MPs, trade unionists, MEPs, and constituency representatives - has just voted UNANIMOUSLY that Labour’s manifesto for EU elections should pledge to hold a confirmatory referendum...

on any Brexit deal. My sources say there were no dissenting voices. And yesterday all Labour MEPs voted in precisely the same unanimous way, for a referendum. Tomorrow Labour’s Trade Union Liaison Organisation is likely to inform the party’s ruling NEC that its big...

union supporters - including Unison, the GMB and USDAW, but obviously NOT Unite - also want a referendum. So it is increasingly hard to see how Labour’s ruling NEC can next Tuesday, at its emergency meeting ignore such widespread membership pressure and do anything but adopt...

a confirmatory referendum as the foundation of its manifesto. That said many senior Labour figures tell me they worry Seumas Milne and @jeremycorbyn will somehow find a way to prevent the party adopting an unambiguous pledge to campaign for a referendum. As one senior Labour...

said to me, “it is a test of whether Jeremy really believes in party democracy”.

Then three hours ago.

Now if you want a sense of why the NEC referendum vote on Tuesday is anything but a done deal, see this text from a Labour media official: “Just a couple of things about your tweet re the International Commission. I have it from 4 people in the room that there was no vote and...

Now if you want a sense of why the NEC referendum vote on Tuesday is anything but a done deal, see this text from a Labour media official: “Just a couple of things about your tweet re the International Commission. I have it from 4 people in the room that there was no vote and...

proposal that any government Brexit deal should be subject to ratification in a referendum and no one dissented from that proposal, although one person expressed reservations while ultimately endorsing the plan. In that sense it was passed “nem con”. Though what matters of...

course is that the leaders’s office wish to downplay the significance of what the international commission of the party’s policy forum decided.

So I'd imagine it's all kicking off massively tonight.

Also see the appointment of Laura Murray to head of Labour complaints. There was talk a couple of weeks ago, she'd already been given the job, but this was denied and it was said it was going through the normal process. Laura Murray is one of Corbyn's Office and was embroiled in controversy over interference in an antisemitism case.

More from the Huffpost here:
m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-corbyn-aide-laura-murray-appointed-as-new-head-of-labours-complaints-unit_uk_5cc1e896e4b066119de371b3?c28
Jeremy Corbyn Aide Laura Murray Appointed As New Head Of Labour’s Complaints Unit
Leader’s ally will play key role in clearing anti-Semitism cases.

So lots more kicking off going on there too.

I think normal pre-easter insanity has resumed.

I was always going to vote CUK, in EPs and GE, i like Allen and Soubry, i think over time, many remain Tories and Labour MPs will defect.
I doubt JC did this on his own, significant support across the shadow front bench would be needed for such a policy initiative.

Party politics is fucked now, how on earth can remainer Tory or Lab voters or MPs carrying on with their traditional party loyalties?

Perhaps we could see both main parties replaced by BXP and CUK or variations on both? after all En Marche! was only formed 3 years ago but yet Macron is President!

I'll be interested to see what the turnout is here tbh.

The polling stations here have all been moved to a new "hub" which is not central, on a very busy road and has limited parking.

I'm voting for an independant in the locals.

It'll have to be change UK for the EU elections I suppose.

Crap. I thought the Eu elections were definite. I better revisit the stockpile and do a check

Just saying that earlier to ds1 wrt no leafletting from any party for either election!

Never known anything like it.

So that's a 'piss up in brewery' fail all round then?

Oh and BTW, the Radical Association arm of the Lib Dems have gloriously informed me on twitter about their dislike for one of Change UK's candidates for being one of those who believes in safeguarding for women.

What she said was:

Liz Sewell TIG @ belindaliz
Some men will do anything to assault women. Even pretend they are women.

So I'm not sure who to give an award for an own goal to tonight. Labour or the LDs.

That said, CUK have binned two candidates in the last couple of days for dodgy stuff came out about them.

There's also an update about my favourite ever MP, the ever loveable Jared O'Mara.

The latest chapter to the Ongoing Saga of the Most Useless MP of the Most Useless Parliament in living memory is as follows.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/jared-o-mara-shuts-his-office-for-a-month-after-losing-all-his-staff-1-9729964
Jared O’Mara shuts his office for a month after losing all his staff

Former Labour MP Jared O’Mara has shut down his office for a month after all of his staff either quit or were fired, The Yorkshire Post can reveal.

The Sheffield Hallam MP currently has no one working for him either in his constituency or in Westminster and has thanked locals in advance for their “patience” as he scrambles to hire a brand new team.

He will therefore be unable to hold constituency surgeries or respond to phone calls or correspondence for around four weeks.

Don't worry if you feel you are missing out on brilliant representation. This template is sure to be replicated if the Brexit Party win any MEP or MPs seats.

So that's a 'piss up in brewery' fail all round then?

That seems to be the theme of tonight's political twitter. A competition in just who can be the biggest fucking self serving useless twat.

It's only the 25th April. There's still a week til the Locals and a month til the Euros.

And the Conservative Party haven't even announced their candidates yet.

Did I mention the one about the South West UKIP candidate being on film using the n racial slur repeatedly.

Oh well that's that too.

Joy.

HOW has Jared o'mara not been deselected!!!!????

V. good that Stephen Dorall ex minister under JMajor, is standing as a CUK candidate.

Of course in the early days candidates will be found out, its how parties like CUK and BXP deal with them that matters, so far CUK have booted them out v quickly.

Fingers crossed these EP elections take place, may well be the nearest we get to a PV.

Meanwhile back with the Cabinet Gavin is being charming.

Paul Waugh @paulwaugh
Revealed: Defence Secretary blamed National Security Council secretariat (ie civil servants) for Huawei leak. Prompted huge backlash.

m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/defence-secretary-blamed-security-officials-for-national-security-council-leak-of-huawei-decision_uk_5cc21cfde4b08846403ba582?nt
Defence Secretary 'Blamed Security Officials' For National Security Council Leak Of Huawei Decision
Gavin Williamson initially lashed out by suggesting Cabinet Office secretariat responsible.

And

Tom Newton Dunn@tnewtondunn
Excl: Gavin Williamson infuriates Whitehall mandarins by accusing them of leaking a secret decision about Huawei.
www.thesun.co.uk/news/8941084/gavin-williamson-huawei-telecom-5g-network-leak/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Defence Secretary accuses civil servants of ‘leaking details of Huawei’s 5G role’
Gavin Williamson has blamed civil servants in the Cabinet Office for the major security breach

It's one way to deflect a security breach away from being his ultimate responsibility I guess.

Not the greatest look for a would be Prime Minister.

But here is the real story:

The accusation came as a furious whispering campaign swept Westminster, naming a Cabinet minister as the leaker instead.

And

The Sun’s revelation follows Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill’s decision yesterday to launch a formal leak inquiry that could see Cabinet Ministers interviewed under caution by the police and top spooks.

And

Ex-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon signalled he believed whoever was responsible should face jail for breaching the Official Secrets Act.

He stormed: “If someone leaks once they can do so again and that is a greater threat.”

Williamson, Hunt and Javid have ALL put out comments flatly denying they were the source of the leak.

So either Cabinet Ministers are criminally leaking national security secrets for personal gain to help them become MP or someone is using this to smear their rivals.

And Gavin Williamson is just a monumental tosser who no one likes.

HOW has Jared o'mara not been deselected!!!!????

Oh he quit the Labour Party. Unfortunately Constitents have no legal way to remove him in the meantime.

He can only be recalled in a by-election by his Constitents if he first has:

A custodial prison sentence of a year or less—longer sentences automatically disqualify MPs without need for a petition;

Suspension from the House of least 10 sitting days or 14 calendar days, following a report by the Committee on Standards;

OR

A conviction for providing false or misleading expenses claims.

Anyone in desperate need of an MPs assistance under Jared O'Mara is therefore fucked for the next month and probably until there is another GE.

It might well be the case that if there is a snap election, the entire rest of the country goes into desperate whilst Sheffield Hallam throw a major party and declare that Nick Clegg was a Saint after all.

Also in tonight bollocks we have this 'new' story which sounds a lot like the same story that's been rehashed weekly

www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8941203/brady-urges-pm-strip-backstop-from-eu-deal/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Sir Graham Brady urges PM to support bid to strip Irish backstop from Brexit deal
The 1922 Committee chair has asked the PM to back an amendment to either limit the backstop by 12 months or 'remove it altogether'

BANGS HEAD REPEATEDLY AGAINST THE WALL

Thanks Math for informative post on International views on our treatment of NI.

I'd be interested to know what non US and non EU countries think - but perhaps they're oblivious too.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-powersharing-talks-expected-to-take-step-forward-38051865.html Article dated 25/4.

Not holding my breath. This seems in complete contrast to the situation a month ago.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/karen-bradley-will-not-attempt-to-restore-powersharing-until-after-may-elections-37934096.html Article from March.
SF have alleged that no progress would be made as long as the Tories rely on the DUP in Westminster.

They also allege that Karen Bradley was contemplating an extension to the direct rule arrangement that has been in place since the collapse of the SF - DUP coalition.

Mrs O'Neill claimed the DUP was the "single biggest impediment" to the restoration of the Stormont Executive.

“I spoke to the British Secretary of State by phone today and she confirmed that her government will not be making any attempt to restore the power-sharing institutions prior to the local government elections on May 2nd," she said.

“She also confirmed that she intends to extend by five months the legislation she introduced last year as her supposed plan to restore the institutions. Since then, her government has done absolutely nothing to resolve the issues at the heart of the impasse.

I am just watching with a dropped jaw. Truly epic-you-can't-make-it-up.

I am wondering if the Tory silence is due to the grassroots backlash. TM may be canvassing support for her 4th WA attempt by painting a picture of exactly what will happen to the Tories if they don't vote for it and allow the EU elections to go ahead.

The really depressing part is that everyone is fed up with politics and with a few exceptions (here!), most are simply not paying detailed interest. So, there may still be a certain amount of tribal voting alongside massive voter disengagement.

On opinion of Britain and NI outside of the US and UK -

German commentator in a NY Times opinion piece on Northern Ireland.
Jochen Bittner is a political editor for the weekly newspaper Die Zeit.

www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/opinion/brexit-ireland-and-the-failure-of-the-european-idea.html
Bittner mentions similarities between Germany and Ireland - the GFA brought an end to violence as did defeat in WW2, a divided country with an oppressive state blocking reunion, the significance of a border in the mind of both Irish and Germans, points out that a majority in NI voted Remain, ends with despair at how Britain is turning its back on both Europe and what he terms one of the signal achievements of the European idea, which is the context in which many Germans see NI peace (i.e. a context of international trade and co-operation within the EU fostering prosperity and peace).

oMg why is that man on Question time

This is the worst bbqt I have seen for some time. Horrific.

Here is my Pasha on his Turkish carpet to calm the frayed nerves.

QT is just going around in circles. Pravda for the puppets people.

The government now issued travel advice for Sri Lanka. So no tourist visits. Well what with dgds illness and now travel warning her trip to Sri Lanka looks like its a definite no no.
More news from friend who lost 3 school friends and now 2 cousins in bombings along with all their families. In her mums village every household lost someone in the bombings. She tells me that more than published figures were killed but they can't be confirmed as only bits left. she is so shocked and so so sad at what has happened. They are Catholics like me, her whole family are. She tells me that police caught 2 men dressed in full black Muslim woman's clothes yesterday and now hospitals say no hijabs allowed in hospitals. I can't confirm this officially but my grieving friends relatives told her this.

It is just horribly senseless, isn't it? Just murder and mayhem.

Sri Lanka has had so much misery in the last decades. The ruling parties retaliated brutally against Tamil civilians, not just those engaging in violence.

The world is just so brutal at the moment.

This is the worst bbqt I have seen for some time. Horrific.

I rather enjoyed Caroline Lucas wiping the floor with Gimli, but holy shit that man is vile. Very aggressive too, it genuinely seemed like he was about to assault her on more than one occasion, especially after she pointed out Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million.

God I've just been looking at bbcqt on Twitter. I thought I recognised him. Put me right off my enjoyment of Indiana Jones films now!

So neither Lab nor Tory can find anything sensible to say in manifestos nor afford to leaflet nor get anyone to canvass for them. Ha ha ha.
LD for me in locals, CUK in Euros.