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.

DGRosetti
One of the most eloquent anti-fracking campaigners
is a very rich, well spoken Tory
who worked in the Siberian oil fields for 15 years.
If she says its bad - having done it - I'll go with her view.

Greens need to get their heads out of their arses on GM foods
Greens and Libdems need to sort themselves on genital biology

Labour and Tories are both stretched so far the backlash will be awful

I have no idea who to vote for next week
local Labour are fine but I DO NOT WANT to be seen to have voted for a brexit Party

At the end of the month, goodness knows

Marina Hyde summarises our week:

To which the only sane response is: OH MY GOD. ARE YOU ALL UNWELL? Listen, Graham: every time a Conservative member of parliament inquires: “Why can’t she just take out the backstop?” a fairy books a trip to Dignitas. There are now no fairies left.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/brady-batten-backstop-brexit?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

No 1 for the Greens a leading anti fracking campaigner

What's wrong with this? Genuine question.

Fracking is bad for the climate and bad for local people (uses a lot of water + creates water contamination and seismic risks). The benefits won't be received locally.

I don't know how I would vote as I don't have to make that choice, but I think my criteria would be, in this order (1) vote will not be taken as a pro-Brexit vote (rules out Tory and labour) (2) candidate's personal qualities and ability to represent the U.K. competently and ethically at EU level.

It's so hard to know what to do, NoWordforFluffy! Labour is a brexit party in many ways although it isn't completely black and white and I absolutely hate my vote being seen in that way. Wajid Khan os a remainer who sounds like he'd fit right in amongst the posters here and I agree with everything he says about Brexit. He is clearly extremely well informed as well as coming across as a decent, caring person.

Is there a website to maximise the remain vote?

My current bugbear is the North if Tyne mayoral election. There is a Militant, sorry Momentum, candidate, UKIP, Blairite (no chance) and a sensible Libdem (even less chance).

Elenade
Vote swapping as was done in the US election might just work

I agree, FlowerPlower. There's shades of grey all over, but I also don't want to be seen as voting for a Brexit party / supporting Brexit. Tough choices all round really. What a crappy time to be living in, politically.

How does that work Talk?

Unless Labour clearly come out and support remain then I will be voting Plaid Cymru in the European election. DH and I are becoming more enthusiastic about an Independent Wales daily.

My DH is Scottish BestisWest and we feel the same about an independent Scotland. If we could vote SNP we would!

DH and I are becoming more enthusiastic about an Independent Wales daily.

Yes I can see that coming. Following independence for Scotland and the unification of Ireland.

Well done David Cameron and Theresa May. You'll both go down in history as the PMs who between then broke up the United Kingdom.

Also taken from that Guardian comment by Marina Hyde.
Just loving the summary.

{Apparently the thinking behind this gambit – and I use the terms “thinking” and “gambit” so loosely as to render them extravagantly meaningless – is that it “sends a message to the EU”. Yes. It does. And that message is: we are not playing with a full deck of Happy Families cards. We’re a whole picnic short of a picnic. Not only are there bats in our belfry, but 90% of them are wearing straitjackets, all have been judged unfit to stand trial, and one of them is claiming to be the last of the Romanovs.}

As a Scot I think the 'United Kingdom' will be better off as 'The British Isles' eg Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland as allies

(rather than the current awful relationship we are stuck in)

Ironically, David Cameron thought he would be viewed as the PM who saved the Union , especially after the late poll which showed Yes in the lead (worst possible thing for the Indy campaign ) and the concerted onslaught intervention of the WM politicians in the final days of the campaign, their tacit approval of the so-called Vow (which was every bit as credible as the "£350 million to the NHS" bus , the promises that the only way to keep Scotland in the EU was to vote to stay in the UK worked out well there and that Scotland would respected within the Union

Just managed to watch QT and have caught up with pre-Easter rage sufficiently, particularly from the bumbling twot in the suit droning on at a snail's pace and shouting "WOMAN" at Lucas like some sort of deranged slave trader What really gets me is how many people clap like well trained sea lions every time they emit anything vaguely patronising. I know we say it a lot on here but how did we go back so far for people to watch such a display and think "Yes! That is the kind of person who should be in control!" He speaks for me!"

Vince missed a clear trick on the non-sustainable homes and the Con lady swerved a bullet when he went on about Trump rather than how LD actually had a better version of the "new" tory homes proposal with the Zero Carbon Homes. He's looking a bit past it tbh but he did come across as wanting to collaborate and pro-env. Lucas also came across well and I am a little sad not to vote for her, but locally the people aren't as engaging as the LD lot. Sad, as I said, not to vote for the pro-remain Labour MP but i've had no reply from my email about the 80% and asking for a clear stance on Brexit. I can only infer therefore that she is caught between a rock and a hard place. If Labour were going to come out as pro-remain I think they would have done so by now. So many politicians seem to have their heads in the sand .

I've poked a bear on fb today too and asked a leaver friend if he could shed any light on Farage's plans for the NHS, or indeed anything else post Brexit (once he achieves that aim) and how he thinks Farage will fare on trade negotiations with the EU, assuming he thinks we will be allowed to trade with them at some point, of course . I just want him to have to engage brain now tbh but I've not heard anything back...I won't hold my breath!

I look at the record of individual candidates and whether they are pro-EU
The individual matters

2 pro-EU Tory MEPs left the party over Brexit to become Independents and also joined the moderate centre-right EPP grouping,
Julie Girling (SW England) and Richard Ashworth (SE England) have since joined CHUK

Good to see here in Germany that all the main parties have "for Europe" on their election posters

All-party talks on Brexit are fizzling out

There is no time to develop a better unicorn

We have had the Easter recess,
then the politicians will be concentrating on local elections
then EP elections
then the Whitsun recess
then the long summer recess, ca. 20 July - 5 September
and then the conference recess

After the Tory party conference, there are only 2 weeks until the 17-18 October EUCO, at which the EU would decide on any further A50 extension

Except we have the inference that if we've voted for Tory or Labour candidates were supporting Brexit due to their policies. So, while individuals do matter, anyone who's remain needs to be cautious as to how their vote is (wrongly) viewed if they vote Labour. Unless Labour come out as remain, then that dilemma is solved.

That is such an important point NoWordForFluffy

No-one who wants us to remain in the EU should even consider voting for the Tory or Labour Party.

If you believe we need to STOP BREXIT vote Liberal Democrat.

For me the LD 's are a joke party, terrible leadership and a unenviable record - enabled tory austerity and fucked over students with billions of debt.

I've voted for them in the past but like Labour, never again.

So, to stop Brexit, vote CUK ! and there in lies the problem, our vote will be split :(

Stephen Dorrall is top change UK candidate in my region 😒

elenade
www.swapmyvote.uk/

If I lived in the south west I'd probably vote for Molly Scott Cato.

She is getting at least four votes in my family.

As for the wider family, DF has agreed not to vote as it is the Grandchildren's future.

Is there a website to maximise the remain vote?

Here you go, @ElenadeClermont: www.remainvoter.com

You still need to look at the individual, not just the party - at least with LDems, Greens

e.g one of the 11 LDEM MPs votes Brexit - he promised to do so in his 2017 GE campaign