Westminstenders: Lets get on with...

[RedToothBrush]

Admitting the mandate for leaving has expired.

The newspapers today are full of Talk of both Corbyn and May panicking that Brexit is destroying their parties, so after nearly 3 years of party politics they have decided that actually they can agree on something in the next week or so. Not because it's in the national interest but because they don't fancy mutual self assured destruction.

If they do manage to cobble something together then it with be rushed and shite.

If they don't they will be punished at the Euro elections by a Remain / Leave pincer action.

They can spin it all they like from their local election disaster that it was people wanting to get on with Brexit. It certainly does not change the reality that those people who were most likely to vote are fed up with the pair of them. And that there is a strong indication that the most motivated voters are remain leaning. Perhaps its true that leavers stayed home in protest. If they did, what will they do if the Brexit Party stand candidates at a general election? Maybe they will vote, but you can't argue that they view voting itself as an important act. Spoilt ballots were up, but not that up. If the pair do manage a deal, then we have Brexited which might satisfy some. The trouble is the underlying issues are not to do with the European Union. And even if we leave with a deal that does not resolve our future trading relationship. The poison that is Brexit won't end. And the voters will realise that soon enough. Leaving even with a deal will harm the economy, and that's only going to fuel discontent.

It's therefore hard to see where either party go from here. Not when they are effectively split internally. The poison is here to stay.

Spinning it as 'it shows the public want us to get on with Brexit' isn't going to help their cause with voters who still think leaving is a national disaster. Those voters will still think its a national disaster and will be even more pissed at being ignored and dismissed once again.

Where is the incentive to return to voting Labour or Conservative?

The Euro Elections, if they go ahead, will therefore be about one thing and one thing only: turnout. Even if the Brexit Party do relatively well, it will be about how many turnout in comparison to the locals and in comparison to the last EU elections. Whilst they might not admit the reality of things, ultimately all Labour and Conservatives really care about is securing the vote of people who will vote because voting intention doesn't win them seats if people don't turnout.

DG I agree, hence the panic - the Tory right have partly realised this too

Of course we have no idea what lies were told to the US side of this clusterfuck to get them on board. Given how ... parochial most USians can be, it's entirely possible that when Farage et al were paraded before them they trotted out the "easiest deal in history" line and the US backers fell for it hook line and sinker. In fact, given how much publicity the BBC gave Farage (and continues to give him) you can't blame a casual USian for thinking he was some kind of Big Cheese over here.

Of course the second it transpired that Farage had been very economic with the actualite I suspect the appetite for a quick swoop went away. The last thing a USian investor wants is to be embroiled in the UKs version of Vietnam.

That's if Farage had the sense to stick to legitimate US movers and shakers. I suppose it's hoping for too much that he might have accidentally told a few whoppers to someone like Angelo "the widow maker" Scapellini, or "Brooklyn Bob" who might have a different take on dealing with rats ......

However the only way we can sign a USA FTA is if we have broken the GFA in some manner or other ... and the USA will not sign a FTA if we break the GFA, so we can't break it if we want a trade deal with America ... but we can't have a trade deal with America without putting up some kind of border in Ireland, first.

Yes ... I imagine there will be some annoyed people in the US who will want to know how the fuck no one could have known about this at the time.

It does make you realise how ruled by money they all are. Anyone with a brain could see this was never going to work without more public backing, but throw in some US green and the carrot of extra profit from scrapping rights and regulations...

I am currently kitten proofing my home for our new arrivals next week - any tips from our cat lovers? I read somewhere that they can open kitchen cupboards? Really???

A friends cat (that was unsurprisingly quite fat ...) learned how to open their fridge by pulling on the handle as he jumped off ... (they had to fix a catch to it).

I've heard (but not seen) that some cats can open fridges by lying on their back and using their hind legs to lever the door open....

a friends cat learned to talk to alexa to release treats from the treats dispenser

Kitten proofing.mother
I think I've started ours as kittens off in just one room, so they can feel safe in one space. With pooh tray, and toys. Old thread bobbins, string, empty boxes etc. I've had cats all my life, and never had one that could open cupboards! Current one is very talkative though. Lots of cuddles, lots of games, lots of photos, I'm jealous. Ours is the most beautiful and kind teenager now. Enjoy.

some cats can open fridges by lying on their back and using their hind legs to lever the door open
Our current cat has had weird healthy biscuity things all his life, so doesn't really 'get' human food, so has never nicked it. Dearly departed last cat ate old school tinned cat food and used to steal raw chicken defrosting on work top.

Yes some cats can indeed open kitchen cupboards - our three never did but a neighbour's cat came in and had a go, she rolled onto her back and used her front claws to get the door open, little tinker! We had one could open the cat flap when set to 'incoming only'. Then one of the others watched and learned how as well! The third, bless him, was far too dim and never did.

With kittens, make sure they can't get into the washing machine! Also they love tiny spaces, and will happily crawl in whilst you're not looking, meaning you can spend hours searching for them but they're curled up happily asleep! Show them the litter tray and have it somewhere they don't have to go too far to, but I found when we had our 7 week old kitty, he was already used to using it, just sometimes didn't want to walk all that way!

In fact, given how much publicity the BBC gave Farage (and continues to give him) you can't blame a casual USian for thinking he was some kind of Big Cheese over here.

Farage went rushing over after the Presidential election. I imagine that Trump thought that Ambassadors to the UK were political appointees, so that Farage could be appointed immediately. He was then told that there was no Ambassadorial vacancy. He seemed not to be quite so enthusiastic about Farage after that.

As to cats and kittens: one of my DF's cats used to jump up and knock the door knocker to be let in.

Farage went rushing over after the Presidential election. I imagine that Trump thought that Ambassadors to the UK were political appointees, so that Farage could be appointed immediately. He was then told that there was no Ambassadorial vacancy. He seemed not to be quite so enthusiastic about Farage after that.

On a serious note, DB occasionally gets asked about the UK (when he lets his accent slip ...). Most people have heard of Farage and assumed he had some sort of official position ...

Then we had the cat who never learnt how to push the cat flap and it had to be tied up in the Open position......

Our (relatively new) neighbours decided (well, she decided ...) to get a kitten. First we knew of it was when it was prowling around our garden, which is where it earned it's sobriquet "Psycho" from me. Mainly because it (she) seems to totally lack any filter on her curiosity and despite being hosed a few times insisted on coming back for more. To such an extent that it decided to hide from neighbours in our garden.

There are 4 cats that patrol our land. And we don't have any pets ....

The Department for Stating the Bleeding Obvious has just announced that the Euro-elections will take place on the 23rd.

Also, there's a royal baby of some sort, and we're getting the Olympics in 2012.

More to follow

Juncker today:
"Everyone understands English. No one understands England - but everyone understands English."

But you need to pronounce it correctly to be understood.

I heard Juncker say, "There were lice in the Brexit campaign."

Seems like a fair observation.

I had a cat that used to open doors for the dog. He didn’t want to go into the rooms himself but just opened them so the dog could go in.
Very annoying, but funny, when I was working in a very small room and was suddenly invaded by an excited hairy dog who knocked everything over.

We used to have a cat that knew how to open a fridge. In one place we got dealt with it by keeping a big stone in front of the fridge door. Later, we actually got a child fridge lock

Fortunately, he seemed to forget that he knew how to do it

Our current boys are hopeless at opening doors that are only slightly ajar. They pathetically and ineffectually stick their paws under the door and miaow plaintively . We've been trying to train them by shaking a packet of Dreamies on one side of the door - at which point they're so desperate that they barge through but still haven't worked out how to do it without the incentive of Dreamies

We'll need to get plenty of nice calming pictures of the kittens Motheroffourdragons

Got my polling card for the Euro elections. That's given me a good laugh after a long commute in the rain.

UKIP were swarming all over town centre today. No leaflets of any colour through door either for local or MEP elections. Just as well really as I don't even bother to read them I just glance at them whilst I throw them in the bin! I don't have a cat that can open doors but a dog who can drag out her toy box from the unit ( cube unit with baskets)

So glad Euros are going ahead! Was inevitable at this point really. I suppose if Corbyn had been dim enough to agree to some deal the might has squeezed it through beforehand.

My Nan had a cat that used to turn the electric fire on when she was out had have a bit of a bask. She had to had the fire disconnected because of the sky high electric bills and fire risk.

My cat can’t open doors and neither could her sister. To compensate for this both will/would rush through any opening door be it to a cupboard, another room or the outside, frequently tripping up the unfortunate person trying to get in or out of said door.

pretty your Siamese boys must be defective if they only “miaow”

I get a full on howl which means anything from “food” to “open the door” to “you’ve ignored me for at least 30 seconds”.

And god can she snore!

Continuity - I have only ever had Siamese so therefore the loud noise that they make is the "normal" noise The pathetic squeeks mews from "ordinary" cats just sound strange to me.

I could tell the story of the time dh confused the sound of our escaped through the plane of removed glass as we hadn't got round to putting a cat flap into the inner door 18 month old ds at 7am outside, the other side of the house next door, for Siamese cats I'd left the outer storm door open when I left the house at 6am