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Brexit

Westminstenders: A fully functioning government?

960 replies

RedToothBrush · 10/05/2019 23:50

It's been a month since parliament voting on anything.

The staggering reality of May's premiership is that government has ceased to function. We are stuck not just on Brexit but every other issue, such is the weakness of May's authority.

It begs the question of how long this is tolerable by all sides of the Conservative Civil War?

May being unable to bring anything forward means no deal is probably as inevitable as if a hardliner was PM.

There was talk of May / Corbyn reaching a fudge to get a deal via the backdoor WAB (Withdrawal Agreement Implimentation Bill) as it was politically impossible for them to be seen doing a deal any other way. However news today is that despite pressure from the 1922 Committee to bring it forward, May has slapped just a one line whip on it, meaning it will go precisely no where.

The polling for the European elections is perhaps more favourable to Labour than they might have feared after last weeks local election disaster so the mutual interest for Corbyn to move forward in anyway has already gone. Seeing the Tories be humiliated at the ballot box is too much of a temptation.

The phrase about Shit Creek only gets more apt.

All that is happening is every member of the Tory Party is lining up to take part in a leadership contest. It's harder to think of a Tory who isn't considering standing. It's not just the likes of Johnson, Gove, Rudd and Hunt. It's also the likes of Johnny Mercer and Graham Brady queuing not so patiently.

And its getting harder to argue that May is better as PM than the possibility of a right right candidate, because of the paralysis. Though as Rudd rightly points out, such a PM who wanted to actively have no deal as a policy, would struggle to win a majority in the HoC for that all important Queens Speech vote - every bit as much as May. Unless they were to somehow decide they could abuse the power of the executive and ignore parliament - a feat May has repeatedly attempted but ultimately failed at.

All everything feels, is a massive sense of merely delaying the inevitable.

Remain? Hard to see how under any Tory. A Deal? Hard to see what it might be and how there will be a Parliamentary majority. A PV? Well that still has to get through parliament and needs to be arranged smartish. And might not resolve the Irish border issue if the vote goes 'the wrong way' A General Election? That still seems to be a distinct possibility. But with the seeming resurrection of the LDs that's one the Tories will be desperate to avoid. Not that Corbyn is likely to succeed either. And of course there is now the Spectre of the Turquoise Arrows lurking. The crushing of the purple pound notes feels a hollow and distinct success.

It feels like we are waiting for the political sky to fall in in some sort of never ending Brexit Purgotory.

The cataclysmic event will occur at some point. It has to. But for now, it feels that there is nothing but waiting and waiting to be done.

OP posts:
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NoWordForFluffy · 15/05/2019 13:58

Sefton's count starts at 11pm Sunday, until 11am (or when it's done!).

enochroot · 15/05/2019 13:59

I know many people who want to vote for a remain party in the EU elections. Roughly half say they will vote Green and half will vote LD. This is in the East Mids constituency so we're just going to split the remain vote and allow the BP to sweep the board. Any sage advice?

Ellie56 · 15/05/2019 14:02

I'm in the East Midlands and I don't know whether to vote for LD or Green Party. Is there any tactical voting advice yet?

Littlespaces · 15/05/2019 14:02

Our Eurovision song. I'm rooting for it.

www.express.co.uk/news/world/1126790/eurovision-2019-uk-entry-song-bigger-than-us-link-Brexit

I particularly like this comment - And a third wrote: “I’m glad to see our Eurovision entry is acknowledging the reality of Europe after Brexit ... ‘It’s bigger than us’!”

lonelyplanetmum · 15/05/2019 14:11

Yay Eurovision!

Randomly on the NHS against Brexit group they just mentioned this - in the US after giving birth, mothers have to wait six weeks for a check up and they pay for home visits from a midwife. I didn't know this- is it true?

Coming soon to an NHS near us.

Ellie56 · 15/05/2019 14:18

So it looks like MPs from all sides intend to vote down TM's "deal"/WA/ WAIB/Bollocks to Brexit/Whatever you want to call it

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/15/brexit-mps-vote-down-withdrawal-agreement-bill-house-of-commons-theresa-may

And so it goes on...

DGRossetti · 15/05/2019 14:22

So it looks like MPs from all sides intend to vote down TM's "deal"/WA/ WAIB/Bollocks to Brexit/Whatever you want to call it

For some it's too Brexity, for others not Brexity enough.

It would be funny if we were living somewhere else. (Except America).

LoonvanBoon · 15/05/2019 14:28

LD have had an MEP before in E Midlands, in 2009 & 2004. Green have never come anywhere close to getting a high enough vote share. I'd vote LD.

enochroot · 15/05/2019 14:30

Remain Voter was saying vote Green in the East Mids in April but the results in the local elections seemed to me to show a better performance by the LDs than Green, at least round here at the far west of the constituency.
I would vote Labour normally and that's the best chance, I think, of keeping a seat from the Brexshit party, but I'm not going to have my vote interpreted as a vote for leaving the EU so I want it to go to a remain party.
But which one?

TalkinPaece · 15/05/2019 14:33

Re Libdem versus Green

I suspect that many middle ground waverers will go LD rather than Green
where you already have Green local councillors, they are a bet, but if not, go with LD

woodpigeons · 15/05/2019 15:14

I’m E.Midlands and think LD has a better chance.

woodpigeons · 15/05/2019 15:15

Have
I am too tired today.

enochroot · 15/05/2019 15:23

I voted LD in the District election - we didn't have a county council election here - and the LD candidate was successful. It's the first time I can remember when a Tory failed to be elected here!
The nearby ward went Green to everyone's surprise, not least the candidate himself.
Interesting times.

Violetparis · 15/05/2019 15:26

Does anyone know if there will be exit polls done and made public after the voting next Thursday ? I am wondering if this is allowed while other countries are still voting.

Iambuffy · 15/05/2019 15:48

I'm east mids.
I'm voting lib dem.
They are the only party to bother to send me a leaflet so far...

icannotremember · 15/05/2019 16:16

I've had one from the Libs (who I am planning to vote for unless Labour decide to come out as an unequivocal remain party between now and the election, ha fucking haha) and one from the turquoise fascists. My son has decorated it with coxk and balls drawings for me and its good back in the post tomorrow with no stamp. I am personally offended that they sent it to me. You'd think my durty furrin married name, as screamingly obviously Polish as it is, might suggest to them it was a wasted letter. Dh says I can't add cat shit to the letter before I send it back because that's illegal. I might do it anyway.

DGRossetti · 15/05/2019 16:19

Tangential, but on the topic of "supremacy" ...

www.theregister.co.uk/2019/05/15/supreme_court_ipt_judicial_reviews_green_light/

...
The judge also commented in an aside in the 113-page judgment that MPs cannot make laws that stop the High Court from enforcing the law: "Parliament cannot entrust a statutory decision-making process to a particular body, but then leave it free to disregard the essential requirements laid down by the rule of law for such a process to be effective."
...

1tisILeClerc · 15/05/2019 16:30

Just filled in my postal vote and noticed that it is not 'Y2K compliant' in that it asks for date of birth and 19 - - is already filled in, so what about those born in 2000 who are already 18?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2019 16:30

When we are sending them back without stamps, do we put it in an envelope? Where do we send it?

DGRossetti · 15/05/2019 16:32

Just filled in my postal vote and noticed that it is not 'Y2K compliant' in that it asks for date of birth and 19 - - is already filled in, so what about those born in 2000 who are already 18?

It may not be Y2K compliant, but it is UKIP compliant ... back a century.

DGRossetti · 15/05/2019 16:46

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-48275830

Nigel Farage has announced that four AMs have told the Welsh Assembly they want to form a Brexit Party group.

He declared Mark Reckless as the group leader on a visit to Cardiff Bay.

Other members include Mandy Jones, Caroline Jones and David Rowlands. The plans are subject to approval from assembly and have been criticised by Plaid Cymru and Labour AMs.

pointythings · 15/05/2019 16:49

Well, we've had our Brexit Party leaflet. Too smooth for practical use so DD has put it in the recycling.

ElenadeClermont · 15/05/2019 16:50

icannotremember My DH slightly anxiously checked my text on the turquoise leaflet I sent back. But I only wrote "return to sender" on it. How boring.

So far I had Brexit party, UKIP and Libdems. DH had Labour.

Littlespaces · 15/05/2019 16:55

So far we have received Lib Dem, Green, Labour and Brexit Party leaflets.

Nothing from the Conservative Party and thank God nothing from UKIP.

DGRossetti · 15/05/2019 17:24

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48286543

The prime minister's Brexit deal will be "dead" if the withdrawal bill does not pass in the Commons in June, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said.

Mr Barclay said the bill - which paves the way for Brexit - will be considered by MPs in the week beginning 3 June.

He said if the plan is rejected by MPs, the UK will face no deal, or Article 50 could be revoked - so no Brexit.

(contd)

interesting to speculate if this would have made the BBC site so quickly and prominently a few weeks ago ...