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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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ZaZathecat · 17/05/2019 08:09

LeClerc, would we be able to revoke on the eve of the end of the extension?

LonelyTiredandLow · 17/05/2019 08:10

Famous Tory owns a sugar firm and Coca-Cola have been allowed on many health panels. Big tobacco don't play by the rules but all of this together won't be much of a surprise to many within Health. It certainly explains a few things (dots i's etc) but it really highlights how Tories cannot be trusted with NHS. As BP is now also being funded by ex Tory donors, it isn't much of a stretch to expect the same going on there.

1tisILeClerc · 17/05/2019 08:11

All of this is making the UK appear like an elderly doubly incontinent pet.
Unable to control it's own sphincter, let alone take command in the world.

RedToothBrush · 17/05/2019 08:15

Farage take Nick Cleggs poison? Or sit and wait from the sidelines heckling?

He won't be deputy pm.

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1tisILeClerc · 17/05/2019 08:16

{LeClerc, would we be able to revoke on the eve of the end of the extension?}
Having not seen anything to the contrary I think this would be the case, it was certainly the position up to 10:59 on 29 March (UK time) but I can only presume (having not looked) that the extensions have taken that through in the agreement.
I think I would almost guarantee that if the UK does not leave on 31 October that the chance of revoking would be lost from then on. The UK are 'taking the piss' and it has to stop sometime.

CrunchyCarrot · 17/05/2019 08:20

Do we think the UK will need another 'flextension' because of the leadership change?

NoWordForFluffy · 17/05/2019 08:39

We can revoke even during transition, I believe. Until we've actually left left, we can stay. Or that's my understanding.

We have seen the HoC take control before and I have no reason they wouldn't do it again if necessary.

I imagine we'd see something like Joanna Cherry's previous amendment put forward by somebody else, not-SNP, so that it has more chance of being successful.

160 nutter Tories, plus the DUP, do not a majority make.

But until we actually get some bloody idea about how the MPs' minds are actually working, post-extension, we can't be sure what their current mood is.

What has happened to the indicative vote process promised if the talks with Labour fail, which they clearly have? I'm assuming that was another lie.

1tisILeClerc · 17/05/2019 08:41

{Do we think the UK will need another 'flextension' because of the leadership change?}

While the UK might 'need' it, it shouldn't get it simply because it is obvious the cabinet and HoC are deliberately 'messing about'.
There is no real effort to break the deadlock and all that is visible is a bunch of so called 'honourable members' playing silly games and bandying about daft slogans and perpetuating lies.

prettybird · 17/05/2019 09:04

Going back to that Welsh poll - if you add up all the Remain supporting parties, they come to 38% versus the Turquoise Party's 33% Smile - and this despite Wales voting Leave. But the Remain vote is splintered Sad

The "problem" is that people there are still planning to vote Labour - in many cases just as a "monkey in a red rosette" reflex action. I'm still seeing some people on FB thinking that Labour is pro-Remain Confused

Looks like Wales will return 2 Turquoise Party Shock, 1 Labour and 1 Plaid Cymru. Here's hoping that Faragit has peaked too early, so he doesn't get enough for the 2nd MEP and the LibDems get an MEP.

As the analogy we've used on these threads before, if your hair is on fire, that is the first priority.

prettybird · 17/05/2019 09:05

Going back to that Welsh poll - if you add up all the Remain supporting parties, they come to 38% versus the Turquoise Party's 33% Smile - and this despite Wales voting Leave. But the Remain vote is splintered Sad

The "problem" is that people there are still planning to vote Labour - in many cases just as a "monkey in a red rosette" reflex action. I'm still seeing some people on FB thinking that Labour is pro-Remain Confused

Looks like Wales will return 2 Turquoise Party Shock, 1 Labour and 1 Plaid Cymru. Here's hoping that Faragit has peaked too early, so he doesn't get enough for the 2nd MEP and the LibDems get an MEP.

As the analogy we've used on these threads before, if your hair is on fire, that is the first priority.

prettybird · 17/05/2019 09:19

Sorry for the double post: MN claimed it hadn't been able to post and even when I refreshed, it still didn't show up Confused

LonelyTiredandLow · 17/05/2019 09:20

Other chauvenistic characters within the BP include James Bartholomew who backed benefit cuts for single mothers Hmm. Possibly popular with the male audience planning on voting Brexit the type who'd do anything to screw over the mother of their kids who probably get a lot of cash in hand...

NoWordForFluffy · 17/05/2019 09:43

MN keeps crashing over the last two days, so I think you were a victim of that, prettybird.

Peregrina · 17/05/2019 10:18

My computer keeps crashing and has to rebuild itself. Just as I was in the middle of a vital MN post.

bellinisurge · 17/05/2019 10:20

Urgh! I've just had my Yaxley Lennon leaflet. Three leaflets although there are only two voters in this house.
He gets a lot of support in parts of this borough. Scumbag. I need to wash my hands in Dettol after touching this filth.

1tisILeClerc · 17/05/2019 10:33

If the Lemon turned up here canvassing I suspect my neighbours would show them what a pitchfork is for.

TheABC · 17/05/2019 10:55

I truly hope that the Conservatives and Labour parties get the results they deserve based on their ostrich approach. I am glad to see Led by Donkeys is on BP's case.

I also think Theresa will hang on for a while longer - although it would be delicious if we ended up with the scenario of Boris Johnson bring forced to Revoke.

DGRossetti · 17/05/2019 11:06

I truly hope that the Conservatives and Labour parties get the results they deserve based on their ostrich approach.

The problem is nature abhors a vacuum.

NoWordForFluffy · 17/05/2019 11:10

BBC: cross party talks end without agreement.

Well, no shit. I'm amazed they battled on for 6 weeks really.

I can't wait for all the election shenanigans to be done with so we actually get some substantive action in Parliament re Brexit.

I do think they need to sit over the summer too, especially given they've decided to take Whit week off (which I don't agree with, personally, with the lack of action since the extension started).

Peregrina · 17/05/2019 11:11

Breaking news - the Labour and Tory talks have 'gone as far as they can' i.e. have broken down. Who could be surprised at that?

I wonder if May would revoke at the very last minute before she stepped down? (Just to spike the guns of Boris/ERG).

NoWordForFluffy · 17/05/2019 11:16

I wonder if May would revoke at the very last minute before she stepped down? (Just to spike the guns of Boris/ERG).

I still have idle moments where I wonder if she's been playing the long game all along and this was always the aim! I'm pretty sure it hasn't been, but can't stop my brain considering it!

Peregrina · 17/05/2019 11:17

Note the way the BBC and Guardian report the above event. BBC - talks have gone as far as they can. Guardian - talks collapse.

1tisILeClerc · 17/05/2019 11:19

That BBC presented chart of when the MPs are 'working' has an awful lot of 'not working' days on it.
Just as well there is nothing important to be decided really!

NoWordForFluffy · 17/05/2019 11:22

I looked at that chart with a Hmm face, to be honest! They need to sort their shit out, quite frankly.

Peregrina · 17/05/2019 11:25

What a pity that May didn't go for cross party talks three years ago, with representatives from all parties. Too late now, and at least Labour have had the gumption to call an end to them now.

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