Westminstenders: One Pepperoni Pizza Please. And a Milkshake To Go.

[RedToothBrush]

On the Eve of the EU Elections that we never met to happen, and we don't know what the next hour next mind day might bring.

Farage is enjoying the theatre of milkshakes. It means he gets attention and gets to play the victim. And avoid talking about his dodgy friends and even dodgier financing. The Brexit Party are polling so highly its possible he could be PM. And boy does he know it. The temptation is there and its too much to resist.

May has refused to resign so far tonight after a day of asking her to. The 1922 Committee refused to change the rules to help oust her - possibly because they don't want the next PM to be beset with challenges to the leadership at the drop of a hat. Graham Brady is seeing her on Friday... The ERG are not happy bunnies.

May is still apparently planning to plough on with the WAB with a referendum possibly attached. Though this remains to be seen.

Meanwhile Leadsom has just quit the Cabinet. She was one of the Brexit 'Pizza Club'. Rumours are this might be the Cabinet withdrawing support for her. Though Gove has said he doesn't intend to resign (tonight at least).

Rumour is that May's senior staff have abandoned her to let her make the decision to go. And rumours are that when Leadsom rang May to tell her she was leaving cabinet, May didn't tell her senior staff. This comes two weeks after rumours where that Phillip May was at the point of telling her it was time to resign. The rumours of course may be just that, rumours but it's hard to see how or why anyone would tell her to carry on now.

And so tomorrow. Who would vote for this utter shower of shit? Even if you were the most loyal of Tories?

The thing tomorrow is to get the remain vote out. It doesn't matter ultimately what people vote for. Every vote cast for remain keeps the Brexit Party popular vote down. Even if it doesn't win seats. And that is psychologically important.

Tomorrow make sure EVERYONE you know who is anti brexit party votes. More so if they are a Remainer voting for a Remain party, but also if they are solid Labour or the rarest of things, a true blue.

It MATTERS. Narratives will be set.

If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, please TRY ANYWAY. The worst case is you are turned away and have lost 20 mins of your life. But you might also be able to vote and that might change the course of events.

Talk to people tomorrow. Remind them. Make sure it's about preventing a hard right foothold. Apathy will destroy our futures. Being fed up of politicians so refusing to vote is actively shooting yourself in the face.

Who am I voting for?

Still no idea. But I will vote.

"Maga and Russian trolls who infested these thread post referendum were incensed at any criticism of may."

woman That changed from about Dec 2017
After that, she became a hate figure, called a Remainer traitor and was e.g. threatened with a noose by her own Ultra MPs.

I recently saw a horrific photoshopped picture of her with slogans about betrayal branded all over her face, like enemies of the state would be branded in some N Korean type dictatorship

Rushcliffe is interesting as that's Ken Clarke's constituency. So, it's been Tory forever. But, it's actually more of what you'd think of as typical LD territory. I'll be interested to see what the result is there.

Interesting, re Brady...

France Predictions

Pro-EU total 45 : Eurosceptic (but not Frexit) 29

Macron predicted a large increase over 2014
so about level with the populists, which are predicted to drop slightly from 29014 level
Then assorted greens, socialists, conservatives

Kerr stunningly ignores of course the inconvenient fact that Scotland returned a majority 35 SNP MPs out of the 59 Scottish MPs and only 13 (iirc) Conservative MPs

But I suppose it's the same logic as "Conservatives and Labour were decimated by the LibDems in the local elections, so that means that the people are telling us to get on with it" line of thought

Admittedly, the number of SNP MPs was down on the unprecedented 56 that they'd got in 2015 - but despite Wee Ruthy trying to make the 2017 GE ( and the 2017 Scottish Parliament elections) a proxy for a (negative) Indyref vote, the Conservatives still failed to get a majority in Scotland.

And current polling suggests that Scotland will revert to the 56 x SNP in a GE - hardly an endoresment of Conservative (or Labour ) policies.

I got sidetracked looking for the story I knew to see if it was online (it is easily findable) and found this. Wonder how the Mail will spin him now?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6144909/How-Boris-Johnsons-wife-years-betrayal-calling-lawyers.html

'And if she were to feel a twinge of malicious pleasure in the public confirmation that Boris is an unreliable husband — and, ergo, possibly not entirely suited to the greatest office of Prime Minister — who could really blame her?'

Interesting piece here on the potential for Parliament to prevent a "no deal" Brexit should the new Prime Minister be committed to a "no deal" outcome.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/new-prime-minister-intent-no-deal-brexit-cant-be-stopped-mps-0

The Tories lost Trafford Council to Labour in the local elections. Not sure how safe Graham Brady's seat in Trafford is.

Exactly violet.

The problem is that Boris' infidelities make him a ledge-end amongst the pale male stale Tories that will support him. Remember, being a misogynist Tory isn't an oxymoron. It's a tautology.

For some men, yes. But Brexit is very much a male issue.

Kerr member of the ERG in a constituency that voted 67% remain responds to his constituents with the crap ‘will of the people’ line when pushed on actually representing his constituents. Won the last election with a majority of 148, I really hope he loses his seat. It should revert to SNP in the next election.

For some men, yes

The ones that get to vote, which is all that matters.

Lewis Goodall
‏*@lewis*_goodall

Just a reminder, if Boris Johnson does become prime minister he’ll have the most marginal seat (Uxbridge) of any prime minister or major party leader for generations.

SwedishEdith what do I need to type in google search to find the Boris story you are talking about ? I've just read a book called 'Anatomy of a Scandal' by Sarah Vaughan. It's a fiction novel about a scandal in Westminster, all about priviledge, cover ups, entitlement etc. It's a great summer read, though fact seems wierder than fiction at the moment.

Being a misogynist Tory isn't an oxymoron. It's a tautology.

Very good DGR.

It's true of Faragists too of course. The Tories need to split and merge into the Faragynists.

Chelmsford Council @ChelmsCouncil
European Election 2019, Eastern Region turnout - In the region, there was a total electorate of 4,407,975. There were 1,603,017 votes cast. This represents a turnout of 36.37%.

Nuneaton&BedworthBC @NBBCouncil
Local Euro election votes were verified last night - Borough turnout was 33.47% (similar to 2014's 34%).
The count is on Sun 26, with results expected during the evening #wmeuro19. Nuneaton & Bedworth, is one of 30 local authorities forming the West Mids region, electing 7 MEPs.

It will be interesting to see how Mays replacement manages to mess it up even more than she did. I know it's a tough task, but looking at the front runners (insert the Iron Duke quote here, if you want to smile to yourself) I have every confidence they can pull it off.

The biggest problem the incoming PM will have is not having a blank sheet to start with. Which may - or may not - prove to be the key here . Obviously they can't just carry on with Mays plan, and there isn't time - or the goodwill - to do anything about the WA.

If a no-deal Brexit can deliver gold shitting unicorns by 2022, the path is clear. If not, whoever does the no-deal dance will be leading the Tories into oblivion in 2022.

Funny, in all the excitement people are forgetting to post what Cameron has to say about this all. My guess is "nice wine".

Turqouise Big Arrow Party supporters should be called faragits

I hope Wales is down to a big turn out for Plaid Cymru. I think they give disaffected labour voters a natural home, something we don't have in England.
That might also explain why the NW vote is low - if remain leaning Labour voters stayed at home because they couldn't hold their nose for lib dem/green/chuk

Not sure if that's the case, whether it's good for remain or leave

Just seen this on as a reply on a friend's timeline....

Can't they just put Chris Grayling in charge - what's the worst that could happen?

for the avoidance of doubt, it was sarcastic

Don't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought

I heard anger in her tears, rather than sadness. She is indignant that it has come to this.

I also felt that her anecdote about Nicholas Winterton was deeply ironic. I suspect Winterton felt the need to press upon her the need for compromise as a warning, because she was patently failing to display any whatsoever. He was warning and chastising her, not congratulating her!

Robin Cantrill-Fenwick @RobinComms
Euro elections turnout figure for the North East has just been published - 32.7%

St Helens (58% Leave) turnout is 28.6%. Down 2.2% on 2014. Similar to Leigh, Makerfield and Wigan.