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.

I've voted LD and as a feminist I now have nasty taste in my mouth but brexit is too important and they support a PV so pass the mouthwash.

I don't have any particular feeling of impending doom with regard to this election. We're already in the shit in every way that matters. These election results are simply going to be about what quantity of shit we're wallowing in.

Gavin Esler the journalist? Ah yes I see he's standing for Change UK, oh dear.

Surely a second referendum that resulted in Remain winning would take the wind out of the SNPs sails a little? em no...because we wanted to remain. So it actually seals it even more in the SNPs favour.
Patronising "little" there

I asked my colleague if he was voting. God he sneered and said no, he doesn't care. He is retiring in 6 years and won't be in this country. We can sink ourselves he said.

He wants to retire and live in Turkey
He is English working here and living here on Scotland with 3 kids. One if which isn't in school yet. So I highly doubt he'll be going to Turkey anytime soon! Idiot.

Motheroffourdragons

You misunderstand.
The EU have said the WA WILL be signed before they open any negotiations. You can argue, kick and scream as much as you like but the EU is in charge and what they say 'goes'. Although the EU would LIKE the UK to stay as a member of the EU it does not NEED it.
Theresa signed away the UK's bargaining position when she instigated A50, over 2 years ago.
You are still thinking in terms of 'UK exceptionalism', The UK is not that special whatever delusions some have.

Captianbrickbeard - Yorks & Humber here too - I am voting Lib Dem , as will be DH and both DD's .

Beth Rigby
‏*@BethRigby*
What next?

• No 10 talks go on as to whether to publish WAB on Fri
• Senior sources tell me big push to stop in from some in cabinet because a) Numbers not there

b) It would constrain future leader because they can’t bring forward Brexit legislation without a Queens Speech 😱

And what if May does try to publish WAB?

• Leadsom went over top y’day after May went further on 2nd ref than was agreed in cabinet. But others VERY unhappy too.
• Hunt/Mundell/Javid want meetings. I know of others privately furious. So... more resignations if she presses on?

It’s over. The WAB won’t pass. Any attempt to bring it back will trigger open revolt in cabinet & spark a bloody coup. May meets Brady tmrw after which we’ll find out if she’ll surrender or wait to be taken out. My cabinet sources want her to do the former for the sake of party

NEW: Hearing that there will be NO WAB the first week back. So... no vote June 7.... ‘another broken PM promise’ how my source puts it.

The WA is the legal position on HOW the various laws and treaties will be separated. It is probable that the UK may wish to retain some of the treaties/laws so their sections may not ultimately be implemented, this is what will be discussed in the PD.
It may be that following the signing of the WA that the UK decides that it only wants to implement half of the changes that are covered in the WA. I believe that would be possible and is represented by Mr Barniers 'staircase' chart.

My brother, visiting from the NW, says Leave country all around him (Preston).

@red Farage getting more 18-24 voters than the Tories - " 10% of the vote in that age group compared to 6 or 7%."

Could that simply be because atm his % vote total in the country is 2-3 x that of the Tories ?
Proportionately, the % of his own votes that are in that age group could be even lower than the Tories

Well I've been and voted lib dem. I was still swithering between lib dems and greens in the voting booth so I hope I've done the right thing.

I think TM will have to resign tomorrow. If Labour do badly then JC should resign too but somehow I doubt he will.

Hearing reports of EU citizens being turned away, because despite their handing in their forms on time, they weren't processed. I don't know what they can do in that circumstance - take some sort of legal action?

Am SE & have just voted Lib Dem.

Polls very quiet & returning officer said that at present rate the turnout will be about 16%.

I COULD SCREAM but am going to go & do some soothing gardening.

When I was temporarily disenfranchised because we became two voters with the same name at the same address, I kicked up an almighty stink, and made 100% sure that I was restored to the register. You really have to be on the ball. If you get your forms in, in time for whatever, you then need to chase up until you are satisfied with the response.

It's a bit like how people were in queues for votes at a previous GE and couldn't get through the door, so were denied the vote. So now the law has changed and all those queuing up to the 10pm deadline get the chance to vote - either they are all invited in to the polling station, if there is room, or if not, a poll clerk is sent out as a back marker to say that all these people were here before 10.

The Withdrawal Agreement (WA): this covers the 'divorce' bill, rights of EU citizens in the UK, GFA Northern Ireland border with the EU. This HAS to be signed before any further talks about trade etc. THE EU have said (repeatedly) that this part will NOT be renegotiated. Not a comma, full stop or semi-colon. It is a legal treaty and can't be changed by successive governments. If we crash out without a deal when we go to ask for a deal later this is the first thing on the table and has to be signed.

The Political Declaration - this can be re-negotiated depending on CU, SM, Barnier's steps as seen in the power point. It is non-binding and indicates the way forward.

The Withdrawal Act Implementation Bill (WAIB) - all the laws the the HoC has to change to take account of leaving the EU. Entirely within the purview of the HoC.

This is my understanding of the 3 parts of the agreement - happy to be corrected if wrong.

I My brother, visiting from the NW, says Leave country all around him (Preston)^

I’m very near Preston (Fylde coast). I’m pretty sure the whole of Lancashire voted Leave

Based on dh’s cousins Facebook posts immigration is still the main reason. Shes shared a YouTube video of migrants smashing up flower pots in European cities. Apparently we need to leave the EU before they come over here.
I greatly disliked this cousin before the referendum, nothing she does makes me like her any more.

well done Pergrina.

I'm seeing reports on Twitter about disenfranchisement of those living over the channel. It was obvious this was going to happen, they allowed so little time to get the ballots to people.

So sad to read of the death of the wonderful Judith Kerr. She understood the threat of fascism more than any of us can.

Stripey I’m so sorry to hear about your ldog 💐

Someone said recently, sorry can’t remember who, that if we have a GE Farage won’t be able to stand as he will be an MEP. He’s number 1 candidate for SE.
Is there any way he’ll be able to get round that, assuming we haven’t left the eu before the next GE?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit_withdrawal_agreement
a brief explanation of the WA/PD etc.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/withdrawal-agreement-and-political-declaration in all its technical glory

Sorry to hear about your DDog, Stripey.

I'm on a bit of the coast which voted to remain. Marginally. We used to be Lancs but aren't now.

If TM's successor has taken us out of the EU he won't be an MEP though.

I’m pretty sure the whole of Lancashire voted Leave

I have family in Lancashire so know at least three people voted remain. Few and far between though. I'm near Liverpool and my area was pretty mixed but just about remain. Most people I've spoken to are either Turquoise party or struggling to decide. Personally, I've never felt so unsure of how to vote at this stage.

@woodpigeons . No. He can't get around it. The PM has to be an MP. At most, a member of the House of Lords can be in the Cabinet - Lord Adonis, Lord Carrington - But they have to be a member of the House of Lords.