Westminstenders: Long live liberalism

[RedToothBrush]

Talk of its demise are premature.

(Sorry up to eyeballs this weekend)

Or land of confusion perhaps?

A bit surprised the cut and paste queen hasn't been on to crow about BMW saving the UK by the announcement to make electric minis in the UK. It is certainly good news as there will be some continuity for the workers in the UK. The new drivechain parts will be coming from Germany so that means JiT needs to be maintained or at least managed. Whether there will be many sales in the UK could be interesting, depending how far the economy falls.

Looks like Rossettis curse strikes again ... Ross Perot has passed away aged 89. Funny how from here he looks positively hippyish.

I'd be curious what pushing the two north poles of the Brexiteer magnet closer and closer might bring ? In this case, suggesting that a US-fawning Boris-led UK might follow (some) US lead and legalise cannabis ....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48921265

Teenagers are less likely to use cannabis in places where the drug has been legalised, a new study suggests.

(contd)

Anyone keeping a tame Brexiteer in the garden fancy trying the experiment ? For various reasons I don't get out that much ....

My own (admittedly supported by no research whatsoever) preference on drugs policy would be to admit that, sadly, the "war on drugs" has failed.

I'd absolutely love it to be otherwise and to have the most punitive regime possible for the possession with intent to supply of illegal drugs in an environment where certain "recreational" drugs (alcohol and tobacco) are legal and other things are not, but realistically it won't work, the pull of the "illicit" is too strong, IMO.

In response, my policy would be to legalise virtually everything and have it provided via a dispensary to paying customers.

The exception to this would be cannabis. I would provide medical cannabis via the dispensary route but not "weed". "Weed" would remain illegal in all circumstances. My reasoning is that if people are tempted by the "illicit" then the temptation should harnessed to incentivise them to consume a drug that is less harmful than are many alternatives.

Where I'd get tough is on what people do under the influence of drugs. Therefore the presence of drugs, even if obtained legally in someone's system should be treated as a most serious aggravating factor in any instance of alleged offending. e.g. driving whilst under the influence of drugs should carry massively harsh penalties.

Thank you CrunchyCarrot.

{Where I'd get tough is on what people do under the influence of drugs. Therefore the presence of drugs, even if obtained legally in someone's system should be treated as a most serious aggravating factor in any instance of alleged offending}
Absolutely.

I have a definition of the amount found on a person being it recreational or dealing would be to lock said person up for say 7 days and force them to consume all of what they are found with. A weekend fun bag, would make then pretty sick. A dealer quantity would presumably kill them.

I wasn't asking what people wanted - after all no one gives a toss anyway.

I asked what people's views would be if as part of the Brexit bonanza, we get all the other US goodiness that the evil EU has been staving us of. Cannabis legalisation being one facet. I imagine there's probably a working party of light arms manufacturers looking at how to get the English to discover a love of guns, so the untapped UK home pistol market can be exploited to the max. After all Branson has licensed the Virgin brand for the "Virgin Protector .22" updated Saturday Night Special for the single girl about town for use in the UK.

A dealer quantity would presumably kill them.

What ? Of cannabis ? You do realise the LD50 is measured in tonnes ?

Safest way to kill someone with cannabis is drop a crate of it on them.

99 MPs voted to RETAIN the abortion laws in NI. 326 voted to get rid.

Correction 332 voted to reform the abortion law in NI.

Including 2 SNP and 5 Labour MPs.

Lisa Cameron and Peter Grant for the SNP

Rosie Cooper, Helen Jones, Mike Lane, Rachael Maskell and Stephen Pound for Labour.

The current head of WTO says that Johnson is wrong and that the UK won't be able to use GATT Article 24 to avoid tariffs in the event of a No Deal Brexit, because both sides have to have agreed a deal, in which case Article 24 operates during the implementation phase.

Colour me surprised

Mark Carney has already pointed this out . The previous head of WTO said it . But will Johnson, the ERG and other Brexiters actually listen

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-business-wto-gatt-24-article-eu-trade-leave-a8996001.html

Stewart McDonald (my SNP MP) also voted in favour of abortion and equal marriage rights in NI, according to his timeline in FB.

I don’t like Westminster interfering in devolved administrations, I wish it could be settled in the Assembly, but I couldn’t look constituents or someone from Northern Ireland in the eye if I hadn't voted for equal marriage and abortion rights. I voted for both today - they passed! See my speech from earlier here:

But will Johnson, the ERG and other Brexiters actually listen

They know already. The question is will their worshippers listen. Or will they now call the WTO traitors and the like ?

Unfortunately, a good point and too true DGR

Which is why it's a waste of time and energy pandering to extreme leavers from a POV of logic. Really you need to do it US-stylee with a Big Stick.

Phew. Narrow victory.
However, 293 MPs voted not just for No Deal, but for Parliament to be powerless to prevent it

Not published yet who the 293 were and if they included any Labour MPs

Tom Newton Dunn@tnewtondunn

By just 1 vote, Commons decides to forbid Boris Johnson by law from proroguing Parliament to ensure Brexit happens on October 31.

Such is history decided, sometimes by the thinnest of margins
.....
Labour Whips@labourwhips

Victory. 294 to 293, majority of 1.

Anyone else subjecting themselves to the leadership debate?

ITV debate between Hunt and Johnson just started. I feel like drinking a shot every time Hunt says 'entrepreneur'.

Given that I only managed about thirty seconds two minutes max of Tim Fucking Martin going on about how "No tariffs would be wonderful for his business the British economy" on last night's Panorama when I turned over to see how it was going, then No , for the sake of my blood pressure, I'm not going to watch the meaningless debate given that only a tiny, select few get to vote for them

Boris looks old. Hunt doing better than I expected.

Meant to say: I actually agree with Louise28 about drug laws (thought I should celebrate the rare occasion where we agree ). By criminalising drugs, we've given far too much power (as well as the ability to make money) to the drug lords, who always keep themselves at one remove and leave the middle men and lower echelons to take the rap - as well as getting their claws into the vulnerable to ramp up their drug abuse.

And I agree about increasing the sanctions for being "under the influence" when in positions of responsibility (including driving and operating machinery) - and that includes alcohol as well as drugs. Scotland has already reduced the allowable level of alcohol, which has made people far more aware of drinking and driving - especially the morning after

I can't find any online news reporting the prorogue vote. There's a fair amount of reporting on the debate though.

Mark Carney has already pointed this out grin. The previous head of WTO said it grin. But will Johnson, the ERG and other Brexiters actually listen hmm

Well, Hunt just brought up Johnson’s misrepresentation of what we can do under Article 24 and was pretty much met with fingers in the ears and ‘lalala I can’t hear you’.

I don’t think I can watch this.