Westminstenders: It couldn't get any worse... Until today

[RedToothBrush]

We are trapped in the tailspin of the end of the UK. Firmly headed downward and getting more and more frenzied and desperate.

Even the most sensible of types like David Allen Green have finally noticed that Brexit isn't about leaving the EU it's about the frenzied and wilful destruction of our state instutions and structure. The collapse of the civil service, of our justice system, our democratic institutions and social order. All in the name of rule Britannia, a warped sense of taking back control to preserve an ideal that never existed and an idea of sovereignity that simply was a fantasy.

We move ever closer to Johnson becoming Prime Minister and a life under President Trump.

Joy.

Ode to Joy really isn't that bad.

@BCF, I would actually pay good money to see that scenario.
BJ: "ditch the backstop or we will just leave!!!"
EU negotiators: "That's your choice. We have been preparing for No-Deal for three years."
BJ: "I really mean it"
EU: "So do we."

Strange that Uk did not just bail out three years ago. What's the problem here folks?

Smoke and mirrors and a dodgy haircut now though.

And yes I know all about the WA and Backstop and No Deal and Parliament rejecting everything put before them.

But why is it still going on? Will Parliament just say NO, to a no deal again?

Honestly what are J and H basing their absolute No Deal exit on?

Oh it must be proroguing. That's it. I am sure that is going to be accepted without question. Hmmn.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

The official EU line has been to expect a 'no deal' for some time now. Of course not all will have prepared enough and it will be a mess, but those that really need to know and prepare will be on the case.
The complete shitshow has been playing out for best part of 2 years, it is obvious to any strategist that the UK gov has no fucking clue what it is doing.

Saw this on Facebook earlier. It shows that Boris really does say what he thinks he should say; nothing to do with conviction of belief.

Re : food standards, having. Lived in NYC I would say don't presume if we go the way of a USA food deal things will stay the same. I found it shocking how hard it was to find good quality meat - that you knew was good quality. And that is in a very affluent market place. And it was so expensive- way more expensive than here.
So yes - you will be able to find it, the change won't be instantaneous, but to find meat that you can make an informed choice about, will become difficult, and will become more and more expensive. The flooding of the market of cheap, poor quality food tends to drown out the better producers (supermarkets freed from "rules" by the cheaper, poorer quality product, but charge the consumer the same amount...)

I haven't kept up with the threads enough lately. From what I gather from the news no deal is highly likely in October? Is it hard to predict anything else until we know who the PM is?

Hope the news a few weeks ago that gov hasn't yet considered the impact of no deal on disabled people made a stint on the threads. It was in the news for a day or two then . Didnt get any coverage on the daytime tv we watch. The turn over for gov failures is so high these days no one seems particularly surprised or bothered.

(DP still alive and kicking btw but we are still in middle of hospital stuff with a dash of under funding and a hefty drizzle of lack of expertise. Like a shocking lack of expertise... stay well!)

No Deal will not happen.

It is a leader election thinggy to keep the blue rinses onside, and keep BP away.

Once in, whichever candidate wins will just go with another extension.

To do otherwise is Treason IMV. And if they don't know it, they are complete morons.

They might be a big fish in a big pond now, but they will be minnows otherwise, fishing around for anyone who takes them seriously. Well Trump might, for his own ends though. Watch this space.

Brexit without a deal will not happen. Well I sincerely hope not. I doubt anyone apart from Brexit Cultist want it either. The new religion indeed.

One might have expected that a much lower Sterling would help our trade
BUT

ONS (Office for National Statistics): UK Trade to May 2019

Double whammy: Goods deficit increasing and services surplus reducing
Probably because foreign customers - both EU and RoW - have been cutting out UK suppliers, even before Brexit

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/bulletins/uktrade/may2019

The total trade deficit widened £20.6 billion to £46.2 billion in the 12 months to May 2019,
due mainly to the trade in goods deficit, which widened £15.7 billion to £153.5 billion;
the services surplus narrowed by a lesser £4.9 billion to £107.3 billion.

But did America ever have the standards we have now? There is a difference if it didn't.

outsomnia "if they don't know it, they are complete morons. "

They are complete morons.

" I doubt anyone apart from Brexit Cultist want it either."

They are the ones in charge

ABC

@BigChocFrenzy

The Cultists of Brexit are in charge because there is zero opposition. Surely there has to be SOMEONE in Labour who just says "enough" Jeremy, get with the program of opposition here.

But I blame the Labour MPs who have half a brain and are not brainwashed by Momentum. Where are they? Come on now, out of your cave please and try to help us stop this mayhem. I do realise some are trying, but it is not enough.

It is no wonder this ridiculous crap is ongoing. There is no one to oppose it.

Sad times.

Once in, whichever candidate wins will just go with another extension.

Not a chance.....He’s in way too deep for that.... If Johnson brazenly u-turned away from a “do or die” exit by Halloween and somehow persuaded the EU to give him an extension, he’d quickly face either a GE (from disgruntled Brexit Ultras bringing down the Government) or be forced out in another Leadership election in amidst the complete implosion of the Tory Party.

I think most people would be relieved if there is another extension to be perfectly honest.

Puts off the reality of the shitstorm that is NO DEAL Brexit.

I doubt it will happen. Well if it does, the only grinning donkeys will be Trump and Putin anyway. They are probably running the Brexit show in the background anyway, for their own ends.

Think about it. Really think about it.

UK Poodles come to mind. But I hope that common sense will prevail.

The Cultists of Brexit are in charge because there is zero opposition. Surely there has to be SOMEONE in Labour who just says "enough" Jeremy, get with the program of opposition here.

As much as I dislike Corbyn, he’s damned whatever he does. Ironically, Labour’s (slight) movement towards Remain has made “no deal”
more likely, as it’s own Brexit ultras appear to have lost faith that Labour will carry through its manifesto pledge to deliver Brexit and are now less likely to support a VONC and thereby offset any Tory Remainer rebels..... Whereas the other day I thought 3 or 4 Tory rebels would be enough, its possibly more like a dozen needed.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/labour-mps-back-no-deal-brexit_uk_5d2ded3ce4b02fd71ddb072f/

I haven't kept up with the threads enough lately. From what I gather from the news no deal is highly likely in October? Is it hard to predict anything else until we know who the PM is?

I really don't think a lot has happened in the last weeks. Whenever I've looked it's seemed to be a rehash of everything we said 2 years ago and it's just going round and round with no progress.

Part of this has been on the UK side with the leadership contest, but there's also been the changing of the guard in Brussels.

I think until Tuesday it's all going to be more of the same, before we hit full on Johnson.

I think my gut atm is that moves by Amber Rudd amongst others mean that Johnson will survive the first 72 hours.

But for now I'm just enjoying the quiet before the storm whilst I unpack boxes and live somewhere between IKEA and B&Q.

The trade remedies problem: Brexit no-deal plan in disarray

https://politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/07/16/the-trade-remedy-problem-brexit-no-deal-plan-in-disarray

All the little Brexit Gremlins are in the bits too boring to think about.

red

Rimmer was always a Hologram
Apart from in season 8. I'm still not sure whether Season 9 onward Rimmer is the Rimmer from Season 8 who died somehow, off screen - or if he is the old Rimmer, back from being Ace Rimmer (in which case - what happened to alive Rimmer?).

(except for when Chris Barrie was Gordon Brittas at Ringwood leisure centre)

Now Gordon Brittas - there was a man who loved the EU. He would be so heartbroken if he could see what was happening today.

I'm appalled by those Labour MPs who are prepared to support No Deal. I'd have a bit more sympathy with them if they'd actually voted for the WA, but MPs like Emma Lewell Buck and Sarah Champion voted against every time, I think.

Sarah Champion was claiming today that she'd voted against because the WA didn't protect workers' rights and wasn't close enough to the mythical Labour 'jobs friendly' Brexit. So how can she countenance voting for the most extreme type of Brexit, that will doubtless have a much more damaging effect on her Rotherham constituents?

I assume that she's just worried about losing her seat, but wouldn't she be kicked out of the Labour party if she voted with the government in a VONC?

I don't think the numbers will be there to stop this. I think too many Tories will leave it too late, and a few Labour rebels will be enough to ensure a VONC fails. We so desperately need a decent Opposition. Isn't there any way to get rid of Corbyn?

Corbyn already lost his own VoNC and refused to fuck off. Labour really needs to sort out how it gets rid of unwanted leaders, as there's clearly no robust mechanism for doing so.

I don't know. You'd think somebody, somewhere, would be trying to get rid of him because this utter lack of opposition and direction is destroying the party. And I can't understand why they're all just blindly carrying on as if everything is fine! It's baffling.

Parliament compelled TM to ask for an extension last time, didn't it? I wonder what, if any, tricks they'll pull this time. Perhaps a re-hash of the Cherry amendment, but proposed by somebody who isn't Scottish.

We just need to finally get the new PM in place and see what happens. (And I still think that with Boris anything could happen.)

imo, May wanted & expected the excuse to ask for an extension.
At the very least, she had no objection to it

V different if a PM doesn't want an extension

BJ can possibly be forced to request one, but cannot be prevented from sabotaging it,
e.g. by insults and threats to disrupt all EU business

All depends on whether he actually wants an excuse to extend

• the ERG are well aware he can sabotage / block a request if he wants, so they would get on his case with dire warnings

I'm not entirely sure that Boris is controllable! Whatever impression he's giving to the ERG and others that he may be, I would think is entirely false.

Boris will do what Boris wants.

I'm still not sure what on earth is going to happen actually. Simply because Boris is so unpredictable and has definitely been lying to get votes.

This would be fascinating from afar. Not so much from within!

I’m going on the march on Saturday pretzels, with several family members. Some are coaching it from 200 miles away. The meeting point is Park Lane.

Got to keep up the resistance.

www.marchforchange.uk/march_route