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.

This almost feels like a battle for the soul of the uk.

Almost?

(Right thread this time )

Cat might be relaxed - wish we could be as relaxed

Regal cat positioning - in the greenhouse which is helping me build my stockpile

Saw bits of the debate (as I couldn't thole watching it live) on the news reports this morning: watching BJ's body language, he is very definitely trying to model himself on Churchill

Get this:

Nick Eardley @nickeardleybbc
Boris Johnson on Kim Darroch:

"We should be protecting brilliant civil servants from that kind of publicity."

Asked why he was not more supportive of Sir Kim in last night's debate: “My view is that it is wrong to drag in civil servants in to the political arena.”

Jon Sopel @bbcjohnsopel
.@KimDarroch position was made virtually impossible by reaction of @realDonaldTrump

His position was made untenable by refusal of @BorisJohnson - and likely next prime minister - to give him his backing

By not backing Darroch, Johnson brought him into the political arena anyway. But gets to deny that he threw him under his bloody £350 million bus construction kit.

And here Nick Boles to sum it up neatly

Nick Boles MP@ NickBoles
The British people can now see that Boris Johnson will be Donald Trump’s poodle, that his response to any command from the White House will be: “How high, Mr President?”

All I can say is 'fuck'.

It totally and utterly stinks.

Red
I read that story about the dead infant this morning. It made me cry.
There was also a story about an illegal immigrant with terminal cancer being given bills for tens of thousands as he lay dying. No humanity

Where are the Leavers to complain about another country interfering in our affairs?

When Arla were bought out by a Canadian firm, the comments on Scott Manns FB from leavers were along the lines of "anyone but a european company"

Many see the Americans as our cousins, so have a right to interfere or as they'd see it "be concerned" in the UK's affairs.

Taking back control of our own sovereignty, ha bloody ha.

Trump is our Dear Leader now, and Ivanka Trump is discussing a Trade Deal with Fox.

Johnson is nearly there alright.

Matthew Honeycombe-Foster @ matt_hfoster
NEW: Boris Johnson tells Sky he "regrets" Kim Darroch resignation. Calls for whoever leaked his advice to be "run down, caught and eviscerated". Denies that he did not give Darroch his backing.

Spineless coward.

Well this is bloody depressing. Back to Germany this week and know the subject will come up. Don’t think my German is good enough to explain but I guess ‘it’s all shit’ sums it up.

www.thenational.scot/news/17761014.nicola-sturgeon-slams-uk-government-plan-rebrand-union/

THE UK Government has been urged to spend tens of millions of pounds on promoting Unionism amid fears Scotland could soon be independent.

At a meeting of Theresa May’s Cabinet, Tory ministers were warned they would need to implement a permanent “campaign mode” to convince Scots not to support a Yes vote, according to The Herald.

At an hour-long meeting of top UK Government ministers – dubbed the “Union Cabinet” – May insisted that the “Union had never been more important”.

The Cabinet was told a “permanent campaign focus” was required to maintain and strengthen the Union, which would necessitate tens of millions of pounds in spending, The Herald reported.

That will mean an increase on the share of UK Government spending on promoting the Union – which stands at just £100,000 out of a £440 million budget marketing.

One minister is also said to have raised fears that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would accept proposals for indyref2 in exchange for SNP backing at Westminster.

The prospect of Boris Johnson becoming prime minister is also reported to be causing alarm about a possible spike in support for independence,

especially if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31 as Johnson has pledged to do.

Both he and leadership rival Jeremy Hunt have said they will block a second independence referendum if they become prime minister.

It was pointed out to ministers the SNP administration spends £24 million annually on international relations even though this is a reserved matter for Westminster.

A Whitehall source told The Herald: “There was a general acceptance at Cabinet we have to move into campaign mode in terms of how we take forward our commitment to strengthen the Union.

“There was a recognition we must continue to make the case for the Union and it must be properly resourced.”

He added: “The Scottish Government is entirely focused on promoting the case for independence and the feeling is the UK Government has to think in the same way to promote the Union in terms of policy, spending money and communications.”

Last week during a visit to Scotland, May said the UK must work more "cleverly, creatively and coherently" to maintain it, agreeing with former prime minister Gordon Brown that it was under serious threat.

Her de facto deputy, David Lidington gave an even more stark warning, saying: “The Union is under more pressure than I've known previously in my lifetime.”

The SNP's Pete Wishart commented on reports of a huge Tory cash boost to combat indyref2 on Twitter.

"The Scottish Affairs Committee will have the Secretary of State for Scotland in front of it today. I’m pretty sure we will want to ask him about this," he tweeted.

source - The National

www.thenational.scot/news/17759560.independence-plan-b-receives-considerable-support-yes-voters/

A PLAN B to secure independence if the next Prime Minister continues to block a new referendum has widespread support among Yes supporters, according to a poll carried out by the politicians behind the proposal.

Angus MacNeil and Chris McEleny have submitted a motion to the SNP’s annual conference stating that if a vote on independence does not take place by autumn 2020 then a pro-independence majority of Scottish

seats achieved at the next election, whether it is Holyrood or Westminster, would be a mandate for negotiations between the Scottish and the UK Government to bring about independence.

The plan received significant attention when it was published in the Sunday National at the weekend and members of a SNP conference committee will consider whether it should appear on the provisional agenda for event.

After the Sunday National unveiled the plan, MacNeil, the SNP MP for the Western Isles, and McEleny, SNP group leader at Inverclyde Council, carried out a Twitter poll to gather the level of interest in the plan.

Some 82% of the people responding agreed that the proposal should be included in the agenda for debate at the SNP’s annual conference in October.

Nicola Sturgeon has signalled her intention to hold a second independence referendum in the second half of next year. Legislation is going through Holyrood setting out the rules of the vote,

but she has yet to request the necessary powers to hold a legally binding referendum.

MacNeil and McEleny came up with their alternative plan after long standing opposition by the Prime Minister Theresa May to agree to a new referendum.

Tory leadership hopefuls Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are also both opposed to a second independence vote and the temporary transfer of powers from Westminster to Holyrood under a Section 30 order.

MacNeil said: “Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are signalling that they will flat out refuse an independence referendum even though there is a democratic mandate to hold one.

“Scotland can’t accept a situation that we can’t ever determine our own future because all the UK Government has to do is keep saying no to a section 30 order."

McEleny added: “The feedback and poll shows that there’s considerable support for what we are proposing, I’m hopeful we are at least allowed to debate the merits of taking the initiative,

and our destiny back into our own hands. The Tories are already running scared of this plan as they know that their consistent, undemocratic opposition, to the mandate of the Scottish Government,

to give people in Scotland a choice about their future, is not sustainable.”

Johnson is hugely culpable in Darroch's premature career end.
It is such a bad sign. I hope TM appoints Sedwill asap.

Miserably, I'm off to the Jobcentre to claim Income Support. I made my claim by phone at the CAB earlier in the week. The CAB Manager was given such a runaround including the You.Gov site not listing any correct number, then when finally obtained, staff misdirecting, refusing to continue call etc. She had to repeatedly insist i was in a historically protected group (so i wont be put onto Universal Credit). She said it is all designed to make it as difficult and humiliating as possible (as this is for those in the long term severely disabled group). Now i have to go back into the JobCentre with various pieces of evidence.
Perhaps i should just go on Dantes panel game show?

I wonder if it cost Darroch some of his pension to resign early rather than complete his term

(apologies to bring in personal stuff, and such miserable stuff too)

I wonder if the government are at all aware just how much money they could save and how well they could protect the union simply by cancelling brexit? Brexit is destroying everything about the UK - they can't hope to solve any tangential problems whilst the great sucking black hole of doom keeps whirling around in the centre. Why can't they see that?
They cannot have the union and brexit. They have to choose: 2 unions for the price of 1, or little England all alone. Which do they actually want?

Re the Major proroguing vs the potential Johnson one, these really can't be compared in any way at all. It's like comparing oranges with house bricks, not even with apples.

This country may have had its ills in the Major administration, but we've plummeted to new depths here.

We need more people like him willing to stand up and be counted and just make some fucking noise about the shit show being unveiled.

I am quite sure that Darroch could have found an excuse to go early, without leaks.

Why would he have wanted to?

I can see why politicians would want to expedite his retirement but not why he would. He is already 65 and with 40+ years of service his civil service pension is long since maxed out.

Stripey .Been helping a 19 year old who was homeless recently. They were asked to provide documents they didn’t have access to as parents needed to provide and refused. Community Mental Health earned their money on that one and is now sorted but previously every phone call just resulted in a text to say would hear within 48 hours and nothing ever happened . I hope you get sorted very soon.

PostNotInHaste

We're off to Berlin to see DS next week and am already bracing myself for a wave of incredulity and exasperation from everyone (except DS's landlord, who's AfD and thinks Brexit is a great idea .

I shall of course take your advice and start every conversation with "Alles Scheisse" and then take it from there.

StripeyChina and following on from RTB and BCF comment on the withholding of the dead baby from its parents, I too felt the pain when I read about it on the red button news. And it was around this time I heard Matt Hancock being interviewed and saying whatever technological advances there were, we should not lose our essential humanity... Just when and how is he going to tackle that?

It's possible to charge for services without refusing to hand over their baby though. Jesus. Who made that decision?

He got thrown under a bus last night.

I think a lot of Leave voters and Boris Johnson fans will be disgusted with him last night.

The man has had to resign for doing his job, and by all accounts doing it well.

From bad, to worse, to even worse, to just when you thought it couldn't get any bloody worse, down again we go.

What an autumn this is going to be...

The perfect analogy for brexshit:

www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/10/siberian-maldives-are-actually-a-toxic-dump-instagrammers-warned

I wonder if the government are at all aware just how much money they could save

It's not - and was never - about the money. Like the bedroom tax. No one that matters is going to be worse off. Meanwhile, people will be taught their place which is invaluable if you're descended from a feudal mindset. Brexit is about slowly cleansing the collective mind of the UK of such foreign fripperies as justice and equality so we can all go back to a country where John Bull does what he's told.

I did smile at JRMs suggestion that we needed a law for hats to be doffed when speaking to politicians on TV.