Westminstenders: The Imperial March

[RedToothBrush]

There are many ways to enforce power indirectly using privilege. Jacob Rees Mogg knows every trick in the book and dresses it up as respectability rather than a subtle form or intimidation and deliberate exclusion.

It's not the stuff 'of the people'.

Meanwhile the newly crowned PM, is making rather a bug deal of how he is the man 'of the people', here to serve them and to deliver their will.

There's a big theme here about presenting as 'of the people' whilst simultaneously serving the interests of the elite and reestablishing its power over the people.

It's a theme that is set to run for some time, and is entrenched in Trumpism too.

This shift in power is particularly harmful to women it must be noted.

'Strong and stable' was 'weak and wobbly' and we should be mindful that in the era of reversed spin, what 'of the people' signifies.

We've long known about the authoritarianism at the heart of leaving thinking. It's only now that it's finally going to start stomping it's feet all over our freedoms and power.

The road back will be a long and hard one because we failed to spot the threat and the dangers of it.

It's a masterstroke of reversing Project Fear. You don't make vague threats about what happens if we Leave. You make peoples jobs explicitly dependant on Leaving - and backing that leaving.

The UKs membership of the EU is finished. One way or another we are leaving, and there is no returning. Certainly not as the UK. In that sense any energy going towards the notion of preventing Brexit, or reversing it will be a waste of time, and (although this is obviously the Bigger Picture) a diversion from the real agenda post Brexit. The elite that Leavers so badly wanted to give a kicking to are jangling the Keys to the Kingdom, and already planning on how best to redecorate.

@Myriade, that looks to me like a warning to N Irish politicians to stop fucking about and get themselves back to Stormont pronto. Given that the N Irish population is massively frustrated by the situation there, that could be seen as a very positive thing.

Or a warning to the DUP to do as they are told??

Or a warning to the DUP to do as they are told??

Boris doesn't need the DUP - he doesn't need anyone to ensure no deal happens. He's turned the tables. He told us he was going to do it. Now he's doing it. The great thing about a politician with a proven track record as liar, is when they do tell you - in excruciating deal - what they are planning, their opponents waste a lot of energy in discussing why they won't believe it.

Peter Foster@pmdfoster

Some key points from @instituteforgov 'no deal' legislation report

• can avoid passing key bills before Oct 31, but not for long

• Direct Rule in NI unavoidable

• No deal would consume government bandwidth /1

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/preparing-brexit-no-deal-final.pdf

After 'no deal'

• we lose access to all the EU trade deals

• other countries won't want to negotiate with us (til they know where we are on tariffs, permanently)

• 16,000 civil servants will be working on the shtshow by autumn (not doing schools/health etc) /2

*And as times goes by the mess will

- "preoccupy" civil service for "years to come"*

- risk the Union* (how long, I wonder before Ulster farmers take direct action against zero-tariff imports flooding in from Ireland)...then what?
And what price new Scottish indy ref? /3

The Institute for Government - or lack thereof - (wonder if they're considering renaming the place now?) 😂 is not a madcap organisation.
Pace @jillongovt@jl_owen

it revels in sobriety. It's the boring place.

Worth reading no deal prognosis...and asking, 'for what?'. ENDS

Scary stuff, BCF. Now why would Fatberg want to be the PM known forever as the one who caused that? This is why I think mistigri’s theory that he wants to be prevented from no dealing makes sense.

From Guardian briefing:

Downing Street lobby briefing - Summary

Here are the main points from the Downing Street lobby briefing.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman claimed that Boris Johnson was “confident” that the EU would agree to change the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Asked if he still thought that the chances of a no deal Brexit were still a million to one, the spokeswoman replied:

I think he has been clear that the backstop has to be abolished. He remains confident that the EU will stop claiming that the withdrawal agreement cannot be changed. But until that happens we must assume that there will be a no deal Brexit on 31 October.

The spokeswoman confirmed that Johnson does not want to meet EU leaders to discuss Brexit until they agree to abandon the backstop. Others in government have been implying as much for some says now (see 9.14am), but today Downing Street was more explicit about this than it has been in the past. The spokeswoman said:

The PM has been clear that he wants to meet EU leaders and negotiate, but not to sit down and be told that the EU cannot possibly reopen the withdrawal agreement. And that is the message that he has been giving to leaders when he has spoken to them on the telephone so far ...

The EU has said up to now it is not willing to renegotiate [the backstop] ... The prime minister would be happy to sit down with leaders when that position changes. But he is making it clear to everybody he speaks to that that needs to happen.

The spokeswoman defended Johnson’s decision to describe the backstop as “undemocratic”. Theresa May did not label it as such, but Johnson and his new ministers have repeatedly been referring to it as the “undemocratic backstop”. The spokeswoman said that this was a reference to “the challenge of leaving it”, but she said the prime minister had also complained about the way the backstop would keep the UK tied to customs union and single market rules.

The spokeswoman confirmed that the government is planning an extensive publicity campaign to prepare the public for a no deal Brexit. She said:

You can expect to see an ambitious, active public awareness campaign, backed by necessary funding, and that is to ensure that businesses and citizens have the information that they need to adequately prepare [for a no deal Brexit].

Full steam ahead with a Blame Brussels No Deal.

(how long, I wonder before Ulster farmers take direct action against zero-tariff imports flooding in from Ireland)...then what?

I can't imagine any reason ROI produce would 'flood in' any more than it does under the current zero-tariff regime. There's no financial benefit at all to the ROI producer in adding illegality to something they can currently do legally so why should it make their produce any more attractive to the NI/UK consumer?

Getting us all to take an oath would be, ahem, rather tricky @Myriade . It's not very British. It's not very "Civil service " and we are all unionised.

Sam Coates Sky
@SamCoatesSky
·
56m
Latest from No10 on Sky News now:

• No face-to-face talks with EU leaders until they agree to negotiate on Withdrawal Agreement. He will "not sit down and be told EU won't change WA"
• No10 confirm that Boris Johnson has not yet spoke to Leo Varadkar
• Daily committees start now

Fabulous.

Scary stuff, BCF. Now why would Fatberg want to be the PM known forever as the one who caused that?

Why not ? Especially when you are in power, you generally get to write your own press. Seems to be working for Boris so far.

He really does think the EU will blink, but he doesn't give a shit if they don't. It's not him that will get the blame.

People need to reboot their processing of what is happening. Stop using Old World paradigms and expectations, because Team Boris have. Get with the programme, citizen.

We have - what is is it ? 4 weeks ? - of the BBC pushing the proms and Union Jacks at us daily, over the news of how Boris is delivering Brexit. Hell, after 4 weeks of that, even I might be tearing up my Italian passport whilst weeping to Elgar.

Getting us all to take an oath would be, ahem, rather tricky @Myriade . It's not very British. It's not very "Civil service " and we are all unionised.

And ? We're here aren't we ? Watching very unBritish things daily, whilst feeling increasingly like strangers in our own country.

By all means, cry to your union as you protest - but you know exactly how the Mail, Express, Telegraph and BBC will report on it. You'll be vilified as standing in the way of Brexit - and we all know that's not allowed. I'm old enough to remember how Thatcher let Scargill destroy the NUM from within.

Anti hunt protesters are now terrorists ? (and there was a clever Google-fu for Boris to quietly airbrush his rival from the internet). Next stop, anti-Brexit protesters.

It's the will of the people, you see.

I'm also old enough to remember Scargill. There are too many civil servants to turn us all into drones. Sack us and get other people to do the difficult stuff for even shittier pay.

I'm also old enough to remember Scargill. There are too many civil servants to turn us all into drones. Sack us and get other people to do the difficult stuff for even shittier pay.

So what ? What in Boris conduct thus far makes anyone think that won't happen ? Or that if it did he and the cabinet of horrors would give a shit ?

It's hard not to conclude that Boris really believes he's Caesar - destined to rule. And that everything that has happened up to this point has simply been a preparation for what the Gods intended. Even if he were to be knifed on the steps of parliament, his successor will carry on the Imperial line. As title of the thread we are posting on suggests.

I wonder what historians will see as the crossing of the Rubicon, because the die has most certainly been cast.

I very much doubt Henry VIII set out to break with Rome and become a tyrant. But he did and he was. You could say the same of Boris ... I doubt he set out to Brexit and become a tyrant. But he has and he is. We are less than a week into the House of Johnson, and already discourse has changed beyond belief.

You only need the important ones. The ones who are working directly in preparing for No Deal. And the ones who will act as advisors during the (possible) négociations with the EU.
Someone pointed out before (was it one or two threads before?) that the EU had actually made some major concessions to the UK with the WA. I’m wondering how far they are ready to go to’save the situation’ aka protect Ireland and avoid what would be a political nightmare for them -a No Deal Brexit Britain on their doorsteps, complete with extreme right government at the back and call of the US (or is it Russia?)

The discourse is noise. Typical change of noise with a new PM. The shit still needs to get done. Our job is to do as instructed without fear or favour. If they want a functioning civil service, bullshit oaths are not the way to get it done. If you don't like what you are instructed to do, you leave.

I’m wondering who is actually behind Johnson. D Cummings?

If you don't like what you are instructed to do, you leave.
Sounds like an oath to me. Do as I say or you are out....

Nope. If you are a civil servant you are accustomed to all sorts of different political leaders. You don't need to make oaths. It's part of your job to keep politics out of it.

Thanks for the thread, Red!
I have to say slightly shamefully that I really enjoyed the clip of Boris being booed and having plastic balls lobbed at him

It's quite addictive to watch!

I see he has just now dropped the investigation into Mark Field's conduct. I suspect there are a long list of 'time wasting' actions they can sweep under the carpet and I suspect largely they will be ones against women.

Also - re the propaganda leaflets - any legal bods know if these can be held against those in power if later found to willfuly deceive? If they say there will be no shortage of food and are found to have known that there will be, for example, could a legal action be bought against them for endangering the health of the nation?

If they want a functioning civil service

And if they don't ? This is an elite that knows how precarious it's grip on power is. They aren't going to play nice or fair. In fact, they aren't going to play at all. Thanks to Farage, and a parade of Leavers backed into a course of action they now believe is a birthright, it's all out war on any dissent. They haven't played by the rules so far, and have no intention of starting now.

Arthur C. Clarke once pointed out (when HAL had it's breakdown) that it's possible to design accidentproof systems But it's also impossible to design systems proof against malice.

Leavers have had it far too easy on these forums - I'm trying to balance their sunny upland gold shitting unicorn guff with some contrary doom mongering. Or as historians will call it "tame predictions".

Nope. If you are a civil servant you are accustomed to all sorts of different political leaders. You don't need to make oaths. It's part of your job to keep politics out of it.

That was 2018 - a generation ago. The times they are a changin.

Also - re the propaganda leaflets - any legal bods know if these can be held against those in power if later found to willfuly deceive? If they say there will be no shortage of food and are found to have known that there will be, for example, could a legal action be bought against them for endangering the health of the nation?

By then it will be too too late.

Agree with a lot of what you say about the changed landscape DGR

A couple of Mark Wallace articles to give the view from the other side.

The first follows up on weekend polling. Outlines how the 4 way tussle could be more accurately framed as a race to secure your high ground and avoid a battle on 2 fronts.

www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2019/07/the-boris-bounce-where-are-the-votes-coming-from-and-where-might-more-be-available.html

The second gives a brief perspective on what Government can get on with without Parliament. Somewhat shocking just how paralysed TM's tenure was in this context.

www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2019/07/changing-prime-minister-turns-out-to-change-quite-a-lot.html