Westminstenders: Drain The Swamp

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson lost his first vote by 27.

The Commons take control again, and Johnson is now, with his majority gone, is seeking an election.

Whilst the feeling might be one of victory there is a definite sting in the tail.

Johnson has purged the party of 'trouble makers', meaning any replacements after an election are hard liners. And they will be in safe seats. Possibly many of which will be careerists parachuted in.

The party has split. The civil war is over.

Parliament has just lost some of its very best minds in the process. That bodes ill for us all in the long term. The polarisation has just jacked up a level. The centre has fallen even more.

There are no more moderates.

Polling suggests that Johnson won't be blamed for any of this and that's significant.

Take note of this tweet

Douglas Carswell @Douglascarswell
Boris Vs the political Parasites. Guess who wins across suburban Britain?

The optics are not about what you or I are seeing. Nor about what any of the politicial pundits are seeing.

The Democrats and the Media failed to see Trump coming... And this is what now concerns me. His optics are not bad with his core and targets.

Will Johnson be able to have his election?

If yes, I fear the polls look good for Johnson. People want 'Brexit over with' and don't want another extension. They may or may not understand the ramifications of that.

If no, then what? Johnson can do anything with his numbers. Does that mean potentially two governments and the Queen stuck in the middle? Or does he limp on, with no intention of doing anything but take us over the cliff by counting down the clock?

Or something else?

The Brexit Party and Conservatives now seem to have formally united one way or another. They have aligned with current politics alike the divided Opposition parties.

Tonight the penny might have dropped with a few Labour MPs too. They want May's deal to return. Its the only deal there is, in the absence of a Johnson plan and a Labour / Opposition plan. Too little too late...

This isn't going away as an issue either. Stoking up anger against the rebel alliance is a long term project for the fascist right.

Is tonight’s result a victory? Yes, but my fear is its potential to be a Pyrrhic Victory.

The battle today may have been won, but Johnson still looks set to win...

I think you're right about the geographic distribution of visible poverty, Red. And it's effects.

I really do think, now, that there is quite a massive chasm between the experiences of different areas of the UK. And that will drive voting.

And it leads me to feel I no longer could predict anything, based on a general 'sounding'.

And I also agree with you about the issue with anything about a 'Leave' Deal, WA or otherwise. I think you're spot on. The terms have radically changed.

Indeed, I think if you truly want a soft Brexit, or any sort of opportunity for compromise, you need to pray for a labour-led government - because it will not be happening in a Conservative government now. It just won't. That ship has sailed. The WA - at the moment - just puts the disembowelled-of-moderated, Right-wing radicals in charge of negotiating final terms.

Remember, a fall-back Johnson plan was to bring back a re-wrapped WA and then use that to press on with plans.

And that leads us back to where we are, which is very, very stuck.

I genuinely can't see a way out of this. It's extremely worrying.

I mean, ideally - if your aim is stopping this Brexit - you would want a Labour-led government, reliant on Lib Dem support, to push through either a 're-investigation' of the question of Brexit & it's surrounding legalities (super-ideally with A50 'temporarily' revoked whilst investigations take place) or the softest of Brexits.

But, you know, we may well be past that now.

And, 'yes' to the posters talking about the violence and abusiveness of right-wing Leavers on the streets.

I have quite some thoughts on that. But, increasingly, the ones I encounter are scary. Racists who have been emboldened. It's grim beyond belief. And hate crimes have increased. I think the statistic is 350% since the referendum.

Anyway I must get on and get to the supermarket (oh the glamour) so I can be back in time for PMQs...

My main thought, though, which I keep circling, is that your prediction of a deeply, deeply, frighteningly riven country - even more than we see now - is coming to pass, Red.

We must resist this. We must.

The future is too precious to lose.

Soap - Gave Billy Crystal his big break and featured an openly gay relationship on syndicated TV in the US in the 70s !!!!! One of the rebuttals to the accusation the Americans don't get fast, subtle and nuanced comedy.

Also span off a series with a lead black character who was waaaaaaaaaay smarter than the white folks (Benson). With the incomparale Robert Guilliame. Again late 70s - early 80s.

I agree, those supporting fascism must have a darkness in them to do so

Yep. They are pure evil.

Aspirational ...

And also not to forget that if you have the money you are exempt from the social care crisis. I couldn’t help but compare the staffing in the care home that my FIL was lucky enough to be able to pay for with the Orthopaedic ward. The Nurses were brilliant but run ragged just trying to deliver basic medical care never mind the needs of the dementia patients for constant reassurance and help with eating, incontinence etc. Where FIL and his little gang had constant help and were content and stimulated, and indeed nursed to a peaceful end as the dementia took its inevitable course, these old ladies were left distressed to cry, shout, wet themselves in the middle of the floor and even undress in full view of everyone. It isn’t the fault of the nurses, or indeed the old ladies (witnessed just the one old man who wondered in to try and sexually assault the patients ), the system was just not set up to meet those needs. It really has been an eye opener.

David Allen Green@davidallengreen
Understand some in Number 10 are affecting that being freed from a "fake majority" is liberating

Barking mad

I have to say before I go that David Allen Greens timeline since last night is the biggest example of 'the Liberal elite not getting it' that I've seen.

He has been right on a lot of things but his political blind spots on last night and its effects are massive. He's just seeing the legal side and optics from someone who believes in and cares about constitutional issues. He doesn't get the political optics of it all from the view of someone who doesn't care about them.

Those constitutional things are being smashed to pieces by politics. Green hasn't fully comprehended or caught up with this yet.

I find it fascinating to see.

There really is two worlds and two languages in our country atm. And they aren't communicating with each other.

Best outcome for court case I can see is for Judge to say yes it is wrong Government have behaved appalling but there is nothing legally I can do. Over to you people you need to revenge at the election box.

Highlights bad behaviour but nips whole enemies of the people schtick in the bud.

Westminster was heaving with protestors last night; that's not on BBC Haw haw either.

Scared MPs got solace and confidence from them to do the right thing

Many MPs have come over and told the handful of pro EU protestors outside HOC these last 3 years how comforting a presence they provide.

Like the Nazis of the 1930s, this Nazi front bench could have been stopped.

3 years ago.

If thick, lazy, entitled oafs had got off their arses to protest then.

Too late now.

Labour looks to be squandering this victory yet again; agreeing to an election which will sweep in the Nazi party, before the EU has had a chance to give a view on an extension request.

Morons.

When Ken CLarke and Nicholas Soames (Churchill's grandson) have the whip removed and are called traitors! you really do have to wonder just how far right the Tories and indeed the UK has become.

I think we are heading for even more extreme policies, from a COn Bxp govt, so leaving the ECHR, no healthcare for non british citizens, deportations and internment for people who don't support the tory line.

I used to think DGR was a bit over the top at times but i don't feel that optimistic right now.

You know, we all need to pause for a minute - and reflect on the fact we are having to discuss fascism.

We are so, so far from 'normal' in the UK.

It's happened.

We are now, right now, travelling an incredibly dark road.

Were she over 60 they would not have gone that extra mile.

That's exactly what nearly happened to my mum back in 2007. She was 66 when she had her accident (shattered her pelvis as well as her front-temporal head injury). An accident that happened falling of her bike while she was on a cycling holiday in India My dad had to fight to get her into the Rehab Unit because she was over 65 "too old" Once she was in there, she did start making a good recovery (it was just bad luck that she was one of that small proportion of people for whom the healing process doesn't stop and instead after a period in her case 2 years becomes destructive ).

To be fair on the Scottish Government, my dad was later part of a delegation led by Headway who presented to the Health Select Committee and they've supposedly changed that policy, so that they look at the person, not the age.

There really is two worlds and two languages in our country atm

That's what reductive computer algorithms want you to believe.

?

It is the populism playbook isn’t it? That ordinary people when faced with a detailed plan will always prefer to respond to the politician that says “It is all the fault of....Mexicans /the EU /Remainers/ immigrants ... add or delete as required. They may be kind people when they are confronted with real people and real situations but still be vulnerable to their emotions being mobilised against a perceived enemy. I certainly see that in the Leavers I know, had an exchange last night, to be fair alcohol was involved, where the rhetoric was all “I have just had enough of the EU” “They are all C*Ts” . “Bojo will sort it all out” These are not Tommy Robinson types, they are nice middle class villagers but have been completely wound up to a vitriolic hatred of the EU and parliament.

pmk

I am absolutely terrified that a GE will deliver the UK to the Far Right.

It's beyond late in the day.

I think people have to vote tactically - for whichever, any candidate, that stands the best chance of keeping the Extreme Right out.

You have to be like the Conservative rebels now, and just do it.

Even if it means temporarily ditching some dearly- held beliefs.

And the organisation needs to come from you - because the main parties are still trying to game this.

They will give no help.

It really has come to this.

Everyone, everyone, has to do something, however small. The stakes are too high.

I think we are heading for even more extreme policies, from a COn Bxp govt, so leaving the ECHR, no healthcare for non british citizens, deportations and internment for people who don't support the tory line. I used to think DGR was a bit over the top at times but i don't feel that optimistic right now.

I've perked up a touch

Currently we don't have a BXP-Con government. We don't have any government to speak of. There's blood in the water though ... we'll have to see how the Boris bounce finally settles. But I'm guessing there are a lot of people who had their hopes built up so high, that yesterday can never be undone.

Be curious to see how the rest of the world picks up on it, and how it translates back to ToryHQ. But if I were a Tory right now, I would be keeping it very quiet. Alternatively if I had a stack of cash to invest, I'm not so sure JRM would be my first choice for a safe return.

Laziness and inertia - the sense of being too insignificant to be able to have an effect - are now Far Right tools.

I am begging anyone reading this thread to resist. In any way.

Currently we don't have a BXP-Con government

"It can't happen here we're British" syndrome.

Really really this toff gets flung out at the next election.

Despise him more than BJ if that's possible

PMK

British people just don't care cat.