Westminstenders: It's like a bloody aviary

[RedToothBrush]

From Flamingos to Yellowhammer and Black Swans.

The Tory Remainer is now a Dodo. Instead the party in inhabited by disaster capitalist Vultures. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has been labelled by the right wing press as a Chicken. The SNP would very much like Boris Johnson to be a Jailbird. The LDs are keen to sing like Canaries about the contents of BlackSwan. The Br

And the Tower of London is starting to get very jumpy about the whereabouts and location of its Ravens.

I would not, however, advise eating urban wild pigeons if things get desperate, from what I know of their health.

If / when Parliament does resume then imo the rebel Alliance MUST replace BJ by a VoNC

Otherwise he could prorogue or invoke the CCA or try any bloody trick - under our Constitution, the UK PM has more absolute power to act than in any other democracy I can think of

This ridiculous situation of trying to control the actions of the PM via the courts - and via gofundme lawyers - is so dangerous
And so bloody cowardly
And sets such a dangerous precedent for the hard right to use against future hung Parliaments with a cobbled together moderate govt

Take responsibility and actually become the government if you want to make the governments's decisions !

Then fgs extend and have a GE before Brexit
We may not be able to have a PV, but this gives back the decision to the people and then provides the MPs to implement it.

• we are a Parliamentary democracy, not one ruled by plebiscites

Listening to people from Hong Kong asking the British govt to intervene there to make China uphold the freedoms from the international treaty on returning HK to China -

They are clearly asking from the heart, as their heads would tell them the British government has been selling people down the river for centuries. It's almost a national sport. Someone should send them a link to details of Diego Garcia for a reality check.

I've been thinking the same BigChoc. Johnson is dangerous and needs to go.

"it is a given that the EU will refuse 3 months"

No, as yet it is still just a proposal by Macron and a few others

The EU do not want the UK to keep hanging around for ever, with possible the Brexiters causing disruption,
while the UK agonises over whether No Deal is so bad that they have to stomach being in an organisation few people (in England at least) actually like.

So it depends whether the EU think a short extension for a GE would end this limbo,
if it would finally bring a new UK govt with a working majority,
who could actually vote for something instead of delaying all the time

If the result of this period of uncertainty is a written constitution, I hope it will be done with due care and attention and not in a knee jerk way. Surely it needs to take time? Plus who will be in charge of what is put in it?

Do we want a 3 month extension? Doesn't seem very long to me, especially given what has happened with previous extensions. And Christmas/New Year etc? Or am I missing something?

A written constitution would have to be developed with a cross party approach. We must never, ever find ourselves here again.

Looks like Cum-boy has been busy.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49701027

The wheels on the lying bus go rounds and round....

The problem is probably not just that the Rebel Alliance can't agree on Corbyn:

it may also be that he doesn't want to be the one to request an extension and get the flak from Leave voters,
for something a Tory PM should be doing, to help stop a Tory-created disaster

We must keep reminding people, especially if No Deal actually happens:

this whole Brexit debacle was a Tory Project from start to finish,
planned to try to end the Tory internal civil war on Europe and to enable windfall profits for wealthy Tories.

tobee The EU will say what extension - if any - they are prepared to give
The UK Parliament will decide whether to accept

Of course, if the Rebel Alliance keeps relying on the courts instead of taking over itself, then we may never get that far
With so few days left after 19 October, any move overlooked can run out the time.
It's v risky just relying on the courts, when a govt has little respect for them

imo, still quite likely BJ could just resign on 18 / 19 October, rather than prorogue again

It may depend on whether the Tories think the Rebel Alliance could actually agree on a replacement PM,
or whether they won't, in which case the ERG win: time wold run out to No Deal, with a GE to follow in aboit late November

If we ever get to the stage where MPs can vote on the WA, there will be only a few days left until No Deal,

so unless they have another plan to stop No Deal,
they need to just vote for the WA and add any amendment necessary to make it immediately applicable

an organisation few people (in England at least) actually like.

That's not strictly true though is it? 13 million people in England - more than the combined populations of the other three home nations - voted to remain. And millions more didn't bother to vote - so clearly have no hard feelings. Plus at the march/ rally I was at yesterday there one of the speakers was a 'remainer now' - talking about all the people who have changed their minds.

It's actually a minority that dislike the EU - it's just they are the only ones the current Govt pretend to care about as it is their voices which support the govt's agenda. And the media is complicit in boosting their signal.

As the graph posted a couple of pages back show - even in 2015 over 80% of the population saw the EU as a none issue and so presumably were perfectly happy to be part of it.

Whilst I'm asking questions, am I right in thinking if BJ does resign, I shouldn't pop the champagne corks too soon???

pretzels imo, most Remain voters are afraid of the serious economic consequences of Brexit and losing the better career opportunities of FOM, rather than embracing the EU itself.

e.g. it is noticeable how much rarer EU flags have always been in the UK, whereas in Germany I habitually see them if the german flag is flown
or even on these threads, derxa offended / worried by the EU having an anthem
and I'm sure she's not the only Remainer who seems to regard the EU as a distasteful necessity

Your very own and very new Yoghurt Weaver popping in.

Am vaguely keeping up with threads while on hols but at odd times and having to catch up a whole day at a time.

Am considering adopting Yoghurt Weaver for my next namechange

As an aside I'm now linked to lots of LD folk on Twitter and have also shared some GC feminist stuff (RIP Magdalene Burns).

My bio also says "My pronouns are sex based, just like my oppression".

Not one fellow yoghurt weaver has challenged this as yet so beginning to think the LD masses are not quite as woke as some may think.

it is noticeable how much rarer EU flags have always been in the UK, whereas in Germany I habitually see them if the german flag is flown

If I put an EU flag up near me, I think my house would get attacked.

I do think that being an island definitely affects our relationship with the EU. We have to make arrangements to leave the island, whereas on the continent, you can simply drive between countries. All you see is a country sign, a list of new speed limits and an abandoned border post. That's got to affect how you see the EU and how you value Europe.

I also think that our war history affects how we see the EU and Europe. Those countries that were overrun by Germany are now all working together. We were never invaded (apart from the Channel Islands).

I love being part of the Europe and the wider community. I love doing a big European road trip. It doesn't mean I am not patriotic - I love my country - but there is something bigger.

choma I have an EU flag outside and on my bicycle and in my office

I've only ever had positive reaction for that,
..... except once when I was overtaken on my bike - by a car with GB number plates - which swerved very near towards me while the occupants screamed obscenities.

mojo 🤛🏼🤛🏼

It's the 8th anniversary today of the FTPA

e.g. it is noticeable how much rarer EU flags have always been in the UK, whereas in Germany I habitually see them if the german flag is flown

I'd like to think the British aren't as insecure as some with a need for flags everywhere. Generally a spike in flag flying isn't a good thing. The last refuge of the scoundrel and all that.

It is (or used to be) one of the more interesting distinctions between the UK and other anglophone countries (looks at US). Also the need to have photographs of the head of state everywhere. Refreshingly absent in the UK, except for a few more rural pubs (and I'd hope then it's for the tourists).

Peter Walker @peterwalker99
New; Lib Dem conference overwhelmingly approved policy to revoke article 50 if they win a majority at the next election.

This policy has had to be explained as people seem to think its revoke full stop not conditional.

So if the LDs end up backing a last min deal to avoid no deal that might be an issue.

If I put an EU flag up near me, I think my house would get attacked.

Me too.

My rather nice yellow and blue hanging baskets however...,

We have to make arrangements to leave the island, whereas on the continent, you can simply drive between countries.

Yes we have to and yes, they can drive between one and another, but it doesn't mean to say that people do. I have friends in Germany who live one hour's drive away from the Netherlands. They have never been there, they can't see any reason to go there. These are people who enjoy travel.

Just to make a comparison, this is about 2/3 of the distance between my town and London, and yet locally a significant number of people commute to London daily.