Westminstenders: Silly Season

[RedToothBrush]

It's that time of year again when politicians seem to completely lose their marbles in order to impress the faithful. And it is beginning to feel like conference season is increasingly an exercise in religious ferver to the party rather than considering what's in the best interests of the whole country.

Labour have got off to a good start before their conference opens, by almost starting complete melt down.

The Tories have promised to break from convention and try and over shadow the others, so that's something to look forward to.

And early this week we have the supreme Court ruling which could, regardless of which direction it swings, have massive ramifications for our democracy.

Big week ahead.

Thanks, red 💐

Westministenders' Abbreviations:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eureferendumm2016/3492426-Westministenders-Abbreviation?msgid=84503730

That's great, crackly
Do report back after his talk and share what you learned

Our 2 main parties are toxic and the LDems have a daft leader

We are relying on rebel MPs and crowd-funded court cases to save us from crashing us over the No Deal cliff

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/22/failed-watson-plot-exposes-what-really-scares-corbyn-and-his-coterie

Authoritarian attempts to stifle dissent, ferocious sectarianism and heavy-booted stamping on the tolerant traditions of our democracy are not confined to Labour.

Over in the increasingly noxious Tory party,
MPs are being deselected by Brexit ultras in their constituencies, and Boris Johnson purged 21 Conservative MPs, including several former cabinet ministers, for opposing a crash-out Brexit.

His enforcer, Dominic Cummings, summarily sacked an aide to the chancellor for “disloyalty” and then had her marched out of Number 10 by armed police officers.

This is a big and poisonous change in the culture of British politics.

Both the Conservatives and Labour used to be proud to call themselves broad churches,
capable of encompassing and speaking for many strands of opinion
and they made that central to their appeal to the electorate.

Now both are behaving like viciously intolerant sects.

Labour MPs so far are winning reselection

For the first time I can remember, it is Tory MPs being deselected by extremists

PMK. Sorry I am catless.

My cats have been fed - and consequently shadowed off on business of their own 🤷‍♀️

Thanks, Red. 💐

A grey and mildly depressed PMK. I have so much exciting and challenging stuff on at work right now, but this bloody Brexit mess is taking over my head. I hate it.

I can't believe Labour have chosen this exact moment to tear themselves apart

The free prescriptions policy of Labour's is daft. Are they trying to lose?

PMK

pmk with a minor positive thought.

Re Labour choosing this minute to tear themselves apart- I think there is a chink of optimism in the way it was handled so far. Contrast:

• Party 1 - extreme Brexity wing want to expel one person they disagree with. Leader calmly manages it and doesn't give in to agitators.

• Party 2- extreme Brexity wing want to expel 20+ people they disagree with. Leader agrees with agitators, listens to no one and ruthlessly expels them.

I was (until 2016) a Labour faithful. DH wasn't. He now despises the government -but he also buys in to the Corbyn fear. I say look Labour isn't just Corbyn - there are quality people there and he does listen to everyone. The Watson response is some evidence of that.

Emma Kennedy on twitter has some news re BJ that she is seeking legal advice over whether or not to tweet about!

Looking forward to Channel 4's documentary on the Tories tonight at 10pm.

Currently politics is to quote Anna Soubry 'a shit show'.

Pmk. Quite early for a change.

PMK

Thanks red

How is BoZo's position going to be tenable if he a) is found to have misrepresented the position to the Queen re prorogation AND b) he intends to hold Parliament in contempt and ignore the Benn Bill? One is bad, but both?! Oh, and maybe being in contempt of Court too. Enforcement proceedings would be interesting on that, as he'd have to attend in person to explain his failure to do as the Order told him to.

His plan can't have been for it all to go up in flames like this. Which begs the question as to how they misjudged Parliament so badly!

.

.

No idea what's happening now. My cat was also sick last night. They definitely know something.

Pmk

How is BoZo's position going to be tenable if he a) is found to have misrepresented the position to the Queen re prorogation AND b) he intends to hold Parliament in contempt and ignore the Benn Bill? One is bad, but both?! Oh, and maybe being in contempt of Court too. Enforcement proceedings would be interesting on that, as he'd have to attend in person to explain his failure to do as the Order told him to.

Because he's Boris Johnson and normal rule don't apply to him. Cos the culture war. Cos Donald Trump.

Peaceful Monitoring Kat

The calm before the storm? More like the storm before the storm.

A party that wants to demonstrate Tom Watson is a party that is uninterested in government. And I know that's what centrists always say, and I don't care. An opposition that doesn't want to govern is a bit of an issue. It feels like only the law is still functioning atm - desperately hoping I am wrong and theres more happening than I know.

Paul Brand @paulbranditv
Corbyn says he saw memo Andrew Fisher wrote about leader’s office lacking “human decency” and spoke to him about it. “I think he said that because he was extremely distressed at that point about discussions going on in the office. I suspect similar memos go around the BBC” #Marr

Corbyn admits the Fisher story is true...

borntobequiet, ha, yes, have to admit my second thought was, "But I'd want my microwaveable slippers all year round to live there."

You do the cold: I'll enjoy the pictures!

Defenestrate not demonstrate. Illiterate autocorrect.