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.

I’d have to be heavily sedated or medicated to agree with Bear

Seriously just fucking pack it in.

What an opportunity to write a constitution and to introduce PR!

The Tory party has ignored its Remainer minority - mostly from its traditional Conservative wing - to go No Deal and authoritarian right

if Labour ignore its Leaver minority - mostly from its traditional wc core - AND move to the centre again, this is also way to the right of their traditional stance

If the 2 main parties give a choice of centrism vs hard right, then the Overton window is massively far to the right

So if Labour want to be officially a Remain party, then they at least need to reassure their traditional voters by some very socialist policies away from Brexit

I think thats probably true bear.

I certainly feel no need to reach out to those whom I despise.

The fault is mine, I'm sure.

Seriously just fucking pack it in.

Jesus Bear stop being such a gammon flake I was joking ffs

Corbyn is a Tory sleeper mole
Bozo is a Trump mole
Trump is a Putin mole
The mice are in charge and the answer is 42

*No, I think the answer is more simple than that and it’s being demonstrated on this and other Brexit threads more and more lately.

We’re all so entrenched in our views, whatever they maybe, we’re struggling to listen to anything that differs from them.

And, because there are so many permutations in this, there’s not actually much totally common ground.*

But there is lots of common ground. We all* need schools, the NHS, somewhere to live. People are being distracted from what matters (very deliberately) by being told to pin their colours to one side or the other on a debate which pre-2016 most of them didn't even know/care anything about. And certain parties are being extremely deliberate about stoking divisions - the end game of which may be violence, civil unrest...

*ok the 0.1% don't need these things, but most people do!

flouncy
My cat is sitting next to me
but she has not yet met Slartibartfast

Meanwhile, BJ may regret being PM if more of his past indiscretions get raked up
What chance one of them could see him fighting off a Misconduct in Public Office charge ?

The rightwing media seem unable to resist stories that let them show busty women, even when it hurts their own:

Tom Newton Dunn@tnewtondunn

Boris Johnson refuses to deny extramarital affair with young businesswoman he may have helped win public cash

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9983258/boris-johnson-affair-jennifer-arcuri-businesswoman/amp/#click=t.co/yT0rB81qMT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9983258/boris-johnson-affair-jennifer-arcuri-businesswoman/amp/#click=t.co/yT0rB81qMT

listening Your explanation actually makes sense of what's happening !

#btw, Is #42 where we drop in GDP ranking after No Deal ?

In Johnson's interview with Pienaar today, he did his usual "refusing to rule out by ignoring the question " when asked a question about something unthinkable. He's done it for No Deal and for prorogation for example . Only this time , the thing he refused to rule out was resigning if he's found to have lied to the Queen.
On that happy, if unlikely prospect, I will go to sleep.

BigChoc
I'm rather a Douglas Adams fan ... 42 was the answer to everything in the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

Although seeing someone else get into a verbal scrap with Bear is also funny. Making a bit of a habit of that aren't you, Bear.

UK govt massively ramping up the pressure on Ireland as their last ditch effort to break the backstop

BJ's Plan B is B for Bullying Ireland

katya adler@BBCkatyaadler

Reports^ saying Johnson government is briefing that Ireland will be under huge pressure to compromise over backstop bc of impact of no deal but reality is^

a) minority Irish gov under most domestic pressure NOT to buckle over backstop /1

b)There’s little EU appetite to “throw Ireland under a bus”.

EU diplomats say “gentle pressure” would be put on Dublin if they thought current UK backstop proposals were realistic BUT they don’t
... so no EU pressure on Varadkar to compromise right now /2

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/london-saying-ireland-will-be-under-huge-pressure-to-compromise-on-backstop-1.4026659#

British diplomats are briefing that the consequences of a no-deal Brexit for Ireland are so disastrous that compromise is likely

Yep, I know about 42 from Hitchhiker's Guide , but I wondered if 42 might actually be part of the answer

Cheers @flouncyfanny

I also know which audiobook to listen to tonight thanks to this thread.
"space is big. I mean, really big ...."

Jesus Bear stop being such a gammon flake I was joking ffs

So you’ve just grovelled the RTB for a ‘joke’ that was rude then immediately make a ‘joke’ at my expense and manage to further insult me whilst telling me it was a joke

Brexit hasn’t only broken politics, it’s broken a lot more than that and shit like this only fuels it