Westminstenders: Showdown

[RedToothBrush]

Big week ahead.

Johnson has until Tuesday Afternoon to get his shit together for the EU.

He thinks it can be down, but still lots to do in that time.

This week we have the Queen's Speech too, which is going to be misused as a party political broadcast.

Remember if the government can't pass the QS, there's a crisis that gets generated as a direct result. Sticking in proposals that any liberal or leftie will struggle with, is deliberately provoking a crisis of that nature. A proposal of that type would have to be anti democratic in nature, like... Ermmm... Voter ID. Hell, well what do you know.

Johnson is still after his election because as it stands he's a passenger stuck in the runaway train of his own creation.

Talk of a deal breakthrough is still overstated too. The DUP and many of the usual ERG suspects have poured water on the idea. And many on the opposition benches are pushing hard on a confirmary ref being needed for a deal - they don't have the numbers yet, but talk is that they are close. We also have loyalist military making threats about an Irish Sea Border solution.

Time for Project Shit Meets Fan.

I know many disagree with the royal family and I'm not a fan of most of them (loved Diana) but the history, tradition and heritage and just the whole kit and kaboodle really strikes a chord with me somehow. I'm not describing it well but nevermind.

There was a recent AIBU thread about "the Royals" and it's worryingly obvious that a lot of people simply have no idea whatsoever of the very real hole the Queen fits in the British Constitution. They genuinely seem to think that the Royals are all pomp and circumstance and we need to "keep them for the tourists".

I'm a big fan of uniforms so that might be something to do with it. My two brothers were British Forces. My grandad was in WWII and my dad did his national service back in the day. Ds is one of the few at school who has a proper tie and not one on elastic. He can tie it too. All my dc have had proper ties and been and to tie them from age 4.

Ooooh look at Lady Hale 😍 I'd love to invite her for tea (once the house it clean and tidy which I should be doing now but I like watching history happening).

I like the kit and caboodle too.
I suppose traditional pageantry is the soft and fluffy side of history.
Comforting, like teaching your daughter your grandma's recipe for Christmas pud. am also finding benign sexism to be comforting

I love the pageantry, and the horses too. Dad was in the Navy, so I suppose the appreciation of gold braid and swords etc was bred into me!

The headwear is bonkers though

Camilla gives me the rage.dust-spaffer followed by her is not pleasant.

Not a flummery fan. Most of dates to 1901 for Eddie 7's coronation. No one was alive who could remember the last one, so they made it all up.

And this is an outrageous abuse of Queenie to launch a Tory election manifesto.

It is an opportunity for BJ to get priceless PR amongst all the pageantry
He's still a lying weasel

MORNING!

I wonder how pushed off she's feeling at doing this today.

Pissed. Not pushed.

Cripes, she looks pissed off now I've seen her expression! Orf with just head! I bet she wishes she could do that

I thought the fact that the Queen wasn't wearing the crown (as normal) today was interesting. She looks very frail. More so than previously.

Books: The Last Bluff - A harrowingly detailed tale of incompetence and intransigence in the Greek debt crisis

We should NOT believe advice from the Greek politicians responsible for that disaster;
they sometimes pop up with articles offering advice about how to "win" against Brussels - remember how that went for them.

https://amp.ft.com/content/4264250e-ec0d-11e9-a240-3b065ef5fc55?

the book is a reminder of how much damage populists of all stripes can inflict in office.
It should be a must-read for anyone who has toyed with the idea that blowing up the postwar economic consensus is preferable to the hard work of reforming it.
....
At a previously unreported meeting with ministry aides responsible for the country’s accounting and cash management, the economist laid out his strategy:
mislead Brussels into believing he fully intended to default on Greece’s bailout loans - the “bluff” of the book’s title.

It proved “the first and last time” these officials ever spoke to Mr Varoufakis,
despite the fact the country literally ran out of cash only weeks later.

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly
Fun fact: MPs traditionally walk slowly to the Lords, and are supposed to talk loudly after being summoned by Black Rod. You guessed it, it’s about asserting parliamentary independence

And this is an outrageous abuse of Queenie to launch a Tory election manifesto.

Which may be why she wanted sight of it before she reads it in public.

There was a suggestion a few weeks back that some constitutional experts were uneasy at the fact the QS so close to an election was basically a manifesto.

As long as we have a Monarch, and as long as that Monarch is the de facto Head of State, then they must have a certain legitimate interest in what is happening in their name.

Damon Wake @damonwake
Source says UK and Croatia are currently blocking a joint EU statement condemning the Turkish offensive, objecting to the word 'condemn'. Reasons why not clear.

Would love her to ad lib.

Not sure if it's just the croaky voice but she doesn't seem to be delivering this in quite the same way as the past.

Bozo looks far too happy with himself.

She looks very frail. More so than previously.

I think the weight of that cloak was taking a toll as well - she was breathing very heavily when she sat down (and she is 93).

When will the HOC vote on passing the QS? Will it be this afternoon?

Reasons why not clear.

Absolutely nothing to do with arms sales, move along, nothing to see here

.

Jane Merrick @janemerrick23
Some speculation about why the Queen is wearing the full garb with all the trimmings when last time she was in the blue suit/hat. Last time was because it was a pared-down, humble message from Govt. But why so flashy now? Any ideas? #QueensSpeech