Westminstenders: Extension or No Extension

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson has sent a letter he said he never would asking for an extension.

We now wait to see what the EU come back with.

It's likely to be a technical extension. At best.

France are really not happy with the idea of an extension and Macron is flexing his muscles with the EU at the moment. He has been prepared to upset all the other EU countries as he proved with blocking progress on accession to the EU for Northern Macedonia and Albania this week. Macron is fighting his own domestic battles.

It looks as if Johnson now has a majority for a deal. What that deal will ultimately look like will be dictated by the Withdrawal Agreement Bill which sets out implementation of the Withdrawal Act.

However, with the DUP firmly offside the chances of a vote of no confidence go up. As do the chances of an election.

And its also worth pointing out that whilst the WAB is legally binding if we have an election and Johnson gets a majority, then there can always be changes made to domestic law. (implementation of the WA rather than the agreement principles of the WA agreed with the EU).

Thus any 'assurances' over workers rights and regulatory standards are only as good as long as this parliament...

Nope.
The speaker abiding by parliamentary law.
Fixed it for you :)

Don't be daft Louise - Saturday went through - just instead of a vote on it, it got nodded through, how can it go through again?

The Speaker has discretion to act, and set precedents as we know by his own prior actions. He only choses to exercise it to stop Brexit.

@LouiseCollins28 nope. As he said. That has been enshrined in parliamentary law for forever. He is just abiding by it as is expected of the chair.

Oh Bercow how I love thee! I'm on a tidying mission and missed it but it's recording so am off to watch now. Going out earlier meant I missed lots of the thread so was worried I had missed something important. Phew!

Any doubts about his professed "neutrality" absolutely gone.

Nope, they really haven’t!

No - he (like the Courts) is following due process (in the courts' case, the law; in Bercow's case Erskine May).

There is nothing stopping the government following due process to get the debate started. Like announcing it in a proper Business Statement. And not trying to repeat the vote immediately, rather than allowing the Letwin amendment vote to be attached.

Why do they still look like a bunch of school-kids point-scoring off each other at amateur debating society rather then people who actually care about running the country?

Just when I was thinking I could bring myself to watch a bit of live Parliament William Cash is called.

The Speaker has discretion to act, and set precedents as we know by his own prior actions. He only choses to exercise it to stop Brexit.

Bercow wasnt around in 1604, Cash might have been though

No, he has precedent to act differently, e.g. SO24 debates. He's choosing not to because it doesn't serve the interests of Remain MPs.

Loved Bercow doing a Tony Benn impression though

sidebar, but I was staggered at the TINY budget that Ireland has for their secret service - a couple of million compared to our billions
I checked other reports from 2018 and it really is only a couple of million

It helps that their govt doesn't spy so much on its opposition, or start foreign wars ...

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda-and-military-plan-to-reactivate-paramilitary-sources-ahead-of-brexit-1.4057183?

Garda and military plan to reactivate paramilitary sources ahead of Brexit
Increase in the secret service vote to be used to fund sensitive operations amid UK’s exit

The secret service vote was increased by 60 per cent to €2 million, the largest increase in many years, in Budget 2020.
This followed a 25 per cent increase in the previous budget.

Dont get me wrong Louise I'm going to be fine if the speaker starts waving bills through especially if Labour get in, not sure you'd be so keen on it then

Louise, Bercow has said twice now - in the past twenty minutes - how the Government must properly put their Bill before Parliament.

He wouldn't be "waving" anything though. He is applying his discretionary powers entirely for the benefit of Remain MPs by preventing a "meaningful vote"

Louise You want him to break the rules to get the govt out of a hole it got itself into

If JRM / BJ hadn't been such pigheaded arses on Saturday,
they could have accepted that the Letwin amendment - which closed a No Deal loophole - had passed
and brought the bill to a division

Instead they flounced, which is why the bill can't be brought back again today

This is entirely the Tories own stupid fault

Hear, hear BigChoc

Slightly off-topic, but I was chatting to another mum at the school gate just now, and I mentioned that I was at the march on Saturday. "Oh, what march was that?" she asked. I give up.

Loved Bercow doing a Tony Benn impression though So disrespectful

@LouiseCollins28 it wouldn't be a 'meaningful vote' when they are voting on the same thing two minutes after they last did.

And Brexiteers accuse Ireland (wrongly) of constantly rehashing things until they get the result they want!!!

Bercow is sticking to Parliamentary rules - and this is an important rule

JRM is the the most fucking incompetent leader of the House since .... Leadsom

He should know this stuff and organise govt business accordingly

....the fact that it wasn't voted on on Saturday was entirely the Government's choice fault. And Bernard Jenkins should know that

JRM is used to having people do stuff for him - nanny, I need some help!

Louise Stop being a banana.
You know, as well as we do, Bercow's following rules.

You can drop the act here.

Outside, on other social media, you can do the whole 'outraged of Essex' act, but it's pointless here.

It serves no purpose other than to suggest you have brains of sawdust. And I'm sure you don't.

Outside, it's useful - it gives people something to hang their outrage on and stops them from thinking about detail.

Here - not useful.

Anyway, it just means it's going through a bit more slowly.

You can chill - and start sharing with us how much you're looking forward to the next 10 years of trade negotiations and WA extensions after the WA is passed.