Westminstenders: 10 day count down

[RedToothBrush]

10 days to go...

... Wake me up when the shit show is over.

For my part, I don't give a shiny shit whether BlowJob said 'Yanni' or 'Laurel.' It's a squirrel.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits."

I think the Irish border document and John Major campaigning against the Conservatives is what should be trending.

I mean, John Major is campaigning. That's ... big.

I've reached it at 2:45.

Sorry yes, my brain is out of kilter today.

I think the Irish border document and John Major campaigning against the Conservatives is what should be trending.

But instead remarks by a known racist, delivered in a lazy drawl..... yes, he knew what he was doing.

It already has. Which may have been the intention all along.

Exactly this. The whole debacle is a dead cat. Everyone getting upset were never going to vote for him anyway - nothing lost by a racist man being proved to be racist. Meanwhile he might have won over a few Faragists.

But the real coup is the disengaged voter - who isn't paying close attention but has a vague feeling the tories will win so they should probably vote tory, to be on the 'winning' side. They hear all 'why aren't you on Andrew Neil?' and it gives them pause for thought. Why isn't he? what is he hiding?
But instead they're now hearing this talent or colour, talent or colour argument. And not being especially interested, they will accept the talent explanation - and the more people go on about 'colour' the more they will think 'well maybe he's not doing those interviews because he knows he can't get a fair hearing.' And they stop taking all the people who were calling for Neil interview seriously, because they are biased against Boris. Meanwhile no one is calling for a Neil interview anymore anyway because they are too busy arguing the toss over talent vs colour ... so chicken shit Johnson's refusal to be scrutinised falls by the wayside.

It's a distraction. If it wasn't deliberately created as a distraction then it is doing a wonderful job of providing one anyway. Arguing the toss is actually removing the heat from Boris.

I think the Irish border document and John Major campaigning against the Conservatives is what should be trending.

If it isn't because a huge internet spat over the colour of talent filling the space, what conclusions are to be drawn ?

I think the Irish border document and John Major campaigning against the Conservatives is what should be trending.

Maybe claim the documents refer to "operation talent" ?

The first thing he says in the video crunchycarrot posted is: 'I didn't want this election anyway'

How many times did he ask for an election before he was finally given one? How often did he taunt JC for being too 'frit' to have an election?

I didn't even make it past that initial lie I'm afraid.

Why isn't he going on Andrew Neil?
Why is he lying about the NI border?
What is his actual plan for the NHS and a U.S trade deal?
What is in that Russian report?
And - considering he even opened that speech with a lie, never mind his chequered history with the truth - why should we believe a word he says?

That is what really matters.

It's a distraction. If it wasn't deliberately created as a distraction then it is doing a wonderful job of providing one anyway. Arguing the toss is actually removing the heat from Boris.

The delicious irony is that it is a distraction created by Channel 4. They were in such a hurry to grab their anti-Tory gotcha moment that it backfired on them spectacularly, wiped other issues off the Twittersphere, and makes Boris look like the victim of a media smear job - which he was.

Like I said, delicious. Thanks, C4!

I think the Irish border document and John Major campaigning against the Conservatives is what should be trending.

Totally. I can see the reunification of Ireland happening in ten years or less if the Tories get in. Scotland will gain independence and the UK will consist of England and Wales.

He says "Talent."

More interesting is the EU lie about VAT on Tampons. Gordon Brown did cut the tax to 5%, and there is agreement in the Euro Parliament to remove sanitary products from the schedule so they are exempt from VAT.

The only thing you cannot do is zero-rate them, that is tax them at a rate of 0% once you have taxed them previously.

John Major is trending at number 7

I do now think he said talent not colour..but he definitely oversimplified the animal export points in a misleading way.

We have always been able to improve animal welfare under UK legislation. In fact didn't The Conservat/ERGs vote against animal sentience?

And EU puts restrictions on exporting live animals including adequate space,food, water and rest. But we could have done more domestically if we'd wanted.

It is true that the single market, free movement of goods did mean member states can't enforce a complete ban on live animal exports. But the Tory's could have asked to change that when Cameron did his inadequate attempt at renegotiating stuff and I don't think he even suggested it?

The only thing you cannot do is zero-rate them, that is tax them at a rate of 0% once you have taxed them previously.

"Cannot" ?

Sorry, we can put a man on the fucking moon. "Cannot" doesn't cut it.

Since we are being precise about language and it's usage, the correct phrase is "lack the political will". Which is something entirely different and is actual " Will not". Maybe the answer is to find people who will then ?

Hey everyone, we are getting distracted by a squirrel.

Has anyone seen the document Corbyn referred to yet?

"Does Boris Johnson want a united Ireland? "

He doesn't give a shit about NI being in the UK
His priority is a US FTA, which will not get through Congress if there are any kind of border / trade checks within Ireland

His WA was fully tailored to remove any obstacles to the FTA, not just Ireland but also moving the Level Playing Field from the legally binding WA to the non-binding PD.

Sorry, we can put a man on the fucking moon. "Cannot" doesn't cut it.

"Cannot" under current EU rules appears to be correct;

inews.co.uk/news/politics/brexit/brexit-latest-tampon-tax-derails-deal-arguments-eu-sticking-point-816330

Tamara Cohen@tamcohen

@KateEMcCann asks the PM why voters should disbelieve civil servants who wrote the NI document for the Treasury?

Boris Johnson: "They should believe what I say..."
< they would be v naive to do so >

Says there will be "no checks on goods between NI-GB and GB-NI".

Well.

Lewis Goodall@lewisgoodall

This isn’t true. There will.

The civil service says it.
The Brexit Secretary says it.
The PM’s de facto deputy says it.

There will be extra processes for NI business, as the leaked documents prove today.

Either the PM knows this and is lying to us or he is lying to himself.

As long ago as late October, DEXEU confirmed to me extra processes would take place.
The Brex Sec said publicly.

It is a mark of how little facts matter in contemporary politics that this nonsense continues to be stated with little to no political cost.

Joe Owen@jlowen

Friday challenge:

Can you find a single technical detail about the deal that the prime minister gets right?


shes almost frantic in her tweets right now, anyone else following her?

I don't follow her Kuenssberg Just . I can't bring myself to. But I often look at her Twitter feed and she is frequently frantic - except for perhaps when she's been told to refrain from tweeting by the Beeb.

I wonder if she'll be removed once this election is over? She's not great publicity for the BBC, I don't think, especially now it's got such an obvious bias problem.

He doesn't give a shit about NI being in the UK
His priority is a US FTA, which will not get through Congress if there are any kind of border / trade checks within Ireland

Which a United Ireland gets round. He won't want the blame for breaking up the UK, but it will be someone else's fault.

Lewis Goodall@lewisgoodall

Nothing to see here.

Just a former Conservative prime minister saying his party shouldn’t have a majority.

This election continues to amaze.

PoliticsHome@politicshome

Former Tory PM John Major to join election rally aimed at blocking Boris Johnson majority

https://politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/news/108402/former-tory-pm-john-major-join-election

Sir John Major is expected to be joined by Tony Blair, his Labour successor in Number 10, at the event in London on Friday.

The high-profile pair, who both support a second EU referendum,
will urge people to vote tactically for the pro-Remain candidate most likely to defeat Conservatives in their seat.

< Blair is just as amazing, considering how much he despises Corbyn - so he finds the hard right Tories even worse >

Michael Heseltine, who was Sir John's deputy when he was Prime Minister, will also speak at the event, which has been organised by the 'Vote for a Final Say' and 'For our Future’s Sake' campaign groups.

Others expected to speak at the rally include former Tory Cabinet minister David Gauke - who was kicked out of the party for opposing Mr Johnson's Brexit plans - and Alastair Campbell, Mr Blair's top spin doctor when he was Prime Minister.

Sir John has been a long-standing critic of Mr Johnson's Brexit plans, and earlier this year joined the legal attempt to prevent the PM shutting down Parliament for five weeks as MPs fought to stop a no-deal departure.

Speaking in September, he said:
"Most Conservatives are not a Brexit Party tribute band,
nor have we abandoned our core values to find compromise, seek allies, and strive for unity, rather than division and disarray.

"We do not believe we have the right to ignore the voices of millions of others, whose opinions differ from our own.

"And we abhor the language of division and hate – and words such as 'saboteur', 'traitor', 'enemy', 'surrender', 'betrayal' have no place in our party, our politics, nor in our society.

It is emphatically not who we are as a people.
And must never be seen as so.

"I hope that the Conservative Parliamentary Party will regain its sense of balance,
and rein in the faction of a faction that now prevails in Cabinet."

Worth checking out NS interview on this morning. Bloody love that woman. SNP willing to prop up a Labour gov as long as they'll end austerity. She made an interesting point about being a positive influence on JC for those who are nervous about voting for him.

John Major campaigning against conservatives. Reality is getting well weird.

Just a former Conservative prime minister saying his party shouldn’t have a majority.

You mean the way Tony Blair - the only Labour leader to win a majority in the last 45 years - has explicitly said that Corbyn shouldn’t be allowed to win a majority?

'I didn't want this election anyway'

Yeah, I usually shout at the TV 'LIAR!' any time Johnson says that, or pretty much anything he says!