Westminstenders: Penny dropping time

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson already seems to be hinting at protections for workers rights and the environment that he promised are to be dropped.

Along with enshrining Brexit in law to the end of Dec 2020 thus creating another Brexit no deal date. This time without any safety net in parliament.

"won't Johnson be more liberal than he suggested" they cry

About that...

If Johnson does an extension.

He did before, but then he could frame it that he had to because the government was in a minority. With a majority, he either won't extend and no deal or...well, ...

I thought loads of people wanted no deal? I thought that was what they always wanted. What they voted for all along in 2016?

I am oddly relaxed about the whole debacle now. Johnson will fuck us over: it's just a question of the flavour and duration. But as the country voted for it, they should be happy with the consequences.

This is a good nutshell. It's just awful not knowing the flavour and duration.

Still voting for the unknown flying unicorn pig in a Pandora's poke.

The WA will become international law by 31 Jan 2020
but quite possibly we won't know until the 31 Dec 2020 end of transition whether there will be a future trade deal

However, even No Trade Deal won't stay like that for many months - economic pressure will force BJ & co to resume negotiations

EU commentators here expect that during transition the UK & EU will just go for a bare bones FTA that only deals with tariffs and quotas

• no services of course, so v bad for the UK, but the EU will be fine keeping their goods trade surplus.

That kind of deal would only require agreement by heads of govt and the EP, not the 38 or so national and regional Parliaments
Further deals can be added to later, as the UK feels the pinch.

Still v little time even for bare bones by EOY 2020, especially as Barnier & co may not receive their negotiating mandate before March
So there may be a fudge in which part of the deal is signed off, but transition-without-a-name continues until the rest is complete
NI will likely be allowed to proceed with just checks in the GB-NI direction, not the other way.

Or 1 Jan 2021 may indeed be No Deal

• the EU will still have achieved their 3 priorities: NI, expat rights, exit bill (in installments) and they'll still have all their trade deals with the rest of the world

So they won't be under nearly as much pressure as the UK

I'm surrounded by shits at the moment. Not in my immediate life/friends and family. But work/people moving into the neighbourhood and building all over us - council/schools etc. I don't know what you'd call it - people you are forced to engage with.

The behaviour has been similar to that of this government for a long time. Lies and pretence. Lack of respect. Bulldozing. I'm all right Jack. No care for the lives of those around them. Despicable and horrible behaviour. So this government doesn't surprise me at all because this is what I now expect of those in authority and power.

What is the world coming to? Is anyone else experiencing this - or am I just very unlucky? Some of it is because I have a daughter with a disability. I'm feeling the effects of services falling apart. No one can cope with her and I have to do a lot of fighting. All the time. But it's also lots of other things too. I feel worn down.

Thanks Red

So, the post-election surge on the pound has been followed by an almighty crash due to Johnson's announcement putting No Deal back on the table.

Someone will have made a killing there. The cynical amongst us might wonder if it was all planned...

I strongly suspect there'll be an extended transition. Just as Johnson's WA performs the magic trick of separating off NI while pretending it doesn't. He can lie to his supporters as well as his detractors. Particularly if he can pretend someone else is to blame, which I'm sure he will.
Or. Fuck 'em . That's what they voted for.

I am oddly relaxed about the whole debacle now. Johnson will fuck us over: it's just a question of the flavour and duration. But as the country voted for it, they should be happy with the consequences.

This is where I am too.

Fortunately we're only tied to the UK for the next 3.5 yrs (as DS pointed out when Thursday's exit poll came in), which does rather help.

Interesting debate on Radio Ulster just now on a United/New Ireland. A lot of unionists were phoning in to say they would vote for it now. Wheels appear to be getting set in motion with TDs in Dublin calling for preparations.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-cummings-house-of-lords-ministers-nicky-morgan-boris-johnson-a9250031.html

Have you seen this?

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Dusty, that's what Blair did - Alan Sugar, Adonis. Corbyn did it too - Chakrabati.
It's a normal use of the peerage role these days.

PMK. Our Christmas food bank appeal at work has had record donations. I wonder if they’ll hold up when things get really tough....

Ours too...

Brexit was supposed to be a changing of the guard politically/end of elites or as the Trump supporters say "draining the swamp". Morgans peerage proves its business as usual.

You've just got to convince people change has happened. Again I wont use the s word but the wool has well and truly been pulled over peoples eyes.

Brexit was supposed to be a changing of the guard politically/end of elites or as the Trump supporters say "draining the swamp". Morgans peerage proves its business as usual.

Plus ça change ...

For light relief (sort of), a taste of things to come:

www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7801245/Toilets-tilted-downwards-13-degrees-stop-workers-spending-long-loo.html

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I thought the current wisdom was knees higher than hips when

They're Back.

...Well, some of them. Looks like a Labour backbench boycott of JC> (He's not the messiah. He's a very naughty boy for staying on.)

And spare a thought for Jane Dodds, ex LD MP, just 27 days, a record.

...Labour MPs belatedly arriving.

Probably plotting in the toilets.

...Now Victorian Flummery at its Flummeriest.

MPs gather in the HoC, are then told to trapse over to the HoL to hear the command to go back to the HoC and get on with it.

Black Rod could just tell them to get on with it, but that would be far too simple.

Lords all get their £300 'expenses' for turning up for this.

Paul Waugh
@paulwaugh

Huge cheer for @jeremycorbyn from Tory MPs as he enters chamber

Just had a revelation ... skimming through a thread grumbling about Amazon elsewhere, and a poster made quite a telling point that no amount of hectoring or lecturing (which tends to quickly enter any discussion where Amazon are involved) would persuade them to give up Amazon, as it's too darned convenient

Should probably start a new thread but it is convenient - and often the only way you can get things. How else would I have bought the tacky cheap and nasty made in China costumes for all my ds' infernal dressing up days. School dressing up days probably keep Amazon in business all by themselves.

It is an interesting point though because it's not just their workers and the tax issues - they actually shaft their customers too. How many times have they been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority for their misleading Prime adverts?

Peter Bottomley all done up like a penguin for the occasion.

Harriet Harman has grabbed Skinner's pew to stop the Nats getting their arses on it.

Doesn't look like any coup to oust Hoyle today.