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...

Too late now with the current Parliament, but they could take their seats and make as much mischief as possible for Johnson.

I’m sure he’d be really scared of them. Although the fact that they don’t take their seats has the welcome effect of increasing the effective Conservative majority from 80 to 87

I am sure he wouldn't be scared, but it would rattle him, and make him look ridiculous, which would just give people enormous pleasure.
He only wants to look ridiculous when he's stage managed it.

Still his liking for alcohol may yet be his undoing.

Pmk

...the abdication of "Eddie eight" ...marked the watershed where the Monarchy was discretely removed from it's final role in constitutional affairs

It's as good an arbitrary marker as any. The conventional view is that it's a gradual process from Magna Carta onwards. We had Charlie One's abrupt ending, the Glorious Revolution, The Hanoverian Sucession, the elevation of Princess Evangeline (as all her family called her)over the claims of her Uncle or her Mother plus Unsuitable Boyfriend, etc.

The old textbooks will say the monarch has two constitutional backstop powers: The power to choose and appoint a PM, and the power to call an election or refuse one. The first of these was always strictly circumscribed. If a party has a majority, there is no choice. But you could get a 1923 scenario where the king chose MacDonald over Baldwin, or 1974 when Ted barricaded the door and wouldn't come out for a day, but could not do a deal with Thorpe.

The second power was totally undermined by the appalling FTPA, which we shall hopefully be shot of soon. A shame we can't also have an elected upper chamber with its own mandate while we're about it.

The monarch is the titular head of the armed forces

Theoretically, if a PM ever ordered them to arrest / intern / torture / shoot the Opposition, the monarch could order them not to
However, even if she intended to, both the MOD and the Government Broadcasting Service could cut her off from cancelling such orders

...Or the armed forces could refuse to obey such orders citing their loyalty to her madge.

And the Household Division are Queenie's personal troops and cannot be ordered to do anything without her assent.

...Or the armed forces could refuse to obey such orders citing their loyalty to her madge.

Are you 100% sure? It's the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, but it is the British Army, not the Royal Army. I assume this means that the Army is answerable to Parliament?

...But army officers take a Queen's Comission and follow Queen's Regulations.

Any news from the PLP
or is Jezza going to stand there like a lemon for the next three months ?

THE REASON for the British Army not having the prefix 'Royal' is because only certain regiments and corps are called 'Royal'. The prefix Royal before the title of a unit is considered an award in much the same way as a battle honour. ... UNLIKE the Army, the Navy has always been a single, national organisation

C&P from google I hit post to quickly

Listening to the news despite all the cheer in parliament the pound dropped due to Johnson’s latest decision. Quite interesting.

Why's he delayed the re-shuffle? Are there even more obvious nutters that he hasn't dared promote yet?

BJ is keeping his cards close to his chest until Feb 1st.

Thanks for the info about the Army - it was a genuine question. Thinking about it my late GF was a Royal Engineer, (of which he was very proud.)

Ugh. Watching the BBC1 News with BJ and his cabinet, getting them to repeat things by rote, like utter morons. (How many new hospitals are we going to build? - 40)

Depressing to listen to this.

It’ll pass they can’t do it every day ;

My husband was in the Royal Logistic Corps, the Army is most definitely answerable to Queenie.

I've really been trying to try and see the positives hysterical laughter

Turns out the new GC W&E minister is a homophobe! Cosmic.

If boris gives bridgen a cabinet post I think that's prood positive that the end times are a comin'

(For clarity...I was pleased she was GC...for a bit...)

The "40 new hospitals" is an even bigger porker than £350m a week.

( Eight hospitals are going to be repainted and done up, a bit.)

@SkyNewsBreak
The Bank of England says Britain's financial system is prepared for a worst-case Brexit scenario with a hard exit from the EU and a possible trade war
Trade war??? Marvellous

I heartily recommend the French Brexit Song for a huge laugh, Fascinating Aida stylée. ( not them but as good)

Alas, I am too dim to post a link, can someone do the hons?

The French Brexit Song

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=french+brexit+song&qpvt=french+brexit+song&view=detail&mid=45671F4324FE542B5DF745671F4324FE542B5DF7&&FORM=VRDGAR

Mademoiselle! Mille fois merci!