The Brexit Arms: Are We Nearly There Yet? 🇬🇧🚗↩️🇪🇺

[SingingLily]

No, not yet, but soon. Just 24 more sleeps until we legally leave the EU at 11pm on 31 January and finally enter the transition period after what seems like centuries of argument, dither and delay. We do so with hope, optimism and a determination to be a good friend and neighbour to the EU, but for now, no one said it better than Winston Churchill.

“This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”

The Pub Rule is the same as it always was: all welcome but only if you leave goadery outside. The first drink is on the house.

gosh it's quiet in here.

Imma drink all the vodka.

I don't know where everyone else is, Autumn. They must be glued to the H&M threads.

I looked up the Festival of Brexit but this bit from the chap in charge of the project stopped me in my tracks:

"You have to start thinking about other places where creativity exists. Instantly you think digitally, but it’s not just that. It’s durational things, it’s things that travel, it’s things of scale, it’s about going where people are.

“I’ve no answers at the moment, but certainly the ‘form’ of it is one that brings a smile to my face because it is a challenge. Of course, I’m not the one who is going to answer the question – the great creatives of this country will.”

I'm glad someone will. That's a word salad and a half. I'm sure it made perfect sense while it was still inside his head.

Not a drinker, but perhaps you'd better pass me the vodka!

I will share my vodka with you happily Lily

I'm really wondering more if it will go ahead because it's got so much potential to go wrong with protests etc.

I would just quietly exit, though I gather we will hear Big Ben on the day. Maybe it would be better to wait a couple of years and then have something like the Great Exhibition as a showcase?

to be fair, from the descriptions, I thought the Olympic opening ceremony wouldn't be good - but I think Boyle did it brilliantly.

Hi Singing/Autumn 👋
Had a day that was supposed to be quiet and relaxing and it did an about turn and it went all busy for a spell so I’m popping in now for a large

Blimey, that certainly is a word salad Singing, I’ve read it twice and I’m still none the wiser.

Ps. I have to confess I lost about an hour and a half of my day in a M&H vortex

time ooh I hate it when a quiet day gets busy!

Sadly I’ve spent enough of my life dealing with that kind of language so I do actually understand it.

But I was really thinking about the principle. The country was so divided on Brexit, it might better to have a different kind of national celebration?

Okay, I’m being naughty and twitter stalking

A former colleague with a degree in biology - one who spent a lot of time explaining cell related information when my dad was ill - is part of the TWAW crowd.

A former colleague with a degree in biology - one who spent a lot of time explaining cell related information when my dad was ill - is part of the TWAW crowd.

That doesn't surprise me, Autumn. I've known plenty of experts in criminal psychology who believe that everyone is capable of rehabilitation even though they spend all of their working lives trying to fathom the motivations of those who are and will always be a clear danger to others. It's the triumph of hope over experience, just on a professional level.

I've managed to confine myself to skimming through the H&M threads without commenting, Time4, but vortex is such a good description. The number of posters who rush to greet each new thread with "Oh God, not this again" or "Yawn" and then proceed to get sucked in is staggering.

But why would a biologist want to believe TWAW?

He’s also managed to passively aggressively be pleased about the passing of Roger Scruton but I must admit to being unclear on Scruton’s views.

Oh Lordy, I just looked up Scruton
The video clip on date rape

www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/theresa-may-roger-scruton-no-such-thing-date-rape

Morning, all,

The week begins with the HoL debating key areas of the WA Bill today followed by three days in committee stage, a line-by-line examination of the bill. So far, then, all on schedule although there are peers champing at the bit to introduce amendments including, apparently, the ones already decisively rejected in the HoC.

Today is also the day that nominations close in the Labour leadership contest. Candidates without the backing of 22 MPs and MEPs will not go forward to the vote of members and supporters. Currently, neither Clive Lewis nor Emily Thornberry have sufficient nominations although there has been a campaign among some women MPs to encourage others to lend their votes to Our Emily in order "to widen the diversity of the debate". Well, why not? I seem to recall that ploy worked out really rather well for the eventual winner last time.

Didn't pay much attention to the recent controversy surrounding the sacking of Sir Roger Scruton from an advisory role - in fact, knew very little about him at all - but from that link, he held some deeply unpleasant views, Autumn. A.A. Gill also held some quite unpleasant views albeit of a different nature so the best I can say of either is that they were men of their time...and time has moved on, thank goodness.

The complimentary breakfast tray awaits - American-style grilled cheese sandwiches. Please help yourselves.

Kettle's on ☕️☕️☕️

Morning Lily

All change at the Supreme Court as Lord Reed takes over from Lady Hale. He is the first Scottish Judge to hold the post and also notable for writing the dissenting opinion in the Art 50 case. At only 63 he could have a good long tenure before compulsory retirement at 75.

I suspect the Supreme Court will be a fair bit quieter over the next decade.

PS - no idea what happens to the Supreme Court if Scotland becomes Independent.

All change at the Supreme Court as Lord Reed takes over from Lady Hale.

Morning, Howabout, that's welcome news. Over the years, I've kept half an eye on the Law Lords (as they were once known) and he is a very good choice. For one thing, he keeps his political views to himself and when he is required to reach a legal opinion on matters that touch directly on the political, he confines it to the courtroom. Quite unlike his predecessor who seemed to enjoy public attention.

As for what will happen to the Supreme Court if Scotland becomes independent, well, I don't suppose Tony Blair gave either any thought when he was merrily changing the bits of our constitution he thought would benefit from his worldview.

How do you think the SNP rally went on Saturday? They were expecting 100,000 but claimed only 20,000 turned up because of the weather (in Glasgow? In January? Didn't they, erm, factor that in when they were planning it?). What I'd really like to know is how many Police Scotland estimated were taking part. They may not have had so optimistic a view as the organisers.

Today's Telegraph cartoon...

oh my favourite breakfast.

AA Gill, ugh.

That said, I got a trial subscription to the Spectator and so far all I can say is, ugh. It does seem like the odd gem amongst some quite unpleasant stuff. Weirdly, you can't cancel till the trial is over. Happily it was £12 and came with £20 John Lewis vouchers!

I wonder when we will get to the points system....is that something that can't be worked on till 2021?

Re the Rally even the ultra-pro Indy The National was only claiming 80,000. No inside info but you can usually discount their estimates by at least a factor of 10. Glasgow Live went with an enigmatic "thoosands" - also similarly enigmatic on whether they were magnificent or nothing but a pest when you're out doing your shopping.

It was very wet but my DD2 goes camping in Scotland in January and February come rain, hail or snow so I can only assume the Indyref2 supporters are somewhat less committed.

The obituary for Roger Scruton in the Times is wonderful and captures the essence of why he was so controversial. The comments are equally interesting: it's rare for an obit to get 150 comments.

Xing, I wouldn’t get past the paywall.

It’s weird because I was about to read him as I came across some interesting concepts. But that level of misogyny...no. I’m willing to accept I’ll never agree with anyone on everything but with so much great stuff to read, filters are inevitable and anyone with those views is a quick delete!

Like him or loathe him, he towered head and shoulders over most right wing intellectuals and his work on aesthetics is apparently impeccable. But he relished provocation for its own sake and really didn't seem to care who he offended.

Xing "But he relished provocation for its own sake"

that's one of my pet hates. It was the work on aesthetics that first made me read some of his stuff.

Douglas Murray's obit from The Spectator

the "saying controversial things just for the hell of it" has made me feel like musical interlude

Good news and bad news.

Emily Thornberry has just managed to squeeze through with 22 nominations although she took it to the wire.

Clive Lewis has dropped out because he couldn't get anyone else to nominate him "in the spirit of pluralism, diversity and generosity".

Richard Burgon has also managed to get through to the next round of the deputy leadership contest, so that will be entertaining.

Notice when I said "good news and bad news", I didn't specify which was which. Sometimes, it's hard to tell

But he relished provocation for its own sake and really didn't seem to care who he offended.

Especially if they were women

Please save us from Lady Nugee