Westminstenders: Prepare for what we said would never happen

[RedToothBrush]

I think that there may be a run on tinned tomatoes and pasta coming. Pizza will no longer have mozzarella in 2021.

On the plus side turnips are in season.

But thats not RF or specific to a TV, could have been anything.

This excellent article from Nick Cohen offers a glimmer of hope that the "examplars" of populism currently in control on both sides of the Atlantic are themselves sowing the seeds of their own demise.

I particularly liked this paragraph:

When liberals treat their enemies as evil geniuses, they bestow a backhanded compliment. They imply that, however wicked it may be, the right has a supernatural power to manipulate the electorate and rig the system. Donald Trump is many things, but he’s no genius, evil or otherwise. If Trump were a beggar screaming at passersby on a Washington sidewalk, rather than a billionaire in the White House, we would have no difficulty in saying he was mentally ill. I accept Boris Johnson has the superficial charm and rat-like cunning of the journalist-conmann^. But if he were a political mastermind, he would never have confirmed the deep suspicion of northern voters that southern snobs view them with contempt.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/24/were-endlessly-told-why-populism-works-now-see-how-it-might-fail

Fingers crossed that the Orange One reaps his appropriate reward a week after next, but we're stuck with BJ the Conservatives for 3.5 more years given that the FTPA says that the election has to be held in May

Brinkmanship is so evident now.

Yes and that was what the nonsense about walking out if we haven't got a deal by 15th October was about, and Barnier needn't come. But Barnier did come after more days were wasted, and Johnson still hasn't found where he's put the pack with his 'Oven Ready Deal' in. Even so, No Deal might still happen by accident, and even if the Oven Ready Deal occurs, it will be a bad deal.

We may be stuck with this bunch of Tories for 3.5 more years, but maybe not. Two things could happen - the legislation could be repealed, or as with the last Parliament, there could be a vote to hold an election.

Enduring the venality and incompetence of this government until 2023 is a depressing prospect. On the plus side, we will get the pleasure of watching Sturgeon deal with them as the SNP requests another referendum.

We may well be stuck with the Tories for 3 1/2 years, but not convinced we'll be stuck with Boris the Bufoon for that long.
Growing unrest on the back benches with the innate incompetence of this Government, and its continual U turns.
Boris will eventually have the good grace to die in a ditch somewhere when it all becomes too much.
And there is always someone willing to take over. I still think Hunt is in the running.
It's almost a case of anyone but Gove.

Vote Gove get Cummings, won't exactly be a vote winner, I think.

Another quote from that Nick Cohen article that will resonate with most of the contributors on here:

This government hates and wants to crush anyone who argues back: judges, broadcasters, civil servants, regional mayors.

I confess to anxiety that England hasn’t been put under some form of lockdown, since Wales, NI & Scotland have adopted much stricter rules this halfterm.

Some say that the whole country doesn’t need the same draconian measures as a few regions have lower rates, but this data shows that e.g. the South West has the highest R rate and highest % growth rate. Overall R rate is between 1.1 and 1.6 so this is only going one way.

A different leader could have made a speech before halfterm, asking people to take care of themselves and their loved ones and observe the rules as best they can over the holiday. Find enjoyments close to home. Dress up warm and enjoy the autumn outdoors. Take precautions now to make a family Christmas more likely. Look after each other. (I could go on, but might get maudlin.)

But he couldn’t do this. Because people don’t trust him, or have faith in the leadership any more. Many don’t like him. And he knows it.

We don’t live in a place where most people believe the leader has their best interests at heart, and give their goodwill and co-operation (like perhaps NZ.) Sigh.

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-number-in-the-uk#history

I see that Prue Leith has left the Tory party, over food standards.
She didn't manage to persuade her son to vote to protect food standards, which might have been more useful.

I could have added that she is another Leaver whining about getting what she voted for.

I see that Prue Leith has left the Tory party, over food standards.

If only someone had said before that Brexit threatened food standards.

@Peregrina

I could have added that she is another Leaver whining about getting what she voted for.

Which, given her platform - needs to be pointed out. On the hour. Every hour.

Meanwhile, I was pondering on the Rashford situation. It seems the machinery of crushing MSM that has served Boris and Brexit so well may have just started to eat itself. The key to Brexit was a snappy "good" thing that became a slogan "taking back control". Which regardless of any reality is a good thing.

Rashford appears to have owned "feeding starving kids" - and that is also a "good" thing. Not only that - as with Brexit, it's created a narrative of two sides and it's amusing to see Tory MPs floundering finding themselves on the Wrong side.

Certainly it seems it isn't bending under the entire weight of the machinery of spin ranged against it.

Maybe - just maybe - there's a hint of a future strategy to bring these bastards down. Using the culture they created.

Dispatches from Caledonia ...

I have the feeling that there will be lots of leavers that will be unhappy about not getting what they voted for.

Reading what Daniel Hannon thought would happen is eye opening:

reaction.life/britain-looks-like-brexit/

I love the "not hampered by data protection rules"

1. We had data protection law before the EU did
2. Our financial services industry is fucked if we don't have adequate data protection

I have the feeling that there will be lots of leavers that will be unhappy about not getting what they voted for.

The silence is deafening. However a brief reflection on the intersections of trending headlines tells the truth. They may not be openly admitting it, but by their protests ye shall know them.

Still, fuck 'em. I've spent over 4 years being daily hit over the head with "will of the people" and lectures in capital letters about "democracy" so fuck 'em. They can learn all about "democracy" now. And they can enjoy their blue passports and adulterated food. And hope to God that the US gun manufacturers don't decide the UK gun laws are anti competition when Brexiteers get their sainted US-UK "deal". Because I for one am looking forward to rocking some of the hardware I've seen in YouTube clips.

I needed a bit of light entertainment and reading Hannan's article which hasn't aged well provided that

Talk about a deluded combination of everlasting cakeism, projection (of the UK's shortcomings into the EU) and old Empire arrogance

Sabrina, that wasn't propoesed. That slide was the heads of government showing what deal the UK red lines would allow.

The EU said in 2017 that the proximity to the EU and how interconnected the economies were would not allow for a Canada deal.

The whole " they offered Canada" thing is, as usual with the leave camp, bullshit.

@prettybird

I needed a bit of light entertainment and reading Hannan's article which hasn't aged well provided that

Talk about a deluded combination of everlasting cakeism, projection (of the UK's shortcomings into the EU) and old Empire arrogance

People like him need to be teased into telling us how they've been let down. Which will be stomach churning. But one of them is worth a million little people.

The Cakeism is on show in Hannan's article.

Maybe its a failing in those who have led the Brexit camapaign, they are almost to a man privileged privately educated types who have never really faced a challenge, their contacts and cultural capital have given them an overwhelming advantage in everything they have done in life. So why wouldn't negotiating everything they want from the EU be easy, after all, everything else has been. Its kind of like what happens when someone stands up to the bully.

I think they genuinely believed all the guff they spouted. After all, in the past, the UK whining and whining has got them their special deals. Now they have had their bluff called.

Why wouldn't you believe it if you were them? Bluster and being self confident have got them where they are now, why won't it work again?

@TomMRiddle - Reading what Daniel Hannon thought would happen is eye opening

I love the way NI is dealt with so neatly by Ireland leaving too. I wonder did Patel starve us into it or was it just the expected forelock tugging that made us follow our betters.

Maybe its a failing in those who have led the Brexit campaign, they are

getting what they wanted all along. They'll never disown it.

It's when the people who voted for Brexit and haven't died start to complain, there could be some traction. Until then they are trapped on a never ending walk up the down escalator insisting "it's going the wrong way".

Oh I agree, those who led the campaign had very different objectives from those who voted for it.

Its why so many of the different strands of why people voted are conflicting, although the family friend who thought it would stop immigrants coming here, but that it wouldn't impact his desire to retire to Spain was a bit shocked.