Westministers : Saving the Union

[RedToothBrush]

Apparently we need a tunnel. Just like we needed the £53 million failed Garden Bridge.

Nice little earner for anyone involved.

@DGRossetti

I see Hancock has deployed "the end justifies the means" excuse for his lawbreaking.

Must remember that one next I break the law.

The question that was always asked about Corbyn was 'whats the point of having an opposition if he doesnt oppose?' So far he voted for the non existing Brexit deal, agrees with Johnson about schools reopening and now this ffs

Rob Powell
@robpowellnews
Replying to
@robpowellnews
Sir Keir Starmer says he will not be calling for Matt Hancock to resign over the unlawful publishing of covid contracts saying "calling for people to resign is not what the public really want to see" #ridge

Sorry for serial posts, but -

Does this mean that Daniel Lambert was right all along?

Mathanxiety
Yes of course Daniel Lambert is right.
He's always imported from all over the world.
He knew the rules better than any politician.

grants of up to £2,000
Well I suppose it’s better than nothing. But, realistically, how far will it go? And who is going to supply this training and professional advice?

And who will be available to do the job IN THE AREAS it is needed ....

A load of the old Dover clerks could probably become trainers
but the youngest are in their late 50's

Math I suspect many SMEs have already sunk without trace.

Yep. Or alternatively they move to the EU to survive.

From the article posted by TheABC:

“It was a bit of a white-knuckle ride a couple of weeks ago. We had stockpiled supplies, particularly of Ventolin because it was being sold in huge quantities in France and we were getting anxious that we would run out,” she said. “So our production manager hired a van and took five machines – which was essentially one production line – to the Netherlands. He got the line up and running. We’ve rented an apartment and got six people working over there now. And so far we’ve hired 15 people in the Netherlands and they want another 10 or 11.”

Cooke said Mediwin was being forced to lay off 45 people in the UK. “We were going to invest in a site in the UK a couple of years ago we needed to expand. That £2m investment has gone to Spain. We’ve got a fabulous new production facility which will come online in Barcelona, in two or three months time,” she said.

Successful companies pole-axed through no fault of their own. Brexit is doing great for jobs in EU countries. They must think we're utterly stupid.

So foreseeable and preventable.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/21/sussex-medicines-firm-takes-production-line-abroad-white-van-beat-brexit-ban

@squid4 - so, so sorry to hear your news. Life can be so cruel.

The EU signed their contract on 27th August, the UK signed theirs the day after, on the 28th. The EU paid for their vaccines in full up front, whereas the UK are paying as they go, 30 days after delivery. Puts a different slant on the EU"s anger.

Storing up good will, soft power and all that...

@squid4

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/21/dup-leadership-starts-legal-challenge-against-northern-ireland-protocol

DUP attempts to dump the Protocol, arguing that Unionists were never asked for their consent to it.

This despite the Remain majority in NI.

Shameless charlatans.

I wouldn't normally post something from a betting site but this article about the odds of rejoining from Betfair is an interesting read.

They think it's unlikely by 2026.

Who are the DUP launching their challenge against? The Westminster Government? It's not clear.

BTW I recommend Gavin Esler's new Book on How Britain Ends - which is very good on the birth of English nationalism. It's less good on what to do about the future of the UK, but the book was finished last Octobe, although only published a couple of weeks ago, and has to some extent got overtaken by events.

Who are the DUP launching their challenge against? The Westminster Government? It's not clear.

It’s against HMG.

I’m liking this extract from the article written by Habib, Allister and Hoey:

On the other hand, the Act of Union and the Agreement collectively require the people of Northern Ireland to be treated – as you might expect – on an equal footing with all citizens of the United Kingdom and that no change should be made to their constitution without their approval.

Funny how NI voting Remain in 2016 and thereby not giving consent to leaving the EU was OK though?

www.brexit-watch.org/why-weve-taken-legal-steps-against-hmg-on-the-northern-ireland-protocol

So the DUP are doing the SNPs heavy lifting ?

Good (but long) Twitter thread from SDLP leader Mark Durkan:

Some politicians & commentators now back to specious refrain from their Backstop opposition that Protocol breaks GFA.
Points made = Lord Trimble says so; consent; constitutional status.
Arguments contradict own previous lines & ignore Protocol as result of own Brexit stances. 1/

Same L Trimble:
•denied Brexit implications for GFA saying GFA was "purely political & constitutional" not about economics or trade which Brexit is about.
•said NI consent not needed for Brexit &
•devolved consent not needed for terms or outcome of UK-EU negotiations 2/

L Trimble line of GFA not about trade/economics/EU ignored motives & mechanisms of partnership/cooperation in 3 Strands inc EU matters, N-S body remits etc.
Brexists hailed slanted view as gospel but now flip logic to argue trade factors = constitutional status ergo "consent" 3/

DUP MPs opposed even a parliamentary say on Brexit negotiating terms, blasting Miller case & Supreme Court line.
But DUP cheered other UKSC findings:
•Brexit didn't trip consent principle in GFA
•no devolved consent needed for UK-EU negotiations or Treaty/No Deal outcome 4/

So DUP, L Trimble &co insisted
•no NI consent or cross-community support needed for UK-wide Brexit
•no NI/Scottish/Welsh consent for Brexit terms impacting on devolved competences & interests
•treaty terms for sovereign UK Govt & parliament (alone) only to ratify or not 5/

DUP actively opposed attempts to have cross-party debates & Assembly views.
Resisted case for 360° protection for NI trade flows via island economy + EU (+trade deals) & GB (+ UK trade deals).
Rejected SM/CU options & Backstop.
DUP backed ERG red lines against NI's bottom line 6/

While spurning the case for special status for North via logic & context of GFA, DUP boasted special influence for themselves - "a place at the table where decisions are to be made".
Such influence was exercised with no regard for GFA, devolution or cross-community views 7/

Unionist parties rejected calls in Assembly for extension to UK-EU negotiations. Only for DUP to end up opposing deal by PM they backed, scrambled for the deadline they backed.
But they kept endorsing the very case for hard Brexit, no LPF etc which necessitated Protocol 8/

On Brexit-related legislation eg Internal Market Act, DUP opposed efforts to protect devolved locus, GFA's ECHR terms & prevent Whitehall override of future devolved policies or laws. No consent or cross-community support needed for capricious power use by Ministers of Crown! 9/

Record shows hypocrisy of their claims that GFA requires cross-community consent for everything.
Pinnacle of "parallel consent" in GFA was for joint election of First Ministers by Assembly. This was disposed at St Andrews at DUP behest in favour of solo party appointments 10/

Selective & distortive on consent & GFA, they have obstructed debate & ideas from others. Downed opportunity options for NI while downloading hard Brexit imperatives from ERG.
Defied regional best interests, ignored logical realities & now deny own agency to cry "foul" 11/

Other parties were very clear & quick in rejecting EU Commission crass mistake on Art 16. Also clearly want operational problems obviated for sectors & consumers.
Same concern to minimise adverse impacts, optimise any benefits & uphold GFA has applied over Brexit course 12/

Rather than dead end of DUP 5 Point Plan & narrow call for Unionist unity to mask own mistakes, why not take up option of a 5+ Party Plan?
Threatening work of institutions? Use them in cross-community purpose to remedy or reduce problems & cultivate special regional advantage.

Then, without explanation, the aspects of that Bill which dealt with the Protocol were dropped.

Agreed there was no explanation, but it was more likely to be that Biden won, and while breaking international law might have been overlooked, messing with the GFA wouldn't be. Hence the haste in which it was dropped.

As far as Brexit Watch are concerned, my thoughts are Diddums.

.

Personally I would be delighted to have the DUP drag HMG into court for some much needed air of transparency over a lot of things that happened these past 4 years.

The secret here, is not to get too het up about that intricacies - just watch HMGs reaction very carefully.

I would keep the fact that the DUP are now "doing a Miller" to myself for now. That can be usefully leveraged later on.

With the SNP watching closely ... it would be quite a thing if the UK courts were to agree that each nations constitution provides for what the DUP think they do.

Personally I would be delighted to have the DUP drag HMG into court for some much needed air of transparency over a lot of things that happened these past 4 years.

I agree. I don't see this as schadenfreude - I see this as Johnson and Co being held to account for their actions. But I do wonder how much traction the DUP will get - Johnson has his majority, he doesn't need the DUP and the remnant of the Tory Party a.k.a English Nationalist Party would be more than happy to see the back of N Ireland.

@Peregrina

Personally I would be delighted to have the DUP drag HMG into court for some much needed air of transparency over a lot of things that happened these past 4 years.

I agree. I don't see this as schadenfreude - I see this as Johnson and Co being held to account for their actions. But I do wonder how much traction the DUP will get - Johnson has his majority, he doesn't need the DUP and the remnant of the Tory Party a.k.a English Nationalist Party would be more than happy to see the back of N Ireland.

However, having said all that, I would be more inclined to believe this is more a gangster tactic by the DUP - who don't give two shits about Northern Ireland, the Union or their constituents - to extort even more money from the government, having spent the previous £10 billion on matching Orange curtains and carpets in all their homes.

Johnson has his majority, he doesn't need the DUP and the remnant of the Tory Party a.k.a English Nationalist Party would be more than happy to see the back of N Ireland.

While keeping Scotland ?

Any hint of English nationalism will doom the union for ever. Johnson now has to try to pay to keep NI and Scotland in the Union (and they won't fall for it anyway) while simultaneously playing England hard-ass to the natives. Yet another platespinning mutually contradictory aspect that Brexit has caused.

If people think they are bored of Brexit, wait until 2031.

What's happening in 2031? Or are you just citing ten years hence?

For a person who boasted about getting brexit done, it seems to have caused a lot of work.

Any hint of English nationalism will doom the union for ever.

That was Gavin Esler's take on it. Personally I don't think Johnson gives a s**t, but other Tories might.

That was Gavin Esler's take on it. Personally I don't think Johnson gives a st, but other Tories might.

Werent they most likely the sensible (if there ever was such a thing)Tories that got booted out in 2019?

@Peregrina

Any hint of English nationalism will doom the union for ever.

That was Gavin Esler's take on it. Personally I don't think Johnson gives a s**t, but other Tories might.

Well, like the Remainers, they know where the door is. You can't serve two masters.

If the union was that precious to them, they shouldn't have even considered Brexit. It really is that fucking simple

Meanwhile

Date confirmed for the #PeoplesAS30 hearing in the Inner House of the Court of Session. It will be on the 6th of April 2021 at 10.30am.

Rolls on.

Personally, I'm quite happy to go all out now, and pull out every single item that was called "project fear" from the Leave campaign and now push for it it be enacted as soon as possble, under the banner "Willy of the people".

You voted to leave the EU ? You also voted to fuck the union (notice that Scotland and Northern Ireland did not vote to fuck the union ...). So let's get on full steam ahead and deliver that will of the people too.

Personally, I'd rather have the right to travel, work and live in the EU than a rather fraught domestic union. Although I'm not the best person to make that claim here.

I know LQ will say I told you so but it seems that EUROPA logistics are struggling, despite all the UK’s “border facilitation”.