POLITICS CORNER

[PanBiker]

The EU elections will be a transferable vote job. Your options will be to vote for a party team. Members of each team are ranked by their parties in order of selection on each round. votes are then transferred and the next selected etc..

[Whyperion]

I suppose retail and industry over-stocked for now at least might cover summer shut-downs for maintenance and holidays, giving a nice re-stock from September !

Lab telling Corbyn to stop attempting to keep the May government from falling over.

STV does not appear to be the system in London Area unless I totally missed the instructions on the PV, I should have my PV papers to pick up in Burnley for NW Region (which I assume covers Pendle too), to see if its different. I assume brexiting parties will get split votes, Change somewhere near nil support, with a probable Lib majority by some kind of default.

[Stanley]

Where is Jacob Rees Mogg and the rest of the ERG? Locked in the tower?

[chinatyke]

It strikes me that Theresa had only to do nothing and she would have achieved the objective of leaving the EU.

"You only had one job..."

[plaques]

It strikes me that Theresa had only to do nothing and she would have achieved the objective of leaving the EU.

I tend to agree. Probably everything that is going on between now and the latest drop dead leaving date is just so much more hot air and 'can' kicking. Gavin Williamson our recently sacked Defence Secretary has gone an the attack saying that the talks with Labour are a grave mistake. Williamson some comments attributed to him are.
'He added Jeremy Corbyn's only real interest was a general election'.
"The Labour Party does not exist to help the Conservative Party.
Mr Williamson said the prime minister seemed oblivious to the fact many Tories believe she is "negotiating with the enemy".

I doubt that Mrs May and her team are oblivious to what the Tories are thinking but just part of the overall plan to make the public think she is doing her best when all along the intention is to do nothing.

[Stanley]

Listening to the headlines this morning I tend to agree. It seems to me that May has simply put the shutters up, she is still talking about getting Mark IV through the House against predictions from all sides that this is a fantasy. If it passes she is the saviour of the country, if it fails she still has until October to play at being Prime Minister. I honestly can't detect any policies beyond that. Plenty of aspirations and initiatives but they all have one thing in common, nothing needs to be done until we reach the dénouement of the Unpleasantness with Europe....
Did you see the news item this morning that the movers and shakers, the hedge funds and speculators, are saying that they will move their funds abroad to avoid a 'Labour Tax Raid'. Really? Like the financial institutions and banks who were going to decamp en masse to Frankfurt and points East?
I refuse to lose any sleep.....

[PanBiker]

STV does not appear to be the system in London Area unless I totally missed the instructions on the PV, I should have my PV papers to pick up in Burnley for NW Region (which I assume covers Pendle too), to see if its different. I assume brexiting parties will get split votes, Change somewhere near nil support, with a probable Lib majority by some kind of default.

Yes, It's a PR system but not strictly STV. Here are a couple of examples of how the D'Hondt system works.

Proportional Representation in Regional Constituencies. How does it work?

The D'Hondt system: How MEPs get elected in Britain

Notice on the BBC example the Tories get the most votes.

[Tripps]

Thanks for the link to the curious d'Hondt system. I looked at it last time, but had forgotten the details. I can't help thinking that it was the system which got Nick Griffin of the BNP a seat at the table.

Since there are relatively low numbers of each group compared to the total, - does it really matter which party they are in? It depends on which group they associate with?

[Whyperion]

I sort of understand the system , but the parties in London (?SE Region) have between 6 and 8 persons on their ticket (straightfordwardish), there are 8 places I think to be filled, and in a way one is anticpitating that a vote for ones party choice would return all on their ticket, but I understand the difference to the first past the post system. But given there are also non-party candidates , it is extremely unlikely that any of them would get elected as one only has one choice - which may return two or more party candidates, when one personally may prefer (and is allowed in the NI system), a Party Candidate and an Independent single runner to be voted for ( and upscale for where there are more than two seats up for filling ), and we are not given that option, at least in first past post a single vote for a single candidate is fairer.

[Tizer]

Where is Jacob Rees Mogg and the rest of the ERG? Locked in the tower?

They've returned to their castles and left Nigel Farage to fight the battle for them.

[Stanley]

The duck houses and moats need maintenance perhaps.....
I had mail from Gordon Prentice this morning. I've asked him for his thoughts on Brexit from his point of view in Canada....
I wonder if any log jams will break this week. May's policy of 'masterly inactivity' seems to have the Tories mesmerised even though they are enraged. I have never seen anything like it..... Oh for a Nye Bevan to blast her out of her redoubt!
Meanwhile in the US One of Trumps chief economics advisers has gone public disputing Trump's repeated assertions that China is paying a high price for the latest tariff increases. The economist says Trump is wrong, the US consumer is going to pay as well. The price of a Chinese TV set will rise by $100 for instance and China is the main source. Then there is the damage it will do to US investments in China and the affects on global trade. All these will impact eventually on the US. Add to this any retaliatory action by China. The general opinion is that Trump has walked into a minefield in order to score short term points for the next presidential election. The longer term effects could be very damaging.

[Tripps]

May's policy of 'masterly inactivity' seems to have the Tories mesmerised

They are waiting for all the brass turnings to be hoovered up and to get a 'straight edge' before they want to be involved - if that's not a metaphor too far.

[chinatyke]

Would someone kindly explain the following: "To have almost not a series of indicative votes but actually a series of definitive votes to seek to get to a place of where that sense of where Parliament is, to be able to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, to be able to have that vote to see that we leave - that's the next stage, that would be the next phase." - James Brokenshire.

[plaques]

Would someone kindly explain the following: "" - James Brokenshire.

James Brokenshire is the Housing Secretary, Some of his statements on housing are a little confusing and may occasionally drop into the 'fake' category but I can't find a reference to your quote although is sounds par for the course on what's going on.
Expect a flood of houses for sale in Barlick. Express headline. 'Mega-rich 'set to FLEE a Labour Britain' as Corbyn warns they are living on borrowed time.' This is terrible news just when the Food Banks were getting their act together it looks like these selfish mega-rich may have to pay taxes like everybody else. Shame on you Barlick.

[Stanley]

China and David, I heard Brokenshire saying that this morning and it struck me that because he, like the other Tories, is completely bereft of ideas, all he can do is follow the May line until it becomes expedient to get his dagger out and join the rest of the party in stabbing her in the back.
P after issuing the customary irony alert I agree with your drift. I feel you were very close to the truth earlier when you said that May was simply conducting a holding operation until she can blame Labour for the disaster that is yet to come. Not only the fate of Mark IV but the EU election results. The Tories recognise what is coming down the road on the 24th, it's inevitable and will make the other recent 'blood baths' look like a bit of mild entertainment. When and where will it all end? It surely can't go on like this until October.... can it?

[Whyperion]

Daft Question, but if supposedly the entire Sunday Times top 150 rich list members left the UK ( became non-resident and non-domiciled for taxation of personal incomes let us say), would the UK Treasury or the UK Economy actually notice. [ Effectively I consider that at present on my definition I suspect current direct contribution is close to nil , there may be a little spin down on expenditure in the economy at certain levels ]

[Big Kev]

I'll just leave this here...

Corrupt.jpg

[Stanley]

In nine days we can give them all a kick up the arse again.....
Apart from that we are all doomed....
Listening to the latest news.... The talks between the Tories and Labour are not getting anywhere but neither party dare walk out. If Labour walk away they will immediately be attacked for sabotaging Mark IV. May has to stay in because otherwise it is obvious that she has no plan and is simply clinging on by the tips of her fingers. No matter what she does she is doomed. This exercise simply keeps her in Downing Street and helps build up her pension fund..... Meanwhile we slide down the slope.
In another part of the forest Trump's trade war is having an effect on the markets and he has had to announce a $15billion aid package for the farmers, a key part of his support, who are suffering as China retaliates by hiking the tariffs on imported food. This policy is mutually destructive and will affect global trade as well.

[plaques]

In the way of clarification of what's going on here is a quick summery.

Mrs May who is a past master at not answering questions has been busy with a flurry of inactivity whipping up apathy in the general public. Exhausted by all this silence she has gone quiet by refusing in not replying to questions she has already ignored on the grounds that they have already been covered adequately by not saying anything. On the subject of the UK /European Parliamentary elections there is nothing to say other than they won't take place because its their aspiration to have left the EU before the polling date. Elaborating on this would be a waste of breath because its just a repeat of what was not said on the subject had we had left on the 29th of March. Having made herself clear that we have entered another period of static inertia she will taking a short break and allow her Ministers to not answer the questions in her place.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

[Stanley]

Brilliant! I think we are all up to speed now.....
What a bloody mess....

[Tripps]

I think that's about the most perceptive post I've seen on here for a long time. Thank you P.

Parliament only sat for just over three hours yesterday. I saw the adjournment vote. Madame Deputy Speaker had put the question 'as many as are of that opinion say aye' twice, as there were only about six member present, and she didn't hear the response.

PS - it was bit like a childrens' pantomime - 'I can't hear you . . .

The calm before the storm.

Someone is about to be 'overwhelmed'. Maybe even very very overwhelmed'

[PanBiker]

SNAFU

[Stanley]

All I can think of to say is I agree with all of you.....
See THIS for a BBC report on what looks like the last throw of the dice by T May. The general opinion is that there will be no agreement with Labour despite the fact that Number 10 continues to be optimistic. This indicates that without a miracle the vote will fail and this looks like the end of the road for both T May and any managed Brexit. The only alternatives left will either be crashing out with no deal or rescinding the Article 50 application to leave. The aim is to avoid sending MEPs to Brussels in July by resolving the impasse.
This all looks impossible but a lot will happen between now and June and it remains to be seen how big a shock the main parties are going to get after May 23rd. Bear in mind that as things stand the EU have made it clear there will be no more procrastination on their part and negotiations on the withdrawal agreement are over.
Politics is funny stuff, nothing is certain and who knows what will happen?

[Stanley]

A week today we can have a second referendum! I think the message is Vote Liberal as a protest against Brexit.
News that Grayling's disastrous alterations to the probation service are to be reversed. Originally it was announced that the existing contracts would be terminated and new companies approached to take over the contracts but after the NAO criticisms wiser heads might be prevailing and it looks now as though we are going to go back to the original in-house systems. What a waste of money and resources, Grayling should have left the service alone....
Parliament is paralysed as they wait for the results of the EU election. We shall see them on the Sunday after the election a week today. After that the deluge!

[Tizer]

The members of the 1922 Committee are already sharpening their knives.
Unfortunately, the EU election results will probably give Farage something more to crow about.