POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

Ian, she 's older than me and she's spent all her adult life a member of the Labour Party (55 years) so why put the word veteran in quote marks?

[PanBiker]

To highlight the use of the word by the media rather than perhaps long standing. Matters not, she is an extremist herself in her own way.

[plaques]

Well the DUP have taken their bat home so that's that.

When the 'people have spoken' with the instruction to leave the EU they probably assumed it meant the whole of the UK not bits and pieces. We can now see that Northern Ireland isn't really part of the UK and probably wouldn't really benefit from being part of the 'Singapore on Thames' game show. Next will be 'The northern powerhouse' relegated to the Northern poorhouse.

... "veteran" Labour Party member Dame Louise Joyce Ellman has quit the party. She has jumped before being pushed having lost a confidence vote by her own Constituency members. She confuses support for oppressed and disenfranchised nations as anti Semitism.

Perhaps she is just confused? Will probably vote with the Tories on Brexit in support of the rightwing fascists.

[Tizer]

Nancy Pelosi says Trump had a meltdown because Republicans joined Democrats in condemning his decision to withdraw US force from the Syria conflict. He seems to have thrown his toys out of the pram. He was very rude about Pelosi too. His behaviour is getting more serious by the day. A letter he wrote personally to Erdogan was read out on radio and it was like one written to his mate but more impolite. And this while Trump's top men are visiting Turkey.
LINK

[Tripps]

She has jumped before being pushed having lost a confidence vote by her own Constituency members.

Fascinating isn't it, how the same situation is seen by different people. The Labour MP Wes Streeting who is in a position to know more than I do, has said -

Labour’s Leader knew what was happening to Louise. He was warned that another Jewish woman was being hounded out of the Parliamentary Party. He was asked to intervene. He chose not to. This is what institutional racism looks like.


Take your pick - either way she has left the party.

[Tizer]

Both main UK political parties now seem incapable of tolerating any members who exhibit dissent. I think we should be concerned about that trend. There's a similar trend in the population at large but our politicians should be setting a better example.

[PanBiker]

Extremism in any political situation is not to be recommended. Look at the situation in Syria at the moment. The Turks were quite happy to let the Kurds do the brunt of the fighting against ISIS, now of course they regard them as terrorists. We (Govt of the United Kingdom) are also looking to prosecute a bloke who went to Syria and fought alongside the Kurds against ISIS he is now regarded as undesirable although fighting the same enemy. No different with rabid Zionism and the oppression of another Nation who's land was stolen in order to form the State of Israel. Two sides to every story and it always will be. Was there the same reaction when Margaret Thatcher was supporting Pinochet or Tony Blair talking to former terrorists in order to help secure the Good Friday Agreement?

[Stanley]

EU say that the deal is agreed. Now all Johnson has to do is get it through Parliament.

[Tizer]

If you see or hear claims that Juncker has said there can be no extension of the Brexit date, ignore them. He's being misinterpreted by some of the news media and, anyway, it's not something he can make the decision on even if he wanted to. Farage seems to have assumed it's more than it is and has made a fool of himself on Twitter, much to the amusement of the Twitterati.

Meanwhile, across the pond, here's the photo below of Nancy Pelosi giving Donald Trump a shock at the White House... LINK

[PanBiker]

DUP, Labour and Liberals are against the deal and will not vote in favour. Meanwhile Boris is trying to get the EU to refuse another extension so as to focus minds. I don't think that will work as we have been here before and the EU are as reluctant as opposition parties here to avoid a no deal. It is not in their interest either. Saturday should be interesting.

[Stanley]

What struck me yesterday as I watched them all back-slapping is that we aren't over the line yet and as Ian says, there are some interesting things in the offing.
I wonder if anyone has realised that there will be big changes in other fields as well. I'll take a punt on Irish Unification, secession by Scotland and Wales and a sea change in the way we are governed. Remember the Law of Unexpected Consequences. It's going to be an interesting ride.
I wish I'd been a fly on the wall when Nancy grabbed Trump by the balls. The fact that he says she is demented speaks volumes. Well done that woman! (Not bad for 79 years old!)

[PanBiker]

I will miss the fun live on Saturday, I'm going to a big exhibition of political, trade union and demo banners in Brierfield mill. It's put on as part of the Pendle Hill Project. It has been on for a few weeks and has just three weekends remaining. Only open at weekends as the space is a live building site during the week. The entire former weaving floor of the mill is full of banners which have come from all parts of the country. Clarion House has provided a couple of ours for the duration of the display.

[Tizer]

One of the Brexiteer ministers on the radio this morning said that Boris had `got rid of the undemocratic Irish backstop'. What has the backstop got to do with democracy? The words democratic and undemocratic are being bandied about now with no regard to the correct meaning; they're just used to stir up populist support. Whatever the Brexiteers want is described as `democratic'; whatever their opponents want is labelled `undemocratic'. We're seeing the gradual erosion of what has long been the UK's form of democracy and has been well-respected and imitated worldwide.

[plaques]

I'm going to a big exhibition of political, trade union and demo banners in Brierfield mill.

I wonder if Mr Stephenson MP will be there. He seems to take every opportunity there is to have a photo call where he explains how he was instrumental in securing funding for the Mill project. You never know you may get him up to Clarion House.
Oh, I forgot he may be in Westminster supporting Johnson's porkies.

[Stanley]

I agree totally about the misuse of the word 'democratic. What's democratic about selling Northern Ireland down the river?
Stephenson's main attribute is bandwagon hopping. I note that we have had two more expensive glossy messages from him. Is Ashworth money still having an influence?
I listened to Rees Mogg on Today... That man can do U-Turns on a sixpence. He quickly skated over a question as to why the deal was 'cretinous' when May presented what is generally believed to be a better version. I think it was him that said that many MPs would only make up their minds when they were walking towards the Lobbies... That sounds about right.
I'm afraid it's all becoming a blur. Presenters trying to get interviewees to slip up answering hypothetical questions in order to win a sound bite and others enjoying the first time the media have been interested in them for years.
I continually have at the back of my mind the same thing that worries Tiz. How come we are seriously discussing a political strategy that is agreed by all concerned to be damaging to the UK? Have we gone mad? Doesn't anyone listen carefully to Johnson and realise that in interviews he never finishes a sentence or answers a serious question but always reverts to unsubstantiated optimism about the future, dismissing any ill effects as 'short term'?
Another thing that strikes me is the 'implementation period' of over a year. Does this mean that once again, all the money spent on stocking good and hiring ferries has been wasted?

[Tizer]

Yes, it does seem like we've all gone mad - the lunatics are in charge of the asylum, as the old saying goes. I will never understand why the majority of MPs who knew leaving the EU was wrong simply waved through Article 50. Had they drunk too much Parliament Ale? Had they been drugged by the Russians? I know they'll say they did it because Cameron had `promised the people' that we'd leave; but just because Cameron made a foolish statement doesn't mean that they should fail in their duty to do what they knew was best for the nation.

There's too much populism and nationalism about but at least the Swiss are more sensible. This article is partly about climate change but also about changes in the Swiss political climate. As you read on you find that the Swiss are beginning to resist populism. The concerns of the people are shifting from immigration and relationships with the EU and back towards real problems such as equal opportunities, healthcare, pensions etc.
`Swiss election: Why melting Alps could create a green wave' LINK

[plaques]

Never mind the quality feel the width. Trust me Boris has come up with a deal but nobody seems to know the exact details. Mrs May's deal had over 250 pages of detail. MP's are being asked to vote on something where the 'small print' will be revealed later. Who in their right mind would sign up to anything under these terms? The EU must be laughing up their sleeves, I'll bet they never thought they would be dealing with such a bunch of amateurs as Boris's lot. Three months down the line when the dust settles it will cost the UK £Billions to settle our debts and then more £B's in ongoing costs. Oliver Letwin has the right idea, see what the detail brings and then decide, of course Boris may be found 'dead in a ditch' but you can't trust anything he says.

[Big Kev]

Let's go round again...

[Tripps]

I watched a lot of parliament today. Not sure why they bothered - perhaps Cummings is on time and a half. Cheeky devils asked for extra child care allowance for the day.

I think Kev's got it. I'm not sure anything at all was achieved.

Good to see Rees Mogg slinking away, after hiding behind procedure, to avoid awkward questions. Seems things are different if you speak in response to a point of order, rather than an emergency business statement. I was half expecting him to say that 'non of it counted, because I had my fingers crossed.'

PS - I think MP's were on a bonus for every time they used the phrase, 'get Brexit done'. Boris said it four times in his post debate letter to MP's and Peers.

[Stanley]

Unusual for me but I watched TV in the afternoon, not the politics programme where all is speculation but the source, the Chamber where history was being made. Interesting TV!
There was evidently a Cunning Plan B on the Tory side because as soon as they lost the Letwin vote (By a larger margin than anticipated) Johnson made a short statement, the Tories walked out and Rees Mogg made a short business statement hiding behind protocol to bar questions. Bercow admitted he was blind-sided as Rees Mogg had said nothing to warn him in a meeting the day before and the House adjourned. Late news that Johnson had sent the mandatory letter under the Benn Act to Brussels but unsigned. It was accompanied by a signed letter from him intimating that he didn't want any extension. Interesting that we learned this had happened not from Downing Street but Brussels.
That's what happened. My analysis is that the procedures of the Commons worked and the government was defeated again and forced to obey the law. The Tories are banking on more blackmail and threats and a vote on the Deal early next week which they hope will scrape through. They are relying on Cummings/ Johnson double act to swing a few more votes and may alter the Bill slightly to mollify some of their awkward squad.
I think they may be mistaken. Exposure to nasty politics and the walk out today may have convinced even more opponents that this Mickey Mouse on steroids act by the Hulk and his Mekon that the Tories and their deal is a busted flush.
Recognise also that the tactics of the rabid Nasty wing of the Tories have consolidated the combined opposition, deeply upset Ireland, Wales and Scotland, infuriated the Greens and with the customs border in the Irish Sea, probably ensured the eventual break up of the Union with all that that entails. Brenda take note!

Question. Why does my mind keep veering towards thoughts about spivs, con-men and shallow, selfish, short term ends that ditch conventional wisdom?

[Sue]

He wants his own way however he gets it, just like another politician of note across the pond

[Stanley]

Spot on Sue!

[plaques]

This is from the BBC report on yesterdays vote. Extract.

And the prime minister was forced to ask the EU for a delay to Brexit, something he vowed he would absolutely never do.
But he has sent the letter requesting it grudgingly, sending just a photocopy of what was spelt out in law, with a personal letter to the rest of the continent pleading with them not to listen.
Not surprisingly that has sent his political enemies into furious overdrive and, as I write, the outrage over his ploy is already in full swing.
He's been branded "pathetic" and "shameful", one Labour peer joking "surely there should be a fourth letter too, saying 'my name is Boris Johnson and I am five years old'."

I noted in his common's reply Boris said "I will not negotiate an extension" , Which translates to me "I will accept anything which is on offer".
I wonder whether sending an unsigned letter is in law the same as not sending one at all? Another round of litigation on the horizon?

[Stanley]

Some commetators seem to be asking the same question P/ Whatver, it is petty and against the spirit of the House. I almost wrote "He should be ashamed...." but I don't think he does shame. After all, Floriat Etonia, he was born to rule and knows he is right.

[Tripps]

I wonder whether sending an unsigned letter is in law the same as not sending one at all? Another round of litigation on the horizon?

Try getting probate with an unsigned photocopy of a 'will', and you'll soon find out the answer to that. You even have to have two witnesses to the signature. I think a signature on a document is quite important.

The word Jesuitical keeps coming to mind. (def: dissembling or equivocating, in the manner once associated with Jesuits).

I think the matter is in the High Court in Edinburgh tomorrow - the court to which he gave an undertaking that he would send a letter.