Countdown to AreMaygeddon (the s.t.b. ex-PM thread)

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these are not children throwing toys out of prams. Some of them have no toys.

In any case, this is why I always prefer to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Thusly displaced to floor level these babies quickly realise that the toys (if they had any in the first place, as you say) aren't actually gone, but just no longer in the pram or bath.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46490642

Only just got her cabinet job back and already writing alternative narratives in the press

Everyone of them wants their own personal Brexit

Most intriguingly is not even pretending this deal is going to be approved. I wonder if even she will even vote for it herself.

[biggytitbo]

... personal Brexit.. 

Depeche Mode's cheap cash in attempt didn't even chart.

[finnquark]

Will Quince, PPS to Gavin Williamson, has resigned over the deal, and the politics correspondent of the Telegraph is saying more are on their way. Oddschecker at the minute has Raab to be next Tory leader available at 9/2, Javid at 5/1, Gove and Johnson available at 6/1, lots of other runners and riders at 7/1.

[Paul Calf]

I got 7-1 against the withdrawal agreement passing. It seemed good at the time, but it's increasingly looking underpriced.

[olliebean]

The remain vote was 16m, not 17m!!


But seriously, what a pathetic piece of sneering, contemptuous snobbery. Have a word with yourself.

OK, fair enough, not all Leave voters. But whenever they turn up in the audience of Question Time or being interviewed on the street or what-have-you, most of them seem to know fuck-all about it and have pathetically naive and childish opinions about how the Government should proceed (principal amongst which being "Just get on with it," like there's absolutely no need for any planning or organisation whatsoever). And while we're about it, I'm not saying a fair proportion of Remain voters haven't also been infantilised, they just show it in different ways.

[finnquark]

I got 7-1 against the withdrawal agreement passing. It seemed good at the time, but it's increasingly looking underpriced.

What happens if there isn't a vote on it, did you go draw no bet?

Mood music from the Tory boy journos is she's going to delay it, but to what end god knows.

[finnquark]

The government talking out the vote on Tuesday, or even pulling the vote actually, would be a fitting end to a period of constitutional vandalism that began with the Fixed-term Parliaments Act.

[Mister Six]

The government talking out the vote on Tuesday, or even pulling the vote actually, would be a fitting end to a period of constitutional vandalism that began with the Fixed-term Parliaments Act.

What's wrong with that act? Stopping a PM from calling a general election when the wind is blowing in their favour seems like a good idea to me.

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What's wrong with that act? Stopping a PM from calling a general election when the wind is blowing in their favour seems like a good idea to me.

I'd tend to agree if we hadn't had a general election last year on exactly that basis.

I'm more concerned about the fact a government can redraw boundary lines as they see fit to concoct the best outcome for themselves. The

[Mister Six]

I'd tend to agree if we hadn't had a general election last year on exactly that basis.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Been a busy fucking year, hasn't it?

[Thomas]

A reminder of what the British government has been up to amid the distracting noise of Brexit:

The other night, I watched BBC Panorama's 'The Universal Credit Crisis' (12 November 2018). I'm sure we're all familiar with the problems, and perhaps you've already seen the episode, but, if you haven't, I'd implore you to give it 29 minutes of your time. Even though I was aware of the stats and facts, I was shocked to see the reality of affected lives, and the image of a man lining up his tools to sell for pittance nudged me well into crying territory.

I know that at least one person on here has suffered under the implementation of Universal Credit. If for some reason your fellow constituents comprise a communal brainwrong and you've a Tory MP, you might email the Honourable Member with a link to the programme, and ask them to watch it.

And remember, the fantastic website https://www.theyworkforyou.com/ tracks the decisions, votes, and expenditures of your MP. Delight today in the empty thrill of checking whether not your local representative cares about poor people, foreigners, and badgers.

[finnquark]

What's wrong with that act? Stopping a PM from calling a general election when the wind is blowing in their favour seems like a good idea to me.

There's the fact that it doesn't stop PMs from calling early elections, and also the increased difficulty in getting rid of coalition or minority governments. It was brought in to make sure the coalition lasted, and the fact of it being a transfer of power to the commons was overblown. The Tories pledged to get rid of it in their last manifesto, but I imagine they've changed their mind now.

[mothman]

Is this it? Is this the week?

_{Probably not.}

[Blumf]

Like getting dried on shit out of the tread of your shoe.

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Like getting dried on shit out of the tread of your shoe.

Dried on shit = High on drugs

[finnquark]

Jon Trickett's mooting of a minority government led by Labour without the need for a General Election is another negative consequence of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, in constitutional terms (although as a Labour member, I'd obviously prefer some sort of Labour led government). Since 1945 Eden, Super Mac, Douglas-Home, Callaghan, Major, Brown and May have all become PM by replacing an incumbent without a General Election. But there hasn't been a change of ruling party without a General Election since then. I think the last time it happened was Salisbury in 1885! I'm not even particularly fussed I suppose - anything to get shot of the Tories - but I do think the Cameron government played fast and loose with convention/constitutional matters, and typically of their shallow political style, had very little idea about the long term consequences. Recently I read a few analyses of the Act, and one pointed out that if the Commons defeats the government in a vote of no confidence, for the 14 days that the government has to win a second vote of confidence, nobody seems entirely sure who the government actually is. The implications of the Act are going to be sorely tested in the upcoming week.

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Unfortunately I think such a step would be considered undemocratic by most voters, even though it is perfectly legitimate.  Remember how the tabloids attacked Labour for floating the very idea of forming a minority government without first being the largest party?  "The very nerve of them!!"  All that stuff.

I'd rather the Tories burn themselves out, anyway.  Burn out Gove, burn out BoJo, give them all a shot at the leadership and let these EU negotiations fuck every last one before Labour pick up the pieces.  The Tories deserve to be regarded by everyone as one singular nasty, vindictive mind, not a group of reasonable people slightly disgruntled by May Doing It Wrong.

[greencalx]

There is no chance of May/the tories losing a confidence vote.

[pancreas]

There is no chance of May/the tories losing a confidence vote.

They've seriously pissed off the DUP tho... one of them said [paraphrase] 'Corbyn: I don't like the guy, don't get me wrong, but he gets it.'

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Even winning the no-confidence vote will be another winnowing and leave the Tories more divided and not solve the situation they created and fully own.

[Captain Z]

Harry Redknapp waits by the phone.

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CHEER UP LA

[BlodwynPig]

"GIANT CUNT"

[pancreas]

Like some Dickensian hypocrite mourning the loss of her despised husband.

[Huxleys Babkins]

Unfortunately I think such a step would be considered undemocratic by most voters, even though it is perfectly legitimate.  Remember how the tabloids attacked Labour for floating the very idea of forming a minority government without first being the largest party?  "The very nerve of them!!"  All that stuff.

I'd rather the Tories burn themselves out, anyway.  Burn out Gove, burn out BoJo, give them all a shot at the leadership and let these EU negotiations fuck every last one before Labour pick up the pieces.  The Tories deserve to be regarded by everyone as one singular nasty, vindictive mind, not a group of reasonable people slightly disgruntled by May Doing It Wrong.

That's where I am. A minority Labour government with 261 seats will be a dead man walking. You can't pass anything with that. Lib Dem and SNP support will be in short supply without making huge concessions with Brexit and even then it's not enough to comfortably pass legislation against 330 Tories.

It would literally be the "coalition of chaos" the Tories promised, would damage Labour irreparably and deliver a Tory majority at the next election. Labour need to wait this out.

[pancreas]

What Labour would do is to pass a Queen's speech with nothing but popular policies in it: nationalisation of rail/water etc., setting up a national investment bank ... stuff like that. If it fails, it fails, and you have more evidence that a GE is needed. If it passes, then you immediately start passing the legislation you want. At some point it will start getting voted down and you point out that you're not being allowed to get on with the stuff in the Queen's speech and you argue that a GE is needed. Hopefully during the GE you get the chance to call on other parties to ask them why they were voting down all these popular policies.

You do not have a confidence and supply arrangement. You certainly do not enter into a coalition.

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More like coalition eh readers, because of Santa naughty little boys and girls etc!!

[Buelligan]

Anyone else noticed how Boris Johnson's hair styling has changed.  Clownish to Imperial Rome.  I wonder why?

[finnquark]