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Sadly, This Is What Our Once Great Democracy Is Coming To

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Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#1New Post! Jan 24, 2019 @ 02:49:36
"Q: If no deal is taken off the table, will you encourage MPs to back May’s deal?

Rees-Mogg says no deal cannot be taken off the table without the connivance of the government. He says if the Commons passes a no-deal bill, there are other mechanism available to the government. It could prorogue Parliament, he says.

Rees-Mogg says government should if necessary prorogue Parliament to stop Yvette Cooper’s bill to block a no-deal Brexit.

Proroguing is what happens to parliament at the end of a session."


Article in The Guardian regarding Jacob Rees-Mogg Speech

Rees-Mogg Issues Warning to May (2 p.m.)

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group, has said that if the Cooper-Boles attempt to delay Britain’s departure from the EU were to pass, the government should suspend Parliament -- using a process known as prorogation.

That would stop the current session, meaning that all pending legislation - including Cooper and Boles’s bill - would fall. If the government didn’t do this, Rees-Mogg told supporters in London, it would make May complicit in taking no-deal off the table, and her party would hold her to account.

That sounds like a veiled threat that his group of pro-Brexit lawmakers might try to bring down her government."

Germany Would Not Oppose Giving Britain an Article 50 Extension

The sad thing is that May will probably attempt to do as he says.

Theresa May is clearly unfit for office but we can't get rid of her because her own MPs care more about their own jobs than they do the fact she is about to let the UK commit economic suicide.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has said that when it comes to it she will save the party over the country. He's right.

Yesterday we had another brexiter / Tory MP writing to a foreign power, urging them to go against the will of our Parliament. And these right wingers have the audacity to call other people unpatriotic and traitors.


A couple of years ago "no deal" was the unthinkable "Nobody wants or voted for no deal" we were told. It was like the one thing everyone was trying to avoid and the Brexiteers themselves made assurances and promises that it would never happen.

Now we have the Victorian undertaker Rees-Mogg and no doubt the other rabid ERG loons actually trying to shut down Parliament, that democratic institution they (say they) are fighting so hard to be sovereign to actually secure what they call their "Treasured no deal".

This, gentlemen, is the nearest this country has come to a coup d'etat since Cromwell marched the army into Parliament and declared a Republic.

And we all know how that turned out.
gakINGKONG On October 18, 2022




, Florida
#2New Post! Jan 28, 2019 @ 11:25:52
hope it all works out for the best
gakINGKONG On October 18, 2022




, Florida
#3New Post! Jan 30, 2019 @ 11:34:30
So what’s the timeline?. When will we know if this whole thing is done?
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#4New Post! Jan 30, 2019 @ 18:43:44
Nobody knows. Britain invoked Article 50 of the EU Charter in March 2017 which means that if all went according to schedule we would leave on 29 March this year.

Yep, it's getting that tight.

And yet, it could still be moved further out, or a second referendum called, or (most unlikely situation) Brexit could be scrapped altogether. Nobody knows. It's impossible to call.

For now, the date of departure is 29 March, but Parliament is in such disarray nothing is predictable.

Having rejected Theresa May's planned "deal" with the EU a couple of weeks ago by the largest majority in Parliamentary history (a thumping defeat by more than 250 votes), her "Plan B" is now to go back to Brussels and make the same demands that she's made at least 8 times already, and have been rejected by the EU on every occasion, and which they immediately told her last night are not up for negotiation. And today she is still persisting with the line that "Europe will blink first."

The major sticking point is over the Irish border. The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is Britain's only land border with the EU and if Britain leaves the EU and trades under WTO rules, it will be mandatory (not optional mandatory) to create a hard border for the purpose of controlling movement between the countries and collecting customs revenues.

This, however, would mean compromising the Good Friday Agreement which ended the IRA terrorist campaign that lasted more than thirty years. The government of Northern Ireland and the Irish Dail will not countenance a hard border and a return to terrorism, which Irish groups are darkly hinting at. A hard border will almost certainly bring about a return to civil unrest and terrorism.

The Westminster government says it is determined to prevent a hard border being imposed but the only method of doing this would be for Northern Ireland to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.

But this has a sting in the tail. It would mean creating an invisible border down the middle of the Irish Sea, meaning goods and people coming in from NI would have to pass through border controls and customs on landing in England or Wales. Effectively, this would make Northern Ireland a separate country from Britain, something Irish Unionists will not agree to. Unity must mean unity.

The majority party in NI, the Democratic Unionists will not tolerate a border down the Irish Sea and the Conservative Party need their votes in Parliament to prop up their minority government. The Conservative government cannot go against the wishes of the DUP, and they won't budge on it.

The EU have offered a "Backstop" arrangement keeping NI in the customs union indefinitely, although they have indicated that they would be willing to withdraw from that if a technological solution could be found to ensure customs rules were followed, and didn't involve a hard border. Such technology is, in theory, feasible, but doesn't exist at the moment and would be many, many years in the developing... and nobody has yet come up with any way in which it can be created, let alone started to develop.

The Brexiters, however, see an Irish backstop as a "betrayal" of Brexit. According to them, we must leave... lock, stock and barrel. No concessions to the EU whatsoever which means no customs union and no backstop. And apparently, we will just stick two fingers up at the WTO and tell them to stick their hard border where the sun doesn't shine.

Yeah, that's really going to go down well with WTO countries in trade negotiations. According to Brexiters though, the world needs us more than we need them. They'll give in when we tell them what we want. In the words of Tory MP Dominic Raab, "This will be the easiest trade deal in history."

We were also told that by 29 March this year, Britain would have 40 global trade deals lined up ready to sign as the Union Flag comes down in Brussells. To date, there are none.

Theresa May set the "No Hard Border" down as one of her "Red Lines That I Will Not Cross". in her Mansion House speech of 2016.

The EU have said they will listen to new proposals from Westminster. When Parliament rejected the "deal", Jean Claude Junker (chief EU negotiator) said "We know what the British do not want. Now we want them to tell us what they DO want."

The only solution Theresa May can come up with is to go back to Brussels to demand what she's demanded all along. No hard border, and a customs union with the EU dictated from Westminster that Britain can withdraw from without giving notice regardless of Brussell's wishes.

Needless to say, today Junker ruled that out "categorically".

The Europeans are getting thoroughly sick of the British. There was anger in the EU Parliament today and as the Dutch minister told the house that his country would not accede to British demands, Nigel Farage sat in his seat laughing his head off.

What a plank.

There are more nuances to this situation that would take far longer to relate on here than even I could put in a post.

When the history books are written on this shameful, disgraceful episode in our history, Theresa May will own Brexit. I could say this is her Watergate in terms of shaming, but it's worse than that. Nixon was a crook, but May is an incompetent ideologist who is determined to drive her Brexit through regardless of the cost to the country in terms of business, international reputation and the well being of the people. She is an ideological fundamentalist as dedicated to her cause as any muslim fanatic.

To her, the cost is unimportant. All that matters to her is that Brexit MUST happen, regardless of the effect it has on the country. And she has the backing of her party, which she puts above the interests of the nation.

Already businesses are deserting UK in large numbers. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have already gone and more will follow. Britain has the lowest rate of growth in Europe, inflation is on the rise and those EU workers who came here.... and who we need to do the jobs that Britons consider themselves too precious to do, but have to be done, are returning to the continent in droves.

And yet..... if there WERE a second referendum, the mindset of the older generation of British people towards Europe (principally, the French and Germans, who they despise with a passion) means that Brexit might actually win..!!

Brexit could lead to a united Ireland.... certainly the break up of the United Kingdom of Scotland and England, and the loss of Gibraltar if the Spanish get heavy and close the border thus preventing thousands of Gibraltarians from working in Spain. Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and yet Westminster has ignored their interests completely. Their interests are nothing more than collateral damage as far as the Tory fanatics are concerned. And they're feeling pretty betrayed and angry about it.

Argentina is lobbying all the South American nations to insist that if Britain attempts to woo them with trade deals, then sovereignty of the Falkland Islands must be put on the negotiationg table. Spain, which has influence in South America, is putting its weight behind this lobbying. It seems pretty certain that if it meant getting trade for England and Wales, Westminster would sell the Falklanders out without batting an eyelid.

I've not even scratched the surface of the consequences of Brexit. We have antagonised the Europeans almost to breaking point. They claim they are not setting out to punish Britain for leaving.

But if this is what happens when they're trying to be co-operative, God help us if they do decide to flex their muscles.
mrmhead On about 24 hours ago




NE, Ohio
#5New Post! Jan 30, 2019 @ 21:54:47
Donald wants a wall.
Theresa doesn't.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#6New Post! Jan 31, 2019 @ 05:13:39
@mrmhead Said

Donald wants a wall.
Theresa doesn't.



Neither are likely to get their way.

Mr Trump.... tear down that wall...!!
gakINGKONG On October 18, 2022




, Florida
#7New Post! Feb 16, 2019 @ 19:00:28
@Jennifer1984 Said

Neither are likely to get their way.

Mr Trump.... tear down that wall...!!



Not an apples to apples comparison. Reagan and Gorbachev have the distinction of open market versus top down control. Reagan won the Cold War Unfortunately by massive spending. Trump is fighting for legal immigration.

The Brexit for me is too theoretical and distant for me to weigh in. I wish you all the best.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#8New Post! Feb 16, 2019 @ 21:38:17
@gakINGKONG Said

Not an apples to apples comparison. Reagan and Gorbachev have the distinction of open market versus top down control. Reagan won the Cold War Unfortunately by massive spending. Trump is fighting for legal immigration.

The Brexit for me is too theoretical and distant for me to weigh in. I wish you all the best.



Thanks for the best wishes, but to use the slang of my cockney upbringing, basically, we're cattle-trucked.
gakINGKONG On October 18, 2022




, Florida
#9New Post! Feb 16, 2019 @ 21:52:45
@Jennifer1984 Said

Thanks for the best wishes, but to use the slang of my cockney upbringing, basically, we're cattle-trucked.



I have a soft spot for British culture Monty python my fair lady Sex Pistols and Austin powers. Fight the good fight

Flicking the bean one day at a time

Hugs
mrmhead On about 24 hours ago




NE, Ohio
#10New Post! Feb 16, 2019 @ 22:11:15
@gakINGKONG Said

I have a soft spot for British culture Monty python my fair lady Sex Pistols and Austin powers. Fight the good fight

Flicking the bean one day at a time

Hugs



No Benny Hill?
gakINGKONG On October 18, 2022




, Florida
#11New Post! Feb 17, 2019 @ 02:29:09
@mrmhead Said

No Benny Hill?



My parents controled the television When we was little chirren. The blue humor probably wouldn’t go over well. For that reason I never had the chainch to watch the show.

But I do like that song that opened the show — opening credits
mrmhead On about 24 hours ago




NE, Ohio
#12New Post! Feb 17, 2019 @ 03:09:20
@gakINGKONG Said

My parents controled the television When we was little chirren. The blue humor probably wouldn’t go over well. For that reason I never had the chainch to watch the show.

But I do like that song that opened the show — opening credits



My father watched it.
And as a child, I really didn't get it... stupid for being stupid is just stupid, not funny.

So I was stigmatized / prejudiced against English humor.

Monty Python was an acquired taste.

Mr. Bean took some getting used to.

And I throw Steve Carrell into that group of "just off" humor, though I like him less than MP.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#13New Post! Feb 17, 2019 @ 19:16:40
@mrmhead Said

No Benny Hill?


Benny Hill died in 1992.

When I lived in Portsmouth a woman who we used to see at a social club we used to go to had been one of the "Hills Angels" many years ago. The years had been kind to her.... she was still a damned fine looking woman.

We chatted sometimes and she said that although Benny Hill was strongly criticised for having scantily clad women on his show (she was one of those who used to take part in the yakety sax "chases" at the end of each show) he was a complete gentleman and never did anything that was remotely improper or degraded any of the women. It was all pure fun, all the women were happy to take part and it made a lot of people laugh.

What's not to like..?

He never married and lived all his life with his mother in a small house in Southampton. When he died his will left most of his estate to those he worked with and various women's charities.

At his funeral there were genuine tears of grief from all the assembled Hills Angels. One of them read the eulogy and ended with one of the double-entendre lines he used to like to trot out in interviews with the press:


I'm not against half naked girls. Well, not as often as I'd like to be.

Pure Benny Hill.
Darkman666 On about 23 hours ago




Saint Louis, Missouri
#14New Post! Feb 17, 2019 @ 19:49:31
in 70's, when I was in high school, watching benny hill on Saturday on pbs, after watching natural shows on pbs. from 8:00 to 9:00 pm, watching benny hill watching or looking forward see boobies. especially, when your mom is watching benny hill in another part of the house laughing her head off at the same time. it is ok to see boobies on tv.
Jennifer1984 On July 20, 2022
Returner and proud





Penzance, United Kingdom
#15New Post! Feb 19, 2019 @ 05:17:58
Getting back on topic, 7 Labour Party MP's have resigned from the party citing disgust at what they called "Institutionalised Anti-Semitism" within the party as well as allegations of systematic bullying and following a doctrine that is taking the party backwards with an outdated and failed socialist model.

Chukka Umana was especially scathing of leader Jeremy Corbyn who has all but scrapped the concept of New Labour that won three general elections under Tony Blair.

Corbyn is an old fashioned, Dyed in the wool Marxist. He is virulently anti-EU on the grounds that he believes it stands in the way of the Socialist utopia he believes he can create.

His attitude towards Brexit has not been to oppose the Conservatives, rather, he's stood back and allowed them to make a rats arse of it in the hope that the Tories will implode and Labour would win a General Election when it happened, thus coming to power by default.

It hasn't worked.

All that's happened is that the Tories have been able to make a total balls-up of Brexit unopposed. This has done immense harm to the country because we are at the stage we are at, not exclusively, but largely because nobody has tried to stop it happening.

Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition are meant to act in the national interest and hold the government of the day to account.

Corbyn has failed to do either of these things.

The 7 MP's involved intend to continue in Parliament as Independents but by rights should resign their seats and allow by-elections to take place in their constituencies because they were voted in as Labour Party candidates and the electorate voted for them under the Labour Manifesto.

It's becoming a bigger and bigger mess by the day.
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