OH DEAR, OH DEAR, OH DEAR

Change of heart there, then, Mick? I mean something that was unconstitutional at the end of  2015 can’t have become constitutional by the beginning of 2017, unless there has been a change in the constitution. Has there?

Maybe instead of banning  Muslims from countries that Trump Enterprises doesn’t do business with, you could try banning Americans, or maybe guns? Even armed toddlers seem to be more of a menace than Jihadists.

 

Wish we had an alternative administration. One with a brain cell or two would be nice.

Right, I think, but, oooops, that’s your bosses new best friend ever!

An orange and gold angel?

What was she thinking of?

Remember when David Cameron, in the job only a matter of weeks and green as a cabbage, headed off to Egypt to proclaim the Arab Spring and associate himself with the Egyptian revolution? The first Western leader to do so. Indeed the only Western leader to do so. Well, as a matter of fact, the only leader anywhere to do so. How did that end? Egg a plenty splashed all over his coupon, that’s how!

So, given how volatile we all know the American president can be, and given the tone of some of his campaign promises, why oh why did this woman, herself hardly experienced in running the country, take herself off to grovel to him before she studied him a little more carefully?

Easy. She needed the promise of a trade deal from him. Doesn’t much matter what trade deal, just a trade deal, any trade deal. And she threw in a promise. At this stage! Can you believe this? The most frightening aspect of TTIP, which had been being negotiated with the USA by the EU, the access of American companies to our health services, seems to have been incorporated into her proposed deal.

I note wiser and more experienced heads have been much more cautious in their approach.

And now, of course, she’s lumbered herself with a state visit… and rumour has it that Donald wants the whole thing. State banquet at Windsor, golf at Balmoral. All the tra la la that the Brits can offer, in spades. Trouble is that it is being met with a considerable amount of opposition from ordinary Brits. An online petition against a State visit, on the government site has, at the time of writing, reached an incredible 1,378,000 signatures. And the number is rising at about 1,000 a minute.

According to the rules, a petition that gets 100,000 signatures is given consideration for a debate in parliament. May already dismissed this petition on its first day (again a foolish thing to do). It will be interesting how far she is prepared to ignore a substantial public voice. And tonight, all over the UK there are protests planned. Will she ignore them too?

Furthermore, when the state visit comes, is she ready for the demonstrations that will greet him everywhere? And how will she deal with them? Water cannon?

The trouble for her is that Hell hath no fury like a Trump scorned. Ask Alex Salmond who went from being the best politician in the world to the devil incarnate, almost overnight. I’m betting that there are times she wishes she’d let Andrea Whatever she’s called, the unknown fox hunter person, win. It would have been her nightmare then.

Update: Glasgow Anti-Trump.

Petition currently at 1,450,000 7.10

Update II: Edinburgh

Update III: Dundee

Update IV: Parliament

Update V: This is fun

It appears that the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary is displeased about comparisons being made between Trump and Hitler. Mr Maugham points out a small flaw in this thought process:

Ian Dunt @IanDunt

Boris says it is distasteful to make comparisons with “the elected leader of a great democracy and 1930s tyrants”.

21 replies376 retweets422 likes

Jo Maugham QC ‏@JolyonMaugham 3h3 hours ago

Jo Maugham QC Retweeted Ian Dunt

What, like Boris himself did when talking about François Hollande and “punishment beatings” in a “World War two movie”?

Take that, Boris.

Update VI: Aberdeen