I often wondered how David Cameron could have been stupid enough, what with all that expensive education, to think that a referendum on the EU would somehow pour oil on the troubled waters of the civil war in the Tory party between the people like Ken Clarke, Anna Soubry on the one hand, and Liam Fox, Jacob 18th Century and Michael Gove et al, on the other.
The barest intelligence would have concluded that bringing the argument, kept bubbling under for 40+ years, to the forefront of political life, was only likely to add oxygen to the fires of discontentment in his party.
Now it seems that Donald Tusk has released information about conversations they had which may throw some light on his motivations.
It appears that our esteemed ex-prime minister failed to realise how being associated with his toxic party had damaged the Liberal Democrats and that, as a result, their seats in parliament were so diminished that there was no coalition, but, in fact, rather surprisingly, a small majority for the Conservative party, and thus no coalition partner was available to stop the folly and take the blame.
(It was a small majority which his successor would manage, in, unbelievably, even more incompetent style, to lose.)
And as a result of his misjudgement, the Tory party, which he thought he could bring together with the referendum plan (and then blame the Liberal Democrats when it all fell apart) is now engaged in what seems to some may be a terminal civil war.
Oh well, if nothing else good comes out of Brexit, the damage that it will have done to the toxic Tories is a small chink of light in the darkness.
Of course, there is a far greater prize awaiting Scotland!
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
Grounhog day in westmonster.
Plan B looks like Plan A.
Six weeks ago Nicola was told that paying the registration fee for EU residents was ILLEGAL, they must pay themselves. Today the Maybot says it’s a great idea. Even one of her own side daid he ‘Hoped the Javid wouldn’t just find the money from another budget’, even their own side don’t trust the Maybot.
Why does no one ask her to publish the minutes of the meetings she had with the other leaders or is that too simple as she reminds us it’s her deal or No deal.
Question.
Who owns the company that is making the UK armies TANKS?
Hard to believe it a company called Rheinmetal!!!!!
Taking back control, you’ve guessed that they’re a German company.
Listened to the statement, what a waste of time, we have all heard the the words before.
In the meantime it is now reported that there are now 2200 billionaires in the world.
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She might as well have not bothered. Now, having ignored the Westminster leaders of the “other” parties, she is going to engage with the administrations in Edinburgh and Cardiff.
I’m sure they will tell her what the Westminster people told her.
She truly is a completely hopeless waste of space.
You’d think that a warlike nation like the UK which is permanently fighting somewhere in the world would have at least enough industry to make it’s own killing machines. But no.
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What about the people!e of Belfast? It’s time she realised the DUP do not speak for N Ireland who voted to Demsin!
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And Demsin they should!
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I’m not sure May knows about that. If she does, she certainly seems not to care.
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The UK has form in that area… I read some long time ago that at the outbreak of WWI, the British Army found it had a problem with producing the uniforms needed by its soldiers – because all the dyes they used were made in Germany.
On a more serious subject, and on the hypothesis that Theresa May is not just irremediably incompetent, by submitting the same hopeless, hapless plan to the Commons she is succeeding in one thing and one thing only: she is running down the clock toward a no-deal Brexit – which she has signally refused to take off the table as various parties have demanded (including Labour, but in typical weathervaning mode – just as Corbyn demands it, BLiS eventually plumps for not calling for it – see Wings, http://t1p.de/77ca).
Conclusion: her actions could be seen as brinkmanship, if she reckons that when faced with the imminent prospect of a no-deal Brexit, the Moggites, Govies, BoJongles and other Awkward Squads will yield to the growing pressure from the public and the consequent threat to their seats, and either buy her deal at the last minute, demand an extension, or even call the whole thing off.
Oh all right, May did say that Brexit is Brexit and is red, white and blue, and no deal is better than a bad deal, but I think we all know by now that May has no trouble lying through her teeth: she just does it without Donald Trump’s degree of pathological compulsion.
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Oh yes, I think that is what May is about.
It’s an impossible problem and she’d pretty sure she’ll get nothing from Brussels, so run the clock down and rather than crash and burn we will go for her deal.
It seems that a bad deal is better than no deal.
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For “pretty sure” read “dead certain”, I think – or she really, REALLY hasn’t been listening to a word Merkel or Macron, Juncker and Barnier said.
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That is a fascinating story but completely credible nonetheless. The outcome is that we moved from just 1 party in open civil war to having both main parties in open civil war. Tories are much, much better at burying the ideological hatchet so I expect Labour to be weakened by this for the foreseeable future.
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I guess to Tories are better at burying hatchets becasue clinging to power is what they do and have done for hundreds of years.
A slightly commoner form of royalty.
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Labour are committing the same mistake they made here in Scotland in 2014, Terry, as far as I can see: giving aid and comfort to the enemy. In Scotland, BLiS lost all credibility when they hopped into bed with the Tories – it would have been fine for them to oppose independence as their own policy, but as one they shared with the Tories? In Scotland, the Tories are Totes Toxic.
Down at Westminster, Labour’s policy of abstaining on just about everything has made a lot of people wonder what purpose they serve, or even why they are there at all. Labour is in effect enabling the Tories – over Brexit, who can tell the difference between them on policy? If Labour had started out with a robust policy of “Brexit is economic suicide”, we would be in a far different place today, I think it’s safe to say.
Man the lifeboats!
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I can respect that Corbyn has remained true to his beliefs (no matter how much I disagree with them) that the EU is an anti democratic organisation.
I’ve always thought that it was a tad rich coming from anyone in a country with a monarch with power and influence; an unelected house of parliament with great influence; a privy council; a first past the post system with whips… and a parliament that can get away with bringing in Henry VII powers to itself, and remove powers from devolved assemblies/parliaments (which were granted after a REFERENDUM…the will of the Scottish people) at will.
But that has always been the far left’s view and he has stuck with it.
Why on earth he has abstained or voted with the Tories on matters relating to social security, I’m totally at a loss to understand.
I thought he would be good for England. He has turned out to be a total disaster.
Apparently vast numbers of people have left the party in recent months.
Of course that means that the Tories are probably going to win the next election.
Thanks a million!
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Latest rumour,courtesy of the Torygraph,is that the Tory government is going to ask the Queen to overrule the speaker of the HoC.
I suppose she can,since it is HER parliament.
Democracy in action,English style.
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And democracy goes down the pan?
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Good gracious, Douglas, you surely don’t believe the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a democracy, do you? You’ll be telling us next that you believe in the tooth fairy and Santa’s elves!
Seriously, Douglas, I get what you’re saying: democracy in the UK has always been feeble, but now we have a regime that is dead set on junking just as much of it as they possibly can. They have abandoned all the redeeming features, “British” values such as fair play that used to restrain Their worst impulses. They have in fact abandoned all decency.
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Well, yes. I am not at all happy that this is where we have ended up.
This is chaos. Least I think it is?
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Alas.
The only good thing about it that I can see is that more people will see through the veils of illusion and delusion that go to make up the BritNat identity, and its exceptionalist superiority myth in particular. There’s a corollary between puncturing English exceptionalism and losing the corresponding “too wee, too poor, too stupid” Scottish Cringe. They evaporate simultaneously, I’ve found…
It is generally good (if occasionally depressing) to be dis-illusioned, though it can be a painful process as there’s a sense of betrayal involved. It is generally irreversible, though: what has once been seen cannot then be un-seen.
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I can’t help thinking that someone’s let one of the mad twins into the editing suite.
It sounds highly unlikely that the queen would dare do that.
However, I read somewhere that as the Tories have been putting it about that Bercow will be denied a seat in the lords, he will not retire in 2019 as had been thought, but will now stay to the end of the parliament in 2022 (maybe) by which time Mayhem will be history.
Backfired big time!
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Westmonster prime minister rules.
1. Always correct.
2. Always right.
3. Always within the Law.
4. If some dispute, change the LAW.
5. Refer to rule 1.
I thought it was strange that I didn’t hear any of the tories who last week stated ‘It’s the Law’, today when the registration rule was changed they were slow to tell us ‘It’s the LAW’.
So can the queen actually over rule the speaker of the Commons?
Who knows, but anything is possible although it could trigger an even bigger constitutional crisis.
The last monarch who took the commons to task lost his head.
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In theory of course, the queen can overrule all of them. Daftworks May or Bercow or the lords speaker whoever that is.
But it seems highly unlikely to me that she ever would.
Still, we live in weird times.
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Tusk said “no-one has an appetite for revolution in Europe”.
Yes if, unlike most of us, you’re doing very nicely out of the status quo.
Hopefully the Yellow Vests will have put the willies up him!
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Yes, I wish I had thought about opening a company manufacturing yellow vests.
Everyone seems to want them now. Still the French always led the way in fashion.
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The French seem to have a thing about civil discontent, fashion and items of clothing.
Sans culottes, saboteurs, phrygian caps, bonnet rouge…
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When the French have civil unrest there is bound to be a fashion statement involved… and some really good food.
🙂
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After all the talk of civil unrest.
I witnessed one of these in Amsterdam some years ago.
I have to say whilst it was a bit frightening our Dutch Friends know how to show they’re unhappy with their Government, it was being controlled by Kettling, the riot police were containing it and allowing the people to vent their spleen.
Next morning, the tidy up started early.
I can’t really see a civil Civil unrest display happening in rUK, we just put up with it and moan about nobody doing anything about it.
That’s my opinion of the maybot strategy, as others have said, kick the can until the sellby date, job done. Nothing to see here but the remains of the squirrel.
Laughed at the maybot saying Corbyn didn’t answer the question of the 2nd referendum, 7 times. She’s the master of not answering the question.
So, unless the Scots pick up the idea from our continental cousins and start the Yellow Jacket Fashion, I’m afraid that westmonster will continue to ignore us as a nation and continue with us as a Colony.
Don’t like saying it but that’s how it looks.
Our freedom is non negotiable maybot, we will be free, sometime, why not now when englandland wants to be free from the EU.
Nice easy divorce is available on both sides of the Border, or are you hiding behind the Gers figures and know the reality.
I think all on this site havea better idea of reality.
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The French have certainly never been the type to take things lying down.
Whenever things have displeased them they have taken to the streets.
The Brits, as you say, moan a lot and when it comes to the crunch they leave protest to someone else in favour of watching Coronation Street or Strictly.
There have been rare efforts to get the government to change tack… the riots in England in Cameron’s first year were put down and it is said that Cameron told the courts to issue the most severe sentences possible.
Despite much provocation, there has never been any repeat of the riots.
I think Brit governments are reassured by the docility of the public. “We can get away with anything, as long as they have the telly and beer”
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AS we come near a night of reflection in Scotland, a few quotes from the Bard.
The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley.
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm
“Proud Priests and Bishops we’ll translate
And canonise as Martyrs;
The guillotine on Peers shall wait;
And Knights shall hang in garters.
Those Despots long have trod us down,
And judges are their engines;
Such wretched minions of a Crown
Demand the People’s vengeance!
Today tis theirs. Tomorrow we
Shall don the Cap of Libertie!”
What Premiers? What ev’n Monarchs? Mighty Gaugers!
Nay, what are Priests? (those seemingly godly wisemen?)
What are they, pray, but Spiritual Excisemen!”
“Oft have I wonder’d that on Irish ground
No poisonous Reptile has ever been found;
Revealed stands the secret of great Nature’s work;
She preserved her poison to create a Burke!”
The fear o’ hell’s a hangman’s whip to haud the wretch in order;
But where ye feel your honor grip, let that aye be your border.
“Three Lawyers’ tongues, turned inside out,
Wi’ lies seamed like a beggar’s clout;
Three Priests’ hearts, rotten, black as muck,
Lay stinking, vile, in every neuk.”
Even tho who mournst the daisies fate, that fate is thine
Liberty’s a glorious feast! Courts for cowards were erected
“It’s coming yet, for a’ that,
that man to man the world o’er,
shall brithers be for a’ that.”
My thanks to Robert Burns, an education in life.
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I wonder how Mrs May’s Burns Supper went.
Mundell and his son were there so probably badly.
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I’m going to the SNP Burns Supper here in Dundee on 2 February – I am determined to get to it, though I hardly ever go out – because, among other things, Mhairi Black will be there, and I feel I cannot pass up an opportunity to meet here.
Thank God no one invited me to have a Burns Supper with May, and Mundell père and Mundell fils – the Bard must have been spinning in his grave.
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That two must have gone as the parcel of rogues.
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I’ve often wondered how these Britnats reconcile celebrating Burns with their actions and political beliefs and how a certain selectivity must be required when choosing songs and verse for these occasions. If not then they’re just not listening to the words.
Nothing new there then.
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They’ll have made up a narrative about Burns being a Conservative and Unionist at heart … with the Tories nowadays, we seem to be in real Alice in Wonderland territory, because the regime is evidently capable of believing six impossible things before breakfast – with overtones of Orwell, as in saying that a referendum is a denial of democracy.
Did she really, seriously mean that, I wonder, and did she really, seriously think that anyone would believe her?
She daes ma heid in, that yin.
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I guess they see the words as being in a foreign language.
A bit like me singing in Italian. Sounds pretty (well, ok not my singling, but the lyrics) but I haven’t a clue what it’s about.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxd86eBWkAI-YKW.jpg:large
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I shouold have added this…
Aamer Anwar 🎗 🌹
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@AamerAnwar
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‘But pith & power, till my last hour, I’ll mak this declaration;
We’re bought & sold for English gold, Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!’ As @10DowningStreet celebrates Burns Supper 🏴 One can only imagine what #RabbieBurns would have to say
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Oh, is that Ollie’s new trophy stepdad? [BAD Edward! Down, down I say!]
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This might be a back-stop. I have no idea whether it is a winning strategy or not.
Let’s just hope it works!
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