SNAFU – a military expression dating back to WWII – describes best what Brexit looks like this morning. While the HoC was empty, ‘things’ did happen there yesterday. We learned more about Ms May’s desperate attempts to get her WA over the line. But if the Electoral Commission sees fit to admonish the PM then you know things have become … fouled up.
First of all, Sir Bill Cash made this intervention:
“While speaking in the House of Commons Mr Cash said: “On April 11 a statutory instrument extending the period of time for us to leave the European Union was tabled to October 31. It was rushed through this House of Commons in the afternoon following that council meeting which was attended by the Prime Minister. 80 members of Parliament have signed my prayer for the annulment of that order and statutory instrument which we regard as ultra vires and void. Will my right honourable friend ensure that very soon there is a debate on that statutory instrument and naturally on the issue at stake. We believe it should be on the floor of the House.” (link)
‘Prayer’ in parliamentary terms has a special meaning: “A prayer motion can be used by members of either House to object to a statutory instrument (SI)” (link)
Such motion must be tabled by the Leader of the HoC, Andrea Leadsom, and Peter Bone MP made a suitable intervention when she seemed to be unwilling to do so (link):
“Would the Leader of the House make that point clear and would she also confirm in relation to the right-honourable member for Stone not only will we debate on it, we will vote on it?”
The key words are ‘vote on it’. The right honourable member for Stone is Sir Bill Cash. This is the reply by Ms Leadsom:
“My honourable friend is very well aware that it’s the Government’s policy to leave the European Union in an orderly way. That means leaving with a deal. He will also be aware that the decision of this House not to support that deal and, indeed, to require an extension to Article 50 is the reason why such an extension has been agreed.” The furious Brexiteer shook his head as Ms Leadsom continued: “I have made clear to my honourable friend, the member for Stone, that we will be able grant a debate on the statutory instrument that he has prayed against.” (link)
In other words: ‘you can talk all you like, there won’t be a vote’ … which is actually not so astonishing because Ms May ‘has plans’, or rather, some of her ministers have made plans for her:
“Ministers today piled pressure on Theresa May to bring back her Brexit deal within days as it was claimed she could tear out the Irish backstop to swing the vote. The Prime Minister could decide to remove the controversial border clause in the hope MPs vote for it and send a new message to Brussels that it must be axed or changed if Britain is to leave the EU.” (link)
It’s beyond belief that ministers, just like those MPs who got their amendment about an extension to Article 50 through the HoC before Easter, simply don’t seem to grasp the fact that the EU has told them repeatedly that the WA is non-negotiable. Their proposal is hogwash, but we can discern why they are doing it:
“Downing Street had hoped to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill next week in the hope of getting a version of Mrs May’s deal through Parliament in time to cancel the European Parliament elections on May 23.” (link)
This, and this alone, is what the latest Brexit drama is about: to cancel the EP elections because the ‘strategists’ both in 10 Downing Street and Tory HQ can see full well that they will be hugely damaging to the establishment parties.
So their new plan is nothing new – it is the ‘Brady amendment’ which was one of those multiple amendments voted on in the weeks before the Easter Break:
“The Prime Minister has been asked to throw her support behind the changes, which could see the backstop limited by 12 months or banished completely. […] Sir Brady said: “My amendment on January 29 demonstrates that a majority can be found for the Withdrawal Agreement, as long as the backstop cannot be a permanent state.(link)
While Sir Bill Cash’s important ‘prayer’ won’t be voted on, this desperate attempt by May and her Remain cronies will be served up for a fourth time:
“But it [Ed: Sir Bill Cash’s ‘prayer’] was missing from yesterday’s list of legislation to be considered by Parliament next week. And Tory whips have privately told ministers the idea has been put on hold for at least a week while the PM tries to secure enough backing for it to pass.” (link).
Now look at the reasoning behind this latest May attempt to shove her WA down the HoC’s and all our throats:
“Government insiders say the Prime Minister (has) given up hope of cancelling UK participation in the European Parliament poll by securing Commons approval for her withdrawal deal within the next three weeks. Instead, she is preparing for a determined push to force crucial withdrawal legislation through Parliament in time for the country to quit the EU by the end of June.” (link)
While that looks innocent enough at first glance, the actual aim is not:
“Her new timetable will mean British voters are set to elect a new troop of MEPs next month […] who will have lost their jobs by the time the new European Parliament assembles on July 2. One source said: “The focus now is on hitting the June 30 deadline so the MEPs don’t take up their seats.” (link)
Savour this: run the unwanted election, waste huge amounts of money on it, give the stupid voters another chance to express their outrage – and then scupper it. The Times comments:
“Mrs May has said that she does not want the election on May 23 to take place at all, suggesting that she could cancel it up to the day before if MPs approve her withdrawal bill. Any MEPs elected will not take up their seats should Britain leave the EU before the new parliament sits in July.” (paywalled link)
It’s about the EP elections, stupid – and about how to thwart the Leave votes again. In an unprecedented intervention, the chairman of the Electoral Commission has written an article in The Times where, first describing the preparations undertaken by the Electoral Commission to run the EP elections smoothly, he issues this warning:
“This is an unprecedented level of uncertainty in a mature democracy. […] Even if the elections go ahead as planned, no one can tell whether those elected will take their seats or, if so, for how long. There are bound to be questions about the impact on voters, now and in future, when a significant electoral process is in such doubt, especially when its value is being openly questioned by the government.” (paywalled link)
Let this criticism – by an establishment figure! – sink in … Democracy and the democratic process obviously doesn’t matter to Ms May, her Tory cronies and her handlers in Whitehell and in Brussels.
Democracy matters to us though. That’s why we voted Leave – and that’s why she, Brussels and the Remainers are so desperate to wreck Brexit by all means, especially foul ones.
The destruction of democracy before our eyes matters to us even more. That’s why TBP has gained such momentum. It can no longer be about party politics, about standing with one’s political tribe.
It has to be about coming together in an alliance, to save our democracy and our democratic institutions which Ms May and her tribe are trampling into the dust.
KBO!
What is a matter of grave concern is the Gerard Batten proposes to spend £500,000 on sending leaflets to the whole country in order to encourage people to vote UKIP instead of Brexit party in the EU election in which successful candidates are not likely to take their seats. £500,000 to swing an opinion poll is too much: the Brexit party is in in its honeymoon period and there is not much we can do about that other than stop losing our heads and stampeding in different directions, making ourselves look foolish in the eyes of the electorate.
Well said Forthurst. UKIP should save its £500,000 to build up the party for the war with the establishment that lies ahead.
I am not aware that rank and file Kippers have been consulted on this issue of splitting the Leave vote which has been well flagged for some time.
Also, I feel rank and file members should be consulted as to where their money is going as you say, but I guess they were informed when the call went out for donations, but once Farage was on the ‘war path’ some one should have thought twice about whether it was wise to spend it on this.
Rank and file UKIP members are fully aware that their party is campaigning and that includes expenditure – what party does not do so?
You are saying it is OK for Brexit Party to spend money on the EU Elections but not that UKIP should do so.
Ohh – and where are the Brexit Party Selection Conferences for Candidates as opposed to a hand picked list of Farage? Indeed where is the Brexit Party’s ‘rank and file’ and branch memberships?
They don’t got none. It’s not a political party in reality, it’s a pressure group constructed to fight the Euros, that’s all.
So…no branches, no members. It’s Farage’s party and he runs the whole show, and I pick that word carefully.
I think this money was planned to be spent on this some time ago and what GB failed to do was recognise what a threat TBP would be, so I agree it would be much better to have abstained from these elections altogether as a matter of principle, and then concentrate on spending it on home elections, in particular saving it for a snap GE,
What ‘principle’ is there that a party founded to LeavEU – in fact at the time the EC, should not stand in Elections and especially EUro Elections, the same party that won the largest vote and representation in 2014?
Who would vote for a party in a GE which had not fielded candidates in the EUro Elections?
Would I be correct in thinking that a load of the £half Million has already been spent in printing costs?
I too am in agreement with forthurst that it is a waste of money. Whether Gerard agrees with Nigel or not is immaterial there is only room for one effective voice in fighting the EU from within and in this and all instances it is Nigel.
He is “Mr.Brexit” and achieved this from a position of the “GO” Campaign (Grass roots Out?Leave.eu) in our neck of the woods we achieved it with mostly Vote Leave literature and placards.
Pounding the pavements for the local elections the only name on everyone`s lips was Nigel. I am going to vote for him and I know other UKIPers who will be doing also
Talking of local elections the main comment I heard was “I`ve no intention of voting at all” so it will be the postal votes that often win and I think that means status quo on a very low turn out. EU elections might be a little better but I`m not holding my breath. There`s a pox on all parties and that includes us.
I see – a party with no members and no intention of fielding candidates on 2nd May Local Elections should take precedence over a party of 27 years of doing so?
What other party would not spend money on its campaign – Brexit Party is doing so, is that a waste of money too?
Hilarious in it.Leaflets are normally for a time and place.Some one is clearly a gambler.. For £1/2 million quid. That’s a hell of a leaflet.
Someone is clearly a gambler. This is seriously exciting and to which it is worth looking forward. For the same price you could probably hire a fleet of 100 of Russell Hicks poster trucks, or a thousand billboards… WOW.
Millions wasted on no deal preparations now a hundred million wasted on e.u elections that may or not take place and if they do the elected won’t have a job in the e.p parliament when it next sits. In that case who is going to bother to vote, or is that the big conservative idea?
The wishes of the electorate ignored time and time again and these people and the conservative party are still there, when is Brenda going to wake up and stop this farce or is the doorstep that May’s says she has been listening on at Buckingham Palace or jolly old Windsor.
This is now not just a farce it’s not even a Westminster farce it’s a right royal farce!
Will Mrs May get her Withdrawal Agreement through the House of Commons even without the Irish backstop? So much has been said and written about the WA, not just about the backstop but about so many of the clauses that bind us to the EU and give us no chance of actually breaking free of our shackles.
The so called ‘agreement’ has been analysed by Martin Howe QC who has come to the conclusion that it is worse than staying in the bloc permanently.
From memory, at the last count the government lost the vote on the WA by 57 votes. I wonder how many MPs would still vote against the WA even if the back stop were removed. I sincerely hope that those who voted against the Bill would do so again even if there was no backstop.
And of course, if the Bill did go through the HoC, would the EU approve it? Perhaps if TM said it’s this or No Deal they might, but if they called her bluff and chucked it out, would she actually leave without a deal? Perhaps this is a game of chicken – who will blink first. Some game!
No Backstop means there is no point in the WA at all – as it is intended to keep the UK in the EU system permanently this si the sole mechanism which was dreamt up not by the EU but by Whitehall..
No, it was written by Merkel.
“Brenda” is herself a traitor and on May’s side so there will be no support for “her people”.
I think we should have a referendum on whether we want to keep the royal family or not, are they actually cost effective and if they are do they actually serve a purpose? Comments welcome.
Think what you like – they cost the UK taxpayer nothing at all so are super ‘cost effective’.
Of course you elide the Constitutional Monarchy with the ‘Royal Family whereas they are quite distinct – however, the Constitutional Monarchy works very well.
Or are you an adherent of President Blair and the EU way of doing things.
Brenda broke her oath to her people years ago.
Brenda is a waste of space imo.
Anyone would think this country has all this money to give away, but they want to cut payments (notice I do not use the word benefits, because they are not) to the elderly, in order to give them to the young. If we were not wasting all this money we could spend money on all deserving cases, young and old, for goodness sake will some one get a grip!