Peacocks in action!

As we look forward to the first session in the HoC this year where the Johnson WAIB is getting the 3rd reading, the ‘news’ from our Remainers show that we’ll be in for some skirmishes. At this reading amendments can be tabled, and the one coming from the RemainDems is astonishing. 

Ed Davey, their Leader in the HoC – you recall that Ms Swinson lost her seat in the GE last month – will demand an Inquiry into Brexit. The Express reports:

“In a shocking move, acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey announced that there needs to be an investigation into the EU referendum and its result. The party will table an amendment to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill.” (link)

The report is not paywalled, so take a look. I am puzzled what Mr Davey and consorts hope to achieve by such Inquiry were it to take place. Meanwhile, RemainCentral is still not letting go of that ‘bone’ they have between their teeth, namely that of the government holding trade talks with the US in parallel with the EU trade talks, to start after we’re Out on February 1st 2020.

They seem to follow the EU interpretation that we must first finalise those EU talks before we are ‘allowed’ to speak with other nations, and never mind that, according to Barnier, we’d still be  In by 2023 and thus not ‘allowed’ to talk to anyone outside the EU.Here’s a quote from a RemainCentral ‘source’:

“A senior diplomatic source in Brussels argued that US trade talks could increase pressure on Britain. “I don’t see the leverage at all,” the source said. “I think US talks will be held up by the outcome of the talks with the EU because some issues are binary and the US will want to see where this is heading.” (link, paywalled)

This is the first time a word used by the gender-fluid-brigade has cropped up in ‘diplomatic’ language. What does it even mean – ‘some issues are binary’? What a pretty display of peacockery from a very minor EU peacock! There’s also this little piece of news, in regard to that visit by Ms vdLeyen who is exected in No10 tomorrow morning:

“Brussels insisted that trade talks would not be on the agenda at the meeting tomorrow, which will also be attended by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator.” (link, paywalled)

Ah – does she need to have her hand held by Mr EU, or does M Barnier want to take the measure of Mr Cummings? Meanwhile there’s a warning from Nigel Farage who quite rightly points out that the EUParl has to ratify that Johnson WAIB – see this report in the Express.

Also meanwhile there’s the Labour Leadership Campaign which is bound to entertain us for months. This comment by Asa Bennett in the DT is worth keeping in mind as the whole thing kicks off:

“Ms Phillips tried to show she would speak the truth even about Europe, but has found that her pro-EU zeal would wreck Labour’s chances of ever winning power again. […] Ironically the arch-Corbyn critic finds herself in a similar position to the man she wants to succeed: forced to rein in her views on Brexit to keep the peace. Of course, her beliefs are distinctly less Eurosceptic than his own. The Tories have not just killed off Remain with their thumping electoral win, but left the EU too toxic for any Brexit-averse politician to embrace if they want to be taken seriously over the coming years.” (paywalled link)

Sacrificing political principles to achieve ‘power’ – how novel! There’s another rather amazing item in regard to that Labour Leadership campaign. The Express reports:

“Labour has been accused of shutting out the working class after its ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) upped the price for party supporters to register from £3 to £25 each. […] Potential voters took to Twitter to vent their anger at the price surge. One said: “So shut out the working class and make it affordable only to the Islington set.The direction of travel for @UKLabour has reached its destination.” (link)

That ‘Red Wall’ won’t be rebuilt any time soon then! I’m sure this piece of news will find its way into today’s debate! There’s also the situation in the Middle East which a certain Mr Campbell tried to tie in with Brexit (link), being slapped down by Claire Fox MEP (TBP). His argument, predictably, was that this US decision, taken without informing the UK government shows how ‘alone’ and insignificant we’ll be after Brexit. 

As far as I am aware, Brussels and the EU had not been informed either. In the German online paper ‘Die Welt’ there was a significant interview with Mr Jean Asselborn, Foreign Secretary of Luxembourg (here, in German). Mr Asselborn stated that the EU would not ‘engage militarily’ in the Middle East and that the role of the EU is to ‘speak with all sides’. He also said that the new EU ‘Foreign Secretary’, Mr Borrell, had phoned the Iranian Foreign secretary after the ‘event’, that the only weapon the EU has is diplomacy. That shows how the EU would rather do nothing than take a principled stance. Talk is cheap.

Strange, isn’t it, how Remainers prefer the EU’s attitude while moaning about the despised Brexit and how ‘alone’ we are. It seems that the rot of our civil service , incapable to work for our own country, thanks to 40 years of nodding through EU Directives, has also taken root in the Foreign Office where that attitude of ‘talks, not action’ seems to prevail as well. One wonders how on earth we were once capable of running an Empire … !

One also wonders what this EU Army, the Macron dream, is actually there for. I’ll hazard the guess that it’s about getting out of NATO and of showing his, sorry; the EU’s ‘might’ to scare Russia while having the rump EU member states pay for that dream.

However, there’s a little-known military conflict in Central Africa where, under that EU-cooperation banner German Bundeswehr troops (the few which are capable of operations) are supporting the French who regard this area as their own since it once was a French colony. I’ve yet to hear or read anything about the EU or indeed France engaging with Boko Haram … but then, it’s not their problem, Nigeria not having belonged to the French. That’s the EU: talking diplomatically, but never ever engaging militarily …!

I leave you with one jaw-dropping report, on literary awards. The DM writes:

“A novel about a divided Britain in the wake of the EU referendum has won the Costa Novel Award for 2019.” (link)

Oh dear! Is ‘Culture’ now going to be the final Remain battlefield, where Remainers can muse nostalgically over their lost battles to stop Brexit? That’s one book, methinks, which we don’t need to read. Meanwhile I look forward to the battle of the peacocks in the HoC later today.

KBO!