Nothing really earth-shatteringly Brexity happened over the weekend, except the usual 2nd line of politicians populating the airwaves, peddling their favourite version of Brexit. If you really want to or need to know who ‘represented’ the Tories check out ConHome. Far more interesting than the common Tory Party squabbles are the ones inside Labour, where Dennis Skinner (!) has been labelled “Tory scab” (!!) by the far-left (here), led by their poster boi Owen Jones. One couldn’t make it up … Then there were reports that some “Labour rebels” are planning to resign the whip and perhaps form a new party, together with Tory and Lib ‘rebels’ (here). One wonders if that former PM, a certain Mr Blair, would join them …
On the Tory side Boris Johnson (paywalled) declared that the ‘rumours’ of a snap June GE, leaked by some Tory insiders, were just a ploy to get everybody behind Ms May’s ‘deal’ because nobody in LibLabCon actually wants a GE.
The same clique fighting to keep May in and Brexit out have been muddying the waters some more by declaring that involving MPs belonging to Jacob Rees-Mogg’s ERG in an ‘Alternative Working Group’ is going to wreck Brexit (here and here):
“Conservative MP Nick Boles has hit back at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group (ERG) and accused it of a plot to torpedo Theresa May’s Brexit deal. The former Tory minister believes the ERG is determined for Britain to leave the EU without a deal and will vote down any deal Mrs May secures with Brussels. He was responding to a tweet from ERG deputy Steve Baker, who warned of “trouble ahead” over Mrs May’s new Brexit plan. In last week’s Commons vote, MPs voted for “alternative arrangements” to the Northern Ireland backstop.”
Those would be the ‘alternatives’ Ms May was so coy about when presenting her Plan B to Parliament at the end of last month. Cast your mind back: she was asked repeatedly what these ‘alternatives’ were, and refused to answer. So now we know: she didn’t have any …
This group will meet today. Ms May will present ‘something’ on the 6th of February and Parliament will debate and vote on St Valentine’s Day.
The Times (paywalled), a.k.a. ‘Remain Central’, also writes that “Backstop Hardliners” are ‘setting Ms May up to fail’, reporting that she is trying her best by setting up that ‘Alternative Working Group’. You have to read this to savour the full flavour of the skulduggery going on:
“Yesterday, in an attempt to avoid further splits, at least temporarily, Downing Street announced the creation of a new working group to examine the so-called Malthouse compromise that was agreed upon last week between Brexiteers and a group of Tory remainers […] At the same time Geoffrey Cox, the attorney-general, has been asked by Mrs May to look at the “wording and legal effect” of potential changes to the backstop in the withdrawal agreement. It is these changes that have now all but been ruled out by Brexiteers.”
All fine and dandy you might think (and I couldn’t possibly comment …) but not when you read this ‘reasoning’ (same source):
“The Conservative Party’s fragile Brexit truce was close to collapse yesterday after hardline Brexiteers ruled out two of Theresa May’s proposals for solving the Irish backstop question. Eurosceptics said they would not accept either a unilateral withdrawal clause or an end date to the backstop as a compromise to reach a deal with Brussels. Instead, they insisted the prime minister must demand that Brussels scraps the backstop “entirely” and replace it with electronic customs and regulatory checks to avoid physical infrastructure at the border.
Last night one cabinet minister told The Times that the hardline approach was “non-negotiable” and was “setting the prime minister up to fail”. The minister added that while Downing Street had to pay “lip service” to the plan, it had already been extensively examined in Whitehall and rejected. “It doesn’t protect the Good Friday agreement, it isn’t practical for business and it is not negotiable with Europe.” (my bold)
This statement is interesting:
“Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group, said: “Neither a unilateral withdrawal or an end date solve the problems of the backstop. Replacing the current backstop entirely is something all sides could accept.”
I wonder if Mr Baker and Mr Rees-Mogg are playing ‘good cop – bad cop’ …
Then there’s this report (here) saying that ‘insiders’ (one assumes from Ms May’s cabinet Office) were telling Tory Brexiteers that Ms May is set to break another promise she made to them.This second promise broken by May is that she will not re-open the Backstop:
“They claimed insiders had told them No.10 is instead likely to push for a “joint interpretative letter” that will allow the PM and Attorney General to claim the backstop will be time-limited or temporary. Hardline Tory Steve Baker said such a move would immediately lose the PM the support of at least 50 of the Eurosceptic MPs who handed her a rare Commons victory just last week.”
The EU is of course stirring the pot, as a piece of gossip reveals (here) that Brussels would be prepared to make a “substantial concession” after that vote in Parliament on St Valentine’s Day – should May survive it! That ‘substantial concession’ is about a possible time-limit to the Backstop to five years. That’s five more years for us to be in vassalage!
With all the leaks, gossiping and skulduggery going on, just to ‘save’ Ms May and to ‘deliver BRINO’ on the one hand and to keep us in forever on the other, I do wonder if all those who are again peddling their own best solutions have actually read the 585 pages of the WA. I suspect they haven’t – with the exception of those in Jacob Rees-Mogg’s ERG. Sadly, those staunch Brexiteers seem to be bent on being conciliatory so as to keep Ms May in 10 Downing Street because, as BoJo wrote (see above), none of them want a GE.
So it’s for us again to be relentless in harrying our Remain MPs and strengthening the back of the Brexiteer ones. Email them, again – and again – and again. Organise rallies in your constituencies: we’re the grassroots, it’s up to us to make them deliver the Brexit we voted for.
And finally, for your information, here’s the fabled “Malthouse Compromise” of which we hear so much – read it!
Almost three years ago, before Nigel Farage went ‘Funny’ about UKIP, People were making comments about him being charged with negotiating this Nation’s exit from the EU ! As a time served MEP, and ‘Winner’ in the referendum, hiring him by the Tory Government, no doubt with Tory minders, would have been the choice of those gifted with common sense. A GUARANTEED DEMOCRATIC OUTCOME TO THE REFERENDUM would have been certain, except for any interjection made by the minders !
Instead, this Tory housewife sidestepped the washing up, and decided that she would take on the task via Minister made to be responsible. Then due to her views being at odds with the Ministers, and their resignation, she set about doing the job herself !
Welcome now to the mess that we are in, ENTIRELY OF HER MAKING ! If there are still blinkered Tory people, that can only see that Party and none other, they will have to whine about the intransigence of the leaders of the EU, but then what did they expect ? If you have Communist credentials, or at least hate Democracy, and it has been sold as good for the continent, and you have your legs well under that table, you will fight tooth and nail against one off-shore member that wants to be out !
We have given you a Parliament in Brussels, which is in name only. Now give us your money to support our Globalist Ideas and our necessary life style ! Now Mrs May, for the adjustments that you are ‘demanding’ pass 39 Billion to us, and we will circulate it within the Union. We assure you that it will all be used with nothing left over ! You won’t see where it goes as our Accounts are very private, good grief woman, we are not a business with Audited Balance Sheets ! ….. etc. ….. etc. …..
MRS MAY. THE BRITISH PEOPLE VOTED TO LEAVE. NOW DO AS YOUR TOLD AND LEAVE ON W.T.O. TERMS !
I think the most significant news to emerge lately which we mustnt forget or overlook is Bill Cash’s exposure of May’s humungeous latest treachery: https://independencedaily.co.uk/your-daily-brexit-friday-1st-february-2019 ( 2nd half of article and Alan Piper’s comment).
Alan Piper says “Her deliberate intention was to deceive the Members of Parliament hoping, they would not pick up on her treachery.” So over to us to write to MPs alerting them.
there is no need for any comments , it must be WTO and implement aricle 24 which gives us 10 years on the same terms as now with the eu, that must be enought time even for brussels. But we must not give them a penny, tthey have over 100 billion of our money in assets and there bank which they have told us we are not getting back
Indeed. But Bill Cash revealed on 29 Jan that May’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill ( to be presented on 7th Feb and voted on on 14 Feb ?) will overturn the repeal of the 1972 Accession Act (which was legislated for last summer), and therefore overturn Brexit. I think it needed a very keen eye like Bill Cash to spot this and she was hoping MP’s wouldnt notice this when they vote on 14 Feb. So the thing to do is write to our MP’s ensuring they understand all this.
https://independencedaily.co.uk/your-daily-brexit-friday-1st-february-2019 and comments by Debbie and Alan Piper.
The return of our fair share of assets has never been mentioned by government as far as I am aware, yet May seems all too keen to give them the unjustified and legally unenforcable “divorce payment”. If people still believe that May and government in general are on our side then they must be living in a dark hole somewhere remote.
It was an earth-shattering time for some of these, apparently mainly middle aged people, sitting quietly outside when the stormtroopers arrived. There didn’t appear to be any rioting or protests prior to this event as much as I could gather as these people were just sat there. It is extremely upsetting to watch. You have to ask yourself could it happen here? Maybe on 29th March?
https://m.facebook.com/1772198506361736/posts/2223660167882232/
Shocking right enough.Not speaking Dutch I cannot really say what it was about, but it is clear that it was more about causing damage than any form of crowd control. And yes the little there is in English eg why does the MSM not report this?, you can be sure it will come to the UK in due course.
The MSM are not allowed to report this as, for example, the BBC receive grants and funds from the E.U. (£141 million so far) and according to Wikileaks they are all Commin Purpose graduates. I cannot bear to watch MSM any more and get unbiased news from RT UK along with great debates and documentaries, which is why the government are discussing shutting them down. They usually manage to live stream the Brexit marches without getting their signals jammed and do report on the yellow vests.
I’m sorry but if it wasn’t obvious this was happening in Spain and I don’t think too many words were needed to see how those older persons were not part of any demonstrations and there were very few yellow vests in evidence.
Somebody at the top is sanctioning this violence and brutality in these countries and the E.U. have stated the levels of violence are acceptable. I disagree and whatever side of Brexit you are it should not be allowed in once civilised countries under any circumstances. Ever! I’m sure you would all agree.
The notes translated that this happened in Barcelona, Spain, and there is backlash now as Gilets Jaunes and other similar groups (?Spain) protest against the tyranny of the EU.
It’s afternoon and no comments on this Brexit article?
Seems people can’t be bothered with Brexit any longer – and here I thought, from the numerous comments on yesterday’s articles about UKIP, that UKIP is the ‘Party of Brexit’ … apparently not.
Pity.
What is left to say that hasn’t already been said time and time again? We know full well the tories are liars and we know May is the worst PM in living memory. What we are waiting for is 29th March to see what these traitorous Tories will do next. I hope you have a Yellow Jacket ready.
But hasn’t everything be said about UKIP as well?
Perhaps sites as this are then no longer needed since everybody knows everything already and nothing more needs be said. Or written.
Indeed Pauline and, of course, we are preaching to the converted on here, so only new information is required.
Those of us of a certain age remember the way the SDP split Labour in 1980s – they eventually merged with the Liberals as the now Lib UnDems. A handful of Tories joined too but so what? Yet Labour under Corbyn and Starmer are now RemaIN EU (No ‘No Deal’ and For ‘Customs Union’), so why should it split?
Incidentally one of the Four who left Labour to form the SDP is Lord David Owen who has completely changed his view towards the European Project and is a vociferous Leaver now.