It’s the weekend after a turbulent week, and MSM and MPs seem to have gone for a chillaxing weekend. But this calm is deceptive. We know that Ms May is working hard on her ‘Plan B’ which she will present to the House on Monday. We know that the Tory backbencher Nick Boles has ‘a plan’ which he is touting up and down the MSM:
‘His proposed Private Members’ Bill – the EU Withdrawal (Number 2) Bill – aims to put MPs in control of the Brexit process. It demands an extension to the Article 50 process to allow negotiations to continue beyond exit day – March 29.’ (source).
His interview on the BBC is illuminating:
“A Tory MP who has put forward a plan to block a no-deal Brexit says ministers have told him they will quit, if they are ordered to vote against it. […] Mr Boles told the BBC his bill had a “broad base” of support from different sides of the Brexit debate. And he said he believed a number of ministers backed his plan. But he believes his constituency party in Grantham and Stamford is looking to oust him as a candidate at the next election. Asked if he thought local members would de-select him, the Tory backbencher told Nick Robinson’s Political Thinking podcast: “I think if they were asked to now they probably would.“ (my bold)
So he knows the opinion of his constituency and the country – but is going to go ahead anyway. Contemptuous of us or what!
As indication of how Ms May will aim to get her way It’s interesting to hear how she and her Whitehall handler have treated her Cabinet colleagues both at the Chequers Meeting which led to the resignation of David Davis – hard to believe this was only six months ago! – and regarding the infamous WA. Former Minister Esther McVey described this at the LML Rally, reported in this article which I urge you all to read.
A fascinating proposal comes from Charles Moore in today’s DT:
“How foolish of ministers to talk about blocking John Bercow’s peerage when he retires as Speaker. They should fast-forward it. By Monday morning, Mr Bercow should be out of the Speaker’s chair before he can do any more damage to the constitution, comfortably relocated in “another place”, clad in ermine. My other candidate for instant ennoblement is Philip Hammond. As Lord Runnymede and Weybridge, he would, I am sure, make a notable contribution to their Lordships’ debates on the reform of accounting practices. As Chancellor, however, he is working flat out to frustrate Government policy, which remains, despite everything, Brexit.”(my bold)
I heartily support this – but will Ms May listen?
Even more fascinating are the reports from the EU. One cannot help but think that an advanced state of schizophrenia is prevailing in Brussels. Having told us that there would be nothing to negotiate anyway, they are nevertheless aghast that no new proposals have come as yet from 10 Downing Street. Here is for example a report in the DM, copied mostly from the article in the DT, written by the arch-remainer Peter Foster: ‘Theresa May leaves diplomats in ‘disbelief’ after presenting EU leaders with unchanged Brexit demands’. I’ll quote at length from this report since it’s behind a paywall:
“Theresa May has left European diplomats in a state of “disbelief” following a series of phone calls to EU leaders in which she made no change to her demands despite her Brexit plan being voted down by a 230-vote margin this week. Senior EU diplomatic sources said that Mrs May’s unchanged stance was “greeted with incredulity” following a call with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday night. “It was the same old story – the same set of demands – all unchanged despite the defeat,” said the source with knowledge of the calls. Mrs May is understood to have repeated the same performance in conversations with the French president Emmanuel Macron, the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte and the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, provoking what one source called “diplomatic eye-rolling” in Brussels.”
Doesn’t that illustrate wonderfully that and how our ‘friends’ in the EU still have understood nothing about the reason for her defeat in the HoC? The report continues:
“Mrs May’s demands are understood to still centre around either a legally binding time-limit for the Irish backstop; a right for the UK to withdraw unilaterally, or a hard commitment to finalising a trade deal before 2021 to avoid the backstop coming into force. These demands were firmly rejected by the EU at the European Council summit in December after leaders expressed doubts that they would be sufficient to get the deal over the line in Westminster.”
And doesn’t this attitude of the EU Leaders reinforce the impression that they regard themselves and indeed the EU as being above the mechanisms of democratic decisions? Anyone who remembers the Soviet Union will surely recognise certain parallels. There’s more:
“In the aftermath of Tuesday’s massive Commons defeat senior Brussels diplomats congratulated themselves that they had been vindicated, viewing the rejection as confirmation that the problems with the deal went far beyond tinkering with the so-called ‘backstop’. Sources said that Martin Selmayr, the EU’s top civil servant who is now running the EU’s ‘no deal’ planning operation made a self-congratulatory presentation at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday saying the EU had been right not to grant concessions.” (my bold)
That really tells you all you need to know about how any new ‘negotiations’ will go, extended Article 50 or not! Finally:
“[…] her decision to plough on, apparently undeterred by the rejection, has now led EU diplomats to conclude that Mrs May is still “playing for time” and believes a version of her deal – with a concession on the backstop – will eventually go through Parliament. It seems clear she is still ‘running down the clock,” the EU source, “She is still staking everything on the DUP and ERG. To coin a phrase, ‘nothing has changed”.” (my bold)
Why that should astonish EU ‘diplomats’ defies comprehension. Indeed – nothing has changed: not the dictatorial intransigence of the EU nor their utterly inexplicable obtuseness in regard to how our British democracy works – which, btw, just reinforces our determination to Leave.
Here’s a possible scenario: while Ms May presents her ‘Plan B’ to the House on Monday, tearfully explaining that she’s worked hard but the bad EU won’t understand her, her backbenchers will provide and promote the ‘only’ solution: an extension to Article 50 as proposed by Mr Boles. We don’t know yet if Mr Grieve will also present a ‘Plan’. The ERG are allegedly poised to do so as well. Meanwhile second-class EU personnel is rolled out to hint that such extension would be accepted (here).
This then is the outlook for next week: given the customary ‘Non’ from the EU in regard to the Backstop, given their and our Remainers’ fond expectations that an extension to Article 50 is what is needed, our remain MSM and MPs will promote this extension to the hilt next week, in preparation for the HoC debate on Tuesday the 29th of January.
Until then – write to your MP’s constituency chairs and demand the Remain MPs to be deselected now. Who do they think they are – wannabe-Boles?
We live in interesting times.
Chinese curse fulfilled. Difficult times create excellent people, excellent people create nice and easy times, nice and easy times create weak people, weak people create difficult times… We all know which part of the cycle we are.
ONCE UPON A TIME, I did not like the EU in all its guises. – Now I hate the very the very idea of it !
I remember voting Conservative. – There is now no chance of ever doing that again. – UKIP only !
Just once I had ‘A Sick Headache’ and nothing could shift it. – Just like the EU with the Tory Party !
According to the Telegraph EU leaders are dumbfounded by May continuing to tout her withdrawal agreement despite her humiliation in the vote.
This confirms what I have thought for many months and what the media dare not suggest, that Theresa May in mad.
I stress, I use the word deliberately. It is not meant as an insult, it is what I truly believe. It is the only reasonable explanation for her total refusal to see the facts. She is, in a word, delusional and no longer fit for office.
I also think she is mad. I think I said before, criminally insane. Fact is though she is still enjoying the perks of the job. MSM might claim that she will be working too hard to enjoy her country retreat at Chequers this week end but look at the luxurious London address she has and police protection and publicity which she clearly enjoys even when much of it is more hatred than respect. Judging from what we see of them on TV she still has adulation from Philip Hammond.
Might as well leave her in place I say, at least until 31/3/2019. Let her take the blame if we do not leave as we should. No one in their right mind will give her credit if we leave under WTO terms as we should and as we voted for.
demented
Viv that stuff about Nick Boles is extraordinary, thanks for sharing. Is it any wonder public respect for the House of Commons generally is at an all-time low.
Mrs May’s strategic behaviour in all this is inexplicable unless you realise that the Prime Directive of any Tory Prime Minister is the survival of the Conservative Party. EVERYTHING ELSE is a secondary consideration.
Without regard to whether she is actually a Remainer or born-again Brexiteer, if she was to go full on and cancel or delay Art50, she knows the PCP would split right there and then – Resignation City, Arizona. On top of that, she has GOT to be cognisant of the three-quarters of Conservative Party members out in the shires, who want WTO as the result, according to a (I think ComRes) poll.
If she went full-bore WTO (which seems likely, planned or not – who the hell knows), she would only be looking at World War III in the Commons Chamber.
My Teresa May seesaw is still rocking between Madwoman and ChessMaster, currently Madwoman.
She’s no chessmaster. But her Olly is.
Do you know what ELO ranking he has?
I was horrified to read Peter Thorneycroft’s words in 1947 (‘Design for Freedom’ committee, chaired by Peter Thorneycroft MP June 1947 ) which show that this intention to deceive has ALWAYS been part of the plan and still is, and they help to clarify the problem. “It is as well to state this at the outset – no government dependent on a democratic vote could possibly agree in advance to the sacrifices which any adequate plan for European Union must involve. The people must be led slowly and unconsciously into the abandonment of their traditional economic defences, not asked, in advance of having received any of the benefits which will accrue to them from the plan, to make changes of which they may not at first recognize the advantage to themselves as well as to the rest of the world. No satisfactory economic plan for Europe can be devised without sacrifice of sovereignty by the nations concerned.”
“The people must be led into the abandonment .. of their defences … … not asked … (about the) sacrifice of sovereignty”
The Lisbon Treaty is the next step in 2020 to implementing this iron rule by the ideological 3rdWay and ensuring that the rule of the collective is enforced. “The citizen in the Fascist State is no longer a selfish individual who has the anti-social right of rebelling against any law of the Collectivity” said Mussoilini when in February 1923, il Duce and the Fascist Grand Council introduced a law to change election results. By the Acerbo Law, f one party got just 25% of the votes cast in an election, they would get 66%of the seats in parliament. What is the difference with the Lisbon Treaty, or with changing the meaning of the Brexit results? Are not some 66% of MPs is favour of Remain despite 66% of their constituencies wanting the opposite?
it might sound shocking but this is a Fascist mentality and the Boles and their ilk should stop branding ordinary decent hardworking people as “extreme” or “far-right” when they themselves simply ape far-right extremists from 100 years ago.
My MP is Bottomley who spoke publicly for accepting the “deal”. We can’t get him out because he has had a huge majority for many years.
I wrote to the anti-democratic D Grieve when I lived in his constituency at the time of the referendum, and asked him, in Nov 2016, to confirm that he would put his full weight behind a swift exit from the EU. He replied with the words “You are, however, mistaken in stating that my own constituency voted to leave because the evidence is clear that it voted to remain when one looks at the votes cast both in South Bucks but also the parts of the Wycombe District that I represent”
I checked these figures with the Guardian (the viewspaper whose opinions I feel sure he echoes)’s results and analysts constituency-by-constituency, and wrote back pointing out, “More people in South Bucks voted to leave the EU – a 1.4% majority.” – the votes cast were
50.77% in favour of Leave, or 20,647 Leave, compared to 20,077 Remain in South Bucks, guess what, Mr Grieve replied that the “accepted view” is that it had a ‘remain’ majority, This is perhaps the kind of deliberate casuistry that we have to expect of tricksters and “made-men” who have no sense of integrity.
He did however qualify his reply with the statement, “That issue, however, is not relevant to the fact that the referendum was a nationwide exercise in obtaining the opinion of the electorate.”
In other words, although he refused to support the views the People, either nationally or even in the South Bucks constituency, he was unable – in his hifalutin legalistic way – to distinguish this from his own notion that there was a nationwide exercise, which the LEAVE position in fact won.
People like him somehow keep two totally contrary views in their head at the same time and peacock their opinions around them as it suits, only to conveniently forget about it later. They then work in the shadows to subvert democracy as appears to have been done in the anti-constitutional way illustrated by bercow, blair, clegg, heseltine, clarke, boles, major, etc etc etc.. They are “democratic’ in the way that the italian fascists were democratic… didn’t Mussolini say, “when the People have learnt to obey, they will believe what I tell them”?
Correct me somebody please, but I can’t see what is to be gained when Tory Leavers proudly resign from the Cabinet “on principle “. Aren’t they just making it easier for Theresa to get her own way? Wouldn’t it be braver and wiser of Tory Leavers to cling on to that seat round the table for as long as they can, where their opinion might have more impact than muttering angrily to themselves from the back benches? Perhaps I am missing something.
There’s an article in today’s Telegraph with the headline: ”Rage of the Tory grassroots and why Brexit betrayal will consign party to oblivion”:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/01/19/rage-tory-grassroots-brexit-betrayal-will-consign-party-oblivion/
Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall but, in it, there’s a letter from the chairman of the Hornchuch and Upminster Conservative Association telling Brandon Lewis, the Party chairman that if the party does not get behind Brexit and leave the EU as intended the British public would “never forgive us for that heinous act of betrayal”. He added, in angry capitals:
“They did NOT vote for a DEAL, they voted to LEAVE, if we fail to deliver that the Conservative Party will sentence itself to political oblivion for generations to come. We have survived the no confidence vote but we will not survive the betrayal”
So, on Monday we’ll find out if May puts her own pigheadedness before the future of her party.
Thomas, Teresa May won’t endanger the Tory Party. In any event, Tory voters will still vote for them under FPTP won’t they. I mean, what are they gonna do – let Labour in?
Having said, let’s pray Brandon Lewis takes seriously what his local chairmen are telling him.
Well, Rob, they let Labour in for thirteen years between 1997 and 2010 and then couldn‘t form a majority government for another five years after that. If May carries on like she is doing, I reckon they’ll be out for a lot longer this time (even for “generations“ as one of their own local chairman says).
i have been convinced since her “nasty party” comments that may has been out to destroy the Conservative party–she is and always has been a libdim
You don’t think for a minute that she’ll change her ” pig-headedness” after two+ years of deception, duplicity and deceit do you?
Even now, having suffered the worst Parliamentary defeat in modern history, she has shown she is only interested in making the minimum changes to her WA in order to get it voted through. If that is done it will still be a terrible, unacceptable and damaging deal for the UK. Her WA must be scrapped entirely.
Even if her WA was to be scrapped and a new agreement negotiated it would be worthless if negotiated by her. We need a new PM with a carefully appointed team by a competent Leaver determined to act entirely in the interests of the UK. That is not going to happen within the next two months so leaving on WTO terms is the best way for it to be done in the interests of the UK.
What is needed now, is a massive campaign to explain to the British public why a WTO Leave is not a Cliff-edge and will be beneficial, is not to be feared and is even desirable.
Nick Boles is doing everything he can to overturn the Brexit result. That is his (and the rest of the shysters’) prime target – the rest is just flummery to pretend they are democratic and have our interests at heart. They don’t They are all banging on about ‘No Deal’ being a disaster and must be taken off the table – this is because ‘No Deal’ is what will happen if we do not have a deal in place.. THE EU DO NOT WANT US TO LEAVE, THEY NEED OUR MONEY. And they certainly don’t want us to leave on ‘No Deal’, The only chance we have of a deal is the threat of ‘No Deal’ on the table.. In fact I think we must leave first on ‘No Deal’. A reasonable deal will follow because the EU will be affected more by ‘No Deal’. While we remain in the EU there is no incentive for the EU to do anything in our interests, in fact they want to punish us and they will. We must leave on ‘No Deal’. on 29 March 2019 and keep our £39billion. That prime idiot Mrs May needs to stop thinking she is dealing with like-minded civilised people – they are the enemy, they want to destroy us, really, they do.
Absolutely right Vera, May couldn’t negotiate the skin off a rice pudding, even if she wanted to.
Vera The EU position was clear from the start – no conspiracy at all. They made it clear that they would do all they could to frustrate Brexit to send a message to other members that leaving the EU would not end well.
Not in their wildest dreams did they imagine they would have three quarters of the British political establishment falling over themselves to aid and assist them. The real dirty work is being done right here by our own Remainer MPs.
The British Leavers must realise that unless these Remainers fear losing their seats and careers they will most certainly continue to do everything to overturn Brexit.
My Prediction?:
Either The Blessed-Teresa will ask for an Extension to Article 50
Or She will rescind the ‘Notice/Decision to Leave the EU’ to leave UK within the EU. “I’ve done my Best- the Beastly MPs wouldn’t accept the WA”.
It seems to me to be an inept ‘Divide and Rule’ tactic, worked-out by her Handler in Whitehall…………….