You are currently browsing the daily archive for April 8, 2019.
At the most crucial point before the UK could be thrown out of the EU on April 12, 2019, with a No Deal, discussions since Friday have produced a stalemate.
The House of Lords was not much good reviewing the Cooper/Letwin Bill No. 5 at the end of last week. Old feuds erupted between hereditary appointments and subsequent political ones:
The Lords continued to debate this bill this afternoon.
Theresa May’s negotiations with Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party got nowhere over the weekend. Talks continue this week.
Conservatives and other Leavers are deeply unhappy:
Labour MP Kate Hoey, a longtime Leaver, is also unhappy:
Brendan O’Neill of the libertarian site Spiked said:
On Sunday, April 7, an uncomfortable looking Theresa May made a statement from No. 10 about Brexit (nothing more than we know already):
Here’s another version, closer to the truth:
Today, Leave Conservative MP Mark Francois will try to get a motion tabled for an indicative vote of no confidence against PM May.
Last December, a formal vote of no confidence took place in Parliament but failed. Another vote of no confidence cannot take place until December 2019.
However, Francois thinks that tabling an indicative vote of no confidence, whilst not binding, would send a message for May to stand down and for the EU to disregard another extension date from her.
This is likely to be unsuccessful, because the overwhelming majority of MPs are Remainers. They know that this is his way of attempting a No Deal by the end of the week.
In other news, an EU Exit and Trade Cabinet meeting took place today:
As I write, a Cabinet meeting was scheduled for later in the afternoon:
This is not what the 2016 referendum’s 52% of Leavers voted for.
More anon.
It is increasingly apparent that PM Theresa May and her fellow Remainers do not care about the future of their own party.
Leave MP Michael Fabricant might be eccentric, but he speaks the truth:
It is unfortunate that every decent article and editorial in The Telegraph lies behind a paywall, however, at least one can still view the comments.
This one (4 Apr 2019 12:33PM) expresses the average Conservative voter’s perspective on Brexit and the Party (emphasis in the original, those in purple mine):
I cannot recall a time when I have been more disgusted by, and ashamed of, the party I have voted for my entire life.Â
I am 69 years old and was brought up in the North East, a massively Labour area, by strongly conservative parents. The lessons and morality I learned from them have stayed with me for life.
I may be old, but I am neither stupid nor ignorant. I am university educated and world-travelled and ran my own small business for 30 years, employing staff and exporting my hand-made goods worldwide. I knew very well what I was voting for when I voted ‘leave’ in the 2016 referendum, my main motivation was to regain our precious sovereignty and our ‘British Spirit’, a word I am struggling to define but I’m sure you get my meaning. I am in no way prejudiced and welcome people of all shades, religions and nationalities to our Country. The one thing I do ask is that immigrants make a life in this country and, whilst not forgetting their own heritage, they honour our native mores, lifestyle and laws.
It now seems that our constitutional, democratic values, backed by the Rule of Law, whilst largely unwritten, have been honoured for hundreds of years. The way in which our current elected representatives in the House of Commons have, by tricks, lying, cheating and deceitful, mendacious behaviour overturned democracy and defied the Rule of Law. This has started from the top, from the Prime Minister downwards. How can the Cabinet, MPs of all stripes, behave themselves lawfully and democratically under these circumstances? The answer is that under such leadership they cannot, and will not.
I never thought I would live to see this appalling day, when we are so grossly, and traitorously, betrayed by a CONSERVATIVE government. It stinks, and the Conservatives will never, in my lifetime, be forgiven for leading us into rule by a foreign power.Â
May God help us all.
It is unclear what PM May expects to get out of pushing her deal — which seems to be a treaty — and cosying up to Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn except perhaps some sort of EU job. One thing is for certain. She has no future in the Conservative Party:
The Sun‘s article from Wednesday, April 3, 2019, is lengthy and informative. An excerpt follows, emphases mine:
The Sun has been told that 15 Brexiteer ministers are âon the edgeâ of also walking out – 10 junior ministers, five in the Cabinet.
One of those ministers said: âMany, many colleagues in government are just seething and a lot of us are on the edge now â some over a customs union, others over European Parliament elections.
âWhatâs for sure is if she asks for a long extension next week it will mean mass resignations.â
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox signalled last night he is one ready to quit if Mrs May watered down her red lines, telling MPs he is prepared to dump ânoneâ of the partyâs manifesto promises.
A large group of Brexiteer ministers â known as the Pizza Club – met twice yesterday, including late last night in the Commons, to try to plot a way to stop Mrs May from softening Brexit further.
Among them were Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom – who hosted the meeting – Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Last week, three Conservative MPs resigned ministerial positions, with one — Nick Boles — leaving the Party. Nigel Adams will continue as MP from the back benches as will Chris Heaton-Harris:
On May 2, many local councils will hold elections. Conservative Party associations are working hard to get out the vote, but, given the antics from their own MPs with Brexit, this is proving to be quite a challenge.
Compounding the issue is the prospect of another general election, as May’s popularity continues to tank.
Brexit was supposed to be the great Conservative Party unifier. Instead, it is proving to be incredibly divisive.
What should voters think when the BBC’s Andrew Neil takes down a Remainer Conservative MP — the Father of the House, no less — on live television? This shows how duplicitous Kenneth Clarke is in his push for a customs union. After so many years as an MP, he should know better. Consequently, astute Leavers are wondering why he is pushing for it:
https://twitter.com/stevenson_les/status/1113787365301063683
This comment on Conservative Home is directed towards the Clarkes of this Parliament:
How about a survey of Conservative MPs.
1) How many of you think you can get re-elected to Westminster in the event of an emergency GE without the help of your Associations?
2) Given your goppingly ghastly way of trying to subvert Brexit by voting for it not to pass, how do you expect to motivate your party workers.
3) Why do you think you are worth being re-adopted and why shouldn’t your members choose someone more inclined to support a proper Brexit?
4) Are you aware that of the Conservative membership, 3/4 are Brexiteers. 6/10 Labour constituencies voted to Leave 7/10 Conservative constituencies voted to leave – and if you were, WTF are you doing in Westminster?
I can tell the MPs that from the bottom to almost the top, that those who work for the MPs and councillors, including the councillors who are going to be most badly affected, that doing business with Corbyn is new low for the PM. She has to bloody well go.
May’s attempted rapprochement with Corbyn is going to prove difficult for local Conservative members going from door to door, as Paul Goodman explains at Conservative Home:
âDonât go anywhere near Corbyn â or his supporters,â Tory canvassers will be saying on the doorstep. To which voters will surely reply: âwhy not? Your own leader is.â
In many areas, local canvassing for May 2 is not going well. Conservative Home’s Harry Phibbs has been out and about getting reactions from Party association members. What follows are reactions from around the country.
In a strong Brexit area of the West Midlands:
… Conservatives are not going to switch to Labour or the Lib Dems. But a lot of Conservatives will abstain. Also, there are rumours of independents standing.
In a rural district:
I must emphasise that the problem is not just with Brexiteers. It is wider than that. Itâs down to trust and there is very precious little of it left. There is this dismay at the incompetence and the duplicity. People coming on and saying one thing one week and then doing the opposite the next week.
In a Labour-run local authority:
What is so infuriating is that we had been working hard to make gains. Now we will be lucky not to make losses. Labour locally is in a mess. But what is happening nationally is a very significant problem. The morale of our team is very low. If they are disillusioned then how can they expect to persuade others? People say why bother voting. We end up agreeing with them.
In a Conservative-run local authority:
We are supposed to be in a safe seat. But I donât think there are any safe seats. CCHQ is very complacent about that. The situation is very volatile. Itâs pretty dire at the moment, to be honest. But I think it could change.
In the South East:
It is extraordinarily bad. We have seriously considered stopping canvassing for the time being in case it does more harm than good. Could we be annoying people, winding them up? Over and over again people are saying they will ânever vote Conservative again.â Iâve been campaigning for several years now and I have never encountered this pure rage on the doorstep before.
A comment on the article supports all of the above:
All I can add is that as a small c and long standing Leave supporting independent candidate, campaigning hard to keep my seat, I am very grateful not to be a Tory right now. I don’t think I could stand the abuse. Few people want to talk about local issues. It’s mainly the failure to implement the Brexit they voted for and the subsequent denial of a democratic process that makes people so very angry.
A number of Conservative and swing Leave voters are likely to ditch the Party on May 2, even though local councillors have no part in the Brexit process. It’s their way of making a protest statement.
CCHQ and PM May, as Party leader, should be asking themselves probing questions during these remaining weeks. However, it seems unlikely that they will. They live in the Westminster bubble, far removed from voters.
Churchmouse Campanologist 