Government watch

Even if one single person hasn't got the standing or authority - where are all the giants of our political system gone? - there is a big majority for remain. Why on earth can't they get their act together.

Absolutely, Welshwife, but it requires someone in charge to stand up and say so! I don't know how we can stop this now, especially with TM in charge; but who else has the authority to pull the plug?

I cannot get why no one has yet pointed out that there will not be a better option than that which we have and we should put the brakes on. Our membership would still not be quite as good as it was but probably still the better option.

Years ago when the children were at school we thought about moving a number of times. We wished to remain within a reasonable area because of schools etc. Every time we looked at houses when we returned home we would all decide there was more wrong with the house we had viewed than our own one! Changed our mind and stayed put! Nothing to be ashamed of to change your mind!

At least there is now a lot of talk about the fact that brexit is going to lose us jobs and investment now; just strange[and sad] that it wasn't mentioned prior to the referendum.

tegan Loathsome Leadsom - no one can do a smile like her even when she is saying something unpleasant!!!

May ducked out of PMQs yesterday and left her best friend Green to take the rap.

I bet May felt she had got off lightly as Green did his valent best to continue with the usual mantras "best possible deal". " doing what is best for Britain"
Except they aren't.

Thornberry found him an easy target.

She wanted to know what would happen in the event of not getting a deal?

Green replied - " we are going to get the best possible deal" he sat down with a satisfied grin.

Thornberry then reminded him that that wasnt a reply to the question she asked.
What she wanted to know was what happens if there wasn't a deal. Perhaps Green would like another go?

He wouldn't. He simply repeated the mantra that Britain was going to get the best possible deal, but wouldn't accept the sort of deal that say someone like the Labour Party wanted.

Thornberry replied that he must have missed the memo about cross Party consensus, and then tried to spell out the question in words of one syllable.
So - the deal the Tories thought they were going to get? Did he understand that bit?
Green nodded
So- what if you don't actually get that deal?
Green looked desperate.
So if he couldn't say what no deal looked like, could he let us know what contingency plans are in place in the case of no deal?
There is a contingency plan said Green. The plan is not to have a contingency plan.

The conversation lasted for a couple more questions, and then Thornberry released him to totter back from whence he came. Being PM for the day was way above his pay grade.

Thanks to John Grace

....especially 'as a woman'...oh crikey; I'm beginning to sound Leadsomlike....

I think what we have to be careful about are the HenryVIII powers this dodgy crew may use in "tidying up" various aspects of the thousands of aspects of this bill. They can do so without any recourse to Parliament, and knowing the hard right loons that we have to deal with it is a worry.

fullfact.org/law/ask-full-fact-great-repeal-bill/

This makes the repeal bill look like a lot of fuss about nothing much.

May called an election specifically asking for a strong mandate for her form of Brexit ( whatever that is)

She didn't get it,

She has no mandate for Brexit. She should be consulting across parties and listening to the polls.

55% against leaving- this figure is increasing week on week.

I take issue with the concept of "mandate"

Under our appalling FPTP electoral system many voters, living in "safe seats" are totally disenfranchised. Others, many others, vote tactically against the candidate they hate the most.

I've just spoken to two friends, both living in Scotland, about the recent general election. Both voted tactically. They both believe strongly that Scotland should remain in the UK and that the UK should remain in the EU.

One friend, in her seventies, told me she had voted Tory for the first time in her life because she hates Nicola Sturgeon and her separatist ambition. NS wants to destroy the UK and , for my left-of-centre friend, that was the most important issue and so she held her nose and voted Tory because in her constituency, the Tory candidate was the only one who could defeat the SNP, and she was pleased to see the Tory candidate elected. She is opposed to almost everything in the Tory manifesto, but for her, it was more important to keep Scotland in the UK.

The other friend, a life-long Liberal, who would like more than anything to elect a LibDem MP, actually voted Labour for the same reason, to try to stop the SNP. Unfortunately he still ended up with an SNP MP.

Neither of these people endorses brexit, let alone the hard brexit which apparently both Tory aim for now. Yet the brexiteers have the cheek to say that since over 80% of those who voted voted Tory or Labour, all these people have given them a "mandate" for hard brexit. RUBBISH!!!

It is because they have not a single Tory with sufficient caliber to take on the leadership.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-aide-prime-minister-summer-recess-legislation-report-opposition-debates-delay-tory-a7836761.html

Why is it that the only thing that seems to matter is May clinging on in Downing Street?
She messes up everything she touches these days.

The UK economy is set to continue to slow over the next 2 years as uncertainty is slowly but surely taking its grip with the realisation of what Brexit actually means.

Investment is being shelved as presumably the monies may be needed for moving costs to the EU.

"Our forecasts for slower growth are subject to considerable downside risks, stemming from Brexit uncertainties" S&P

Broadbent of the BoE
" A sharp drop in UK trade with the EU after Brexit will be bad for the economy.
It will shift Britain away from producing things it is good at because it will need to produce goods it currently imports"

The £ continues to fall

Those comments made me giggle dj, but I hope May doesn't resign. The favourite to replace her is David Davis - and you thought it couldn't get worse?!

If the government takes up McDonnell's suggestions and listens to nearly all the other parties (apart from the DUP), who want to stop Brexit, it would show some commitment to working together for the good of the country.

If it doesn't listen and can't find any money from the same tree which paid for the DUP bung, I hope the other parties will send May away with a flea in her ear. The Tories created the mess - they can clear it up!

Reading this article about democracy by Nick Clegg. I think he's right.

inews.co.uk/opinion/nick-clegg-worlds-leaders-democracy-now-germany/

Other suggestions for Maybot.

voxpoliticalonline.com/2017/07/11/theresa-may-asked-for-help-here-are-some-of-the-publics-kind-suggestions/

labourlist.org/2017/07/stop-slashing-corporation-tax-and-give-workers-a-payrise-mcdonnell-urges/

McDonnell's response to May wanting to work with the opposition.

May's relaunch?

Ofcom says that they have serious concerns about the Murdochs taking over Sky. May says it will be okay because the Murdochs have given them assurances that they will not do anything dodgy.
So instead of doing part 2 of Leveson, May is going to hand over the largest part of our media to the Murdochs.
What relaunch? She's not changed at all. Offers everything to the highest bidder.

Mays relaunch -anyone notice?

Isn't it good to know our MPs are so well informed Granny23

Best phrase ever invented tegan. Just watching the fifth series. Wonderful stuff.

Bloody fool.

'You know nothing, Luke Graham!'#winteriscoming.....