Government watch

The SNP are the third largest party in the House. They get the 2nd question, after Labour and before the LD at PMQ's

Well, I hope one of them has to use an NHS hospital!

Are any MPs really likely to use the NHS?....

Just as a sideline, there are some byelections going on next week, for anyone interested!

I heard on one of the news programmes last week that the Barnett formula only comes into force if England gets extra funding - so looks a dead duck.

MPs, like anyone else, have to use the NHS for any major emergency. Not that I want to wish a stroke on Jeremy Hunt, but we were talking about that at lunch today.

Four byelections today, Alieoxon.
One Tory, one Libdem, two Labour.
Should be interesting.

The government has sent out a letter saying they will fund the NI women's abortions!

Well done Stella Creasy.

Heidi Allan has made a good speech saying she could barely put into words at the deal her party has done with the DUP. They didn't need to do it. But, she says, she must put on record her distaste for the use of public funds to garner political control. She added that they should have run with a minority government and showed the government what mature, progressive politic looks like. The only comfort she says she can take is knowing that people in Northern Ireland will benefit.

evolvepolitics.com/sneering-tory-mp-says-hates-social-media-gives-voice-people-dont-deserve-one/

That's all of us gransnetters.

He said it on twitter, by the way, in response to Paul Mason about the braying Tories being pleased that no policemen, nurses or firemen will get a decent payrise.

He needs to be reminded what percentage he got this year.

Labour MPs are being whipped to abstain from Umunna'a Brexit amendment. This is why I can't support Labour and I suspect they will lose a lot of support from their new Remain voters when they realise what's going on.

Defeated because Labour MPs abstained.

I wish the Remain portion of the Labour party would stand up and be counted. JC has always been a bit lukewarm on the subject, and although I am delighted at the reduction in the Tory majority, I am not 100% convinced that JC is the man for the job, although I will admit that he has gained strength in the last couple of months.

So who do you think is the man - or person - for the job?

I actually wish all Remain MPs would stand up and be counted.
Corbyn has never been enthusiastic about the EU (understatement). Many young people in particular voted for Labour to get the Conservatives out and they were fobbed off over the EU, mainly because nobody from either Conservatives or Labour seems to know what they're talking about. Corbyn tries to look both ways on the EU and I fear he' going to become unstuck, especially if he whips Labour to vote for the "Great Repeal Bill".

So on the Sunday after the election on Marr, JC was asked if he wanted to stay in the single market.

His reply was - and this isn't quoted but my own words-

If we leave the EU as required by the referendum vote, we will leave both the single market and customs union. However, Labour will do all in its power to retain as much of them in the new post Brexit Britain as is possible as Labour recognises the potential loss of jobs and harm to the economy if we don't.

He went in to say that if there is a vote in the QS as an amendment to remain in the single market, JC said that he would vote against it as it would be anti- democratic and not what the majority voted for.

From my perspective being a strong remainer, I am disappointed but I can follow JCs line of argument. It is all of a piece.

JC has always said he is 70% remain with scepticism - I think a to of remainers would recognise that

CCHQ already advertising for staff to fight the next election.

Jeremy Corbyn has just sacked five of his front benchers - Gareth Thomas, Ruth Cadbury, Andy Slaughter Catherine West and Daniel Zeichner for backing the Chuka Umunna amendment to the Queens speech on Brexit.

Yes -I am not sure what else he could do. Umunna knows what the manifesto says, so he was in direct opposition to the manifesto. He knew that it would have the potential to split the party.

JC had to stand firm.

Although I am a strong remainer and would like to fight Brexit every step of the way, if you believe in democracy, I cant see how at this point in time JC can do anything else but do what he has done.

reprieve.bsd.net/page/m/305bf249/4d10561/26810e65/17a269f2/3674906790/VEsH/

This is a bit worrying.

So what's the first and second. I've never heard of it

The BBC has just said three not five sackings? No idea which is true - sorry.

Sorry, but what's happening really isn't democratic. There have been a number of polls which show that the majority of people don't want to leave the single market and customs union. Some of the leading Brexiteers before the referendum even stated that leaving the EU wouldn't mean leaving the single market. Democracy is being undermined for the sake of MPs' keeping their jobs.