Government watch

Thank you, everyone. This is complex - as I imagine the final verdict will be - but it is good to read the knowledgable opinion you are all finding.

I agree about the scream yet I find I have to keep up to date because I have never lived through anything like this.

I get the S.O. to gently break the news of the latest developments GG. We watch QT together these days although still can't usually stomach watching the whole programme [not that QT is a proper politics programme these days]. I'm joining a march in Edinburgh next week which will be interesting; hopefully Joanna Cherry [sp] will be speaking at it.

A government minister has been criticised for suggesting “many people” think judges are biased in relation to Brexit.
The business minister Kwasi Kwarteng made the remarks after judges at the court of session in Edinburgh said the suspension of parliament was “unlawful”.

When asked about the Scottish court’s judgment, Kwarteng told the BBC: “Many people are saying – I’m not saying this – but, many people … are saying that the judges are biased. The judges are getting involved in politics. I think that they are impartial, but I’m saying that many people, many leave voters, many people up and down the country, are beginning to question the partiality of the judges.”

The former Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell said the comments were ill-judged. “I would expect a government minister to understand the importance of the independence of the judiciary and not make any comments that might undermine public perceptions.”

Susan D Shaw, a managing partner at the Scottish law firm Living Law, said: “The rule of law is the bedrock of our society and affects every aspect of our daily lives. Legal judgments – decisions on the law and proven facts – frequently have profound political ramifications. That does not make them political. Rather, that they are above bluster and bullying tactics.

“This government needs to wake up and grasp the basics of our constitution. The ambit of executive discretion is not infinite. They promised the patently undeliverable and have acted as though they were above the law and beyond accountability. Where we are now is simply reality.”

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/12/brexit-kwasi-kwarteng-criticised-for-biased-judges-comment

Yet again we see a Tory minister pandering to lowest common denominator populism, whilst, at the same time, trying to distance himself from the tabloid readers who will no doubt now be encouraged to make these accusations. Highly irresponsible and inflammatory.

I Noticed adverts on motorway service stations. It says “Get Ready for Brexit”

And that’s it?

Tom Brake MP ?
@thomasbrake
The government’s ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign has fallen afoul of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee

There is a clear lack of transparency on what taxpayers’ money is being spent on, all whilst pursuing a vague and disastrous #NoDeal policy

The other massive lie is the advert that says

“Duty free shopping is coming back”

When was the last time we paid duty on stuff we brought back from the EU?

Glad to know our tax is being put to good use

Emma Kennedy
@EmmaKennedy
Guys, call me a suspicious old ninnymuggins but I’m starting to wonder whether the tax payer funded “Get ready for Brexit” ad campaign (which doesn’t actually tell you anything) is just an ad campaign for the Conservatives.

But they surely wouldn’t break the rules, would they?

More lies. Well he opened his mouth.

Reporter - You said that police forces were spaffing money up the wall on investigating historic child abuse.

Boris Johnson - That's not what I said.

LBC interview - £60million was being spaffed up the wall..

What Kwarteng said is a scandal. I was talking about this to a lawyer this afternoon. I'm not claiming to understand all the details, but basically the Scottish judgment was made using Scottish systems, which are different from English/Welsh ones. It's not to do with bias. The Scottish judges were following Scottish law.

It's seems like yet another attempt to undermine the law and smear judges by unscrupulous people who would like to operate outside the law.

Whitewave We do actually pay tax on anything bought abroad. Duty free and tax free are different. It's just that in some countries the tax is lower than in the UK.

There will almost be limits on the amount of duty free goods one can buy, as there were in the past. Frankly, I think a couple of pounds off a bottle of whisky or a packet of fags isn't much compensation for everything else we're about to lose.

Andrew Adonis
@Andrew_Adonis

I’m not saying that it would be a good idea for Johnson to resign for lying to the Queen before he degrades public life to a level not seen since the Prince Regent, but people up & down the country are saying it, particularly in Balmoral. And I do think they have a point

I wonder this as well

Richard Thompson #FBPE #facciamorete
@RichardPTh
·
Can someone solve this riddle for me? Working class ppl shaking the hand of and taking selfies with an Eaton & Oxford educated, pompous, arrogant, spoiled, self serving liar who doesn’t give a flying fuck for them and lives in a completely parallel world?

It's Eton, not Eaton!

Boris Johnson, received a frosty welcome from protesters as he arrived for talks with Luxembourg’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel. A large crowd jeered and chanted: ‘Tell the truth, stop the coup,’ as Johnson shook hands with Bettel

Later, Bettel appeared alone at the press conference. He told reporters that the British government still had not produced any revised proposal in writing. Boris Johnson did not appear to face the press.

Apparently Johnson is thinking of slapping in another prorogue when the current one ends.

Everything crossed for the court decision, but I won’t be holding my breath.

This country’s democracy is going to the dogs.

Oh dear

David Allen Green
@davidallengreen

Loss of parliamentary majority

Loss of control of Commons business

Six parliamentary defeats out of six

Defeat in the Scottish appeal court

And now humiliated by Luxembourg - not France or Germany, but Luxembourg

This is extraordinary

Johnson didn’t appear as he didn’t want to face protesters.

He isn’t doing or appearing very well is he.

A real loser in every sense of the word.

I wasn’t aware that the Incredible Hulk ran away from people shouting at him.

What an utter prat.

ditto WW2.
I haven't got words .......
Well I have but wouldn't dare print them.

So it now seems that we have a British Prime Minister, who having no time to negotiate a WA is therefore actively considering breaking the law.

He needs to be removed.

Johnson stated following his meetings with EU leaders that he did not expect any "breakthrough" to be achieved at those meetings yesterday.

So, what was the point of setting up and attending those meetings seeing as he had nothing new to bring forward?

The European Union had made its position very clear prior to the meetings. That is, it is for Britain to set out changes to the withdrawal agreement that is acceptable to the EU for a deal to be concluded.

That Britain has not done, position and in reality, is far from form doing.

Apologies my post above should read "and in reality, is far from form doing."

Don't know were the "position* appeared from.?

??

Andrew Adonis
@Andrew_Adonis
Apparently there is another tussle going on with the Queen about the state opening of parliament on 16 October. Johnson wants to wear the imperial state crown

So, what was the point of setting up and attending those meetings seeing as he had nothing new to bring forward?

Oh, come on, Grandad. He's doing it to satisfy his hard of thinking followers that he is doing his utmost to get a better 'deal' from the EU. Which it will do (i.e. satisfy them) because they don't see past the headlines.

He's also carefully building a narrative that will blame the EU for his failure to get a new deal (which he has little intention of doing) when we crash out on 31st October. The resulting chaos can then be blamed on the evil EU.

MaizieD, in regard to your post @-09:27 today, the problem for our incredible hulk would be that Parliament has decreed that Britain cannot leave the EU on October 31st unless there is a deal acceptable to that body.

Johnson was asked several times in his BBC interview yesterday how he intended to get around that problem being that he insists that the UK will leave on that date, and he could not answer that conundrum.

From our remain friend, Jason:

*Remember when Merkel said Boris had 30 days to provide some written proposals for negotiation? And Boris said it would be done easily within that time?

That 30 days ends this Friday and the UK have provided absolutely NOTHING in writing to negotiate. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.*