Legal risk of backstop remains 'unchanged' says Attorney General

With confidence, I think they will vote against a Hard Brexit.

I suspect the EU will grant an extension.... but as it's been said - they may not.  If they think it'll be more BS (which it would be), they have every right to say no.

I genuinely do not think another 3 months will solve a thing!

That vote against a hard Brexit was shockingly close.  I expected it to be more decisive than it was.

I don't think a 3-month extension will accomplish anything, either.  Plus, I'm worried about what concessions the UK will have to make in order to be granted an extension that ultimately won't help us.

But, maybe it's a good thing the no-deal Brexit vote was so close... maybe that will signal to the EU that half of Parliament aren't afraid to play Chicken, so maybe the EU should be a bit more conciliatory in their negotiations.

Confession:  I'm hoping for either no-deal and we'll just all muddle through as best we can, or no Brexit, and we go back to how it was before the Referendum.  I just don't see the UK and EU agreeing a Brexit deal that's going to make anybody happy.

Soooo, what are they doing now? By my count there are twelve days until Brexit Day. Is something substantial supposed to happen in London this week?

Last I heard the UK was "not prepared" for a cliff-edge Brexit. The UK is in a hell of a bad bargaining position. The EU cannot back down on the Backstop and has said so all along. Why in the world the UK media and politicians keep talking about "modifications" to the Backstop, or dropping it entirely, is perplexing. It gives the general public the idea that it's possible. The EU is not going to throw Ireland under the bus for the sake of the UK. (The EU didn't want to admit the UK to their circle, back when, in the first place.) There is no good that is going to come out of this for either party in the negotiations.

Meaningful Vote III: Meaningfuller

And they say the Americans don’t understand irony.  How about Theresa May’s insistence that we must respect the results of the referendum because “Democracy “ while cheerfully forcing everyone to vote on her plan repeatedly until she gets the result she wants?

And they say the Americans don’t understand irony.  How about Theresa May’s insistence that we must respect the results of the referendum because “Democracy “ while cheerfully forcing everyone to vote on her plan repeatedly until she gets the result she wants?

 

And they say the Americans don’t understand irony.  How about Theresa May’s insistence that we must respect the results of the referendum because “Democracy “ while cheerfully forcing everyone to vote on her plan repeatedly until she gets the result she wants?

Bercow noticed this, too.  He says another vote must be substantially different.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47614074

Bercow noticed this, too.  He says another vote must be substantially different.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47614074

Just seeing this on the news. That little dude has chutzpah.

Just seeing this on the news. That little dude has chutzpah.

I love that little dude.  My husband thinks I'm weird, because I always want to watch the return of the votes in Parliament.  Watching him say, "The ayes to the right, three-hundred-and-twelve; the noes to the left, three-hundred-and-eight.  The ayes have it!  The ayes have it!   UNLOCK!"  And then when the house gets all rowdy and he starts banging his gavel yelling, "OORdeerrrrrrr!  ORDER!"  It makes me giggle every time.

Bercow noticed this, too.  He says another vote must be substantially different.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47614074

So, unless he can be overridden, there can't be another vote. So that would seem to mean that the only potential options, if the EU refuses an extension, are: 1) call the whole thing off, or 2) go over the cliff. Crikey.

I would hope that the EU would allow an extenstion for potential option #3 throw it back to the people in another referendum.  The Parliament can't get it's act together well enough to say what it is they actually do want, so there's no reason for the EU to assume that a delay would be anything other than more of the same.

This has been... I don't even have a word for it. (That is repeatable in polite company.)

Ok, silly question time.

This is a constitutional monarchy. Technically, the Queen is the head of the whole apparatus. Am I wrong in understanding that the Queen has the power to dissolve Parliament completely, or did that get changed a few years back by a law she signed off on?

The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act put an end to the monarch's ability to dissolve the government in 2011. Now a two-thirds vote in the commons is required to dissolve Parliament before a five-year fixed-term is up.  She does still have the power to form governments.  So after an election, the winning party's leader goes to see the Queen and she invariably gives her blessing.  Technically, she could withhold consent, but I don't think that's ever happened.

The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act put an end to the monarch's ability to dissolve the government in 2011. Now a two-thirds vote in the commons is required to dissolve Parliament before a five-year fixed-term is up.  She does still have the power to form governments.  So after an election, the winning party's leader goes to see the Queen and she invariably gives her blessing.  Technically, she could withhold consent, but I don't think that's ever happened.

Um, so, then...what is it she actually DOES? (I mean, in the functioning government. Besides rubber-stamp things.)

She can raise an eyebrow.

They say George V was quite active behind the scenes politically. I think the abdication crisis and modern journalism put an end to direct royal meddling.

Too bad.
I'd think she'd put a stop to all this, if she could.
Not that I know her personally, or anything. But she seems eminently sensible.

Must be paying them back for this. 1:56 is a look that says never forget:

Must be paying them back for this. 1:56 is a look that says never forget:

They'll have their retaliation, and it makes me sad.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46913477