Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Josquius]

Just to contrast my post above, article 50 will have to be extended as there isn't the parliamentary time available to put through all of the necessary legislation.

Which even if we end up falling off the cliff in the end would be a small victory in itself.
Forcing the brexiters to face EU tax avoidance laws when they come in and giving another year of kids time to start their lives.

[Admiral Yi]

Brexit has made you aware of the object lesson Squeeze.

[Josquius]

Brexit has made you aware of the object lesson Squeeze.

What's that?

I've always been about fair treatment for all.

[Admiral Yi]

What's that?

I've always been about fair treatment for all.

Object lessons are learned when your aspirations encounter hard data.

[Josquius]

What's that?

I've always been about fair treatment for all.

Object lessons are learned when your aspirations encounter hard data.

Pretty sure I learned that 20+ years ago.

[Admiral Yi]

K

[Tamas]

Found this bitter, but quite accurate description of the 29th of January Commons travesty:

http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/01/29/amendment-apocalypse-spineless-mps-just-voted-against-realit

It was the only Brexit majority the Commons had to offer. MPs voted, firmly and confidently, against reality. And then, just as firmly and confidently, they voted for fairy stories.

...

It was as pitiful an exhibition as we've ever seen from them: a masterclass in cowardice. Even now, years after the result, they are petrified of being seen to somehow undermine Brexit. Their mania is so severe that they are prepared to sabotage the mechanisms which would achieve what they themselves say should take place.

That was how they rejected reality. Then they threw their lot in with the fairy tales.

The last vote was on Graham Brady's amendment to replace the backstop with "alternative arrangements". What were these alternative arrangements? No-one would say. Brady himself has no idea. The prime minister won't offer anything. Even the Brexit secretary dodged the question.

The backstop is only supposed to kick in if alternative arrangements, like the hardline Brexiters' dreams about frictionless technology, do not come to fruition. So applying them now was like answering a question with the question. What's your alternative arrangement if the alternative arrangements don't work? Well, an alternative arrangement of course.

...

It is insane. It is a degree of contortion which would be remarkable if it weren't so ghastly.

But in a way, it was typical May tactics. She prioritised vague promises over content. She sabotaged something - anything - in order to fight another day. She made promises she could not keep on issues she knew to be false. Once again, she said anything, anything at all, to survive just a little longer.

But there are consequences to this lunacy. Britain is now, it is clear to the world, not a serious country. The way it is behaving is simply not rational. Any reputation it had for credibility or sound judgement is gone. It is a basketcase.

That is humiliating enough. But it has significant medium-term implications too. Firstly, it shows why the backstop was needed in the first place. This country has become an unreliable negotiating partner. It will demand something one day then seek to detonate it the next. The events in the Commons today actually had the ironic effect of reaffirming to the EU the need for the backstop insurance policy.

On a broader level, we are about to go around the world asking for trade deals. But we're seen, by everyone, on the largest stage imaginable, to be fundamentally politically insane. We've gone mad and everyone is looking.

This is as bleak a day as we have had in the entire Brexit process. All roads now seem blocked. MPs won't back an extension to Article 50. They won't back May's deal. And they won't back no-deal. They've opted for fairy tales over action. Things are looking very bad indeed.

[garbon]

[Tamas]

BTW I think this will make conditions ripe for the abolishment of the monarchy. The extra layer of prestige of level-headedness it had given to Britain is now gone. It is quite clearly useless as a political device as these supposed heads of state are silent.

[garbon]

BTW I think this will make conditions ripe for the abolishment of the monarchy. The extra layer of prestige of level-headedness it had given to Britain is now gone. It is quite clearly useless as a political device as these supposed heads of state are silent.

I don't see how that follows at all. The Queen isn't expected to intervene in these sort of matters.

[Tamas]

BTW I think this will make conditions ripe for the abolishment of the monarchy. The extra layer of prestige of level-headedness it had given to Britain is now gone. It is quite clearly useless as a political device as these supposed heads of state are silent.

I don't see how that follows at all. The Queen isn't expected to intervene in these sort of matters.

Yes but then what's the point?

[garbon]

Tradition and ceremony? Tourism?

If anything, had the Queen been weighing in heavily on Brexit, I think that would have lead to increased calls for the monarchy to be disbanded.

[Threviel]

I imagine the queen makes May aware of her opinions on the matter in their weekly meetings. It's not like she can start hitting May over the head with the notebook if she isn't listening.

[mongers]

I imagine the queen makes May aware of her opinions on the matter in their weekly meetings. It's not like she can start hitting May over the head with the notebook if she isn't listening.

Not a bad idea.

Though May now looks like 'dead man walking' at least judging from her body language and lack of facial expressions in Brussels yesterday.

[Tamas]

I imagine the queen makes May aware of her opinions on the matter in their weekly meetings. It's not like she can start hitting May over the head with the notebook if she isn't listening.

Not a bad idea.

Though May now looks like 'dead man walking' at least judging from her body language and lack of facial expressions in Brussels yesterday.

Yes she looked even more unnatural than usual.