Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Valmy]

The Liberal Democrats exist in Wales and Scotland as well

[Duque de Bragança]

I would think most Green Parties would support a rail project. How odd. Is it running through a national park or something?

It's running through stuff. That seems to be enough.

Do they at least use the excuse of "first improve classics rail lines before  heavily investing into new high-speed links"?

[Tamas]

I would think most Green Parties would support a rail project. How odd. Is it running through a national park or something?

It's running through stuff. That seems to be enough.

Do they at least use the excuse of "first improve classics rail lines before  heavily investing into new high-speed links"?

IIRC it is about "ruining communities" (some people's properties will be approrpiated to make way for the line) and "London centric".

[Duque de Bragança]

Ok, so it's just 2.0 NIMBY. At least, they agree on something with old grumpy conservatives. !

[Tamas]

https://politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/05/14/both-parties-frozen-in-terror-as-brexit-destroys-the-system

You'd never have known it, but parliament is actually sitting right now. Today is the 300th in the parliamentary session - the longest since the Long Parliament, during the English Civil War. Back then, it sat indefinitely because it was at war with the king, and then because Cromwell instigated a purge and turned it into a grotesque fig-leaf for his despotism. But at least that was interesting. Our parliament is too boring to be remarkable, even when it becomes historic.

MPs sat for three hours and 34 minutes yesterday, had a brief chat about a preparation for digital services bill, then wrapped everything up and went home.

Who even remembered that parliament was sitting? It feels like recess. It's the political equivalent of 28 Days Later. There is nothing going on. The government is comatose, with just the tiniest flickering little murmur of a heartbeat flexing the skin. And that, apparently, is all it takes to stumble on.

Both parties are startled and terrified, as they finally realise the scale of what they've done. Brexit is now revealed as this titan-scale process, one which is never-ending, fiendishly complicated, and highly divisive. But they have spent so long pretending it will all be fine that they have run out of anything to say once it becomes clear it will not.

...

But it's not just the government. The whole system is buckling. Labour is in precisely the same space and now finally reaps the whirlwind it has helped create. The days when pundits could smugly point out how sensible its 'constructive ambiguity' was are gone. The party is now getting pounded. They are just one point ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the latest polling. Brexiters have somewhere better to go - Nigel Farage's party. Remainers have somewhere better to go - the Lib Dems, the Greens or Change UK. The face-both-ways strategy turns to no-one anymore.

[crazy canuck]

It would be poetic justice if both the Conservatives and Labour pay the price for making such a mess of this.

[Zanza]

You did not quote the most important conclusion, Tamas:

The danger in this case is not Brexit itself, but the now near-universal sense that mainstream political parties - that the political system itself - is inadequate.

I think Britain is now in a full blown constitutional crisis and whatever the outcome will be, the political system, its parties and institutions before Brexit were damaged beyond repair and will not return as it was before Brexit. In the best case, its institutions can reassert themselves and there is just a minor realignment of the parties. However, that does not look to be the case and a significant part of the British electorate does not feel represented by the political institutions anymore - no matter if Leave or Remain prevails by the way... 

[crazy canuck]

You did not quote the most important conclusion, Tamas:

The danger in this case is not Brexit itself, but the now near-universal sense that mainstream political parties - that the political system itself - is inadequate.

I think Britain is now in a full blown constitutional crisis and whatever the outcome will be, the political system, its parties and institutions before Brexit were damaged beyond repair and will not return as it was before Brexit. In the best case, its institutions can reassert themselves and there is just a minor realignment of the parties. However, that does not look to be the case and a significant part of the British electorate does not feel represented by the political institutions anymore - no matter if Leave or Remain prevails by the way...

I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing.  If Britain can reverse Brexit and have a Parliament which revert to its recent form of rule by the PM but rather something more in line with what Parliamentary Democracy was supposed to be then that would be a net positive in my view.

[garbon]

[Tamas]

It is good to know that through all of this, the Tories never lose sight of what's really important: personal ambitions.

[Tamas]

The growing noise about this the last week or so has been funny and pathetic. I can just imagine

"yeah, yeah, sure there's Brexit but, WHEN CAN I RUN FOR THE TOP JOB?! Your promiseeeed!!!!!!"

[Zanza]

So she did not actually commit anything at all. They are all dupes and let themselves be fooled by her. After the 2nd reading of the bill, she'll just say "I'll stay on until we are out and then we discuss a timetable for me leaving the job" or so.

[mongers]

Went past Southampton docks early evening before last and nothing was going on.

I've never seen them inactive before, no ships in,  no TEU movements, no vehicles or cranes working?
Which is odd for the UK's 2nd busiest container port, largest cruise/passenger terminal, and most used vehicle shipping facilities. 

Brexit slowdown?   

[The Brain]

Went past Southampton docks early evening before last and nothing was going on.

I've never seen them inactive before, no ships in,  no TEU movements, no vehicles or cranes working?
Which is odd for the UK's 2nd busiest container port, largest cruise/passenger terminal, and most used vehicle shipping facilities. 

Brexit slowdown?   

Maybe there was a cricket match somewhere?

[Josquius]

Our country's leading heroes are back in business

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/led-by-donkeys-brexit-party-campaign-1-6053529