Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Grey Fox]

What makes the Canada-EU deal so great that the leavers want it so much?

It's not a single market or a customs union, so it's basically just a one-off mostly-free trade deal.  It's also not a border deal, so there's no danger of foreigners getting in that way.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45633592

Ok. Interesting. I had never read an article on CETA from the EU perspective before.

Leavers are weird.

[Duque de Bragança]

What makes the Canada-EU deal so great that the leavers want it so much?

It's not a single market or a customs union, so it's basically just a one-off mostly-free trade deal.  It's also not a border deal, so there's no danger of foreigners getting in that way.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45633592

Ok. Interesting. I had never read an article on CETA from the EU perspective before.

Leavers are weird.

For instance,  more AOCs like champagne and port wine get recognised by Canada ; no more garbonitis.
Some of these were already recognised by a 2003 agreement though.

[Sheilbh]

So Labour party conference starts this week and, as is their custom, they will start with another round of internal squabbles. Corbyn's moving to abolish the (directly elected) post of Deputy Leader tomorrow, at least in part because the current Deputy Leader, Tom Watson, is a moderate. He's also a strong people's vote and remainer, so I'm sure this'll go down well with the rest of the Labour Party.

I sort of feel like the Labour left are starting to worry about their control over the party and what happens if they lose again and Corbyn steps down.

Edit: And apparently they're also scrapping Labour Students which, to quote the Guardian, "some party left-wingers have long regarded as a hotbed of centrists." Hotbed. Of. Centrists

[Admiral Yi]

people's vote

Was is das?

[Sheilbh]

people's vote

Was is das?

Campaing name for a second referendum.

[Iormlund]

" Hotbed. Of. Centrists

[Oexmelin]

A tepid bed?

[Richard Hakluyt]

The challenge is to be even more useless than our current government; it is a tough challenge but I am sure that labour can rise to the occasion.

[Sheilbh]

The challenge is to be even more useless than our current government; it is a tough challenge but I am sure that labour can rise to the occasion.

There was a lot of pushback from MPs, members, at least two trade unions and Gordon Brown on behalf of all previous leaders and deputy leaders. The motion to abolish the post of Deputy Leader is going to be replaced by one to review the position and its democratic accountability.

The official position is the motion was freelancing by Jon Lansman, who leads Momentum. Corbyn had no knowledge of the motion that was proposed by the leader of a pro-Corbyn campaign group and supported by his chief of staff, the three shadow cabinet ministers, four pro-Corbyn trade unions and the nine pro-Corbyn lay committee members. And he just so happened to leave the room before it was proposed.

Although this does look like preparation for the left's fight to keep control of a post-Corbyn Labour party. See end of Stephen Bush's article:

Well, I look at my copy of the Labour rulebook and it tells me two things – that the removal of Labour Students from the party's structures makes it marginally easier to get a Corbynite candidate on the ballot for the party leadership and to prevent others from reaching it, and that removing the post of deputy leader means that in the event of a vacancy at the top, it cannot be filled by Watson.

That also blocks off the one plausible path I can see to a Corbynsceptic majority on the NEC: as acting leader, Watson would be able to appoint three members of the NEC, which taken with his own vote and the remaining Corbynsceptics on the NEC would produce a narrow Corbynsceptic majority. (Albeit one that wouldn't be able to agree on anything other than being relieved that Corbyn had gone.)

But I just think: I look at Rebecca Long-Bailey having a pretty good day at the office when she filled in for Corbyn at PMQs. I look at John McDonnell's recent interviews with the Times and the FT. And I see either Corbyn, or his allies, abandoning all caution to remove a neutered foe whose only relevance will be if there is a vacancy at the top.  And I think about the continual rumours that Corbyn is planning his exit, which I have always in the past dismissed as the wishful thinking of Corbynsceptics with no viable way to retake the Labour party.

And I think, could it be that this time, the rumours are true?

Edit: Just seen some on the left considering if this was a plot cooked up by Tom Watson

[Zanza]

[garbon]

I'm surprised Corbyn crossed against the hand that feeds him (Momentum).

[Sheilbh]

I suspect they made the motion for him while he was away for plausible deniability. In the face of fierce pushback Corbyn can blame Lansman, whose current line is "I welcome and fully support Jeremy's proposal to review Tom Watson's position. We need to make sure the deputy leader is properly accountable to the membership while also unifying the party at conference. In my view, this review is absolutely the best way of doing that."

[mongers]

The deluded lead by clowns, but which UK political party might I Not be thinking of? 

[Tonitrus]

The deluded lead by clowns, but which UK political party might I Not be thinking of? 

Monster Raving Loony party? 

[Valmy]

The deluded lead by clowns, but which UK political party might I Not be thinking of?