Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Maladict]

So... We're planning a motorhome trip to France in May. As part of that we thought we would go to Jersey on a day-trip. What do you think? Will we be needing visas and where do we apply?

Jersey was never part of the EU. It's a beautiful island, do go 

[mongers]

The UK used to be this charming country, quirky in character, good as businessmen, and more often than not trensetters in style or entertainment. But over the past 15 years or so the country seems to have gone collectively senile.

One really need to gird up one's loins before watching the evening news nowadays.

[The Brain]

They won against the Kaiser, Hitler, and countless tribes in skirts with sharpened mangos, but they were finally defeated by... themselves!

[Josquius]

From Twitter, no idea if serious:

More big Brexit news: No10 confirms the Govt has just accepted the Swire amendment - which gives MPs the power to;
1. Veto the Irish backstop AND a transition extension in 2020
2. Limit the backstop to just 12 months
Both completely contradict the current Withdrawal Agreement.

If they add that to the ratification, the EU parliament and council will most likely not ratify. It's a good ploy to kick the can down the road and to later claim it was the EU's fault that no WA came into being, but obviously this just again reneges on the backstop Britain agreed to in late 2017. No deal it shall be then.

Edit: Looks like it's true: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/concession-backstop-following-furious-row-174231984.html

That gives the UK  a unilateral right to end the backstop. Why would the EU even bother to ratify this?

Wait ...so they've made the agreement...worse?

[HisMajestyBOB]

So... We're planning a motorhome trip to France in May. As part of that we thought we would go to Jersey on a day-trip. What do you think? Will we be needing visas and where do we apply?

The way things are going, you won't need visas but you will need armed guards, ample rations, and trade goods for bartering.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Jersey is a special case; it is not part of the EU but is a part of the single market in goods.

https://www.gov.je/Government/Departments/JerseyWorld/pages/relationshipeuanduk.aspx

Crosses a few red lines  , I guess it is too small to worry about too much.

[Josquius]

Speaking of special cases. All quiet on the Gibraltar front

[Zanza]

Financial Times David Allan Green on Twitter:

The faux constitutional outrage of the government supporting press and punditry this morning is quite a marvel.

Let's see what constitutional outrages they have so far not cared about.

1.

The government prolongs the current parliamentary session over two years, so that there will not be a Queen's Speech.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

2.

The government packs the select committees with Tory majorities, even though it is a hung parliament by procedural sleight of hand.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

3.

A secretary of state repeatedly misleads the House and its committees over the extent and existence of Brexit sector analyses reports.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

4.

Government repeatedly ignores and does not even participate in votes on opposition motions.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

5.

Government sought to make the Article 50 notification without any parliamentary approval whatsoever, and forced litigation to go all the way tot eh Supreme Court so that parliament could have that approval.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

6.

Government commits itself to billions of pounds of public expenditure in a blatant bribe to the DUP for support in a supply and confidence vote.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

7.

Government repeatedly seeks to circumvent or abuse the Sewell convention in its dealings with the devolved administrations.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

8.

Government seeks to legislate for staggeringly wider "Henry VIII powers" so that it can legislate and even repeal Acts without any recourse to parliament.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

9.

Government becomes first administration in parliamentary history to be held to be in contempt of parliament.

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

10.

Government stands by as there are attacks on the independent judiciary and the independent civil service?

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- To lead those attacks, while the government shrugs.

11.

But for the Speaker to allow an amendment on business motion so that the will of elected MPs can be carried?

Loud outrage and front page screaming headlines.

Shrug

12 and ends.

ps

Footnote on (3) - the reference should be to standing committees - the ones which scrutinise legislation - not select committees.

(Which is worse.)

Apologies for the error.

ps 2

Added by popular request:

14. The government deliberately breaking the pairing convention, in respect of an MP on maternity leave, so that the the government could win a vote

Response of government supporting press and punditry?

- Shrug.

The "Conservatives" really try to damage all British institutions.

[Valmy]

The "Conservatives" really try to damage all British institutions.

Yeah they can join the club.

Just as "Liberals" have become infested with nationalist and regressive elements, "Conservatives" have become infested with populist radicals.

[celedhring]

Speaking of special cases. All quiet on the Gibraltar front

IIRC most of their arrangements are outside of the overall Brexit deal, so they'll be "fine" even if May loses the vote.

[Tamas]

Fairly good article:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/11/brexit-theresa-may-prime-minister-deal


Except it fails to call out this new "Common Market 2" plan as utter nonsense. It is a making of a group of MPs and basically claims its ok be to like Norway because we can suspend one of the four freedoms if needed so we can just play with migration controls.

Yeah right. I am sure that'd work just like that.

It is both funny and said that the UK is ruining itself over their fear of Eastern Europeans. They survived and thrived on letting vastly different cultures in from former colonies. How eating fish instead of Turkey during Christmas going to ruin the country?

[Tamas]

Also nice comment under it:

The present chaos all traces back personally to Theresa May, certainly dating from her coronation as PM and possibly before that when the Remain camp suspected her of being a fourth columnist, The mistakes she has made are enormous, the biggest was to treat Brexit as a means to achieve her personal priorities, all inherited from her time as Home Secretary, and to try to weaponise it as a party issue. It was never that and that particular whirlwind is twisting through parliament at this very moment. She set the direction of the Brexit negotiations personally, attempting to disguise the fact that she had no idea what to aim for with some inscrutable suggestion she was keeping her powder dry and not giving away her position for negotiating advantage. The only western leader to have lost more close political colleagues over their impossible behaviour is Donald Trump.
Her other biggest mistake was to eschew any attempt at building a consensus across parliament and the country, preferring an autocratic approach fighting all parliamentary involvement in the courts, even though she lost every time. She then carried on as an autocrat in the face of the country removing her majority. Even now as she heads to another inevitable defeat, compounding withdrawing the vote on her deal and being held in contempt of parliament.
There is no doubt that although she didn't cause Brexit the utter shambles and international laughing stock we have become is down to her. I am fundamentally opposed to Brexit, but even then there are forms of Brexiting I could have been reconciled to on the basis that we wouldn't be harmed too much in the interim before we come to our senses and re-join. But the present disaster she has created is not acceptable, it is entirely of her own making. It is irresponsibility in high office and if it were a crime she would be bang to rights and done for.

[The Brain]

What's a fourth columnist in UK political discourse?

[Tamas]

What's a fourth columnist in UK political discourse?

I think he meant she was in the Remainer camp but secretly wanted to Leave. Which I am pretty sure isn't the case.

[The Brain]

What's a fourth columnist in UK political discourse?

I think he meant she was in the Remainer camp but secretly wanted to Leave. Which I am pretty sure isn't the case.

Wouldn't that be a fifth columnist?