baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...cretary-eu-may-not-agree-to-extend-article-50

So confused now, because it's impossible to tell if any given public statement is just a lie. I thought that legally, some European law experts has concluded that the UK *could* unilaterally decide to reverse the process....so if it has this power, surely it could just say on March 29, "we haven't decided yet" and the EU would have to give more time?

Also, Labour's amendment:
"The wording called for May’s government to hold a vote on two options – its alternative Brexit plan and whether to legislate “to hold a public vote on a deal or a proposition” that is supported by a majority in the Commons."
So it's requesting a vote on whether to hold a public vote on some unnamed proposition that will itself have to be approved by a Commons vote (with a majority, which looks a stretch for any proposition beyond "we are fucked"). And this is being reported as Corbyn turning a corner? Given that only 71 Labour MPs support a second referendum, nothing's changed, surely - he's basically opening a door for the second referendum to be definitively kicked to death.
 
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droid

Well-known member
They can revoke unilaterally, which means another 2 years if A50 gets declared again.

Extension requires agreement.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
They can revoke unilaterally, which means another 2 years if A50 gets declared again.

Extension requires agreement.

Thanks - it's remarkable how living in this country and reading its newspapers has made it so difficult even to unpick simple issues. There is some profound psychological fuckery going on.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Thanks - it's remarkable how living in this country and reading its newspapers has made it so difficult even to unpick simple issues. There is some profound psychological fuckery going on.

To say nothing of the fact that it's so utterly, drearily boring, and is taking up so much of everyone's time, attention and energy that we're not thinking about anything else.

If a Martian war fleet landed in central London tomorrow, all the papers, the BBC, New Statesman and everyone else would be like "But what does this mean for Brexit?".
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
I know, and also - and I imagine you feel similarly Tea, given your contributions to the Blue Sky Thinking thread - it's traumatically reminiscent of many people's workplaces, and the way endless meetings and endless diatribes lead to virtually nothing changing, awful mealymouthed language replacing action.

If anyone has links to any good writing around this, I'd be interested to know. The psychological effects of chronic stuckness in the public realm, essentially.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I know, and also - and I imagine you feel similarly Tea, given your contributions to the Blue Sky Thinking thread - it's traumatically reminiscent of many people's workplaces, and the way endless meetings and endless diatribes lead to virtually nothing changing, awful mealymouthed language replacing action.

That's a good insight, I think. All these votes on whether to hold a resolution to have a debate about holding a vote. Endlessly going back to Brussels with an 'offer' that everyone knows in advance will be rejected because it's only cosmetically different from the last rejected offer. Action* for the sake of being seen to take action.

*Edit: or rather a sort of performative pseudo-action.
 

droid

Well-known member
Thanks - it's remarkable how living in this country and reading its newspapers has made it so difficult even to unpick simple issues. There is some profound psychological fuckery going on.

Yup. You're all being comprehensively mindfucked. Its disconcerting.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Phew, for a moment there I was worried I might be suffering hate-fatigue! But apparently not.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Humphrys said: “There has to be an argument, doesn’t there, that says instead of Dublin telling this country that we have to stay in the single market etc within the customs union, why doesn’t Dublin, why doesn’t the Republic of Ireland, leave the EU and throw in their lot with this country?”
What the fuck? Humphreys is saying that "there is an argument" that RofI should help the UK out of the massive hole they've dug themselves into by fucking themselves over? That regardless of the feelings of the populace or the fact that it's an incredibly stupid thing to do, the Irish should save the UK from itself at huge personal expense because... why? Maybe in payment for the all the favours and stuff the English have done for the Irish over the years, like when we saved them from the potato famine (I think that's right?) and so on.
I'm not sure that there "has to be an argument" for that at all. I think he might find that he's the only person who thinks that. I'd go so far that in the whole shitshow that has been Brexit this is possibly THE single most insane thing that anyone has uttered. For me it's the champion - has anyone got a contender?
 

droid

Well-known member
Not the first time its been suggested by a mile. No less than expected TBH. There's even a small contingent of right wing old men here trying to make it happen.

the potato famine

No need for the potato. 'The Famine' is fine. We actually produced enough food to feed the country but it was mostly exported under armed guard.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Yeah, that's insanely evil, political decision rebranded as a natural disaster that couldn't possibly have been avoided. Exports to England of all kinds of food/produce were actually increasing during the 'famine', IIRC?

Humphrys obviously has a long track record of being a moron, but even by his standards this is epic.

Meanwhile, WTF https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-for-yvette-coopers-brexit-amendment-in-doubt
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich
“Over the weekend I was speaking to some people in my constituency. They weren’t actually people who voted for leave, though the majority of people in my constituency had voted for leave. What they said was, ‘people have struggled for the vote, people have died pursuing the vote. Other people have been sent to Australia or put in prison – and the vote actually is a precious thing, when you think about it,” Trickett said.
I'd say that that is all the more reason not to allow a tainted and corrupt vote to stand (and to constantly be referred to as the will of the people) - I can't think of anything more damaging to the sanctity of voting and democracy itself than that.
Also, fucking hell, I thought I had more tolerance for reading about Brexit than anyone else in the whole world but even I'm bored now...
 
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