Brexit

Do a huge number of MPs really want another election, I'm not sure if the reduced number of MPs kicks in this time or it's after 2020. There has been talk that more moderate Labour MPs might be ousted by their local party to be replaced by more left thinking candidates from Corbyn's side of the party. Some Tory remainers whose constituencies voted leave could also be potentially deselected.

Plus a winter election could have bad weather which could effect the turn out.

If Article 50 was still there and an Election was called with no deal in place but to take place say the first week in April then once Parliament is dissolved could be crash out that way unless the PM tried to extend it.

Realistically I think the more moderate MPs probably a senior respected backbencher and likewise a respected Tory remainer might look to get together to see what sort of leave deal they felt they could vote through and hope the hard Brexiteers would accept it and likewise the hard remainers or get enough onside to get a deal through.

None of the Tory font bench seem to have a scoobie of an idea how to move forward. May is incapable of bringing anyone together to achieve any kind of consensus. Corbyn is equally inept. Only the Irish PM and Scottish First Minister are talking any sense this morning.

Some people definitely voted leave because they never thought the leopards would eat *their* faces that leave would win but wanted to cast some kind of protest vote. Honestly, just spoil your ballots next time, instead of clogging up all the vox pops with dismayed explanations of what you were hoping to achieve.

The Daily Express are in new ownership now, owned by the Trinity group who own the Mirror, so expect there ‘trigger’ headlines to be severely dumbed down. Even the Daily Mail is in the hands of a pro-remain editor, so the media landscape has changed somewhat.

The political risk for Sinn Fein in dropping Abstentionism with regards to Westminster is that in republican eyes, it would make Sinn Fein "just another political party" and would strengthen the claims of some of the dissident republican organisations that they are the authentic republican movement which could increase both their legitimacy and popular support. Plus it would also risk a split within Sinn Fein itself which could have a devastating impact on the peace process. They also simply don't recognise the validity of the House of Commons either.

To take up a seat in parliament you have to swear on oath your loyalty to the Queen.

For Sinn Fein, that’s just not going to happen.

Yes, they all have to do it personally before they can take up their seat and vote or speak in parliament. It can be a religious oath or it can be a non religious affirmation. In both cases loyalty to the Queen has to be pledged.

No, it is not done literally in the Queen’s presence, so happens in either house and at any time that it is needed (e.g. after by elections).

EU would bite the hand off for an extension. Won't be cheap mind

Now Mother Theresa, oh must go to mass on Sunday, but then Monday I will clamp down on immigrants, what is that commandment love your neighbour, the woman is a disgrace, such as are Rees Mogg and Duncan Smith for the same reason, Katie Howy is another disgrace for other reasons. However after the mauling on Tuesday, that Theresa and the Tories said they need Labour to have any chance of winning that vote, which she lost by a landslide, now she wants to speak with Labour and other parties, it has taken 2 years after the referendum, where she did her ‘submarine’ act, mainly disappearing, it worked to get her to number 10, she has had a horrid time since and must rue her decision. Maggie she ain’t.

My feeling is that the remain Tory backbench, Labour and Liberal Democrat’s and other minority parties will agree something that will go before Parliament.

Has Grieve (maybe one of the cleverest men in Parliament) found a way to overcome the government trying to block or delay a free vote on all possible options? Essentially he appears to have tabled an amendment which stops the government being able to control what business is discussed and voted on. Instead of a party with a minority of the Commons, along with one supporting party (Conservative and DUP) it proposes that 300 or more MPs from at least five different parties (with at least 10 from the governing party) should be required to take precedence.

Essentially it removes the ability of any minority party with narrow support to control parliament if there is broader support available in the House, it also eliminates the fear of this necessitating a General Election and using it to run down the clock/kick the can down tne road again.

Given that the current major problem is this blockage coming from May being supported by (essentially) a minority in the Commons on anything apart from self interested survival, this looks promising. It is more democratic, requiring broader support, and stops a minority in the Commons being able to retain control of business short of needing a vote of no confidence to stop any blocking. It retains the need for a majority for any subsequent votes, so is kept as a procedural issue as well.

God knows, we need more intelligence and less ideological rigidity from our politicians at the moment.

www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/secret-plan-by-rebel-mps-to-stop-a-no-deal-brexit

I have just came back from France.

No one would say the French aren’t patriotic and they co-exist with the EU very well, they’re very happy to fly their Tricolour alongside the EU flag.

However I am a remainer and pretty sure I would vote this way again, but I have it in me to acknowledge that Brexit was caused by uncontrolled immigration, which in a way is a good thing, as people coming here as they see the UK as the country of milk and honey, shows how well the economy is doing and that people want to come here because we have a high standard of living, shows we are a great country, however the other side of the coin is that if people cannot get a foot on the property ladder they going to blame someone and Brexit became essentially a protest vote. People cannot afford a mortgage but can afford to pay someone else’s mortgage (renting), having the referendum in the midst of austerity, was never going to end well. So can see both sides.

So as I say I have just came back from France, mainly Paris, but on Saturday I did a day trip to Boudreaux on the TGV, arrived at the station, when I found out that the Tram was suspended from going into the city centre because of protests, so walked in and saw nothing, spoke to a couple of ladies and they warned me that to be careful as there is ‘going to be trouble’ and ‘the yellow shirts (gilets Jaume), will come’ and they did, I though these protests were just confined to the big metropolitian areas such as Paris, Marseille and Lyon, I didn’t think a small city such as Boudreaux would be affected, but it was, out of nowhere all these people with yellow shirts appeared with crash helmets on and scarves to covering their face, with no public transport or taxi operating, in a city I don’t know and being a tourist I was vulnerable and would be an easy target and to be honest I have never been so frightened in my life. Managed to get back to the station (4 hours early) where it was relatively peaceful, but I had to dodge down back streets to avoid these people and walk away from the station, it was all very hairy.

This is a country that should be united after winning the World Cup surely this will embrace the whole country. This uprising and I couldn’t help of thinking of my friends’ Marius, Grantaire and Enjolras. This was started over a small fuel increase and gathered momentum and highjacked by austerity, so here is the rub I fear the same thing will happen here if clause 50 gets cancelled or there is a 2nd referendum, it is not what I would want, but fear for worse riots than the Poll Tax. Although I have never been so scared in Bourdreaux as I said, it was also an eye opener.

Although I can’t stand Theresa May, I can empathise with her on this and cannot see no way out, her back is against the wall. What I do know is that changing the Good Friday agreement will not help things.