Friday 4th October 2019

[refitman]

Morning all.

Another good QT review last night. Thanks Sky!

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Yes thanks SGO

[PaulfromYorkshire]

So Brexit is back in the courts in Scotland.

If I understand what I've read, they're trying to close a potential loophole in the Benn bill by which Johnson says I am going to ask for an extension but not yet.

As a Twitter contact said, the word of the moment may be "timeously".

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Good piece from Gary Younge

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... legitimacy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If your house is on fire you don't care if the water to hand is dirty.

[RogerOThornhill]

Morning.

News just in...

Rory Stewart
‏Verified account

@RoryStewartUK
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It’s been a great privilege to serve Penrith and The Border for the last ten years, so it is with sadness that I am announcing that I will be standing down at the next election, and that I have also resigned from the Conservative Party.

9:00 AM - 4 Oct 2019

We'll get the inevitable "You never were a Conservative" from the usual types but he's not a Conservative of today's party that's for sure.

[gilsey]

Good. I'm not a fan of Stewart and the centrists fawning over him when he's talking rubbish gets on my nerves.

[adam]

Good BTL comment at the guardian

I see Katarina Johnson-Thompson has won gold in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships. She says that “you just have to believe in yourself.”
So, come on all you doubters, doomsters and gloomsters, it’s time to believe in yourselves, time to believe in Britain. I’m sure we can win gold for GREAT Britain if we only believe in ourselves.

Although ... I suspect it’s possible that Ms Johnson-Thompson may have done just a little bit of work and preparation for the past few years...

[Willow904]

With Ruth Davidson stepping down and rumours of the Scottish Conservatives splitting from the UK Conservative party is it possible Rory Stewart is thinking of moving north of the border and running for leader of another conservative party? Just a thought!

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

According to Sky, the "Standard" says that Rory Stewart intends to stand for London Mayor.

[PorFavor]

Rory Stewart
✔
@RoryStewartUK

I am running as an Independent candidate for Mayor of London, and here’s why.

Please join me in my campaign: https://join.rorystewart.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #Rory4London (Politics Live, Guardian)

[Willow904]

Rory Stewart
✔
@RoryStewartUK

I am running as an Independent candidate for Mayor of London, and here’s why.

Please join me in my campaign: https://join.rorystewart.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #Rory4London (Politics Live, Guardian)

Well, I was right about him still having political ambition, but completely wrong end of the country!

[tinyclanger2]

Yeah - he says the capital is in danger from Brexit - a man from the party that has single-handedly subjected us to it.


#sickofit

[tinyclanger2]

Gove not at all embarrassing in Germany. Voting to leave Europe almost identical to German unification.

#moresickofiteverysecond

[PorFavor]

Yes, he's a real charmer, isn't he? It's a well known fact.

[RogerOThornhill]

Peter Walker
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@peterwalker99
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On R4 Brandon Lewis is arguing for this mysterious form of web semi-encryption which allows access to messages for good police and security services but is mysteriously impermeable to repressive regimes/hackers etc. Seems to only be available to UK ministers, oddly.

8:20 AM - 4 Oct 2019

[RogerOThornhill]

Rory Stewart
✔
@RoryStewartUK

I am running as an Independent candidate for Mayor of London, and here’s why.

Please join me in my campaign: https://join.rorystewart.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #Rory4London (Politics Live, Guardian)

Open letter in Osborne's Evening Standard which Dave Hill takes to mean they're backing him.

Sorry Shaun Bailey, not this time...

[AnatolyKasparov]

Good. I'm not a fan of Stewart and the centrists fawning over him when he's talking rubbish gets on my nerves.

#FBPEers overlooking that he actually.......erm.......supports Brexit

[tinybgoat]

http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=87382" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Richard North: Unusual in that he doesn't say anything derogatory,but also intriguing

In another twist, from Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee (and a close ally of Merkel), we see an interesting variation on this theme. In a tweet, he writes: "One thing is clear: Johnson's Brexit plan can't be negotiated until Oct 31".

He doesn't expand on this, and this may be a peculiarity of German phrasing, but he could be referring to the European Council Decision of 11 April which specifically excluded using the extension to 31 October for "any re-opening of the Withdrawal Agreement".

There is no ambiguity in Johnson's proposal. He wants to scrap the 74-page Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol and replace it with 44 pages of his own. Since that protocol is an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement, it would seem that there cannot be any negotiations until 31 October – which is what Röttgen seems to be saying, adding that: "If UK is serious about this, it must seek extension".

[AnatolyKasparov]

Well the PM himself is now dropping hints that an(other) extension is likely, in which case it all becomes about the "blame game".

[RogerOThornhill]

Well the PM himself is now dropping hints that an(other) extension is likely, in which case it all becomes about the "blame game".

More than just hints - it's stated in court documents.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... old-brexit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnatolyKasparov]

So the change in emphasis at the Tory conference to "get Brexit done" wasn't an accident then?

[RogerOThornhill]

An interesting twist given that it was noted that the Hungarians paid a visit yesterday...

Dame Averil Cameron
‏

@19Averil
3m3 minutes ago
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Seems that writing the letter but persuading EU states to vote against it is the game. Questions to the PM?

So...

"Can we have an extension?"
"No!" pipes up the Hungarians
"Terribly sorry Parliament, the EU says no extension so we'll have to leave without a deal. But hey not my fault right?"

[AnatolyKasparov]

Well that leaves plenty of time to thwart such a "cunning plan".......

[Willow904]

I feel like I'm getting deja vu for some reason....

[PorFavor]

Boris Johnson's Brexit plan hangs by thread as EU dismisses weekend talks

Sources say PM’s insistence on Ireland customs border means no basis for discussions
(Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... gotiations

[AnatolyKasparov]

It was never likely to be acceptable *in its present form*. The question is whether any changes will make it less palatable to the DUP/ERG/etc.