EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

Some people are arguing that as she has a voting record of quite consistently voting to reduce spending on welfare benefits and disability benefits, that might not be the case.

Isn't she the one who just been on a poverty tour to see the error of her ways.

It's like a gap year in Africa, right?

With Frank Field who resigned due to anti-semitism...

She's been popping up on my Facebook for a couple of months. I keep pointing out her voting history etc.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjLgczX28rgAhVl5eAKHVj8Cs0QzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsociety%2F2019%2Fjan%2F24%2Five-absolutely-had-enough-tory-mp-embarks-on-anti-austerity-tour&psig=AOvVaw1-PjPhIeiY2A7cFcUWJUcB&ust=1550766003885551

Splitters.

Can I have a summary of wtaf please?

And what it

Means.

Heidi Allen has realised she is not a Tory.

Entertaining:

"Jamie Driscoll - Labour's candidate to be the new North of Tyne Mayor - struggles to explain his position on #Brexit."

https://twitter.com/joepike/status/1098250673035071490?s=09

Mhairi Black's face is fantastic.

Bollocks.

She's just realised that there are a new group of Tories who are more marketable.

I almost felt for her when I heard her on PM earlier, she sounded so excited about the new party and its prospects. It's been ages since I'd heard anyone being enthusiastic about politics. Even as she was talking, all the warning signs of the project's crippling failure were on show.

They are not a party Tom; and it's an important point. When, or if, they become one they will need policies, they will need money (and have to say where it's from). At the moment they are soi-disant independents with nothing but platitudes and banalities.

Not yet, but Heidi Allen was thinking of its bright future...

She reckons electoral reform might not be necessary, because they might be so popular they could still be successful with FPTP.

Maybe; they might get their chance like Nick Clegg did. Now look at him, cleaning the toilets at
Myspace.

Love them or hate them, they have effectively quite likely made themselves unemployed (as government ministers)

That does take some guts.

Add to that the enormous cost of starting a party / the FPTP system and risk of failure is high. I'd rather have seen them all go to the LibDems because I am not sure how the distinguish themselves from the LB.

(and have to say where it's from)

ooph, careful now!

conspiracy theory thread >>>

I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a few LDs joining the independents. The new independent guys might have more of a future than the lib Dems, even if it is a risky and uncertain one at the moment.

That would be an even bigger fail for the LDs than it has been for the two big parties.

I have no idea if it will actually happen, but I just have a feeling that some of the LD MPs must also be pretty disgruntled at being utterly toothless. I guess it's just a hunch.

If you are up for some slacktivism please email your MP to ask them to ringfence rights, even when there is no-deal. The Brits abroad are going to be badly affected by that in some EU countries...

http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/02/20/last-minute-gambit-smart-new-amendment-to-may-deal-protects?fbclid=IwAR0fL3ktA73apIaVqfXvht0VqIe4r_p8HLEtSknBmQ07lke0Art2HXGUVI0

https://www.writetothem.com/

But they already are libdems

Good twitter thread by David Henig about trade deals: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1098489268627009536.html

It's tough to read because he raises SO MANY important questions that appear not to have been addressed by the government and we can assume the answers to most of these will conclude that Brexit is going to be very damaging.

This is special interest perhaps, but below is a Google translate link for the kind of friction you get with an open EU/EEA border. I can't work out all the dynamics, but my understanding is that a difference in subsidies and mandatory pricing between Norway and the EU leads to grain smuggling. This again indirectly screws over Swedish farmers, and arguably also Norwegian tax payers/consumers.
Not as exciting as discussing the potential for sectarian violence etc, but demonstrates a very real possibility of various minor issues that will contribute to souring of UK/Eire relations post Brexit.

Boring google translate link

EXC The Independent Group could prop up Theresa May's government in a confidence and supply arrangement in return for a referendum on her deal, one of the leading defector MPs, Gavin Shuker, tells me on the @HuffPostUK Commons People podcast.https://t.co/j4o7uhwEZ1

— Arj Singh (@singharj) 21 February 2019