Thought for the Day

"The loyalties which centre upon number one are enormous.  If he trips, he must be sustained.  If he make mistakes, they must be covered.  If he sleeps, he must not be wantonly disturbed. If he is no good, he must be pole-axed." 

Works with women, too.  Gallantry notwithstanding.

ND

How is May still there?

Gosh has the political discourse of this Country changed in this decade. It must be considered amongst the most radical with the 1970's, 1940's and 1920's in the last century.


Firstly, our latest example is today, where Prime Minister May has managed to make her unpalatable Withdrawal Agreement more unpalatable. She has the chance to offer Labour the Brexit they wanted in return for getting it through - but in reality they would not trust each other even with this offer.


So now her new deal has goodies for both sides - a possible referendum, possibly reneging on the Irish backstop. This was never going to work, you can't offer more to the two extremes at the same time without annoying both of them.


Her deal, which I will remind everyone who wants to listen was the best compromise ever likely to be available, is now going to garner even fewer votes than before. In fact, I am going to bet on it getting less than 200 in Parliament.


Yet, she has not yet resigned. her key platform and policy is in ruins and the Country's reputation and standing lies with it. Thatcher, Blair and Cameron all went for lesser reasons. People are admiring her tenacity but at this point it is just Brown like brutishness, hanging on for no good reason.


It is a truly through-the-looking-glass world that she does not see the light and go to the Palace. It is obvious to everyone that this method of Withdrawal will not work. The choice, unfortunately, is going to come down to WTO leave or Remain and we will get there by Referendum or General Election.


Secondly, the more crazy thing is the Brexit Party is going to win an election tomorrow with a single policy which is a stupid WTO based Brexit. I won't be voting for such a silly position when the Country needs unity at this time and not further, partisan, division. I can agree with some of the anti-politics rhetoric given the truly terrible performance of the Government and Parliament these past to two years. But it is not enough - the Brexit Party needs some positive policies as well as he anti-politics drive.


Finally, and most comically, is the rise and fall of Change UK. Celebrated by the FT and elites as the anti-dote to the anti-politics, they have simply flopped - Anzio style. No good has come of it and it shows again that the current set of Wesminster politicians are just not up to it - they are not even good at political campaigning which is their job.


In truth, though a general election might lead to place as hard as now, it is really needed. Then we can vote out every member of the current Parliament and start afresh.

Can Cressida Dick Get This One Right?

Counting Votes:  Soft Target

Cressida Dick has already admitted the Met screwed up the soi disant Extinction Rebellion demos a few weeks ago.  It will be interesting, then, to see how she handles the next one, which (I can reveal) is set for next Sunday - vote-counting day.

A BTL commenter on Raedwald's post of last week spotted what's going on: most of the otherwise inexplicable 'inde' names on the exceptionally long London list of Euro candidates are linked in some way to the Rebellion.  It's seven, in fact - and it's not a secret.

Every candidate is entitled to attend the counting sessions (of which there will be several dotted around London in large buildings, e.g. sports halls, with news cameras likely to be present) - together with their 'agent' and people they nominate to scrutinise the actual counting procedures.  This, then, is a body of twenty or more Rebellion-wallahs: and if they all choose to turn up at one of the counting centres at the same time, and throw open the fire exits ...

So, Cressida: let's see how you deal with this one.  I'd suggest your track record isn't such as to inspire enough confidence for you to be given the benefit of the doubt.  Double overtime (again) for PC Plod, methinks.

ND

Is This The Week?

As we can all see, something fairly whacky is going to happen in British politics this week. 

Up until now, Corbyn has been fairly disciplined in the marxist tendency's determination to avoid R2, and I'd formed the view it was likely to stay that way.  But I'm beginning to wonder.  Is this the week he flips, in an attempt to avoid humiliation at the hands of the Lib/Greens?  There will be no end of Starmers and Watsons pushing that line, even while his marxist-brexiteer handlers continue trying to stiffen his resolve.

And anyhow, is it too late?  The Graun is full of BTL threads giving the impression that's the case.  And quite a few postal votes will have been cast already.

ND

Political Suicide: Jeremy Korb Show to be Banned?

Calls are being made for Jeremy Korb to be permanently taken off the air, following shocking revelations about how his political programme exploits vulnerable people, and the alleged political suicide of one of its participants.

It has been revealed that producers of the Jeremy Korb Show seek out vulnerable individuals, mostly young and working class with personal difficulties, poor educational attainment and existing gullibility problems. They are lured into the programme with outlandish promises – one student was told their tuition fees would be abolished - and told to say they believe these promises in front of the camera. The show sets up rivalries between the varies parties involved and encourages them to argue violently. 

The spectacle of participants airing their gullibility in public is regularly watched by millions of viewers, who are then invited to vote on which party gets to win. 

Chuka U, a recent participant, stormed out of the show in disgust after having his intelligence insulted repeatedly. It is believed he subsequently committed political suicide. 

Another, Tom W said: “I was put under enormous pressure to say things I didn’t think were right, and pick fights with people who were once my friends. I am now trying to rebuild my life and stay honest, but it’s very difficult: Jeremy Korb makes people say crazy things and they become impossible to reason with.”