Be Excellent To Each Other

And/or a re-run of The Cod War.

How so?

Of course, as Mr Johnson has never held onto an opinion longer than necessary for his own benefit, we probably shouldn't believe all his "do or die by 31st October" crap, but that date has yet to be legally changed.

"Lean politics"?

Now actually if someone could get them to try Scrum but without telling them what it is maybe we'd be off to a start.

In fairness, the MVP is "not being in the European Union".

The whole thing is such a shambles the ship is beginning to turn.

My MP breaks her silence:

https://twitter.com/VictoriaPrentis/sta ... 3949051904

Enjoying Macbeth at @BlenheimPalace tonight to get me in the mindset for Parliament's return on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/kezOjE55Xo

— Victoria Prentis MP (@VictoriaPrentis) August 30, 2019

I'll give that it feels like the mood in the country is turning, and Johnson overstepped the mark this week (sudden Friday night cash for schools? FFS!) . If the Radio 4 'Any Questions' audience tonight was anything to go by, I've not heard such jeers for about ten years. I just don't think we're out of the woods yet. The clock is still ticking, and an unexpected drop goal by either side is still possible.

And today Dominic Cummings has threatened all Tory MPs who don’t vote as he tells them with mandatory deselection at the next election, overriding the actual rules of the Conservative Party re: centralised selection.

I’m so glad that we’re free from the influence of unelected bureaucrats.

Spent an hour at the Oxford rally. Pretty packed.

Couldn't hear much but a good friendly atmosphere.
It's still on going but I was getting tired of standing and felt I'd done my part.

Enjoyed overhearing a tour guide try to explain what was going on as I headed off Broad Street.

Pretty much the same in Worcester

It is unravelling

My fear is, believing that he can win an election, stopping no deal goes out of Corbyn's mind.

I don't think a poll is tactically right. Use the current deadlock to give the opposition leverage and keep the focus away from Johnson. But, under the Fixed Terms Parliament Act, it takes a 2/3rds majority to hold a snap election and if sufficient MPs refuse to support it then it would fail. Sadly, I would expect Labour to whip, because "we surpassed expectations in 2017 and Jeremys a born campaigner".
Sigh.

Link to Section 2 of the Act, because we're going to be referring to this a lot...

And just re-reading it, I notice that section 7 calls for a review of the Act to be conducted between June 2020 and November 2020. We're creating far more evidence and case studies for that commission's work than the drafters ever imagined.

I meant to say - jolly good work on the thread subtitle

Kern's longstanding subtitle updates have been an underappreciated masterpiece

Title of your Manic Street Preachers Album

"If you tolerate this, prorogation will be next"

"And on the streets tonight an old man plays, with newspaper cuttings of his glory days."

Well, that was a total non-event of a speech.
No big news. No election. Just "Corbyn bad".

He was even more uninsipring at the Downing Street podium than his predecessor. Clearly the chanting was getting to him and without an audience all his usual tricks were falling flat.

The whole thing about "I" wouldn't delay it is basically setting up a tantrum of "look what you made me do" when he eventually does it.

I think he’s announcing an election if he loses on Tuesdays vote.

He can announce that he would like an election please. The Fixed Term Parliament Act means there has to be a 2/3 vote before he can have one.

The other route is the Vote of No-confidence, where we fall into the election zone 14 days after the loss of such vote if the Commons can't pass a confidence motion in the new government, both on simple majorities. But Mr Johnson would probably only want to lose such a vote if the opposition called it (I can't see him engineering it himself), and Mr Corbyn shouldn't fall for that trap.

I bet he will.

Quick question, If the "you may not no deal brexit" law is passed in Parliament and the PM ignores it, he is breaking that law, but what decides the punishment for that crimes? Is it some small print in the law, do judges decide (I know other more popular crimes have sentencing guide lines that the Judge has to stick with, but who comes up with those guidelines?)

Technically it would be misconduct in a public office which is a criminal offense that can carry up to life imprisonment.

Getting the police to arrest a sitting Prime Minister seems exceedingly unlikely of course.

That makes sense, thanks.

It’s about as likely as Trump being impeached for all the impeachable things he’s done

That's actually much more likely, as it's a route for political action.

I just can't believe that our centuries old, finely honed world renowned system of checks and balances and public schoolboys in ridiculous outfits is not fit for purpose.

I believe there is also a particular writ a judge can serve requiring somebody to act. Can't remember what it's called.

Boris would make an even shittier actor than the shit PM that he is.

Bercow just gave Rees-Mogg a hell of a smackdown.

Kenneth Clarke gave a good speech, but I think his soft Brexit boat sailed a long time ago.

To ensure The Independent Group for Change remain relevant to political life, my house rule is that when Anna Soubry makes her speech, that's when you can start on the beer.

This almost seems written for Kern

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1168955603659755522

I mean, I know it's all quite tense, but seriously. If you're into British politics, this shit is the gold grade catnip.

— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) September 3, 2019

(whole thread is worth a read)

All those years spent studying the constitution as a boy are finally paying off.

Jacob Rees mogg lounging (lying on) the front bench really looks like a sinister act of disrespect. Obviously I stand corrected if this is a thing that normally happens.

However theory is that the tories are now playing this out as they think they can argue any vote is unconstitutional and they can get royal assent withheld which really would be fucking mental.

Heh, yes I've heard their argument that the assent is only on the advice of ministers so could be withheld. I'm not sure on this but haven't really read up on that - my instinct is that assent is a personal power done by the Crown as the one person third chamber of the "Crown in Parliament" idea.

If you want bonus nerd points, this long piece on the LSE's Brexit blog makes the point that if the proposed bill affects a perogrative power, the government would have to indicate "Queen's Consent" at third reading - something ministers can refuse to do but is usually a formality.

If both sides are looking under every stone in the UK for a temporary advantage, it really is time for everyone to take a time out.

Oh I have better politics geekiness for you

Vote time. Here we go.

Oo , commentary on BBC Parliament.

328 in favour; 301 against.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Somewhere within Johnson's rant he just said he'd table a motion under the FPTA, but not which kind. Corbyn saying pass the bill first.

21 Tories voted in favour.
2 Labour against. Guess which two?

Commons stats