UK Politics: Brexit, Scottish Independence, The Queen, The PM & More!

[Kromm]

If it's about UK politics, chat about it here!

[Constantinople]

Quote

The high court is to deliver its decision on whether parliament or the government has the constitutional power to trigger Brexit on Thursday morning.

The judgment could give MPs the authority to formally notify the EU of Britain’s intention to leave, or allow them to block the process. 

Alternatively, it could confirm Theresa May’s assertion that the prime minister has the power under the royal prerogative to inform Brussels of the UK’s intention. Either way, the judgment is very likely to be appealed and taken to the supreme court for further legal argument.
Guardian: High court decision on who has power to trigger Brexit due on Thursday

Ironically, many of the leading Brexiteers, who wanted to leave the EU to "restore sovereignty", i.e, the UK parliament's authority, contend that the Prime Minister, acting on behalf of the Queen, can invoke Article 50 without authorization from Parliament.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Constantinople

[Constantinople]

To start the process of withdrawing from the EU, the UK must invoke Article 50, in effect officially notify the EU that the UK intends to withdraw.  Today the High Court ruled that triggering Article 50 is not within the Crown's prerogative -- in effect the prime minister's -- and that Parliament must approve invoking article 50.  The Government intends to appeal to the UK's Supreme Court.

In a somewhat more amusing note, at an awards ceremony last night Boris Johnson said, "Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a Titanic, Titanic success of it", and the former Chancellor of the Exchequer immediately interjected "The Titanic sank!"

[Blergh]

 Having just been on that side of the Pond, I can tell attest that the folks most antsy about the Brexit are all those areas which have heavily traded with other EU nations but themselves are still tied to England. Scotland, Wales and Gibraltar  are frustrated with Prime Minister May's not giving them any answers as to what their fates are to be. Gibraltar especially is now in a tricky spot re whether it can stay a British territory .  Oh and the EU's not happy with her going to their conference and giving them a laundry list of 'demands' to be met before the Brexit itself happens. Ironically, the Foreign Minster Mr. Johnson (who many folks consider  the equivalent of the most obnoxious crasher at family reunions ) actually seems to have  gotten it right.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Blergh
term change

[Constantinople]

Apparently President-elect Trump -- shiver -- is chatting-up a storm on the phone with world leaders, just not with the Prime Minister of the UK

Quote

The UK’s hopes for a continuation of the much-vaunted special relationship with the US under Donald Trump have suffered an early setback after the new president-elect spoke to nine world leaders in the 24 hours after his election win, without Theresa May getting a call.

Trump has thus far talked to the leaders of Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, India, Japan, Australia and South Korea, according to various reports.

Guardian: Theresa May still awaiting call from Donald Trump

Edited November 10, 2016 by Constantinople

[PatsyandEddie]

Too busy with his BF Pootie? 

[Danny Franks]

There is no Special Relationship. It's a sop that the US lets Britain have so we can feel important. The US follows its own agenda, and if that doesn't coincide with Britain's, then tough luck.

The one thing a Trump presidency might do that would be beneficial is finally bring that crashing home to all the deluded fools who think America gives a damn about the UK as anything more than a handy bridge to Europe. And with Brexit, it won't even be useful for that. The US will just move on to another English speaking nation as it's primary go-between with the EU... oh look apparently Trump has already spoken to the Irish prime minister.

Even those who prattle on about how the UK is big enough to make it on its own (it isn't, these people usually just have fantasies of when we used to have an empire) usually follow it up with comments about the Special Relationship, which just confirms their hypocrisy. What they really mean is, 'we don't want continental Europeans anywhere near us'.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Danny Franks

[Blergh]

Here's a factoid everyone interested in Britain should realize (both there and abroad):Great Britain has had to import more than it's exported since 1752. Hence, the Empire, Commonwealth, NATO and the EU have ALL been vital contributors re how the place supplies its  subjects. How many more of these networks can they afford to lose?

[Danny Franks]

25 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Here's a factoid everyone interested in Britain should realize (both there and abroad):Great Britain has had to import more than it's exported since 1752. Hence, the Empire, Commonwealth, NATO and the EU have ALL been vital contributors re how the place supplies its  subjects. How many more of these networks can they afford to lose?

Yeah, the starry-eyed imperial fantasists aren't interested in hearing that. They just blather on about how Britain should be manufacturing and exporting, building its economy, without ever considering that you need raw materials before you can even think of manufacturing anything.

There is no industry left in the UK because of the neoliberal policies of Thatcher in the 1980s, where instead of reinvesting in industry to modernise and increase efficiency, she took the hammer to the entire sector. It was cheaper to import, and that's all that mattered. Hell, back when North Sea gas was first discovered, Tony Benn made an impassioned plea for the profits to be used to modernise industry, as a way of sustaining long term economic health. Thatcher used the money for tax cuts and sweet deals for her beloved City of London financiers.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Danny Franks

[NewDigs]

No contact with May?

I thought he'd feel a certain camaraderie with another leader considered by some to be a usurper.

[Silver Raven]

I saw something today from a British politician (just read the headline, not the article) saying that Trump better not try to grope Theresa May.

[Danny Franks]

20 hours ago, NewDigs said:

No contact with May?

I thought he'd feel a certain camaraderie with another leader considered by some to be a usurper.

I'm sure that he and Boris Johnson will get on like a house on fire. Two ridiculous haired, bumbling tits who love to objectify women and insult people. Theresa May just wouldn't be pretty enough for Trump to want to spend time getting to know.

Perhaps if they got a glamour model to stand in as May, it would fool him. Bet we'd have a true 'special relationship' then.

[PatsyandEddie]

22 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I saw something today from a British politician (just read the headline, not the article) saying that Trump better not try to grope Theresa May.

That was asshole Nigel Farage. He also called Obama " a loathsome creature" . RMFE 

[Ceindreadh]

3 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I'm sure that he and Boris Johnson will get on like a house on fire. Two ridiculous haired, bumbling tits who love to objectify women and insult people. Theresa May just wouldn't be pretty enough for Trump to want to spend time getting to know.

Perhaps if they got a glamour model to stand in as May, it would fool him. Bet we'd have a true 'special relationship' then.

It's been said of Boris that's he's an intelligent man pretending to be a buffoon. Politically speaking I think he's a lot smarter than Trump, but then, a carrot probably would be as well. 

[Sandman87]

I find it interesting that Parliament authorized the referendum, but then has to authorize the result as well. According to the court, that is. One would think that the first authorization would cover the whole thing.

[Ceindreadh]

8 minutes ago, Sandman87 said:

I find it interesting that Parliament authorized the referendum, but then has to authorize the result as well. According to the court, that is. One would think that the first authorization would cover the whole thing.

The referendum was 'non binding', that is, the Government didn't have to abide by the results. That said, they would have been even more stupid to have made it a binding referendum, because nobody voting had any idea exactly what they were voting for. Oh sure, most people probably had some vague idea about what they'd get out of it e.g. The 350 mill a week to the NHS, but until negotiations are finished, nobody can know for sure what exactly Brexit is going to mean. They can repeat "Brexit is Brexit" until they're blue in the face, it still doesn't mean anything. 

[Sandman87]

That explains it. Thanks.

[Kromm]

7 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I'm sure that he and Boris Johnson will get on like a house on fire. Two ridiculous haired, bumbling tits who love to objectify women and insult people. Theresa May just wouldn't be pretty enough for Trump to want to spend time getting to know.

Perhaps if they got a glamour model to stand in as May, it would fool him. Bet we'd have a true 'special relationship' then.

As bad as Boris Johnson is, he's the incompetent but amiable idiot next to Nigel Farage, who's the totally evil fucker who'd sooner piss on your grave than do anything decent.

I used to think Trump was mostly like Johnson, but the last half of this election cycle really helped convince me he's more like Farage.

[Constantinople]

22 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I'm sure that he and Boris Johnson will get on like a house on fire. Two ridiculous haired, bumbling tits who love to objectify women and insult people.

Unfortunately the US didn't have a Michael Gove to knife its Boris Johnson.

[Constantinople]

Nigel Farage let the mask down during an interview with the Telegraph at the end of last week

Quote

 

“I am having a great time,” he said. “I am not having to deal with low-grade people every day. I am not responsible for what our branch secretary in Lower Slaughter said half-cut on Twitter last night – that isn’t my fault any more. I don’t have to go to eight-hour party executive meetings.

"I don’t have to spend my life dealing with people I would never have a drink with, who I would never employ and who use me as a vehicle for their own self-promotion."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/09/nigel-farage-scathing-attack-ukip-low-grade-people

 

I'm quoting from the Guardian because I'll be damned if I'll pay for the Telegraph's premium content.

Later on Farage went full mental

Quote

Farage suggested one role he could potentially play for Trump was a Middle East peace negotiator. “I’m not suggesting that I can do everything, but I do think that I’m quite good at negotiating. I’m quite good at bringing people together,” he said.

Also, last week the UK Supreme Court held arguments about whether or not the Prime Minister needs authorization from the Parliament to invoke Article 50 (and whether or not the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament & the National Assembly for Wales also need to give their OK).

x

[tenativelyyours]

Farage is kind of hilarious in a remove.  As long as he stays in a remove.  I do find it funny how he suddenly can't do enough to try and somehow create the idea that he has a future as part of the upcoming US Administration.  More and more Farage is looking like Jeremy Clarkson's half brother who has to go around to all the neighbors to alert them he now lives in their area. 

Actually consider what a hash he made of UKIP and some of their candidates, maybe we do want him licking the arse of the Orange Menace.  As self-serving as Farage has proven to be, he is also rather inept.  Combine him with another deluded fool that relies way too much on luck and the ability or inability of others and then calls it personal skill?  The two will waltz off the cliff together thinking they can see themselves in the haze off the horizon.

And Farage couldn't bring together a bunch of small minded insult bandits for a comic roast, let alone world leaders.  His history of bringing people together has been scurrying around for his own glory and then taking cheap shots whenever the cameras are rolling.  Netanyahu can be a huge ass and egotistical as fuck so Farage playing lickspittle betweeh the egos of the Orange Menace and Bibi could crush the little bug.  But it would also be interesting since Netanyahu is pushing hard for Us military backed aggression towards Iran at a time when Iraq is still a mess and weak, Syria is in the shitter no matter what happens and I'd love to see Farage think he can play a part that leads to more young women and men in the US military spend life and limb for a war no one else wants. 

Seriously this man is the perfect match to an already well spread puddle of gas.  Claims to have all the answers and then scurries like a rat when the lights are turned on when pushed to actually provide one.  What a little tiny grifter he is.  Trying to be all Salazer to the Hitlers, Stalins, Mussolinis and Francos of our new world.