"oh you don't get me I'm the end of the union": lol brexit is how we're all gonna die

it doesn’t change the WA. It’s just sophistry.

Without wanting to go in about it too much, the backstop represents a significant concession on behalf of the EU. Lots of countries are not and have never been happy with it, so there’s no way that the UK can unilaterally withdraw after that, it’d piss off a lot more countries than just Ireland.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has responded to May’s statement, saying her “negotiations have failed”.

This evening’s agreement with the European Commission does not contain anything approaching the changes Theresa May promised Parliament, and whipped her MPs to vote for.

Since her Brexit deal was so overwhelmingly rejected, the prime minister has recklessly run down the clock, failed to effectively negotiate with the EU and refused to find common ground for a deal Parliament could support.

That’s why MPs must reject this deal tomorrow.

i realise that its terrifically naive to presume for even a second that whether or not the power mechanics are transparent to the disenfranchised onlookers is a matter of even the slightest import but i am joinin the ra

Juncker added that the UK’s withdrawal should be complete by the time of the European Parliament elections of 23-26 May. If it was not complete, the UK would be legally required to take part in the elections, he said.

what fresh nonsense is this

This is May getting this brexit stuff sorted obv

Lol this is so going to be a No Deal

ha anyone made a noel edmonds joke about brexit yet

It's complete nonsense of course but could conceivably give ERG a way of saving face and thus getting May over the line. Depends what DUP says I guess and they haven't immediately ruled anything out

I think it all comes down to the DUP; if they say they're up for it then it's hard for the ERG to resist.

Day saved after the DUP is reassured that while the arbitration committee can't be all unionists, the EU will match with Freemasons the number of Orange Order members present.

Still astonished that British MPs seem unable to understand that when they say things in front of cameras in the UK, it is possible for people in Europe to then hear them say those things.

ability for any side to say they’ve won (very sort of), and a reason no matter how spurious to keep the tory party in power, key papers lined up to take care of “the people”, feels like it will be close.

If I didn’t live here, I’d be fascinated as to how this experiment in manufacturing consent is works out. pic.twitter.com/jw7J60LakX

— Stephen Bush (@stephenkb) March 12, 2019

My best guess is May will lose, but it will be close enough that she can delay briefly and have another crack, with perhaps another spurious tweak, at which point ERG/DUP will finally blink.

I don't think it's going to be remotely close.

And I think she'll get the vote, and all the papers (except two) will be putting out the bunting and publishing pull-out souvenir picmags etc..

Well not close, but considerably better than last time at which point she can say she's got momentum

always wary going against Matt DC. i think it will be close but i don’t think that enough labour will vote for the deal to compensate tories who won’t vote for it.

interesting to see what the DUP do. the wording doesn’t look anything like enough of a guarantee for unionists but they may feel corbyn + the recent softer stance to brexit means it’s worth kicking the can down the road.

i don’t think they’ll go for it tho.

granted, it’s early, and people are still reading the text and waiting on legal advice but I’ve not heard any waverers say “she’s only gone an ruddy done it”

coverage here is clear that nothing has changed except the decision to not issue a counter declaration to the uks declaration

this would conceivably make for a stronger case for the uk when (and it will be when):

- they attempt to unilaterally break the agreements in place over the backstop

at which stage:

- the relevant international arbitration bodies will hear that the eu acted in bad faith by not changing these agreements utterly in order to allow the uk to leave

at which stage:

- the uk will be laughed out of it

but without any fucking consequence

dmac when u pick up an application form for the ra can u get one for me too pls

it's amazing, even the BBC news is trying to claim that May has somehow negotiated something

I’ll take a form for the ra too if they’re going

I'm joining the Royal Academy cos that's how I flex these days!

http://www.russianartdealer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/A-Kolkhoz-Celebration.jpg

one of my paintings "Brexit celebration party".

its kind of more a "how went your father" application process aiui lads

fucking RA never tried to tap me up for one of their sleeper cells once during the 80's/90's when I was completely game on for it.

its kind of more a "how went your father" application process aiui lads

finally i know how it feels to be under the thumb of the patriarchy

bumping my head on the semtex ceiling

My guess:

1) May will lose the vote today (close)
2) 'No-deal' loses tomorrow (not even close)
3) Thursday: Profit!!1!

look lads we'll start nuthin if ye start nuthin and the other lot start nuthin and our other lot start nuthin

now ill admit its not great odds

As far as I can make out, Corbyn & Starmer are both signalling that Labour will vote down this deal as they’re unconvinced by the changes the PM says she’s made.

If this is the case, no matter what Cox says, this should make the ERG/DUP consider voting for it. They’re safe to vote against it and maintain their line if Labour support the deal but if they don’t...

That's not remotely safe -- if they get on board then Labour Brexiteers will have to face whether they should vote for it because it will seem real and possible. As the quote goes, they'll lose their careers to avoid no deal, they won't risk them just to narrow the amount May loses by.

👀 The ‘new’ Withdrawal Agreement’ is half the size of the ‘old’ one! Not a single word in it has changed...but they’ve pathetically altered the pagination to make it look different. The perfect symbol of Theresa May’s contrick Brexit Brexit. pic.twitter.com/rtKB3HBsdu

— Owen Smith (@OwenSmith_MP) March 12, 2019

She has a conning plan.

it's almost as annoying as when cunts like Owen Smith try and repackage themselves as socialists.

Contrick Brexit-Brexit is the former Tory MP for Somerton and Froome IIRC

Name of JRM's seventh child surely?

Yeah the more likely it is that the deal will be voted down, the less incentive there is for any Labour MP who isn't already a committed Brexiter to stick their head above the parapet. The question is how big the Tory rebellion turns out to be.

Bollocks

— Geoffrey Cox QC MP (@Geoffrey_Cox) March 12, 2019

he's wearing his rude codpiece today.

or is he saying the deal is bollocks?

I think he's responding to Jon Snow's claim that Cox had advised yesterday that the new WA doesn't cover what it needs to, and had been told to go away and return when he concludes that it did.

It sounds like the ra will have work for ye all - is your passport in good nick, darragh?

cool! as long as it doesn't clash with any of my ISIS commitments.

Cox says it makes no difference

It may be thought that if both parties deploy a sincere desire to reach agreement and the necessary diligence, flexibility and goodwill implied by the amplified duties set out in the joint instrument, it is highly unlikely that a satisfactory subsequent agreement to replace the protocol will not be concluded. But as I have previously advised, that is a political judgment, which, given the mutual incentives of the parties and the available options and competing risks, I remain strongly of the view it is right to make.

However, the legal risk remains unchanged that if through no such demonstrable failure of either party, but simply because of intractable differences, that situation does arise, the United Kingdom would have, at least while the fundamental circumstances remained the same, no internationally lawful means of exiting the Protocol’s arrangements, save by agreement.

Brexit - House Of Commons Meaningful Vote

No - 1/9
Yes- 7/1

I suspect the bookies have got this completely correct and it will be another large defeat.

Congratulations Tim Berners-Lee! Almost 7 years since he sent a tweet live from the stage at the #London2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. #Nightofwonder

— Simon Hedges (@Orwell_Fan) March 12, 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/12/group-calling-itself-ira-claims-it-sent-parcel-bombs-uk-addresses

"Recognised codeword" used. Not sure why they'd be sending bombs to Glasgow university.

the university's principal is an economist with a staunch anti-brexit stance fwiw