PMs change and lol we're all gonna die (but brexit will never end)

Another misgiving doing the rounds is that MPs having voted for GE before the 31st, Johnson has the power to switch the date to after that date.

I don't get how anyone would think the EU would blink. It's so weird. Macron almost got the EU to throw out UK in March. Tories are so weird.

imago you are too free and pure for us. Shine on you crazy diamond etc.

I don't really see the Tories winning either, but what are they supposed to do? They need a majority -- they can't do any kind of governing with a majority of 1. They must have an election. Which one do they choose?

1. One before Oct 31st, with exit day unchanged/where they can still talk tough about No Deal, and with the Brexit Party stood down.

2. One before Oct 31st, with exit day changed/where they rule out No Deal and have the Brexit Party standing against them.

3. One after Oct 31st, post-No Deal, with people eating dogs and cats.

If they choose 1, they lose Scotland and LD seats. If they choose 2, they lose all the headbangers in all the seats. If they choose 3 they lose with fireworks. I think they're banking on 1 as their best hope. Labour should deny them that.

xp Suzy: he theoretically does have that ability, but it'd be crazy to do.

Thanks Stet I do get what you are saying. For 2) it Would need good communication to make sure it doesn't look like we are running off.

meanwhile in the actual cabinet:

Analysis of leak of blueprint for the 5pm meeting, key points are:
1. Johnson gvt thinks that Pt must be deprived of ability to do extension/2ref/revocation
2. Only then will they talk. And they believe Commisison willing to look at backstop alternatives
3. Draft legal text ready https://t.co/Y66ExGHdNe

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 2, 2019

wtf does 1 even mean? "Johnson thinks executive should have unlimted powerz"?

maybe he's going to seize the mace

Yeah those Scottish seats are gone and you wouldn’t bet against them beating the LDs in every marginal they go head to head. So they need more Labour seats to get to a majority, but are there that many in the country to make up for the losses?

What's it like in East Anglia and Mids? I would rather have The Brexit Party squeezing the Tories up there.

Not with the Lexit vote going south there aren't enough Labour marginals going Tory. (Wasn't there a poll showing a sizable not-totally-racist chunk of that bote was about Sovereignty and other things that recent Tory antics don't go down well with?)

That whole Cabinet thread, fuck. I think this is the unintentionally revealing one:

As just told @KayBurley on @SkyNews we understand the cabinet to be told at 5pm that:
- the concern is the EU "are not under any real pressure to engage on solutions until they know the process is not going to be taken over by Parliament."
- until then EU say Brits not serious

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 2, 2019

It's almost like it's starting to dawn, three years in, that they don't hold all the cards and the EU doesn't have to negotiate with them. But rather than admit their era-defining error, they say "well we would hold all the cards if we were allowed to threaten suicide."

can't wait to see ruthie annihilated at next election

oh she's actually stood down - I thought she'd hold until after next GE. oh well... jackson it is

not been following any of this shit closely recently... evidently

I thought the whole point of being regional party leader without actually holding a seat is that you get to avoid that consequence.

yeah almost certainly losing most of those 13 seats in Scotland means toryscum might want a 20 pt lead if they are entertaining ideas of a working majority.

NEW

Cabinet ministers to be told draft legal text on Northern Ireland plan has been drawn up and ready to be introduced

BUT

😱A source says draft legal text is just the existing protocol with the relevant articles on the backstop crossed out - not exactly a worked up plan😱

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 2, 2019

and SUCKS TO BE YOU written at the top in brown crayon

Draft legal text is just the Ts & Cs copied from just-eat.com

3. One after Oct 31st, post-No Deal, with people eating dogs and cats.

Are they going to be eating dogs and cats on day one of post no-deal? If not, it could be a very good time for Boris to call a GE

actual lols at that tweet from mark s. This is some sub-Baldrick shit now.

So that's why he bought a dog.

and yeah, I think the days following No Deal get election-rout bad fast -- look at what a bit of snow does to the country.

"Well no one said it would be easy, bound to be a couple of teething problems, but the main thing is we did it!" "Macron, Zidane, your boys took one hell of a beating", Farage isn't standing hmm

still unclear what extent the tories are just trolling as the clock ticks down or whether its all stupidity

a lack of exposure to consequences is a hell of a drug

Sorry to link to Spectator but Ivan Rogers mainly otm https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/09/ivan-rogers-the-realities-of-a-no-deal-brexit/

"Please do not waste this time."

NEW: I’ve been sent the transcript of Monday’s closed-door briefing from the UK prime minister’s official spokesperson.

With the government in a deep crisis, guess what the country’s top political journalists focused on?

This is not a parody.https://t.co/QaIdsOQlcD pic.twitter.com/C7gxlHtnzz

— Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) September 2, 2019

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8ba0a6aed0c5608688adca0f9f22d235477b6c0a/0_133_3500_2100/master/3500.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnxVHFeUkAAKVIx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oCQopgG.jpg

boris’ pupper stratagem is paying off nicely

So that's why he bought a dog.

― nashwan, Monday, 2 September 2019 15:24 (eighteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

irl lol

A source says draft legal text is just the existing protocol with the relevant articles on the backstop crossed out

1. lol
2. NI has been without its Assembly for 2.5 years and every month for the last 6 months there has been at least one bomb discovered or exploded there; perhaps our govt would like to take NI a little bit more seriously? just a thought
3. oh no, never mind that, there's a cute puppy, never mind people's actual lives. lol Boris, legernd, check out the puppy!

*clenches fists and grimaces at work desk, hopes nobody notices*

If anything its prorogation and fevered election talk that's distracting from Johnson's feel-good pupper gambit

Sorry to link to Spectator but Ivan Rogers mainly otm https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/09/ivan-rogers-the-realities-of-a-no-deal-brexit/

― stet, Monday, September 2, 2019 5:34 PM (thirteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Good piece. Rogers rightfully laments the 'political elite' still not being serious about this, ie. being completely clueless. And it is otm. It just feels so 'Groundhog Day' doesn't it? I'm willing to bet the same piece could more or less be written three years from now.

we’ll all be dead in three years iirc

You know other things were discussed at the briefing, right? And that discussing one subject doesn’t take time away from discussions of other subjects?

— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) September 2, 2019

i love a party with a happy atmosphere

DUP have gone into the Number 10 drinks party too

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 2, 2019

Kuenssberg really thinks she's writing a society column from the 1930s doesn't she?

a german society column from the 30s, sure

Boris is making a speech at 6, please tell me what lectern is shown in case my awful connection goes & I can’t load anything but zing

dreadnought class lectern

"I am on your side...and so is little Lancelot here"

says "PRIME MINISTER" on it in Futura Extra Black Italic

Lads

still raging from last time may brought out the fkn lectern tbrr

he’s ready

Here it is pic.twitter.com/iQll8mom0s

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 2, 2019

Thank god

I have connection now

BREAKING: @BorisJohnson will say If MPs vote tomorrow for another delay, then Wednesday there will be vote on general election. MPs gone, no 14 days, no legislation on extension. Election on 14 October. Government source: “who does country want to sort it out on 18 Oct at EU?”

— Robert Peston (@Peston) September 2, 2019

just strong and stabling as the tories always do

actually watching this for once and the analysts prattling away just sound so fucking clueless, so fucking soft and accepting of johnson. is this truly what our media has become