No confidence vote 'likely' for U.K.'s May

[jimnyc]

No confidence vote 'likely' for U.K.'s May
REPORTS: Tory Whips Summoned, No Confidence Vote ‘Likely’

Media are reporting that sources have told them Conservative Party whips have been recalled from Friday constituency duties to Westminster and that a vote of no confidence could happen as early as next week.

Updates, with original reporting below:

1:15 pm — Chris Green MP has submitted a letter to 1922 Committee

Mr Green confirmed that he has put in his letter to Sir Graham Brady MP, bringing the number of MPs who have publicly admitted to calling for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May to 21.

Rest - https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/11/16/reports-tory-whips-summoned-no-confidence-vote-likely/

[Drummond]

No confidence vote 'likely' for U.K.'s May
REPORTS: Tory Whips Summoned, No Confidence Vote ‘Likely’

Media are reporting that sources have told them Conservative Party whips have been recalled from Friday constituency duties to Westminster and that a vote of no confidence could happen as early as next week.

Updates, with original reporting below:

1:15 pm — Chris Green MP has submitted a letter to 1922 Committee

Mr Green confirmed that he has put in his letter to Sir Graham Brady MP, bringing the number of MPs who have publicly admitted to calling for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May to 21.

Rest - https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/11/16/reports-tory-whips-summoned-no-confidence-vote-likely/

... yes.

It's not unknown in British history for UK Prime Ministers to be 'ousted' in this fashion. It happened to Jim Callaghan back in 1978, that ushering in (eventually) the first Margaret Thatcher Premiership.

As to present events ... this all comes about because the perception is that Mrs May is promoting a particularly bad Brexit deal from the EU. Brexit was all about separating us from the EU, but, there are aspects of it which still allow for us to be linked to EU rules and imperatives. Which means that many can see the deal as at best 'bad', and at worst an outright betrayal of the citizens who voted for Brexit.

I think ... that Mrs May has allowed herself to be bullied by the EU, showing them insufficient backbone when negotiating with them. What we need is a replacement who'll stand for no nonsense from them: someone who'll say 'Give us a better deal, or forget us funding a 'divorce settlement'' (the EU expects us to pay 39 million pounds to them once this is all done & dusted).

Angela Merkel's already said no further deals will be done ... her way of bulldozing acceptance of it.

... So .. the deal will be voted on, in Parliament. It's very likely to be defeated. In which case ... apparently ... we'll have to crash out of EU membership minus any deal.

Two aspects of this are particularly bad. One ... Mrs May, NOW, has voiced the possibility of Brexit never happening. This will totally betray the result of the 2016 Referendum. Two ... Mrs May insists that no better deal than the present one is possible. Many believe it's her lack of backbone that's led us to that being true.

She needs to be replaced.

[Drummond]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1046522/brexit-news-donald-trump-trade-deal-davis-davis-theresa-may


DONALD Trump will start negotiating a free trade deal with Theresa May "immediately" after the UK departs from the bitter bloc, David Davis has claimed.

The former Brexit secretary said he has spent several days in Washington talking to "US Government Trade and Treasury officials" while Theresa May watched her cabinet fall apart. In a series of tweets on Friday evening, Mr Davis said the Republican firebrand’s administration was open to starting trade talks but the withdrawal agreement made with Brussels would not allow it. He said: "I have spent the last few days in Washington talking to US Government Trade and Treasury officials encouraging a free trade deal with the UK. Excellent response.

"They have already started on the procedures to allow negotiations to start immediately once we leave the EU in March.

"This will not be possible if we accept the Government's proposed deal with Europe, which will block every avenue of negotiation with America.

This is a big part of why the Brexit deal is a bad one. The EU has insisted we still can't have full autonomy over who we in the UK choose to trade with. In fact, Mrs May was adamant, some time ago, that the UK wouldn't be locked into a Customs union, in which the EU has the power to stop us opening independent trade deals outside the EU. But, NOW, it turns out that the Brexit deal still permits the EU a power of veto over our freedom to strike such deals (for exactly how long, isn't clear).

I share Trump's frustration and anger. Pro-Brexit voters absolutely DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS ... THE IDEA WAS THAT WE'D EXERCISE TOTAL AUTONOMY. But, Mrs May insists that the deal she's brokered must stand as it is.

My view: as I say, Mrs May must be replaced. Her 'deal' falls short of what pro-Brexiters voted to attain, back in 2016. The British people deserve better leadership than this !!

[Gunny]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1046522/brexit-news-donald-trump-trade-deal-davis-davis-theresa-may



This is a big part of why the Brexit deal is a bad one. The EU has insisted we still can't have full autonomy over who we in the UK choose to trade with. In fact, Mrs May was adamant, some time ago, that the UK wouldn't be locked into a Customs union, in which the EU has the power to stop us opening independent trade deals outside the EU. But, NOW, it turns out that the Brexit deal still permits the EU a power of veto over our freedom to strike such deals (for exactly how long, isn't clear).

I share Trump's frustration and anger. Pro-Brexit voters absolutely DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS ... THE IDEA WAS THAT WE'D EXERCISE TOTAL AUTONOMY. But, Mrs May insists that the deal she's brokered must stand as it is.

My view: as I say, Mrs May must be replaced. Her 'deal' falls short of what pro-Brexiters voted to attain, back in 2016. The British people deserve better leadership than this !!I agree that May needs to go and someone with some backbone needs to replace her, given the aforementioned circumstances.

ESPECIALLY if Trump is gung-ho to cut the UK a deal. I mean let's be real. Had this occurred during the previous administration, there would be no forthcoming deals offered. I would jump on the offer as quickly as I could just to make sure I could get it while someone as pro-deal as Trump was in office.

I also wouldn't hesitate to be cutting a deal in someone's basement before the EU's stall and stall tactic (they must have the US Democrats' handbook) kills all hope. Honestly, I know it's not the Brit thing to do, but I'd tell the EU to f*ck off and leave anyway. What are they going to do? Enlist their Muslims to start a war?

[Drummond]

I agree that May needs to go and someone with some backbone needs to replace her, given the aforementioned circumstances.

ESPECIALLY if Trump is gung-ho to cut the UK a deal. I mean let's be real. Had this occurred during the previous administration, there would be no forthcoming deals offered. I would jump on the offer as quickly as I could just to make sure I could get it while someone as pro-deal as Trump was in office.

I also wouldn't hesitate to be cutting a deal in someone's basement before the EU's stall and stall tactic (they must have the US Democrats' handbook) kills all hope. Honestly, I know it's not the Brit thing to do, but I'd tell the EU to f*ck off and leave anyway. What are they going to do? Enlist their Muslims to start a war?

Thanks to EU intransigence, if there's going to be any alternative to the current deal, it'd surely be to just leave minus one.

There are those who delusionally disregard people in the EU such as Angela Merkel, who say that the deal is the one they've agreed to, and there will be no prospect of any change to that. Mrs May is right about one thing: the deal she's come back with is the only deal we're going to get out of them.

If it were me taking over, I'd approach the EU, say 'This is what's unsatisfactory about the deal: it's a non-starter for x, y and z reasons: offer us much better terms, or, we walk minus a deal'. I'd, in all fairness, offer them that chance at reasonable revision. If they refused, I'd tell them they were killing any possible deal, then I'd walk out, pulling the UK out of the EU minus a deal.

In term of honour and principle, no other outcome could occur. Full autonomy over our affairs was what Brexit was all about, but Mrs May's fudge doesn't permit it.

The EU cares about two things. One, it wants to exercise power wherever it can, to whatever extent it can. The EU are well aware of what Brexit was always all about, but at no time have they ever respected the will of the British people. STILL, they want to deny us full trading rights, even after leaving the EU !!

Two ... they care greatly about funding we give them, as EU members. The current deal, locking us into a form of Customs Union, ensures that we still pay them for the preferential terms it gives us for pro-EU trading (nothing is for nothing !). The EU .. before they'd even BEGIN negotiating with us .. wanted many billions of pounds paid to them, as a 'divorce settlement'. We've refused to pay, thus far. We should take the line that payments from the UK should be in payment for a GOOD deal, not a BAD one.

This, in substance, is not Theresa May's position. I think the EU understood how desperate she was to return to our Parliament with a deal having been struck. They've played on that desperation for their own ends, with this shoddy deal the end result.

That's been our failing: enthusiasm for a deal overriding the Government's sense of loyalty to what Brexit was always meant to be. What we need is for May's replacement to re-find that loyalty, and insist that voters' wishes are fully satisfied ... and EU bullying tactics, be damned.

[Gunny]

Thanks to EU intransigence, if there's going to be any alternative to the current deal, it'd surely be to just leave minus one.

There are those who delusionally disregard people in the EU such as Angela Merkel, who say that the deal is the one they've agreed to, and there will be no prospect of any change to that. Mrs May is right about one thing: the deal she's come back with is the only deal we're going to get out of them.

If it were me taking over, I'd approach the EU, say 'This is what's unsatisfactory about the deal: it's a non-starter for x, y and z reasons: offer us much better terms, or, we walk minus a deal'. I'd, in all fairness, offer them that chance at reasonable revision. If they refused, I'd tell them they were killing any possible deal, then I'd walk out, pulling the UK out of the EU minus a deal.

In term of honour and principle, no other outcome could occur. Full autonomy over our affairs was what Brexit was all about, but Mrs May's fudge doesn't permit it.

The EU cares about two things. One, it wants to exercise power wherever it can, to whatever extent it can. The EU are well aware of what Brexit was always all about, but at no time have they ever respected the will of the British people. STILL, they want to deny us full trading rights, even after leaving the EU !!

Two ... they care greatly about funding we give them, as EU members. The current deal, locking us into a form of Customs Union, ensures that we still pay them for the preferential terms it gives us for pro-EU trading (nothing is for nothing !). The EU .. before they'd even BEGIN negotiating with us .. wanted many billions of pounds paid to them, as a 'divorce settlement'. We've refused to pay, thus far. We should take the line that payments from the UK should be in payment for a GOOD deal, not a BAD one.

This, in substance, is not Theresa May's position. I think the EU understood how desperate she was to return to our Parliament with a deal having been struck. They've played on that desperation for their own ends, with this shoddy deal the end result.

That's been our failing: enthusiasm for a deal overriding the Government's sense of loyalty to what Brexit was always meant to be. What we need is for May's replacement to re-find that loyalty, and insist that voters' wishes are fully satisfied ... and EU bullying tactics, be damned.Honestly, what the EU wants would not be a consideration with me until I had everything I wanted. The fact is, the EU is STILL just a leftist organization pretty much the same as all leftist organizations and its actual power is paper and big mouths.

I would look at it like this. If I just flip them the bird and walk, what are they going to do? Especially while Trump is in office. Militarily invade? The US isn't going to stand for that if push comes to shove. What's their other alternative? T screw Britain financially is to screw themselves. I'm sure lot of self-interest could be hurt by freezing assets or the like, but it isn't like this BREXIT deal is anything new. I'd have gotten my assets out of Europe and placed elsewhere long ago.

The "deal" sounds like a suicide pact for GB to me. The fact is, somebody's going to get hurt, get mad, get screwed, and throw a hissy fit. My goal would not be to do that to myself. Push comes to shove, the EU loses. Too bad.

[Noir]

Even with the apparent support of the ERG they can’t bring down May in one swift blow - it looks like it’s going to drag into at least next week - there’s a shambles and then there’s whatever is happening in the Conservative party at the minute.

[Drummond]

Honestly, what the EU wants would not be a consideration with me until I had everything I wanted. The fact is, the EU is STILL just a leftist organization pretty much the same as all leftist organizations and its actual power is paper and big mouths.

I would look at it like this. If I just flip them the bird and walk, what are they going to do? Especially while Trump is in office. Militarily invade? The US isn't going to stand for that if push comes to shove. What's their other alternative? T screw Britain financially is to screw themselves. I'm sure lot of self-interest could be hurt by freezing assets or the like, but it isn't like this BREXIT deal is anything new. I'd have gotten my assets out of Europe and placed elsewhere long ago.

The "deal" sounds like a suicide pact for GB to me. The fact is, somebody's going to get hurt, get mad, get screwed, and throw a hissy fit. My goal would not be to do that to myself. Push comes to shove, the EU loses. Too bad.

Military invasion, of course, isn't a remotest likelihood.

This Brexit deal gives us greater autonomy than we'd have if Brexit had never been entered into. The point about its being a very bad deal is that it defies what those voting for Brexit wanted, AND EXPECTED TO GET ... full autonomy away from the EU.

It's a terrible deal, because that aim isn't fully achieved with it. Locking us into a Customs union forbids us, for example, doing free trade deals with countries outside the EU, just as is true right now. [It's why deals with the US won't happen, as Trump's people have already confirmed, for as long as this deal is alive.] We're supposedly locked into it 'temporarily', until the remaining sticking point(s) are properly resolved. But, here's the real betrayal: it will take BOTH sides, the UK and the EU, to agree that the Customs union is ended. If the UK wants out, but the EU disagrees, then no change occurs. Therefore -- apparently, at least, the EU is given power of veto over our leaving it. What if they NEVER rescind it ?

We'd be permanently locked into it ... BUT ... with zero power to determine its future terms. All that would be decided by the EU.

So much for the UK's hopes of proper autonomy !! To add insult to injury, we'd still have demands made of us to pay annual revenues to the EU for the 'privilege' of remaining in that union !!! We'll even be billed around 40 billion pounds for this deal's successful conclusion, as our 'divorce settlement' !!

There are many who accuse Mrs May of outright betrayal, against our interests, and for the EU's, instead. You can easily see why. For myself, I don't believe 'betrayal' was ever involved. No ... Mrs May, perhaps just to save face, perhaps because she genuinely felt we badly needed ANY deal, allowed herself to be suckered into this fudge of a 'deal'. She showed insufficient backbone because of her desperation to walk away with a deal. I think - considering the EU's conduct, throughout - that she's been 'played' the entire time by their, ahem, 'negotiators'.

We need a weak leader replaced by a far stronger one, and without delay. If / when that individual emerges, s/he will have to tell the EU to think again, provide much better terms, or, WE WALK, MINUS A DEAL.

I think the EU will expect us to fold, in that scenario. Their sheer arrogance, along with the demolition of hopes of conning us into serving their interests, will ensure their absolute refusal to budge.

If that's the way it must be, then so be it. We walk.

All that'll happen in the weeks ahead, in the Commons, will be almost incidental. The voting numbers say that Parliament won't vote for the deal's implementation, which will kill it off as it stands. Since the EU's position is that they'll offer us little if anything different to it ... then, the prospect of another deal is nonexistent. Labour think otherwise. That makes them delusional, as they're ignoring what the EU is telling us, just for the sake of point-scoring at home.

[Drummond]

Even with the apparent support of the ERG they can’t bring down May in one swift blow - it looks like it’s going to drag into at least next week - there’s a shambles and then there’s whatever is happening in the Conservative party at the minute.

It'll drag on, probably, for a handful of days. Will the 1922 Committee receive their mandatory 48 letters (minimum) to trigger a 'no confidence' action ? We'll have to see. If 'yes' ... we have to hope Mrs May is swiftly replaced. Time is increasingly being lost in this, with little remaining to get things resolved.

[Noir]

We need a weak leader replaced by a far stronger one, and without delay. If / when that individual emerges, s/he will have to tell the EU to think again, provide much better terms, or, WE WALK, MINUS A DEAL.

Anyone in mind? Gove, Mogg, Boris, Leadsom, Davis, Fox, someone else? Who at the minute in the tories looks like a strong leader to you?

[Drummond]

Anyone in mind? Gove, Mogg, Boris, Leadsom, Davis, Fox, someone else? Who at the minute in the tories looks like a strong leader to you?

I'd say either Davis or Rees-Mogg (Rees-Mogg would probably be better, though he projects the wrong image to the Public). Not Fox - I think - because, although he'd be tougher, he too would be too wedded to a perceived 'need' to get a deal.

Boris might be a good choice, though he's vacillated over the entire 'support or reject Brexit' question before now. His current pronouncements are admirable. His lack of consistency, is not.

Gove ... no. He's supporting Mrs May (apparently ?). His thinking is a little too unclear for him to be preferred.

So on balance, both for a good public image AND his excellent attitude ... I'd say David Davis.

As a rank outsider, but a good man (with a brilliant, razor-like mind) ... how about John Redwood ?

[jimnyc]

Just Brexit! The UK's Future Is With the Anglosphere

In June 2016, I was in London and reported extensively on the Brexit referendum in these pages (see here, for example, and here, here, here, and here). It was, briefly, an ebullient moment. I had been assured by everyone from taxicab drivers to Tory ministers that Brexit hadn’t a chance in hell of passing, and a good thing, too, because it represented “nativist,” “racist,” and “xenophobic” (not to mention Islamophobic and economically illiterate) elements of the population.

For me, as for a tiny coterie of friends, Brexit was centrally about sovereignty. The guiding question that precipitated it was Who Rules Britain? Is it Parliament? Or is it Brussels?

I thought it should be Parliament, i.e., the duly elected representatives of the British people, not the corrupt, unelected, and unaccountable transnational progressive elite in Brussels. So I was thrilled when the Brexit referendum won. Some Remainers grumble that the vote was close (nearly 52 percent to 48 percent and change), but in fact more people -- 17 million -- voted for Brexit than had ever voted for anything in Britain, ever.

A couple of days after the big vote I threw a small dinner party at a secure, undisclosed location in London and had the pleasure of supplying Daniel Hannan, a Conservative member of the European Parliament and a key advocate for Brexit, with his first glass of champagne in eighteen months. Dan had girded up his loins for battle and had sworn off all improving beverages until such time as Brexit was a reality. Here, at last, we were, and so was the Billecart-Salmon rosé.

The euphoria didn’t last long. Within a month or two people were distinguishing between “hard Brexit” and “soft Brexit” (code for “no Brexit”) and the oozing gummy enervating gel that is the EU in action began surrounding and suffocating those charged with reasserting British sovereignty.

Rest - https://pjmedia.com/rogerkimball/just-brexit-the-uks-future-is-with-the-anglosphere/