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David Henig @DavidHenigUK
, 4 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
I am told that Barry Gardiner Brexit appearances cause many associated with the Labour Party to relive their Doctor Who-watching childhood by hiding behind the sofa.

Proof though that Labour still doesn't have a Brexit policy...
Predictions for factual accuracy:

JRM: WTO and technology, glorious future, no facts
Cleverly: End Freedom of Movement, trade deals and frictionless trade, occasional fact
Lucas: Mostly factual, ignore 2nd ref complexity
Gardiner: Unicorn cake
Suggestion: Borrow word from @GuitarMoog and develop the 'unobtainium' scale.

1 - Minor changes to PD, low unobtainium
10 - Make the backstop not a backstop, or give the UK a veto over UK trade deals - pure unobtainium
Sorry that was meant to be UK veto over EU trade deals...
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More from @DavidHenigUK see all

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A modest step forward by those MPs supporting a 'Norway' Brexit - they have a better name than Norway+, we now have Common Market 2.0, also breaking the unwritten Brexit rule that all proposals must be +++ d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/stephenkinnock…
There's not much new here, but mention of our freedom to set agriculture rules doesn't sit well with commitments on the Irish border unless assuming Northern Ireland does not in fact have that freedom, and Irish Sea checks
Biggest problem for EEA supporters remains the opposition of both the Labour leadership and the referendum campaigners. Although a majority of MPs could probably live with an EEA solution it is hard to see us getting there
Read 3 tweets
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Meanwhile here are the "30 truths about leaving on WTO terms". globalbritain.co.uk/wp-content/upl… I make it that 7 are true, 8 partly true.
Here's the fact checking for claims 1-13...
14-30. Statements about the future are inherently debatable, so you simply can't say "there will be no roaming charges" is a fact. It is a possibility.
Read 3 tweets
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Hopeless. One of the EU's perennial complaints about Brexit negotiations is that they've been expected to play the role of both sides as the UK side has never really known what we wanted. theguardian.com/politics/2019/…
The EU will probably be able to make minor changes to the Withdrawal Agreement and perhaps more significant ones to the Political Declaration, but they expect these to be the final ones to get a deal over the line in Parliament. The PM doesn't know what these are.
There is no way the EU will agree to this, any negotiating partner will agree to this, and the very fact the PM is floating the idea will have Brussels in continuing disbelief at the PM's lack of understanding of negotiations. thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/t…
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

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1) Why Labour #Brexit Conference policy is flawed

Unfortunately Ben is wrong here, Corbyn is following the agreed policy here because that policy let's him do exactly what he wants on Brexit, not what the members want

The policy is a well crafted stitch up
2) there's 2 consistent themes from Corbyn supporters
a) this is the policy Labour conference overwhelmingly supported
b) Corbyn's following that policy to the letter
Both of these are true, but neither stand up to critical examination if we're being honest
3) in terms of the first "this is the policy conference supported" well, as a remainer its essentially the same as the non meaningful vote May tried to create
May's choice was her deal or no. Deal which, if true, is no deal at all
It was the same with Labour conference policy
Read 25 tweets
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Before this week's #Brexit shenanigans, I said this:

"With May as Prime Minister there can be no Brexit deal"

I stand by that statement

I see no way that the #EUCO - ongoing as I write this thread - can give May anything that'll appease the Brexit hard liners in her party

🇪🇺 is not going to make the backstop time limited or allow 🇬🇧 to unilaterally withdraw it. So the deal on the table is essentially unchanged
The Tories reaching across the political divide to Labour still looks like a ridiculously long shot as well:
theguardian.com/politics/2018/…
Read 16 tweets
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1) Was determined to back off Labour & Corbyn this week & support them going forward on #Brexit

But now this, following Corbyn's speech.

Corbyn's team want Brexit. They don't want to listen to the members on a #PeoplesVote & now it's been raised, they are switching position
2) let's just look at the chronology
I) Starmer (but no one else in Leadership) talks occasionally over last 2 years about "exact same benefits" 6 tests
ii) privately, @BarryGardiner describes them as nonsense
@BarryGardiner 3) iii) in run up to conference, probably because they know there is a huge influx of CLP motions asking for an early vote, Corbyn & others start talking about the 6 tests really for the first time.
Read 13 tweets
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THREAD: I think we need to talk about the lefts stance on Party rebirth, & the holier than thou attitude that #Labour has on #libdems & tuition Fees. Given the rise of the far right & how much we actually agree on we really should be working together, so lets try to clear this up
For many of us @LibDems, we left @UKLabour when they voted & took us into Iraq.
Now the Labour left make the argument that Labour is not the same party that it was with Blair, & because Corbyn voted against Iraq; all must be forgiven. The party should be allowed to start afresh.
Fair enough. But if this was the case, why was Tim Farron nailed to the tuition fees cross by Labour campaigners at the last election? He voted AGAINST Fees in the same way Corbyn voted against Iraq.
Read 15 tweets
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1) thread on the "missing anti-brexit surge"
It's fair to say that there is only a small (though significant) movement towards "remain" & against #Brexit, leading some to say that a #PeoplesVote might lead to the same result
But let's look at where we are

prospectmagazine.co.uk//blogs/peter-k…
2) the press is still largely pro #Brexit. The BBC has, in the name of balance, been at best hopeless in holding brexiters to account for previous statements and more importantly, both major parties are still pretending their Brexit will be OK
There's no major voice against it
3) and yet, despite the lack of any major voice exposing the reality of #Brexit, the message is still getting through about what a screw up Brexit really is.

There's consistent polls showing a majority who think Brexit is going badly, and a lack of faith in government handling
Read 18 tweets
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1) let's talk about @BarryGardiner & @Emmabarnett #Brexit "car crash" interview on #marr, and the lessons for Labour.

In summary, when you are confident of your ground, and believe in what you're saying, then a hostile interviewer, as Michael Hayden demonstrated, can't touch you
2) the real story of #marr was the follow on interview with Michael Hayden (ex CIA). Barnett hit him over and over with "hasn't Trump achieved a lot", "you prejudged him", all of which he easily deflected.

He knew his ground, believed in his position, and was thus unshakeable
3) in contrast, @BarryGardiner and @uklabour position on #brexit is weak & inconsistent. Gardiner has made comments on brexit which are doubtless true but not party policy, thus he's left defending the indefensible, hence the car crash
Read 8 tweets

Trending hashtags

#GTTO #Brexit #Labour #A50 #Brexiteers #brexit #industry #ProjectFear #Leave #BrexitChaos #StopBrexit #Confidence #C4brexit #Euref #pseudoscience #PeoplesVote #SaveTheWAG #marr #rhetoric #Merkel #ABTV #libdems #Britannia #BlockFBPE #RemainerNow

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