Profile picture
Alex Wickham
@alexwickham
, 6 tweets, 3 min read Read on Twitter
AAWG ERG ARGH: Alternative Arrangements Working Group descends into acrimony over cancelled Northern Ireland trip as ERG splits on the Malthouse Compromise

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
AAWG was meant to visit Northern Ireland today to meet businesses, security officials and visit the border.

But three sources say the trip was called off after ERG feared a “Project O’Fear” No10 stitch up

Big new fallout between Brexiteers and ministers: buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
🚨Now a serious ERG split on Malthouse

One faction has hardened its position. It used to support a time-limit, now says that's not enough. Was thought to number about two dozen MPs. Now double that

Another faction thinks ERG has to compromise to avoid CU buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
Senior Brexiteer says Malthouse is a "sticking plaster" over a deeply divided ERG. "I do think the group will split. People like Bernard Jenkin will end up voting for the deal. It’s like Che Guevara going to live in a retirement home in Florida." buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
Third problem for AAWG: Mark Sedwill is being urged to make a ruling on the use of officials by backbench Tory MPs. Vince Cable has complained (ht @rosskempsell), while Labour's @StewartWood says the govt is "flagrantly breaking established rules"
buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
Senior Brexiteer on Malthouse Compromise: “It is ironic that something supposed to overcome division within the Conservative Party has caused further division." buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Alex Wickham
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @alexwickham see all

Profile picture
Alex Wickham
@alexwickham
EXC: A senior minister told colleagues in a leaked WhatsApp rant today that the Tories will lose the next election because the party has been taken over by "zealots" who talk "bollocks"

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
Senior minister Claire Perry, who attends cabinet, told the women Tory MPs' WhatsApp group today that "antediluvian old sods" have taken over the Tories and will lose them the next election, turning them into an opposition party "of the white shires" buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
Claire Perry on male Tory backbenchers to the women Tory MPs' WhatsApp group today... "a bunch of old white men no doubt are enjoying their morning coffee served to them by their long suffering wives" 🔥 buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Alex Wickham
@alexwickham
NEW: Tory MP Christopher Chope (who previously objected to the upskirting bill) is branded an “embarrassment to your party and humanity” after indicating he will block new laws on female genital mutilation this afternoon

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/to…
Anti-FGM campaigners spent the week begging Christopher Chope via text message not to block the bill. He wouldn't speak to them on the phone. Chope complained they were subjecting him to “verbal abuse”. buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/to…
Chope also under pressure from whips who have asked him not to block the bill today. Govt source: "Christopher Chope is wrong." buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/to…
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
Alex Wickham
@alexwickham
EXC: A "malicious hack" accessing MPs' phone and email contacts lists today is being investigated by parliamentary authorities.

"I've been hacked," one member of the government confirmed:

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
Here is the email from deputy chief whip Chris Pincher on the hacking attempt targeting MPs today: "This is a malicious hack that accesses your contacts list and sends texts and emails to all your private contacts" buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
MPs were added to this WhatsApp group by the personal phone number of govt whip Mike Freer today. Messages and emails sent to his contacts list in his name sought "overseas contacts for a government payment" buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/a-…
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
Pilar Gomez #FBPE #facciamorete #FPHD
@redalphababe
The ERG factions are splitting into smaller factions still 🤔 1/3

The “Malthouse Compromise” Has Descended Into Acrimony buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa… via @alexwickham
This little section caught my eye. The problem with Brexit is Brexit but it seems ... 2/3
the brextremist ERG mob don’t want to hear it 3/3 #fbpe
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
Peter Foster
@pmdfoster
NEW: Northern Ireland manufacturing/business groups @ManufacturingNI invite Malthouse Compromise group (AAWG) to NI to "stress test" their ideas first hand. (Letter below)

RSVP? @OwenPaterson @NickyMorgan01 @IDuncanSmithMP @kitmalthouse @SteveBakerHW @MarcusFysh @DamianGreen
@ManufacturingNI @OwenPaterson @NickyMorgan01 @IDuncanSmithMP @kitmalthouse @SteveBakerHW @MarcusFysh @DamianGreen This business groups in full. Lot's of experience actually crossing and managing @BorderIrish - the kind of nuts and bolts stuff might be useful to learn about as you design a border solution...
@ManufacturingNI @OwenPaterson @NickyMorgan01 @IDuncanSmithMP @kitmalthouse @SteveBakerHW @MarcusFysh @DamianGreen @BorderIrish Forget Number 10 stitch ups etc...per @alexwickham story here.

Perfect chance to explain to fretting NI biz how the Fujitsu borders (or is it Utterberry?) are going to function... from Derry & Crossmaglen to the Sunny Uplands /3

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/aa…
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
Staedtler
@Staedtler
It can all get so very confusing. Where do we stand?
Last week parliament adopted an amendment telling the government to go and find alternative arrangements to the Irish border.

What arrangements? Nobody knows. Theresa May is going to Northern Ireland, and then a meeting with Juncker on Thursday.
The likely result is that Theresa May reaches a dead end.
Europe and Ireland won't let go the backstop, and parliament won't accept it.
If she's got nothing new, and she's failed the mandate she instructed parliament to give her, she will have to resign.
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Stewart Wood
@StewartWood
This "Alternative Arrangements Working Group" looks suspiciously like a selected bunch of backbench Conservative MPs being provided with support by civil servants. Which of course is not allowed.

I'm sure no.10 will clarify to remove suspicion. #Brexit

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…
Civil service code says civil servants must not “act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official resources for party political purposes”. A group consisting only of Tory backbenchers getting served by civil servants surely violates this rule.
The Cabinet Manual, 7.2: “Ministers are required to uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service and not ask civil servants to act in any way that would conflict with the Civil Service Code”. Again, the Alternative Arrangements Group, with ONLY Tories, breaks this rule.
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
Simon Usherwood
@Usherwood
A quick reminder of the hurdles the Alternative Arrangements working group have to clear:

1/
Agreement within the group itself about one or more courses of action to replace the backstop

2/
Agreement by CON (including May, Cabinet and backbench) on those courses

3/
Read 10 tweets
Profile picture
Daniel Keohane
@KeohaneDan
1/ This report is a little confusing:

“Merkel has called for more flexibility from both the EU and the UK to unblock Brexit negotiations, warning that too rigid an approach could risk leaving Northern Ireland without any other option than a hard border” ft.com/content/3812b9…
2/ “At an EU summit dinner and in later public remarks, the German chancellor expressed concerns about the bloc’s stand-off with the UK over the Irish “backstop”, a fallback measure intended to ensure no hard border divides Ireland if other solutions fail. “
3/ “Three diplomats said that at the Wednesday night dinner Ms Merkel indicated that the EU and the Republic of Ireland should rethink their approach on Northern Ireland to avoid a fundamental clash with London.”
Read 15 tweets

Trending hashtags

#argh #histpsych #WestBank #papalvisit #MarchForLife #Caves #marr #Important #health #PAMFAM #ConcentrationCamp #Ireland #smoke #DavosSummit #GoFundMonday #Firenado #Jerusalem #right #repeat #neighbours #TogetherWeWin #SouthCarolina #TogetherWeAreStrong #intelligence #SusanBucher
Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!