,
8 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
1/ *Rant Warning*
People are understandably angry at the PM over all this, but my ire is for MPs who would have ultimately voted for the PM's Deal but wanted to extract maximum concessions, political capital and BBC QT appearances out of only doing so on the 3rd or 4th try.
People are understandably angry at the PM over all this, but my ire is for MPs who would have ultimately voted for the PM's Deal but wanted to extract maximum concessions, political capital and BBC QT appearances out of only doing so on the 3rd or 4th try.
2/ There have been only three options since November:
No Deal.
The PM's Deal.
Remain.
This was clear to everyone except the Op-Ed pages of the Times & Telegraph. Yet the UK had to endure months of pantomime panic as MPs tried to bloviate or bluster unicorns into existence.
No Deal.
The PM's Deal.
Remain.
This was clear to everyone except the Op-Ed pages of the Times & Telegraph. Yet the UK had to endure months of pantomime panic as MPs tried to bloviate or bluster unicorns into existence.
3/ Between the first and second Meaningful Votes, the PM's deal gained 81 'yays'.
Are we really supposed to believe 80+ MPs read the EU's letters of assurance and the advice from the AG saying it didn't address their core concern & thought, "Oh, that's alright then."
Please.
Are we really supposed to believe 80+ MPs read the EU's letters of assurance and the advice from the AG saying it didn't address their core concern & thought, "Oh, that's alright then."
Please.
4/ Yet the Prime Minister persisted, continuing to whip for yet more votes in order to have a 3rd and potentially a 4th attempt.
Why?
Because she believed (as many commentators did) that when things came down to the wire, MPs would vote for it.
Why?
Because she believed (as many commentators did) that when things came down to the wire, MPs would vote for it.
5/ The revealing whine in the House of Commons today, "we should have known this was our last chance to vote on this," says it all.
Were MPs anticipating the deal would get better?
Surely not.
Even the ERG's stable of pub bores have ceased to pen "we've got em now" pieces.
Were MPs anticipating the deal would get better?
Surely not.
Even the ERG's stable of pub bores have ceased to pen "we've got em now" pieces.
6/ The fact is, for a group of MPs potentially large enough to pass the deal, resistance was never on the substance.
It was tactical. It was performative. It was extractative.
It was, above all, resistance they never intended to maintain through to 'when it counts.'
Oops.
It was tactical. It was performative. It was extractative.
It was, above all, resistance they never intended to maintain through to 'when it counts.'
Oops.
7/ I am not a British citizen and I do not live in your fair land, but to me this strikes of gamesmanship with the fate of 64 million people and four nations.
I'm offended by it.
/end
I'm offended by it.
/end
Correction: I said 80+ MPs when it was of course 40.
Thank you to all those who pointed it out.
Thank you to all those who pointed it out.
