@sturdyAlex's Threads
Interesting @bbctbq debate on returning antiquities to their home. Many good points made, but amazed nobody drove home the clear distinction between objects made to be transportable and displayed like a painting and parts of a monument like the Parthenon marbles. @NickyAACampbell
That’s not to say there’s no case for returning important cultural artefacts anyway, but the debate “to whom do they belong”, is simply unsustainable when a country is refusing to return parts of a building with a definitive location. @NickyAACampbell
Some “expert” on it was saying: “Yes, but do those marbles belong to Greece? Is modern Greece the same as the ancient city state of Athens?” But that’s cynical sophistry. The point is they belong TO THE PARTHENON and that has an undeniable geographical location. @NickyAACampbell
It’s an incredibly complex, totally unprecedented, constitutional law matter. Quick, let’s get the views of three stall holders in a market somewhere. FFS BBC, grow up.
I have nothing against stall holders, you understand. What I resent is the toxic @BBCNews attitude of treating them as the the only “authentic” voice of Britain. It’s absolute bollocks and insulting to EVERYONE involved.
I know hundreds of really switched on, well informed, working class folk, some of whom supported Leave and some Remain for valid intelligent reasons. Get some in the studio and interrogate their views, same as you would with anyone else. Stop reducing them to a voxpop stereotype.
Strip away noise. This is what happened: Commons gave gov’t 18 of 24 months to get deal; then 3 months to present it. Gov’t overreached and stole another month, leaving only 2. Commons refused to reward this bad faith by giving the gov’t a TWENTY-THIRD month for its blackmail.
Bercow didn’t do this and didn’t say this. Parliament did. The Speaker merely facilitated a democratic vote for the House to express its sovereign will. The bad faith is all on the gov’t side. #BercowWasRight
The real disgrace is that we have a PM and an executive (one that failed to even secure a majority at the last election, no less), so autocratic and with such profound contempt for the legislature, it has reduced the Commons to such creative solutions in order to be heard.
The toxic effect of an immigration salary threshold is that it equates “value” to a society to “making money”; it lures us into accepting that anyone making less than £30k is a drain, even though that includes the vast majority of us. It’s a national statement of self-disrespect.
By saying “oh, this doesn’t apply to you; it applies to THEM”, it stratifies an entire society, including the people endorsing such a philosophy, in a way that entrenches the notion a sportsman or a hedge fund manager are of more value to society than a teacher or a nurse.
And is doubly bitter for coming from someone whose migrant bus driver father would be considered valueless and undesirable under the criteria conceived by his own son. Although, I’m sure, even @sajidjavid finds ways to intellectualise why it somehow doesn’t mean that.
THREAD: 1. The whole May vote delay has a whiff of theatre to it which makes this imposed four-weeks before voting the cliffhanger mid-season break. Everything feels meticulously staged. My sense is a backstop time limit is already agreed; this panto is to give May momentum.
2. We saw a dry run of this before. Just like a few well-placed leaks in 2017 that “the EU is demanding £100bn as settlement” when all previous estimates had been around the £40bn that we eventually agreed to. The £100bn rumour was floated purely to give May a perceived victory.
3. Had she come to the House with £39bn to start with, it would have been shouted down. But against a fictional £100bn she can claim to have battled the EU and prevailed (and, indeed, repeatedly has made that claim precisely). And so it may be with her final deal.
Corbyn snatches defeat from the jaws of victory, yet again. What an absolute Christmas gift to a gov’t in complete meltdown, as the House rises for the Holidays.
A PM spending billions to blackmail Parliament, quite literally, into voting for her awful deal, her party in open revolt, a country in meltdown, and the Opposition (unbelievably, 4 points behind in latest polls) somehow end up in a f’kin defensive position. Couldn’t make it up.
Cue lots of people defending him and blaming THE MEEDJA, who would be screaming “RESIGN” if Cameron has said this to a female Labour MP. Indeed, were saying exactly that after “calm down dear”.
Quite aside from the logic of “where’s the cliff-edge? people will still wear clothes” AND the amazing fashion look, the analogy of no-deal being like a shot of adrenaline is apt. In that we will have put our economy into a sort of deliberate self-inflicted anaphylactic shock.
Mr Nieper of @davidnieper fashion also wants to employ only “native talent” and is a big fan of zero hours contracts. WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE NOBODIES?
“Coveted the world over”. £150, while stocks last. 😂 
No plans for when May’s deal will be put to a vote, no plans to put alternatives to Parliament, no plans for a #PeoplesVote, gov’t in contempt for ignoring Commons. Gosh. Since we “took back control from unelected Brussels bureaucrats“ democracy is really flourishing, isn’t it.
Somebody stop all this democracy. It’s crazy.
We’re very new to it, what with us having been part of the EUSSR for 45 years and having no sovirnty, so they have to break us in gently. This is SUCH a caring government. Thank you.
MINI THREAD on the dangerous and orchestrated “the EU always compromises at the eleventh hour” narrative emerging from extreme Brexiters. This is based on three very fundamental misconceptions:
First, a misunderstanding of past EU behaviour: it’s true the EU budge at the last minute when negotiating *with a member*, because not budging would threaten Union cohesion. When it’s a third party, and a change is what actually threatens cohesion, they’ve walked away, eg TTIP.
Second, this all-in approach is only valid if no deal is a credible outcome. It is not. Both sides know the UK is woefully underprepared for it and MPs have shown they won’t allow it. This means the closer we get to 29th March the WORSE the UK’s negotiating position becomes.
I’m stunned by people like @IainDale moving to the inane “let’s just leave” position. In effect he’s saying “having discovered the UK is in nowhere near as strong a position as I thought - and misled voters into thinking , LET’S JUST DOUBLE DOWN, BECAUSE BRITANNIA”. Seriously?
If @IainDale finds the UK’s negotiation with the EU humiliating, well, buckle up, buddy. Because trying to negotiate with China or the USA from a post-no-deal position of urgent and desperate weakness and collapse, will make the last two years look like a friggin’ birthday party.
If you don’t like our PM on her knees, you shouldn’t have fucking voted to put her in that position.
Hmm. BBC’s Politics Live are now amplifying the tweets of @KeithRo30359526, a dubious botlike entity with 2 followers, whose timeline consists *exclusively* of daily inflammatory tweets under the #politicslive hashtag. Even a cursory look reveals the account to be problematic.
This was immediately followed by amplifying a tweet from @anthony79494570, who joined twitter only days ago, and whose tweet #politicslive kindly corrected for him. Hmm, again.
To be honest, if I were a campaigning group like “Leave Means Leave”, creating a few bogus accounts specifically to target daytime programmes with tweets, texts and emails, would be a very good strategy for skewing public debate. @VictoriaLIVE should also take heed.
Gove on #r4today: “I think it would be damaging for the country, if we said to all those people who had voted, if we were now to say ‘well, we think you were wrong’, I think that would do damage to our democracy.”
How absurd. How glibly spineless. The opposite of leadership.
How absurd. How glibly spineless. The opposite of leadership.
For heaven’s sake nobody tell people they were wrong. Well, at least not the 17 million. It’s absolutely fine to tell the 16 million they were wrong. In fact, abuse them at will, call them ‘remoaners’, ‘citizens of nowhere’, etc., all that is cool.
The difference between right and wrong can be found, apparently, somewhere between 16.1 and 17.4. Someone alert philosophers.
Jacob Rees-Mogg tribute act and Guido wannabe, Tom Harwood, spanked by @NickyMorgan01 on #politicslive. Spanked.
PS Why do all those “anti-establishment” representatives of “ordinary people” ALWAYS sound like a Fast Show parody of angry posh boys?
PS Why do all those “anti-establishment” representatives of “ordinary people” ALWAYS sound like a Fast Show parody of angry posh boys?
How interesting that dozens of Brexiter responses to this are about how the “females” or “hags” are “shrill”, “gobby”, “uppity”, “hysterical” or “ugly”. Or about me being a foreigner, “a luvvie” or “a beardy”. Every day the ugly source of this “movement” is revealed more starkly.
Also worth noting what Tom “Everyone Knew What They Were Voting For” Harwood thought (and sold to his followers) before the referendum. Now he’s all “OMG THAT’S NOT REAL BREXIT, THAT’S BRINO”.
Such a profoundly undemocratic power grab. A hijacking of a mandate. Shame on you.
Such a profoundly undemocratic power grab. A hijacking of a mandate. Shame on you.
THREAD - On this historic occasion, let us recall some of what was promised specifically on this deal:
“There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.”
David Davis
10 October 2016
“There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.”
David Davis
10 October 2016
“Getting out of the EU can be quick and easy – the UK holds most of the cards.”
John Redwood
July 17 2016
John Redwood
July 17 2016
“The free trade agreement that we will have to do with the European Union should be one of the easiest in human history.”
Liam Fox
20 July 2017
Liam Fox
20 July 2017
The ERG intellectual giant that is Mark Francois explains his alternative for the exit, implementation and transition deal is CANADA PLUS PLUS PLUS which is in fact an alternative to the FINAL deal, has absolutely nothing to do with this first phase and would take years. Oy.
Some of the impenetrable stupidity emanating from the ERG right now is so mind-boggling, I find myself agog at why it is discussed for any more than five minutes - five minutes purely to have a good laugh. And these are the people who reckon they could lead us better.
Most people are debating how to get from London to Manchester, quickly and safely. Some say “by train” others say “let’s drive”. The ERG just keeps shouting “WILTSHIRE”. Nobody knows why. Nobody is challenging it. We all just keep humouring their ignorance.
In a universe of dense Brexiters, @Jacob_Rees_Mogg is a neutron star:
-That Brexit turned out horribly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.
-Most UK trade is under WTO (a lie).
-Most world trade is under WTO (a lie).
-This is very smooth using “systems”.
-We don’t have those systems.
-That Brexit turned out horribly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.
-Most UK trade is under WTO (a lie).
-Most world trade is under WTO (a lie).
-This is very smooth using “systems”.
-We don’t have those systems.
This is the leader of their faction. The leader. The one they see as future Prime Minister. The. Best. They. Can. Offer. God help this country.
Fuck me sideways
Seems to me the lesson from #Midterm2018, for Democrats and progressives globally, is that it’s hard to create a “wave” with righteous unfocused anger, against a strategically astute, immoral opponent. You create it by having tightly focussed and disciplined counter-strategies.
Trump knew he was going to lose the House and focussed on bolstering his second line of defence, the Senate. By doing this, he kills the energy of Democrat momentum, and - from total safety - tempts them to overreach with investigations, which plays into his second term strategy.
Trump’s aim isn’t to be effective; to do stuff. He announces and doesn’t action; he signs orders with no chance of surviving legal challenge. He KNOWS he can’t deliver the fantasy he promised. He CAN however pretend he’s trying and is prevented by evil women, liberals and pinkos.
“When I speak to big investors whom we’re trying to attract from abroad into the UK, #Brexit isn’t in the top five; it’s skills, cost to build, price of labour, energy costs”, says Tory Mayor of Tees Valley @BenHouchen. Ok. Name three such big foreign investors, Mr Houchen.
You spent the entirety of that conversation with @ChiOnwurah on how trust in politics is broken, then you spout such an obvious lie. So I challenge you, @BenHouchen. Name three big foreign investors for whom #Brexit isn’t in a top five concern (of which you could only name four).
1. An oft-repeated lie is no less a lie. I’m so tired of this inane “the majority of our trade is outside the EU” nonsense, I’m going to do a short thread about it. TLDR version: it’s bollocks. Feel free to share it.
2. The statistics quoted by people claiming that “the majority of UK trade is outside the EU” almost invariably make the mistake of confusing the EU countries as a market with the EU as a trading framework. Only by doing so, is such a claim sustainable.
3. In fact, the trade for which Brexit removes all basis, is not only trade with EU members, but all trade done with third parties through EU trade agreements - from Norway to South Korea. By exiting, the UK will simply no longer be a party to that entire legal framework.
On the plane taxiing for take off, from Greece back to the UK, as news reaches me of Theresa May’s “Brexit Festival” announcement.
*tries to open escape door*
*is restrained by EasyJet crew*
*tries to kill self with spork*
*cries*
*drinks*
*cries*
*tries to open escape door*
*tries to open escape door*
*is restrained by EasyJet crew*
*tries to kill self with spork*
*cries*
*drinks*
*cries*
*tries to open escape door*
As if the last three years have not been ONE LONG FUCKING BREXIT FUCKING FESTIVAL
Home sweet home. One of them, anyway.
Could Brexiters please decide between the narratives of “we hold all the cards, they need us more than we need them” and “evil disrespectful EU is bullying poor UK”, since those two notions are - how do I put this diplomatically? - absolutely mutually cocking exclusive? Thanks.
In short, either Brexit was a disastrous overplaying of a weak hand allowing your opponent to take you to the cleaners or it was a disastrously poor management of a great hand which allowed your opponent to take you to the cleaners. Which is it?
Seriously. If you genuinely think the UK holds the balance of power in these negotiations, then May threatening “no deal” means we are bullying the EU. And if the UK is in a weak position, it means May is a fucking moron. The UK cannot simultaneously be both mighty and a victim.
No organisation could get away with how @lb_southwark behave. I paid them for a bully item collection, they haven’t done it and now they say that department (which has not responded to my email) can only be contacted by email and there’s “nothing we can do”. It’s theft, really.
And when I asked to file a complaint, Jodi, the “team leader” of the @lb_southwark environment services, put me on hold for ages and then hung up on me. No other entity can take a payment and then go “sorry, them’s the breaks” like this. None.
Thanks @lb_southwark for your ignoring this, as you have ignored every other method of communication.
Jacob Rees-Mogg on ERG chickening our of publishing its grand #Brexit plan: “The truth is we reconsidered.”
The truth is you lot couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery. Much easier to criticise than to conceive workable ideas that don’t appear written in crayon, innit Jake?
The truth is you lot couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery. Much easier to criticise than to conceive workable ideas that don’t appear written in crayon, innit Jake?
Brexiters really are the proverbial dog that caught the car.
John McDonnell ERRRMERRRGEEERRRRD HE IS CALLING YOU DOGS
Hi, @SteveBakerHW. You’re in the news demanding a Hard #Brexit. Your briefing before the #EUref considers EFTA/EEA acceptable Brexit outcomes with “advantages and disadvantages” and WTO the “worst case scenario”. Can you explain why you now claim this isn’t “proper #Brexit”? Ta.
And while you’re at it, can you explain your thinking on the democratic implications of securing a referendum mandate on one basis and then reinterpreting it after the vote to mean something much narrower and very different? I look forward to your response. Thanks @SteveBakerHW.
