Brexit.

[Innula Zenovka]

It used to be the nightmare was if we had no Queen Tony Blair would have been President, but these days the even bigger nightmare is Boris Johnson as President.

That would be the case if we had a strong executive presidency, as they do in places like the USA, France, Russia or Zimbabwe.

If we had a primarily ceremonial president, though, as they do in Ireland, Germany or Italy, it wouldn't be such an issue.

Certainly I wouldn't have a problem with President David Attenborough or Usain Bolt or Amal Clooney or J K Rawlinson, but I'm far more concerned that the ceremonial Head of Government acts with the authority of Parliament to maintain the sovereignty of Parliament and the independence of the judiciary against an overreaching executive than am I about how that person chosen -- election or hereditary monarchy both work, so long as the elected president doesn't take that mean she or he has any sort of mandate that conflicts with that of Parliament.

 

[Khamon]

I'm far more concerned that the ceremonial Head of Government acts with the authority of Parliament to maintain the sovereignty of Parliament and the independence of the judiciary against an overreaching executive than am I about how that person chosen -- election or hereditary monarchy both work, so long as the elected president doesn't take that mean she or he has any sort of mandate that conflicts with that of Parliament.

That is what a written constitution does for us. It delineates duties and provides a method of balancing the governmental branches without giving any one of them absolute control. Great Britain doesn't need that now because the majority party in the HoC operates the government with absolute control. It's encouraging to see the Courts step forward and issue rulings that slightly check Parliamentary power. It's too bad that y'all don't have a popularly elected executive representative to do the same.

 

[Tigger]

Tories: we are leaving on October 31 do or die in a ditch!

Also Tories: We need new interns to work in Brussels for 6 months starting November 1.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Boris Johnson for sure knows how SEO does work, and uses it to his advantage again. The other was his bizarre interview about buses, which deviated the attention away from the red NHS bus lie.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

That is what a written constitution does for us. It delineates duties and provides a method of balancing the governmental branches without giving any one of them absolute control. Great Britain doesn't need that now because the majority party in the HoC operates the government with absolute control. It's encouraging to see the Courts step forward and issue rulings that slightly check Parliamentary power. It's too bad that y'all don't have a popularly elected executive representative to do the same.

I assume you mean that whole post satirically but , other than that, I'm afraid that the point completely eludes me.

Please explain in simple terms that I can understand.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Kara Spengler]

I have no idea if there is any truth to this story, but I hope so.

Queen 'sought advice' on sacking Prime Minister, source claims

The Queen sought advice on the circumstances in which she could sack a prime minister ahead of last week’s incendiary Supreme Court ruling, i has been told.

inews.co.uk

Phil has something to say on it, just a sec ...

 

[Innula Zenovka]

David Allen Green in the FT on whether the Queen has the power to sack Johnson and how, if she has it, it might be exercised:

Can Queen Elizabeth sack Boris Johnson?

Can Queen Elizabeth sack Boris Johnson? At this strange moment in UK politics, Buckingham Palace could have a role to play David Allen Green Queen Elizabeth welcomes Boris Johnson when she invited him...

www.evernote.com

 

[Kara Spengler]

That would be the case if we had a strong executive presidency, as they do in places like the USA, France, Russia or Zimbabwe.

If we had a primarily ceremonial president, though, as they do in Ireland, Germany or Italy, it wouldn't be such an issue.

Certainly I wouldn't have a problem with President David Attenborough or Usain Bolt or Amal Clooney or J K Rawlinson, but I'm far more concerned that the ceremonial Head of Government acts with the authority of Parliament to maintain the sovereignty of Parliament and the independence of the judiciary against an overreaching executive than am I about how that person chosen -- election or hereditary monarchy both work, so long as the elected president doesn't take that mean she or he has any sort of mandate that conflicts with that of Parliament.

Newton and Hawking as co-PMs!!!!!

Yes, they are corpses, but could anyone make a case that they would do worse than any other world 'leader'?

 

[Kara Spengler]

Tories: we are leaving on October 31 do or die in a ditch!

Also Tories: We need new interns to work in Brussels for 6 months starting November 1.

Ok, how many other people thought for a minute to apply just to find out what they would do? Just me?

 

[Tigger]

Im not sure if this is a surprise to me, or to anyone. Johnson funnelled money to Arcuri that she didnt qualify for. Until now all I had heard was that she was running some kind of IT company. But it seems one of the things that company did was hold conferences.

Guess who was a speaker at one of her conferences:
Far right shit bag Yiannopolous and representatives from Cambridge Analytica.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Essence Lumin]

For some odd reason I'm getting a 404 when trying to copy and paste the link. If you go to UK News - BBC News , it's right at the top.

Boris Johnson to set out details of 'final' Brexit offer

Boris Johnson will set out details of his "final" negotiating offer to the EU on Wednesday in pursuit of a "fair and reasonable" Brexit compromise.

The prime minister will address the Tory conference before submitting new proposals, intended to form the legal text of a new Brexit deal, to Brussels.

 

[Sid]

What will it be?
The UK taking over the whole EU or some other baloney? Rebuilding his Brexit campaign bus into a mobile border check device on the Irish border?
It would be a real miracle if he could come up with a for both sides workable last minute solution.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

What will it be?
The UK taking over the whole EU or some other baloney? Rebuilding his Brexit campaign bus into a mobile border check device on the Irish border?
It would be a real miracle if he could come up with a for both sides workable last minute solution.

Here's The Times' account of it: What is Boris Johnson’s new Brexit plan and where are the sticking points?

It doesn't look much like a serious proposition to me.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

So a collection of ideas that have already been rejected by both sides combined with a few new poison pills a few days before the EU meets. I'm sure it will solve everything.

 

[OrinB]

So a collection of ideas that have already been rejected by both sides combined with a few new poison pills a few days before the EU meets. I'm sure it will solve everything.

Of course!! Boris will be mansplaining himself in Etonian gibberish in front of EU negotiators and it will all be fine! Part of his perfect plan to obfuscate his intention to just leave, make a ton of money and then go... "bah... I said this would happen, i can't deal with all this mess... have an election!"

 

[Chin Rey]

It doesn't look much like a serious proposition to me.

No big surprise there.

What is interesting though, is that i seems Boris Johnson believes in it. Some of his people certainly do while others are playing the blame game and aiming for no deal. In other words, some of them are genuinely mad, some just pretend.

What will happen when this plan falls through too? We should certainly expect to see more defections and it's even possible Johnson himself will have second first thoughts if he hasn't already painted himself so well an truly into a corner he ca't get out.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

So a collection of ideas that have already been rejected by both sides combined with a few new poison pills a few days before the EU meets. I'm sure it will solve everything.

If, by "everything" you mean the question of what is to be the Conservative Party's plan to lose the next election so they don't have to clear up the mess they've created, while simultaneously putting Nigel Farage back in his box, and trying to turn themselves back into a party of government, then probably it does.

They want to go into a general election purporting to support a no-deal Brexit that they did not seek but which the dastardly EU has forced upon them.

The last thing they want to happen, to my mind, is to find themselves expected to deliver it and cope with the aftermath, while simultaneously trying to deliver the hugely expensive and projects and reforms they've just announced in an attempt to buy votes they have no particular idea about how to pay for.

Far better to have a period in opposition following an inconclusive defeat than to attempt to carry on, which they're just not able to do at the moment.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Of course!! Boris will be mansplaining himself in Etonian gibberish in front of EU negotiators and it will all be fine! Part of his perfect plan to obfuscate his intention to just leave, make a ton of money and then go... "bah... I said this would happen, i can't deal with all this mess... have an election!"

Talking about Eton by the way - Jeremy Corbyn retweeted this little video by his supporters:


@Innula: the Tories turning back themselves won't happen, because most sane members either left or have been thrown out. As long as the ERG is part of it, it is never going to happen anyway.