U.K. Politics: Boris Johnson referred to police (AGAIN) over potential Covid rule breaches

[Wayne]

I hope the EU now say that they’ll not grant an extension. What’s the point?

An extension means a no deal might be averted - as long as there is that chance, I believe all involved will try just about anything.

[Wayne]

Also, it’s not the EU that is delaying Brexit, it’s the UK. Another country might have unity over the issue.

I just have no idea what can be done in the UK to get something through parliament that allows us to leave - aside from a no deal. It’s so obvious that no deal is the only way forward.

I think a no deal vote or a second referendum will happen (with that second referendum either being a repeat of the 1st, or a vote on the options available to the public of May's deal or no deal).

I strongly, strongly believe that the elected MPs have failed this country miserably as a collective and that they should be ashamed of their conduct - FFS, you have MPs who voted against Brexit voting in favour of May's deal whereas those who voted for Brexit are voting against May's deal.

[Artoo]

This is why we should have an absolute monarchy

[Rihab]

Well I’m fast forwarding a little bit she’ll be told to go and ask for one.

I hope they say no - the assumption is they’ll just say yes.

They'll grant an extension if May comes up with a plan to get the deal passed, hold a GE or a second referendum.

They won't grant the extension if it looks like May will just use the extra time to again try to renegotiate a deal that can't be renegotiated.

[Wayne]

Our domestic politics is in a dire state (not solely) because of Brexit - it's going to take years, if not decades, to undo the devastation caused by Brexit. Not necessarily from a financial point of view, that's yet to be determined.

But from a domestic point of view - our police officer numbers are down, our NHS is terminally underfunded and poorly run, violent crime is on the increase, our social care system is irreversibly broken, the very youngest and the very oldest in our society are criminally unsupported in just about every single way, we've introduced a benefits system that doesn't work, our education system is at breaking point, a record number of people are homeless, the UN have stated that we have genuine and widespread poverty and so on...

Brexit is a comfortable cover story for a country that is ultimately broken - we need Maggie Thatcher meets Tony Blair. Alternatively, The Queen fires everyone and we start from the ground up.

[RayRay]

Brexit - the never ending story

[Rihab]

An extension means a no deal might be averted - as long as there is that chance, I believe all involved will try just about anything.

I think you're underestimating just how fed up people on the continent are with this Brexit mess. If this issue isn't settled by early May at the latest, the EU elections are almost certain to be a bloodbath for the establishment. So Brussels might come to the conclusion that no deal is bad, but not as bad as an EU run by left and right wing populists.

[Shadowplay]

Yawn.

[Rihab]

Also, imagine the mess if the EU grants Britain an extension until June or July (after the EU election) and Britain decides to revoke article 50 during that extension period. We'd probably have to repeat the election.

[AlphaMale]

I don't think Europe wants to wait till after the elections. The far right is gaining space very quickly.

[Artoo]

Brexit is a comfortable cover story for a country that is ultimately broken - we need Maggie Thatcher meets Tony Blair. Alternatively, The Queen fires everyone and we start from the ground up.

Have you seen the BBC movie of ‘King Charles III’? Based on this comment, you’ll enjoy it.

[Wayne]

Have you seen the BBC movie of ‘King Charles III’? Based on this comment, you’ll enjoy it.

I haven't but I imagine that based on my comment and you likening it to a King Charles - that it ends with a similar outcome of poor King Charles I when he dissolved parliament?

[Artoo]

Well, he gives it a good go before William and Katherine try and steal the throne

[aRat]

This is why we should have an absolute monarchy

yikes

[heppolo]

yikes

Russia already (allegedly) helped a bit with the Brexit

[Thriller]

MPs vote against a no-deal Brexit... so does that literally mean we either leave with a deal or not at all?

[AlphaMale]

Has it happened already?

[Wayne]

So far:

MPs have voted against a No Deal Brexit by a majority of 4 (308-312).

MPs have voted against the "Malthouse Compromise" by a majority of 210 (164-374) - this would've seen a delay in Article 50 to May 22nd, with a managed No Deal Brexit to follow.

[Artoo]

MPs vote against a no-deal Brexit... so does that literally mean we either leave with a deal or not at all?

Technically it’s none binding - it’s just the house ‘coming together’ (yeah right) to clearly illustrate we need a deal. The problem is the EU now have all the power: they must approve an extension if negotiations are to continue. May will ask for an extension on 21st March and all 27 EU states must agree to an extension - if one doesn’t, there is no extension.

The EU seems resolved to stick with the existing deal. So if it’s truly the only deal on the table, they’ll just refuse the extension - in essence we’re sort of calling their bluff (sort of). If they refuse they then call our bluff and we leave with no deal OR MPs re-vote (again) and accept the existing deal - before the 29th March.

If they do grant the extension, it’s anyones guess - we could ask for 3 years in order to put trade agreements in place, or we could ask for 3 months to hold an election... or another referendum. Another referendum is my worst case scenario as I genuinely believe it contradicts democracy and demonstrates to Scotland that with enough pressure, they can get a 2nd independence vote. Plus I think it will give us the exact same result.

Personally I think May is done, though I disagree with replacing her with a man under the illusion he could do better.

[AlphaMale]

If the Uk request an extension, the EU will want to know what the UK will do with that extension. they said that they will not grant an extesion just because the UK can't get together a plan, right?

[Artoo]

If we have a general election I really think we’ll end up with a hung parliament - the Tories will win but be in a worse position, meaning no general election.

If May steps down and there’s a change of leader, the EU has no obligations to revise the deal. There is nothing to say that anyone else can do any better than what’s on the table now. If anyone had something - anything - that May could use to get Brexit done it would have been used by now. As such, a change in leader would only be worth it if the tories elected a new leader that then called a general election to boost their majority. Except there isn’t anyone else who wants to deal with Brexit and no one else who would increase a majority if they then called an election.

So we are left with May leading, asking for an extension to change a deal the EU might not change. In our efforts to leave the EU, we have literally handed over all Brexit power to them. If that’s not them having th last laugh I don’t know what is, and all MPs need firing.

[Artoo]

If the Uk request an extension, the EU will want to know what the UK will do with that extension. they said that they will not grant an extesion just because the UK can't get together a plan, right?

More or less, yes. We have no other plan. We are simply sitting ducks hoping the EU will do something to solve this mess, because we now have no power. We don’t want to leave with no deal but don’t like the deal we’ve got, but have no alternatives to propose.

It’s messier than a Kardashian party.

[AlphaMale]

"Barnier had advised senior MEPs, during a private meeting ahead of his public comments, that at present there was no consensus among the EU’s member states over an extension, let alone on the conditions that would be attached.At the same time, the EU’s deputy Brexit negotiator, Sabine Weyand, told EU ambassadors at a meeting in Brussels that MPs’ decision to resurrect the Malthouse compromise– a variant of plans rejected by Brussels numerous times – showed parliament was “divorced from reality”.

Source; The Guardian

[Wayne]

Confirmed events thus far:

• MPs have voted for an amendment to reject the UK leaving the EU at anytime by 312 to 308
• They also voted down the government motion that it amended
• The government's original motion only ruled out leaving without a deal on 29 March
• The successful amendment was put forward by Yvette Cooper after its sponsor pulled out
• MPs voted down a second amendment - known as the Malthouse Compromise - calling for a delay to Brexit from 29 March to 22 May to give time to leave without a deal
• The PM's withdrawal agreement was defeated in the Commons by 149 votes on Tuesday
• Jeremy Corbyn has again called for a general election

Theresa May has completely lost control - she ordered her MPs to vote her way, a number of them - some of which were her Ministers - abstained or defied her orders.

[Artoo]

Her deal is going to get a 3rd vote isn’t it?