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The Scottish Conservative (and Unionist) party has enjoyed something of resurgence in recent years under the energetic leadership of Ruth Davidson.
The party’s opponents are convinced that Boris Johnson as prime minister could put an end to all that – and could even put an end to the union between Scotland the rest of the UK.
It’s true that Mr Johnson could hardly be more different from the down to earth, plain speaking and Remain-voting Ms Davidson. The two are not friends and have vehemently disagreed before.
Some observers like to speculate that Boris will appear to Scottish voters to be the very epitome of the upper-class English ruling caste that Scots so dislike. But policy may well prove to be more important than personality.
Mr Johnson appeared to have a weak grasp of the dynamics of devolution when he proposed tax changes that take no account of the fact that income tax rates in Scotland are set by the Scottish Parliament.
But since then he has promised Scottish Tory MPs he will set up a “union unit” inside No 10 to check every policy. If he knows what he doesn’t know, then maybe he can avoid these gaffes as PM.
It’s Brexit that may be his undoing, in so many ways. In Remain-voting Scotland, his problem is that the idea of a no deal Brexit is far less palatable than it is in the rest of the UK. The harder the Brexit Boris delivers, the more the Tory party in Scotland could suffer.
If Prime Minister Johnson [he will officially take on the role this Wednesday] pursues a Brexit policy at odds with what most voters in Scotland would like to see, then it’s possible they may change their minds about whether remaining part of the UK is in their best interests. Some recent polling evidence suggests as many as 60% of voters could vote “yes” to independence if we leave the EU with no deal.
In the end it may not be the precise details of any Brexit deal that stokes desire for independence – or indeed the character of any individual politician – but a sense that Scotland has different aspirations from the rest of the UK, which can’t be reconciled within the current union.
If Mr Johnson wants to keep the kingdom united, he will need to take care not fan those flames.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
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Unfortunately the rain has halted play in the cricket. But it cannot halt Brexit! A pork pie sounds just the ticket. My lunch will probably be either McDonald’s or Costa!
A unity government with ken Clarke in charge appeals to me.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Jeremy Corbyn ‘open to’ law forcing Brexit delay
eremy Corbyn is “open to” using legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit if his plan to overthrow the government in a vote of no confidence fails, the BBC has learned.
The Labour leader is understood to have had a discussion with the SNP on Friday over passing a law to extend Article 50, which would delay leaving the EU.
Several Labour figures believe the plan could gain a majority in the Commons.
PM Boris Johnson says the UK will leave the EU on 31 October “do or die”.
He added that, even though he wants a deal with Brussels, Brexit will go ahead if one is not agreed.
Mr Johnson argues that it is vital to honour the 2016 referendum, in which 52% of voters supported leaving the EU.
But opponents say leaving without a deal will damage the economy and is not wanted by many of the voters who backed Brexit.
Labour’s existing plan is to bring down Mr Johnson’s government in a no-confidence vote in the Commons after MPs return in September and install Mr Corbyn as temporary prime minister.
However this has been met with opposition by several Remain-supporting Conservative MPs who want to stop no deal, but do not want to put the Labour leader in Downing Street.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has also said she would not support making Mr Corbyn prime minister.
She has suggested the possibility of installing either former Conservative Chancellor Ken Clarke or ex-Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman in Downing Street instead.
‘Wreck the economy’
BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley said it was being suggested within Labour that a no-confidence motion in Mr Johnson’s government and moves to extend Article 50 could run in tandem, with the latter operating as back-up to the main plan.Opposition figures are drawing up proposals to seize control of the parliamentary agenda when MPs return from recess.
They would then try to pass a law mandating the prime minister to seek a further extension to the Brexit process to avoid no deal.
Those involved in the plan have suggested the law would be co-signed by opposition leaders and prominent Tory rebels to maximise its appeal. A source said: “We need to coalesce around legislation”.
Downing Street has said Mr Corbyn will “overrule the referendum and wreck the economy” if he became prime minister.
A No 10 spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn believes that the people are the servants and politicians can cancel public votes they don’t like.”
Mr Johnson has also said the EU has become less willing to compromise on a new deal with the UK because of the opposition to leaving in Parliament.
He said this increased the likelihood of the UK being “forced to leave with a no deal” in October.
How does a vote of no confidence work?
If the government loses a no-confidence motion, it would trigger a critical 14-day period, after which a general election could be triggered.If Mr Johnson failed to win such a vote, then a general election would be called.
There are no firm rules about who else, if anyone, should get the chance to form an alternative government during this time.
The leader of the opposition is clearly a likely candidate, but that is not an inevitable outcome.
The Cabinet Manual – a document which sets out the main rules covering the working of government – suggests that the principles applied should be similar to those after an election in which no one party wins a majority.
That means that the old prime minister should only resign if and when it’s clear that somebody is more likely to have the support of MPs.
So it is possible that the existing prime minister would stay in place, or that more than one leader would get a chance.
Mr Johnson has a working majority of just one in the House of Commons, with the backing of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.I trust the Pork Pie was good, in the end we opted to grab some bits from the supermarket and I had some chicken in sourdough boule with redcurrent jelly. Brexit drags on and many MPs together with large parts of the broadcasting and press media are making themselves appear a bit foolish.
Looks like BJ is looking to go for a snap general election before the opposition can start their shenanagins. If he takes this bold step it may just work in his favour but obviously it could blow up in his face. He, and his government, are doing and saying all the right things readying themselves for a quick win at the polls, which would of course make a no deal brexit more likely but would also make the EU more likely to make a deal as a result.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Pork pie was enhanced by some lovely home-made ginger pickle , fwipperie and a bottle of Proper Job.
Brydo, I would view with suspicion any decision to hold a GE before Brexit is done and dusted. Too much of a gamble with the Brexit Party looming. 3rd week in November would be my guess.
Excellent news. I am deciding if its an Indian or Chinese tonight or to be precise Bangladeshi or Cantonese. Being a member of the EU has affected the food industry as there is now a shortage of top chefs in the UK for both of these cuisines and leaving will hopefully alleviate the problem.
Nooooooooooooo Fwipperie you are not allowed to mention food on these topics. I am not allowed to have such things any more.
Damn you Sir
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.The problem BJ has, if he doesn’t move first he could be jumping to the oppositions tune. It is clear there is much going on behind the scene. It may be that BJ doesn’t need to do anything but sit tight and let the opposition fight amongst themselves but that’s taking a bit of a risk.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.PROJECT FEAR ??????????????
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49388402
A leaked cross-government study warning of the impact of a no-deal Brexit outlines a “worst-case scenario”, cabinet minister Michael Gove has said.
Details from the dossier warn of food and medicine shortages if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Mr Gove, who is responsible for no-deal preparation, said the document was old and Brexit planning had accelerated since Boris Johnson became PM.
But he acknowledged no deal would bring disruption, or “bumps in the road”.
The leak comes as Mr Johnson is to meet European leaders later this week.
The prime minister will insist there must be a new Brexit deal when he holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Brexit: A really simple guide
10 ways no-deal Brexit could affect you
Brexit: What happens next?
According to Operation Yellowhammer, the dossier leaked to the Sunday Times, the UK could face months of disruption at its ports after a no-deal Brexit.And plans to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic are unlikely to prove sustainable, it adds.
The dossier says leaving the EU without a deal could lead to:
Fresh food becoming less available and prices rising
A hard Irish border after plans to avoid checks fail, sparking protests
Fuel becoming less available and 2,000 jobs being lost if the government sets petrol import tariffs to 0%, potentially causing two oil refineries to close
UK patients having to wait longer for medicines, including insulin and flu vaccines
A rise in public disorder and community tensions resulting from a shortage of food and drugs
Passengers being delayed at EU airports, Eurotunnel and Dover
Freight disruption at ports lasting up to three months, caused by customs checks, before traffic flow improves to 50-70% of the current rate
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Elsewhere, anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller said the government had “unequivocally” accepted it could not shut down Parliament to clear the way for a no-deal Brexit.
She told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “What they have said is, unequivocally, they accept that to close down Parliament, to bypass them in terms of Brexit – stopping a no-deal Brexit, in particular – is illegal.”
Ms Miller said she would continue to seek further reassurances that MPs would be able to pass legislation to stop a no-deal Brexit.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.You actually listen to the BBC’s rambling?
And in other news the government has today repealed the European Communities Act so EU law will no longer apply to the UK after 31st October.
Most of the world do Wigwam.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Wigwam get that tin hat off and get out of the bunker.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Project Fear reappears in old leaks recycled
By JOHNREDWOOD | Published: AUGUST 18, 2019
The latest outpouring of nonsense about how the ports will cease to work and we will be short of imports is bizarre. Both Calais and Dover have said they are ready for smooth working after October 31, whilst other Belgian and Dutch ports are applying competitive pressure as they would love to take more of the business. Calais/Dover have to deal with VAT, Excise and currency changes whilst we are in the EU so adding a few tariffs if some are needed does not create some new problem we haven’t already solved for other taxes. HMRC have said they don’t want to hold imported goods up with lots of new checks.Wigwam i dont think we will leave without a deal but it would be interesting to see if your right.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Some interesting meetings this week which perhaps will give a glimpse as to what could happen in the coming 11 or so weeks. I feel, key to developments will not be the French but Germany who will have support from Spain, Italy and Poland for a deal to be reached and Ireland will be persuaded to compromise on the border.
https://www.hl.co.uk/news/2019/8/22/uk-and-south-korea-to-sign-post-brexit-continuity-trade-deal
UK and South Korea to sign post-Brexit continuity trade deal
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
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