Europe III: April F-EU-Ls

[MartyG]

Barnier: EU is not being inflexible in relation to the Irish backstop out of dogma. It is a matter of practicalities, he says. It is about protecting the single market.

Barnier: The EU cannot grant an article 50 extension until it knows why the UK wants one.

And we're back to my above post.

[MartyG]

MPs now get a free vote on the Malthouse amendment.

The amendment wants to make changes to the backstop that the EU have already said it will not negotiate.

I guess it wastes a few more hours as the clock hands move towards no deal.

Tick tock tick tock.

[Neon Ignition]

It's beyond a joke that any options the EU has ruled out are still being discussed days away from the final deadline. There is absolutely no way that if Brexit occurs on 29 March that any other country is going to engage in trade talks with us and take us seriously. They've lost all credibility in this process and continue to ignore a basic duty of care to the country. Unfit for duty across both parties.

[MartyG]

Kit Malthouse is a member of the ERG

This is an ERG amendment

The ERG want a no deal Brexit

The ERG know the EU won't agree to it

The ERG are wasting time to run the clock out

[Neon Ignition]

May will be voting against No Deal, though presumably to swing events round to a third vote on her deal

[QualityChimp]

Kit Malthouse is a member of the ERG

This is an ERG amendment

The ERG want a no deal Brexit

The ERG know the EU won't agree to it

The ERG are wasting time to run the clock out

Radi was a circus lion.

Radi was a woman hater.

Radi had a female trainer.

Radiator.

[MartyG]

So this is the main motion being voted on this evening

That this house declines to approve leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement and a framework for the future relationship on 29 March 2019; and notes that leaving without a deal remains the default in UK and EU law unless this house and the EU ratify an agreement.

And it's that last part which makes this whole thing a meaningless vote, given where we are at.

[Dogg Thang]

Aren't those two parts mutually exclusive...?

[Mayhem]

Exactly, Maybot won't even consider revoking A50.

[fishbowlhead]

Is this all a big joke and I’m still asleep? Because I just can’t believe this is an actual reality that a uk government has allowed to happen.

[Leon Retro]

They've lost all credibility in this process and continue to ignore a basic duty of care to the country. Unfit for duty across both parties.

I agree that both parties are no good for the country. When it comes to trade and making deals, the UK has a big population that wants to spend lots of money on all sorts of things. So I think all countries around the world would see the UK as a great market to do business. So the UK does have a lot going for it when it comes to business and world trade. It's important to appreciate that fact rather than believe all the negativity from people who act like the UK isn't an attractive trading partner on the world stage.

[Neon Ignition]

https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/1105911124493504512/photo/1

MPs vote against a No Deal outcome by a majority of just 4. I know it's just for show this one but seriously... what the f*** is going on with the 308?

[Neon Ignition]

May is now having the whips pressure Tories into voting against her own amendment so as to keep No Deal an option. Fire her already... from a sodding cannon

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/13/mps-reject-no-deal-brexit-by-majority-of-four

May lost the second vote too thankfully keeping her in her box. In theory now the UK can't leave the EU unless there's an agreed deal except there isn't one and the banned outcome remains the default one in 15 days. Tomorrow, voting on whether or not to do something they have to do unless they go with the supposed banned outcome in which case they want one anyway to manage it so in effect another sterling example of can kicking.

[MartyG]

It doesn't change anything. At all. It doesn't take precedence over article 50, as stated before, unless article 50 is rescinded or a deal is agreed then the outcome is still a no deal brexit. This vote does not alter the legal standing of article 50. All the Cabinet ministers bar Amber Rudd, David Gauke, Greg Clark, David Mundell and Claire Perry (who abstained) voted against the motion.

Tomorrow's motion may have more impact, but that will entirely depend on what the EU allows.

The government motion tabled for tomorrow sets next Wednesday as the deadline for MPs to pass a Brexit deal. It says, if a deal is passed by then, the government will seek an extension of article 50 until 30 June. But if the deal is not passed by then, then the government will need a longer extension, requiring the UK to take part in European elections, the motion says.

So if the motion passes tomorrow, there will be three days to agree to change their mind and agree to May's deal (Parliament doesn't normally sit on Friday)