Bojo and Brexit Chaos
Private Eye has Boris Johnson down to a tee with this photo and caption portraying Bojo as a French anarchist 'Gilets Jaunes' protester.
Down with Anarhcy and Anarchists (03/12/18)
Vandals smashed the eye from a statue of Marianne, a symbol of the republic ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA - The Sunday Times
Well said, President Macron - I can't abide anarchists or their friends from the political far-right.
Irony is not dead (27/01/18)
Jeremy Corbyn was a serial rebel during his 32 years as a backbench MP and since 1983 Jezza voted over 500 times against his own party's leaders in the Westminster Parliament: Neil Kinnock, John Smith, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
Yet now the Labour leader is demanding loyalty and discipline from his MPs over Brexit, over which Labour remains divided and confused.
Meanwhile Corbyn supporters call the rebellious MPs 'traitors' and 'betrayers' of their Dear Leader.
So despite Jeremy's many and well documented failings it's good to see that he retains a fine sense of the absurd - irony, if nothing else, is flourishing in Corbyn's Labour Party.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38768383
Labour whip Jeff Smith to rebel over Brexit bill vote
BBC UK Politics
Image copyright - PAImage caption - The bill on Article 50 was published on Thursday
More Labour MPs have said they will rebel against an order from party leader Jeremy Corbyn to back a bill that will trigger the Brexit process.
Party whip Jeff Smith has said he will defy a three-line whip on the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.
Shadow ministers Daniel Zeichner and Tulip Siddiq will vote against it. Ms Siddiq quit the front bench over it.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said voting against the bill would "be very undermining of democracy".
"MPs voted for a referendum, there was an extraordinary high turn out - 72% - 17m people voted to leave. Many of them in some of our poorest areas," she told the BBC.
Shadow minister quits over vote
"How would it look if a bunch of politicians and commentators in London turned round and said: 'We know you voted to leave but we're just going to ignore you?'"
The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was produced after the Supreme Court ruled that Parliament - not just the government alone - must vote to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the formal process of the UK leaving the EU.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn is to impose a three-line whip, ordering his MPs to back the bill. He said he understood the pressures faced - many Labour MPs represent constituencies which voted to remain in the European Union - but called on them to "unite" around "important issues".
Frontbench members of parties are generally expected to resign from their post if they decided to defy a three-line whip.
'Palpable rage'
Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith told the Manchester Evening News: "My constituents voted strongly for remain and I think it's important to represent their view."
Another whip, Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire, told the Bristol Post she was "minded to vote against" the bill to represent her Remain-supporting constituency, but added: "It will be a tough decision."
Meanwhile, senior Labour backbencher Meg Hillier told the BBC some of her east London constituents were "horrified" at Mr Corbyn's stance.
"Certainly in Hackney the rage in the room was palpable - and people are really concerned. My constituency voted 78% to remain [in the EU] and while a lot of those people recognise the outcome of the referendum, we just don't want a blank cheque."
Tulip Siddiq quit as shadow early years minister on Thursday, saying she "cannot reconcile myself to the front-bench position".
'Civilised conversations'
Mr Zeichner, shadow transport minister, said he would defy the whip and vote against the bill. "It's my strongly held personal position, and I represent three-quarters of the people of Cambridge," he told the Cambridge News.
"I've had perfectly civilised conversations (with the Labour leadership). They know my position and they understand exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing and it's for them to decide what to do next."
More Labour MPs have said they will rebel against an order from party leader Jeremy Corbyn to back a bill that will trigger the Brexit process.
Party whip Jeff Smith has said he will defy a three-line whip on the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.
Shadow ministers Daniel Zeichner and Tulip Siddiq will vote against it. Ms Siddiq quit the front bench over it.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said voting against the bill would "be very undermining of democracy".
"MPs voted for a referendum, there was an extraordinary high turn out - 72% - 17m people voted to leave. Many of them in some of our poorest areas," she told the BBC.
Shadow minister quits over vote
"How would it look if a bunch of politicians and commentators in London turned round and said: 'We know you voted to leave but we're just going to ignore you?'"
The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was produced after the Supreme Court ruled that Parliament - not just the government alone - must vote to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the formal process of the UK leaving the EU.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn is to impose a three-line whip, ordering his MPs to back the bill. He said he understood the pressures faced - many Labour MPs represent constituencies which voted to remain in the European Union - but called on them to "unite" around "important issues".
Frontbench members of parties are generally expected to resign from their post if they decided to defy a three-line whip.
'Palpable rage'
Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith told the Manchester Evening News: "My constituents voted strongly for remain and I think it's important to represent their view."
Another whip, Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire, told the Bristol Post she was "minded to vote against" the bill to represent her Remain-supporting constituency, but added: "It will be a tough decision."
Meanwhile, senior Labour backbencher Meg Hillier told the BBC some of her east London constituents were "horrified" at Mr Corbyn's stance.
"Certainly in Hackney the rage in the room was palpable - and people are really concerned. My constituency voted 78% to remain [in the EU] and while a lot of those people recognise the outcome of the referendum, we just don't want a blank cheque."
Tulip Siddiq quit as shadow early years minister on Thursday, saying she "cannot reconcile myself to the front-bench position".
'Civilised conversations'
Mr Zeichner, shadow transport minister, said he would defy the whip and vote against the bill. "It's my strongly held personal position, and I represent three-quarters of the people of Cambridge," he told the Cambridge News.
"I've had perfectly civilised conversations (with the Labour leadership). They know my position and they understand exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing and it's for them to decide what to do next."
Image copyright - PAImage caption - The bill is due to clear the Commons on 8 February
Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to begin the formal process of quitting the European Union by the end of March.
The bill is due to be initially debated by MPs on Tuesday - in a sitting that may last until midnight - and clear the Commons on 8 February, after which it will move to the House of Lords.
The Liberal Democrats have vowed to oppose Article 50 unless there is a guarantee of another referendum on the final Brexit deal that is agreed with Brussels, while the SNP has vowed to table 50 amendments to the legislation.
Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to begin the formal process of quitting the European Union by the end of March.
The bill is due to be initially debated by MPs on Tuesday - in a sitting that may last until midnight - and clear the Commons on 8 February, after which it will move to the House of Lords.
The Liberal Democrats have vowed to oppose Article 50 unless there is a guarantee of another referendum on the final Brexit deal that is agreed with Brussels, while the SNP has vowed to table 50 amendments to the legislation.
Brexit Meets Titanic (23/11/18)
Now this is good and so clever - the villains-in-chief are all there: David Cameron, David Davis, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn who are all portrayed so well I find it impossible to name just one favourite character.
Demand a People's Vote on the final terms of any Brexit Deal or No Deal!
Labour Leader on Brexit (19/11/18)
Lots of people on Twitter have shared the latest piece of nonsense from the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who is out of step with his own party over Brexit.
Sophy Ridge (Sky News): “How would you vote in a second referendum?”
Jeremy Corbyn: “I don’t know how I would vote, what the options would be at that time.”
God above - the pantomime season's started early this year!
Demand a People's Vote! (18/11/18)
Hugo Rifkind managed to explain Jeremy Corbyn's mad Brexit policy in his Times diary column at the weekend.
Jeremy Corbyn
Rather than a second referendum, we want an election. Which is why, even if you do want a second referendum, you should vote for us. Even though you won’t get one, because that’s not our policy, even though our conference voted that it was. Yes it does make sense. Yes it does. Go away. I hate you. It’s my day in lieu.
Yes, I'm afraid to say it really is that bad - even the Prime Minister agrees that Brexit can be stopped, yet Jeremy Corbyn continues to defy the clear will of Labour Party members with his stubborn insistence that Brexit is inevitable.
Westminster Live! (15/11/18)
The Telegraph's political sketch writer Michael Deacon reports live from the House of Commons:
@MichaelPDeacon
Where we are now:
* Theresa May has publicly said Brexit can be stopped
* Jeremy Corbyn has publicly said Brexit can't be stopped
The issue cannot be left to a handful of MPs at Westminster - demand a democratic People's Vote on the final terms of Brexit!
Corbyn - Beyond Useless (14/11/18)
I enjoyed the following Twitter comments which, in their different ways, highlight how useless Jeremy Corbyn is on the single biggest issue of our time - Brexit.
Emily Benn
A Conservative Transport Minster (Jo Johnson) is showing more leadership on the defining issue of our political times, than the Leader of the Opposition
Will Hutton
With Johnson’s resignation there is a potential Commons majority for a PeoplesVote. The biggest roadblock is Jeremy Corbyn and his pro/Brexit kitchen cabinet. This is as existential for Labour as it is for the Tories.
Labour conference: Nothing is off the table, including a referendum with the option to Remain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45622161
*two months later*
Jeremy Corbyn: We can’t stop Brexit.
