The London Supreme Court last week not only confirmed that the Westminster Parliament could overrule at will any Scottish Government legislation, irrespective of the Scotland Act and the Sewell Convention, but it also ruled that Westminster had already successfully done so, by retrospectively passing provisions in the EU (Withdrawal) Act that overruled the Bill on the same subject, within the competence of the Scottish Parliament, that had already been passed by Holyrood.
Not content with that, the London Supreme Court confirmed that London ministers may, by secondary legislation, under the Scotland Act decree laws for Scotland that are not even passed through the Westminster parliament.
Which leaves Scotland in this extraordinary situation. English MPs or English ministers in their London Parliament can, at any time, impose any legislation they choose on Scotland, overriding Scotland’s parliament and Scotland’s representation in the London parliament. Yet, under the English Votes for English Laws rules of the London Parliament introduced by the Tories in 2015, Scottish MPs cannot vote at all on matters solely affecting England.
That is plainly a situation of colonial subservience.
I am firmly of the view that the Scottish government should now move to withdraw from the Treaty of Union. Scotland’s right to self determination is inalienable. It cannot be signed away forever or restricted by past decisions.
The Independence of a country is not a matter of domestic law it is a matter of international law. The right of the Scottish Parliament to declare Independence may not be restricted by UK domestic law or by purported limitations on the powers of the Scottish Parliament. The legal position is set out very clearly here:
5.5 Consistent with this general approach, international law has not treated the legality of
the act of secession under the internal law of the predecessor State as determining the effect
of that act on the international plane. In most cases of secession, of course, the predecessor
State‟s law will not have been complied with: that is true almost as a matter of definition.5.6 Nor is compliance with the law of the predecessor State a condition for the declaration
of independence to be recognised by third States, if other conditions for recognition are
fulfilled. The conditions do not include compliance with the internal legal requirements of
the predecessor State. Otherwise the international legality of a secession would be
predetermined by the very system of internal law called in question by the circumstances in
which the secession is occurring.5.7 For the same reason, the constitutional authority of the seceding entity to proclaim
independence within the predecessor State is not determinative as a matter of international
law. In most if not all cases, provincial or regional authorities will lack the constitutional
authority to secede. The act of secession is not thereby excluded. Moreover, representative
institutions may legitimately act, and seek to reflect the views of their constituents, beyond
the scope of already conferred power.
That is a commendably concise and accurate description of the legal position. Of major relevance, it is the legal opinion of the Government of the United Kingdom, as submitted to the International Court of Justice in the Kosovo case. The International Court of Justice endorsed this view, so it is both established law and the opinion of the British Government that the Scottish Government has the right to declare Independence without the agreement or permission of London and completely irrespective of the London Supreme Court.
I have continually explained on this site that the legality of a Declaration of Independence is in no sense determined by the law of the metropolitan state, but is purely a matter of recognition by other countries and thus acceptance into the United Nations. The UK Government set this out plainly in response to a question from a judge in the Kosovo case:
2. As the United Kingdom stated in oral argument, international law contains no
prohibition against declarations of independence as such. 1 Whether a declaration of
independence leads to the creation of a new State by separation or secession depends
not on the fact of the declaration but on subsequent developments, notably recognition
by other States. As a general matter, an act not prohibited by international law needs
no authorization. This position holds with respect to States. It holds also with respect
to acts of individuals or groups, for international law prohibits conduct of non-State
entities only exceptionally and where expressly indicated.
As I have stressed, the SNP should now be making a massive effort to prepare other countries, especially in the EU and in the developing world, to recognise Scotland when the moment comes. There is no task more important. There is a worrying lack of activity in this area. It may currently not be possible to spend government money on sending out envoys for this task, but if personal envoys were endorsed by the First Minister they would get access and could easily be crowd funded by the Independence Movement. I am one of a number of former senior British diplomats who would happily undertake this work without pay. We should be lobbying not just the EU but every country in Africa, Asia and South America.
My preferred route to Independence is this. The Scottish Parliament should immediately legislate for a new Independence referendum. The London Government will attempt to block it. The Scottish Parliament should then convene a National Assembly of all nationally elected Scottish representatives – MSPs, MPs and MEPs. That National Assembly should declare Independence, appeal to other countries for recognition, reach agreements with the rump UK and organise a confirmatory plebiscite. That is legal, democratic and consistent with normal international practice.
There will never be a better time than now for Scotland to become an Independent, normal, nation once again. It is no time for faint hearts or haverers; we must seize the moment.
I miss Sharp Ears.
Why? She was here on page 1.
It’s intellectually interesting, but you know, i know and everybody else knows this is never going to happen. The ensuing chaos, the civil strife, the breakdown of basic services that would follow such a declaration would be calamitous. If you want to declare UDI you would have to have the support of something like 80% of population, and still be prepared for all kinds of unforeseen crises. It is just not credible, although it is fun to talk about and fantasise. All this kind of bold, let’s man the barricades stuff is great for the pub, and endless legal experts to discuss the legal niceities of such a declaration. But it is entirely impractical, and the stuff of dreams.
Well it won’t happen because the SNP are now blairite and almost definitely under control of the secret intelligence service. They all patted themselves on the back for a job well done on Indy ref but it came close and I doubt they’ll allow this to happen again. With the exception of Salmond most politicians are a shallow cowardly bunch who will change position in a heart beat just the sort that are easily bribed and blackmailed by an omnipotent state. I think Scotland will get its independence one day but not in the current conditions. Politicians are very aware that the public time and again let them off the hook for saying one thing but doing another so ehh should they change?
i don’t think that pile of cliches and conspiracy theories would be the reason.
“i don’t think that pile of cliches and conspiracy theories would be the reason.”
Why not?
They’re cliches because there are so many examples of undemocratic interference from security services over the decades.
If someone suggested today that the government is misusing the security services and public money to fund a psyop to destroy political opposition by running propaganda and smear campaigns via social media that would be dismissed as a conspiracy theory, but in Tory Britain it’s a fact called The Institute for Statecraft.
Equally the security services have a long history of infiltrating political parties and controlling them for the benefit of establishment elites. Look at the (believable) rumours surrounding Blair and his early political career association with MI5, including covering up his conviction for propositioning men for sex in a public toilet (a matter of public record that very few members of the public are aware of).
“Well it won’t happen because the SNP are now blairite and almost definitely under control of the secret intelligence service”. I wonder exactly how this was engineered.
I presume you are talking about a ‘Hard Brexit’ here, Ian . Somewhat off topic, maybe.
You’ve got my vote Craig.
Time for a people’s vote.
A class act indeed.
Regards
??
I opined some time ago that The DS had to get Indref knobbled before doing the same in Brexitref. Using the same neocon tech deployed in elections across the planet.
The obvious reason being that an Indyref after the hard brexit – plan A always – would have easily won. Scots love the EU apparently.
Today in parliament the DS and all their centrist stooges tried to put one over on the country by doing everything they could to push Corbyn into calling a no confidence motion – one he wouldn’t win without guarantees from the DUP and many tories willing to lose the whip (and indeed NulabInc). Even if they promised they would not be trusted to deliver.
The ‘coup’ attempt at depriving the country of a general election and instead foisting a minority government at the behest of the worshipped Betty – in a charged xmas address no doubt – aimed directly at the people to not let the Corbynites in, was deftly dodged by the old fox and his young pack, the ball is firmly in the tory backbenchers court – how many of the 113 who voted against her last week are prepared to do he same again – in this non binding vote? Are the DS even going to take a chance to be shown up?
The centrists, the tories, the media II muppets are all foaming at this further failure to get JC into a corner and self immolate. What do they have to do – arrest him? Assassinate him? They are now on full on everything is a Putin job – everything, ever. Like a KingRat Pontius Pilate clones the neocon/lib deepshit muppets are primed to crucify JC and claim it would be his fault not theirs, they are ready to wash their hands…
Santa promised me a general election for xmas, not a poxy ‘minority’ or grand coalition without the Corbynite Labour – got the safety vests ready? It is also in my opinion the only way the Scots will have a fair indyref. The last one was a SCL/CA/FB production too.
Dunngroaning
The Tories represent the city of London. Wilson was further than any of them wanted let alone corbyn. May has orders to stay put and to not let JC in. It’s fairly clear to me that JRM was taken aside because today he announced that he has full support in May and that the Prime Minister is doing an excellent job. Quite a u-turn from “she should go to the queen and resign” now what would make him change quite that drastically? I’d say a sit down with the 1922 club and probably some of the most powerful characters from the banking world. These people believe that socialism is tantamount to treason and I believe they would rather instigate a de facto dictatorship than allow the opposition in. We are screwed and I can’t belive more people don’t see what’s coming.
As he won’t win, or even get, a confidene vote in May, what is the difference? And why delay it, when you can keep tabling NC votes every week if you want? This is just another failure by Corbyn to land any blows on May and the government, and more chicanery from him and his little cllique.
He’s taken stock of the situation and is doing exactly the right thiing.: letting the Tories deal blows to themselves and own a crisis of their own making. Why do something rash and self-destructive just to appease Blairites who want to take back over the party?
it’s nothing to do with Blairites, and that is a pathetic excuse for his tactical ineptitude, and his refusal to acknowledge the wishes of his own party, in favour of his kitchen cabinet. Same old party politics, a small group of acolytes and close collaborators fix the policy around their own ambitions and delusions.
Two opportunities to specify what you think his tactics and blows should be. Two opportunities declined.
Ian-the failure is all due to the Tories. In power since 2010, nothing positive achieved, and now in the end-game of their final asset-stripping. 2 billion pounds promised for a ‘No Deal Fund’, and 3,500 troops ‘For contingencies’. ‘Aving a larf’ at our expense. How about 350,000 pounds a week for the NHS? Brexit-a right-wing coup d’ etat in my view.
Who is the “DS”?
Seriously?
The Battenbergs and the ancient aristos down to the Keunsberg/Cadwalldr’s of this world and their army of arsewipes who come on boards like here spewinf the shit they licked directly from their bosses arseholes.
Try this if you already forgotten.
https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2018/03/20/scl-a-very-british-coup/
Who is the “DS”?
Drug Squad. What is a “SCL/CA/FB production”?
Read the link?
@Dungroanin
I hadn’t refreshed the page when I commented so your link wasn’t there at that time. Now that I’ve read the link, I can guess what a “SCL/CA/FB production” is but I still can’t work out what or who is the “DS”.
Why make it difficult to follow your posts? I’m pretty much in agreement with what you write, when I manage to understand it, but I’m too lazy to google acronyms, and anyway the acronyms you use wouldn’t be recognised. Yes, everybody here has heard of Cambridge Analytica, but I doubt if one in a hundred would realise that’s what “CA” was referring to in a post which neither mentions the name in full or otherwise refers to its activities.
What or who is the “DS”?
Seconded. The use of acronyms is lazy. They impeded comprehension and are AUPITA (ie ATPITB for readers from Essex). ICATWOWTFIGOAH.
DS = Deep State or PermaState.
You got it?
I sometimes also refer to them as Deep Shits too.
In the UK also known as the Establishment or The Thing, the Crown thugs.
The SCL names should give you the clues to who, what and why.
Node, there are a few who populate this blog, who play the disingenuous card. Guess they wish to collect proof of ‘crazies’ and Conspiracy Theorists (CT) on Craig Murray’s (CM) site as a means of attacking him or censor the site. He has already been subjected to facebutt (FB) and twatter (err …no haven’t got one for them) delisting.
I expect people to make their own minds up based on what they read and self research – not just because I wrote something.
All best.
– “Guess they wish to collect proof of ‘crazies’ and Conspiracy Theorists”
Probably they just have more ego than sense. “I can see what the sheeple dare not think! I have seen through the puppetmasters’ deceptions!”
Everybody thinks they alone can see through the lies and propaganda, and anybody who disagrees with their ‘analysis’, usually copped from some other websites, is ‘sheeple’, MI6, Blairites blah blah blah. it is playground stuff.
In addition. “The Vienna convention on the conduct of treaties ” 1968
makes provision for unilateral withdrawal from a treaty in the case of ” a material change of circumstances ” What are you waiting for ?
I really DO see your point. But whilst it is definitely sensible to seek the support of economic partners it is MORE sensible to seek support of military allies (current) ie NATO.
In cases of the countries of Eastern Europe they moved from Warsaw Pact to NATO and had the backing, support and protection of NATO to bring on their fledgling country without hindrance from their former ‘partner’
Then look to Catalan, they simply crushed them with overwhelming force and the rest of the world stood by and watched, regarding it as some kind of mild internal problem of Spain instead of the crushing of an independent nation by another country. That happened in a first world country!
We will be no different. If we wish to see how the British government responds to anything that threatens it we need only look at Northern Ireland esp 1970 to 1990. The government, as we know, colluded with loyalist terrorists to murder innocent civilians, sent out undercover hit squads and used the ‘Five Methods’ of torture as well as internment. The Police were in collusion as was most of the instruments of state in the province. I’m sure you’ve been there and met the people, most anyone you meet will tell you they’re ‘connected’ and most (however tenuously) ARE.
We always heard where the IRA got it’s funds from but there was little to nothing ever said about the loyalist paramilitaries funding and arms supplies. The UK government waged war on it’s own people by proxy for many years and used murder squads, directly and indirectly, to kill not ONLY those involved with republican terrorism but indeed innocent civilians including even those who represented republicans in court or just happened to be Catholic and in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If you think the UK govt wouldn’t do this, remember they’ve ALREADY done all of this. They have laid the groundwork for doing this again. The Orange Order have been dogwhistled shamelessly by Ruth Davidson and also by Kezia Dugdale (who should both be utterly ashamed of themselves) We saw the OO mobilised and marching during the referendum campaign and we see the very language of Northern Ireland being used here on a daily basis when the ‘NO’ campaign refer to themselves as ‘Unionists’ and the Tories now have reminded everyone that they are The Conservative and Unionist Party not just ‘Conservative’ as they would have been ten years ago.
Getting support from other countries for a declaration of independence without the consent of the UK simply will not happen. WHY would ANY country do this? The ONLY countries that would even CONSIDER this would be those who consider UK to be their enemy. We could POSSIBLY get recognition from the likes of the Russian Federation and Iran but that would only serve to discourage countries like the US from supporting us, and it would NEED to be support from the entirety (or vast majority) of EU countries and/or the United States before we consider ourselves SAFE to unilaterally declare independence. But as those countries have only chosen to support independence declarations (unilateral) in cases where it was an ‘enemy’ country coming across to be an ally via EU/NATO then I don’t see there being any chance of this happening.
We will have to wait until support is WELL over 50% and the UK Government simply cannot hold back the tide, when it is obvious internationally that the UK is holding back the will of the Scottish people (when it’s SO embarrassing for them they can’t deny it) and only then will we be free to have a referendum and be ALLOWED to win it.
There are some who proclaim themselves ‘Proud Scots’ who would burn our country and plough salt into the fields rather than have independence. THESE are the people we have to persuade, when they come on board, we win…
I agree. There is no way the USA would support an independent Scotland, unless Corbyn becomes PM and the UK becomes a pariah state akin to Venezuela or Cuba, once the financial elite have trashed the economy to “prove” once and for all that socialism just cannot work. There’s also the the question, whichever side you’re on, why should any large minority have to suffer the ambitions of a small majority, with no say in proceedings after any FPTP result? As can be seen with the opposite results of Indy and Brexit, the losing side will howl with indignation whilst the winners smugly talk about the will of the people. Had both results been the opposite so would be the howlers and the smugs. Why is it okay that pro unionists be dragged from their beloved union but brexiters be forced to remain? I’m pro Indy, pro Corbyn, anti EU but there’s no bus service to that destination as far as I can see.
It’s only of emotional (and perhaps academic) interest, but I often find myself thinking at times like these how interesting it is that in terms of currently delineated borders, Scotland – whose current borders date back to 1482 and the annexation of Berwick by England – is the oldest country in the world.
This is the only way for Scotland to go as Westminster will try every trick in the book to stop it!!? Independence as soon as possible!?
Why this was not the way forward when after the referendum we carried all before us with almost every seat in Scotland returning SNP Members.We were treated with contempt and should have walked out on mass and called for a convention to decide on Independence.We played their game rules and even accepted that we could not even clap.When is the Scottish worm going to turn.
When thinking about future referendum possibilities, there are a couple of salient facts that needs to be dealt with pragmatically.
1. There is a massive English diaspora in Scotland, and while some of the hardest-working and most loyal supporters of independence are English people living here, it would be naive to the point of folly to imagine that the vast majority of this diaspora see themselves as anything other than English, or to imagine that they would ever give an ounce of support to Scottish independence.
Proof of that pudding can be seen in the fact that the biggest ‘No’ votes in the referendum came from Edinburgh, St Andrews and Dumfries and Galloway.
The fact that I can’t actually prove this with hard facts is interesting in itself. Nobody has ever carried out a survey to establish how much of the Scottish electorate classifies itself as ‘English’, and how these people voted in the referendum. I suspect that even many independence supporters would prefer not to know that Scottish independence was thwarted by the votes of hundreds of thousands of people who consider themselves to be ‘English’.
2. On the plus side. I believe that there are about 80,000 adults in Scotland from the EU. Having been told (lied to) that an independent Scotland would be thrown out of the EU, not a single one of them could have had any reason at all for voting anything other than ‘No’. (All the ones I know personally told me they would be voting against independence.)
With Brexit impending, the opposite is now the case. Not a single one of them would have any reason not to vote for an independent Scotland.
Thisis hilarious!
Look further than Westminster and you will find the puppet madters sitting in Brussels they are the villans of the piece their laes overides all UK laes and Scotland is part snd parcel of this and no less subservient than England.
Do you really want the EU to rule you forever?
Scotland is part of a larher whole it is not independent and of course it is ‘ruled’ by Westminster withe collusion of its own MPs and they are all ruled by the EU.
So stop looking at Westminster and start looking at Brussells and beyond.
Elliot, Westminster has done far more damage to Westminster than Brussels. However, if Scotland gets free from Westminster, we will simultaneously be out of the EU – so job done on both fronts from your perspective. Whether Scotland then decides to apply for EU membership or not, it will be a matter for the Scottish people. Presently, our larger neighbour dictates the direction of Scotland – and that’s a sad state of affairs to be in.
Oops… Westminster has done far more damage to Scotland – although Westminster is self-harming at the moment! ?
Eliot You’re abs. spot on. Brussels would force an independent Scotland to drive on the right ( if only to pester England), privatize the Scottish NHS, forbid the sale of single malt whisky because it’s probably cancerogenic, restrict peat fires and change plugs and sockets to continental standard. As far as we concerned here in mainland Europe not much would change. We would like always continue to call Scotland England.
.
CM — Perfect.
Why on earth would Scotland even think about asking permission from an unlawful, pariah State?
.
¡No pasarán!
.
:::::::::::::.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
We are likely to face a major political and constitutional crisis in the next few weeks. It seems inevitable that May’s deal will be voted down. The most likely outcome is then ‘no deal’. The government will then implement everything it has been planning for the last six months or more. The Privy Council will declare a state of emergency allowing the government to issue decrees under the Civil Contingencies Act. The act allows them to repeal or amend any act of parliament except the Human Rights Act (and do other things such as requisition property or demolish it). The government will claim that in this ‘crisis’ the UK has to be treated as a whole. The Act provides for the agreement of the Scottish Parliament for any order affecting Scotland but also says that the refusal to give consent doeas not invalidate an order! (This is exactly the same as the EU Withdrawal Act but this one was done by a Labour government). In theory the Scotland Act could be abolished and with it the Scottish Parliament and government. That might be going a bit far even for this government but it would be possible to turn Holyrood into a parish council by giving all the powers to ‘Fluffy’ and the Scottish Office (or whatever it’s called now). A ‘no deal’ Brexit will give the Tories the opportunity to do what they have always wanted – abolish devolution. What do we do then?
Thank you for your foresight into a possible into a 1984 scenario, clive, should we prepare now for a dictatorial step and start organising the localities were we live?
After 35 years of being told that there is np such thing as society?
I will join extinction rebellion and see what one can do to shape these selfserving power hungry controllers of the current status quo.
what you are painting here looks very much like the economy will take a second place to their security in power, and to us being coralled by laws and rigmarole.
They will have to build camps? Because their chaotic prisons are full of comatosed inmates who will want to get out.
CliveP,
You confirm my thinking on this over the last two years ever since staying up all night as the astounding (because not a single poll had indicated it) Brexit results came in on that friday morning, followed immediately that day by the Blairites long planned chicken coup1 (failed) rather then focusing on the referendum result.
My ensuing correspondence with Groaniadists made it very clear that the Govt and the DS/City only ever had one brexit in mind, one that would exempt them from the collective regulations and Laws of 28 EU countries – a hard brexit onto WTO rules.
The WTO rules signed upto under Major (he hung on long enough to deliver that – before heading off to enjoy his zillions in reward). A WTO that we didn’t get to have a referendum on nor did parliament! The only beneficiaries being the secret offshoring tax avoiding denizens of this planet.
Plan A would have been so much more easily delivered with the NuLabInc in power to sign upto it – what better way to bring the postwar social democratic ideal to an end than with a Labour government! What delicious irony and cold vengence – Blairites having done plenty already with PFI/Education/NHS…
All was going smoothly except the failure of the NuLabInc rump and the media monsters to convince the Corbynites to give them their ball back! Hell even the burgeoning Labour membership stopped their internal machinations (FAIL) – what else could they do? A nuclear option call a snap election, see the disappearance of the Labour voters and force Corbn to resign (FAILED AGAIN!). Not only was that attempt at disloging the Corbynites a failure the Tories had to be propped up by deploying the ancient mercenary ulstermen (Murdoch stormed out of his bust victory election party to make it so).
But you know as well as any that this ancient forces don’t play by the rules; they don’t accept democratic results; they NEVER will. They are elitists racist scumbags born to rule!
So yes your nightmare scenario is very likely on – and Betty (and her brood) will be deployed upon us ‘loyal subjects’ (we won’t be pretend citizens any longer).
It is the only explanation of why Trezza persists – before heading off to enjoy her zillions too (though she hasnt had sprogs to leave everyhing to).
She has been a loyal servant for many years and she has pad for it – here she s defending the undefendible Met Police/ Murdoch/Coulson and her PM Cameron just 7 years ago – her potrait in the attic prob gets younger.
“I consider it appropriate as home secretary that the government takes the view that it is for the Metropolitan police, on an operational matter, to decide what the right course of action is. It is appropriate for this government to await the outcome.”
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/sep/06/phone-hacking-theresa-may-parliament
So as I said above – we the people need to ready our metaphorical yellow vests/barricades/no pasaran cries – and demand a general election that lets us decide who governs us.
If they don’t it will be the Deep Shits LAST ever FAIL.
“English MPs or English ministers in their London Parliament can, at any time, impose any legislation they choose on Scotland, overriding Scotland’s parliament and Scotland’s representation in the London parliament. Yet, under the English Votes for English Laws rules of the London Parliament introduced by the Tories in 2015, Scottish MPs cannot vote at all on matters solely affecting England. That is plainly a situation of colonial subservience.”
No it is not. Colonialism is about what happens, not what can happen. “The London Parliament” – lol!
Rationality here has gone completely out of the window.
Not irrational at all. London is the capital of a different country, England.
If you would bother your arse to read what’s written rather than running it through your filter of bigotry, you might notice that what Craig described was “a situation of colonial subservience” (which it is) rather than “colonialism” (which it’s not)
“filter of bigotry” – excellent description! Thanks, Stonky.
A piece of actual news: a Russian ship has run aground off Falmouth in Cornwall. Reportedly the ship, the civilian bulk carrier the Kuzma Minin, has 18 crew and no cargo.
There is a Royal Navy Air Station called Culdrose nearby. It is Europe’s largest helicopter base, serving the Fleet Air Arm’s front line helicopter squadrons.
Has the “survey ship” HMS Echo reached the Black Sea yet?
Just entered?
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:3884147/zoom:10
Thanks for this. Any idea of the Kuzma Minin’s movements before yesterday? That site would only give me info for the past 24 hours.
Her last port was Terneuzen in the Netherlands. She left there on 7th Dec and arrived at Falmouth Anchorage on the 14th. Vesselfinder has her destination as Seuta, maybe Ceuta, the Spanish colony in North Africa.
Your suggestion that there is some sort of Russian plot here is far fetched.
You must know that the prevailing West and South West winds were reaching 70mph at the time the unladen (ie light) bulk cargo carrier dragged her anchor when she was off shore.
Next it will be Russkies under the bed.
Or SBSkies under the boat 🙂
Daily Telegraph: “‘The ship got caught on some sort of chain that was on the bottom of the strait,’ Ildar Neverov told state news agency RIA Novosti. ‘That is to say there were unsafe shipping conditions in the place where the ship was located.'”
Difficulties too for the ferries crossing from NI to Scotland.
‘Major incident’ as lorries topple on Larne to Cairnryan ferry
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-46604175
Conservative Friend of Israel Welsh MP, David Davies, loses his cool. Ms Burley gives him short shrift.
‘I’m not being patronising’: Watch heated clash between MPs David Davies and Anna Turley
https://news.sky.com/video/tory-mp-goes-on-phone-during-heated-brexit-debate-11584336
Davies has support on Twitter. https://twitter.com/TheaDickinson/status/1074700230468296706
So does Anna Turley Lab Redcar. https://twitter.com/Jude_KD/status/1074792734697971713
So much hot air and hatred is being generated currently. Quite crazy. Tell me when it’s all over, if ever.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=11719 Q Why is a Welsh MP a Friend of Israel? I see he is called upon by Ms Hartley Brewer from time to time, for a fee of course.
Sharp Ears
One could hardy call Monmouth Wales. It sits about half an hour’s drive from the SAS in Hereford, 45 minutes from GCHQ and is surrounded by farmland so conservative that in Hereford they refused to build a bypass round the city. It also produces a beautiful pink sandstone which I adore.
Nearby live the Cheshire cat William Hague if ever Mr Davies wanted to chat about Zionist war-criminal destruction of Muslim countries and how best to get away with it. Libya was destroyed by Zionist Islamist proxies like CIA slave, Abdul Hakeem Belhaj. The CIA loves torturing its slaves. It keeps them from thinking they are ever going to win.
The answer to your question is that if you want retire gracefully to a country mansion on the borders and dig your garden after serving the CIA’s evil purposes, you have to be a Friend of Israel. I’m sure you won’t like what I’m saying, but British politics is full of people who want to get rich by being used for Israel’s further expansion, but don’t want to be hung upside down and electrocuted in their private parts, or beaten when they are pregnant which is what MI6 and the CIA do to the wives of non-friends of Israel who work for them.
Cameron, who is currently helping May plan her hard Brexit, is another of such scum
RE SE link for theyworkforyou.com
When you look at the details of the individual payments all kinds of weird creatures seem to emerge from the woodwork.
I can’t remember ever having been paid £450 for three hours work, I guess that must be the going rate for having to sit next to Hartley Brewer for so long. What exactly is David Davis’ area of expertise? Why does he need to complete so many surveys at £50.00 a throw?
I guess I’ll never know.
The surveys are for You Gov. A little bit of extra bunce for the troughers. It was founded and owned by Nadhim Zahawi and Shakespeare. Then floated as a public company from which the multi-millionaire Baghdad born Tory MP Zahawi made further £sponduliks/shekels.
He had the nerve to claim for the heating of his horses’ stables on HoC expenses.
‘YouGov was founded in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim Zahawi. In April 2005, YouGov became a public company listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange. Major shareholders of the company are BlackRock and Standard Life Aberdeen.’
PS BlackRock currently pay Gideon Osborne £660,000k pa for one day’s ‘work’ per week.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/907582/george-osborne-carillion-collapse-UK-BlackRock-investors
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadhim_Zahawi
Zahawi is a staunch member of the CFoI at whose lunch the other day, May spoke. That was just before she came to the Commons with her ‘deal’.
https://cfoi.co.uk/prime-minister-theresa-may-underlines-uk-israel-relationship-stronger-than-ever-at-biggest-ever-cfi-annual-business-lunch/
I looked again at Davies’ Register of Interests, in particular for July 2017, link below.
He must expend a great deal of his time as an MP in locating donors and soliciting donations from them. He was even paid for speaking to C(r)apita – twice.
Who is the :Paul Bailey’ who bunged him £25,000? And why. We should be told. A trougher.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/170707/davies_david-t-c.htm
International law recognises the right of self-determination though this has traditionally been held to be the case only in respect of recent European colonisation of non-European territories – formal empire. It has not been applied to the cases of European territories which have swallowed smaller European territories in the process of nation building in the early modern era. This has however been challenged by some international lawyers and where it can clearly be demonstrated that a power has acted in a colonial manner such as by the recent counter manding of the Scottish Parliament’s Continuity Bill being rescinded by the Westminster EU Withdrawal Bill, clawing back powers from the Scottish Parliament in contravention of the Scottish Act, then that case becomes much stronger, especially in view of the fact that Scotland is being pulled out of the EU against her clearly demonstrated will, and May’s government and deal have studiously ignored Holyrood’s requests for a special deal for Scotland.
MBC
Very clearly put.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
As to May, she has ignored everything and everyone. If there had been any consultation, Brexit would have a plan. May is copying Thatcher now, in that when she finds resistance to her plans inside her own party, she threatens the electorate. Thatcher did that once too often with the Poll Tax. It used to be twice a week at one time. Thatcher replaced the nanny state with the Nazi state. May will not be allowed to threaten us public for a whole month, holding the hard Brexit gun to our heads. Her own party will not tolerate it. IMHO they will chuck her out before Christmas because it is absolutely insane to have a democracy and threaten the demos because her own party won’t agree to the terms and conditions imposed by the EU.
May’s astonishing arrogance at Corbyn’s vote of no confidence in her as PM will cost her her job very soon. We are again being threatened by a female conservative prime Minister who attacks us because she can’t control males who are trying to push her around . This will lead to either mass public demonstrations over Christmas or, a coup inside the Conservative party led by Dominic Grieve or some other moderate Tory voice in the Party.
Right now, the only thing stopping Jeremy Corbyn winning an election is the dimness of the public in believing the Tory lie that labour is the party of borrowing and the 2007 crash was not caused deliberately to bring Labour down. They choose not to think and end up not knowing what’s going on.
I for one will not be threatened by a desperate prime minister again. Enough of that in 1987. The rest of you, if you want to, can. Start storing baked bean cans.
The Deep State engineered a global financial crisis to do down the socialist firebrand that was Gordon Brown. Take a chill pill dude.
No. To make bilderberg Brown look incompetent. You only have to look at the ferrets in the Tory party over brexit to see just how far they will go to outdogma their fellows. Brown was doing everything he was told he was blocking the way for the alt right who are in power now.
if you think labour was to blame for the 2007 crash I’ll leave you to enjoy the best possible country in the best of possible worlds.
International law
is a fictional beast rather like a griffin or unicorn. It is a fabrication and has no particular relevance as Chelsea Manning proved
Two points. One, You refer to “English MPs or English ministers in their London Parliament”. These are actually UK ministers in the UK Parliament. Two, you want an assembly (of all politicians elected, or just SNP ones? It’s not entirely clear) to declare independence. What about the majority who voted against it in the last referendum?
Malcolm Dobson
Mrs May has declared war on the people by threatening us with No deal. that applies to the Scottish people just as much as the English and Welsh. The Scottish referendum took place at a time where Scotland was seen by many as being protected by the union. What has changed? Mrs May is threatening to take all of us together down a road which will inevitably lead to economic ruin. Funny thing that , all the Turkeys have voted for Christmas and all the Tories have voted for May , even though not one of them has a shred of confidence in her leadership of anything.
If you’re driving and someone is behaving badly , you sound your horn. You don’t sound your horn because someone is driving normally. The Tories are driving recklessly. That over-rules the Scottish referendum.
“Mrs May has declared war on the people by threatening us with No deal”
Somewhat psychotic as a statement but clearly that is where you are.
For a Minister of The Crown to lay out scenarios is hardly “threatening”……..it seems perfectly reasonable to state the obvious
Paul Greenwood
Exactly what qualifies you to diagnose psychosis. Probably the result of your political lobotomy. If you love Tory rule what are you doing here?
ps. Earlier commentators have pointed out that we should examine the motives of everyone at this time.
It distresses me considerably that David Cameron has re-surfaced as an advisor to Mrs May at this time because a lot of people voted to Leave the EU only to kick Cameron out, and he and his criminal intelligence are thankfully gone. Cameron is a war-criminal. He trashed the richest country in Africa, that was about to set up an interest free banking system for the continent. Libya was an African dream, with free housing, schooling, and working industrial relationships with global players. Libya is now destroyed. Slavery has been re-introduced 400 years after the last time. Cameron and Obama are solely to blame.
it is Cameron’s interests to rake up as much shit as possible over Brexit to muddy the waters over his own brutal war-crimes and sponsorship of Islamist terrorism. Cameron and Hague, Blair and Hoon should all be tried and convicted of their war-crimes, not left in power to muddy the waters and make life as impossible for everyone in the UK as he made it in Libya. The shit has form.
“The Scottish Parliament should then convene a National Assembly of all nationally elected Scottish representatives – MSPs, MPs and MEPs. That National Assembly should declare Independence”
An assembly, half of which would be right-wing British nationalists? Dream on, Craig. This must be done in spite of them – it cannot be done with them, or they’d be doing it already.
It’s ironic that the Conservatives are the only Unionist party likely to survive independence in any numbers.
That would be so funny. Simply blocking funds transfers from London and installing toll booths on the road junctions should encourage them to re-visit their behavioural idiosyncrasies
Which British colony asked a British court permission for independence? None. They have balls that the Scots don’t.
Outlander
You’re missing the point. Britain is now Zitain. And nobody messes with the Zob that rules Zitain, not even Jeremy Corbyn.
Oh dear, acronym again. Which one is it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZOB
Is Britain being run from a German bus station, Zentraler Omnibus Bahnhof?
I think you should revise your assertion in the list of FACTS as the UK was very different from other Colonial powers in this regard
The quicker this happens the better
You mean the quicker we are run from a German bus station, the better?
Nobody was available to speak to the media, not even to the state broadcaster!, following the Cabinet meeting this morning.
Pienaar says that the Cabinet is split. No surprise there then.
140,000 businesses are being contacted to tell them to make whatever arrangements are necessary in the event of a No Deal.
A businessman from Bristol came on the Radio 4’s News at One to say that he has opened warehouse facilities in Germany and an office in Romania, if I heard it right. He employs 85 people in Bristol and will have to make many redundant if there is a No Deal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bvdlwn
What a terrible mess the Tories have got us into, from Cameron to May, from the Clegg coalition to date ie 8 years. Seems longer!.
What tripe. ‘War footing’ = an insult to our fathers and grandfathers who did fight a real war against fascism and who put their lives on the line.
Cabinet moves to ‘war footing’ for no deal Brexit
new
Sam Coates, Francis Elliott
December 18 2018, 12:00pm,
Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, and Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, leaving cabinet today (Photo of the toe rags)
Theresa May’s cabinet is set to agree to move to no deal “war footing” today as one her leading opponents suggested she is safe in her post.
The prime minister is asking her cabinet to vote on three options for how the country prepares for Brexit in a move that is likely to see a ramping up of no-deal planning. Today’s cabinet meeting overran as ministers queued up to speak.
Details of the approaches are so sensitive that ministers were only allowed to study a paper setting them out inside No 10 before today’s meeting, according to one.
The Times understands that senior government figures acknowledge that the cabinet is likely to back the option for no-deal preparations to be stepped up and centralised across… paywall
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/cabinet-moves-to-war-footing-for-no-deal-s0npmsh3j?
From The Grauniad:
35m ago
14:12
3,500 troops on standby to help in event of any no-deal Brexit crisis, MPs told
Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, has been in the Commons making a statement about defence modernisation. During the exchanges the Tory MP Will Quince asked Williamson if he had received “any approaches from other government departments about using our world-class armed forces personnel in the event of a no-deal Brexit”.
Williamson replied:
We’ve as yet not had any formal requests from any government departments. But what are doing is putting contingency plans in place, and what we will do is have 3,500 service personnel held at readiness, including regulars and reserves, in order to support any government department on any contingencies they may need.
Maybe they are expecting some gilets jaunes.
And what a surprise. The Guardian is not tying the gilets jaunes to Russia:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/17/gilets-jaunes-grassroots-heroes-or-kremlin-tools
From the the accrual of powers to Brexit (managed by CA/SCL etc) to no deal to martial law. A smooth road in retrospect.
No-one “fought a war against Fascism”. That is total hogwash.
British Empire fought TWO wars against the German Reich – against the Second German Reich and then against the Third German Reich. It was not able to fight any other wars against the German Reich as it had been dismembered and occupied.
It did propose fighting a war against the Soviet Union in 1945 (“Operation Unthinkable”) and prepare for nuclear war in 1954
Let’s do it.
Six trucks roll over when a Larne to Cairnryan ferry is hit by a big sea. The BBC report that the police say it was not terror related. I’m sure those on board would not agree. Unless they were just petrified?
Those big waves must have been made by a Russian submarine. What other explanation could there be?
Depends on whether you want a democratic vote or impose independence against the wishes of the majority of the population there?
This is one of those lavish productions that the BBC are putting up on their website. About the Congo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/congo
Leithead, quoted within it as the passenger on the river journey, was speaking on Radio 4 Today this morning detailing the dangerous state of the country because of war and an outbreak of Ebola. He did not say why there is war or the reasons for what lies behind it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001md1
@ 2hrs 24mins.30secs in
This excellent essay by Robert J Burrowes informs us of the history and the current situation.
500 years is long enough! Human Depravity in the Congo
by Robert J. Burrowes / October 26th, 2018
https://dissidentvoice.org/2018/10/500-years-is-long-enough-human-depravity-in-the-congo/
There’s been civil war going on in the Congo for as long as I can remember.
As long as the exploitation for slavery and mineral extraction presumably.
Well you do like your smart phones…….and don’t care how the sausage is made
http://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/09/conflict-minerals-from-the-congo-is-your-cellphone-made-with-them.html
a) I do not own a smartphone or any other gadgets and b) I don’t eat meat.
May’s so called skills based immigration policy is a disaster, based on a £30k salary threshold. She and the Tories are so out of touch, they do not know a junior doctor here earns much less and so do carers. There is already a staffing crisis in social care
Your enlightening article above shows also that the secession of the Crimea from the Ukraine and its subsequent choice to apply to join the Russian Federation was both legal in International law as well as consistent with the views of the Government of the United Kingdom.
Trump’s Foundation is being dissolved and the monies distributed. By order.
Trump agrees to shut down his charity amid allegations that he used it for personal and political benefit
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-agrees-to-shut-down-his-charity-amid-allegations-he-used-it-for-personal-and-political-benefit/2018/12/18/dd3f5030-021b-11e9-9122-82e98f91ee6f_story.html?
How about the Clinton Foundation in the US, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the BLiar Faith Foundation which morphed into the Institute for Global Change here and there are dozens of others similar? Who knows about their funny money?
it seems the fbi has also opened a criminal investigation into the clinton foundation, centered on fraud and pay to play schemes.
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201812171070766032-clinton-foundation-fbi-probe/
these scam charity operations/slush funds are finally being targeted in the us. maybe the uk will follow.
For goodness sake, someone move the wassailing cup away from Craig
“Government confirms anyone who adds solar from April 2019 will not be paid for excess electricity exported to grid”.
What schmucks people are who pay to get an array of solar panels installed on their roof because some conman told them it will “save” them money!