The Political Thread

[IndigoPrime]

*Which looks pretty unlikely. Can you imagine their fury if they get a win, but can't get a vote to invoke Article 50 through parliament?

The question is whether they need one, and, worryingly, there is huge disagreement about this. Surely, this is the kind of thing that should be concrete. (The consensus I've seen is that Cameron probably can't act alone, but just the go-ahead from the Cabinet would be enough, even though they're mostly pro. There's no way in hell a vote would get through the Commons, unless MPs threw all of their convictions under the bus.)

[TordelBack]

Surely Article 50 should have been written into the referendum itself, i.e. '...Britain should leave the EU, activating Article 50". RoI referendum text always includes that kind of legalese.  Unwelcome though a Leave vote would be, you can't get more democratic than a plebiscite.

[Jim_Campbell]

Article 50 is not automatically triggered by the referendum, which has no legal force. The referendum bill could have been written to automatically invoke it, but wasn't. I can't imagine the government attempting to begin the withdrawal process without a vote on the Commons.

Cheers

Jim

[IndigoPrime]

The irony, of course, is that Gove has repeatedly stated he doesn't want Article 50 triggered immediately or even for a very long time. It feels like he's playing chicken, hoping a slim Brexit vote will force the EU into concessions.

[TordelBack]

Article 50 is not automatically triggered by the referendum, which has no legal force.

I get that, I just think it's bordering on the insane. When we have a referendum in Ireland the text is endlessly scrutinised for its legality, so that what is being voted on is what actually happens.  Sometimes this produces a complex wording that people complain isn't clear, and sometimes there are subsequent challenges, but the alternative seems like some sort of monstrous vox pop which is legally meaningless.

Once you're over your little xenophobic outpouring, maybe you chaps should think about getting a written constitution that sets out how this stuff works.

[IndigoPrime]

The problem is Remain/Cameron were arrogant enough to assume the win would be easy. As lawyers have said, there should be other caveats too: minimum turnout and perhaps even a threshold above a majority.

As for our little tantrum, it won't be over for years, whatever the result this Thursday. (It'll be interesting to see how the Irish vote, too. Given interviews I've seen on the telly, some are labouring under the misapprehension that they themselves aren't immigrants here and are fiercely Leave.)

[TordelBack]

The Irish diaspora is a famous breeding ground for racists, nothing we hate more than another immigrant coming in behind us: this is our gig!

[ZenArcade]

Well not all Irish to be fair....only the ones from Mayo (excluding Mary and David and anyone else from Mayo). Z

[IndigoPrime]

The Irish diaspora is a famous breeding ground for racists, nothing we hate more than another immigrant coming in behind us: this is our gig!

The more, the merrier, I say. Frankly, if this all goes to shit—i.e. Leave—I'll be looking very carefully into whether I can get an Irish passport myself. Both of my dad's parents were Irish-born, although they had 'British subject' passports, for some reason. (My granddad was army, so that might have been part of it. Plus they were born about 90 years ago.)

[Grugz]

Guy Fawkes was one of the few people to enter parliament with honest intentions! 

'like' button needed

[Michael Knight]

 

[maryanddavid]

only the ones from Mayo

Hey!

[TordelBack]

The Irish diaspora is a famous breeding ground for racists, nothing we hate more than another immigrant coming in behind us: this is our gig!

The more, the merrier, I say. Frankly, if this all goes to shit—i.e. Leave—I'll be looking very carefully into whether I can get an Irish passport myself. Both of my dad's parents were Irish-born, although they had 'British subject' passports, for some reason. (My granddad was army, so that might have been part of it. Plus they were born about 90 years ago.)

Sorry, the sign clearly says No Homers.

But this does raise the question of the GFA again - since all citizens of NI can be considered Irish or UK citizens at will, you suddenly have about 1.8 million people (and presumably Richmond too) who can immigrate and emigrate from the EU or UK whenever they like.

[Professor Bear]

Probably worth posting again: http://pmbuchan.tumblr.com/post/118104126806/bkip-was-co-created-by-p-m-buchan-and-phillip

[Theblazeuk]

Stumbled into a blog full of 'Jo Cox was a leftist extremist' 'her death wasn't political' 'let the woman rest in peace why should her murderer's intents and her words or anything have any meaning' 'only the most blinkered can't see that this is a plan by the lefty loonies'

FS.

The hypocrisy is what really gets me here. Always the bloody victim card even as they put the boot in.