Tag: Parliament of the United Kingdom

Completely self-absorbed MPs have proven time and time again that they are not qualified to pull off something as complicated as Brexit. FromEveryAngle ‘Time to pass the ball to some other sucker’ How does Theresa May not just step down and walk away from this mess? Sort of feels like she’s tried enough and it’s time to pass the ball to some other sucker. Online and on the streets the voice of those who actually want to leave the EU is barely audible above that of those who want to remain. thatotherbloke ‘Politicians don’t have the will or courage to deal with this’ So after all this time spent negotiating and working out a Brexit agreement, the UK political establishment realises that it doesn’t like it and is unable to articulate alternatives it does like. There’s total paralysis in political decision making. The country, and parliament are split down the middle, the vote was too close and should never have been passed on such a small margin. May’s negotiated WA will be voted down again, there is no alternative, I think we know where this is heading and it isn’t revoking article 50. It is going to be a final end to this farce, or it will be the end for the EU as UK politicians will be arguing about this for another two years. JoeMcJoe ‘How long will it take for Britain to heal the division?’ It’s unbelievable how British MPs, especially the Conservatives, are unable to find a compromise and a way forward.

before the result of yesterday's vote on Theresa May's Brexit Deal was announced, one could be forgiven for thinking it was just an ordinary day in the British parliament. This time by 391 votes in favour to 241 against - a defeat by 149 votes. When the unimplementable promises made by the Leave campaigners before the referendum turned to dust, May's government still persevered in trying to make Brexit happen. Both parties are riven by splits on EU issues - 75 Conservatives refused to back May in yesterday's vote, with the majority of those opponents favouring a "no-deal" Brexit instead. On the Labour side, about half of the MPs do not back Corbyn's Brexit line and want the UK to hold a second referendum and stay in the EU. Meanwhile, three Conservative and eight Labour MPs have recently left their respective parties to form The Independent Group, a proto-party in the House of Commons, to try to force the idea of a second referendum onto the agenda. Throughout all of this, May and Corbyn, both of them steeped in party politics - they have each spent more than 40 years in their respective parties, refuse to seriously seek solutions collaboratively. So, the House of Commons cannot move forward. But lacking a solution, in the next fortnight the UK will crash out of the EU without a deal, with major economic and political consequences. While that idea might appeal to enough MPs, the EU side is not keen.

Angela Merkel has asked Theresa May if she intends to request an extension to article 50 after reports that No 10 has drawn up contingency plans to delay leaving the EU. A government official confirmed that Merkel “fleetingly” raised the matter at a 45-minute breakfast meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday morning, in a reflection of growing concern from European Union leaders over the lack of time to implement Brexit. Asked if the topic of a possible two-month delay was raised, the official said: “It wasn’t something that the PM raised. Asked if the story was true, a government official said they did not discuss advice given by officials. The prime minister is also meeting the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on Monday as part of her talks with EU leaders in Egypt, a senior UK government official said. Over the weekend, three cabinet minsters demanded the prime minister stop using the threat of a no-deal Brexit as a negotiating tactic. Asked if she could announce an extension to article 50, Ellwood said: “You need to wait and hear what she has to say when she gets back.” Theresa May dismisses pressure to step down as PM after Brexit Read more Pressed to clarify whether he knew a delay would be announced, Ellwood said: “That I don’t know. I’m encouraging that to happen because it is not in anybody’s interest to see no deal affecting Britain in the way that we are talking about.” Damian Hinds, the education secretary, insisted Brexit would not be delayed. “There is a very good deal on the table. And it is important to get those resolved, but yes that is what we are doing.” Later on the Today programme, Hinds said delaying the UK’s departure from the EU would only prolong the uncertainty.

Here is a look at some of the big questions and issues looming in WA politics in 2019. The key question remains who would take over if Dr Nahan were toppled. Probably the Labor Government's biggest headache in 2018 was the state's prison system, highlighted by chaotic scenes in the Mid-West when 10 prisoners escaped amid a riot that caused millions of dollars' worth of damage. The Government will be hoping increased public sector construction work and an improvement of the mining sector get that number trending in the right direction in 2019. In terms of leadership chatter, the Liberals will undoubtedly draw the most attention, but there has been some speculation about the future of Mia Davies in the top job for the Nationals. The more stable trend unemployment figure falls from 5.2 to a six-and-half-year low of 5.1 per cent The widely watched seasonally adjusted unemployment number rose from 5 to 5.1 per cent The ABS says 37,100 jobs were created in November, but they were dominated by part-time positions Despite the better-than-expected addition of 37,100 jobs to the economy in November (most economists had been tipping around 20,000), the unemployment rate edged up to 5.1 per cent due to an increase in the proportion of the population in work or looking for it, known as the participation rate, which rose to 65.7 per cent. ACT and NSW have lowest jobless rates, WA highest The ACT had the nation's lowest jobless rate at 3.4 per cent (in trend terms), which is not unusual given that many of its residents move there for work and leave when that work finishes. "There hasn't been a lower jobless rate in that time," Mr James wrote in a note. Mr James said the jobs market remained in "strong shape", with the more stable trend unemployment rate easing from 5.2 to 5.1 per cent. More people than ever are looking for jobs and finding work."