Phillip Hammond

[lindapalmara]

Hammond, after trying to stop a no deal option is the same cabinet minister who introduced the the second reading of the Referendum bill in June 2015. The the Foreign secretary declared that the EU had changed almost beyond recognition from what ad been endorsed in 1975.

[Gromit]

The Corbyloon

May made her return to the Commons Yesterday, before Clarke and Hammond were kicked out.

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/brexit-news-theresa-may-ken-clarke-boris-johnson-no-deal-1173437.jpg?r=1567585310772

She could not resist witnessing Johnson’s humiliation. Not sure she is in today though or that Clarke and Hammond are occupying their usual seats. They are usually cosigned to the ‘Naughty Corner’.

[THECORBYLOON]

She was there during PMQs.

[ichkeria]

Theresa May was clocked by a Bloomberg journalist yesterday afternoon looking “very cheerful”. When asked would she rebel she (no doubt mischievously) replied that she couldn’t say.
Mind you she probably needed a very powerful clothes peg for her nose.

[dannyk13]

Gromit, You are wrong.At the moment Kenneth Clarke is speaking in the HOC from the Conservative benches.As I posted earlier Dominic Grieve is also on the Conservative benches.

[ichkeria]

They are as of today all independents in parliament.
Regardless of where they are sitting.
The “independent” benches if they exist must be pretty crowded :-)

[dannyk13]

ich, As I understand it they are being given a chance to redeem themselves in today's vote as Andrea Ledsom announced on News at Ten last night,

[Gromit]

Corby/Danny
Thanks for the correction.

[ichkeria]

In fact “independents” now firm the third largest group in parliament and even with the DUP the govt now has a majority of minus 43

[dannyk13]

Ich, If they had been deprived of the whip they would not be allowed to sit on the Tory benches.

[THECORBYLOON]

DANNY, Andrea Leadsom was mistaken last night. She had said they would wait to see who voted against them in to-day's vote but it was quickly confirmed that all twenty-one MPs would lose the whip immediately.

[ichkeria]

Incorrect Danny.
After Leadsom made that statement all were informed they had lost the whip.
They could of course still vote with the government.

[dannyk13]

Corby, then why are at least two of them sitting on the Tory benches?

[ichkeria]

Like I say, there’s probably no room for then anywhere else. They are independents now and not members of the opposition

[dannyk13]

Ich there is plenty of room on the Independent benches.

[ichkeria]

Well, I don’t know, but they are not officially Tory MPs any more. That much as a fact.

[Old_Geezer]

"No body talked about a No Deal in 2016" because everyone knew it was the default that we'd hoped to improve on it with a deal of some sort.

"They all said it would be the easiest thing in the world to get a Good Deal." Unsure who "they all" are but sure, everyone or most at any rate, assumed the other side of the table where responsible rational folk who would negotiate properly, but it turned out they were only interested in control; encouraged by the dissidents in the UK to demand and then refuse to shift.

Neither points have any affect on the fact that no-deal was always a possibility and folk, knowing that, still voted to leave for the sake of the nation, anyway.

[Old_Geezer]

They want to sit with their "friends".

[Khandro]

Having the whip withdrawn is one of the most serious disciplinary actions that can be taken against an MP by a party. As explained on Parliament’s official website, when a whip is withdrawn this means: ‘that the Member is effectively expelled from their party (but keeps their seat) and must sit as an independent until the whip is restored.’ For the 21 Tory rebels who have had the whip removed by the PM this week, the consequences of this could be extreme enough to prevent them from standing for the Party in the next election

[ichkeria]

Petrels they are making a point: they didn’t after all ask for this.
So, has Caroline Spelman been ousted now as well then?

[THECORBYLOON]

The thinking is that as this latest vote was not a Confidence vote, she'll not lose the whip.