Labour Deputy leader Tom Watson has stood down, a move which help Corbyn to put in a loyal apparatchik in his place. Watson cited ‘personal, not political reasons’ for his departure, but relations with Head Office have been tetchy to say the least, with Watson’s consistent drive for a second referendum divisive despite that supposedly being the party position.
Gerry will not forget his shameful virtue-signalling in the Carl Beech inquiry…
The UK has entered into the five-week campaign time as Parliament is dissolved and MPs spend their time campaigning across the country. The period of purdah means impartiality is especially instructed from civil servants, and it is from now on the internet civil war will be fought, and the manifesto launches in a short time as well.
May the odds be ever in your favour, Gerry says…
Jo Swinson is to announced later today a ‘Remain bonus’ of £50 billion today at their campaign launch. The Lib Dems will need to present a vision that goes beyond Brexit, and tackling climate change and funding public services will ned to play a role in that. The party now has 21 MPs, and will need to keep their rise in the polls up to get the much bigger number that they desire.
Gerry hopes that this popularity lasts…
Honourable MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been elected by MPs to be the next Speaker of the Commons, after beating Chris Bryant in the last round of voting. Hoyle has been the Deputy Speaker for some time and will hopefully bring the office back to some normality after the damage inflicted on it by John Bercow.
Gerry is very pleased and thinks him a good man…
Below the bar, Gerry says…
The ex-Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach has defected the Liberal Democrats, saying that they are the only party fighting to stop Brexit and bring about a brighter future. Having lost a vote of no-confidence in her local constituency after voting against the government on anti-no-deal legislation, she faces a tough battle to keep her seat given the Lib Dem’s poor showing at recent elections.
A good asset, Gerry thinks…
Former Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach has defected to the Liberal Democrats after loosing the Party whip in the Commons and losing a vote of confidence in her local constituency. She will now stand as the Lib Dem candidate in Eddisbury, where she will need to turn over a large Conservative majority. She previously backed Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, but voted against the proposed time for the legislation to pass, and had the whip removed for voting against the prospect of no-deal, along with twenty-one other Tories.
A good asset, Gerry thinks…
