God damn my people are FINALLY doing something right for a change.
Not because they want to hear what he has to say… more that they still believe in the “special relationship”, and think that stopping Trump from speaking will damage US/UK relations.
Tory MPs have now started complaining that Bercow has gone beyond his remit, including one (Nadhim Zahawi) who is possibly banned from entering the US under Trump’s executive order.
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I’d be somewhat prouder of my country’s MPs if they’d barred him from speaking in Westminster Hall regardless of whether Trump wanted to do that. Instead, they shuffled their feet and cleared their throats a lot and proclaimed that he probably didn’t want to address parliament anyway - he just wanted the parades and a lot of handshaking with royals.
At which, HRH Prince Charles’ jaw allegedly set and he said he could use the opportunity to talk some sense into Trump about climate change. So I’ll be watching to see if they let our Eco-Friendly “Defender of Faith, not of THE Faith” Prince anywhere near the Angry Yam in charge of America. (Yep, seriously, Charles is a bit of a hero in his own upper-class way. First royal in decades to have ideas about earning his pay by nursemaiding policies that need to run for longer than an electoral cycle.)
Meanwhile, Prince Harry asked Prince William if he could borrow his golf club*.
Before the Westminster Hall ban was debated, however, the press speculated that it was likely Trump would want to one-up everything President Obama did. Obama was the only US President of recent years invited to speak in Westminster Hall on a State Visit and it was a gesture of huge respect.
*this part about the golf club is not actually true. It’s a joke about Harry having publically stated that he dislikes Trump, and William having hit Harry in the head with a golf club as a child. Fake news averted!
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Not sure that’s quite apposite. The Speaker is historically scrupulously neutral but Bercow is one of the most opinionated Speakers we’ve had in years. He takes the ‘champion of the Commons’ bit much more seriously than the ‘figurehead’ bit.
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If I’m a poor slob, then let me tell him. I’ll happily do it, and I’m an American.
Me: “Hey fuckstain, England won’t let you speak to their funky Parliament because you’re an abusive loudmouth trying to destroy democracy.”
trump: “Loren ipsum defeat terrorist my ratings great YUGE get me some fried chicken bitch Pepsi BUILD A WALL…again?”
Bannon: “That means you’re fired and he needs bathroom time.”
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LOL - I’d lose it if he did that.
Dear Rt. Hon. Bercow: jolly good show! It looks like you might actually be doing something that could justify the for-life position you hold. Please continue.
Sort of for life- Mr. Bercow’s two immediate predecessors as Speaker are both still very much alive. Michael Martin resigned after being involved in the expenses scandal, Betty Boothroyd retired (aged 71).
While the Speaker is officially reelected at the start of each Parliament, in practise they serve until they resign. The last Speaker to die in office was Sir Harry Hylton-Foster in 1965, the last to leave office other than by death or resignation was Hugh Manners-Sutton who failed to be reelected as Speaker in 1835.
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I think it could be fun. Judging by how unruly parliamentary debates tend to be, I’d expect trump to be roundly booed and/or heckled, something he’s very much not used to.
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I wonder what the difference is, to cause such a polar reaction?
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Unlikely. The Tories are currently desperately trying to make “Theresa means Theresa” look like a success rather than the wobbler she is; they’ll be whipped into submissive clapping. Anyone else will make a great display of not showing up. The Westminster crowd is way too effete to disrespect a guest, regardless of how undesirable he might be.
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Must you piss on my chips?
(I’ve given you a Like for “Theresa means Theresa” though.)
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and hookers with urinary incontinence!
Radio 4 news has just been waffling on about him being set to go next year (I think, I’m earwigging from the living room while it’s on in the kitchen). There was also some waffle about how it’s unfair to not want Donald Trump to visit Parliament when, say, the Chinese leader was invited. To which, I would say, other leaders being invited is immaterial, on the grounds that, however egregious they may be, THEY ARE NOT DONALD FUCKING TRUMP, but such a rationale is, presumably, beyond the BBC.
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I just don’t know why he’d be invited in the first place - the lack of invitation shouldn’t be seen as a slight, and frankly anything he’d say to parliament would be so embarrassing if not insane it would itself probably end up damaging relations.
Oh, if they responded with debate behavior, that would be beautiful. At least until Trump got angry enough to try to nuke the UK…
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I feel if the Queen were to behead someone, I’d give the Queen the benefit of the doubt that it was in self-defense.
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I’m guessing no.
He doesn’t like the Clintons.
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Tory MP picks dumb hill to die on:
(except, of course he’s in a safe seat. And Essex, probably Prime Trump supporting country)
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Obligatory.
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