Here we are at another deadline in the EU relationship saga. And it is sobering to reflect that there are eight year-olds who have spent their entire lives with Brexit on the national agenda.
Today’s question is will the UK government, that is the Prime Minister, walk away from the fraught trade negotiations by midnight tonight – as promised? Or will they allow the EU politicians to impose their timetable instead?
By tomorrow we should find out.
But there is a feeling that this is a critical tipping point. Anything other than the UK landlord calling last orders tonight will show everyone – on both sides – just how weak and ineffective the UK leadership has become …
Update 19-Oct-2020
The cynics win again. Bluff and bluster but the deadline is not enforced and so the talks continue …
Motion S5M-09862: Angus MacDonald, Falkirk East, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 11/01/2018
After years of discussion and division all twenty local authorities within what is currently Yorkshire have agreed that they will establish a single devolved unit.
So this week in Downing Street our Prime Minister carried out the traditional reshuffle of the table seating plan of that limited pack of Right Honorables making up her Cabinet. The spin machines claim that these changes were significant but few seem to agree. In reality the changes look pretty limited with the only obvious trend being more power to MPs who have, so far, been working against a successful exit from the European Union.
Meanwhile the politicians, civil servants and assorted activists can roast in the flames of the hell that they have created. Another fine mess where the UK political establishment is floundering around in La La Land while being attacked from both within and without. A farce where no one makes any useful progress and the only certainties are more taxation and broken promises.
A contest that seems to have become a contest between old labour and even-older labour policies. In fact one of the few modern elements has been the repeat of Ed Milliband’s ill-fated strap line – Your Next Prime Minister. Otherwise it was the familiar messages about renationalisation, stopping privatisation and spending money that we don’t have.
However our awards ceremony planned for tonight has had to be canceled after our organisers – the events arm of the Grandadz charity – mislaid its funding. There had been rumours circulating for several weeks that there were problems. But the charity’s boss, Carmen Bataneyelid, had reassured us that everything would be fine and all the key figures would be there for a glittering evening of fine dining and entertainment.
And the first nomination in the Political Confusion category is the proposed EU Referendum. This nomination excels in its category for a range of compelling reasons. First the single referendum question has had to be changed – the 
But there are plenty of other sports that the bookies are also covering this weekend. The Oxford-Cambridge boat race will be broadcast this afternoon to a estimated audience of 100 million world wide. Many will be hoping that favourites Oxford win. Meanwhile a small but dedicated band of cycling Grandads will be following their own grand national on Sunday with the 113th running of the Paris to Roubaix race. Taking over 6 hours and with 27 sections of cobbled cart tracks this race attracts a huge global audience. With Britain’s Bradley Wiggins starting as second favourite in his last race for Team Sky the bookies could be in for another boost.
Thomas Howard, the 70 year old Earl of Surrey, to take charge in his absence. Howard mustered forces in London and then marched north to Pontefract, where he held a Council of War and was joined by men from Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. From there it was on to Durham and the border country where the two armies met at what is commonly called Flodden Field.