So, I’ve been following Marky Booth on Twitter as he patiently waited for parliament to be prorogued. I pinched this cartoon from him. Oh sorry, it’s actually a picture.

Anyway, twice in the last month, we’ve had to sit through Black Rod mumbling some antiquated nonsense, and some ermine clad ne’er do wells toffs doffing their caps, as Boris manages to once again shut down democracy with the compliance of Elizabeth Saxe Coburg Gotha.

Image result for black rod in commons today october 8

Why they do all this dressing up in strange costumes and taking their hats off (only the men it seems) heaven only knows. Maybe there is a reason hidden in the mists of time and tradition. Maybe there isn’t and they just like dressing up is strange clothes. Who knows when it comes to the English aristocracy?

I was going to say, “who cares?” But I think I do. All these people, after all, are highly paid and/or on massive expenses and I help pay for them and their costumes which are doubtless expensive too.

And what is it all?

Why can’t the Speaker and Lords Speaker just read off a sheet that parliament is suspended until Monday by order of the queen and then everyone can go home, or wherever it is they go in London?

Well, of course,what it is for this time is so that on Monday the Toytown prime minister can have his party political broadcast read by the queen, who presumably will have had to come back from Balmoral, also at considerable expense, to read his list of promises, from her golden throne, after arriving in procession, accompanied by page boys, ladies in waiting and all manner of tra la la.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the promises that have been made over the last few weeks, and which will presumably to be included in this Clown Speech from the throne, are utterly unaffordable given the shitstorm of no deal that we are about to enter. Presumably, if she is paying attention Liz will already know that its a pack of lies, but will, nonetheless, read it out anyway.

Image result for the queen in the house of lords

So all the nonsense about 40 new hospitals (that on closer inspection became 6) and massive spending on infrastructure, or indeed for us Scots, all the money Johnson was guaranteeing to spend here to make up for the fact that Holyrood treats us so badly… you know, not making us pay for tertiary education or prescriptions or extra bedrooms or care for the elderly… you know the sort of thing… well, we can forget it. Tax increases and spending cuts to pay for this fool’s Brexit are going to be the order of the day.

Still, it is comforting to know that, no matter how bad things get, the Brits will always find enough money for tricorn hats and weird rituals.


  1. Yes Tris
    And the main point is that doris doesn’t have a majority and hence it is unlikely any of it will actually take place. Quick kick the can some more.
    The unicorn promises that would cause the debt to reach heights never seen before.
    The tories are supposed to be the party of fiscal control, no more in theory.
    The doris will be hoping that the BIG BUTT party will be so full of tory parasites that they will vote with him.
    The blame game is in it’s end stages.
    Scotland surely will wake up.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I’m assuming that with Brexit done, there will be a rush general election before it all gets too bad and people start really suffering.

      Of course, because Corbyn is so hopeless, almost undoubtedly Boris will win.

      I imagine that the other Tories led by Swinson, will pick up some seats adn with Brexit out of the way, they will tend to vote with the Tories on most stuff.

      I suspect that with a no deal Brexit, the whole point of the Brexit Party will disappear, and Farage will probably go to live somewhere else rather than live in Brexit Britain.

      Hopefully the SNP will take the bulk of the Scottish seats, although I’m sure Swinson will work with the Tories to try to defeat them in a few seats.

      Hopefully, we shall renew our mandate for a referendum and we need to make that very clear in our manifesto.

      If they refuse, I think we should go to law.

      But with almost certain ruin in front of us we need to get out of here and back into the EU sharpish.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. In 1689 the Scottish and English parliaments came to an agreement that the Scottish people were sovereign and that the English Parliament was sovereign. This was incorporated into the Treaty of the Union of Parliaments in 1706. The Supreme Court passed a judgment, that the English Parliament is sovereign, confirming this. This, therefore, confirms that the Scottish people are also sovereign. The Scottish people can, therefore, vote to repeal the Treaty of Union, and the English Government can do nothing about it according to the Treaty.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Who knows, Niko?

        I mean how much of any of this could have been guessed a couple of years ago

        But all the polls show Corbyn trailing the buffoon, Johnson.

        And all the polls show the SNP getting between 50 and 55 seats in Scotland.

        But yes, when Maybot went to the country in 2017 polls showed her beating Corbyn hands down. Then she went on the stump and suddenly Corbyn seemed a much more exciting prospect. At least he was a sentient human being.

        I’ve just read this:

        Who knows if that will put a different complexion on things.


    2. “Quick kick the can some more.”

      That’s all Doris has to do to win – kick the can past the 31st.

      I wonder what would happen if he stepped down as PM on the 30th? How many days does it take for WM to elect a new PM?

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Watched that nob Nigel Evans
    Pontificating on how in some labour seats 70% voted to leave
    And where being ignored.

    It was pointed out to him Scotland and Northen Ireland
    Voted overwhelmingly to remain and he wanted to disregard them.

    Answer from him came there none .

    Only leave votes count to the evil 🦹‍♂️ brexiteer maniacs

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Sirrah, I must take stern issue with your scoffing diatribe against our time-hallowed and, dare I say, sacred traditions concerning the prorogation of Parliament, indeed the Mother of Parliaments, by Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Head of the Commonwealth, Horse of the Year, etc., etc. Is it truly your belief that such august and elevated proceedings should be conducted by persons dressed in lounge suits, drab frocks and, God forbid!, casual wear? When I was apprised that the prorogation, or at least a small part of it, would be broadcast via the televisual apparatus, I hastened to dress appropriately in my old regimentals, not forgetting my trusty sabre from my days with the Lancers in Poona and indeed sporting my garters and spurs. For two pins, Sir, I would call you out so that we might purge this insult in the honourable manner. Sadly, circumstances prevent me from leaving my present accommodations and any attempt on my part to do so of my own volition would only result in increased medications and a further regime of cold baths and electrical interventions. Aaaaarrghhh.

    Col.(Retd) Marmaduke Eustace de Boutlace Framshawe-Wittering, PVC, DVD, FFS, WTF, AEIOU.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Andimac, sirrah, I am cut to the quick! I never dress in a suit and a frock! One or the other, please!

      Mind you, if I were proroguing Parliament, I’d probably polish my shoes at least. And my tweed jacket would do nicely too. And my rainbow Yes Scotland pin.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Dear Colonel,

      (By the way, are you an associate of Colonel Davidson of that Edinburgh Platoon, also now retired and stood down?)

      In any case, Sir, it was good to hear from you.

      Sometimes my Factotum, Tristan, gets carried away by the exuberance of his own verbosity and imagines himself to be a sophisticated rhetorician.

      He is, we can surely agree, not! (He does, however, come cheap.)

      I am obliged, dear Sir, on these occasions to haul him over the coals put him on bread and water and stop his generous stipend.

      I am grateful for your bringing his lapse to my attention.

      Yours etc


      Liked by 3 people

  4. Isn’t pro rogue a very apt definition of Doris? A scoundrel and really good at it. Equally applicable to the Farage balloon, Cummings through the lie, Jacob clean crackers etc.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. The title of this piece struck like a lightening bolt!
    Now let me get this straight. Parliament is prorogued AGAIN? Seriously?

    After all the hoo-ha about proroguing parliament a couple of weeks ago, and all the hand wringing about how parliament MUST be in session to deal with momentous Brexit issues at this critical time, and after the Supreme Court ruled it illegal and declared that parliament was NOT prorogued, and how Boris flew back from New York City to take control, and after a contentious session of Commons with lots of shouting and name calling that everybody said they felt REALLY bad about the next morning……..THEN parliament adjourned to hold…..wait for it…….party conferences! If anything of legislative significance happened about Brexit or anything else in the UN-prorogued session of parliament, it escaped my attention.

    So as I understand it, since someone finally noticed that nothing of note was really happening anyway, they just decided to get all dressed up in their fancy costumes and do prorogation all over again.

    So is it LEGAL this time? And will the politicians be back from their party conferences to actually attend sessions? Will opening this one involve horses and coaches and the bejeweled crown and slamming door and all the other brouhaha and hullabaloo of the performance art that is British governance?

    As an American, let me say that I’m appalled at what’s going on over there. At least in Washington, there is serious business being transacted. After all, it’s not easy dealing with a president who is both a criminal and certifiably insane! 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Danny

      In the UK we have Prime minister ? Who believes he can
      Ignore the rule of law.

      Whereas you in the USA 🇺🇸 have a president who believes
      He is the law

      One is to the core Bad
      The other definitely Mad

      Liked by 3 people

  6. On the matter of dressing up, I notice that in the picture, the state crown the Queen is wearing looks squashed down compared with the one George VI wore.
    Upon inquiry, the Queen responded.

    Dripping with history:

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Queen: “There are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they are quite important things.”

      Tris: “Oh I do so agree, your majesty. Where should I be without mine?”

      Jings, where do they get them?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. well they are important to her. I mean without it she’d an impoverished 93 year old on pension credit choosing between eating and heating. After all she didn’t even go to school or get any qualifications so no high powered, high paid jobs for her…

        Liked by 2 people

        1. I remember reading somewhere that she owns large numbers of opium farms in the ex-colonies.

          Which would explain the resistance to legalising it here.

          Liked by 1 person

  7. You ask whether or not it will involve horses and coaches. Well, I was watching a House of Lords discussion earlier tonight on the telly and this very matter came up. There was concern that all the climate change were protesters making it difficult for the noble peers to get into the House to get on with their work…anyway, one elderly lady peer of the realm was concerned about how the Queen was going to cope with it all. Unfortunately the old biddy got her words all mixed up a bit and, much to the hilarity of the lords assembled, spoke of the Queen arriving in a horse and cart.

    Liked by 4 people

          1. Danny. no need to be embarrassed.
            Just think of it as a game of snakes and ladders with Wild Rules, you can never tell if a ladder or a snake is for going up or down.
            It doesn’t matter anyway as the doris is for crashing out and the mps can’t see more than their job for the next 2 years, easy money and expenses.
            The parliament only sits for about 90 days in a year, you have to remove the weekends, the holidays and the conference time.
            The doris will just kick the can down the road by ignoring the mps, they don’t have the wit to stop him as they just see themselves as a replacement pm, they all think they can run the country with one hand tied behind.
            I feel a lot better for NOT listening to the media over the last couple of days, it makes no sense as we are fed lies and deceit.
            The trump releases the transcript of a phone call last week, redacted, then says it’s false news, time out for all required.

            Liked by 3 people

            1. Dave…..I agree. He clearly has trouble keeping the lies straight. The business of identifying as fake news the transcript of the phone call that HE HIMSELF released to the press, AND then publicly admitted to the very next day, was bizarre even by Trumpy’s standards.
              I’ll have to check on now long Congress sits. It’s probably about the same as parliament. Not very long for sure.

              Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes. It seems it was done that way on purpose.

      I just don;t know why they need another week off so that Lizzie can practice reading her speech without looking down and breaking her neck (see Danny’s video).

      Can she not do that in Buck House while they get on with trying to find a realistic and internationally acceptable answer to the Irish border?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I really don’t think they made good use of their time after the Supreme Court reopened parliament. That Irish border problem is going to be tricky I’d say. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Truth is that the opposition can’t get its lines right. They are too busy falling out amongst themselves to do anything effective.

          By and large we are currently paying them to do nothing but fight each other.

          The Irish border is irreconcilable.

          You will have an international border with entirely different regulatory standards on hundreds of different items on either side of the border (that’s called taking back control).

          At the same time you have an international treaty which says there must be no border; that people who are born on the island of Ireland can identify as either Irish or British, can move and work freely on either side of the border and can sell their goods without let or hindrance.

          The two are not compatible.

          But the likes of Farage and JRM and Frankoise (Mark) never gave Ireland a second thought. Neither, it seems, did Cameron, who we must remember is to blame for all of this.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. I saw Cameron on one of the American news shows a couple of weeks ago. He was doing interviews in the States to sell his new book. He’s not acting very apologetic about Brexit.

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Nooooooooo. He’s left that all behind.

              He’s split the Tory party in 3 (ERG, Remainers and those who don’t give a stuff as long as they can get the fat salary and big expenses). He’s split the UK… Scotland and NI remain and Wales and England leave). He’s split the country… 51-49.

              He’s split family and friends and the hatred is palpable at times.

              But hey, he’s got a book to sell out of it, and I suspect his accountant will have been making wise choices as to where his money is. I’m sure he won;t run out of food or medications because he is rich a privileged.

              I suppose he’s managed to get over the fact that instead of his legacy being “The Big Society” it is “The Busted Society”.

              He makes Tony Blair look half way reasonable… and that’s not easy.

              Liked by 2 people

            2. Of course he’s not apologetic. That kind of excessively wealthy, narcissistic, slimy, overentitled ars*ehole doesn’t do apologies because it doesn’t do remorse or taking responsibility. It’s a unifying characteristic of Bullingdon Boys, and a key factor in how they select’em at Oxford.

              Trumpy should buy up the remaindered copies of Cameron’s book. Soak’em all in epoxy glue, stack’em up and add a bit of concavity, and they should be good for several miles of the bloody border wall.

              Liked by 1 person

      2. yeah, I don’t get it either. If parliament must be prorogued why can’t that be done at close of business on Friday followed by Queen’s speech first thing Monday morning and then back to work ?

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Exactly, Jake. It’s not like they have to spring clean the place for Lizzy turning up. Oh wait, they do, and all the Beefeaters have to go through the cellars tapping the floor looking for gunpowder… I was forgetting these important things.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone who was active during The Troubles *did* put some explosives under Westminster and blew it into the Thames.

            I also wouldn’t be surprised if someone else did it as a false-flag excuse to give doris his state of emergency excuse.

            Liked by 2 people

      3. You would think in this day n age, what with modern technology and everything that the boffins in the Tower couldn’t come up with something to ease the strain on the old dears neck.

        Can’t they tie helium filled balloons to it to take some of the weight or attach drone rotors to each corner, providing both lift and cool air. They could even get a very small Courtier to sit inside and hold it up while she’s wearing it.

        There you go 3 brilliant ideas right off the top of my head, I don’t have royal patronage, haven’t had a fancy so called education and I know nowt about crowns or jewellery cos I’m skint. 🙄

        Liked by 2 people

        1. greig12,

          Not at all sure what you are saying,


          I am in the same boat:


          It is that that I hope we intend to pull down?

          Yes / No?

          ‘Cause that is why I think our independence matters.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. It was tongue in cheek Douglas. It was a nod, a vague reference or a bit of blatant thievery from the spirit of the VIZ letters page of the 1990s. Nothing more. It’s the risk you take when you make a joke, sometimes it hits the mark but more often than not, it lays the proverbial egg.

            The important thing in the words of the song is, that you keep on keepin on and of course fcuk the whole concept of royalty. (Not in the song)

            Liked by 1 person

      1. A member of HMG doesn’t believe in dinosaurs?

        I rarely swear around here, but goodness, gracious, me. What the fuck is happening in English Public Schools?

        This is insane!

        Liked by 1 person

            1. LOL I think it means that you can be bonkers without having necessarily gone to an awfully expensive English school.

              I hasten to add that a close friend at uni went to Harrow and was as grounded as I am… or indeed Munguin is.



  8. I’m told Rangers supporters are singing excitedly about a recently discovered and highly-prized leftover from Frank Sinatra’s visit to Glasgow many years ago. It belonged to his wife at the time and is known as “The sash Mia Farrow wore.”

    Liked by 2 people

            1. True true.

              Talking of which I see Cressy I couldn’t find my arse with both hands Dick, is going to be made a scapegoat for the Westminster paedophile investigations all going wrong.

              I’ve no idea what really happened, but I reckon now it will be a very very long tome before any kid who IS bothered by these people will dare complain.


      1. Ah, always thought it was a word rhyming with night and beginning

        A plague on both their houses. For my sins, I support another Glasgow team that many peopl believe has the suffix ‘-nil’ as part of the full name. As it did on Saturday. Yet again.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. doris will sing’I did it may’s way’.
    The Turks want a buffer zone.
    That will lead to a buffer zone for the buffer zone to a buff……………
    WW3 starts in Syria, the arch duke has been killed.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Reminds me of the end of the Vietnam war where the US of A threw it’s allies in South Vietnam to the wolves when it decided it had had enough.
        Do not get into bed with the USA as the outcomes may not be favourable to you.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I see Trumps answer to Johnson’s plea for diplomat’s wife who allegedly killed a young guy in England to be sent back to England for trial is,…. “Tough. These things happen. It’s difficult driving on the opposite side of the road”.

          Get ready to be told we have to change to driving on the right now that we have taken back control of our laws.


        2. His giving Erdoğan the green light to invide Syria and slaughter the Kurds is beyond disgusting. Giving Erdoğan and Putin everything they want, throwing the region into yet more turmoil – and aiding and abetting war crimes and genocide – I am so outraged and angry about it that I find myself overturning a whole responsible adulthood of leftie liberal morality and fantasising about hanging, drawing and quartering rather than impeachment.

          The man is a scourge on the planet. Throw him out. And then impeach the rest of them – Barr, Pompeo , Kavanaugh and all the rest – and get rid of them before they can do any more harm. Too much time has been wasted already. The Democrats in the House of Representatives have been craven.

          Liked by 1 person

  10. Mr craig Murray has a good take on how the False RAF airfield isn’t an annex of the USA Embassy.
    The Husband is working here collecting phone traffic for the UK government so they can say’ Not us’
    Meantime in the USA mi5 doing the same.
    The road outside the Airfield is a public road and NOT subject.
    I remember in Caithness an American killed a family on the Dounreay road, shipped out next day to avoid the court case, so nothing new.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Well, I don’t know for sure, but a country that allows other countries to walk all over them, whether it is the US over Russia or the UK over Scotland are not real countries. They are just imperialists.

      I am not 100% behind Mr Murray, but his basic idea that small nations – y’know that stand up for their rights, ought to be protected from bullies like the larger powers. For not one of these larger powers is acting on behalf of the smaller country’s behalf.

      I would be interested in alternative views.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Can’t say I disagree, Douglas.

        The United Nations system was set up in the wake of WWII to try to impose some kind of order and decency on the behaviour of States, but we are constantly at the mercy of the zero-sum-game, neoliberal types whose principle is that nations do not have friends, they have interests – which overlooks the fact of our common humanity. It overlooks also the fact that left alone, most people are quite happy to coexist peacefully – apart from the usual frictions about this and that – with their neighbours under the rule of law in a society that protects them.

        But there’s an ineradicable minority who thrive on hatred and exploitation, on f*ucking other people around generally, and fomenting any kind of disorder that they perceive to be to their advantage. Smaller States are less likely to throw their weight around if their citizens can keep democratic control over their institutions, because smaller States are less likely to suffer from delusions of grandeur.

        OK, I’ve exhausted myself pontificating, I’m sure everybody wished I would shut up some time ago.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. In the UK,politicians who have emerged from the Thatcher Youth movement do not believe that there is any such thing as society and that greed is good.
          The Me first philosophy.
          Creatures such as Priti Patel who suggest that starving Ireland into submission is the way to conduct
          foreign relations and influence people.
          Unfortunately,that is what England has voted for so that is what Scotland gets and no sign that the
          situation is going to change any time soon.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. It doesn’t matter whether is is for referenda or elections, we get what England votes for, and it’s just a happy coincidence if sometimes our votes coincide. Now that people don’t vote Labour that much in Scotland, it happens virtually never.

            Liked by 1 person

      1. Craig Murray also makes the very pertinent point that the American in question is not on the diplomatic list. He is merely (?) a security functionary and does not qualify for diplomatic immunity. Ergo, neither does his wife. The USA is always pressing for extradition of people it accuses of US crimes. The lady allegedly involved in the fatal accident seems to have left in an indecent hurry. Why?

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Because she has a history of bad driving, and she was driving on the wrong side of the road, is what I heard.

          If Trump had just a tiny bit of decency in him (OK OK, I know), he would send her back sharpish.

          Next time it might be an American she kills.


          1. I’m inclined to believe that Craig is right.

            Maybe the UK has the right to grant immunity to her on the bases that her husband works for a listening post. If this is true, it is a rather old fashioned idea. I mean I can see the possibility of him getting some sort of immunity (although I do not agree with it), but SHE is not employed as a spy, so why would SHE get immunity (unless they still consider wives to be possessions of their husbands?)

            Still, Raab, is a useless idiot and Johnson is never going to do any serious falling out with him.

            They can test it in a court, and she what senior judges think international law says, but it would only be an English or British court that rules and Trump is unlikely to pay any attention to that.


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