Categories Government
TL;DR Absolutely nothing has changed in the civil service, apart from the identities of a few very senior office holders (1/20)
Significant - congratulations (if that is the right word for a reappointment; given the last 12 months I guess it is) to Tom Scholar. The survivor of the s**t list and HMT leadership recognised https://t.co/68FP1QGQ5c
— Alex Thomas (@AlexGAThomas) January 6, 2021
Firstly, the ‘war’ does genuinely seem to be over. Congrats to Tom Scholar on his reappointment, kudos to the PM & Chancellor for a wise decision, and to Simon Case for whatever he’s done to bring these pointless hostilities to an end at such an important time (2/20)
But it’s worth asking: what has this latest attempt, accompanied as it has been by ferocious (if mostly anonymously briefed) rhetoric, actually involved?
The answer is, by historical standards, virtually nothing at all. There have been two discernible strands of activity (3/20)
First, there’s been the defenestration of about half a dozen very senior officials, including, most unusually, the cabinet secretary.
But the replacements have been career insiders, cut from the same cloth. Sometimes they’ve been a good bit younger, but not always. (4/20)

Chief Lamont Ruffin from D.C. District Court swears in 2000 National Guard troops as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals prior to the upcoming presidential inauguration: https://t.co/vw5OC3maqV pic.twitter.com/oG6n1JgpiZ
— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) January 18, 2021
2) Today the WH issued a proclamation of commemoration of the 850th anniversary of the death of St. Thomas Beckett.
3) It's quite a document. "Becket’s death serves as a powerful and timeless reminder to every American that our freedom from religious persecution is not a mere luxury or accident of history, but rather an essential element of our liberty...bought with the blood of martyrs."
4) I am reasonably sure that Donald Trump is not a Peter O'Toole fan; and while he and T.S. Eliot would have gotten along in their fascism and antisemitism, I doubt he's read that either. And we can't always just say STEPHEN MILLER! ... can we?
5) Then there was the appointment of Milo's medievalist to a board that oversees cultural exchange and is tasked with stopping illicit artifact trade. Which is an important board but also a weird position.
Of fuck no. pic.twitter.com/VTyLMsYfqI
— David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) December 23, 2020

1. Their stunt on Jan. 6 will fail. What happens after objections are raised to a state's slate of electors in both the House and the Senate, is that they each have to debate the issue and then vote. It can't take more than 2 hours.

The House has a Democratic majority, so there's zero chance that a state's electors will get thrown out. (Both the House and the Senate have to agree.) All this is, is political theatre and as such, it'll get a lot of attention and make Trump happy.

You don't have to take my word on this. Read @Teri_Kanefield's explainer here:
I'll lay the entire process out here, and show why this can't happen. Applicable law: The Electoral Count Act and of course, your favorite document and mine, the Constitution, or, if you prefer cliff notes: https://t.co/cWXMlHiVvd
— Teri Kanefield (@Teri_Kanefield) December 12, 2020
Here's what happens on Jan. 6.
1/ https://t.co/pZziPKR0km
2. So the obvious question is, if this stunt is doomed to fail, why in the world are these Republicans doing this?
Contrary to what this looks like, it's not about their fealty to Trump.

(2) Made at 4.30 pm today, laid before Parliament at 5.30 pm, published on https://t.co/ZtYk9EHWsF at 5.44 pm, come into force at 00.01 tomorrow, 6 Jan.

(3) As predicted they tweak the rules for Tier 4 and put the whole country into it - so just a mere 5 pages to do this
(4) So, some specific changes - on the restriction of movement, which prohibits leaving / being away from home without a reasonable excuse, the following circumstances which are deemed to be a reasonable excuse are deleted...
(5) recreation, visting a zoo etc is out

Government virus expert paid £116k by swine flu vaccine manufacturers.
"The 'false' pandemic: Drug firms cashed in on scare over swine flu, claims Euro health chief."
January 2010.
https://t.co/nDs2ifa6jk

The 2016 simulation of a pandemic found holes in the UK’s readiness for such a
November 2018
"Ineffective flu vaccine added to 50,000 extra deaths last winter. Office National Statistics."
"Human suffering and lost lives over winter 'predictable, preventable and