It will be interesting to see if the PB Tories "big up" Boris afterwards! "I thought he did rather well. Starmer was rubbish..."
Graham Brady has a rather tricky seat (6k majority) to defend on the edge of Greater Manchester (or Cheshire if you are posh).... I siuspect he may be the 54th....
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
NY AG James @NewYorkStateAG We are taking legal action to force Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump to comply with our investigation into the Trump Organization’s financial dealings.
No one in this country can pick and choose if and how the law applies to them.
People seem to be assuming that once Johnson is booted out, he will be gone. What if he follows his role models Berlusconi and Trump and tries to come back? Probably unlikely given: a) both Berlusconi and Trump have a much bigger personal power base. b) Johnson doesn't have quite the same need for legal cover for his crimes.
But who knows? He's about the right age to follow Churchill into some wilderness years about now, I'm sure he would be dreaming of a comeback.
What if he's replaced by someone who abandons the "green crap" for a short term boost, Starmer's Labour goes along with this because they are useless. Johnson becomes a prophet of doom on the Right, warning about impending environmental catastrophe. In about 10 years time he's proven right, and a desperate electorate turn to him as the saviour, as head of a Green Nationalist movement.
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
The critical thing about the thumbs up 👍 thumbs down 👎 leadership vote is it’s a secret ballot. Anyone - cab ministers, supposed allies - can vote against PM anonymously.
That’s why it is so dangerous if the 54 letters are hit. No one can predict what happens next.
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
Yes, the 1922 Chair, Sir Graham Brady, conducts the whole process of letters by himself, and the VONC process is done with paper ballots in a physical ballot box. It’s confidential, unless individual MPs decide to discuss their own votes in public.
So James Heappey thinks it is the fault of the Civil Servants who ‘put it (20/5/20) in the PM’s diary’. Sorry, I thought we’d established the PM did not know this was a pre-arranged event until he saw the invite last week. Can we see the PM’s diary then please? #BBCBreakfast https://twitter.com/SixVpf/status/1483708639626080258
Bah, every time you satisfy yourself that the Lords are an undemocratic, disreputable bunch of has beens, never was's, churchmen for goodness sake and corrupt donors who have wrongly bought their way into our legislature with legalised bribes something like this happens.
The real shame, of course, is on our snivelling or uninterested MPs who let it happen in the first place because they did not do their jobs whilst no doubt pontificating on their virtues or civil servants having a drink after work. And a Home Secretary who is simply not fit for purpose with no concept of the careful balance between the rights of protest in a democratic state and public order, even if it causes irritation and delay for the rest of us from time to time.
JRM and Nadine are the 2 most obvious departures along with Boris but surely, surely Patel is a third.
Indeed, however, to be fair to the MP's some of the worst features of the Bill were added AFTER it had been in the Commons.
I don't understand that. Unless they were new proposed amendments first introduced in the HoL? Which is a disgrace for a bill that started in the Commons. A Home Secretary cannot simply change the bill of her own accord. She needs the approval of Parliament to do so.
They were indeed first introduced in the HoL.
Ms Patel's concept of democracy appears different to ours!
Starmer should concentrate on this and inflation at #PMQs, just one or two on Partygate.
Not sure about that - keep hammering on about rulebreaking, that's what has got him in the lead. Supporting the rights of protesters doesn't win you votes. Also - Starmer should be talking about energy/food bills, not inflation.
This is right. The answer on right to protest writes itself for Johnson and allows him to throw red meat to his MPs and get some cheers. That's not to say he's right - he isn't - but absolutely not one for the febrile atmosphere of PMQs.
Focus on "while the PM tries to save his skin, and those sat beside him set up their leadership campaign websites, families are worrying about how to heat their home and feed their kids..."
Bah, every time you satisfy yourself that the Lords are an undemocratic, disreputable bunch of has beens, never was's, churchmen for goodness sake and corrupt donors who have wrongly bought their way into our legislature with legalised bribes something like this happens.
The real shame, of course, is on our snivelling or uninterested MPs who let it happen in the first place because they did not do their jobs whilst no doubt pontificating on their virtues or civil servants having a drink after work. And a Home Secretary who is simply not fit for purpose with no concept of the careful balance between the rights of protest in a democratic state and public order, even if it causes irritation and delay for the rest of us from time to time.
JRM and Nadine are the 2 most obvious departures along with Boris but surely, surely Patel is a third.
Indeed, however, to be fair to the MP's some of the worst features of the Bill were added AFTER it had been in the Commons.
I don't understand that. Unless they were new proposed amendments first introduced in the HoL? Which is a disgrace for a bill that started in the Commons. A Home Secretary cannot simply change the bill of her own accord. She needs the approval of Parliament to do so.
They were indeed first introduced in the HoL.
Ms Patel's concept of democracy appears different to ours!
Starmer should concentrate on this and inflation at #PMQs, just one or two on Partygate.
Not sure about that - keep hammering on about rulebreaking, that's what has got him in the lead. Supporting the rights of protesters doesn't win you votes. Also - Starmer should be talking about energy/food bills, not inflation.
Perhaps ask the PM if he still plans to lie down in front of the bulldozers at Heathrow.
The UCL researchers are among 250 signatories to a letter which has been sent to education secretary Nadhim Zahawi, calling on the government to allow for a wider range of approaches to teaching reading, which would allow teachers to use their own judgment about which is best for their pupils...
Synthetic phonics are probably the best system for about 60% of children. The troubles is that for the remaining 40% synthetic phonics are anywhere from useless to actively harmful to children's ability to learn to read. Teachers already knew this. The mistake is that Gove insisted schools be tested on children's ability at synthetic phonics.
Which is insane and, as a central diktat, goes directly against what his reforms were supposedly about (descentralising education)
My wife was a primary school teacher until this year, so I am well aware. Gove is a bit like a much more intelligent and energetic version of Johnson - he would far better have remained a journalist.
The point here (and this can't be emphasised enough) is that this 30yr high in inflation is happening BEFORE the impact of a record increase in energy bills which, as I ran through in this thread last night, will squeeze households even further https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
Tom Powdrill @TomPowdrill Spare a moment to think of those working as consultants to corporates who rely on the extra income they earn on the side as MPs to pay school fees. The shockwave from #PartyGate will have a human impact if these consultants lose that work through no fault of their own.
Perhaps place your children in the local state school, discover how good it is and work to improve it?
Bah, every time you satisfy yourself that the Lords are an undemocratic, disreputable bunch of has beens, never was's, churchmen for goodness sake and corrupt donors who have wrongly bought their way into our legislature with legalised bribes something like this happens.
The real shame, of course, is on our snivelling or uninterested MPs who let it happen in the first place because they did not do their jobs whilst no doubt pontificating on their virtues or civil servants having a drink after work. And a Home Secretary who is simply not fit for purpose with no concept of the careful balance between the rights of protest in a democratic state and public order, even if it causes irritation and delay for the rest of us from time to time.
JRM and Nadine are the 2 most obvious departures along with Boris but surely, surely Patel is a third.
I caught some of the news on RTÉ yesterday and there was considerable time spent on the discussions of a committee of TDs on whether to question the foreign affairs minister about a party during lockdown before or after the publication of an internal report into said party and it did strike me as bizarre displacement activity given the large number of other issues that might be considered.
I suppose it would be simpler if ministers would simply resign when found in an untenable position, such as breaking rules that they created, but it does feel as though priorities are a bit skewed.
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
Yes, the 1922 Chair, Sir Graham Brady, conducts the whole process of letters by himself, and the VONC process is done with paper ballots in a physical ballot box. It’s confidential, unless individual MPs decide to discuss their own votes in public.
Thanks
I seem to recall a huge complaint a long while back (Heseltine era?) when whips were watching over voting slips at a contest.
The tricky thing for apparent loyalists to Johnson is that there's no way back from this. If they leave him in place he, and the party, are going to take an absolute hammering in 2024.
As a leftie I'm happy for Johnson to remain in post for two years. As a supporter of this country's wellbeing, I'm not.
The UCL researchers are among 250 signatories to a letter which has been sent to education secretary Nadhim Zahawi, calling on the government to allow for a wider range of approaches to teaching reading, which would allow teachers to use their own judgment about which is best for their pupils...
Synthetic phonics are probably the best system for about 60% of children. The troubles is that for the remaining 40% synthetic phonics are anywhere from useless to actively harmful to children's ability to learn to read. Teachers already knew this. The mistake is that Gove insisted schools be tested on children's ability at synthetic phonics.
Which is insane and, as a central diktat, goes directly against what his reforms were supposedly about (descentralising education)
My wife was a primary school teacher until this year, so I am well aware. Gove is a bit like a much more intelligent and energetic version of Johnson - he would far better have remained a journalist.
My little 'un didn't get on with phonics much - it did not click with him. But he just learnt reading and writing the old way. The teachers did not seem to mind.
(I do wonder how much of him not clicking with it was because I didn't know much about it - although he was mainly taught at school).
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS PB Tories, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
Bah, every time you satisfy yourself that the Lords are an undemocratic, disreputable bunch of has beens, never was's, churchmen for goodness sake and corrupt donors who have wrongly bought their way into our legislature with legalised bribes something like this happens.
The real shame, of course, is on our snivelling or uninterested MPs who let it happen in the first place because they did not do their jobs whilst no doubt pontificating on their virtues or civil servants having a drink after work. And a Home Secretary who is simply not fit for purpose with no concept of the careful balance between the rights of protest in a democratic state and public order, even if it causes irritation and delay for the rest of us from time to time.
JRM and Nadine are the 2 most obvious departures along with Boris but surely, surely Patel is a third.
Indeed, however, to be fair to the MP's some of the worst features of the Bill were added AFTER it had been in the Commons.
I don't understand that. Unless they were new proposed amendments first introduced in the HoL? Which is a disgrace for a bill that started in the Commons. A Home Secretary cannot simply change the bill of her own accord. She needs the approval of Parliament to do so.
They were indeed first introduced in the HoL.
Ms Patel's concept of democracy appears different to ours!
Starmer should concentrate on this and inflation at #PMQs, just one or two on Partygate.
Not sure about that - keep hammering on about rulebreaking, that's what has got him in the lead. Supporting the rights of protesters doesn't win you votes. Also - Starmer should be talking about energy/food bills, not inflation.
Perhaps ask the PM if he still plans to lie down in front of the bulldozers at Heathrow.
Johnson would just ignore the question and say Starmer is standing up for extremists seeking to stop people driving on the M25, going to jobs to support their family etc.
I know it's an important issue, but PMQs is about landing punches - that one is just far too easy to answer whilst getting backbenches onside.
Curious challenge for Starmer today. How should he play it? Boris will come out swinging, desperately looking for a win. A dead, forward defensive shot, bat might be the right thing to do. Somber questions about Ukraine, deaths and the detail about the cost of living, anything to deny Boris oxygen. Finish one or two short to avoid Boris getting his sound bites in?
Sunak will be praying Russia doesn't invade Ukraine before Gray releases her report. Otherwise we may be stuck with the liar-in-chief for months to come, if not longer.
Do you think Johnson would actually run a war well? It's pretty essential to have a good PM during a war, and indeed we replaced one at the start of WWII. A war in Ukraine might actually accelerate his departure.
As a long time admirer of Churchill, Johnson would no doubt find it galling to be cast in the role of Chamberlain, but that could well happen.
It won't really matter how good he would or would not be (spoiler: he'd be shit) because if NATO gets in a shooting war with Russia over Ukraine it'll go nuclear within a week.
Do you really think so?
I would have thought that if the fighting was restricted to within Ukraine's 1991-2014 borders that there wouldn't be any nuclear escalation. I thought it would only be if NATO started heading towards Moscow that the nuclear button would be pressed.
Bah, every time you satisfy yourself that the Lords are an undemocratic, disreputable bunch of has beens, never was's, churchmen for goodness sake and corrupt donors who have wrongly bought their way into our legislature with legalised bribes something like this happens.
The real shame, of course, is on our snivelling or uninterested MPs who let it happen in the first place because they did not do their jobs whilst no doubt pontificating on their virtues or civil servants having a drink after work. And a Home Secretary who is simply not fit for purpose with no concept of the careful balance between the rights of protest in a democratic state and public order, even if it causes irritation and delay for the rest of us from time to time.
JRM and Nadine are the 2 most obvious departures along with Boris but surely, surely Patel is a third.
Indeed, however, to be fair to the MP's some of the worst features of the Bill were added AFTER it had been in the Commons.
I don't understand that. Unless they were new proposed amendments first introduced in the HoL? Which is a disgrace for a bill that started in the Commons. A Home Secretary cannot simply change the bill of her own accord. She needs the approval of Parliament to do so.
They were indeed first introduced in the HoL.
Ms Patel's concept of democracy appears different to ours!
Starmer should concentrate on this and inflation at #PMQs, just one or two on Partygate.
Not sure about that - keep hammering on about rulebreaking, that's what has got him in the lead. Supporting the rights of protesters doesn't win you votes. Also - Starmer should be talking about energy/food bills, not inflation.
Perhaps ask the PM if he still plans to lie down in front of the bulldozers at Heathrow.
Just be glad his name is Boris Johnson rather than Arthur Dent or else we would all be needing five pints and packet of peanuts...
It won't really matter how good he would or would not be (spoiler: he'd be shit) because if NATO gets in a shooting war with Russia over Ukraine it'll go nuclear within a week.
Really? Wouldn't both sides want to confine it to Ukraine? What would cause it to escalate that far?
This F...ing Tory Party are completely shameless. On Newsnight ... 'He didn't know it was against the rules that he himself had announced that week!!' These shameless sycophants are not even funny anymore
The ones that bother me are the ones that claim to have only just noticed that Boris is unfit to be prime minister. He has always been dodgy and done a lot of harm.
The problem we have is that so far this century, each PM has been worse than the last. Goodness knows who comes next.
Funny you should say that.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
Yes, the 1922 Chair, Sir Graham Brady, conducts the whole process of letters by himself, and the VONC process is done with paper ballots in a physical ballot box. It’s confidential, unless individual MPs decide to discuss their own votes in public.
Thanks
I seem to recall a huge complaint a long while back (Heseltine era?) when whips were watching over voting slips at a contest...
Still a problem, apparently, with whips or their stooges hanging around his office to see who submits letters (apparently no one trusts email). A postage system with deliveries undertaken by known rebels has reportedly been initiated.
A bit slow getting started this AM after a long wait in hospital yesterday.
A remarkable interview with a former army soldier wrt the impact of criminalisation of hommosexuality. Received a 6 month jail sentence for Gross Indecency at the age of 20. plus a criminal record etc.
UK unbanned homoosexuality in the armed forces in 2000. However he was caught in the CRC dragnet for a further 10 years+.
Implications continued until at least 2013 - no jobs where CRC required, no jury service, no foster children, policemen on the doorstep in 2013 demanding DNA samples because the army record had been passed on to the police. Classified as a sex offender.
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS PB Tories, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
There you go, I fixed your typo....
Also true although as a PB Tory myself (it is something I accept I can't escape, regardless of my resignation from the Party many moons ago) I would like to cite mitigating circumstances.
@Theuniondivvie can fill you in on the details. Indeed there was a whole thread yesterday dedicated to it...
Side-note on the Tory war - Conservative MP to @alexwickham in Playbook last night: “The MPs involved in the pork pie plot really are ungrateful rookies. Half of them wouldn’t have won their seats without Boris and seem only to want to do Cummings’ bidding." 1/2
But as one ex-minister put it to me... more experienced members of the party would normally be expected to "calm things down" in this situation but they've “lost any shred of credibility” as a result of the Owen Paterson affair and newbies won't listen to them 2/2
It will be interesting to see if the PB Tories "big up" Boris afterwards! "I thought he did rather well. Starmer was rubbish..."
Graham Brady has a rather tricky seat (6k majority) to defend on the edge of Greater Manchester (or Cheshire if you are posh).... I siuspect he may be the 54th....
I used to live there. He was my MP and I spoke to him on several occasions
Sunak will be praying Russia doesn't invade Ukraine before Gray releases her report. Otherwise we may be stuck with the liar-in-chief for months to come, if not longer.
Do you think Johnson would actually run a war well? It's pretty essential to have a good PM during a war, and indeed we replaced one at the start of WWII. A war in Ukraine might actually accelerate his departure.
As a long time admirer of Churchill, Johnson would no doubt find it galling to be cast in the role of Chamberlain, but that could well happen.
It won't really matter how good he would or would not be (spoiler: he'd be shit) because if NATO gets in a shooting war with Russia over Ukraine it'll go nuclear within a week.
Do you really think so?
I would have thought that if the fighting was restricted to within Ukraine's 1991-2014 borders that there wouldn't be any nuclear escalation. I thought it would only be if NATO started heading towards Moscow that the nuclear button would be pressed.
Was always the thinking even in my day. 10 days fighting the Warsaw Pact to a "standstill position" somewhere around one side or another of the then border and then to start with tactical nuclear weapons and after that who cares...
Curious challenge for Starmer today. How should he play it? Boris will come out swinging, desperately looking for a win. A dead, forward defensive shot, bat might be the right thing to do. Somber questions about Ukraine, deaths and the detail about the cost of living, anything to deny Boris oxygen. Finish one or two short to avoid Boris getting his sound bites in?
This is where Starmer is so good. He may be very dull at times but he's clinically forensic. Whereas I'd have expected a host of Labour leaders to miss the mark, Starmer's quiet, effective, probing is bound to rile Johnson.
I was thinking yesterday just how exceptionally dull things will be if it's Starmer vs Sunak. Were it not for the shitshow around us in the country it would become a complete borefest. I hope everyone's ready and prepared for that. Just as the end of Donald Trump calmed things down, the end of Johnson will do likewise here.
Not sure these proposals are all that radical. As a Wiganer I distinctly remember being subject to random stop and search on suspicion of intention to attend a protest based purely on my starting location. Then we were told which parts of the country we could and couldn't travel to. But that was during the Strike and we weren't middle class. I don't remember a great deal of libertarian outrage at the time.
Not sure how proletarian one had to be. I remember one of the better political reminiscences on PB - alas I forget the name; about being a drinks company representative at that time, being stopped and encouraged to donate the contents of his boot to refresh the plod.
No. Alas. Basically. Where you from? (And numberplates were a pretty big tell in those days). Turn around. You aren't free to travel around the country. Regardless of your intentions. Quite stunning it has been erased from the collective memory. Was just a tad more intrusive than having to wear a mask in Asda. And cheered to the rafters by the Right.
The police behaved pretty disgracefully during the miner's strike. No reason to give them even more powers now.
I really hope this Bill dies a death. Having another leader but keeping the same bad laws is - to me - no better than putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.
Maybe one or two of you will read the header. The stuff in the Bill may be dull compared to the No 10 comedy act but it is important.
Sigh......
Anecdote Alert.
When my son was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum aged around 8 years old, my wife asked the consultant for a single piece of advice that we should take away from the diagnosis. His advice was never ever allow him to be interviewed by the police, particularly under caution, without legal representation, which was rather telling. He quoted Stefan Kishko.
When I was very, very young, during the Miner's strike, I was a Sales Rep for Courage the Brewers. I called mainly at Co-ops and off-licences in West Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, South Lincs. and Rutland. Rutland was covered by the Leicestershire Constabulary area, and West Leicestershire had a number of mines. On crossing into Rutland on one occasion I was stopped by Officers from the Met Police (yes the Met Police). They cleaned me out of the cases of samples I had in the boot- no point arguing I thought. I even had to help load the beer into their bus from my car. A year or two later I went to a wedding in Bolton. The groom worked for Greater Manchester Police and I regaled my story. He told me his. He said he made a fortune in overtime patroling the Warwickshire coalfields. On one occasion they were staying in a hostel recently vacated by the Met. He said somewhere along the M1 the Met bus was stopped and the hostel tellys were recovered.
I have told my children to be very polite to, but very cautious of the police. My youngest son detests them. I would limit rather than increase their power!
I can't agree more. I remember seeing pictures of the police in the miners strike waving wads of cash in the faces of the picket line, their overtime money.
Never help the police with their enquiries. Remember, the only reason they ask you questions is because they don't have the evidence to charge until you give it to them.
Never ever talk to the police without a lawyer present.
A bit slow getting started this AM after a long wait in hospital yesterday.
A remarkable interview with a former army soldier wrt the impact of criminalisation of hommosexuality. Received a 6 month jail sentence for Gross Indecency at the age of 20. plus a criminal record etc.
UK unbanned homoosexuality in the armed forces in 2000. However he was caught in the CRC dragnet for a further 10 years+.
Implications continued until at least 2013 - no jobs where CRC required, no jury service, no foster children, policemen on the doorstep in 2013 demanding DNA samples because the army record had been passed on to the police. Classified as a sex offender.
Can anyone answer my question as to whether a VONC conducted by the 1922 is DEFINITELY confidential?
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
The critical thing about the thumbs up 👍 thumbs down 👎 leadership vote is it’s a secret ballot. Anyone - cab ministers, supposed allies - can vote against PM anonymously.
That’s why it is so dangerous if the 54 letters are hit. No one can predict what happens next.
One of the 2019 MPs who thinks PM's time is up claims half of those at meeting yday have put letters in already this morning, angered by arm twisting calls and what they see as insulting quotes from ministers last night - more on @BBCr4today in a min https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1483714658590679045
Side-note on the Tory war - Conservative MP to @alexwickham in Playbook last night: “The MPs involved in the pork pie plot really are ungrateful rookies. Half of them wouldn’t have won their seats without Boris and seem only to want to do Cummings’ bidding."
Curious challenge for Starmer today. How should he play it? Boris will come out swinging, desperately looking for a win. A dead, forward defensive shot, bat might be the right thing to do. Somber questions about Ukraine, deaths and the detail about the cost of living, anything to deny Boris oxygen. Finish one or two short to avoid Boris getting his sound bites in?
Surely Starmer has no choice but to go on partygate again. Anything else looks like he’s accepting that Johnson has weathered the storm.
Of course, Starmer might think keeping Johnson in place is a win for him.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Looks like outdoor winter sports will be pretty much non-existent by the end of this century. Swedish meteorological research shows that most Scandinavian resorts, training facilities and competition venues will be pretty much unusable by 2100.
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS PB Tories, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
There you go, I fixed your typo....
I think you have taken a couple of years off the site, haven't you? And failed, in a Johnson like fashion, to do your homework about what changes occurred in your absence. The vast majority of pb tories were equivocal to hostile to Johnson even in 2019 and the only remaining one, HYUFD, has never applauded Johnson, only polls showing a Johnson lead
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Uxbridge and South Ruislip goes Labour on that poll.
The point here (and this can't be emphasised enough) is that this 30yr high in inflation is happening BEFORE the impact of a record increase in energy bills which, as I ran through in this thread last night, will squeeze households even further https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Looks like outdoor winter sports will be pretty much non-existent by the end of this century. Swedish meteorological research shows that most Scandinavian resorts, training facilities and competition venues will be pretty much unusable by 2100.
The Alps and Scotland can forget it.
Alps gone by 2050 apparently, Scotland has been fucked since about 1990
I know people my age always perceive the world going to hell in a handcraft but this time it really is
'Removing Boris Johnson will give us one thing: Keir Starmer as Prime Minister' says Nadine
Why don't you just resign as a conservative as you are so full of negatively the party would not miss you and Dorries is a disaster and needs sending to the back benches
And I can take your place as I rejoin as Boris leaves
I don't hate the Tory leader and PM unlike you.
I do not hate Boris but then I cannot support his behaviour over Paterson, wallpapergate and partygate, and the trashing of the conservative brand
You seem to be happy to predict years in opposition for the party so why not resign as you can hardly promote the party
I am always loyal to the party, even in 2001 when you were happily voting Labour
You voted for Plaid and you simply could not canvass for the party with a new leader in view of your statements
Utter rubbish, you have spent the last few weeks trashing the party and its leader.
Plenty of Tories were loyal to Thatcher to the end in 1990, they still canvassed for Major in 1992
It is Boris Johnson and his pals who have trashed the Conservative Party, not Big_G_NorthWales. You are just lashing out at imagined enemies. Quite sad to witness.
Sunak will be praying Russia doesn't invade Ukraine before Gray releases her report. Otherwise we may be stuck with the liar-in-chief for months to come, if not longer.
Do you think Johnson would actually run a war well? It's pretty essential to have a good PM during a war, and indeed we replaced one at the start of WWII. A war in Ukraine might actually accelerate his departure.
As a long time admirer of Churchill, Johnson would no doubt find it galling to be cast in the role of Chamberlain, but that could well happen.
It won't really matter how good he would or would not be (spoiler: he'd be shit) because if NATO gets in a shooting war with Russia over Ukraine it'll go nuclear within a week.
Do you really think so?
I would have thought that if the fighting was restricted to within Ukraine's 1991-2014 borders that there wouldn't be any nuclear escalation. I thought it would only be if NATO started heading towards Moscow that the nuclear button would be pressed.
Wars aren't generally that tidy and predictable. You can't just point at a line on a map and say we'll do a war up to here and stop. What happens if you're getting a rolling 152mm howitzer barrage from the other side of the border?
Russian battlefield doctrine (inherited from the Soviet Union) relies heavily on chemical weapons and tactical nukes (Tochka/Iskander) to compensate for the qualitative and technological disadvantage with NATO. Once they start losing anything could happen.
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS PB Tories, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
There you go, I fixed your typo....
I think you have taken a couple of years off the site, haven't you? And failed, in a Johnson like fashion, to do your homework about what changes occurred in your absence. The vast majority of pb tories were equivocal to hostile to Johnson even in 2019 and the only remaining one, HYUFD, has never applauded Johnson, only polls showing a Johnson lead
Problem is, as @Theuniondivvie points out with some justification, "PB Tory" is similar to "Metropolitan Elite" which cannot be shed it just is, regardless of the detail.
For example, @kinabalu I'm sure likes champagne (who doesn't) and is a socialist (by his own admission). But even if his favourite tipple was mild & bitter he would nevertheless be a Champagne Socialist, perhaps to his chagrin.
Curious challenge for Starmer today. How should he play it? Boris will come out swinging, desperately looking for a win. A dead, forward defensive shot, bat might be the right thing to do. Somber questions about Ukraine, deaths and the detail about the cost of living, anything to deny Boris oxygen. Finish one or two short to avoid Boris getting his sound bites in?
Surely Starmer has no choice but to go on partygate again. Anything else looks like he’s accepting that Johnson has weathered the storm.
Of course, Starmer might think keeping Johnson in place is a win for him.
It’s tricky. Ideally you would have some new detailed revelation to go on. The opportunity is to trip up and frustrate a PM who desperately wants a tub thumping, backbench confidence building, win.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Uxbridge and South Ruislip goes Labour on that poll.
Can you remind us who the MP is for that seat?
What Tory seat in London doesn't go Labour with that poll?
This F...ing Tory Party are completely shameless. On Newsnight ... 'He didn't know it was against the rules that he himself had announced that week!!' These shameless sycophants are not even funny anymore
The ones that bother me are the ones that claim to have only just noticed that Boris is unfit to be prime minister. He has always been dodgy and done a lot of harm.
The problem we have is that so far this century, each PM has been worse than the last. Goodness knows who comes next.
Funny you should say that.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
The point here (and this can't be emphasised enough) is that this 30yr high in inflation is happening BEFORE the impact of a record increase in energy bills which, as I ran through in this thread last night, will squeeze households even further https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Yup. April's number is going to be ugly.
I was quite surprised yesterday when putting away the weekly shopping order . What looked like roughly half or two thirds of what I usually order, for the same price as my old larger amount. Food is definitely beginning to rise quite noticeably, now.
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS PB Tories, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
There you go, I fixed your typo....
I think you have taken a couple of years off the site, haven't you? And failed, in a Johnson like fashion, to do your homework about what changes occurred in your absence. The vast majority of pb tories were equivocal to hostile to Johnson even in 2019 and the only remaining one, HYUFD, has never applauded Johnson, only polls showing a Johnson lead
Problem is, as @Theuniondivvie points out with some justification, "PB Tory" is similar to "Metropolitan Elite" which cannot be shed it just is, regardless of the detail.
For example, @kinabalu I'm sure likes champagne (who doesn't) and is a socialist (by his own admission). But even if his favourite tipple was mild & bitter he would nevertheless be a Champagne Socialist, perhaps to his chagrin.
.
I think I would grudgingly accept the term Champagne Socialist being applied to me even though I don't like Champagne.
So that most people's mobile phone and broadband & landline bills going up around 10% in March/April.
Which, for most of the population, is a couple of quid. Just because it’s your own largest monthly expenditure, doesn’t mean that everyone faces the same issue.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Last Starmer interview I read said that there was no question of Rejoining in his mind. We were OUT, end of.
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
LauraK reporting that the Tories' ham-fisted attempts to threaten potential rebels - including threats regarding the outcome of the boundary review (which are either lame bluffs, or raise serious concerns about the process) - are proving counter-productive and prompted some MPs to hand their letters in now rather than waiting for Gray.
The point here (and this can't be emphasised enough) is that this 30yr high in inflation is happening BEFORE the impact of a record increase in energy bills which, as I ran through in this thread last night, will squeeze households even further https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Yup. April's number is going to be ugly.
I was quite surprised yesterday when putting away the weekly shopping order. What looked like roughly a half or two thirds of what I usually order, for the same price as my old larger amount. Food is definitely beginning to rise quite noticeably now.
It's not the greatest test but 4litres of milk at our corner shop for years cost £2. In October / November it went up to £2.20 and on Monday went up to £2.30
That is a 15% increase.
For another example Morrison's fancier wholemeal bread (own brand) has gone from £1.00 to £1.10 to £1.35
Now both are individual products but as I remember the price of them they are easy ones to use as examples.
Looks like outdoor winter sports will be pretty much non-existent by the end of this century. Swedish meteorological research shows that most Scandinavian resorts, training facilities and competition venues will be pretty much unusable by 2100.
The Alps and Scotland can forget it.
Alps gone by 2050 apparently, Scotland has been fucked since about 1990
I know people my age always perceive the world going to hell in a handcraft but this time it really is
Disagree. Scotland has had some tremendous winters in recent years, but when the time comes for current infrastructure (lifts etc) to be replaced, it is profoundly unlikely that the finance boffins will judge it to be a wise use of capital.
It was fun while it lasted. All my children and my sister’s children are great skiers, but I suspect that the next generation are going to have to get there kicks elsewhere, eg windsurfing.
I have a little bit of sympathy but only a little bit. Too much detail isn't good for getting your head around what to say in front of the media, and you should be able to summarise to that level.
Of course, you also need the whole brief to actually understand any issue, and that's the key. And I expect old BJ to not even bother to get his head around the detail at all.
So that most people's mobile phone and broadband & landline bills going up around 10% in March/April.
Which, for most of the population, is a couple of quid. Just because it’s your own largest monthly expenditure, doesn’t mean that everyone faces the same issue.
LauraK reporting that the Tories' ham-fisted attempts to threaten potential rebels - including threats regarding the outcome of the boundary review (which are either lame bluffs, or raise serious concerns about the process) - are proving counter-productive and prompted some MPs to hand their letters in now rather than waiting for Gray.
I wonder who's making the threats, there's not many people left in team Boris aiui.
R4 Laura reporting that last night’s attempt by Johnson loyalists to bully the Pork Pie Plotters into backing down has backfired - after their attempted brow beating half of them sent in their letters to Brady.
This F...ing Tory Party are completely shameless. On Newsnight ... 'He didn't know it was against the rules that he himself had announced that week!!' These shameless sycophants are not even funny anymore
The ones that bother me are the ones that claim to have only just noticed that Boris is unfit to be prime minister. He has always been dodgy and done a lot of harm.
The problem we have is that so far this century, each PM has been worse than the last. Goodness knows who comes next.
Funny you should say that.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
'Removing Boris Johnson will give us one thing: Keir Starmer as Prime Minister' says Nadine
Why don't you just resign as a conservative as you are so full of negatively the party would not miss you and Dorries is a disaster and needs sending to the back benches
And I can take your place as I rejoin as Boris leaves
I don't hate the Tory leader and PM unlike you.
I do not hate Boris but then I cannot support his behaviour over Paterson, wallpapergate and partygate, and the trashing of the conservative brand
You seem to be happy to predict years in opposition for the party so why not resign as you can hardly promote the party
I am always loyal to the party, even in 2001 when you were happily voting Labour
You voted for Plaid and you simply could not canvass for the party with a new leader in view of your statements
Utter rubbish, you have spent the last few weeks trashing the party and its leader.
Plenty of Tories were loyal to Thatcher to the end in 1990, they still canvassed for Major in 1992
It is Boris Johnson and his pals who have trashed the Conservative Party, not Big_G_NorthWales. You are just lashing out at imagined enemies. Quite sad to witness.
No, it is Dominic Cummings. Who more likely than not will still usher in a decade or more of Labour rule, not the decade of Sunak and Gove rule he wants
The issue isn't protest. Or at least it shouldn't be. The issue ought to be disruption. We can all be high-minded about rights to free expression and assembly but extinction rebellion and insulate Britain DID cause major disruption i.e harm. People have a right to be angry about that. The Supreme Court might have exploded a legal grenade with its verdict that a certain level of disruption had to be tolerated in a free society. Well what does that mean exactly?
Many liberty lovers would have applauded that but what if the consequence is the government introducing more draconian laws as a counter measure? Activists judges might actually be their own worst enemy in this. Of course I don't have any confidence in Patel who seems like a minister playing to the gallery in search of favourable tabloid headlines. But one has to understand why she has found such fertile territory.
We already have plenty of laws to deal with disruption and public order offences.
I remember an interesting situation.
Way back in the 80s, the police and intelligence services used their infiltration of the NI terrorist groups and various criminal gangs to cultivate "Supergrasses" - people who who would give evidence against the really big fish in open court. Basically the American system - "You are looking at life. What have you got to say to help yourself".
A bunch of noble, brilliant QCs fought desperately against such a terrible system. They managed to get it stuck down with rulings that the evidence was inadmissible.
So the police, instead of catching armed robbers *before* their "jobs", lay in wait for them. And shot them dead.
The Intelligence services did the same to the IRA - it was called "shoot to kill'.
The noble, brilliant QCs complained about that, IIRC.
But they never seemed to admit that there was a connection to their actions.
The problem with constructing a constitution by legal/judicial activism* is Democracy.
We have had centuries of telling people that voting is the ultimate power, that their elected representatives in Parliament can do *anything*.
Something will have to give.....
*The creation, in effect, of new law, via judicial judgement, of new meanings in old laws
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Not that surprising? Its literally weeks since you and other Peppa apologists were banging on about actually how awful Khan is and actually Labour are really unpopular in London because he's just bankrupted the tube and allowed knife murder to go unchecked and actually he is the boss of Dick so her failings are his etc etc etc
So that most people's mobile phone and broadband & landline bills going up around 10% in March/April.
Which, for most of the population, is a couple of quid. Just because it’s your own largest monthly expenditure, doesn’t mean that everyone faces the same issue.
Have you seen the prices here?
iPhone 13 Pro 256GB on EE with 40 GB a month is £69 a month = Near £7 increase
That's not even the top end iPhone.
Same with broadband.
So it really isn't a couple of quid increase for most people.
The average monthly cost for the most popular smartphones in 2018 was £39.60 but in 2021, this increased to £47.20 on average per month. So we're looking at a £5 for mobiles and £8 for broadband.
Think for hardworking families that have several kids, all with smart phones.
So that most people's mobile phone and broadband & landline bills going up around 10% in March/April.
Which, for most of the population, is a couple of quid. Just because it’s your own largest monthly expenditure, doesn’t mean that everyone faces the same issue.
For a lot of people it's actually going to be £5 or £8 as they will be paying for their phone as part of their Vodafone / EE contract.
Others who use a sim only deal will end paying (as you say) little extra.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Last Starmer interview I read said that there was no question of Rejoining in his mind. We were OUT, end of.
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
Nope. Brexit is still a major division, the latest Yougov has 53% of Remainers backing Labour and just 12% backing the Tories. However 56% of Leavers still back the Tories even under Boris wth just 20% backing Labour.
Starmer would also of course at least take the UK back into a Customs Union with the EU unlike the Tories
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Last Starmer interview I read said that there was no question of Rejoining in his mind. We were OUT, end of.
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
For Remainers the best policy is to sit tight for a while. The economy is clearly on a lower growth path post-Brexit and people will increasingly notice. Wait for about five years and there will be a clear majority for rejoin, or at least for EEA membership. That's the time to organise a vote to make it happen. In the meantime, just sit back and let Brexit fail on its own. Don't create a stabbed in the back myth for Brexiteers by hastening its end.
So that most people's mobile phone and broadband & landline bills going up around 10% in March/April.
Which, for most of the population, is a couple of quid. Just because it’s your own largest monthly expenditure, doesn’t mean that everyone faces the same issue.
For a lot of people it's actually going to be £5 or £8 as they will be paying for their phone as part of their Vodafone / EE contract.
Others who use a sim only deal will end paying (as you say) little extra.
My sim only plan + broadband is £50 a month so that’s £5 extra to find.
A reminder for proponents of “If Russia invades Ukraine Johnson will be safe” - not only have we changed PMs during world wars, the Tories dumped Thatcher in the run up to the first Gulf War…
This F...ing Tory Party are completely shameless. On Newsnight ... 'He didn't know it was against the rules that he himself had announced that week!!' These shameless sycophants are not even funny anymore
The ones that bother me are the ones that claim to have only just noticed that Boris is unfit to be prime minister. He has always been dodgy and done a lot of harm.
The problem we have is that so far this century, each PM has been worse than the last. Goodness knows who comes next.
Funny you should say that.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
'Removing Boris Johnson will give us one thing: Keir Starmer as Prime Minister' says Nadine
Why don't you just resign as a conservative as you are so full of negatively the party would not miss you and Dorries is a disaster and needs sending to the back benches
And I can take your place as I rejoin as Boris leaves
I don't hate the Tory leader and PM unlike you.
I do not hate Boris but then I cannot support his behaviour over Paterson, wallpapergate and partygate, and the trashing of the conservative brand
You seem to be happy to predict years in opposition for the party so why not resign as you can hardly promote the party
I am always loyal to the party, even in 2001 when you were happily voting Labour
You voted for Plaid and you simply could not canvass for the party with a new leader in view of your statements
Utter rubbish, you have spent the last few weeks trashing the party and its leader.
Plenty of Tories were loyal to Thatcher to the end in 1990, they still canvassed for Major in 1992
It is Boris Johnson and his pals who have trashed the Conservative Party, not Big_G_NorthWales. You are just lashing out at imagined enemies. Quite sad to witness.
No, it is Dominic Cummings. Who more likely than not will still usher in a decade or more of Labour rule, not the decade of Sunak and Gove rule he wants
Er… it was the Conservative Party who employed Dominic Cummings. You cannot purchase the services of a witch doctor and then blame the ensuing bùrach on said witch doctor.
Moral of tale: avoid sinister pedlars of dreams. Subject of tale: Brexit.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Not that surprising? Its literally weeks since you and other Peppa apologists were banging on about actually how awful Khan is and actually Labour are really unpopular in London because he's just bankrupted the tube and allowed knife murder to go unchecked and actually he is the boss of Dick so her failings are his etc etc etc
If only Johnson had been the boss of dick maybe some of his problems could have been avoided.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Last Starmer interview I read said that there was no question of Rejoining in his mind. We were OUT, end of.
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
Nope. Brexit is still a major division, the latest Yougov has 53% of Remainers backing Labour and just 12% backing the Tories. However 56% of Leavers still back the Tories even under Boris wth just 20% backing Labour.
Starmer would also of course at least take the UK back into a Customs Union with the EU unlike the Tories
LauraK reporting that the Tories' ham-fisted attempts to threaten potential rebels - including threats regarding the outcome of the boundary review (which are either lame bluffs, or raise serious concerns about the process) - are proving counter-productive and prompted some MPs to hand their letters in now rather than waiting for Gray.
I wonder who's making the threats, there's not many people left in team Boris aiui.
It's like Lear without the tragic dignity. I will do such things— What they are yet I know not, but they shall be The terrors of the earth...
The point here (and this can't be emphasised enough) is that this 30yr high in inflation is happening BEFORE the impact of a record increase in energy bills which, as I ran through in this thread last night, will squeeze households even further https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Yup. April's number is going to be ugly.
I was quite surprised yesterday when putting away the weekly shopping order. What looked like roughly a half or two thirds of what I usually order, for the same price as my old larger amount. Food is definitely beginning to rise quite noticeably now.
It's not the greatest test but 4litres of milk at our corner shop for years cost £2. In October / November it went up to £2.20 and on Monday went up to £2.30
That is a 15% increase.
For another example Morrison's fancier wholemeal bread (own brand) has gone from £1.00 to £1.10 to £1.35
Now both are individual products but as I remember the price of them they are easy ones to use as examples.
Good morning
Asda charge £1.19 for 4 pint milk bottles
Are you sure your milk is 4 litres and not 4 pints
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Not that surprising? Its literally weeks since you and other Peppa apologists were banging on about actually how awful Khan is and actually Labour are really unpopular in London because he's just bankrupted the tube and allowed knife murder to go unchecked and actually he is the boss of Dick so her failings are his etc etc etc
The Tories can win London in a Mayoral or Assembly election, remember even Bailey got 45% in London last May and Boris won the London Mayoralty in 2008 and 2012.
However the Tories cannot win London at a general election now, London voted majority Labour even in 2015 and 2019 when the Tories won a UK wide majority.
'Removing Boris Johnson will give us one thing: Keir Starmer as Prime Minister' says Nadine
Why don't you just resign as a conservative as you are so full of negatively the party would not miss you and Dorries is a disaster and needs sending to the back benches
And I can take your place as I rejoin as Boris leaves
I don't hate the Tory leader and PM unlike you.
I do not hate Boris but then I cannot support his behaviour over Paterson, wallpapergate and partygate, and the trashing of the conservative brand
You seem to be happy to predict years in opposition for the party so why not resign as you can hardly promote the party
I am always loyal to the party, even in 2001 when you were happily voting Labour
You voted for Plaid and you simply could not canvass for the party with a new leader in view of your statements
Utter rubbish, you have spent the last few weeks trashing the party and its leader.
Plenty of Tories were loyal to Thatcher to the end in 1990, they still canvassed for Major in 1992
It is Boris Johnson and his pals who have trashed the Conservative Party, not Big_G_NorthWales. You are just lashing out at imagined enemies. Quite sad to witness.
No, it is Dominic Cummings. Who more likely than not will still usher in a decade or more of Labour rule, not the decade of Sunak and Gove rule he wants
Cummings is a mere catalyst. Johnson is both problem and cause.
This F...ing Tory Party are completely shameless. On Newsnight ... 'He didn't know it was against the rules that he himself had announced that week!!' These shameless sycophants are not even funny anymore
The ones that bother me are the ones that claim to have only just noticed that Boris is unfit to be prime minister. He has always been dodgy and done a lot of harm.
The problem we have is that so far this century, each PM has been worse than the last. Goodness knows who comes next.
Funny you should say that.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
If going to a protest 'being equiped' is an offence and linking arms could be covered by the 'attach' clause doesn't that mean that just having a pair of arms mean that you will be subject to arrest. Love to see that one going to court.
Not that surprising given London, especially Inner London, was Remain central. The only reason most Tory MPs in Remain seats in London in 2019 held their seats was to keep out Corbyn, wealthy Remainers see Starmer as much less of a threat.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
Last Starmer interview I read said that there was no question of Rejoining in his mind. We were OUT, end of.
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
Nope. Brexit is still a major division, the latest Yougov has 53% of Remainers backing Labour and just 12% backing the Tories. However 56% of Leavers still back the Tories even under Boris wth just 20% backing Labour.
Starmer would also of course at least take the UK back into a Customs Union with the EU unlike the Tories
This may be a fallacy but I'm genuinely not sure if you're able to comprehend why.
If you divided the country along a range of political and ethical issues you would find that the labels attached to 'Remain' and 'Leave' could equally be applied to other stances, beliefs and traits.
It takes someone fixated on Brexit, which most of us have moved on from, to assume that the categories still apply. In fact, if you poll people on what currently matters to them in their everyday lives, the EU doesn't even feature in the top 20.
It suits me fine if you're typical of other tories of your caste. It means that you'll completely miss the point and be out of power for a generation.
A bit slow getting started this AM after a long wait in hospital yesterday.
A remarkable interview with a former army soldier wrt the impact of criminalisation of hommosexuality. Received a 6 month jail sentence for Gross Indecency at the age of 20. plus a criminal record etc.
UK unbanned homoosexuality in the armed forces in 2000. However he was caught in the CRC dragnet for a further 10 years+.
Implications continued until at least 2013 - no jobs where CRC required, no jury service, no foster children, policemen on the doorstep in 2013 demanding DNA samples because the army record had been passed on to the police. Classified as a sex offender.
Yes. And, as is common with these stories, IIRC nothing on: "We talked to all the arms of the state these things and allegations are about and they said"....etc; which leaves you wondering whether the BBC have actually confirmed all the details and troubled to get the other side.
Still horrific though, despite inadequate journalism.
Comments
Wonder where they got the idea from?
Ha ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha...
Who are we discussing here
If it isn't, he may yet survive. As we've just witnessed from the pathetic armed forces minister, cabinet troughers aren't going to be dragged away without a fight.
a) both Berlusconi and Trump have a much bigger personal power base.
b) Johnson doesn't have quite the same need for legal cover for his crimes.
But who knows? He's about the right age to follow Churchill into some wilderness years about now, I'm sure he would be dreaming of a comeback.
What if he's replaced by someone who abandons the "green crap" for a short term boost, Starmer's Labour goes along with this because they are useless. Johnson becomes a prophet of doom on the Right, warning about impending environmental catastrophe. In about 10 years time he's proven right, and a desperate electorate turn to him as the saviour, as head of a Green Nationalist movement.
That’s why it is so dangerous if the 54 letters are hit. No one can predict what happens next.
https://twitter.com/benrileysmith/status/1483558032281853958
So James Heappey thinks it is the fault of the Civil Servants who ‘put it (20/5/20) in the PM’s diary’. Sorry, I thought we’d established the PM did not know this was a pre-arranged event until he saw the invite last week. Can we see the PM’s diary then please? #BBCBreakfast
https://twitter.com/SixVpf/status/1483708639626080258
Focus on "while the PM tries to save his skin, and those sat beside him set up their leadership campaign websites, families are worrying about how to heat their home and feed their kids..."
https://twitter.com/radleybalko/status/1483560774362673152?t=RUl41GKuu95CRIsIEHHU1Q&s=19
A lawyer argued in the Supreme Court that "Innocence is not enough" to prevent a man from being executed by the state.
Gove is a bit like a much more intelligent and energetic version of Johnson - he would far better have remained a journalist.
https://twitter.com/edconwaysky/status/1483512210370580488
Whereas previously we, the 2019 intake of Conservative MPS, were united in thinking that Boris Johnson was a breath of fresh air, a true leader, an incisive thinker, and someone who can cut through the fog of Westminster politics and deliver real benefits to the country, we now appreciate that he is a useless no hoper with no vision, ideas, or moral compass and we thoroughly reject his leadership.
https://twitter.com/TomPowdrill/status/1483710634604871680
Tom Powdrill
@TomPowdrill
Spare a moment to think of those working as consultants to corporates who rely on the extra income they earn on the side as MPs to pay school fees. The shockwave from #PartyGate will have a human impact if these consultants lose that work through no fault of their own.
Perhaps place your children in the local state school, discover how good it is and work to improve it?
I suppose it would be simpler if ministers would simply resign when found in an untenable position, such as breaking rules that they created, but it does feel as though priorities are a bit skewed.
I seem to recall a huge complaint a long while back (Heseltine era?) when whips were watching over voting slips at a contest.
The tricky thing for apparent loyalists to Johnson is that there's no way back from this. If they leave him in place he, and the party, are going to take an absolute hammering in 2024.
As a leftie I'm happy for Johnson to remain in post for two years. As a supporter of this country's wellbeing, I'm not.
Good article here: https://reaction.life/boris-is-reuniting-britain/
(I do wonder how much of him not clicking with it was because I didn't know much about it - although he was mainly taught at school).
I know it's an important issue, but PMQs is about landing punches - that one is just far too easy to answer whilst getting backbenches onside.
I would have thought that if the fighting was restricted to within Ukraine's 1991-2014 borders that there wouldn't be any nuclear escalation. I thought it would only be if NATO started heading towards Moscow that the nuclear button would be pressed.
‘Boris Johnson's replacement will likely be worse’
In the meantime, Johnson will attempt to save his skin with a raft of right-wing populist policies designed to appeal to the pro-Brexit readers of the frothing Mail and Express who make up the Conservatives' core support. Just as happened with Brexit, everyone in the UK will have to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives acting as though the interests of the state are subordinate to the interests of the Conservative party, which is precisely what passes for a constitution in the UK allows them to do.
We are in for further restrictions on the right to protest, the continuing demonisation of migrants and asylum seekers as convenient scapegoats, and yet more attacks upon any remaining institutions in the UK which are capable of restraining the wilder excesses of the Conservatives. The next Tory leader is likely to be even worse, he or she will embrace a full-throated Thatcherism, and emboldened by a surge in public support in England during their honeymoon period, will seek a snap election which could entrench Tory rule for decades to come.
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/19857127.real-scottish-politics-boris-johnsons-replacement-will-likely-worse/
A postage system with deliveries undertaken by known rebels has reportedly been initiated.
A bit slow getting started this AM after a long wait in hospital yesterday.
A remarkable interview with a former army soldier wrt the impact of criminalisation of hommosexuality. Received a 6 month jail sentence for Gross Indecency at the age of 20. plus a criminal record etc.
UK unbanned homoosexuality in the armed forces in 2000. However he was caught in the CRC dragnet for a further 10 years+.
Implications continued until at least 2013 - no jobs where CRC required, no jury service, no foster children, policemen on the doorstep in 2013 demanding DNA samples because the army record had been passed on to the police. Classified as a sex offender.
Horrific.
7:51 on the Today Programme.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013jcq
Boris Johnson partygate crisis: Poll gives Labour 32-point lead in London
Exclusive: Eight Tory MPs could lose their seats in London if bombshell poll is replicated at next General Election
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/yougov-poll-labour-lead-london-boris-johnson-party-downing-st-plan-b-b977489.html
@Theuniondivvie can fill you in on the details. Indeed there was a whole thread yesterday dedicated to it...
https://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2022/01/18/lets-get-this-right-con-won-ge2019-because-of-corbyn-not-johnson/
But as one ex-minister put it to me... more experienced members of the party would normally be expected to "calm things down" in this situation but they've “lost any shred of credibility” as a result of the Owen Paterson affair and newbies won't listen to them 2/2
https://twitter.com/estwebber/status/1483713393160773632
A concept which is likely not now unattached to the certainty of her being booted from the cabinet the day Johnson is gone.
I was thinking yesterday just how exceptionally dull things will be if it's Starmer vs Sunak. Were it not for the shitshow around us in the country it would become a complete borefest. I hope everyone's ready and prepared for that. Just as the end of Donald Trump calmed things down, the end of Johnson will do likewise here.
https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1483714658590679045
Johnson was the shadow minister at the time. I got a note: the one-pager was too long. He needs 4-5 bullet points max.
https://twitter.com/ariehkovler/status/1483711385053839367
https://twitter.com/DavidGauke/status/1483538781919760395
Of course, Starmer might think keeping Johnson in place is a win for him.
Tories doing a bit better in Outer London though were a few areas like Hillingdon, Bexley and Havering voted Leave on 25% than Inner London, where every borough voted Remain and the Tories are on just 18%. That suggests the Tories could not only lose Wandsworth and Barnet in May but even lose Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea on a really bad night
The Alps and Scotland can forget it.
“******* bonkers standing him in front of @BethRigby for 18 minutes.
“He looked shattered.”
https://twitter.com/theousherwood/status/1483712861432078336
Can you remind us who the MP is for that seat?
I know people my age always perceive the world going to hell in a handcraft but this time it really is
Russian battlefield doctrine (inherited from the Soviet Union) relies heavily on chemical weapons and tactical nukes (Tochka/Iskander) to compensate for the qualitative and technological disadvantage with NATO. Once they start losing anything could happen.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/18/graham-thorpe-england-job-under-threat-over-video-of-police-shutting-down-post-ashes-party
For example, @kinabalu I'm sure likes champagne (who doesn't) and is a socialist (by his own admission). But even if his favourite tipple was mild & bitter he would nevertheless be a Champagne Socialist, perhaps to his chagrin.
.
Something doesn't ring quite true.
And Govt insiders are looking at a Liz Truss slash-the-state plan from 2009 that included:
- charging to see a GP
- scrapping winter fuel allowance
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/liz-truss-politics-rishi-sunak-leadership-boris-johnson-1409525
What that suggests is that, in his mind, apart from a few committed Europeans like myself banging on about it, he doesn't expect the EU to be an issue at the next, and indeed next but one election.
So whether an area was Leave or Remain in 2016 will be immaterial. The issue will be the Governments overall competence.
That is a 15% increase.
For another example Morrison's fancier wholemeal bread (own brand) has gone from £1.00 to £1.10 to £1.35
Now both are individual products but as I remember the price of them they are easy ones to use as examples.
It was fun while it lasted. All my children and my sister’s children are great skiers, but I suspect that the next generation are going to have to get there kicks elsewhere, eg windsurfing.
Of course, you also need the whole brief to actually understand any issue, and that's the key. And I expect old BJ to not even bother to get his head around the detail at all.
Way back in the 80s, the police and intelligence services used their infiltration of the NI terrorist groups and various criminal gangs to cultivate "Supergrasses" - people who who would give evidence against the really big fish in open court. Basically the American system - "You are looking at life. What have you got to say to help yourself".
A bunch of noble, brilliant QCs fought desperately against such a terrible system. They managed to get it stuck down with rulings that the evidence was inadmissible.
So the police, instead of catching armed robbers *before* their "jobs", lay in wait for them. And shot them dead.
The Intelligence services did the same to the IRA - it was called "shoot to kill'.
The noble, brilliant QCs complained about that, IIRC.
But they never seemed to admit that there was a connection to their actions.
The problem with constructing a constitution by legal/judicial activism* is Democracy.
We have had centuries of telling people that voting is the ultimate power, that their elected representatives in Parliament can do *anything*.
Something will have to give.....
*The creation, in effect, of new law, via judicial judgement, of new meanings in old laws
We’ve had this debate before and how some networks separate the phone payment plan and the phone plan, but not all by any stretch of the imagination.
So your “couple of quid” is actually £5, which is not insignificant.
iPhone 13 Pro 256GB on EE with 40 GB a month is £69 a month = Near £7 increase
That's not even the top end iPhone.
Same with broadband.
So it really isn't a couple of quid increase for most people.
The average monthly cost for the most popular smartphones in 2018 was £39.60 but in 2021, this increased to £47.20 on average per month. So we're looking at a £5 for mobiles and £8 for broadband.
Think for hardworking families that have several kids, all with smart phones.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-9732797/Popular-mobile-phones-cost-200-2018-contract-payments-increasing-8-month.htm
Others who use a sim only deal will end paying (as you say) little extra.
Starmer would also of course at least take the UK back into a Customs Union with the EU unlike the Tories
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/01/18/voting-intention-con-31-lab-39-13-14-jan
Moral of tale: avoid sinister pedlars of dreams.
Subject of tale: Brexit.
I will do such things—
What they are yet I know not, but they shall be
The terrors of the earth...
Tesco Mobile charges £7.50 for unlimited calls, SMS and 2GB/month data. If you prefer 10GB data, it’s £11 a month.
https://www.tescomobile.com/shop/sim-only-deals/sim-only-contracts
Asda charge £1.19 for 4 pint milk bottles
Are you sure your milk is 4 litres and not 4 pints
However the Tories cannot win London at a general election now, London voted majority Labour even in 2015 and 2019 when the Tories won a UK wide majority.
Johnson is both problem and cause.
If you divided the country along a range of political and ethical issues you would find that the labels attached to 'Remain' and 'Leave' could equally be applied to other stances, beliefs and traits.
It takes someone fixated on Brexit, which most of us have moved on from, to assume that the categories still apply. In fact, if you poll people on what currently matters to them in their everyday lives, the EU doesn't even feature in the top 20.
It suits me fine if you're typical of other tories of your caste. It means that you'll completely miss the point and be out of power for a generation.
Still horrific though, despite inadequate journalism.