It’s a long time since a LAB leader was dominating the Tories – politicalbetting.com
Who would have thought only a couple of months ago that LAB would by mid-January be totally dominating CON in the House of Commons and have double digit voting intention leads?
Super confident is a great description for how Starmer was today. Diehard tories may call it smug but every successful leader I've ever seen in the House of Commons has had it.
The long-delayed mid term has hit the Conservative Government hard and fast helped by some spectacular self-inflicted wounds.
It's clear Johnson expects the payroll vote to back him in any VONC which makes it really difficult for the challengers to get their victory. The problem is the perception of division will remain whatever the outcome as Theresa May discovered.
We've also had a defection from Conservative to Labour which would have been unthinkable not so long ago when the talk was of Labour MPs moving over to the Tories. Those in the ditch with the Prime Minister are understandably prickly and defensive but if what has been said about the new intake of Conservative MPs is true, it's spectacularly naive. Gratitude is a scarce commodity in politics and imagining the Red Wall MPs as some kind of praetorian guard to Boris Maximus was clearly delusional.
To take it a notch further, I sense some of the Red Wall MPs are seeking to re-define modern conservatism and conservative thinking and that may not sit well with some of the traditionalists.
Never doubt the brilliance of a lawyer, they are fantastic.
You don't get to become DPP without having some stardust about you.
Those who can, prosecute. Those who can't, direct. Never seen anyone betray the most basic principles of their profession like this guy raising his profile giving pointless pressers about dear old Creases
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
I very much hope you are right. But even if loss of life is comparatively low, it's still a tough situation.
Are you strong on the civil war period of History Dr Y? Was Cromwell a Freemason? Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. And at that time they wrote all the laws?
I know very little about the Civil War era (it's never been something I found interesting) but since Freemasonry as you or I would understand it didn't exist until 1717 with the foundation of the Grand Lodge of London I think it rather unlikely.
Are you strong on the civil war period of History Dr Y? Was Cromwell a Freemason? Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. And at that time they wrote all the laws?
I know very little about the Civil War era (it's never been something I found interesting) but since Freemasonry as you or I would understand it didn't exist until 1717 with the foundation of the Grand Lodge of London I think it rather unlikely.
Just googled this, haven't read it, but looks like it could be legit
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
I very much hope you are right. But even if loss of life is comparatively low, it's still a tough situation.
On the subject of Tonga, has anybody read about rugby games etc to raise money for the Tongans in their hour of need? If World Rugby isn't arranging these by the stadiumful we should all want to know why.
If you know anything about rugby at all you will know the massive contribution this fantastic little nation has made to the game, far in excess of its size. Some of the world's best players hail from Tonga or like Wales' Faletau, have Tongan connections. Lomu's parents were Tongans FFS.
Club sides all around the world have employed them, some nations have co-opted their players to help achieve success, and now its payback time.
Starmer is growing into the job. Many were too quick to write him off in his first year; I always argued it would take him a couple of years to get the hang of being LOTO, and it won't be two years until April.
Things have been going his way since Paterson and then Partygate. But it's worth remembering that he became LOTO one month into Covid, during lockdown one, and in his first year it was difficult to be too 'oppositional' in the face of a national crisis that drowned everything else out. So if it looked like he was treading water during his first year, it's because he was.
I think he's a pretty patient sort of chap, and is playing the long game rather well.
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
Never doubt the brilliance of a lawyer, they are fantastic.
You don't get to become DPP without having some stardust about you.
Those who can, prosecute. Those who can't, direct. Never seen anyone betray the most basic principles of their profession like this guy raising his profile giving pointless pressers about dear old Creases
And where do you put the hapless lawyer who defended Stefan Kiszko?
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
Never doubt the brilliance of a lawyer, they are fantastic.
You don't get to become DPP without having some stardust about you.
Those who can, prosecute. Those who can't, direct. Never seen anyone betray the most basic principles of their profession like this guy raising his profile giving pointless pressers about dear old Creases
And where do you put the hapless lawyer who defended Stefan Kiszko?
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
There's always Dom and his friend Norman, as discussed.
Was showing my eldest the 1990s Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Starmer has had a better few months than he could possibly have dreamed was possible. And yet, he's still got a lot of work to do over the next months and years to come up with a programme for government that can do something to address the UK's most serious problems, both real and perceived, build a team of ministers, sell both to the British public and pin the blame (for the country's ills) so indelibly onto this Tory government that it will be found engraved on their bones.
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
I thought that if Boris got past PMQs without literally having to flee the chamber in tears the he would survive. For too many of his MPs, even Boris with only a quarter of his magic left is a better prospect than any of the likely successors.
Super confident is a great description for how Starmer was today. Diehard tories may call it smug but every successful leader I've ever seen in the House of Commons has had it.
I've a feeling he's had some professional training recently. Even the most basic presenters get tutored so it would be unlikely if Starmer isn't getting it.
His performance today looked quite different from previous ones. His pauses his lightness of touch knowing when to smile. I can only see him getting better as he gets more practiced. He's also made a decision to clear out the Corbynites and it's working. They're not missed and they look a much broader church without them.
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
We always get these stories after a defection. I think the only time that we have ever had another defection following on was when Reckless followed Carswell's lead.
We always get these stories after a defection. I think the only time that we have ever had another defection following on was when Reckless followed Carswell's lead.
On the other hand, there's something about the pattern of events recently..
But nevertheless, that rule is probably right in this case.
Super confident is a great description for how Starmer was today. Diehard tories may call it smug but every successful leader I've ever seen in the House of Commons has had it.
I've a feeling he's had some professional training recently. Even the most basic presenters get tutored so it would be unlikely if Starmer isn't getting it.
His performance today looked quite different from previous ones. His pauses his lightness of touch knowing when to smile. I can only see him getting better as he gets more practiced. He's also made a decision to clear out the Corbynites and it's working. They're not missed and they look a much broader church without them.
Burgon was on the radio earlier saying something twattish and incoherent on face masks. Not sure what as I tend to tune out the boring bits while driving.
Was showing my eldest the 1990s Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
MANY years ago, greatly amused by grandfather, by confusing Huguenots with Hottentots (as then called).
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
You sure? Hanging is so much more British, vide Pierrepoint A., complete with pub called "Help the Poor Struggler" to run in the quiet bits in between.
Are you strong on the civil war period of History Dr Y? Was Cromwell a Freemason? Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. And at that time they wrote all the laws?
I know very little about the Civil War era (it's never been something I found interesting) but since Freemasonry as you or I would understand it didn't exist until 1717 with the foundation of the Grand Lodge of London I think it rather unlikely.
Just googled this, haven't read it, but looks like it could be legit
Thank you 🙏🏻 Ive just read through that and it only confirms in my mind how these things are perhaps connected up in ways you don’t find in history books.
I looked up the authors poetry too, but it’s locked down apart from the opening bits, which is a shame as it was instantly engaging
I guess I can copy paste the bit she left open?
Where’s Richard Burton when you need him, I read it with his voice in my head 🙂
Diving into the Wreck
You can’t translate its planks or say exactly what its split mast means. Only, say only its rigging’s green, its deck a carpet squirming weeds, lisp grasses, fish unseen. There too, a whisper buffeted, a coffer buried, embroiled in sand and ancient tynne – spoils scattered on soft rock surfaces. It’s true, too, this ship was Flanders-bound, and held old stores of muscadel and metheglin.
But any further, and the further we go in, its shape recedes,
Although its been a long time since it aired, when Spitting Image did the song 'Go now' for Margaret Thatcher to leave Number 10, one of the few puppets who wanted her to stay was Neil Kinnock.
And so is the case here. SKS is much more likely to win in 2024 (possibly outright) with Johnson as his opponent than facing another fresh face.
Has he played a blinder today with the defection? I don't know. But if it makes Johnson safer, then surely that's better for Labour.
Labour really don't want to lose in 2024. To do so would see them out of power until likely 2029, which is the longest they've ever been out of power post war.
Super confident is a great description for how Starmer was today. Diehard tories may call it smug but every successful leader I've ever seen in the House of Commons has had it.
I've a feeling he's had some professional training recently. Even the most basic presenters get tutored so it would be unlikely if Starmer isn't getting it.
His performance today looked quite different from previous ones. His pauses his lightness of touch knowing when to smile. I can only see him getting better as he gets more practiced. He's also made a decision to clear out the Corbynites and it's working. They're not missed and they look a much broader church without them.
Yep. And it's been a while since anybody has, successfully, levelled a charge of anti-semitism against the Labour Party. Starmer has lanced that pestilent boil speedily, ruthlessly and effectively.
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
You sure? Hanging is so much more British, vide Pierrepoint A., complete with pub called "Help the Poor Struggler" to run in the quiet bits in between.
Well, yes, of course he did, but that doesn't work with the pun. Stephen Hawking wasn't hanged, but he did have an electric chair.
Right wing politician favoured hanging is of course not exactly noose.
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
Although its been a long time since it aired, when Spitting Image did the song 'Go now' for Margaret Thatcher to leave Number 10, one of the few puppets who wanted her to stay was Neil Kinnock.
And so is the case here. SKS is much more likely to win in 2024 (possibly outright) with Johnson as his opponent than facing another fresh face.
Has he played a blinder today with the defection? I don't know. But if it makes Johnson safer, then surely that's better for Labour.
Labour really don't want to lose in 2024. To do so would see them out of power until likely 2029, which is the longest they've ever been out of power post war.
Longest they've been out of power since they first got it in 1924, indeed.
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
Starting with Boris Johnson.
We're all social democrats now!
Speak for yourself, recent events are turning me into a raging Trot.
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
You sure? Hanging is so much more British, vide Pierrepoint A., complete with pub called "Help the Poor Struggler" to run in the quiet bits in between.
Well, yes, of course he did, but that doesn't work with the pun. Stephen Hawking wasn't hanged, but he did have an electric chair.
Right wing politician favoured hanging is of course not exactly noose.
I was so intrigued at the thought of a Tory wanting to modernise a great British institution like the pinioned victim hustled to the scaffold that I just had to be sure.
Well, January is a rubbish month. Always makes me feel low and this year is no exception.
Have far too much work but getting the energy to do it is proving a bit difficult. So off to bed and to give myself a good talking to. Then will just make myself bloody do it.
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
I thought that if Boris got past PMQs without literally having to flee the chamber in tears the he would survive. For too many of his MPs, even Boris with only a quarter of his magic left is a better prospect than any of the likely successors.
Nah. There'll be some voters out there who'll always fall for Johnson's schtick, but for all too many the "magic" has worn off. When the Tory party reconciles itself to this, they'll get rid of him. It's just a matter of time.
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
You sure? Hanging is so much more British, vide Pierrepoint A., complete with pub called "Help the Poor Struggler" to run in the quiet bits in between.
Well, yes, of course he did, but that doesn't work with the pun. Stephen Hawking wasn't hanged, but he did have an electric chair.
Right wing politician favoured hanging is of course not exactly noose.
I was so intrigued at the thought of a Tory wanting to modernise a great British institution like the pinioned victim hustled to the scaffold that I just had to be sure.
Howard was an odd character, but he did at least have sufficient integrity to openly change his mind. And he was certainly able and energetic.
We could do with him right now. After all, he sacked Johnson once for lying...
Entirely possible. Many of them have got used to living on a MP's salary.
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
There's always Dom and his friend Norman, as discussed.
Comes to something if we are all asking: is that all you got Norman? Norman, where are you?
Call yourself an Assassin? Your not even a patch on Norman Bates! The target is still standing.
Norman is going to need something other than more flipping parties?
Was showing my eldest the 1990s Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
MANY years ago, greatly amused by grandfather, by confusing Huguenots with Hottentots (as then called).
When I was studying A-Level history, my brain assumed that the right pronunciation was:
Are you strong on the civil war period of History Dr Y? Was Cromwell a Freemason? Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. And at that time they wrote all the laws?
I know very little about the Civil War era (it's never been something I found interesting)
Where's a damn dislike button when you need one?
The only decent sex maniac among the whole lot of the Stuarts was Charles II.
His Scottish genes.
Didn't seem to work for his father and to a rather lesser extent his grandfather or brother.
I thought his brother also had mistresses. But he felt so guilty, he made sure they were all unattractive.
Like I said, the only *decent* sex maniac was Charles II.
Do you mean, out of only the ones in Whitehall? There were plenty in Scotland before them. And of course in France and Italy after, but I've never been interested in the Malignants enough to sniff their sheets so to speak. Though Chas II and Jas VII/II had some interesting nautical interests and Chas II in science.
Entirely possible. Many of them have got used to living on a MP's salary.
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Has anyone ever crossed the floor twice (as in, crossed and crossed back) in a single Parliament? Did one of the CUKs do it?
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
Starting with Boris Johnson.
We're all social democrats now!
I used to be centre-right. I even voted for Cameron! Thanks to the current "Conservative" party I am definitely centre-left.
The only question is did I move leftward, or did I stay still whilst the political landscape slid to the right?
Was showing my eldest the Tory leader election on YouTube. Michael Howard was on the results programme as a pundit. My youngest comes in and asks if that is Stephen Hawking. 😬 I give up.
Howard favoured a different sort of electric chair.*
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
You sure? Hanging is so much more British, vide Pierrepoint A., complete with pub called "Help the Poor Struggler" to run in the quiet bits in between.
Well, yes, of course he did, but that doesn't work with the pun. Stephen Hawking wasn't hanged, but he did have an electric chair.
Right wing politician favoured hanging is of course not exactly noose.
I was so intrigued at the thought of a Tory wanting to modernise a great British institution like the pinioned victim hustled to the scaffold that I just had to be sure.
Howard was an odd character, but he did at least have sufficient integrity to openly change his mind. And he was certainly able and energetic.
We could do with him right now. After all, he sacked Johnson once for lying...
That's what worries me. Positively nostalgic for Mrs T, and even what you say about that creature of the night ...
Well, January is a rubbish month. Always makes me feel low and this year is no exception.
Have far too much work but getting the energy to do it is proving a bit difficult. So off to bed and to give myself a good talking to. Then will just make myself bloody do it.
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
There's always Dom and his friend Norman, as discussed.
Comes to something if we are all asking: is that all you got Norman? Norman, where are you?
Call yourself an Assassin? Your not even a patch on Norman Bates! The target is still standing.
Norman is going to need something other than more flipping parties?
There's the 60 hours of video from the Downing Street Press Room, too, apparently, don't forget.
That should be fun..er, interesting and socially useful, if anyone's actually got it and it really exists.
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
I very much hope you are right. But even if loss of life is comparatively low, it's still a tough situation.
On the subject of Tonga, has anybody read about rugby games etc to raise money for the Tongans in their hour of need? If World Rugby isn't arranging these by the stadiumful we should all want to know why.
If you know anything about rugby at all you will know the massive contribution this fantastic little nation has made to the game, far in excess of its size. Some of the world's best players hail from Tonga or like Wales' Faletau, have Tongan connections. Lomu's parents were Tongans FFS.
Club sides all around the world have employed them, some nations have co-opted their players to help achieve success, and now its payback time.
The diaspora also make Tonga possibly the second best Rugby League side in the world. The NRL is jam packed with Tongan superstars. A Tonga v NZ or Oz League and Union double header would sell out and generate huge broadcast fees. Unfortunately, politics will intervene no doubt.
Entirely possible. Many of them have got used to living on a MP's salary.
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Has anyone ever crossed the floor twice (as in, crossed and crossed back) in a single Parliament? Did one of the CUKs do it?
Not sure actually. Also, this is from Canada, would be interesting to see if applies here:
Entirely possible. Many of them have got used to living on a MP's salary.
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Has anyone ever crossed the floor twice (as in, crossed and crossed back) in a single Parliament? Did one of the CUKs do it?
Paul Marsden (MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham) left Labour for the LDs in 2001 but returned in 2005 prior to not restanding.
Are you strong on the civil war period of History Dr Y? Was Cromwell a Freemason? Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. And at that time they wrote all the laws?
I know very little about the Civil War era (it's never been something I found interesting)
Where's a damn dislike button when you need one?
The only decent sex maniac among the whole lot of the Stuarts was Charles II.
His Scottish genes.
Didn't seem to work for his father and to a rather lesser extent his grandfather or brother.
I thought his brother also had mistresses. But he felt so guilty, he made sure they were all unattractive.
Like I said, the only *decent* sex maniac was Charles II.
Do you mean, out of only the ones in Whitehall? There were plenty in Scotland before them. And of course in France and Italy after, but I've never been interested in the Malignants enough to sniff their sheets so to speak. Though Chas II and Jas VII/II had some interesting nautical interests and Chas II in science.
Jamie Saxt liked a well turned out male leg. His strictures against sodomy are somewhat reminiscent of Southern US tv evangelists who recommend dancing away the gay..
Perhaps Cyclefree could add a word from experience on how one might balance expectations in a situation like this.
Without being unduly cynical, and playing it straight, there were lots of civil servants and lots of parties so Gray will not say Boris broke the rules and must resign, she will say a hundred and twenty-three civil servants and Boris broke the rules; probably with added fudge about unhealthy drinking cultures.
And in one bound, Boris will be free even if on page 23, paragraph 104, sub-paragraph c, it is proved that Boris did see the BYOB email so is 90 per cent certain to have realised this was not a Cobra meeting, few will notice and no-one will care. Because that is how all these inquiries work out.
Entirely possible. Many of them have got used to living on a MP's salary.
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Has anyone ever crossed the floor twice (as in, crossed and crossed back) in a single Parliament? Did one of the CUKs do it?
Paul Marsden (MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham) left Labour for the LDs in 2001 but returned in 2005 prior to not restanding.
Yes, he returned replete with stories about Charles Kennedy's drinking as I recall.
Is Boris safe now? No vonc. No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Sue Gray likely to smear the partygate blame around. Still, there's always tomorrow.
There's always Dom and his friend Norman, as discussed.
Comes to something if we are all asking: is that all you got Norman? Norman, where are you?
Call yourself an Assassin? Your not even a patch on Norman Bates! The target is still standing.
Norman is going to need something other than more flipping parties?
There's the 60 hours of video from the Downing Street Press Room, too, apparently, don't forget.
That should be fun..er, interesting and socially useful, if anyone's actually got it and it really exists.
But you kind of feel you’ve already seen the key 25 seconds of that 60 hours.
“ No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. “
No. He got away with that too.
Before Big G re convinced us parties would bring Boris down, I did feel Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigating wallpaper for access effectively cash for government spending on donors pet projects would be more dangerous. If she said you’ve done wrong she can then suspend from commons, in other words resigning matter.
The fact Boris can’t be investigated for that independently like an MP because he is a minister, therefore appoints his own man to investigate just doesn’t feel fair or effective at tackling corruption, does it?
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
Starting with Boris Johnson.
We're all social democrats now!
I used to be centre-right. I even voted for Cameron! Thanks to the current "Conservative" party I am definitely centre-left.
The only question is did I move leftward, or did I stay still whilst the political landscape slid to the right?
The centre-right in Sweden would be considered centre-left in many other countries, including England.
FPT - Riffing off of ydoethur's comment re: Tonga:
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
I very much hope you are right. But even if loss of life is comparatively low, it's still a tough situation.
On the subject of Tonga, has anybody read about rugby games etc to raise money for the Tongans in their hour of need? If World Rugby isn't arranging these by the stadiumful we should all want to know why.
If you know anything about rugby at all you will know the massive contribution this fantastic little nation has made to the game, far in excess of its size. Some of the world's best players hail from Tonga or like Wales' Faletau, have Tongan connections. Lomu's parents were Tongans FFS.
Club sides all around the world have employed them, some nations have co-opted their players to help achieve success, and now its payback time.
The diaspora also make Tonga possibly the second best Rugby League side in the world. The NRL is jam packed with Tongan superstars. A Tonga v NZ or Oz League and Union double header would sell out and generate huge broadcast fees. Unfortunately, politics will intervene no doubt.
Also a small but significant presence in US, including dozens of Tongan & Tongan American players in NFL.
Would be fantastic IF a team or better yet the league donated share of HUGE profits from ongoing NFL playoffs to Tongan disaster relief.
Comments
You don't get to become DPP without having some stardust about you.
The long-delayed mid term has hit the Conservative Government hard and fast helped by some spectacular self-inflicted wounds.
It's clear Johnson expects the payroll vote to back him in any VONC which makes it really difficult for the challengers to get their victory. The problem is the perception of division will remain whatever the outcome as Theresa May discovered.
We've also had a defection from Conservative to Labour which would have been unthinkable not so long ago when the talk was of Labour MPs moving over to the Tories. Those in the ditch with the Prime Minister are understandably prickly and defensive but if what has been said about the new intake of Conservative MPs is true, it's spectacularly naive. Gratitude is a scarce commodity in politics and imagining the Red Wall MPs as some kind of praetorian guard to Boris Maximus was clearly delusional.
To take it a notch further, I sense some of the Red Wall MPs are seeking to re-define modern conservatism and conservative thinking and that may not sit well with some of the traditionalists.
Based on experience of Mt St Helens eruption/explosion, am more hopeful loss of life will be than you fear.
Appears most in Tonga got tsunami warning, which of course was not an issue with MSH. Nor did Tongans have to deal with mud & debris flows down rivers. In both cases plenty of rocks & esp. ash raining down. Highly survivable provided not too heavy in your locality AND you could find shelter.
Huge problem in both cases: dealing with and cleaning out inches-to-feet of ash deposited, which in Tonga's case has reportedly taken out most if not all potable water infrastructure.
PLUS the Tongans now face risk of COVID, in country that IIRC has had just ONE reported case.
Was Cromwell a Freemason?
Part 2.
I havn’t much to go on. But my brother is obsessed with Templars. He says Cromwell was a Freemason 🤷♀️
It’s to do with those who love magnacarta. The night King John signed it he stayed with knight Templar. at that time they wrote all the laws?
I think the graph is unfortunately going to turn red again.
https://www.strandlines.london/2021/08/12/temple-church-magna-carta-and-the-knights-templar/
If you know anything about rugby at all you will know the massive contribution this fantastic little nation has made to the game, far in excess of its size. Some of the world's best players hail from Tonga or like Wales' Faletau, have Tongan connections. Lomu's parents were Tongans FFS.
Club sides all around the world have employed them, some nations have co-opted their players to help achieve success, and now its payback time.
Things have been going his way since Paterson and then Partygate. But it's worth remembering that he became LOTO one month into Covid, during lockdown one, and in his first year it was difficult to be too 'oppositional' in the face of a national crisis that drowned everything else out. So if it looked like he was treading water during his first year, it's because he was.
I think he's a pretty patient sort of chap, and is playing the long game rather well.
Tory MPs defecting to Labour might look good daan saaf, but the optics are dreadful north of the border.
*Edit = channeled through, not just the Kiwis to help
Lab 55% (+4)
Con 23% (-10)
LD 9% (+2)
Grn 7% (nc)
(YouGov; 13-17 January; sample size=1,166)
But, y'know, he's made a good start.
*until 1994 when he changed his mind and came up with 'prison works.'
His performance today looked quite different from previous ones. His pauses his lightness of touch knowing when to smile. I can only see him getting better as he gets more practiced. He's also made a decision to clear out the Corbynites and it's working. They're not missed and they look a much broader church without them.
Those in the Tory party who believe in uncontrolled borrowing, paying people to sit at home and do nothing, capping energy costs and making ridiculous promises they have no hope of keeping on transport should join Labour.
Starting with Boris Johnson.
But nevertheless, that rule is probably right in this case.
I looked up the authors poetry too, but it’s locked down apart from the opening bits, which is a shame as it was instantly engaging
I guess I can copy paste the bit she left open?
Where’s Richard Burton when you need him, I read it with his voice in my head 🙂
Diving into the Wreck
You can’t translate its planks
or say
exactly what its split mast means.
Only, say only its rigging’s green,
its deck a carpet squirming weeds,
lisp grasses, fish unseen.
There too,
a whisper buffeted,
a coffer buried,
embroiled in sand and ancient
tynne – spoils scattered on soft
rock surfaces. It’s true, too, this ship
was Flanders-bound, and held old
stores of muscadel and metheglin.
But any further, and the further
we go in, its shape recedes,
And so is the case here. SKS is much more likely to win in 2024 (possibly outright) with Johnson as his opponent than facing another fresh face.
Has he played a blinder today with the defection? I don't know. But if it makes Johnson safer, then surely that's better for Labour.
Labour really don't want to lose in 2024. To do so would see them out of power until likely 2029, which is the longest they've ever been out of power post war.
( I accept this may not be her priority )
Perhaps Cyclefree could add a word from experience on how one might balance expectations in a situation like this.
Right wing politician favoured hanging is of course not exactly noose.
Have far too much work but getting the energy to do it is proving a bit difficult. So off to bed and to give myself a good talking to. Then will just make myself bloody do it.
Take care all.
We could do with him right now. After all, he sacked Johnson once for lying...
The issue for Labour, though, would be if a new Tory leader came in and then the ratings started to recover. Not hard to imagine those MPs deciding to shift back.
Call yourself an Assassin? Your not even a patch on Norman Bates! The target is still standing.
Norman is going to need something other than more flipping parties?
hugh-gen-aughts
Sort of like 'astronauts'.
The only question is did I move leftward, or did I stay still whilst the political landscape slid to the right?
That should be fun..er, interesting and socially useful, if anyone's actually got it and it really exists.
A Tonga v NZ or Oz League and Union double header would sell out and generate huge broadcast fees.
Unfortunately, politics will intervene no doubt.
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/fr/magazines/september-2018/research-shows-that-mps-who-cross-the-floor-lose-votes/
Rachael Swindon
@Rachael_Swindon
·
5h
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
A home for Tony Blair and a Tory MP.
But not a home for Jeremy Corbyn and Ken Loach.
I don't think I could cope with having to vote for him at the next election!
And in one bound, Boris will be free even if on page 23, paragraph 104, sub-paragraph c, it is proved that Boris did see the BYOB email so is 90 per cent certain to have realised this was not a Cobra meeting, few will notice and no-one will care. Because that is how all these inquiries work out.
James Melville
@JamesMelville
As far as U-turns go, this one is quite spectacular.
https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1483894115976761349
“ No wallpapergate inquiry from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. “
No. He got away with that too.
Before Big G re convinced us parties would bring Boris down, I did feel Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigating wallpaper for access effectively cash for government spending on donors pet projects would be more dangerous. If she said you’ve done wrong she can then suspend from commons, in other words resigning matter.
The fact Boris can’t be investigated for that independently like an MP because he is a minister, therefore appoints his own man to investigate just doesn’t feel fair or effective at tackling corruption, does it?
JFC.
Brexit can only truly be unwound once both Boris *and* Macron have left the scene.
Would be fantastic IF a team or better yet the league donated share of HUGE profits from ongoing NFL playoffs to Tongan disaster relief.