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Can we now Rule out a Johnson comeback? – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,007
edited March 2023 in General
imageCan we now Rule out a Johnson comeback? – politicalbetting.com

One of the big issues that Sunak has had to face over the past weeks and months is that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson might be planning a comeback. Any such move of course would involve Rishi losing his job.

Read the full story here

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  • Options
    No. Because the rot runs deep in (what passes today) in the Tory Party.

    Ditto with the US Republican Party.
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,306
    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.
  • Options
    No, the Tory Party is diseased.

    100 odd Tory MPs nominated him last autumn.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
  • Options
    Westminster voting intention - Wales

    WLab: 53% (+4)
    WCon: 19% (-1)
    PC: 12% (-2)
    Ref: 8% (-1)
    WLD: 4% (-1)
    Grn: 3% (nc)

    (YouGov, 17-23 Feb; Changes +/- 7 Feb)
  • Options
    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.
  • Options
    Yes.

    We could rule it out from the day he resigned.
  • Options
    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,811
    FPT
    Eabhal said:

    » show previous quotes
    I think the "safe space" line was perfectly, and deliberately, designed to wind you up. Probably Driver who came up with it.

    Will backfire though. Going to end up with a whole bunch of televised hustings.

    Nothing to do with Driver, he is not bright enough for that. It was in official SNP stuff. It will indeed be bad for Murrells and their sockpuppet.
    You underestimate me big time by thinking that a dumb ass like Driver could wind me up as well.
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,372

    No. Because the rot runs deep in (what passes today) in the Tory Party.

    Ditto with the US Republican Party.

    That which is deadwood cannot die ?
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,372
    Yes, please.

    Can we have a new thread now ?
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    And pigs will fly.
  • Options
    Fun betting market.

    Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon to be party leaders at the next UK GE.

    Not sure how I would price that.

    I cannot see the MSP for Gilead lasting long if she becomes leader.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,372

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    “The 100” ?

    Mike had it best.
    Apart from vry vocal support of Nadine Dorries
    Though he forgot Dudders.
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    Ho ho
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,306

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    Um, really? I've welcomed the deal and said and I'll say again that Rishi deserves significant credit for it.

    That's very different from the proposition that it rules out a leadership threat before the next election.
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,362
    edited February 2023

    No, the Tory Party is diseased.

    100 odd Tory MPs nominated him last autumn.

    Two separate questions, I reckon.

    Will BoJo become PM again? Enormously probably not. Even if Rishi were run over by the proverbial Westminster bus tonight (he'd limbo under it, wouldn't he?) there would be another MP stitchup, becuase there isn't time to waste on another circus. And that's before the whole privileges committee thing.

    Will chatter about BoJo's ambitions continue to destabilise the Conservative Party? Possibly. But Prime BoJo would have had the front page of the Telegraph this morning, denouncing the deal before he had read it. Making the weather. Getting his retaliation in first. And he didn't.

    Without the shepherd, the sheep have divided. Even JRM seems set to swallow the deal, even if is as palatable as the castor oil Nanny no doubt fed him. There are holdouts decrying the Windsor deal as a sellout, but they are at the unattractive nutter end of Brexitdom, and Boris doesn't want to lead them.

    And Boris, terrible human being that he is, has always had a grasp of group power dynamics. And what his protege Rishi has done to him.

    Not bad for the little guy.
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    WestieWestie Posts: 426
    edited February 2023

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    Giving what reason? Will they go fullscale QAnon in the direction of the privileges committee, shouting that there's a conspiracy to call Mr Johnson a contemnor of Parliament whereas in actual fact he's the truthiest truthteller in the history of truthtelling? If Johnson didn't have so many lies on his record, they might. As things stand, if he tries to play the rehire me or I'll smash the Tory party card he'll lose.
  • Options
    Hard to imagine the SNP are unable to realise the harm this leadership election is doing to them. They've already sent progressive middle Scots running for the doors after debating gay marriage, extra-marital sex and abortion...now they've imposed a media blackout on debates.



    https://twitter.com/DeanMThomson/status/1630650110534189056?s=20
  • Options
    nico679 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    The EU would never agree to this deal with Johnson because they see him as never acting in good faith and wouldn’t trust him to honour any agreement . Sunak got the deal because he built up good relations and seemed like a pragmatic politician who would honour any agreement . I support the deal because I want to see the UK and EU have a good relationship and work together where possible . I could care less about the fat lying waste of space that masqueraded as the PM for too long !
    The EU didn't have a choice, because the NI Protocol Bill left them with no choice.

    This deal was coming either way, because the NI Protocol Bill meant there was no alternative.
  • Options
    YouGov, the only pollster to correctly weigh geographical sub-samples:

    Wales
    WLab 47%
    WCon 17%
    PC 15%
    Ref 12%
    Grn 5%
    WLD 4%

    Scotland
    SNP 42%
    SLab 24%
    SCon 14%
    Grn 9%
    SLD 7%
    Ref 1%

    England
    Lab 48%
    Con 25%
    LD 9%
    Ref 9%
    Grn 7%

    English regions:
    London
    Lab 58%
    Con 12%
    Grn 11%
    LD 9%
    Ref 8%

    South
    Lab 39%
    Con 31%
    LD 13%
    Ref 9%
    Grn 7%

    Midlands
    Lab 48%
    Con 26%
    Ref 10%
    LD 9%
    Grn 5%

    North
    Lab 55%
    Con 22%
    Ref 9%
    Grn 6%
    LD 5%

    (YouGov / The Times Survey Results
    Sample Size: 2003 adults in GB Fieldwork: 21st - 22nd February 2023)
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    Piss and wind.
  • Options
    stodgestodge Posts: 12,822
    Evening all :)

    If you want real comedy, don't muse on the fate of Boris Johnson when you can have the Deltapoll sub samples if you want entertainment.

    The Conservatives on here are already using the headline numbers as their latest comfort blanket but a look at the figures behind the headline numbers tells a very different story.

    The 65+ vote splits Conservative 42%, Labour 26%, Liberal Democrat 16% (!) and Reform 10%. This is the group the Conservatives won by 47 points in 2019 so a 16 point represents a mere 15.5% swing (compared with more than 30% on Redfield & Wilton).

    The geographical split is even more ridiculous - in London, R&W have Labour ahead 53-24 but Deltapoll has the Conservatives and Labour tied on 41 while in Scotland R&W have the SNP on 34%, Labour on 28% and the Conservatives on 21% while Deltapoll has the SNP on 33%, the Conservatives on 32% and Labour on 28%.

    The ludicrous over-inflating of the Conservative VI in London and Scotland impacts when you have such a small overall sample (barely 1,000 compared to R&W who sample 2,000) so I would happily consign Deltapoll to the bin but no doubt some Conservative supporters will continue to plug it - understandable given it's the best poll for their party - the trouble is, it's nonsense.

    Redfield & Wilton also have their latest Blue Wall polling tonight - the latest numbers show Labour on 41%, Conservatives on 32% and LDs on 18% in the forty two designated "Blue Wall" seats which aren't all Con-LD marginals but include Con-Lab marginals in the south.

    That's a 19% swing from Conservative to Labour in the Blue Wall and a 5.5% swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat. 55% of Labour and 67% of LD voters are prepared to vote tactically. Starmer and Sunak are tied at 38% in the choice of best Prime Minister while Ed Davey continues to struggle to make any impact.

    As for the 42 seats, it's unlikely on these numbers the Conservatives would hold any of them. Poole is the 266th most marginal Conservative seat - it would fall on the straight line numbers before any kind of tactical voting. This again confirms the Conservatives are currently looking at a rump of just under 100 MPs after the next election rather than the 180 "suggested" by Deltapoll.
  • Options

    Fun betting market.

    Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon to be party leaders at the next UK GE.

    Not sure how I would price that.

    I cannot see the MSP for Gilead lasting long if she becomes leader.

    I think it's more likely Sturgeon comes back if the SNP do badly at the GE and look like they are heading out office. Can't see her coming back this year or the next.
  • Options
    GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,793
    edited February 2023
    There was never going to be a Bojo comeback.

    Sunak is there until the general election and after the Tories are defeated in that election they will be wanting to move on to the next generation.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    Piss and wind.
    I hope so but it is what the whips fear.
  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    I think yesterday and him blocking GRR shows he's a more effective operator than some people thought and that he's the best leader the Tories have available at the moment. For one, because of this I think Labour having a working majority depends on how well they do in Scotland.
  • Options
    DriverDriver Posts: 4,522
    We could anyway.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
  • Options
    DriverDriver Posts: 4,522
    malcolmg said:

    FPT
    Eabhal said:

    » show previous quotes
    I think the "safe space" line was perfectly, and deliberately, designed to wind you up. Probably Driver who came up with it.

    Will backfire though. Going to end up with a whole bunch of televised hustings.

    Nothing to do with Driver, he is not bright enough for that. It was in official SNP stuff. It will indeed be bad for Murrells and their sockpuppet.
    You underestimate me big time by thinking that a dumb ass like Driver could wind me up as well.

    Hamlet, Act III, Scene 2: Queen Gertrude.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    What do you think is driving it?

    Genuine admiration for Big Dog?

    A (surely incorrect) theory that his magnetism will save their seats?

    Fear of the activists?

    Something else?
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    No, he's still coming back.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    What do you think is driving it?

    Genuine admiration for Big Dog?

    A (surely incorrect) theory that his magnetism will save their seats?

    Fear of the activists?

    Something else?
    The activists (just look at the Damian Green et al selection) and admiration for Boris Johnson in the Red Wall, but it's not 2019 anymore.
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    GIN1138 said:

    There was never going to be a Bojo comeback.

    Sunak is there until the general election and after the Tories are defeated in that election they will be wanting to move on to the next generation.

    It’s also a lot more fun for him to be king over the water than king.
  • Options
    DriverDriver Posts: 4,522
    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    In fairness, the strategy of using the NIP Bill to force the EU back to the table was started when he was PM. And we'll never know what would have happened had he not been kicked out.
  • Options
    FairlieredFairliered Posts: 3,966

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    The only thing that could save Boris Johnson is if Peter Murrell is in charge of the privileges committee.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907

    Westminster voting intention - Wales

    WLab: 53% (+4)
    WCon: 19% (-1)
    PC: 12% (-2)
    Ref: 8% (-1)
    WLD: 4% (-1)
    Grn: 3% (nc)

    (YouGov, 17-23 Feb; Changes +/- 7 Feb)

    There are heroes.

    There are leaders of men.

    And there is

    T H E D R A K E
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    I can't believe he'll do it, for that very reason. If he was riding high in the polls, maybe, but he isn't.
  • Options
    WillGWillG Posts: 2,079
    Driver said:

    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    In fairness, the strategy of using the NIP Bill to force the EU back to the table was started when he was PM. And we'll never know what would have happened had he not been kicked out.
    Two things can both be true:

    1) The escalations by Boris tilted the leverage back in the UK's favour
    2) Boris would never have been able to make this deal due to lack of trust from said escalations and his own shortcomings
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,339
    edited February 2023

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    This is why I’ve breve understood joining a political party. I don’t agree with any of them enough to actively campaign for them on any basis other than “I think they’re less bad than the other lot and will do a few things I’d like to see done, but probably not very well, and I despise many of their MPs”.

    Not exactly a call to the barricades.

    NB: Political parties are also largely responsible for the at best pointless, and at worse malign, ego-feat that is local Government. I can forgive them for that.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    Driver said:

    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    In fairness, the strategy of using the NIP Bill to force the EU back to the table was started when he was PM. And we'll never know what would have happened had he not been kicked out.
    Oh, I can believe that that tactic might have been necessary to get things moving. But he had years of time.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907
    GIN1138 said:

    There was never going to be a Bojo comeback.

    Sunak is there until the general election and after the Tories are defeated in that election they will be wanting to move on to the next generation.

    Quite so.

    Boris Coming Back is and always was another rather overexcited PB Not Happening Event.
  • Options
    BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,424
    There is a route back for Boris but it's not immediate or anytime soon. The preconditions are:

    1) Bad defeat in 2024 leading to Rishi stepping down.
    2) A successor being unable to turn things round and a second Labour GE victory looking likely.
    3) At this point it is easy to imagine attention turning to BJ and, if he's out of the Commons at the time, him returning triumphantly in a by-election.

    By the time we get to say late 2027/2028 I suspect his peccadilloes will have been largely forgotten and his reputation "for making the big calls" may have been burnished.

    This is not a prediction, but I consider a plausible scenario.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625

    GIN1138 said:

    There was never going to be a Bojo comeback.

    Sunak is there until the general election and after the Tories are defeated in that election they will be wanting to move on to the next generation.

    Quite so.

    Boris Coming Back is and always was another rather overexcited PB Not Happening Event.
    Where would the fun be if people did not speculate on unlikely outcomes, and see them as more likely than in fact they are?

    Otherwise it'd just be "That thing you think will happen probably won't for a long time, then it will, then things will reverse eventually"
  • Options
    DriverDriver Posts: 4,522
    WillG said:

    Driver said:

    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    In fairness, the strategy of using the NIP Bill to force the EU back to the table was started when he was PM. And we'll never know what would have happened had he not been kicked out.
    Two things can both be true:

    1) The escalations by Boris tilted the leverage back in the UK's favour
    2) Boris would never have been able to make this deal due to lack of trust from said escalations and his own shortcomings
    On balance, I think that's right. But it's a supposition without direct evidence.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,561

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    The reason the Tories are in the state they're in is largely down to the abysmal quality of the people they've elected to be leader, which in turn is due to the membership being so much further to the right than their voters.
  • Options
    kle4 said:

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    I can't believe he'll do it, for that very reason. If he was riding high in the polls, maybe, but he isn't.
    But Sunak is also aware of what happened to Boris Johnson and the Tories when they ignored a report urging the suspension of Owen Paterson.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    Ozcam’s Razor suggests it’s more to do with hoisting two utter helmets to your party’s leadership in quick succession
  • Options
    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623
    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.
  • Options
    ping said:

    Can I recommend, to anyone with a bit of time on their hands, “The witch trials of J K Rowling” podcast;

    https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-witch-trials-of-j-k-rowling/

    Probably available on other platforms, too.

    The third episode, just released, is particularly good.

    Thanks for the tip - great series - the whole Tumblr/4Chan thing had passed me by. Look forward to the next episodes.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    Driver said:

    WillG said:

    Driver said:

    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    In fairness, the strategy of using the NIP Bill to force the EU back to the table was started when he was PM. And we'll never know what would have happened had he not been kicked out.
    Two things can both be true:

    1) The escalations by Boris tilted the leverage back in the UK's favour
    2) Boris would never have been able to make this deal due to lack of trust from said escalations and his own shortcomings
    On balance, I think that's right. But it's a supposition without direct evidence.
    How can any political interpretation be proven beyond a reasonable doubt? It cannot, since you cannot entirely believe what people say in any case.

    So the best we can do is judge whether it a supposition is reasonable, and likely. Boris being unable to make a long term deal falls into that category, not least because his political base in Parliament appears to be the people who would be most opposed to any sort of deal.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,454
    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907
    The


    D


    R


    A


    K


    E

  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,561
    edited February 2023

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    The big question of our time is which will be delivered first: the privileges committee's report on Johnson or commercial fusion power generation?
  • Options
    Half MSPs and a third of MPs have backed a candidate:

    SNP Leadership Election Endorsements, state of play at 8pm on 28th of February. 3 candidates, meaning 106 endorsements available.

    Candidate: Backers (MSPs/MPs)

    Yousaf: 34 (22/12)
    Forbes: 9 (7/2)
    Regan: 1 (0/1)
    None Yet: 57 (28/29)
    None: 5 (4/1)

    https://ballotbox.scot/scottish-parliament/snp-leadership-election-2023
  • Options
    I see a lot of chat from Remainers on the previous thread lauding how the Windsor Agreement has cemented the position of NI in the single market.

    They are quite right. In the British single market.

    It hasn't changed one iota NI's position in accessing the EU single market, except to disapply much of its regulation and extend the sovereignty of the British government to it.

    It's a funny line for them to take but I don't make the rules.
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,940

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    The reason the Tories are in the state they're in is largely down to the abysmal quality of the people they've elected to be leader, which in turn is due to the membership being so much further to the right than their voters.
    This is true.
    However, that also is due to the paucity of governing talent on the Right of their Party. They've the skills to get the prize. But none have the ability to craft a coherent narrative when they get it.
    Nor implement it.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

  • Options

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    I think yesterday and him blocking GRR shows he's a more effective operator than some people thought and that he's the best leader the Tories have available at the moment. For one, because of this I think Labour having a working majority depends on how well they do in Scotland.
    I've been a fan of Sunak for some time. And it took me a while to get there.

    Maybe others will be the same?
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,940
    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Was it? Really? The first two aren't what millions of Brexit voters thought they were voting for.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Given the slight nature of the Leave vote, and in practice more support for high immigration and high tax (whatever people might say they want about those things, since naturally we all want to pay less and many people express concerns about immigration, the lack of action on them seems to speak for itself), wouldn't it better reflect the country to be high tax and high immigration after leaving the EU?
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

    He's a lazy, venal, self-serving narcissist - without any real morals or scruples - who has some intelligence, and is capable of turning a phrase and cracking a good joke, and writing the odd interesting column when he can be arsed, but is utterly corrupting to the body politik.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907
    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Goodwin really is a pillock. I’m no Leaver but even I know that low-tax and low-regulation weren’t what were sold to Leave voters.

    Why do you give this clown the time of day? You seem to follow him around.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,561
    edited February 2023
    dixiedean said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Was it? Really? The first two aren't what millions of Brexit voters thought they were voting for.
    It's what the Leaver metropolitan elite were hoping Brexit would deliver as they rose up against the Remainer metropolitan elite.
  • Options

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,907

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

    He's a lazy, venal, self-serving narcissist - without any real morals or scruples - who has some intelligence, and is capable of turning a phrase and cracking a good joke, and writing the odd interesting column when he can be arsed, but is


    utterly corrupting to the body politik.
    Sounds like a blue-on-blue attack to me! The point is who cares? Nothing weird or particularly unusual with that - the two main parties are broad churches with perennial infighting.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

    He's a lazy, venal, self-serving narcissist - without any real morals or scruples - who has some intelligence, and is capable of turning a phrase and cracking a good joke, and writing the odd interesting column when he can be arsed, but is utterly corrupting to the body politik.
    To think some people actually voted for him.
  • Options
    Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 7,523

    GIN1138 said:

    There was never going to be a Bojo comeback.

    Sunak is there until the general election and after the Tories are defeated in that election they will be wanting to move on to the next generation.

    Quite so.

    Boris Coming Back is and always was another rather overexcited PB Not Happening Event.
    I'm sorry, but I do think you need to admit guilt and add "Not Happening Event" to your own PB cliche list.
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    Ozcam’s Razor suggests it’s more to do with hoisting two utter helmets to your party’s leadership in quick succession
    I'd buy Occam's razor.

    So sick of having to choose between Gillette and Wilkinson Sword.
    Are you sure there isn't another, simpler, reason?
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,306

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
    It was like that in the Angus Deayton post-prozzie era. It wasn't comfortable viewing, and he soon had to go.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    Johnson believes his own bullshit. The problem is that he’s not alone.
  • Options
    Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 7,523

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

    He's a lazy, venal, self-serving narcissist - without any real morals or scruples - who has some intelligence, and is capable of turning a phrase and cracking a good joke, and writing the odd interesting column when he can be arsed, but is utterly corrupting to the body politik.
    And that's just his good points.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625

    kle4 said:

    I've closed down my Johnson as next PM bet, yes.

    The May locals won't be pretty for Sunak but I think he'll survive them.

    It's not the locals that are critical for Sunak.

    It is when the report on Johnson reports and Sunak whips the party to vote to suspend Boris Johnson.

    The likes of Dorries and the rest of the 100 Boris backers will try and oust Sunak and install Boris Johnson.
    I can't believe he'll do it, for that very reason. If he was riding high in the polls, maybe, but he isn't.
    But Sunak is also aware of what happened to Boris Johnson and the Tories when they ignored a report urging the suspension of Owen Paterson.
    Didn't stop him lining up with the rest of them on that occasion, bar a few tens of them. And this time they've laid the groundwork to ignore it, with the government money spent on legal opinions for Boris to give them an out when they go after the process. Even some sensible people were buying into a bunch of guff about Paterson not being able to defend himself in the process last time, this time they've got some intelligent people to try to back up the process arguments.

    "Not saying what he did was right, but the process has to be fair, I swear that is the only reason we are voting this down".

    Though it is worth remembering just how big a knob Paterson was, and that he'd almost certainly still be an MP even if he'd faced a recall petition election.
  • Options
    ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 2,909

    Half MSPs and a third of MPs have backed a candidate:

    SNP Leadership Election Endorsements, state of play at 8pm on 28th of February. 3 candidates, meaning 106 endorsements available.

    Candidate: Backers (MSPs/MPs)

    Yousaf: 34 (22/12)
    Forbes: 9 (7/2)
    Regan: 1 (0/1)
    None Yet: 57 (28/29)
    None: 5 (4/1)

    https://ballotbox.scot/scottish-parliament/snp-leadership-election-2023

    Regan (or 'Scotland's Nadine Dorries') would struggle to form a cabinet, even if she had a miraculous turn around in her fortunes. I'm not sure Forbes could form one either now.

    Whether that plays a part in how the membership votes is, of course, another matter.
  • Options
    BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,424

    Half MSPs and a third of MPs have backed a candidate:

    SNP Leadership Election Endorsements, state of play at 8pm on 28th of February. 3 candidates, meaning 106 endorsements available.

    Candidate: Backers (MSPs/MPs)

    Yousaf: 34 (22/12)
    Forbes: 9 (7/2)
    Regan: 1 (0/1)
    None Yet: 57 (28/29)
    None: 5 (4/1)

    https://ballotbox.scot/scottish-parliament/snp-leadership-election-2023

    Not a single minister at Holyrood has, so far, backed Forbes. Yousaf has three cabinet secretaries and a number of junior ministers supporting him.

    Notably, Ian Blackford, who represents the same patch of the Highlands as Kate, has declared for Humza.

    I wonder if this will influence SNP members?

    As we have repeatedly seen, and very recently too, leaders who lack the support of their parliamentary colleagues invariably come to grief sooner or later.
  • Options
    JohnOJohnO Posts: 4,214

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Greatly looking forward to getting together. And such generous sentiments about someone nasty, brutish and very VERY short.
  • Options

    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Goodwin really is a pillock. I’m no Leaver but even I know that low-tax and low-regulation weren’t what were sold to Leave voters.

    Why do you give this clown the time of day? You seem to follow him around.
    I agree, everyone knows the selling point was keeping out the black and brown foreignors...
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    edited February 2023

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
    It was like that in the Angus Deayton post-prozzie era. It wasn't comfortable viewing, and he soon had to go.
    IIRC he only lasted the one episode after that?

    Though it was pretty obvious Merton disliked Deayton anyway (I used to watch a lot of old episodes when there loads on Youtube), and was often derisive of him in a way quite different to his banter with Hislop.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.
  • Options
    kle4 said:

    biggles said:

    Some of our prominent remainers seem discombobulated (or should we say discombobazinalated) by this deal. All sorts of tortured logic and attempted 'killer points' going on as they come to terms with it.

    Welcome back, old friend, to embracing the benefits of the Single Market. It's great to get the old gang back together <
    Case in point.
    Yup. There’s a a lot of wilful ignorance going on from rejoiners choosing not to see what this deal is and isn’t. I presume they all understand perfectly well but are trying to provoke.
    They're desperately grasping at straws to save face.

    For years they've clung to the NI dispute as their last desperate throw of the dice to wish Brexit away and now what they derided as a unicorn has come about even that has turned to dust in their mouths.
    What a strange analysis. The pro-Europeans seem to be unanimously welcoming of Rishi's deal; it's only Boris and some of his admirers who are pouring cold water on it. Why would that happen if it put Boris and Brexit in such a great light?
    Boris is annoyed that he's not Prime Minister and not the one getting credit for this. He doesn't disagree with the deal (which is what he proposed in the first place!) and he doesn't care about the public, he cares that he's not Prime Minister.

    Many pro-Europeans seem to be welcoming of Rishi's deal apparently as they believe it to be a repudiation of Boris, despite it being exactly what Boris proposed eight months ago.

    Every Eurosceptic here seems to be welcoming it too.
    If Boris invented Rishi's deal then it's genuinely a shame for him that he didn't implement it. Presumably this is simply because he didn't have the negotiating skills or the respect and trust of the other side.
    Yes, I'm a bit bemused at the idea Boris could have done it but didn't is a defence of him

    Proposals can have been made earlier, and I can easily believe work was going on well before Sunak was PM, but surely it is actions that count? Either he didn't want to make it work, or he couldn't get the other side to accept it, either way he didn't manage it.

    Did he give May credit for getting 95% of the way there before he cut his own agreements with the EU to get over the line? The woe is me defence is not going to cut it.
    Boris was doing it, and the deal just agreed is the deal he had shaped via the Protocol Bill, but his Premiership got terminated so his successor finished the job.

    The difference with May is that May was negotiating a completely different deal. Under May's deal Britain would have been in the backstop, still subject to EU rules, still subject to the single market, still subject to the customs union, but without a say in either, and without a unilateral exit. May's deal is absolutely nothing like the one Frost negotiated.

    Look at what Boris was proposing eight months ago via the Protocol Bill and please name any substantial differences between that and what Rishi has negotiated? The name has changed, because the PM changed, but the substance is the same.

    And the substance of the way Rishi negotiated was exactly the same too. Boris said give us this deal or we'll implement the Protocol Bill while Rishi said give us this deal and we won't implement the Protocol Bill. Logic dictates that's the exact same thing, a rose by any other name.
  • Options
    JohnO said:

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Greatly looking forward to getting together. And such generous sentiments about someone nasty, brutish and very VERY short.
    Which reminds me, I need to start shortlisting venues for our next summit.
  • Options
    ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 2,909
    kle4 said:

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
    It was like that in the Angus Deayton post-prozzie era. It wasn't comfortable viewing, and he soon had to go.
    IIRC he only lasted the one episode after that?

    Though it was pretty obvious Merton disliked Deayton anyway (I used to watch a lot of old episodes when there loads on Youtube), and was often derisive of him in a way quite different to his banter with Hislop.
    I remember watching an interview with Merton and his disdain for Deayton was very apparent. Really quite a cold dislike of him and what he brought to the show.
  • Options
    Jonathan said:

    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.

    Its piss easy, NI is treated as if it is in the UK (which it is) and in Ireland (which is in the EU) so it gets both.

    It is the same reason someone born in Belfast can have British citizenship and Irish citizenship, but someone born in Bristol can't.

    What part of that is confusing.
  • Options
    BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,424
    ohnotnow said:

    Half MSPs and a third of MPs have backed a candidate:

    SNP Leadership Election Endorsements, state of play at 8pm on 28th of February. 3 candidates, meaning 106 endorsements available.

    Candidate: Backers (MSPs/MPs)

    Yousaf: 34 (22/12)
    Forbes: 9 (7/2)
    Regan: 1 (0/1)
    None Yet: 57 (28/29)
    None: 5 (4/1)

    https://ballotbox.scot/scottish-parliament/snp-leadership-election-2023

    Regan (or 'Scotland's Nadine Dorries') would struggle to form a cabinet, even if she had a miraculous turn around in her fortunes. I'm not sure Forbes could form one either now.

    Whether that plays a part in how the membership votes is, of course, another matter.
    Regan is a dead duck. Only endorsement is from Joanne Cherry and she has performed less than optimally when interviewed on the telly. Obviously out of her depth. It's Kate v Humza.
  • Options
    Jonathan said:

    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.

    The rest of the country needs to start shooting and bombing Leavers.

    It's the only way.
  • Options
    On topic

    Yes. He had his chance - if he really did have the nominations after La Truss fell. Now he's yesterday's man.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625
    ohnotnow said:

    kle4 said:

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
    It was like that in the Angus Deayton post-prozzie era. It wasn't comfortable viewing, and he soon had to go.
    IIRC he only lasted the one episode after that?

    Though it was pretty obvious Merton disliked Deayton anyway (I used to watch a lot of old episodes when there loads on Youtube), and was often derisive of him in a way quite different to his banter with Hislop.
    I remember watching an interview with Merton and his disdain for Deayton was very apparent. Really quite a cold dislike of him and what he brought to the show.
    I remember one exchange which, while funny, felt pretty cutting, which went something like this.

    Deayton, after some comment by Merton, slightly patronising: It's always a good idea to analyse what you're doing.

    Merton, doing a double take: Well, if you're a brain surgeon it is. Don't analyse what you're doing, for god's sake. It'll come down to 'reading out loud'.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,561

    Jonathan said:

    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.

    Its piss easy, NI is treated as if it is in the UK (which it is) and in Ireland (which is in the EU) so it gets both.

    It is the same reason someone born in Belfast can have British citizenship and Irish citizenship, but someone born in Bristol can't.

    What part of that is confusing.
    Maybe we could have a referendum on a Union with NI so that the rest of us can enjoy the same benefits?
  • Options

    Obviously not. Our revered host has clearly got a little overexcited because Rishi has had a good news day. Understandable given their rarity.

    The butthurt emanating from you is glorious.
    This is funny.

    I've read you (as our host, but beneath the line) describe Sunak as a "nob", and criticise me for being too Leavey, and I've had @Luckyguy1983 lose his shit and critique me for being "wet" as I wasn't willing to stay part of the Trussite praetorian guard. And now you fire missiles at each other. Despite the fact we're all aligned to the same party and probably have more in common than any in the opposition parties.

    Conservatives are never happier than when attacking one another.

    It's the reason we're in the state we're in.
    I had lunch with JohnO last week, we both observed we probably have more contempt for a lot of Tory MPs than we do for Starmer and most of the shadow cabinet.

    Whilst some might doubt my PB Tory status but nobody can question JohnO's loyalty and dedication to the party.
    I am planning to have lunch with him soon myself.

    What JohnO doesn't do is attack other Conservatives, of course he'll have his own views in private and I've found them to be remarkably fair and nuanced.
    Hmm, let’s see.

    My fair and nuauced view of Boris Johnson is that he is an a-grade helmet. What’s yours?

    He's a lazy, venal, self-serving narcissist - without any real morals or scruples - who has some intelligence, and is capable of turning a phrase and cracking a good joke, and writing the odd interesting column when he can be arsed, but is


    utterly corrupting to the body politik.
    Sounds like a blue-on-blue attack to me! The point is who cares? Nothing weird or particularly unusual with that - the two main parties are broad churches with perennial infighting.
    No, because I'm attacking the behaviour of bad apple individuals not indulging in factionalism.
  • Options

    Andy_JS said:

    "Matt Goodwin
    @GoodwinMJ

    Britain outside the EU was supposed to be a low-tax, low-regulation, low-immigration country, but instead it’s turned into a high-tax, high-regulation, high-immigration country. A few thoughts on the many challenges facing
    @RishiSunak"

    https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1630136065246855168

    Goodwin really is a pillock. I’m no Leaver but even I know that low-tax and low-regulation weren’t what were sold to Leave voters.

    Why do you give this clown the time of day? You seem to follow him around.
    All effective political campaigns have an element of Rorschach Ink Blot about them- messages are crafted so that as many people as possible are able to read what they like into them. Put different adverts in different papers. If you can, deliver different leaflets to the council estate and the gentrifying Victorian terrace. Vote Leave took it to another level with their online ads, but the principle is much older than that.

    So just becuase you didn't see low tax and low regulation messages doesn't mean that Prof Goodwin didn't.
  • Options

    Jonathan said:

    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.

    The rest of the country needs to start shooting and bombing Leavers.

    It's the only way.
    You've overshot with this one.

    Needs to be a bit more subtle to work.
  • Options
    MightyAlexMightyAlex Posts: 1,440
    edited February 2023

    Jonathan said:

    So son asks if NI can have access to the EU single market and the U.K market, why can’t the rest of the country.

    It’s a hard one.

    Its piss easy, NI is treated as if it is in the UK (which it is) and in Ireland (which is in the EU) so it gets both.

    It is the same reason someone born in Belfast can have British citizenship and Irish citizenship, but someone born in Bristol can't.

    What part of that is confusing.
    To me everything about Northern Ireland is confusing and it has now become more so.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,625

    Half MSPs and a third of MPs have backed a candidate:

    SNP Leadership Election Endorsements, state of play at 8pm on 28th of February. 3 candidates, meaning 106 endorsements available.

    Candidate: Backers (MSPs/MPs)

    Yousaf: 34 (22/12)
    Forbes: 9 (7/2)
    Regan: 1 (0/1)
    None Yet: 57 (28/29)
    None: 5 (4/1)

    https://ballotbox.scot/scottish-parliament/snp-leadership-election-2023

    Not a single minister at Holyrood has, so far, backed Forbes. Yousaf has three cabinet secretaries and a number of junior ministers supporting him.

    Notably, Ian Blackford, who represents the same patch of the Highlands as Kate, has declared for Humza.

    I wonder if this will influence SNP members?

    As we have repeatedly seen, and very recently too, leaders who lack the support of their parliamentary colleagues invariably come to grief sooner or later.
    The sooner parties realise there's no real benefit to having the leader chosen by Members the better. Yes, Corbyn's surge saw Labour massively boost numbers, but it didn't help win an election, and the Tories haven't seen a surge since they started having members choose.

    Cut them out, and if the only reason they were a party member was to have a vote for Leader are they that much of an asset? Members didn't used to care about it.
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,306
    There has to be a more than zero chance that Sunak's dismal decline schtick gets too much for the Tory Party. Hunt's budget will be risky - I think Sunak will quite like his newfound semi-popularity, so there may be some tax cuts in there, but if Hunt goes full 'crush the nation and decimate the PCP' mode, that will be bad news. Then there's the locals. Sunak's departure is unlikely, but not impossible.

    In that instance, Boris is 'l'inevitable'. Clearly it cannot be Truss. It won't be a 'boring but safe caretaker' like May, because Sunak is meant to be the boring but safe caretaker, so his failure would represent the failure of that approach. I don't think it will be third time lucky Penny. It's still too soon for Kemi. That leaves Boris and his mandate as really the only possible front man for whatever coalition removes Sunak.
  • Options
    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623
    kle4 said:

    ohnotnow said:

    kle4 said:

    Not sure we can rule out a Johnson HIGNFY comeback, to be fair.

    I suspect we can, given the obvious hatred and contempt Hislop has for him. Some other show, perhaps. But not that one.

    (Has there been a telly show where the host is generally disliked and the fun is watching different guests abuse him each week? Sort of the I'm A Celeb dynamic, but studio bound and with no redemption arc?)
    It was like that in the Angus Deayton post-prozzie era. It wasn't comfortable viewing, and he soon had to go.
    IIRC he only lasted the one episode after that?

    Though it was pretty obvious Merton disliked Deayton anyway (I used to watch a lot of old episodes when there loads on Youtube), and was often derisive of him in a way quite different to his banter with Hislop.
    I remember watching an interview with Merton and his disdain for Deayton was very apparent. Really quite a cold dislike of him and what he brought to the show.
    I remember one exchange which, while funny, felt pretty cutting, which went something like this.

    Deayton, after some comment by Merton, slightly patronising: It's always a good idea to analyse what you're doing.

    Merton, doing a double take: Well, if you're a brain surgeon it is. Don't analyse what you're doing, for god's sake. It'll come down to 'reading out loud'.
    I remember that one too. God, I loved HIGNFY at that era. Deayton had to go after the NOTW stuff, but that was the beginning of the end of it for me.

    The first few years of the guest presenters post-Deayton were pretty decent, but when they failed to settle on a permanent presenter the show very quickly sank for me.

    I find it hard to believe it's still going in a way, Hislop and Merton seemed to be phoning it in about a decade ago.
This discussion has been closed.