If Johnson needs to move Hunt from the FO, then move him to No.11. It would be a revelation to see someone who’s actually run a business put in change of the finances.
If not Hunt then Liz Truss, someone committed to simplifying and lowering taxes.
Does running a business really make you particularly suited to being Chancellor? I have run a small business, not sure I would be much use or know where to start!
Cabinet reshuffles are weird in how they expect our MPs to seamlessly switch to different areas of expertise, almost instantly. Not sure how that could be solved, possibly a requirement for cabinet ministers to have served at least 2 years on the relevant select committee might improve the efficiency of govt?
Hunt built up a small business into a reasonably large one, he will be more aware than most of how complicated the tax and compliance regime has become over the years, and how many seemingly innocuous changes have resulted in major administrative burdens on SMEs.
(I’ve run a very small business in the U.K., and now do so abroad).
I agree about the areas of expertise, it makes little sense to move a minister from education to defence to environment - those who move around and can’t get up to speed very quickly are much more likely to be captured by the civil service.
Agree with those posts. Running a business and understanding Economics are almost mutually exclusive.
I have been involved in a campaign which involved a detailed FOI. It was apparent from that (briefing notes, draft ministerial letters, etc), that the ministers (who changed regularly) were completely captured by the civil servants. On top of that an ex-minister (who was on top of their brief, it was their expertise prior to the job) told me the ministers didn't have a clue. They did what they were told by civil servants. The only difference appeared to be those that just accepted their briefing notes and those that asked questions.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
And yes. They are the ‘enemy’.
Total bollocks. I am a remainer. One who has accepted that we must leave but that doesn't alter my political outlook.
It's not my (our) fault that you muppets haven't been able to deliver on the referendum.
If Johnson needs to move Hunt from the FO, then move him to No.11. It would be a revelation to see someone who’s actually run a business put in change of the finances.
If not Hunt then Liz Truss, someone committed to simplifying and lowering taxes.
Does running a business really make you particularly suited to being Chancellor? I have run a small business, not sure I would be much use or know where to start!
Cabinet reshuffles are weird in how they expect our MPs to seamlessly switch to different areas of expertise, almost instantly. Not sure how that could be solved, possibly a requirement for cabinet ministers to have served at least 2 years on the relevant select committee might improve the efficiency of govt?
Hunt built up a small business into a reasonably large one, he will be more aware than most of how complicated the tax and compliance regime has become over the years, and how many seemingly innocuous changes have resulted in major administrative burdens on SMEs.
(I’ve run a very small business in the U.K., and now do so abroad).
I agree about the areas of expertise, it makes little sense to move a minister from education to defence to environment - those who move around and can’t get up to speed very quickly are much more likely to be captured by the civil service.
It will be a very good sign indeed if Hunt and Boris bury the hatchet and he is offered and accepts a very senior role in the government.
That assumes that the current one will ever be replaced. One can easily imagine the Corbynites putting him in a glass case to rule over them for eternity.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
Voting Remain doesn’t make you a remainer?
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
Indeed. By all accounts Penny is doing a good job at the MoD.
It sounds like Boris is trying to start with a blank sheet of paper, rather than trying to adjust from the extant ministers. If so, that’s a seriously risky strategy - didn’t Blair once get to the end of one of his many reshuffles before he realised he’d missed someone?
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
Worse than that he’s a Lib Dem.
I mean in the 2001 Tory leadership contest he voted for Ken Clarke the Pro EU/Euro guy and in 2005 he voted for David Davis the civil liberties guy.
Dear god.
It’s like one of those bible bashers who regularly denounces homosexuals but always finds himself on Clapham Common.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
Indeed. By all accounts Penny is doing a good job at the MoD.
It sounds like Boris is trying to start with a blank sheet of paper, rather than trying to adjust from the extant ministers. If so, that’s a seriously risky strategy - didn’t Blair once get to the end of one of his many reshuffles before he realised he’d missed someone?
I would have kept Hunt at Foreign but Biz would be an acceptable demotion.
Surely Mordaunt has not asked for more than Defence?
In the spirit of optimism I will make a prediction that will probably look foolish by Oct 31 (pessismist/realist in me says much sooner!).
We will get a completely different deal done with the EU and leave by Oct 31. It will be based on maintaining current arrangements during negotiations for an FTA. So during the next stage/transition/negotiations there are no changes to our trade or freedom of movement, we pay into the EU budget but lose representation. We maintain a right to exit the deal at a time our choosing if we dont agree a FTA. We will formally have left the EU, but in practice businesses and voters won't notice any difference during the transition.
Labour will oppose as a blind Tory brexit, but less than 15 tory MPs vote against and enough Labour leavers abstain to wave it through.
We could have achieved all that by simply announcing we were no longer going to send MEPs and commissioners. Individuals could have done their own version by not bothering to vote in EU elections.
Exiting the EU is different to deciding our ongoing relations with the EU. This exits the EU with a view to a FTA agreement in the future. Your suggestion does not do the same. I am not supporting the idea, I am saying it is the most likely approach by a Boris govt and has a plausible chance of happening, perhaps even on time.
Those who say the EU will not renegotiate the WA are wrong, if you take out our red lines, many more simple agreements would be in reach.
May had boxed herself into a position where the EU couldnt go any further to help her, once our PM steps out of the box, more options are available, some of which he may be able to sell to both ERG and remain tories.
By ruling out free movement of labour and any kind of ECJ jurisdiction May broke her own bat before going into negotiations. In hindsight she was lucky to get the WA.
Vote Leave broke those bats. Those were the Vote Leave campaign pledges that had to be honoured, some of us did warn at the time that Vote Leave’s campaign promises were undeliverable but that’s what you voted for, to crap all over one of Mrs Thatcher’s finest achievements.
And many of us in here saw our future relationship outside of the EU pretty similar economically to our current one. Outside of the political institutions but a great way to buy and sell widgets across a continent. A one in which whether France Germany and Spain wish to become deeper integrated was of no concern to us, we can go there, they can come here, we can buy their cars they can buy our insurances and we do it as much and as freely as we can.
Thank you Big G! I did post once or twice a very long time ago but I'm a regular lurker. I think my last contribution was a completely non-political and non-betting related comment to Plato about cats linking to a photo of one on the Acropolis! I was so sorry to read she had died.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
By that definition Nigel Farage is the leading Remainer.
It's only a 4.76% overround, less than the Betfair premium charge. Looking at the shape of the next Labour betting,
Female sums through to 54% in a 104% market and has less obvious mid priced non runners *cough David Miliband cough*, so female is probably the bet if you're going to play this market.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
Voting Remain doesn’t make you a remainer?
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
A ‘remainer’ is not someone who voted remain. It is someone who refuses to accept the referendum and any kind of agreement to actually leave.
Cummings, if it happens, will be the biggest announcement of the day, and 99% of public will have no idea.
Just a quick glance at his blog posting tells you this guy will try and rip the civil service to bits and turn it into a organizational model of Facebook's management and control.
The civil service will engineer him out asap or it will implode.
If the Prime Minister is looking to build bridges in a hung Parliament where a good chunk of his own support is reserving judgement at best, one has to wonder whether he has thought this appointment through.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
Voting Remain doesn’t make you a remainer?
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
A ‘remainer’ is not someone who voted remain. It is someone who refuses to accept the referendum and any kind of agreement to actually leave.
The point is that HY has been quite happy to throw the "remainer" tag around at people like Hunt, who are now committed to Brexit.
And many of us in here saw our future relationship outside of the EU pretty similar economically to our current one. Outside of the political institutions but a great way to buy and sell widgets across a continent.
Outside the political institutions but following their rules. It’s not exactly taking back control.
The civil service will engineer him out asap or it will implode.
If the Prime Minister is looking to build bridges in a hung Parliament where a good chunk of his own support is reserving judgement at best, one has to wonder whether he has thought this appointment through.
Indeed. And also does he want the civil service at war with his administration? Cos that's what he is about to get.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
It's only a 4.76% overround, less than the Betfair premium charge. Looking at the shape of the next Labour betting,
Female sums through to 54% in a 104% market and has less obvious mid priced non runners *cough David Miliband cough*, so female is probably the bet if you're going to play this market.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
Worse than that he’s a Lib Dem.
I mean in the 2001 Tory leadership contest he voted for Ken Clarke the Pro EU/Euro guy and in 2005 he voted for David Davis the civil liberties guy.
Clarke, Davis and Boris all of whom I voted for in leadership elections all voted at least once for the Withdrawal Agreement, all are Tories and none are diehard Remainers.
I seem to recall you actually did vote for a LD in 2017
Vote Leave broke those bats. Those were the Vote Leave campaign pledges that had to be honoured, some of us did warn at the time that Vote Leave’s campaign promises were undeliverable but that’s what you voted for, to crap all over one of Mrs Thatcher’s finest achievements.
And many of us in here saw our future relationship outside of the EU pretty similar economically to our current one. Outside of the political institutions but a great way to buy and sell widgets across a continent. A one in which whether France Germany and Spain wish to become deeper integrated was of no concern to us, we can go there, they can come here, we can buy their cars they can buy our insurances and we do it as much and as freely as we can.
Then you were an idiot. That was never going to be the path chosen, given the way in which the referendum was fought.
Indeed. By all accounts Penny is doing a good job at the MoD.
It sounds like Boris is trying to start with a blank sheet of paper, rather than trying to adjust from the extant ministers. If so, that’s a seriously risky strategy - didn’t Blair once get to the end of one of his many reshuffles before he realised he’d missed someone?
I would have kept Hunt at Foreign but Biz would be an acceptable demotion.
Surely Mordaunt has not asked for more than Defence?
I’d have kept Hunt at the FO too. There’s a lot going on in that department’s area right now that needs a safe (and diplomatic) pair of hands. Dare I say that some of it is cleaning up from the previous incumbent in that ministry.
Mourdaunt is undoubtedly a future talent, but IMO still too inexperienced for one of the Great Offices. She’s only been at the MoD for a few months, has barely got her feet in the door there.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Well that’s a fine position to hold but then you cant credibly claim he will unite the country. Especially considering it’s very likely there is now a pro remain majority.
The civil service will engineer him out asap or it will implode.
If the Prime Minister is looking to build bridges in a hung Parliament where a good chunk of his own support is reserving judgement at best, one has to wonder whether he has thought this appointment through.
Startling that you want the clowns who ran the May years to remain at the helm.
Priti Patel if she is to become Home Secretary will surely be Johnson's achilles heel. She will have the capacity to galvanise a progressive opposition to Johnson's Tories like no other.
According to commentators this morning BJ's plan is to make India his prime target of trade and to that end he thinks Patel is the answer. So perhaps Foreign Secretary.
I say this in all seriousness, but this trend to say BJ instead of BoJo or Bozzy is wrong. BJ immediately pops something completely different into my head, so stop it.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
What about No Deal versus extend, knowing that no-one voted for a timetable. The Vote Leave campaign said nothing would change for 4 years, probably.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
Afaik Laura Kuenssberg isn't Jewish while Kaytya Adler (upon whom praise is being heaped) is, so I'm not really sure where you're going with this.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Remainers who respect democracy and backed the Withdrawal Agreement or back Leaving with or without a Deal in October are welcome even though a minority of the party (especially including Tories who voted Brexit Party under May and might vote Tory again under Boris).
Remainers who opposed the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal are better off in the LDs now if they refuse to respect the Leave vote 52% of voters voted for
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
But you want to remain. What you would back is irrelevant. You are a remainer who voted in 2016 to remain for very valid reasons, whatever they were. Hence that makes you a remainer. A diehard remainer even.
Of course if the site is not to degrade even further, you could continue to make whatever polling-related and other points you wanted to make without bandying around pejorative terms. But that's of course up to you.
The bottom line is you voted Remain, you are a Remainer (as so eloquently observed by @Stuart_Dickson just now).
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
What about No Deal versus extend, knowing that no-one voted for a timetable. The Vote Leave campaign said nothing would change for 4 years, probably.
No Deal.
Less than 10% back further extension now with Yougov, the will of the people must be delivered at last
If Johnson needs to move Hunt from the FO, then move him to No.11. It would be a revelation to see someone who’s actually run a business put in change of the finances.
If not Hunt then Liz Truss, someone committed to simplifying and lowering taxes.
Does running a business really make you particularly suited to being Chancellor? I have run a small business, not sure I would be much use or know where to start!
Cabinet reshuffles are weird in how they expect our MPs to seamlessly switch to different areas of expertise, almost instantly. Not sure how that could be solved, possibly a requirement for cabinet ministers to have served at least 2 years on the relevant select committee might improve the efficiency of govt?
Hunt built up a small business into a reasonably large one, he will be more aware than most of how complicated the tax and compliance regime has become over the years, and how many seemingly innocuous changes have resulted in major administrative burdens on SMEs.
(I’ve run a very small business in the U.K., and now do so abroad).
It seems a small part of being a chancellor, spending decisions and controlling the budgets that each dept wants to grow (and they can all persuade why their one needs more) is the bigger challenge, especially if you are not working closely with the PM.
Ongoing changes to red tape does create a burden to small businesses, but it is not all one way. Take the changes to employee pensions, we used to pay our accountants to do it, they wanted something like 30% more to do it with the new regulations. At that point we looked into alternatives and decided to bring it in house with payroll software, which is around 20% of the existing cost we were paying the accountants plus maybe an average extra hours work a month internally.
It is a reasonable saving, not huge in the big scheme of things but has worked out fine. Without the new legislation we would probably not have switched from the expensive accountants, and the software company might not have invested so much in their payroll product to make it simple and easy to use.
More exemptions for micro businesses would definitely be helpful for the economy, once you get employee numbers into double figures keeping up with changes should be do-able, sometimes there will be a cost, other times it provides a driver for improving processes that inertia would otherwise leave unchanged.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
But you want to remain. What you would back is irrelevant. You are a remainer who voted in 2016 to remain for very valid reasons, whatever they were. Hence that makes you a remainer. A diehard remainer even.
Of course if the site is not to degrade even further, you could continue to make whatever polling-related and other points you wanted to make without bandying around pejorative terms. But that's of course up to you.
The bottom line is you voted Remain, you are a Remainer (as so eloquently observed by @Stuart_Dickson just now).
No, as Penny Mordaunt told me last week at a drinks do as a Leaver she thought Remainers like me 'patriots' for respecting democracy and the Leave vote and the will of the people.
Completely different to diehard Remainers who refuse to respect the will of the people and want to stop Brexit
Priti Patel if she is to become Home Secretary will surely be Johnson's achilles heel. She will have the capacity to galvanise a progressive opposition to Johnson's Tories like no other.
According to commentators this morning BJ's plan is to make India his prime target of trade and to that end he thinks Patel is the answer. So perhaps Foreign Secretary.
I say this in all seriousness, but this trend to say BJ instead of BoJo or Bozzy is wrong. BJ immediately pops something completely different into my head, so stop it.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
Afaik Laura Kuenssberg isn't Jewish while Kaytya Adler (upon whom praise is being heaped) is, so I'm not really sure where you're going with this.
The civil service will engineer him out asap or it will implode.
If the Prime Minister is looking to build bridges in a hung Parliament where a good chunk of his own support is reserving judgement at best, one has to wonder whether he has thought this appointment through.
Startling that you want the clowns who ran the May years to remain at the helm.
I don't think I've expressed a view either way on them. My observations have been based on counting. I appreciate that most of the more fervent Leavers struggle counting past 20 (or 22 if they're from Norfolk).
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
I explained why l don't rate her. It's nothing to do with her name(!) or that's she's a woman. She's a lightweight in her analysis. I suspect she's aware of this but can't do anything about it. Adler shows her up. And she's a woman with a funny name.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
Voting Remain doesn’t make you a remainer?
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
A ‘remainer’ is not someone who voted remain. It is someone who refuses to accept the referendum and any kind of agreement to actually leave.
The point is that HY has been quite happy to throw the "remainer" tag around at people like Hunt, who are now committed to Brexit.
If Boris is VoNC'ed and no alternative government put together within a fortnight, " .. the last day for tabling of a vote of no confidence to guarantee a change of Government through an election is today, not September 3rd, and the Leader of the Opposition’s dithering has virtually guaranteed that this cannot be used"
If he had any political sense he would have called for one yesterday.
Corbyn is completely incompetent. He couldn't call a VoNC if his life depended on it.
I mean, in the four years he has been leader, he has made only one attempt at a VoNC and then only after EXTREME pressure from Watson and Starmer to do so.
I don't believe Corbyn will call a VoNC. In fact, I don't think he'll call a VoNC in September or October. If a VoNC comes, it'll have to come from the SNP and Bercow turning a blind eye to convention.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
Afaik Laura Kuenssberg isn't Jewish while Kaytya Adler (upon whom praise is being heaped) is, so I'm not really sure where you're going with this.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
But you want to remain. What you would back is irrelevant. You are a remainer who voted in 2016 to remain for very valid reasons, whatever they were. Hence that makes you a remainer. A diehard remainer even.
Of course if the site is not to degrade even further, you could continue to make whatever polling-related and other points you wanted to make without bandying around pejorative terms. But that's of course up to you.
The bottom line is you voted Remain, you are a Remainer (as so eloquently observed by @Stuart_Dickson just now).
No, as Penny Mordaunt told me last week at a drinks do as a Leaver she thought Remainers like me 'patriots' for respecting democracy and the Leave vote and the will of the people.
Completely different to diehard Remainers who refuse to respect the will of the people and want to stop Brexit
So you are a Remainer at least we have got that out of the way. And you couldn't put a fag paper between your wholly arbitrary "diehard Remainer" and "Remainer". Plus are there any other categories? No of course not. There is only Remainer. Of which you, as agreed by the fragrant Ms Mordaunt, are one.
Because what you are doing in being supposedly pro-Leave (in public and on here) is a deceit of the highest order. You want us to Remain but you are making noises, nay campaigning for Leave.
Remember Bill had it down best: "to thine own self be true".
I was reading the new leader's speech - noisily "inclusive" but seems to identify a lot of "not one of us" groups, with a couple of slightly obvious faux pas.
Anyhoo, I was trying to identify my nearest Lib Dem Councillor, either Local Authority or County, and I couldn't find one within about 10 miles.
Locally (Ashfield, Mansfield etc) libdems are as extant as dodos.
I can find one in Crich (Amber Valley) which seems to be LibDem Village, Clowne (NE Derbys I think), Newark, and Beeston in Nottingham. All more than 10 miles away by Google.
But does anyone have a list of councillors who can point me councillors in roughly North Derbys or North Notts and their wards?
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
So, Remainers are “the enemy”? You do realise that you are talking about one third of your party’s supporters? Or have you already jumped ship to Farage’s company?
Voting to remain does not make you a ‘remainer’, thinking that the deal is poor doesn’t make you a ‘remainer’. Wanting to undo the referendum result and being unwilling to accept any kind of agreement that involves us leaving the EU makes you a ‘remainer’.
Voting Remain doesn’t make you a remainer?
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
A ‘remainer’ is not someone who voted remain. It is someone who refuses to accept the referendum and any kind of agreement to actually leave.
The point is that HY has been quite happy to throw the "remainer" tag around at people like Hunt, who are now committed to Brexit.
I have never called Hunt a diehard Remainer
Hunt doesn't support leaving Deal or No Deal in October, in fact he thinks it's not possible.
If Boris is serious about uniting the country he won’t be taking a leaf out of the book of Trump, Bibi and Salvini. I appreciate they are popular but they are not uniting figures are they?
Boris will need to do some things differently and he will need to reach out to your so called “die hard remainers” if he is going to be a true uniting figure.
Impossible, diehard Remainers refused to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal and want to stop Brexit, they are the enemy if Boris wishes to deliver Brexit and win the next general election
Frankly, the sooner you accept that you too are a diehard Remainer the better for everyone. You voted Remain, you want to Remain and hence you are the enemy. Harsh on yourself maybe, but them's the facts.
I voted Remain but I also respect democracy.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
But you want to remain. What you would back is irrelevant. You are a remainer who voted in 2016 to remain for very valid reasons, whatever they were. Hence that makes you a remainer. A diehard remainer even.
Of course if the site is not to degrade even further, you could continue to make whatever polling-related and other points you wanted to make without bandying around pejorative terms. But that's of course up to you.
The bottom line is you voted Remain, you are a Remainer (as so eloquently observed by @Stuart_Dickson just now).
No, as Penny Mordaunt told me last week at a drinks do as a Leaver she thought Remainers like me 'patriots' for respecting democracy and the Leave vote and the will of the people.
Completely different to diehard Remainers who refuse to respect the will of the people and want to stop Brexit
“As Penny Mordaunt told me...” Lol, was Charles there as well?
She was just humouring you, btw. In reality she thinks you’re a treacherous fanatic. She told me last night. It’s difficult to sleep in this heat.
If Boris is VoNC'ed and no alternative government put together within a fortnight, " .. the last day for tabling of a vote of no confidence to guarantee a change of Government through an election is today, not September 3rd, and the Leader of the Opposition’s dithering has virtually guaranteed that this cannot be used"
If he had any political sense he would have called for one yesterday.
Corbyn is completely incompetent. He couldn't call a VoNC if his life depended on it.
I mean, in the four years he has been leader, he has made only one attempt at a VoNC and then only after EXTREME pressure from Watson and Starmer to do so.
I don't believe Corbyn will call a VoNC. In fact, I don't think he'll call a VoNC in September or October. If a VoNC comes, it'll have to come from the SNP and Bercow turning a blind eye to convention.
It is curious. For all that Jezbollah endlessly spouts on about the need for a new general election. For all the death cult worshippers have been indoctrinated to endlessly post #jc4pm in response to anything. When it comes to actually making an election happen he is completely inert.
I don't think he has the slightest interest in becoming Prime Minister. I believe him to be hoping to permanently reshape the Labour Party to deliver the Bennite dream, and then pass the baton (in opposition) to someone who will actually take it forward. In opposition its easy to be self-righteous and oppose oppose oppose. In office you have to compromise, and for a cult who refuse to compromise on anything actually being elected into office must be a terrifying concept.
interesting conversation between katy Adler and Laura Kuinsberg about the future of Brexit on radio 5. Adler seems to be very wary about Johnson and his chances of success. Kuinsberg is like an excited school girl where everything might be brilliant.
Adler is showing herself to have a much deeper understanding of what's required and the people involved on both sides. Kuinsberg is just giddy.Talking about how enthusiasm might carry us through and quoting Johnson press releases
Kuinsberg is crap
I hadn't thought so but I do now. So short on insight. All morning Tories have been chanting Boris handouts .....very disappointing that Kuinsberg unlike Adler is just doing the same
Yeah. Plus Kuensberg...Kuensberg...something about that name, eh Rog?
Kuensberg is a light weight. I remember her giddy with excitement on the night in 2015 when the Tories won their majority. That's when l began to distrust her impartiality. She also is shallow in her analysis. Andrew Neil barely tolerates her - and he's a Tory.
I think she's great. She is as good a political commentator as any other and better than a lot. No idea why she provokes such a dislike. As I said for some perhaps it's the name, which has something of the night about it. Or perhaps that she is a woman. Who knows?
Afaik Laura Kuenssberg isn't Jewish while Kaytya Adler (upon whom praise is being heaped) is, so I'm not really sure where you're going with this.
Comments
I have been involved in a campaign which involved a detailed FOI. It was apparent from that (briefing notes, draft ministerial letters, etc), that the ministers (who changed regularly) were completely captured by the civil servants. On top of that an ex-minister (who was on top of their brief, it was their expertise prior to the job) told me the ministers didn't have a clue. They did what they were told by civil servants. The only difference appeared to be those that just accepted their briefing notes and those that asked questions.
I actually think they'll get on well.... If he's very lucky Boris might even have her purrrrrrrrrrrring down the phone.
It's not my (our) fault that you muppets haven't been able to deliver on the referendum.
Next you’ll be telling us that taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, knifing someone doesn’t make you a murderer and drinking a bottle of Scotch a day doesn’t make you an alcoholic. And that voting Leave doesn’t make you a leaver.
Cons to stand aside in Bootle and the Brexit Party to stand aside in every Tory seat and selected marginals.
It sounds like Boris is trying to start with a blank sheet of paper, rather than trying to adjust from the extant ministers. If so, that’s a seriously risky strategy - didn’t Blair once get to the end of one of his many reshuffles before he realised he’d missed someone?
Surely Mordaunt has not asked for more than Defence?
Bunch of chancers. Farage won’t touch the Tories with a shitty stick. He doesn’t want to taint his brand.
The civil service will engineer him out asap or it will implode.
Female sums through to 54% in a 104% market and has less obvious mid priced non runners *cough David Miliband cough*, so female is probably the bet if you're going to play this market.
Superb appointment.
https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1153943553342681088?s=21
Just a quick glance at his blog posting tells you this guy will try and rip the civil service to bits and turn it into a organizational model of Facebook's management and control.
I doubt Johnson will stick around long enough for her to form an opinion.
I backed the Withdrawal Agreement and I also now back No Deal over Revoke
https://twitter.com/MattChorley/status/1153945505543704576
I seem to recall you actually did vote for a LD in 2017
Mourdaunt is undoubtedly a future talent, but IMO still too inexperienced for one of the Great Offices. She’s only been at the MoD for a few months, has barely got her feet in the door there.
Yep well this is typical Johnson. He has probably promised 150 people preferment for a few dozen positions.
He will manage to irritate a huge number of people today and tomorrow. Which he can ill afford to do. Peeing off Gavin Williamson was also unwise.
But, hey, that's Johnson.
"5pm: In one-on-one meetings his parliamentary office in the House of Commons, Johnson is expected to sack the majority of the current Cabinet."
Go on Bozza. Sack them all. Before they resign.
The idea that this man will have a working majority is for the birds
Remainers who opposed the Withdrawal Agreement and oppose No Deal are better off in the LDs now if they refuse to respect the Leave vote 52% of voters voted for
Of course if the site is not to degrade even further, you could continue to make whatever polling-related and other points you wanted to make without bandying around pejorative terms. But that's of course up to you.
The bottom line is you voted Remain, you are a Remainer (as so eloquently observed by @Stuart_Dickson just now).
He’ll tell the ERG I tried but not my fault.
Less than 10% back further extension now with Yougov, the will of the people must be delivered at last
Ongoing changes to red tape does create a burden to small businesses, but it is not all one way. Take the changes to employee pensions, we used to pay our accountants to do it, they wanted something like 30% more to do it with the new regulations. At that point we looked into alternatives and decided to bring it in house with payroll software, which is around 20% of the existing cost we were paying the accountants plus maybe an average extra hours work a month internally.
It is a reasonable saving, not huge in the big scheme of things but has worked out fine. Without the new legislation we would probably not have switched from the expensive accountants, and the software company might not have invested so much in their payroll product to make it simple and easy to use.
More exemptions for micro businesses would definitely be helpful for the economy, once you get employee numbers into double figures keeping up with changes should be do-able, sometimes there will be a cost, other times it provides a driver for improving processes that inertia would otherwise leave unchanged.
Completely different to diehard Remainers who refuse to respect the will of the people and want to stop Brexit
https://twitter.com/libcomorg/status/1153632537627058178?s=21
https://thejc.com/news/uk-news/they-are-trying-to-silence-me-bbc-s-laura-kuenssberg-on-the-trolls-who-attack-her-1.447104
I mean, in the four years he has been leader, he has made only one attempt at a VoNC and then only after EXTREME pressure from Watson and Starmer to do so.
I don't believe Corbyn will call a VoNC. In fact, I don't think he'll call a VoNC in September or October. If a VoNC comes, it'll have to come from the SNP and Bercow turning a blind eye to convention.
'Ms Kuenssberg, who is not Jewish'
Because what you are doing in being supposedly pro-Leave (in public and on here) is a deceit of the highest order. You want us to Remain but you are making noises, nay campaigning for Leave.
Remember Bill had it down best: "to thine own self be true".
I was reading the new leader's speech - noisily "inclusive" but seems to identify a lot of "not one of us" groups, with a couple of slightly obvious faux pas.
Anyhoo, I was trying to identify my nearest Lib Dem Councillor, either Local Authority or County, and I couldn't find one within about 10 miles.
Locally (Ashfield, Mansfield etc) libdems are as extant as dodos.
I can find one in Crich (Amber Valley) which seems to be LibDem Village, Clowne (NE Derbys I think), Newark, and Beeston in Nottingham. All more than 10 miles away by Google.
But does anyone have a list of councillors who can point me councillors in roughly North Derbys or North Notts and their wards?
See the Cumberbatch drama where he played Cummings
Just reports press releases as if she has insight. She doesn’t.
She doesn’t deserve online abuse though.
Lol, was Charles there as well?
She was just humouring you, btw.
In reality she thinks you’re a treacherous fanatic.
She told me last night.
It’s difficult to sleep in this heat.
I don't think he has the slightest interest in becoming Prime Minister. I believe him to be hoping to permanently reshape the Labour Party to deliver the Bennite dream, and then pass the baton (in opposition) to someone who will actually take it forward. In opposition its easy to be self-righteous and oppose oppose oppose. In office you have to compromise, and for a cult who refuse to compromise on anything actually being elected into office must be a terrifying concept.