Well, I’ve had my phone call out of the bubble with my Mum (the one who’s swung from “They’re facing a very difficult situation, we should give them support” to “It’s one rule for us and another for them, isn’t it?”
She was asking me what Cummings had on Boris, because “He’s obviously got him by the short and curlies.”
She was suggesting now that Boris might need to go, which is going further than I’d have thought.
Are we going to hear more on here about so-called "Boris Derangement Syndrome" ?
Yes, there's an awful lot of it about. But the frothing will subside as the country moves on and we get back to the serious business of beating the virus and saving the economy.
And as x million discover that they furloughed jobs no longer exist and there are no jobs to apply for anger will intensify.
Because they're not infants who think that a single breach of the rules means that we should let the country burn? The lockdown was designed in the full knowledge that 20% or so of the population wouldn't comply with it and it would work anyway.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
And the rats tied in the sack are already attacking each other.
I hope you do not think I am a rat to be fair
I have made a hard decision today to withdraw my support for Boris
Because they're not infants who think that a single breach of the rules means that we should let the country burn? The lockdown was designed in the full knowledge that 20% or so of the population wouldn't comply with it and it would work anyway.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
I never said I believed it, did I? It just has nothing to with the real game underlying all these ephemera, which is Machtpolitik. The sense of shame is the only real weapon that can be used effectively against a governing majority. Once that is lost, many things that were previously impossible become possible.
Yes. If you can lie shamelessly and get away with it, this is a litmus of absolute power. And one of its biggest thrills.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
Who is your money on?
Not Sunak
As it happens, I don't think it will be him if there is a change quite soon. I think it would be Hunt.
By the way, just looked and Starmer's odds for next PM appear to be shortening, which seems wrong to me.
The week ahead will gradually stop being about Cummings and will be more about whether schools are really ready to re-open and whether parents are ready to allow their children to attend.
The Government and those wanting the lockdown to end will be on one side and on the other will be local authorities, teachers' unions, concerned parents, the Labour Party. The division will be clear and Cummings will become irrelevant.
Anecdata:
Mrs Capitano, who is a primary headteacher, emailed all her Reception/Year 1/Year 6 parents last week asking if they were planning to send their kids in.
Pretty clear divide. All the middle class parents said yes. Many of the working class parents said no.
There are interesting sociological discussions you could have about why this is (and we just have, over half a bottle of wine...), but in PB terms, the interesting thing is what this says about the Red Wall. If working class voters are keener to prolong lockdown, that doesn't suggest the Cummings escapade will play well in Red Wall seats.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
I had to do the same when Corbyn was Labour leader, I've now rejoined. I doubt you will have to wait as long before Boris is gone. On PB support for his actions this weekend has dwindled to a handful of people, some of whom frankly come across as slightly unhinged.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
I have withdrawn my support for Boris tonight.
His performance was a car crash and I am ashamed, as indeed is my good lady
I hope he stands down or the 1922 take action
I am not resigning as I want a vote when Boris goes to have time with Carrie
At least when it comes to the PB end of year flaky flip-flopper of 2020 award, Eadric will now have a runner up...
Do you think this was easy for me
I am ashamed of Boris today and his decision betrays all that is decent
Suggesting I am in some flip flopping award is unfair
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
I never said I believed it, did I? It just has nothing to with the real game underlying all these ephemera, which is Machtpolitik. The sense of shame is the only real weapon that can be used effectively against a governing majority. Once that is lost, many things that were previously impossible become possible.
Yes. If you can lie shamelessly and get away with it, this is a litmus of absolute power. And one of its biggest thrills.
1984.
Quite. But I suspect Cummings' ambitions extend to taking the media etc down a peg or two rather than going full O'Brien and stamping on their faces forever.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
Is it time to drag out all those 'what a pisspoor talent pool Labour have to choose from' posts from a few months ago?
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
Who is your money on?
Not Sunak
As it happens, I don't think it will be him if there is a change quite soon. I think it would be Hunt.
By the way, just looked and Starmer's odds for next PM appear to be shortening, which seems wrong to me.
Agreed. Starmer is absurdly short IMO. Hunt isn`t trusted on Brexit. Hard to see a clear replacement. Sunak is too young, i think - and i`m not convinced that he`d want it.
Since there are no PMQs this week what are the chances that Boris finds a reason not to attend the Liaison Committee meeting that due whilst the parliament is in recess?
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
I never said I believed it, did I? It just has nothing to with the real game underlying all these ephemera, which is Machtpolitik. The sense of shame is the only real weapon that can be used effectively against a governing majority. Once that is lost, many things that were previously impossible become possible.
Yes. If you can lie shamelessly and get away with it, this is a litmus of absolute power. And one of its biggest thrills.
1984.
Quite. But I suspect Cummings' ambitions extend to taking the media etc down a peg or two rather than going full O'Brien and stamping on their faces forever.
He wants to get people who agree with him about sterilisation of undesirables into key positions directing civil service activity.
Since there are no PMQs this week what are the chances that Boris finds a reason not to attend the Liaison Committee meeting that due whilst the parliament is in recess?
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
BigG called my post "pathetic garbage" if he responds aggressively I will respond in kimd with no apology. I have campaigned for the Tories for 23 years and never voted Labour unlike BigG. Simple statement of fact
And now the anger and the articles and the tweets and the polls and the vox pops and the news pieces and the podcasts will flow...
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
So you saying that this will have no impact and the next polls after the bank holiday will show no change in the relative positions of Tories/Boris and Labour/Starmer?
No, the government will probably take a hit in the polls next week, but it will be both temporary and irrelevant in 2024.
Then clearly you are not taking a blind bit of notice of what many of your fellow Conservatives are saying.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
And the rats tied in the sack are already attacking each other.
I hope you do not think I am a rat to be fair
I have made a hard decision today to withdraw my support for Boris
I would hope you would respect that
The analogy required rats if other animals had been available I would have used them.
One thing I will point out is that a lot of us who have watched Boris over the years knew a day like this was coming, but we weren't expecting it so soon.
And while I can see that you want Boris to leave, he needs to be in place next January so when the myth of Brexit meets reality he can firmly take his place as the worst PM since Arthur Balfour
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
People have a past. To be a Tory you don't need to have been a Tory all your life, being one now would be enough.
You do realise Churchill wasn't always a Tory don't you?
Churchill was never Labour either nor did he pretend to be always a diehard Tory
And now the anger and the articles and the tweets and the polls and the vox pops and the news pieces and the podcasts will flow...
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
So you saying that this will have no impact and the next polls after the bank holiday will show no change in the relative positions of Tories/Boris and Labour/Starmer?
No, the government will probably take a hit in the polls next week, but it will be both temporary and irrelevant in 2024.
Then clearly you are not taking a blind bit of notice of what many of your fellow Conservatives are saying.
I rarely do, seeing as I like to make my own mind up about things.
The British public - including Conservatives - love nothing more than a loud display of moral outrage and frothing from atop a high horse.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
BigG called my post "pathetic garbage" if he responds aggressively I will respond in kimd with no apology. I have campaigned for the Tories for 23 years and never voted Labour unlike BigG. Simple statement of fact
And I have over 50 years campaigning and long before you were born
Since there are no PMQs this week what are the chances that Boris finds a reason not to attend the Liaison Committee meeting that due whilst the parliament is in recess?
Since several members of the committee already made their concerns public, I suspect letters to Brady if he no shows
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
I have withdrawn my support for Boris tonight.
His performance was a car crash and I am ashamed, as indeed is my good lady
I hope he stands down or the 1922 take action
I am not resigning as I want a vote when Boris goes to have time with Carrie
At least when it comes to the PB end of year flaky flip-flopper of 2020 award, Eadric will now have a runner up...
Do you think this was easy for me
I am ashamed of Boris today and his decision betrays all that is decent
Suggesting I am in some flip flopping award is unfair
Boris is successful at elections, terrible at governing. He is poorly suited for the job he has coveted his whole life.
He made a better game show host and celebrity pundit.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
When the Tories got rid of Thatcher they won only 1 general election in the next 25 years.
If they do the same to their greatest election winner since Thatcher I fear the same fate awaits
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
People have a past. To be a Tory you don't need to have been a Tory all your life, being one now would be enough.
You do realise Churchill wasn't always a Tory don't you?
Churchill was never Labour either nor did he pretend to be always a diehard Tory
If that is your attitude to Tory voters (and I know it is) you might be disappointed come May 2024.
The week ahead will gradually stop being about Cummings and will be more about whether schools are really ready to re-open and whether parents are ready to allow their children to attend.
The Government and those wanting the lockdown to end will be on one side and on the other will be local authorities, teachers' unions, concerned parents, the Labour Party. The division will be clear and Cummings will become irrelevant.
Anecdata:
Mrs Capitano, who is a primary headteacher, emailed all her Reception/Year 1/Year 6 parents last week asking if they were planning to send their kids in.
Pretty clear divide. All the middle class parents said yes. Many of the working class parents said no.
There are interesting sociological discussions you could have about why this is (and we just have, over half a bottle of wine...), but in PB terms, the interesting thing is what this says about the Red Wall. If working class voters are keener to prolong lockdown, that doesn't suggest the Cummings escapade will play well in Red Wall seats.
I suspect a lot of middle class parents have jobs that could continue to be done at home so weren't furloughed and have discovered that unless 1 person is fully devoted to childcare trying to do a full time job while entertaining children is impossible.
Mrs Eek's boss is now working a 7 day week to achieve the 28 hours a week she usually works.
Meanwhile the working class parents are either furloughed or still going out to work.
Well, I’ve had my phone call out of the bubble with my Mum (the one who’s swung from “They’re facing a very difficult situation, we should give them support” to “It’s one rule for us and another for them, isn’t it?”
She was asking me what Cummings had on Boris, because “He’s obviously got him by the short and curlies.”
She was suggesting now that Boris might need to go, which is going further than I’d have thought.
What has Cummings got on Boris? Enough certainly enough to make Boris fear for own position, the only question is would he take it all to the media if he was sacked?
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Are we going to hear more on here about so-called "Boris Derangement Syndrome" ?
Yes, there's an awful lot of it about. But the frothing will subside as the country moves on and we get back to the serious business of beating the virus and saving the economy.
And as x million discover that they furloughed jobs no longer exist and there are no jobs to apply for anger will intensify.
This will be the real story.
The number of people I know personally who have already been made redundant is in double digits, Cummings going for a stroll in some castle grounds is going to be completely irrelevant when the redundancies start coming in thick and fast as furlough is wound up.
Give it six months and people will not be worried about who broke lockdown, they will be wondering why it didn't end sooner.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
When the Tories got rid of Thatcher they won only 1 general election in the next 25 years.
If they do the same to their greatest election winner since Thatcher I fear the same fate awaits
Boris is gone - the virus has already destroyed him. He's half the man he used to be.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
When the Tories got rid of Thatcher they won only 1 general election in the next 25 years.
If they do the same to their greatest election winner since Thatcher I fear the same fate awaits
Why are you in politics? Is it simply about winning elections? Do you not understand what comes after winning?
As it happens I think the Tories treated Thatcher very badly at the end, but the reason they lost in 1997 was because they completely lost the plot after the 1992 election. Right now they face the opposite problem. Now is the time to act decisively to get the barnacles off the boat and to allow the government to focus on governing the country at what is quite a tricky period.
And now the anger and the articles and the tweets and the polls and the vox pops and the news pieces and the podcasts will flow...
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
So you saying that this will have no impact and the next polls after the bank holiday will show no change in the relative positions of Tories/Boris and Labour/Starmer?
No, the government will probably take a hit in the polls next week, but it will be both temporary and irrelevant in 2024.
Then clearly you are not taking a blind bit of notice of what many of your fellow Conservatives are saying.
I rarely do, seeing as I like to make my own mind up about things.
The British public - including Conservatives - love nothing more than a loud display of moral outrage and frothing from atop a high horse.
Then at some point they tend to return to type.
I don't think you are as wonderfully politically perceptive as you seem to think you are.
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
That's the utterly inexplicable bit for me. Six months on the shelf and Doms back.
Absolutely no harm.
Why do this except to show you can?
But it can't be inexplicable for you because you not only called it but put your money down. Dom no go.
Somewhere in Britain there is a couple with a young child.
One of the couple got Covid symptoms. Unsure what to do they rang for official advice and were told in no uncertain terms they could not travel to near their parents under threat of prosecution.
The Lab backroom team are searching for that couple.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
BigG called my post "pathetic garbage" if he responds aggressively I will respond in kimd with no apology. I have campaigned for the Tories for 23 years and never voted Labour unlike BigG. Simple statement of fact
And I have over 50 years campaigning and long before you were born
In your defence I think you have always had your doubts about Johnson's fitness to be PM.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
This is why I don't join political parties.
Better to snipe at all of them from the sidelines.
Mistakes get made, things happen. One of the things the Tory Party is supposed to be good at is getting rid of a leader when necessary. That time is now.
When the Tories got rid of Thatcher they won only 1 general election in the next 25 years.
If they do the same to their greatest election winner since Thatcher I fear the same fate awaits
Mrs Thatcher's popularity may have waxed and waned through the years but she was always on top of her brief. She was diligent.
Boris always has been a clueless but lucky chancer. Today he was utter garbage. I have never seen the attraction, after today I suspect there are a few more of us.
Thinking a bit more, Boris could have even spun this episode to his advantage.
If he had come out today & said i am a fair man, so I wanted to hear Mr Cummings side of the story first. However, having done so, I believe despite the best of intentions he made the wrong decision & so I have no choice but to ask him to leave his position. I know only too well the dangers of this virus, how you can catch it without even knowing, the pressures it has put on the NHS and all the amazing hard work all the doctors and nurses have put in fighting to help 1000s of patients. Our duty to them and each other is to stick to the rules etc etc etc
And now the anger and the articles and the tweets and the polls and the vox pops and the news pieces and the podcasts will flow...
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
So you saying that this will have no impact and the next polls after the bank holiday will show no change in the relative positions of Tories/Boris and Labour/Starmer?
No, the government will probably take a hit in the polls next week, but it will be both temporary and irrelevant in 2024.
Then clearly you are not taking a blind bit of notice of what many of your fellow Conservatives are saying.
I rarely do, seeing as I like to make my own mind up about things.
The British public - including Conservatives - love nothing more than a loud display of moral outrage and frothing from atop a high horse.
Then at some point they tend to return to type.
I don't think you are as wonderfully politically perceptive as you seem to think you are.
I'm a lot more perceptive than the person who liked your comment who thought that an antisemitic socialist would become Prime Minister last December!
I'm not a member of the Tories to leave it but as of now I'll be voting for Starmer till something changes. Just seen today's press conference, Johnson has gaslit a nation to save his adviser, simply shocking.
Perfect word choice. Gaslighting is a much abused term but it works here.
Just off phone from Mother, a pensioner in her 60s of no particular political affiliation. Cummingsgate was mentioned. She remarked that Johnson had made "an enormous gaffe," that all the goodwill he might have earned from having to manage the pandemic, and from having been ill with the virus to boot, had "all been washed away," and that it was "a total debacle."
He has a kid! (he has a kid), he has a kid! (he has a kid) All the allegations are just hackery One week he's Corona-stopped, the next week he can drive Cos he's an intermittent follower of guidance
They seek him here, they seek him there On the M1 or on the Wear Everywhere the Corona people's army stayed at home Cos he's an intermittent follower of guidance
He has a kid! (he has a kid), he has a kid! (he has a kid) (etc)
Thinking a bit more, Boris could have even spun this episode to his advantage.
If he had come out today & said i am a fair man, so I wanted to hear Mr Cummings side of the story first. However, having done so, I believe despite the best of intentions he made the wrong decision & so I have no choice but to ask him to leave his position. I know only too well the dangers of this virus, how you can catch it without even knowing, the pressures it has put on the NHS and all the amazing hard work all the doctors and nurses have put in fighting to help 1000s of patients. Our duty to them and each other is to stick to the rules etc etc etc
Just off phone from Mother, a pensioner in her 60s of no particular political affiliation. Cummingsgate was mentioned. She remarked that Johnson had made "an enormous gaffe," that all the goodwill he might have earned from having to manage the pandemic, and from having been ill with the virus to boot, had "all been washed away," and that it was "a total debacle."
I couldn't find much with which to disagree.
I think the experience of most people phoning apolitical, elderly relatives this weekend will be exactly the same.
I called mine a short while ago, and they were seething - barely able to articulate their anger and contempt.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
BigG called my post "pathetic garbage" if he responds aggressively I will respond in kimd with no apology. I have campaigned for the Tories for 23 years and never voted Labour unlike BigG. Simple statement of fact
And I have over 50 years campaigning and long before you were born
In your defence I think you have always had your doubts about Johnson's fitness to be PM.
I did not cast my member vote for him but to be fair, apart from brexit, he is a liberal one nation consevative but covid has changed him and he is a shadow of his former self
For his own sake and the nations he needs to consider his position after today's unforgiveable decision
Somewhere in Britain there is a couple with a young child.
One of the couple got Covid symptoms. Unsure what to do they rang for official advice and were told in no uncertain terms they could not travel to near their parents under threat of prosecution.
The Lab backroom team are searching for that couple.
I dont know why (maybe its EDG's good attempt at a song below!) but I read that to the sound of the A-team intro .
Just off phone from Mother, a pensioner in her 60s of no particular political affiliation. Cummingsgate was mentioned. She remarked that Johnson had made "an enormous gaffe," that all the goodwill he might have earned from having to manage the pandemic, and from having been ill with the virus to boot, had "all been washed away," and that it was "a total debacle."
I couldn't find much with which to disagree.
I think the experience of most people phoning apolitical, elderly relatives this weekend will be exactly the same.
I called mine a short while ago, and they were seething - barely able to articulate their anger and contempt.
As I said on here right at the beginning, Middle England is fucking steaming over this in way not seen for years.
Just off phone from Mother, a pensioner in her 60s of no particular political affiliation. Cummingsgate was mentioned. She remarked that Johnson had made "an enormous gaffe," that all the goodwill he might have earned from having to manage the pandemic, and from having been ill with the virus to boot, had "all been washed away," and that it was "a total debacle."
I couldn't find much with which to disagree.
I think the experience of most people phoning apolitical, elderly relatives this weekend will be exactly the same.
I called mine a short while ago, and they were seething - barely able to articulate their anger and contempt.
As I said on here right at the beginning, Middle England is fucking steaming over this in way not seen for years.
The elderly are not apolitical though in the main .
It could have been. If Cummings had apologised and resigned or was sacked.
Trashing the government's guidelines in order to save the skin of a "non elected metropolitan elite bureaucrat" makes it a Public Health story in the middle of a nasty pandemic which has killed tens of thousands and affected the lives of everyone in the country, now and for the foreseeable future - I doubt there's anything less "bubble" than that.
So that's my 8 year run in the Conservative party coming to an end.
@DavidL, @Big_G_NorthWales and other members I hope you do the same. I can't be a member of this party while Boris is leader. His lack of judgement here has been absolutely appalling. The ruling elite can't have a special set of exemptions to rules the rest of us live by, it's just not right.
Real respect for you and some of the PB Tories. Clearly misjudged some of you.
He was in it for 8 years, to be a true PB Tory you must be so for life, not just for Christmas
Pathetic garbage
Well you voted for Blair twice.
You are a Tory leaning floating voter, not really a PB Tory
I think that comment about Big G does you no credit. He is clearly a principled man who (I hope he takes this the right way) was involved in your party before you were born. Given you are no huge fan of Cummings yourself a little more humility and understanding would not go amiss.
BigG called my post "pathetic garbage" if he responds aggressively I will respond in kimd with no apology. I have campaigned for the Tories for 23 years and never voted Labour unlike BigG. Simple statement of fact
And I have over 50 years campaigning and long before you were born
In your defence I think you have always had your doubts about Johnson's fitness to be PM.
I did not cast my member vote for him but to be fair, apart from brexit, he is a liberal one nation consevative but covid has changed him and he is a shadow of his former self
For his own sake and the nations he needs to consider his position after today's unforgiveable decision
I thought that Hunts support for hunting pushed you to vote for Johnson.
You're going to be sooo disappointed when you wake up from all your frothing and find that you're still years away from having even a shot at power.
Maybe take up a hobby to pass the time? Knitting? I hear knitting's good.
For some people it is not about who is in power, it is what is principled and right. I am not a Tory supporter as you know, so you may discount my view, but there are plenty of Conservatives on here, people who I disagree with on most issues but who I have no doubt support what they think is for the best of the country, that are just as dismayed by this turn of events. You need to start thinking about repairing the cracks on your own side before you engage in any more of your “yah, boo, sucks” sneering.
Comments
She was asking me what Cummings had on Boris, because “He’s obviously got him by the short and curlies.”
She was suggesting now that Boris might need to go, which is going further than I’d have thought.
I have made a hard decision today to withdraw my support for Boris
I would hope you would respect that
1984.
As it happens, I don't think it will be him if there is a change quite soon. I think it would be Hunt.
By the way, just looked and Starmer's odds for next PM appear to be shortening, which seems wrong to me.
Mrs Capitano, who is a primary headteacher, emailed all her Reception/Year 1/Year 6 parents last week asking if they were planning to send their kids in.
Pretty clear divide. All the middle class parents said yes. Many of the working class parents said no.
There are interesting sociological discussions you could have about why this is (and we just have, over half a bottle of wine...), but in PB terms, the interesting thing is what this says about the Red Wall. If working class voters are keener to prolong lockdown, that doesn't suggest the Cummings escapade will play well in Red Wall seats.
For those interested the test was an at home test taken on Friday so two day turnaround over the weekend for the results.
I am ashamed of Boris today and his decision betrays all that is decent
Suggesting I am in some flip flopping award is unfair
One thing I will point out is that a lot of us who have watched Boris over the years knew a day like this was coming, but we weren't expecting it so soon.
And while I can see that you want Boris to leave, he needs to be in place next January so when the myth of Brexit meets reality he can firmly take his place as the worst PM since Arthur Balfour
Was delighted the buffoon stuffed magic grandpa but that was a low bar.
The British public - including Conservatives - love nothing more than a loud display of moral outrage and frothing from atop a high horse.
Then at some point they tend to return to type.
He made a better game show host and celebrity pundit.
My totally non-political mate, couldn’t give a flying fuck about politics, doesn’t vote, couldn’t give a shit, just sent me this.
If they do the same to their greatest election winner since Thatcher I fear the same fate awaits
Mrs Eek's boss is now working a 7 day week to achieve the 28 hours a week she usually works.
Meanwhile the working class parents are either furloughed or still going out to work.
Utterly tone death.
Enough certainly enough to make Boris fear for own position, the only question is would he take it all to the media if he was sacked?
The number of people I know personally who have already been made redundant is in double digits, Cummings going for a stroll in some castle grounds is going to be completely irrelevant when the redundancies start coming in thick and fast as furlough is wound up.
Give it six months and people will not be worried about who broke lockdown, they will be wondering why it didn't end sooner.
As it happens I think the Tories treated Thatcher very badly at the end, but the reason they lost in 1997 was because they completely lost the plot after the 1992 election. Right now they face the opposite problem. Now is the time to act decisively to get the barnacles off the boat and to allow the government to focus on governing the country at what is quite a tricky period.
One of the couple got Covid symptoms. Unsure what to do they rang for official advice and were told in no uncertain terms they could not travel to near their parents under threat of prosecution.
The Lab backroom team are searching for that couple.
Maybe take up a hobby to pass the time? Knitting? I hear knitting's good.
Boris always has been a clueless but lucky chancer. Today he was utter garbage. I have never seen the attraction, after today I suspect there are a few more of us.
If he had come out today & said i am a fair man, so I wanted to hear Mr Cummings side of the story first. However, having done so, I believe despite the best of intentions he made the wrong decision & so I have no choice but to ask him to leave his position. I know only too well the dangers of this virus, how you can catch it without even knowing, the pressures it has put on the NHS and all the amazing hard work all the doctors and nurses have put in fighting to help 1000s of patients. Our duty to them and each other is to stick to the rules etc etc etc
I couldn't find much with which to disagree.
All the allegations are just hackery
One week he's Corona-stopped, the next week he can drive
Cos he's an intermittent follower of guidance
They seek him here, they seek him there
On the M1 or on the Wear
Everywhere the Corona people's army stayed at home
Cos he's an intermittent follower of guidance
He has a kid! (he has a kid), he has a kid! (he has a kid) (etc)
For the history books. There will always be a footnote marking that final act of decency.
And yet...
Maybe COVID-19 has done something to his noggin?
If so, then stand by your popcorn dispensers.
I called mine a short while ago, and they were seething - barely able to articulate their anger and contempt.
For his own sake and the nations he needs to consider his position after today's unforgiveable decision
The Mirror is going to go to town on this.
Trashing the government's guidelines in order to save the skin of a "non elected metropolitan elite bureaucrat" makes it a Public Health story in the middle of a nasty pandemic which has killed tens of thousands and affected the lives of everyone in the country, now and for the foreseeable future - I doubt there's anything less "bubble" than that.
The four years of shit slog, negative polling, marginal seat nerves that Tory backbenchers are going to have to endure will sap their will to live.