I do wonder how many of the breaches of the rules - let alone the guidelines - were by Carrie and her friends.
I suspect quite a few. The PM could argue that he had a reasonable excuse to be in the office. Carrie none. Nor Lulu or other friends.
That may explain some of his behaviour. He simply cannot - or dare not - admit something which would put his wife in the frame.
FWIW, this is where my thinking has gone. Hence, the 'check the official diaries' comment earlier.
I've just had a horrible vision of BoJo stifling tears and saying that he has been acting all along to protect his wife and that he personally had no involvement in any wrongdoing..
Why can't he just blame her? Gets the heatd off him, and she's not official any more than, say, a Speaker's wife is.
Sex. That's why.
Unless he's going to say he didn't know anything about these parties because he was ... er ..... elsewhere.
Which could very well be true, of course.
Honestly, it's government as Feydeau farce.
I wish I was educated enough to know what a Feydeau farce was. I refuse to google every five minutes.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Well he's timed it just right for the "fair and balanced" (sarcasm) Scottish media at 6 and 6.30
I do wonder how many of the breaches of the rules - let alone the guidelines - were by Carrie and her friends.
I suspect quite a few. The PM could argue that he had a reasonable excuse to be in the office. Carrie none. Nor Lulu or other friends.
That may explain some of his behaviour. He simply cannot - or dare not - admit something which would put his wife in the frame.
FWIW, this is where my thinking has gone. Hence, the 'check the official diaries' comment earlier.
I've just had a horrible vision of BoJo stifling tears and saying that he has been acting all along to protect his wife and that he personally had no involvement in any wrongdoing..
Why can't he just blame her? Gets the heatd off him, and she's not official any more than, say, a Speaker's wife is.
Sex. That's why.
Unless he's going to say he didn't know anything about these parties because he was ... er ..... elsewhere.
Which could very well be true, of course.
Honestly, it's government as Feydeau farce.
I wish I was educated enough to know what a Feydeau farce was. I refuse to google every five minutes.
Me neither, so I looked it up for myself - very popular in the last two decades of the Long Nineteenth Century. Wiki says "The plays of Feydeau are marked by closely observed characters, with whom his audiences could identify, plunged into fast-moving comic plots of mistaken identity, attempted adultery, split-second timing and a precariously happy ending."
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Well he's timed it just right for the "fair and balanced" (sarcasm) Scottish media at 6 and 6.30
Christ, not this again. Wah, the MSM is biased! You're no different from the hardcore nats who say the same crap.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Well he's timed it just right for the "fair and balanced" (sarcasm) Scottish media at 6 and 6.30
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Personally, I thought Blackford was excellent. Normally he comes across as a rather pompous windbag, but today he was on form.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Well he's timed it just right for the "fair and balanced" (sarcasm) Scottish media at 6 and 6.30
Christ, not this again. Wah, the MSM is biased! You're no different from the hardcore nats who say the same crap.
I think you're almost accepting that I have a genuine point there. Rather different from Dickson's take.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
Agreed. The spectacle of a blatant and incorrigible liar being sheltered by parliamentary rules is pretty sickening.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
Also it doesn't trigger a byelection - it triggers a recall petition and good luck trying to get the correct number of signatures for an SNP MP in Scotland - it isn't going to happen.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
[ignore - got the point a bit too slowly]
It depends on how many spines are in the Tory party. I seemed to me that today, Boris shifted from treating the country with contempt to treating the House with contempt.
It is the sort of thing that upsets MPs.... well.... some of them....
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
What a by-election after a recall petition for Blackford after calling Boris a liar. Slightly more chance of Sinn Fein actually walking into the House of Commons
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Also it doesn't trigger a byelection - it triggers a recall petition and good luck trying to get the correct number of signatures for an SNP MP in Scotland - it isn't going to happen.
Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
The issue is slightly different IMO. The system assumes members are honourable people and if they misled the House it was inadvertent or they could pretend it was, they will fess up and everyone will move on. The system isn't designed for prime ministers as fundamentally dishonest as Boris Johnson.
They badly need lying to the House to be brought within the disciplinary process. The Committed would establish the facts of any allegations of lying with a potential penalty of being excluded from parliament.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
[ignore - got the point a bit too slowly]
It depends on how many spines are in the Tory party. I seemed to me that today, Boris shifted from treating the country with contempt to treating the House with contempt.
It is the sort of thing that upsets MPs.... well.... some of them....
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
What a by-election after a recall petition for Blackford after calling Boris a liar. Slightly more chance of Sinn Fein actually walking into the House of Commons
Mr Johnson is almostd as unpopular in Scotland as he is in NI. And by definition Mr Blackford is not in a Tory voting seat.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
It's Fluphenazine you need, not Erskine.
I get plenty of input on my medical treatment by the SNHS - I don't need your input.
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
The issue is slightly different IMO. The system assumes members are honourable people and if they misled the House it was inadvertent or they could pretend it was, they will fess up and everyone will move on. The system isn't designed for prime ministers as fundamentally dishonest as Boris Johnson.
They badly need lying to the House to be brought within the disciplinary process. The Committed would establish the facts of any allegations of lying with a potential penalty of being excluded from parliament.
Quite so, which makes it odd that the Speaker didn't accept Mr Blackford's offer to say 'inadevertently misled'. Why not?
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
What a by-election after a recall petition for Blackford after calling Boris a liar. Slightly more chance of Sinn Fein actually walking into the House of Commons
Mr Johnson is almostd as unpopular in Scotland as he is in NI. And by definition Mr Blackford is not in a Tory voting seat.
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
What a by-election after a recall petition for Blackford after calling Boris a liar. Slightly more chance of Sinn Fein actually walking into the House of Commons
Mr Johnson is almostd as unpopular in Scotland as he is in NI. And by definition Mr Blackford is not in a Tory voting seat.
So why did he Bottle It then?
#BlackfordBottledIt
Don't know that yet in any case - depends what Mr Speaker does with the bumf. If indeed anything.
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
One of the many difficulties facing Boris Johnson is that the only people left to defend him are clear, demonstrable idiots. Nadine Dorries on Sky News right now is just not helping at all. https://twitter.com/tompeck/status/1488203665949212673
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
What more do Tory MPs need?
A spine
Disappointed no Brady announcement yet
Presumably they’ll let him squirm at the 6pm meeting and get a read of the room. With the announcement tomorrow morning (if indeed there remains 54 Tory MPs with honour).
Not surprised Hoyle is upset. Blackford made an assertion which he is not allowed to make under parliamentary rules, about another member lying to the House, but which is incontrovertible in the case of Johnson. Johnson is also not allowed to lie to the House and actually lying is obviously far more serious than making allegations, but there is no available sanction against him.
The system is at fault and Blackford (justifiably in my view) is exploiting this failure.
I think Hoyle's problem is that he and everyone else nows Boris has lied to the house but there isn't 100% clear unavoidable evidence to say as much yet.
Which means Parliament can't do anything about it. Personally I would be given Blackford a 9 day ban - because it would leave 10+ days as the only possible punishment when Boris is found to be lying and 10 days triggers a recall petition.
AHHHH - So we were in By-election territory after all.
#BlackfordBottledIt
Nope it's usually a 2-5 day ban.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
A theoretically possible by-election then?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
What a by-election after a recall petition for Blackford after calling Boris a liar. Slightly more chance of Sinn Fein actually walking into the House of Commons
Mr Johnson is almostd as unpopular in Scotland as he is in NI. And by definition Mr Blackford is not in a Tory voting seat.
So why did he Bottle It then?
#BlackfordBottledIt
Don't know that yet in any case - depends what Mr Speaker does with the bumf. If indeed anything.
It was pretty clear that Sir Lindsay accepted his Bottle technique as a suitable enough compromise.
Johnson's performance in the House mirrors his private conversations with ministers and MPs. He may say he is sorry, but he doesn't mean it and he still refuses to tell the truth.
Still Labour lead at 9% and still only a hung parliament.
Thanks for confirming the need for a decent voting system.
Under PR Labour would only get 260 seats on 40% of the vote, not the 300 they are forecast to get under FPTP
Yep but left leaning parties would get 61% of the vote (probably 62% assuming plaid Cymru are in the other category).
The LDs were in a coalition government with the Tories from 2010 to 2015, they may not be keen on Brexit but they are not left leaning.
A Labour government dependent on the SNP and PC under PR would be even more unstable than the Labour minority government but still largest party forecast under FPTP
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
What more do Tory MPs need?
A spine
Disappointed no Brady announcement yet
I'm surprised. Really thought it would have happened by now.
I was hoping today to see a Prime Minister taking responsibility & being genuinely apologetic. I should have known better. What we got was a Prime Minister who threw insults at Keir Starmer about Jimmy Savile and accused Labour frontbenchers of drug taking. What an utter disgrace https://twitter.com/IainDale/status/1488195837477990421/photo/1
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
What more do Tory MPs need?
A spine
Disappointed no Brady announcement yet
If one were coming it'd likely come tomorrow morning.
Boris has a scheduled speech to the 1922 tonight and I'd assume people thinking of submitting a letter would wait until after that.
If it goes past 54 then, it needs to be double checked by his deputy and then probably announced in the morning tomorrow.
Me neither, so I looked it up for myself - very popular in the last two decades of the Long Nineteenth Century. Wiki says "The plays of Feydeau are marked by closely observed characters, with whom his audiences could identify, plunged into fast-moving comic plots of mistaken identity, attempted adultery, split-second timing and a precariously happy ending."
I'm genuinely astonished that anyone here didn't know what a Feydeau farce is. My assumptions of what constitutes our common body of culture is clearly wrong.
If done well, they are amongst the funniest plays you will ever see. However, I do remember an absolutely excruciating National Theatre performance of 'Occupe toi d'Amélie' (in English) many years ago, which we took my sister-in-law and her husband to. Having promised them a really entertaining evening - it's one of the funniest of his plays - it was so dire that by common consent we left at the interval.
Apart from Johnson himself, and possibly Liz Truss, who actually wants him to go to Ukraine tonight?
Putin
Someone else posted that, too. Why?
Why would Putin want Johnson in Ukraine? Because:
1. Johnson is a Putinist, who is helping (wittingly or not) to advance Putin's agenda
2. Johnson fucks up everything he touches, so having him on the West's "team" is (another) plus for Putin.
Fairy nuff. Sounds about right!
Putin loves Johnson for the same reason he loves Trump. He knows both individuals undermine Western democracy. Johnson is one of the most useful idiots he could ever hope for.
Johnson's performance in the House mirrors his private conversations with ministers and MPs. He may say he is sorry, but he doesn't mean it and he still refuses to tell the truth.
Can't remember who said it, but the big problem for BoZo is anyone who saw him today saw the real man behind the mask. His success to date has been based on hiding that behind the comic persona
Still Labour lead at 9% and still only a hung parliament.
Thanks for confirming the need for a decent voting system.
Under PR Labour would only get 260 seats on 40% of the vote, not the 300 they are forecast to get under FPTP
Yep but left leaning parties would get 61% of the vote (probably 62% assuming plaid Cymru are in the other category).
The LDs were in a coalition government with the Tories from 2010 to 2015, they may not be keen on Brexit but they are not left leaning.
A Labour government dependent on the SNP and PC under PR would be even more unstable than the Labour minority government but still largest party forecast under FPTP
Yes, they are mostly centre-left leaning.
Your party had a remarkable opportunity during and immediately after the coalition, which history, taking the long view, will come to see that you blew entirely, due to self interest.
Good response from Lammy - rightly bringing up London's role as the Rouble Laundromat......although some of his points are not really FCO responsibilities, more the Treasury.
Starmer now leading Sunak by 1% on best PM as well though, 39% to 38%.
So even Sunak does not lead Starmer as best PM.
Good news for Boris there as well as Starmer
A bizarre conclusion. What this means is that the stench of Bj’s corruption is rubbing off on the whole party in the eyes of voters.
For Boris though Sunak is more of a danger to his premiership now and until the next general election than Starmer is
As I have said before, it is better to read polls mid term in terms of general direction of travel. If the Conservatives keep Big Clown they are going to be smashed at the next election. Labour/LD will then consolidate with electoral reform and the centre right is out for decades
Remember when Graham Brady said he'd accept emails from Conservative MPs expressing no confidence in Boris Johnson?
That was FORTY SIX days ago.
The tooth is still rotting in the mouth. It still needs pulling. But now it's just hurting the Conservatives more and more. Completely avoidable, entirely too slow. What this delay tells us is that at least 300 Conservative MPs are useless. I wish we knew who are the ones who could see where this was going and had their letters in before Christmas, but whoever they are (if any), they are surrounded by cattle.
Johnson's performance in the House mirrors his private conversations with ministers and MPs. He may say he is sorry, but he doesn't mean it and he still refuses to tell the truth.
Can't remember who said it, but the big problem for BoZo is anyone who saw him today saw the real man behind the mask. His success to date has been based on hiding that behind the comic persona
+1. It was 50% hurt, that anyone could possibly doubt his essential greatness, and 50% lashing out at all and sundry, leading to some bizarre comments about Saville and drug taking.
I was hoping today to see a Prime Minister taking responsibility & being genuinely apologetic. I should have known better. What we got was a Prime Minister who threw insults at Keir Starmer about Jimmy Savile and accused Labour frontbenchers of drug taking. What an utter disgrace https://twitter.com/IainDale/status/1488195837477990421/photo/1
I don't often agree with Iain Dale, but I think he's spot on.
A question that Conservative MPs will have to ask themselves is this. If they leave Johnson in place, how will they justify this delay to their constituents when the full details are finally (and inevitably) set out?
So, we know he lied to the House. We know the truth is damning. We know the Met - by cock-up or conspiracy - has overseen at best a delay, and worst a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
What more do Tory MPs need?
A spine
Actually, they need to lose Southend on Thursday. History may be changed simply because in the whole (well, half) of Southend there isn’t one halfway sensible centre or centre-left independently minded person willing to put themselves up in a by-election.
In an alternative universe the Green Party or similar is about to chalk up the most amazing by-election victory.
I was hoping today to see a Prime Minister taking responsibility & being genuinely apologetic. I should have known better. What we got was a Prime Minister who threw insults at Keir Starmer about Jimmy Savile and accused Labour frontbenchers of drug taking. What an utter disgrace https://twitter.com/IainDale/status/1488195837477990421/photo/1
Is Iain Dale still a thing? Back in his heyday I once got censured on here for posting that he was 'as p*ssed as a newt'.
Remember when Graham Brady said he'd accept emails from Conservative MPs expressing no confidence in Boris Johnson?
That was FORTY SIX days ago.
The tooth is still rotting in the mouth. It still needs pulling. But now it's just hurting the Conservatives more and more. Completely avoidable, entirely too slow. What this delay tells us is that at least 300 Conservative MPs are useless. I wish we knew who are the ones who could see where this was going and had their letters in before Christmas, but whoever they are (if any), they are surrounded by cattle.
One of the difficulties is the payroll vote. That means that to get to 54 it is a lot harder than it at first appears. A lot of MPs won't trust the anonymity, so will probably hold off unless they think it is essential
+1. It was 50% hurt, that anyone could possibly doubt his essential greatness, and 50% lashing out at all and sundry, leading to some bizarre comments about Saville and drug taking.
Johnson last Wednesday: "He is a lawyer. I am a leader."
Johnson today: "Nothing he contests is supported by the conclusions of the report and his suggestions are highly prejudicial."
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Good Q... Is PM receiving taxpayer-funded advice on Met investigation from the Govt legal department, or himself paying for independent legal advice?
Where does this cross from Govt to private matter?
https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1488198966315528192
#BlackfordBottledIt
Edit: Eabhal has made my point more subtly ...
https://twitter.com/krishgm/status/1488186369805627392
The spectacle of a blatant and incorrigible liar being sheltered by parliamentary rules is pretty sickening.
The entire point of shifting it to 9 days was to utterly screw Boris when the inevitable occurs and his lies to Parliament finally catch up with him.
Also it doesn't trigger a byelection - it triggers a recall petition and good luck trying to get the correct number of signatures for an SNP MP in Scotland - it isn't going to happen.
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Alastair Meeks
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The absence of any more Tory backbench questions is telling a story.
https://twitter.com/AlastairMeeks/status/1488196115044487173
Bloody right, is this the 5th SNP er in a row?
I'm not getting much Erskine help from you lot today.
It is the sort of thing that upsets MPs.... well.... some of them....
#BlackfordBottledIt
1. Johnson is a Putinist, who is helping (wittingly or not) to advance Putin's agenda
2. Johnson fucks up everything he touches, so having him on the West's "team" is (another) plus for Putin.
Meanwhile, Boris accuses Keir of failing to prosecute a serial paedophile, and then suggests that the Labour front bench are on hard drugs.
What more do Tory MPs need?
Legal eagle please.
They badly need lying to the House to be brought within the disciplinary process. The Committed would establish the facts of any allegations of lying with a potential penalty of being excluded from parliament.
Good news for Boris there as well as Starmer
But you dissed yesterday's Deltapoll giving Labour a, er, 10% lead.
Anyway ... back to the action ...
#BlackfordBottledIt
Which fits with Gray finding 16 gatherings, 4 of which weren't to be investigated.
https://twitter.com/tompeck/status/1488203665949212673
https://twitter.com/NJ_Timothy/status/1488203544478027778?s=20&t=nQZNfBgj7Fd6QKC6qfr2UA
A Labour government dependent on the SNP and PC under PR would be even more unstable than the Labour minority government but still largest party forecast under FPTP
Boris has a scheduled speech to the 1922 tonight and I'd assume people thinking of submitting a letter would wait until after that.
If it goes past 54 then, it needs to be double checked by his deputy and then probably announced in the morning tomorrow.
May's VONC was announced in the morning.
If done well, they are amongst the funniest plays you will ever see. However, I do remember an absolutely excruciating National Theatre performance of 'Occupe toi d'Amélie' (in English) many years ago, which we took my sister-in-law and her husband to. Having promised them a really entertaining evening - it's one of the funniest of his plays - it was so dire that by common consent we left at the interval.
🚨BREAKING - NEW POLL 🚨
53% think pineapple should be a pizza topping, 36% think it shouldn't be.
https://twitter.com/chriscurtis94/status/1488204029356294149?s=21
Your party had a remarkable opportunity during and immediately after the coalition, which history, taking the long view, will come to see that you blew entirely, due to self interest.
Emigrate.
I know with SKS being leader it must be tempting to take speed so they can stay awake but wasnt aware it was public.
That was FORTY SIX days ago.
The tooth is still rotting in the mouth. It still needs pulling. But now it's just hurting the Conservatives more and more. Completely avoidable, entirely too slow. What this delay tells us is that at least 300 Conservative MPs are useless. I wish we knew who are the ones who could see where this was going and had their letters in before Christmas, but whoever they are (if any), they are surrounded by cattle.
G R A Y
Great Report About Yob
https://twitter.com/DavidGauke/status/1488169412502958082
In an alternative universe the Green Party or similar is about to chalk up the most amazing by-election victory.
Johnson today: "Nothing he contests is supported by the conclusions of the report and his suggestions are highly prejudicial."
🤔
https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1488205912577871881