Is Sunak really a secret Remainer? – politicalbetting.com

The ERGs demise has been called a little too early in my opinion.

Gang of Eight member Rubio:

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1630533511168794627?s=46&t=yfBoQm2j9iooWBjua7Lumg

“Advanced objects demonstrating advanced technology are routinely flying over our restricted or sensitive airspace posing a risk to both flight safety & national security”

And shares link:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/28/ufo-uap-navy-intelligence-00084537

“We Have a Real UFO Problem. And It’s Not Balloons.
America’s fixation on the recent objects floating over the country overlooks a much more serious problem with advanced technology aircraft that we can’t explain.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury should clarify his role as “moral leader” following the church’s failure to fulfil his promises to tackle sex abuse, a review has recommended.

A series of sex scandals in the Church of England has led to some victims losing their faith, a review of safeguarding at Lambeth Palace has found.

Justin Welby is praised for seeking “strong theological and moral leadership” but the review stated: “Given the lack of managerial authority of the archbishop’s role, it can seem to reflect ongoing denial by the church about what is needed to create a safe church.”

The review recommends the “clarification of the role of the archbishop as a moral leader”.

Research by the church last year found 383 new cases involving allegations of abuse of vulnerable adults and children by clergy, church officers and volunteers.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lambeth-palace-safeguarding-victims-abuse-justin-welby-2023-vv2wllptb

Shocking start by Jofra Archer in the cricket.

Bangladesh have the match in the bag.

Tales from the SNP Leadership Race - reliability of source unknown so judge for yourself:

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/02/the-cheats-election/

CarlottaVance said:

Tales from the SNP Leadership Race - reliability of source unknown so judge for yourself:

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/02/the-cheats-election/

Reliability unknown? I thought everyone knew Craig Murray is a liar, fantasist and conspiracy theorist?

ydoethur said:

CarlottaVance said:

Tales from the SNP Leadership Race - reliability of source unknown so judge for yourself:

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/02/the-cheats-election/

Reliability unknown? I thought everyone knew Craig Murray is a liar, fantasist and conspiracy theorist?

He’s the publisher of the piece, not the author……

CarlottaVance said:

ydoethur said:

CarlottaVance said:

Tales from the SNP Leadership Race - reliability of source unknown so judge for yourself:

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/02/the-cheats-election/

Reliability unknown? I thought everyone knew Craig Murray is a liar, fantasist and conspiracy theorist?

He’s the publisher of the piece, not the author……

I think the mere fact he is the publisher is a pretty good indication of how reliable it’s likely to be!

rcs1000 said:

moonshine said:

Gang of Eight member Rubio:

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1630533511168794627?s=46&t=yfBoQm2j9iooWBjua7Lumg

“Advanced objects demonstrating advanced technology are routinely flying over our restricted or sensitive airspace posing a risk to both flight safety & national security”

And shares link:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/28/ufo-uap-navy-intelligence-00084537

“We Have a Real UFO Problem. And It’s Not Balloons.
America’s fixation on the recent objects floating over the country overlooks a much more serious problem with advanced technology aircraft that we can’t explain.”

And if there's one thing the last year has taught us, it's that we can be reasonably sure they're not advanced Russian technology.

American govt, Chinese govt or “other”.

If the first it would be pretty odd albeit not impossible for individuals with top level clearance to keep banging on about it.

If the second then we have a problem that should be arguably the number one issue for Western governments to address.

And then there’s “other”. Which just about allows room for non govt or periphery of govt actors. But more broadly, is a catch all for “non human”.

Ghedebrav said:

Casino_Royale said:

FPT - 12 to 15 hardliners rebelling at best is fucking pathetic.

If that's all there is we can be confident that Sunak really has laid this beast to rest, forever.

Presumably the member for Romford is still absent too.

EDIT: I guess Bridgen too.

According to this,

https://members.parliament.uk/member/1447/voting?page=1

absent for the last ten months.

CarlottaVance said:

Given Boris Johnson didn’t read the deal he actually signed he seems to be taking a long time to read the one he had nothing to do with …

https://twitter.com/campbellclaret/status/1630821751683727360?s=20

Wasn't there one of May's deals that he loudly condemned within minutes of it going public?

BoJo's other problem is that too many people know his "find the crowd, place himself at its front" strategy now. Increasingly, he's a magician whose audience can see the card stuffed up his sleeve.

The First Minister’s St David’s Day message – 2023
https://www.gov.wales/the-first-ministers-st-davids-day-message-2023

CarlottaVance said:

ydoethur said:

This looks nasty:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-64807384

If I read the photos aright they were on a single line of track. In which case, presumably it was a signalling error.

There’s some daylight photos which suggest dual track - but whichever the two trains shouldn’t have been on the same one.

Agreed, it looks like dual track with them somehow on the same line of it, crashing head on.

Which is a very unusual thing to happen. Failure to reset the points presumably.

rcs1000 said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

I'm no Remainer, and I agree that this makes Rejoin less likely.

But at the same time, it does suggest that there will be greater cooperation between the EU and the UK in future.

Yes, which is fine. But that's not the same as being a secret Remainer or Rejoiner. Cooperation does not equal federalism.

To suggest so is just a bit thick.

Nigelb said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

Wrong on all counts, unless you're talking about yourself in that last line.

Right on all counts, and I'm talking about people like you in that last line.

StuartDickson said:

- ”This of course begs the question that if this is okay for that part of the UK why shouldn’t other parts benefit?”

Especially the part which voted overwhelmingly in favour of the benefits:

If Scotland goes independent, would you support the parts that are dragged out of the UK against their will having special deals with it, or even remaining?

On topic, some interesting ideas here;

The one thing I've never been able to understand about Sunak is why he supported Brexit in the first place. Seems so out of character.

https://twitter.com/Samfr/status/1630527376407797760


Lots of interesting replies. I tend to agree with those saying he bought the "Singapore-on-Thames" stuff but it still seems out of character given he seems to approach problems in an analytical/incremental way not Cummings-style big visions.

https://twitter.com/Samfr/status/1630536098328854529

I think Sunak, unlike most Brexiteers so far, actually wants Brexit to work.

StuartDickson said:

One for @NickPalmer

Further to the resignation of the selection committee, Broxtowe CLP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE has resigned in its entirety from all officer positions.

Statement below 👇

https://twitter.com/broxtowelabour/status/1630635411558023182?s=46

Interesting that fully a third of the Broxtowe CLP officers focus on woke p.c. garbage - two women's officers, a BAME officer, two disability officers and an LGBTQ+ officer. Of course, the one such officer the Labour Party might actually need - a dedicated Jewish rights officer - is nowhere to be seen.

Casino_Royale said:

Nigelb said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

Wrong on all counts, unless you're talking about yourself in that last line.

Right on all counts, and I'm talking about people like you in that last line.

You need to brush up on either your mind reading, or rhetorical skills, then.

And 'can't accept it's a victory for Sunak' is plain nonsense.

LostPassword said:

One of the ways in which the Tories can shore up their position at the next election is to make it about defending Brexit again. Sunak would like nothing better than to provoke Labour Rejoiners into banging on about Europe, instead of inflation, the NHS, housing, etc.

Sshht.

His real job is to provoke and expose Starmer's secret agenda, because we all know he has one.

Fishing said:

StuartDickson said:

One for @NickPalmer

Further to the resignation of the selection committee, Broxtowe CLP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE has resigned in its entirety from all officer positions.

Statement below 👇

https://twitter.com/broxtowelabour/status/1630635411558023182?s=46

Interesting that fully a third of the Broxtowe CLP officers focus on woke p.c. garbage - two women's officers, a BAME officer, two disability officers and an LGBTQ+ officer. Of course, the one such officer the Labour Party might actually need - a dedicated Jewish rights officer - is nowhere to be seen.

What a weird comment.

LostPassword said:

One of the ways in which the Tories can shore up their position at the next election is to make it about defending Brexit again. Sunak would like nothing better than to provoke Labour Rejoiners into banging on about Europe, instead of inflation, the NHS, housing, etc.

I think on the contrary what this agreement does is put the issue to bed for a while, and thank heavens for that.

The mood music is very important. Not all remainers are alike of course, nor are all
leavers, but I think the deliberate playground antagonism towards the EU of first Farage and then the Johnson/Frost years was a big part of the discomfort many people felt. I certainly felt myself wincing in the same way I used to at our football hooligans.

Simply seeing a friendly and constructive relationship in action goes a long way.

Very weird interview/pr piece from Geordie Grieg on R4 just now, on behalf of the father of the woman in the missing baby case. Big this shouldn’t be happening to people like this vibe; the Marten family are ‘elegant’ and ‘sophisticated’ apparently.

rcs1000 said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

I'm no Remainer, and I agree that this makes Rejoin less likely.

But at the same time, it does suggest that there will be greater cooperation between the EU and the UK in future.

That's not necessarily a bad thing though, the EU has moved on from anger that we left and would like to work with us rather than force us into being rule takers. It's taken 5 years to get to this point, let's hope we don't see then slide back into their old position of insisting dynamic alignment for everything they can think of.

moonshine said:

rcs1000 said:

moonshine said:

Gang of Eight member Rubio:

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1630533511168794627?s=46&t=yfBoQm2j9iooWBjua7Lumg

“Advanced objects demonstrating advanced technology are routinely flying over our restricted or sensitive airspace posing a risk to both flight safety & national security”

And shares link:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/28/ufo-uap-navy-intelligence-00084537

“We Have a Real UFO Problem. And It’s Not Balloons.
America’s fixation on the recent objects floating over the country overlooks a much more serious problem with advanced technology aircraft that we can’t explain.”

And if there's one thing the last year has taught us, it's that we can be reasonably sure they're not advanced Russian technology.

American govt, Chinese govt or “other”.

If the first it would be pretty odd albeit not impossible for individuals with top level clearance to keep banging on about it.

If the second then we have a problem that should be arguably the number one issue for Western governments to address.

And then there’s “other”. Which just about allows room for non govt or periphery of govt actors. But more broadly, is a catch all for “non human”.

If it were something from another planet, why would it have such a specific interest in US military facilities?

It’s most likely the Chinese playing games. Possibly with people based in the US. The Americans are probably doing something very similar in China.

We’ve definitely learned that there isn’t too much in the way of advanced Russian technology. Not that’s deployable anywhere but the Red Square parade ground.

TimS said:

LostPassword said:

One of the ways in which the Tories can shore up their position at the next election is to make it about defending Brexit again. Sunak would like nothing better than to provoke Labour Rejoiners into banging on about Europe, instead of inflation, the NHS, housing, etc.

I think on the contrary what this agreement does is put the issue to bed for a while, and thank heavens for that.

The mood music is very important. Not all remainers are alike of course, nor are all
leavers, but I think the deliberate playground antagonism towards the EU of first Farage and then the Johnson/Frost years was a big part of the discomfort many people felt. I certainly felt myself wincing in the same way I used to at our football hooligans.

Simply seeing a friendly and constructive relationship in action goes a long way.

Though for some people, the playground stuff really seemed to be the point of Brexit, whether knowingly (Johnson, I reckon), instinctively (Farage?) or as a deliberate negotiating strategy (Cummings). There's still bits of that now, when people try to frame negotiations as win-lose rather than win-win.

Whereas Sunak wants to make this work as a technocratic exercise (which some do see as evidence for closet Remainerdom). Under his watch, the project stands or falls on its merits as a way of making the UK stronger, safer and better off, to coin a phrase.

Let's see how it does.

Casino_Royale said:

rcs1000 said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

I'm no Remainer, and I agree that this makes Rejoin less likely.

But at the same time, it does suggest that there will be greater cooperation between the EU and the UK in future.

Yes, which is fine. But that's not the same as being a secret Remainer or Rejoiner. Cooperation does not equal federalism.

To suggest so is just a bit thick.

Arguably, it’s Sunak who hasn’t been so clever, in selling the advantages of being both within the UK and within the single market so enthusiastically to the people of NI. No surprise that this is going down badly in Scotland, and for many in the rest of GB it merely draws more attention to the stupidity of leaving the single market in the first place.

JosiasJessop said:

Fishing said:

StuartDickson said:

One for @NickPalmer

Further to the resignation of the selection committee, Broxtowe CLP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE has resigned in its entirety from all officer positions.

Statement below 👇

https://twitter.com/broxtowelabour/status/1630635411558023182?s=46

Interesting that fully a third of the Broxtowe CLP officers focus on woke p.c. garbage - two women's officers, a BAME officer, two disability officers and an LGBTQ+ officer. Of course, the one such officer the Labour Party might actually need - a dedicated Jewish rights officer - is nowhere to be seen.

I think that's a slightly ridiculous comment, but I am amused by their having *two* 'Political Education Officers'. WTF do they do?

It's probably just people creating bullshit jobs for their mates, no different to any other organisation or business.

ydoethur said:

What is it with batsmen sweeping spinners?

(India didn't have a great time this morning either!)

If you can pick the length, it isn't a top-spinner, and the bounce from the pitch is reliable, then the sweep is a great way to negate the sideways movement of a spinning ball.

I don't feel that Rishi is a 'secret remainer', because that would indicate hidden passionate political sentiments. I think he's someone who accords with the globalist agenda, and would ideally follow a short stint as UK PM on the international circuit getting one of those top jobs at the IMF, Worldbank, NATO etc. If that involves moving us toward the EU, he'll obey. I don't think his personal political preferences, if they exist, are relevant.

Jeremy Hunt is the same - Jeremy Hunt believes Corporation Tax should be 15%; yet he's supporting it rising from 19% to 25%. That's simple, basic selling out to a global agenda driven by the US. They don't even attempt to defend our country; they inflict harm on it at the behest of others.

…”The Telegraph have been informed that their headline is wrong, and Matt is considering all options available to him.“……

The important point Hancock makes in response is that after Whitty’s advice a meeting on testing took place which revealed there wasn’t enough capacity to test everyone going into care homes. Which is why later that day Hancock decides only to test hospital patients at this stage

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1630838823029551107?s=20

Stuartinromford said:

TimS said:

LostPassword said:

One of the ways in which the Tories can shore up their position at the next election is to make it about defending Brexit again. Sunak would like nothing better than to provoke Labour Rejoiners into banging on about Europe, instead of inflation, the NHS, housing, etc.

I think on the contrary what this agreement does is put the issue to bed for a while, and thank heavens for that.

The mood music is very important. Not all remainers are alike of course, nor are all
leavers, but I think the deliberate playground antagonism towards the EU of first Farage and then the Johnson/Frost years was a big part of the discomfort many people felt. I certainly felt myself wincing in the same way I used to at our football hooligans.

Simply seeing a friendly and constructive relationship in action goes a long way.

Though for some people, the playground stuff really seemed to be the point of Brexit, whether knowingly (Johnson, I reckon), instinctively (Farage?) or as a deliberate negotiating strategy (Cummings). There's still bits of that now, when people try to frame negotiations as win-lose rather than win-win.

Whereas Sunak wants to make this work as a technocratic exercise (which some do see as evidence for closet Remainerdom...

That would be to take the headline too seriously; I don't think Mike means it as anything but a bit of mild irony.

Though clearly No10 are sensitive about that, as they were very quick indeed to issue a 'clarification' of Sunak's gushing about NI's remarkable economic prospects.

Jonathan said:

If Starmer had proposed this latest deal the Tories would be shouting betrayal.

They wouldn't, because this deal doesn’t mandate any move closer to the EU single market for NI, that situation remains static - what has changed is greater flexibility for the UK internal market. Yes, the NI Protocol bill has been scrapped, but Starmer would never have introduced that bill in the first place. There is no way to look at this that isn't a small step forward. We'll see if it's a big enough step soon enough.

LostPassword said:

ydoethur said:

What is it with batsmen sweeping spinners?

(India didn't have a great time this morning either!)

If you can pick the length, it isn't a top-spinner, and the bounce from the pitch is reliable, then the sweep is a great way to negate the sideways movement of a spinning ball.

As you say, it's a judgment of the relative risks of horizontal and vertical deviation.

RochdalePioneers said:

IanB2 said:

Casino_Royale said:

No.

Remainers are desperate to sell this as a bit Remainey/Rejoiney and have landed on this 'single market' line as their best angle to take, despite the fact the deal reduces its application in NI, and extends British sovereignty into it, and introduces a new digital border between Northern and Southern Ireland.

They know this is a big concession by the EU and a victory for Sunak but just can't accept it.Rattled doesn't come close.

You’re missing the bigger picture; the abandonment of silly rhetoric and silly threats in our dealings with the EU, the move toward more constructive and co-operative relations, acceptance of the need for compromise and a willingness to face down the extreme wing of the Tory party - all things we didn’t get from Johnson or Truss.

Beyond NI there is a stack of unresolved issues and problems arising from the Tories’ self-destructive approach to Brexit, and it isn’t unreasonable to see this week’s news as a first step in the right direction.

Frankly we need to be applying chunks of the special arrangements for NI in GB as well. Now that the UK aren't calling the EU evil and insisting we hold all the cards, both sides are talking and making concessions.

Red lanes and Green lanes sound great. We set up a massive green lane at Dover because we weren't able to set up customs posts. But the French did. Can we have a Green lane at Calais please?

You don't even realise what the green and read lanes into NI are for. There can't possibly be on at Calais, unless Calais were to become an English city again.

The deal for NI simply can't be copied over to GB, because it only exists because NI sort of exists in a liminal space between the UK and the EU. How can France exist in a liminal space between the UK and the EU?

Stocky said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

I don't feel that Rishi is a 'secret remainer', because that would indicate hidden passionate political sentiments. I think he's someone who accords with the globalist agenda, and would ideally follow a short stint as UK PM on the international circuit getting one of those top jobs at the IMF, Worldbank, NATO etc. If that involves moving us toward the EU, he'll obey. I don't think his personal political preferences, if they exist, are relevant.

Jeremy Hunt is the same - Jeremy Hunt believes Corporation Tax should be 15%; yet he's supporting it rising from 19% to 25%. That's simple, basic selling out to a global agenda driven by the US. They don't even attempt to defend our country; they inflict harm on it at the behest of others.

I hope you are wrong on this and believe that you are.

I would like to be.

CarlottaVance said:

…”The Telegraph have been informed that their headline is wrong, and Matt is considering all options available to him.“……

The important point Hancock makes in response is that after Whitty’s advice a meeting on testing took place which revealed there wasn’t enough capacity to test everyone going into care homes. Which is why later that day Hancock decides only to test hospital patients at this stage

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1630838823029551107?s=20

Am I the only one who’s struggling to see the public interest, as opposed to the interest of the public, in this story?

There will be an inquiry into how things were handled during the pandemic, but I’m not sure that posting thousands of selectively-chosen text messages between senior figures helps the situation, nor how ministers and advisors might communicate in a future crisis, knowing that every last detail will end up in Fleet St.

Are we are not now trying to forget about the pandemic, rather than re-live it in detail?

CarlottaVance said:

ydoethur said:

Heh.

A Russian guy is at the Polish border:
“Nationality?”
“Russian.”
“Occupation?”
“No, no, just visiting.”

Recycled Angela Merkel visiting Greece joke….

I miss teaching on the Soviet Union under Brezhnev. The jokes about him were brilliant.

Brezhnev gathers all his cosmonauts into a room, and says 'Boys, we're going to steal a March on the Americans by landing on the sun.'

A brave man pipes up, 'But Comrade Brezhnev, we'll be burned up.'

'Do you think I'm a fool?!' snapped Brezhnev. 'You'll be landing at night.'

Sandpit said:

CarlottaVance said:

…”The Telegraph have been informed that their headline is wrong, and Matt is considering all options available to him.“……

The important point Hancock makes in response is that after Whitty’s advice a meeting on testing took place which revealed there wasn’t enough capacity to test everyone going into care homes. Which is why later that day Hancock decides only to test hospital patients at this stage

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1630838823029551107?s=20

Am I the only one who’s struggling to see the public interest, as opposed to the interest of the public, in this story?

There will be an inquiry into how things were handled during the pandemic, but I’m not sure that posting thousands of selectively-chosen text messages between senior figures helps the situation, nor how ministers and advisors might communicate in a future crisis, knowing that every last detail will end up in Fleet St.

Are we are not now trying to forget about the pandemic, rather than re-live it in detail?

Witness also Musk and his 'Twitter files' shit.

RochdalePioneers said:

CarlottaVance said:

…”The Telegraph have been informed that their headline is wrong, and Matt is considering all options available to him.“……

The important point Hancock makes in response is that after Whitty’s advice a meeting on testing took place which revealed there wasn’t enough capacity to test everyone going into care homes. Which is why later that day Hancock decides only to test hospital patients at this stage

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1630838823029551107?s=20

Its a strategically timed piece of journalism. Don't look at the PM saying the EEA is the best opportunity in the world, throw rocks instead at Mancock because he's a wrong'un.

To do the Telegraph justice, he is a wrong 'un.

Whether he's as big a wrong 'un as they're implying is another question, but there were some very dodgy things going on between care homes and hospital trusts that certainly spread covid. Releasing Covid-positive patients to care homes from hospitals at midnight, for example, when the manager wouldn't be there to refuse to accept them, as one hospital not far from here did.

CarlottaVance said:

Broxtowe background:

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, Labour is now a serious, credible government in waiting and our candidates reflect that. Robust due diligence processes have been put in place to make sure everyone selected is of the highest calibre and for that we’ll make no apologies.

“Labour has changed. Keir believes that politics can be a force for good, and that his government can restore the faith in it that 13 years of Tory government has carelessly eroded. The public rightly expect anyone asking to hold office is of the highest standard, and with Labour they can. We're really pleased that outstanding Labour candidates have already been selected in constituencies across Britain, and that work continues."

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/councillor-claims-blocked-standing-mp-8198418

Rejected candidate had previously stood for Labour in 2017 and 2019. In 2017 Anna Soubry’s majority cut to 863 from over 4,000.

Back up to over 5,000 under Darren Henry though.

ydoethur said:

CarlottaVance said:

ydoethur said:

Heh.

A Russian guy is at the Polish border:
“Nationality?”
“Russian.”
“Occupation?”
“No, no, just visiting.”

Recycled Angela Merkel visiting Greece joke….

I miss teaching on the Soviet Union under Brezhnev. The jokes about him were brilliant.

Brezhnev gathers all his cosmonauts into a room, and says 'Boys, we're going to steal a March on the Americans by landing on the sun.'

A brave man pipes up, 'But Comrade Brezhnev, we'll be burned up.'

'Do you think I'm a fool?!' snapped Brezhnev. 'You'll be landing at night.'

Brezhnev’s mum visits him in the Kremlin, distinctly unimpressed he has her whisked in a Zil convoy to his Dacha in the forest. Still unmoved his personal jet flies her to his Villa in Crimea. Finally he can bear the indifference no more and asks her

“Mum, what do you think? Aren’t you impressed?”

“It’s all very good, Leonid, but what happens if the Reds come back?”