[Rishi] It's astounding Time is fleeting Madness takes its toll But listen closely
[Suella] Not for very much longer
[Rishi] I've got to keep control
[Narrator] It's just a jump to the left. [All] And then a step to the right. [Narrator] Put your hands on your hips. [All] You bring your knees in tight. But it's the pelvic thrust That really drives you insane. Let's do the time-warp again. Let's do the time-warp again....
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
What's the PB assessment of James Cleverly so far?
The best I can do is "middling". I haven't seen any major pratfalls, nor any obvious world-shaking achievements.
The Major benefit as Home Secretary may be just the significantly greater measure of sanity over Ms Alarmed Rube.
How many CPTPP members will have accredited UK membership by the next Election?
If Liz Truss were back, she'd be making speeches about exporting Lymeswold Cheese to Canada.
I’ve noticed that Cleverley wears red socks. So he thinks he’s proper posh. Not as interesting as Truss’ necklace but there it is
Are red socks posh? I had no idea. I tend to plump for red socks, given the opportunity. Maybe I'm posher than I think.
If you've thought about how posh you are you are probably posher than you think. Red trousers are a definite marker for poshness. I haven't seen red socks in the same category, but any kind of bold clothing choice suggests a degree of self confidence, and an expectation that it will be tolerated by others, that comes easier to the posh. This represents a break with the 60s/70s when confident working class people shook things up via bold sartorial choices - eg Billy Connolly - but that is symptomatic of how we have gone backwards as a country since Thatcher declared war on the working class.
Good leaders surround themselves with the best talent. Sunak has just demonstrated that he is a million times better than either of his idiotic two predecessors who surrounded themselves with people whom they thought were minimal threat.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
They listen to too many cabbies?
I haven’t encountered a racist cabbie in many years. It’s like one of those things that disappears but you only notice a decade later. White dog poo was the classic example
Frank Skinner the comedian, in his excellent memoir, points out that people no longer clasp their hands on one side, above their head, and then on the other side, in moments of triumph
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
Whatever you think of David Cameron you have to admire his sense of duty.
He hasn't undermined the government (unlike some of his successors) over the last 7 years, and nor did he have to take this job.
Yes it must be tough for him, having to become a Lord, with a cushy spot for life, and in the meantime do a really interesting job that means flying around the world First Class and having foreigners fawn over you
He's taking a job (might even be unpaid) in the fag-end of a very unpopular government, and he will get brickbats the whole time. The media outings won't be enjoyable.
He didn't have to do it, he will be away from his family and kids a lot, the world isn't pretty at the moment, and there are far easier and more lucrative options for him out there.
Actually I suspect he doesnt have that many lucrative options and needs to raise his profile to get some. Osborne is doing better than he is.
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
A couple of visiting American tourists.
The people who actually bet on politics are like the darts team that think they basically own the place
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
The internet forum is a thing in its own right, and the blog-led forum is a sub-species (i.e. one where all interaction is in comments below a header, rather than one where members can write their own headers and there are multiple topics going on at once).
Remarkable really that this format has stayed pretty much intact since the early days of the internet and newsgroups. It shows it works. More personal than social media, more public than the likes of Whatsapp.
Cameron on X this morning: "stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships" "a strong supporter of the UK retaining its commitment to spending 0.7% of gross national income on international aid"
that is the kind of talk the natcons love
handing out 0.7 % of GNI while we cant afford to build a railway.
A poor country pretending to be a rich one.
That's what 13 years of Toryism will do to a state.
Nah its what 26 years of Third way politics has done.
No its what 44 years of Neoliberalism has done (with 5 more years guaranteed no matter who you vote for)
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
Wow. Looks like Rishi has played a blinder. Sacking the evil Suella was always going to be judicious, but the risk was that there would be a few days of divisive headlines as she and her henchmen sulked from the sidelines. But Rishi has ensured that the nation will be too busy partying over Dave's appointment to care. What a man!
It certainly seems to be working as a variant of dead cat. Cameron is more newsworthy than Suella’s sacking.
I’ve always thought FS would be by far the most enjoyable cabinet post, and the least risky. If things go really wrong in foreign affairs it’s the PM who gets the blame. There’s no BMA or police federation or teachers’ unions to piss off, and you’re not on the front line of spending arguments.
Home Sec must by contrast be the worst job. If I were Cleverly I’d be a bit annoyed.
Cleverly must however be the front running 'sensible' candidate for LOTO. It won;t be Cameron or Hunt, so he's the only one of the 'big four' in place post election.
1997? 2010? The big four tend to get swept aside these days.
I agree. The great offices of state are a solid platform from which to run for PM (good argument on experience and readiness for the role), but not for LOTO (time for a change and sweep out the old guard).
That depends on the result. If Labour squeak in, then the Tories would be wise to elect a PM in waiting. Arguably, Labour should have done that in 2010 rather than going for Milliband.
Labour won't just squeak in.
Labour needs a load of seats to break even. It could be closer than you think. Depends on the economy, which admittedly is in the toilet right now.
Nah. I take the point about needing a massive number of gains but I don't think the ground game is all that important and, ironically given so much previous comment, the boundary changes may help Labour by reducing the incumbency factor in many constituencies.
Starmer could easily make more gains than Blair did in 1997.
Yes. I understand Labour pessimism after 13 years of defeat but they are gonna win big in ‘24. The polls are not shifting and this latest “drama” won’t change that. Starmer has also got lucky at just the right time in Scotland
The only question now is whether Starmer has a decent majority or a landslide win
If I were Starmer I would feel a little anxiety. All of a sudden the top table in government is filled with grown ups with a degree of appeal to exactly those 2 million or so 2019 Tories that Labour needs.
Question: Would Cameron have taken the job without believing the possibility of keeping it beyond a year's time (or less)?
On balance I think it increases the chances of NOM, as it signals (too late) a return to wanting dull centrist competence.
This in turn focusses attention on the very large area of GE 2024 outcome in which there is no clear result. The sort of result where Labour have fewer seats than Tories, but can form a government.
Cameron's appointment is nothing to do with Brexit, and nor does it mean anything with respect to Brexit, but he's sure to be asked about it by British journalists - a lot.
He will have a good line to take, and eventually they'll get a bit bored of it.
[Rishi] It's astounding Time is fleeting Madness takes its toll But listen closely
[Suella] Not for very much longer
[Rishi] I've got to keep control
[Narrator] It's just a jump to the left. [All] And then a step to the right. [Narrator] Put your hands on your hips. [All] You bring your knees in tight. But it's the pelvic thrust That really drives you insane. Let's do the time-warp again. Let's do the time-warp again....
Brilliant
I might have got the left and right jumps the wrong way round ... but time will tell.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
For a second shot at the prize he'd need to be in the HoC.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
For a second shot at the prize he'd need to be in the HoC.
If it all goes well, the planets align, I'm sure a safe seat could miraculously appear.
Cameron cuddling up to the EU could be a game changer for the Tories. He's one of the few who could legitimately do it. It would also show the pusillanimity of Starmer which the Tories have tried but failed to do so far.
Aw bless. But no. Its not going to do any of those things: he’s yesterday’s man, Brexit is done, the Tories are finished, this won’t significantly shift the polls and Cameron will therefore be out of the job within a year
No, he isn't yesterday's man you silly hyperbolic Brexit loon. Brexit is yesterday's issue though. It has been a colossal fuckup for the Tories and the country, and of course, Cameron does share responsibility for due to the stupid and unnecessary in/out referendum. The reality though that frothing Brexit apologists like Leon (literally a dying breed) cannot grasp is that Cameron is a sensible grown up unlike all of the lightweights and intellectual idiots that are still stupid enough to genuinely believe in it. He might not save the Tories, but having someone of dignity and gravitas in the cabinet has to be a good thing for the country.
You’ll find your pills in the top drawer in the kitchen
Your reposts are becoming almost as poor and lacking in believability as a Sean Thomas novel.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
They listen to too many cabbies?
I haven’t encountered a racist cabbie in many years. It’s like one of those things that disappears but you only notice a decade later. White dog poo was the classic example
Frank Skinner the comedian, in his excellent memoir, points out that people no longer clasp their hands on one side, above their head, and then on the other side, in moments of triumph
Another example of the same
I was surprised to find out, as a teenager, that the high five originated as late as the 70s.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
Otoh returning to Parliament does mean he has to publish his income.
Good leaders surround themselves with the best talent. Sunak has just demonstrated that he is a million times better than either of his idiotic two predecessors who surrounded themselves with people whom they thought were minimal threat.
Belatedly though. He’s had a year of kowtowing to various interest groups in his party and appointing useless ministers. This should have all happened last October rather than giving Braverman her job back. I like others am pleased Cameron is back in government though.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
Fair point.
He is outwardly boring but is a serial achiever. Has an impressive CV as London mayor, in terms of technocratic delivery.
• Night Tube • Ulez • Crossrail • Ulex-X
Not too shabby.
But not an exciting figurehead for the world's greatest city.
Cleverly is a Warhammer player (apparently plays Blood Angels) so is well familiar with the concept of defending an utterly stagnant regime that is beset by existential threats without and inance factionalism within.
And coincidentally looks like he's been painted on by a kid in his bedroom.
What's the PB assessment of James Cleverly so far?
The best I can do is "middling". I haven't seen any major pratfalls, nor any obvious world-shaking achievements.
The Major benefit as Home Secretary may be just the significantly greater measure of sanity over Ms Alarmed Rube.
How many CPTPP members will have accredited UK membership by the next Election?
If Liz Truss were back, she'd be making speeches about exporting Lymeswold Cheese to Canada.
I’ve noticed that Cleverley wears red socks. So he thinks he’s proper posh. Not as interesting as Truss’ necklace but there it is
Are red socks posh? I had no idea. I tend to plump for red socks, given the opportunity. Maybe I'm posher than I think.
If you've thought about how posh you are you are probably posher than you think. Red trousers are a definite marker for poshness. I haven't seen red socks in the same category, but any kind of bold clothing choice suggests a degree of self confidence, and an expectation that it will be tolerated by others, that comes easier to the posh. This represents a break with the 60s/70s when confident working class people shook things up via bold sartorial choices - eg Billy Connolly - but that is symptomatic of how we have gone backwards as a country since Thatcher declared war on the working class.
Red socks are definitely posh, yes. Haute bourgeois Frenchmen wear them when they are trying to look like upper class Englishmen
“Mr Fillon is not the first French politician to be a fan of the socks. Edouard Balladur, who served as prime minister in the 1990s and also favoured “le style britannique”, wore them with impeccably-tailored Savile Row suits.”
Whatever you think of David Cameron you have to admire his sense of duty.
He hasn't undermined the government (unlike some of his successors) over the last 7 years, and nor did he have to take this job.
Yes it must be tough for him, having to become a Lord, with a cushy spot for life, and in the meantime do a really interesting job that means flying around the world First Class and having foreigners fawn over you
He's taking a job (might even be unpaid) in the fag-end of a very unpopular government, and he will get brickbats the whole time. The media outings won't be enjoyable.
He didn't have to do it, he will be away from his family and kids a lot, the world isn't pretty at the moment, and there are far easier and more lucrative options for him out there.
Agree, especially with the "he didn't have to do it" DC is almost certainly doing it because doesn't like what he has seen in the FO/HO over the last couple of years and feels some kind of duty to stabilise the s*** situation. It will only be for 12 months, but as you say it won't be an easy 12 months.
Whatever you think of David Cameron you have to admire his sense of duty.
He hasn't undermined the government (unlike some of his successors) over the last 7 years, and nor did he have to take this job.
Yes it must be tough for him, having to become a Lord, with a cushy spot for life, and in the meantime do a really interesting job that means flying around the world First Class and having foreigners fawn over you
He's taking a job (might even be unpaid) in the fag-end of a very unpopular government, and he will get brickbats the whole time. The media outings won't be enjoyable.
He didn't have to do it, he will be away from his family and kids a lot, the world isn't pretty at the moment, and there are far easier and more lucrative options for him out there.
Yes, I always have a respect for someone who comes out of the woodwork to accept a role like this.
He doesn’t need the money, he doesn’t need the time away from home, or the constant harrasment from the press. He could happily earn several times more from the occasional trip to the States for a speech, and not have to declare it either.
Good! She’s gone! Now, Rishi, face up to the ERG. If they don’t like it, let them join Reform and see if anyone other than corrupt policemen, taxi drivers and football hooligans vote for them.
Well, Reform are consistently polling 5-10% which is enough to destroy the Conservative Party as an electoral force. If the Tories were polling 34-38% rather than 24-28% they’d be in a strong position to win the next election. At the moment they are well positioned for total oblivion
Reform will struggle to run candidates in all seats and I suspect their number will fall as the election nears.
I've been asked to stand.
"Reform UK intend to stand around 630 candidates at that General Election. To that end we are looking for potential candidates to come forward and apply to join our team. So, if any of you would like to consider standing for Reform UK and would like to find out more please check our website or reply directly to me. There will be lots of help/training available.
Please, please really consider this, we have all had a lifetime of these cheating, lying, self serving, arrogant, hand-in-the-till politicians of the Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem parties."
And have you agreed?
I'm tempted to stand as Reform in a close Tory/LibDem marginal to split the Tory vote. But I'm not a good enough actor (liar) and I'd be duty bound to resign my LibDem membership.
Cameron cuddling up to the EU could be a game changer for the Tories. He's one of the few who could legitimately do it. It would also show the pusillanimity of Starmer which the Tories have tried but failed to do so far.
Aw bless. But no. Its not going to do any of those things: he’s yesterday’s man, Brexit is done, the Tories are finished, this won’t significantly shift the polls and Cameron will therefore be out of the job within a year
What's he going to cost us for this year? I presume he gets paid a fair chunk, then expenses, and does he get another pension? There's already 350 Tories we're paying to do these jobs, can't they all pay a share to cover the cost of Lord Cameron?
A minister's salary is separate from that of an MP's pay, and there are limits on how many can be appointed to any grade so one extra minister from the Lords is likely to mean one less minister from the Commons. IIRC, a minister does get marginally more for serving from the Lords (which is a nod to peers not getting a regular salary - and a F/Sec won't be in parliament a lot of the time as they're off round the world), however, the difference is pretty minimal.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
The grifting potential of an ex-PM is immensely in excess of that of a bog-standard peer.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
Cameron has easier routes to becoming a Lord if he wants to enter the HoL.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
The grifting potential of an ex-PM is immensely in excess of that of a bog-standard peer.
I doubt it’s meant as a return to government, but Sunak could quite easily give May a role as something, probably again not a day-to-day domestic policy role but something like Leader of the Commons would suit her well and be another big beast around the table.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
They listen to too many cabbies?
I haven’t encountered a racist cabbie in many years. It’s like one of those things that disappears but you only notice a decade later. White dog poo was the classic example
Frank Skinner the comedian, in his excellent memoir, points out that people no longer clasp their hands on one side, above their head, and then on the other side, in moments of triumph
Another example of the same
Many cabbies in Colchester are immigrants. Or appear (or sound) to be.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
Fair point.
He is outwardly boring but is a serial achiever. Has an impressive CV as London mayor, in terms of technocratic delivery.
• Night Tube • Ulez • Crossrail • Ulex-X
Not too shabby.
But not an exciting figurehead for the world's greatest city.
I was on Crossrail. He did naff all except take the credit for it.
Speak to anyone who's worked with or knows Khan for their opinion of him.
Cameron on X this morning: "stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships" "a strong supporter of the UK retaining its commitment to spending 0.7% of gross national income on international aid"
that is the kind of talk the natcons love
handing out 0.7 % of GNI while we cant afford to build a railway.
A poor country pretending to be a rich one.
That's what 13 years of Toryism will do to a state.
Nah its what 26 years of Third way politics has done.
No its what 44 years of Neoliberalism has done (with 5 more years guaranteed no matter who you vote for)
So wheres Corbyn then ? Hiding ?
I suspect he isn't joining "his friends" Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the mo.
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
The grifting potential of an ex-PM is immensely in excess of that of a bog-standard peer.
Good! She’s gone! Now, Rishi, face up to the ERG. If they don’t like it, let them join Reform and see if anyone other than corrupt policemen, taxi drivers and football hooligans vote for them.
Well, Reform are consistently polling 5-10% which is enough to destroy the Conservative Party as an electoral force. If the Tories were polling 34-38% rather than 24-28% they’d be in a strong position to win the next election. At the moment they are well positioned for total oblivion
Reform will struggle to run candidates in all seats and I suspect their number will fall as the election nears.
I've been asked to stand.
"Reform UK intend to stand around 630 candidates at that General Election. To that end we are looking for potential candidates to come forward and apply to join our team. So, if any of you would like to consider standing for Reform UK and would like to find out more please check our website or reply directly to me. There will be lots of help/training available.
Please, please really consider this, we have all had a lifetime of these cheating, lying, self serving, arrogant, hand-in-the-till politicians of the Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem parties."
And have you agreed?
I'm tempted to stand as Reform in a close Tory/LibDem marginal to split the Tory vote. But I'm not a good enough actor (liar) and I'd be duty bound to resign my LibDem membership.
The appointment of Cameron can only shift the dial if it brings back a chunk of centre-right voters still embittered by Brexit
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
What's the PB assessment of James Cleverly so far?
The best I can do is "middling". I haven't seen any major pratfalls, nor any obvious world-shaking achievements.
The Major benefit as Home Secretary may be just the significantly greater measure of sanity over Ms Alarmed Rube.
How many CPTPP members will have accredited UK membership by the next Election?
If Liz Truss were back, she'd be making speeches about exporting Lymeswold Cheese to Canada.
I’ve noticed that Cleverley wears red socks. So he thinks he’s proper posh. Not as interesting as Truss’ necklace but there it is
Are red socks posh? I had no idea. I tend to plump for red socks, given the opportunity. Maybe I'm posher than I think.
If you've thought about how posh you are you are probably posher than you think. Red trousers are a definite marker for poshness. I haven't seen red socks in the same category, but any kind of bold clothing choice suggests a degree of self confidence, and an expectation that it will be tolerated by others, that comes easier to the posh. This represents a break with the 60s/70s when confident working class people shook things up via bold sartorial choices - eg Billy Connolly - but that is symptomatic of how we have gone backwards as a country since Thatcher declared war on the working class.
That'll be why they voted for her in such numbers, I suppose :-)
There is no way that Cameron is doing this out of any sense of duty or the goodness of his heart. He misses the showbiz. It feeds his ego, gives him the chance to try and claw back some of his reputation from the Brexit fiasco. Might even give him a second shot at the prize if he plays his cards right and the planets align. Plus if it didn't work out, he's a Lord and gets all the grift that that brings.
The grifting potential of an ex-PM is immensely in excess of that of a bog-standard peer.
Lady Mone says hi..
Have you seen Johnson's own income?!
Besides Mone didn't get that grift as a member of the Lords per se, but as an already accomplished self-publicist leveraging her prior political connections.
When was the last time a major cabinet position was held by someone not in the HoC?
Lord Carrington: Foreign Secretary until 5 April 1982.
For the other Great Offices of State:
The Earl of Rosebery was PM until 22 June 1895 The Marquess of Normanby was Home Secretary until 13 March 1839 Lord Denman was the last peer to be CoE (acting) in 1834.
This update is brought to you by Wiki Research Services Inc.
I wonder if something happened on 4 April 1982 to convince them that FS was not a job for a superannuated old fool?
Yes, a momentous event. A cabinet minister took responsibility for a f*ck-up and resigned as a point of honour.
Not sure that's happened since.
The worst thing about that was it was covering up the behaviour of permanent officials.
Who among other things, tried to wreck the career of the MI6 guy in Argentina who was reporting the build up.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
Perhaps a teeny bit of unconscious bias?
There’s something more - I know solidly Labour voting types (always vote for the Labour candidate) who say that he is shit, but they *have* to vote for him.
Can’t think of anything he’s done that is anything other that anodyne centrism, without actually poking the hard left…. So surely he should be really uncontraversial in Labour circles?
Or is it that he isn’t Labour enough? He does seem rather apolitical.
Heseltine on Cameron - is the best news I have heard in a long time
Cameron's return is clearly part of a Remainer plot to rejoin the EU.
Heseltine also wanting Osborne to rejoin the government as well
Ed Balls asked Ozzy this exact question on their podcast last week (recommended by the way, it’s an excellent show). Ozzy said he was enjoying life outside politics too much. So I don’t think he’ll fancy it.
Hmmm. Not sure they are posh anymore. Tends to be people who want people to think they are posh and a little bit daring.
A lot of wearers are also influenced by seeing certain types wearing them in the 80s when they were growing up worn with a pair of Penny loafers and a blue and white striped shirt - a preppy/yuppie look.
If you are posh you don’t give a damn what colour socks you are wearing and therefore don’t deliberately choose red socks to signal who you are. And socks are more likely to have a hole in than be red.
I do like Ed Balls. Can we not have him as Mayor of London, over the execrable Khan? Please?
He is box office, excellent. However he would never take the mayoral job – the money isn't good enough. He earns a decent crust through his media work.
Why do people think that Khan is execrable? I would say he is fairly quiet and managerial.
They listen to too many cabbies?
I haven’t encountered a racist cabbie in many years. It’s like one of those things that disappears but you only notice a decade later. White dog poo was the classic example
Frank Skinner the comedian, in his excellent memoir, points out that people no longer clasp their hands on one side, above their head, and then on the other side, in moments of triumph
Another example of the same
Weirdly, the only person I can now picture doing that is Frank Skinner.
Hmmm. Not sure they are posh anymore. Tends to be people who want people to think they are posh and a little bit daring.
A lot of wearers are also influenced by seeing certain types wearing them in the 80s when they were growing up worn with a pair of Penny loafers and a blue and white striped shirt - a preppy/yuppie look.
If you are posh you don’t give a damn what colour socks you are wearing and therefore don’t deliberately choose red socks to signal who you are. And socks are more likely to have a hole in than be red.
Red: posh Canary yellow: posh Sky blue: posh Long woollen, patterned or otherwise, with garters: posh Black: posh or not posh Grey: not posh With any kind of "design" on them: not posh With sandals: not posh
I don't get the jizz fest about bringing Cameron back. Surely it just points to a knackered government that's run out of competent MPs to do the basic jobs? I get that certain Tories believe him to be the messiah, but to the rest of us he's just a mildly naughty boy. I guess you think that he's going to sprinkle a bit of magic glitter on you, but if he does do something stellar, it just emphasises how shockingly bad the rest of them truly really are. Face it. It's over. Time to get the bolt gun out and take the Conservative party to the glue factory.
Whatever you think of David Cameron you have to admire his sense of duty.
He hasn't undermined the government (unlike some of his successors) over the last 7 years, and nor did he have to take this job.
Yes it must be tough for him, having to become a Lord, with a cushy spot for life, and in the meantime do a really interesting job that means flying around the world First Class and having foreigners fawn over you
He's taking a job (might even be unpaid) in the fag-end of a very unpopular government, and he will get brickbats the whole time. The media outings won't be enjoyable.
He didn't have to do it, he will be away from his family and kids a lot, the world isn't pretty at the moment, and there are far easier and more lucrative options for him out there.
Yes, I always have a respect for someone who comes out of the woodwork to accept a role like this.
He doesn’t need the money, he doesn’t need the time away from home, or the constant harrasment from the press. He could happily earn several times more from the occasional trip to the States for a speech, and not have to declare it either.
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
In the real pub you are likely to see Liam Gallagher having a quiet drink and chatting with the next table. There have been suggestions of many such lurkers in the PB-Pub.
The appointment of Cameron can only shift the dial if it brings back a chunk of centre-right voters still embittered by Brexit
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
It's aimed at people like me. Ex-cameroons who liked just chugging along, didn't want a revolution, probably ok off relatively, liked the aspiration that he promoted.
Conservatives, in other words.
I will take another look at the party, come the GE, to see what's what.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 9m The only way to read this reshuffle is that Rishi Sunak has decided to completely give up on the Red Wall and try and go for damage limitation in traditional Blue Wall seats. But that’s todays plan. On current form, there’ll be an entirely different strategy unveiled next week.
Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
👀 Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Lol at Balls calling Owen Jones 'intellectually second rate' (which is generous) on GMB.
I don’t actually think Owen Jones is intellectually second rate. But he has turned into an insufferably self-regarding twat, so it’s fun to see him squashed
Someone who can't differentiate between an opinion and a fact - or who can see the difference but tries to pass them off as the same thing anyway at a point when it matters - is intellectually second-rate.
Particularly when the opinion is wrong and easily exposed as such.
Owen Jones is a smart guy who has been made lazy and incurious by his need to feed his social media following with standard opinions. It’s a real problem (not just for him)
Social media is the greatest evil since the advent of agriculture
Does PB count as social media? I think on the whole you are more likely to encounter a range of opinions on here, and its certainly not an echo chamber, but it surely has the main elements of social media?
PB is a bit weird. It has aspects of social media but also aspects of a great little pub hidden away in Belsize Park known only to locals
Great analogy, but one that leads to speculation about the 'regulars' and how they fit into the pub cast... We definitely have the drunk sweary Scot, the only Tory in the village, the one who bangs on about not using money and so on!
The appointment of Cameron can only shift the dial if it brings back a chunk of centre-right voters still embittered by Brexit
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
I don’t think many people will change their vote based on who the person who occupies the role of Foreign Secretary is.
But it is likely a statement of intent, similar to Brown’s Mandelson appointment. It’s trying to put the government back on a more stable, experienced footing with an eye on how to ready itself for a GE campaign. This is Sunak essentially acknowledging he wants Cameron’s advice in the year to come.
What it does likely do is move the government away from what I expected the 2024 campaign to look like, which was plausibly going to be Culture War Max, Rwanda, Make Britain Great Again stuff. Sunak has flirted with it, but with Braverman’s sacking and Cameron’s appointment it’s clear when it comes to the crunch he’s not got an appetite for it.
David Cameron will go down as one of the most significant political figures - perhaps the most - of the early 21st Century.
When all's said and done he'll have been at centre of the British political scene for almost 20 years.
Indeed, but not in a good way. As PM he left us more divided than ever. As Paxman called him, the worst PM since Lord North. I hope that's not his legacy in the FO.
Hmmm. Not sure they are posh anymore. Tends to be people who want people to think they are posh and a little bit daring.
A lot of wearers are also influenced by seeing certain types wearing them in the 80s when they were growing up worn with a pair of Penny loafers and a blue and white striped shirt - a preppy/yuppie look.
If you are posh you don’t give a damn what colour socks you are wearing and therefore don’t deliberately choose red socks to signal who you are. And socks are more likely to have a hole in than be red.
The truely posh wear their dad's darned socks. The Princess Royal is often seen cutting about in a pair of Phil's Pantherellas.
Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
I've just put a few quid on Cleverly for next leader.
He'll have done two of the great offices of state - always a decent plus in a leadership bid. At least in normal times.
The Oxbridge types in the party and more importantly the media will not like James Cleverly's BA in Hospitality Management from Ealing Tech, not even if he does wear red socks.
👀 Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
Will need to rename itself the Ex-Conservatives group....
👀 Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
Got to ask is there a small enough meeting room that the complete lack of attendees isn't obvious..
I can't remember where I read it over the weekend but Suella had a total of about 7 people backing her.
What's the chances Cameron's appointments turbocharges a challenge to Sunak?
I'm not thinking Braverman here (although she could become a figurehead) I am thinking all those Red Wall MPs who now realise, with this appointment, that Sunak has stuck two fingers up to any chances they may have of holding their seats - both for the Remain side and the poshness angle.
You must be pretty p1ssed off. And what do you have to go back to? So why not take posh boy down with you, especially as I can't imagine he has done anything really to win your support.
Add on those who will think that Sunak has caved into the Blob (think not so much "less than half of Tory voters want Braverman to stay" but more "over twice the number of Tory voters wanted Braverman to stay than be sacked), the weekend feedback is going to be...interesting.
David Cameron will go down as one of the most significant political figures - perhaps the most - of the early 21st Century.
When all's said and done he'll have been at centre of the British political scene for almost 20 years.
Indeed, but not in a good way. As PM he left us more divided than ever. As Paxman called him, the worst PM since Lord North. I hope that's not his legacy in the FO.
Tbf at least a couple of his sucessors have outdone Cameron in that respect.
In Cameron’s memoirs there’s an embarrassing anecdote about him telling Putin about the Russian cities he’d visited as a student, which included Kiev. Putin somberly reminded him about the end of the USSR…
The appointment of Cameron can only shift the dial if it brings back a chunk of centre-right voters still embittered by Brexit
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
I don’t think many people will change their vote based on who the person who occupies the role of Foreign Secretary is.
But it is likely a statement of intent, similar to Brown’s Mandelson appointment. It’s trying to put the government back on a more stable, experienced footing with an eye on how to ready itself for a GE campaign. This is Sunak essentially acknowledging he wants Cameron’s advice in the year to come.
What it does likely do is move the government away from what I expected the 2024 campaign to look like, which was plausibly going to be Culture War Max, Rwanda, Make Britain Great Again stuff. Sunak has flirted with it, but with Braverman’s sacking and Cameron’s appointment it’s clear when it comes to the crunch he’s not got an appetite for it.
Trouble is, David Cameron was generally wrong on policy (China, Middle East, austerity) and also a bad campaigner (GE2010, Sindy, Brexit). Why would you want his advice if not to do the opposite?
👀 Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
Will need to rename itself the Ex-Conservatives group....
Not currently Conservatives but were last month and might be again by the spring, but who knows, group?
Hmmm. Not sure they are posh anymore. Tends to be people who want people to think they are posh and a little bit daring.
A lot of wearers are also influenced by seeing certain types wearing them in the 80s when they were growing up worn with a pair of Penny loafers and a blue and white striped shirt - a preppy/yuppie look.
If you are posh you don’t give a damn what colour socks you are wearing and therefore don’t deliberately choose red socks to signal who you are. And socks are more likely to have a hole in than be red.
Some truth in that. Tho I still think they’re intrinsically posh - it’s just that non-posh people have noticed and copied in an attempt to be posh
Here’s the Duke of Bedford showing people how to wear red socks in 1959
The appointment of Cameron can only shift the dial if it brings back a chunk of centre-right voters still embittered by Brexit
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
I don’t think many people will change their vote based on who the person who occupies the role of Foreign Secretary is.
But it is likely a statement of intent, similar to Brown’s Mandelson appointment. It’s trying to put the government back on a more stable, experienced footing with an eye on how to ready itself for a GE campaign. This is Sunak essentially acknowledging he wants Cameron’s advice in the year to come.
What it does likely do is move the government away from what I expected the 2024 campaign to look like, which was plausibly going to be Culture War Max, Rwanda, Make Britain Great Again stuff. Sunak has flirted with it, but with Braverman’s sacking and Cameron’s appointment it’s clear when it comes to the crunch he’s not got an appetite for it.
Trouble is, David Cameron was generally wrong on policy (China, Middle East, austerity) and also a bad campaigner (GE2010, Sindy, Brexit). Why would you want his advice if not to do the opposite?
He was the first Tory PM to win a majority since 1992, so it’s a mixed bag.
In Cameron’s memoirs there’s an embarrassing anecdote about him telling Putin about the Russian cities he’d visited as a student, which included Kiev. Putin somberly reminded him about the end of the USSR…
Yet Putin apparently sees Kyiv as being Russian...
I don't get the jizz fest about bringing Cameron back. Surely it just points to a knackered government that's run out of competent MPs to do the basic jobs? I get that certain Tories believe him to be the messiah, but to the rest of us he's just a mildly naughty boy. I guess you think that he's going to sprinkle a bit of magic glitter on you, but if he does do something stellar, it just emphasises how shockingly bad the rest of them truly really are. Face it. It's over. Time to get the bolt gun out and take the Conservative party to the glue factory.
It seems to be a pretty clear statement of intent with regards to Europe.
I’m sure this has been mentioned on here, but dragging Dave back will remind viewers that they’ll have had 14 years of this.
Once the likes of @TSE have got over their euphoria, the general voting public will be unmoved. Indeed, it will ultimately reflect even worse on the party’s chances at the next election.
The fact that it’s probably a good thing for the country will be lost on voters. F.O. moves no dials.
(Also some very dodgy skeletons in Dave’s cupboard which aren’t going to play out well.)
Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
David Cameron will go down as one of the most significant political figures - perhaps the most - of the early 21st Century.
When all's said and done he'll have been at centre of the British political scene for almost 20 years.
Indeed, but not in a good way. As PM he left us more divided than ever. As Paxman called him, the worst PM since Lord North. I hope that's not his legacy in the FO.
Paxman has zero credibility as a political commentator given that he doesn't actually understand politics. I also suspect that if you asked him, he couldn't tell you anything about Lord North other than that he 'lost America', never mind about other contenders for 'worst PM of the last 250 years).
This isn't to defend some of Cameron's critical mistakes, in policy or in execution, but you have to ask what any other PM could reasonably have done in the circumstances to get a rounder view of his failures (bearing in mind that none had the benefit of hindsight that we now do).
My theory is that Rishi appointed Cameron as Foreign Secretary as a fuck you to Boris, who will now have to regularly see clips of Cameron hugging Zelenskyy.
Comments
Red trousers are a definite marker for poshness. I haven't seen red socks in the same category, but any kind of bold clothing choice suggests a degree of self confidence, and an expectation that it will be tolerated by others, that comes easier to the posh. This represents a break with the 60s/70s when confident working class people shook things up via bold sartorial choices - eg Billy Connolly - but that is symptomatic of how we have gone backwards as a country since Thatcher declared war on the working class.
Frank Skinner the comedian, in his excellent memoir, points out that people no longer clasp their hands on one side, above their head, and then on the other side, in moments of triumph
Another example of the same
Remarkable really that this format has stayed pretty much intact since the early days of the internet and newsgroups. It shows it works. More personal than social media, more public than the likes of Whatsapp.
Corbyn is a Tory Trojan Horse.
Question: Would Cameron have taken the job without believing the possibility of keeping it beyond a year's time (or less)?
On balance I think it increases the chances of NOM, as it signals (too late) a return to wanting dull centrist competence.
This in turn focusses attention on the very large area of GE 2024 outcome in which there is no clear result. The sort of result where Labour have fewer seats than Tories, but can form a government.
He will have a good line to take, and eventually they'll get a bit bored of it.
He is outwardly boring but is a serial achiever. Has an impressive CV as London mayor, in terms of technocratic delivery.
• Night Tube
• Ulez
• Crossrail
• Ulex-X
Not too shabby.
But not an exciting figurehead for the world's greatest city.
“Mr Fillon is not the first French politician to be a fan of the socks. Edouard Balladur, who served as prime minister in the 1990s and also favoured “le style britannique”, wore them with impeccably-tailored Savile Row suits.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/02/french-rush-buy-fillons-red-socks/
*stares across pub in amazement*
DC is almost certainly doing it because doesn't like what he has seen in the FO/HO over the last couple of years and feels some kind of duty to stabilise the s*** situation. It will only be for 12 months, but as you say it won't be an easy 12 months.
https://x.com/mrdavidwhitley/status/1724028804492919113?s=20
He doesn’t need the money, he doesn’t need the time away from home, or the constant harrasment from the press. He could happily earn several times more from the occasional trip to the States for a speech, and not have to declare it either.
I don’t expect it though.
Speak to anyone who's worked with or knows Khan for their opinion of him.
But not red socks.
I might have some tenuous old connection to very minor Austro-Hungarian nobility, but I am definitely not posh.
He'll have done two of the great offices of state - always a decent plus in a leadership bid. At least in normal times.
Will it, tho? Strikes me it’s just as likely to REMIND these people of Brexit - in the form of the man who calamitously delivered it. And make them hate the Tories even more
On balance I’d say this is a wash. Won’t budge things either way. But there is a real chance it will be a net negative, once the surprise wears off
Braverman: fuck the pigs
Cameron: just the one pig, thanks
Besides Mone didn't get that grift as a member of the Lords per se, but as an already accomplished self-publicist leveraging her prior political connections.
Who among other things, tried to wreck the career of the MI6 guy in Argentina who was reporting the build up. There’s something more - I know solidly Labour voting types (always vote for the Labour candidate) who say that he is shit, but they *have* to vote for him.
Can’t think of anything he’s done that is anything other that anodyne centrism, without actually poking the hard left…. So surely he should be really uncontraversial in Labour circles?
Or is it that he isn’t Labour enough? He does seem rather apolitical.
When all's said and done he'll have been at centre of the British political scene for almost 20 years.
A lot of wearers are also influenced by seeing certain types wearing them in the 80s when they were growing up worn with a pair of Penny loafers and a blue and white striped shirt - a preppy/yuppie look.
If you are posh you don’t give a damn what colour socks you are wearing and therefore don’t deliberately choose red socks to signal who you are. And socks are more likely to have a hole in than be red.
Red: posh
Canary yellow: posh
Sky blue: posh
Long woollen, patterned or otherwise, with garters: posh
Black: posh or not posh
Grey: not posh
With any kind of "design" on them: not posh
With sandals: not posh
I guess you think that he's going to sprinkle a bit of magic glitter on you, but if he does do something stellar, it just emphasises how shockingly bad the rest of them truly really are.
Face it. It's over. Time to get the bolt gun out and take the Conservative party to the glue factory.
For some people that matters.
Conservatives, in other words.
I will take another look at the party, come the GE, to see what's what.
@DPJHodges
·
9m
The only way to read this reshuffle is that Rishi Sunak has decided to completely give up on the Red Wall and try and go for damage limitation in traditional Blue Wall seats. But that’s todays plan. On current form, there’ll be an entirely different strategy unveiled next week.
https://x.com/bethrigby/status/1724028092740481282
👀 Senior Conservative source tells me there is talk in parliament of a meeting of the New Conservatives group later today and agenda item is Suella leadership play.
But it is likely a statement of intent, similar to Brown’s Mandelson appointment. It’s trying to put the government back on a more stable, experienced footing with an eye on how to ready itself for a GE campaign. This is Sunak essentially acknowledging he wants Cameron’s advice in the year to come.
What it does likely do is move the government away from what I expected the 2024 campaign to look like, which was plausibly going to be Culture War Max, Rwanda, Make Britain Great Again stuff. Sunak has flirted with it, but with Braverman’s sacking and Cameron’s appointment it’s clear when it comes to the crunch he’s not got an appetite for it.
I can't remember where I read it over the weekend but Suella had a total of about 7 people backing her.
I'm not thinking Braverman here (although she could become a figurehead) I am thinking all those Red Wall MPs who now realise, with this appointment, that Sunak has stuck two fingers up to any chances they may have of holding their seats - both for the Remain side and the poshness angle.
You must be pretty p1ssed off. And what do you have to go back to? So why not take posh boy down with you, especially as I can't imagine he has done anything really to win your support.
Add on those who will think that Sunak has caved into the Blob (think not so much "less than half of Tory voters want Braverman to stay" but more "over twice the number of Tory voters wanted Braverman to stay than be sacked), the weekend feedback is going to be...interesting.
(In one of those great ironies, I was judging whether someone had something offensive and if so should they be dismissed.)
"Suella Braverman signed her own death warrant," says former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
You were in a panic as you tried to reverse your membership of Labour.
Here’s the Duke of Bedford showing people how to wear red socks in 1959
I wear Paul Smith socks
Once the likes of @TSE have got over their euphoria, the general voting public will be unmoved. Indeed, it will ultimately reflect even worse on the party’s chances at the next election.
The fact that it’s probably a good thing for the country will be lost on voters. F.O. moves no dials.
(Also some very dodgy skeletons in Dave’s cupboard which aren’t going to play out well.)
This isn't to defend some of Cameron's critical mistakes, in policy or in execution, but you have to ask what any other PM could reasonably have done in the circumstances to get a rounder view of his failures (bearing in mind that none had the benefit of hindsight that we now do).
My theory is that Rishi appointed Cameron as Foreign Secretary as a fuck you to Boris, who will now have to regularly see clips of Cameron hugging Zelenskyy.