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I've noticed Gove is increasingly becoming the voice pipe for Boris.
I loathe his every fibre.
Gove never fails to sink below expectations , which is impressive considering my opinion of him already!
Tories threatenin C4 s license is all getting a bit orwellian
C4 license is up for renewal in 2024; if Tories attempt to review before then I think C4 would definitely appeal.
Licence renewal is managed by Ofcom so any attempt to exert political influence would, I'm sure, be made public in no time.
Anyone hear Gavin Williamson on 5live earlier?
An embarrassment; failed to answer a single question directly.
Asked to comment on johnson's insults - melon faced piccaninnies, letter box wearing, bumboys etc - in the context of candidates being stood down for equally offensive comments on social media he prattled on about johnson's focus being on uniting the divided UK.
Nicky Campbell attempted, repeatedly, to get a clear answer but....nothing.
What a useless prick; from tory perspective, another tool to deflect criticism away from johnson.
One question: How bad would the Tories have to be (or just Johnson) before the public turned their backs in disgust?
What would they have to do that was bad enough to push sentiment against them? Because it seems to me they are way past that anyway.
Serious and funny.
(No comments about Corbyn being useless that's just not my view - let's assume for the sake of argument the Tories are just awful anyway.)
I have a zero hours contract and for the last 3 weeks its been that - previously working 2-3 days per week since April and now nothing. I've also been denied any holiday - many employers are abusing the system.
Rone - at present he appears teflon-like; same as Farage.
I can't see what would prompt a significant rejection of him; tories have built cult (yes, intended spelling) of personality around him and made the election into a single issue - get brexit done - which is dog-whistle politics but appeals to a surprisingly large number of voters
Too many voters have swallowed the demonisation of Corbyn; as you request, I won't comment about his actual or perceived competency.
Also true to say that too many voters have, wrongly, equated johnson's vocabulary with intelligence and competence.
The single issue brexiters in constituencies where BP have stood down their candidates have, in the main, transferred their allegiance to tories.
Sentiment will turn against him when, after the expected election win, he will be exposed as the incompetent he really is.
Depressing, isn't it?
(No comments about Corbyn being useless that’s just not my view – let’s assume for the sake of argument the Tories are just awful anyway.)
Sorry, you can’t discuss why Johnson can get away with so much without discussing the only alternative the voters think, under FPTP, they have in front of them at this election in most of England. And it’s worse than them just winning an election… the Conservatives have only been able to move further and further right thanks to having an opponent they think they don’t have to fight for heart and minds of huge swathes of Britain where Labour should be a dangerous opponent for them.
Sorry, you can’t discuss why Johnson can get away with so much without discussing the only alternative the voters think, under FPTP, they have in front of them at this election in most of England.
I don't think that is the point of my point.
I'm just saying what in isolation would it take to NOT vote Boris. I'm assuming if he took part in a child sacrifice then Corbyn would look slightly more appealing to some?
Now he's sent his dad onto Breakfast telly with a note for teacher.
Looks like Boris is also trying to replace an evisceration from Neil with a light prodding from Andrew Marr instead. BBC should book him, then replace Marr with Neil due to a 'diary clash' at the last minute.
I’m just saying what in isolation would it take to NOT vote Boris.
Sorry, most people are going to vote for what they see as the least worst choice between two parties. That what the awful FPTP does to us all. The potential PMs and their parties’ policies are weighed up. Voters don’t have the luxury of considering only one of the party leaders in isolation.
In my opinion, Johnson long ago did enough to make him entirely unsuitable for public office of any kind. Not sure there is much more he can do to look any worse as a potential PM.
I have a zero hours contract and for the last 3 weeks its been that – previously working 2-3 days per week since April and now nothing. I’ve also been denied any holiday
Nightmare, but I'm not sure how this policy helps you:
We will tackle insecurity by … Banning zero-hour contract
We will end insecurity and exploitation by ending zero-hours contracts
Nobody else in this thread can see how either. They'll have to either set a ludicrously low number of compulsory hours, or just leave the EU and end compulsory contracts for work because as Molegrips says:
No-one’s banning casual working. That would be utterly insane.
The best policy on contract hours I've heard is the Lib Dems - you don't impose minimum legal contract hours, or end the requirement for contracts but below a certain number of hours the salary has to go up.
Hope you get a full time job soon.
One question: How bad would the Tories have to be (or just Johnson) before the public turned their backs in disgust?
They have used the Trump approach and it has worked brilliantly. As the great man Trump said "He could shoot someone on 5th Aveneue and he wouldn't lose any voters"
One question: How bad would the Tories have to be (or just Johnson) before the public turned their backs in disgust?
This for me has been the hardest part to deal with in this election. Obviously the way things work with FPTP does screw things up a bit, but my gut feeling at the start of this would be that pretty much all remainer Torys , especially in safe Tory seats would vote LD as a protest. The LDs offer remainer moderate Conservatives an easy way out, without voting for Corbyn. If the polls play out, they just haven't taken that opportunity.
Which has led me to believe that the number of actual true moderate Conservative supporters is woefully low. Ergo a massive chunk of the population are either really just selfish, self centered nasty people, or just blind to what the Torys have become.
I really do have no idea how bad they have to get before people start to desert them.
I would suggest some sort of averaging system. If a person has averaged say 15 hours a week over the last 3 months, then they need to be given at least 66% of the hours. Just a rough idea.
Constituency level betting odds if anyone's interested
https://www.paddypower.com/politics/england-constituencies-a-d
Boris in LBC now currently getting a bit of gentle ripping by Ferrari.
Wonder why he turned up for a moderately right wing broadcaster that he's comfortable with?
The deal is still oven ready for the microwave.
I don't agree with Ferrari on most topics but he's at least a dignified interviewer compared to the vitriol coming from Andrew Neil's gob.
bonespurs boris, cowardly, climate change denier, lying racist islamophobic shit. He fits right in.
Boris in LBC now currently getting a bit of gentle ripping by Ferrari.
And even under this gentlest of prodding he falls apart...
I don’t agree with Ferrari on most topics but he’s at least a dignified interviewer compared to the vitriol coming from Andrew Neil’s gob.
I've never heard a Ferrari interview but I've listened to a lot of political podcasts which almost always involve fairly soft inteviews. The interviewee opens up a lot more, I suspect a soft interview actually acheives a lot more than a hard interview.
We don't really learn anything from questiones designed to expose an awkward paradox or whatever.
Agreed.
It just doesn't produce the soundbites which is what I think drives this stuff. I think broadcasters fighting for attention chase this for impact.
It's a both a shame and product of our over-consumption of media.
Nightmare, but I’m not sure how this policy helps you:
Would the employee as opposed to accepting the zero hours contract be able to agree a contract for x days or hours per week so this situation doesn't occur? or have I misunderstood?
Its no wonder that the Tories are threatening Channel 4. And thats what they're blatantly doing. Its not even veiled
Channel 4 news is the best independent source of news in the country IMHO, and takes its remit of holding the government to account very seriously.
Just look at what 9 years of threats have done to the impartiality of the BBC and the quality of its journalism.
Johnson getting destroyed on Nick Ferrari phone in
No wonder he's too terrified to face Andrew Neil!
I bet his handlers are desperate to keep him away from that one
I bet his handlers are desperate to keep him away from that one
I know.
Was there a time when the consensus was he was a great orator ? I'm sure there was.
I mean ... bloody hell.
LBC (Let's Blame Corbyn) is definitely right of centre.
Not so bad as Talk radio though.
That's video clip is very telling. Wow.
He's always insisted on brick instead of cladding. WTF. When? How? (Grenfell).
I suspect a soft interview actually acheives a lot more than a hard interview.
There’s a massive difference between a soft interview and a sympathetic interview though. A right leaning interviewer has no motivation to dig.
(Edit; as evidenced above 🙄🙄🙄)
From today's Grauniad - a piece about Morecambe:
On Tuesday this week, 56-year-old Lloyd Barratt (not his real name) tried to book a routine appointment to see a GP at Bay Medical, using the app. He has epilepsy, a brain aneurysm, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and irritable bowel syndrome, and needs to see a GP every four to five weeks. There was nothing available before Christmas. “Not an unusual occurrence,” he said.
Barratt is a life-long Labour voter who was planning to vote for the Brexit party until Nigel Farage decided not to contest Tory-held seats. He said he could only support Labour if the party fulfilled its 2017 manifesto pledge of honouring the result of the EU referendum and remains undecided how to vote on 12 December.
This is the sort of prize idiot that gives democracy a bad name. He is himself suffering from the decline in the NHS, ignores the likely impact of privatisation post-Brexit, and is still thinking of voting Tory.
A right leaning interviewer has no motivation to dig
Well there are different levels are 'right' aren't there?
That’s video clip is very telling. Wow.
No, the video clip tells you nothing. Johnson was told to wrap up his long rambling answer with a hand gesture, which he mimicked back with a smirk.
Social media is worse for misinformation than radio or TV.
Agree with Binners about C4 News, they are prepared to call a lie a lie, which is why Farage and Johnson stay well away from it.
No GP appointments this side of Xmas here either DrJ. The Tories promised 5000 additional GPs. England now has thousands fewer MPs, not more. Anyone inclined to believe the Tories when it comes to the NHS this time needs a shaking. The Leave campaigns using the NHS logo and implying Brexit will improve the NHS has utterly perverted our democracy.
LBC (Let’s Blame Corbyn) is definitely right of centre.
The only LBC output I listen to is Iain Dale's podcasts and, in spite of the fact he's a brexiteer and an ex-Tory candidate ,his interviews are straight down the middle and it's very clear he takes pride in that. Even life long friends don't get spared the tricky (but fair) questions.
I'm very suspicious of all claims of bias about interviewers [1]. If they're biased they're doing a bad job. How many of us would deliberately and openly do our job badly to further our political leanings? "Sorry, I put spelling errors in that document because I'm a green party supporter and I wanted to help them." I just don't buy it.
[1] Obvs I'm talking about interviewers who are supposed to be un-biased. Clearly if you're interviewing for the Guardian/Mirror/Express/Mail you're going to be openly biased the way your readers are paying you to be.
LBC (Let’s Blame Corbyn) is definitely right of centre.
I keep hearing this, but I'm not sure. certainly Nick Ferrari is, but the rest of the days broadcasting James O'Brien, Shelagh Fogerty and Eddie Mair could hardly be described as right of centre.
I’m very suspicious of all claims of bias about interviewers [1]. If they’re biased they’re doing a bad job. How many of us would deliberately and openly do our job badly to further our political leanings? “Sorry, I put spelling errors in that document because I’m a green party supporter and I wanted to help them.” I just don’t buy it.
Well if your boss were politically biased (like Sarah Sands on R4Today), it might seem like a smart move.
I’m very suspicious of all claims of bias about interviewers
Boris used to be the editor of the Spectator, Andrew Neill used to/still does (can't remember) sits on the board of the company that owns the Spectator, Dominic Cummings wife writes for the Spectator...I'm going to call bias.
So why is Johnson avoiding the interview?
Neil absolutely is biased toward the Conservatives, and presumably Johnson as well, but he’d still carry out the interview in a stringent way, and pull Johnson apart.
Neil wont let him get away with not answering the question, the way Ferrai is
he's got tough questions from callers, waffled, Ferrari asks him once to answer it then moves on
Neil would push for an answer
Boris Johnson hoping to pick up a pair of balls in the Black Friday sales
You can put your house on Boris Johnson going nowhere near any studio that has Andrew Neil in it, on account of being a spineless shithouse who knows full-well he'd be exposed for the bumbling lying fool that he is
Nobody else in this thread can see how either.
I gave you a suggestion as to how it could work but you seem not to have noticed. I CAN see how it could work.
Sorry molgrips, without details from Labour it is not a policy, and at best we should just discount and ignore it (rather than attempt to scrutinise it).
You can put your house on Boris Johnson going nowhere near any studio that has Andrew Neil in it
Simple solution. Just set the interview up with someone else that he likes, then just as it starts and the cameras are rolling, swap the interviewer for Neil. Watch him either whinge, blow up or walk out on live telly.
So why is Johnson avoiding the interview?
Have a listen to Nick Ferrari's interview this morning. Ferrari is a dyed in the wool Tory, and yet even under his interview tickling, Boris falls to bits like a Jenga Tower. To make it look anything like probing; Neill would have to ask questions that Boris simply won't remember the right answer, make stuff up on the spot to get himself out of a squeeze, or just lie, and I reckon central office has decided that the fall out from not doing the interview is less trouble than going on before the postal votes have been cast.
Sorry molgrips, without details from Labour it is not a policy, and at best we should just discount and ignore it (rather than attempt to scrutinise it).
No I agree it's not a policy. That's exactly my point - people are extrapolating to suit their own political agenda, I'm just doing the same on the other side for a bit of balance, and to point out that their extrapolations are baseless. It COULD be a dog's breakfast but just the same it COULD work out well - we just don't know so it's too early to condemn.
Not a fan of msm or the guardian therefore hesitate to recommend a piece in todays independant but I will.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/general-election-boris-johnson-jeremy-corbyn-labour-tories-poll-a9223126.html