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Wouldn't at all be surprised to see an RMT strike resolution over the weekend, with Boris allowing a 7% rise, in attempt to rise his popularity out of the deepest cess pit.
Haven’t read bruneep’s link but while it’s enjoyable to see Dowden resign for just what it symbolises, it’s worth remembering what a pernicious **** he is. Dorries, as culture secretary, is useless and I’d rather see competence over that any day, everyone knows she’s just bit crazy and very few take her seriously. Dowden was a lot more damaging in his role. Properly scary at times in the levels to which he’d sink waging the anti-woke (forgive me, couldn’t think of anything else) culture war. He’s pissing off now as I guess he knows Johnson’s days are numbered, but he’ll be back.
Only if he can privatise the Mint and let some ‘suitable’ chaps run it…
Quite
A swing to the Libdems in a by-election is a warning, not an outright rejection.
The Wakefield result is a win for Labour, but not a landslide, Boris is very obviously damaging the Tories, but if he were to go tomorrow, I reckon their odds would still improve at the next GE…
A sensible perspective I think. Boris is the problem, not the Tory policies, is how many will see it.
Just came on here to say this:
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha".
There will be a queue of Tory MPs to stab the power-crazed maniac in the back at this point.
....and the Tories voted to keep the toxic turd for another year.
Every scumbag mp is going to get a massive skidmark right up their back.
All Tories are ****s.
Woke up to some excellent news, Tiverton isn't Tory for the first time in 99 years. Wakefield is now a Labour constituency and the odious toad Oliver Dowden has quit.
Anyone who saw me in my car driving to work would've seen me laughing hysterically as I listened to Dominic Raab flailing around being interviewed for Radio 4. There is no plan beyond a steady slide towards authoritarianism and global irrelevance.
A sensible perspective I think. Boris is the problem, not the Tory policies, is how many will see it.
They have policies?
Yeah, Raab was not very good (is he ever?) On R4
They have policies?
I wrote to grayling saying shitti Patel should execute refugees on Ant and Dec to revive their fortunes.
They have policies?
Stay in power at all costs
Asset strip the UK for everything it has
Get rich quick
**** the poor
Much like when Blackadder describes the MP Sir Talbot Buxomly:
[i]Well, according to `Who's Who', his interests include flogging servants, shooting poor people, and the extension of slavery to anyone who hasn't got a knighthood.[/i]
and Prince George replies: Excellent - sensible policies for a happier Britain!
I’m all up for ‘anyone but a Tory’ voting, but I do have a nagging doubt that the Lib Dems would jump into a coalition with the tories again at the first sniff of some power and influence. However, a bit like Tiverton, it’s the only hope of getting the Tory out. (West Devon and Torridge)
Surely this must be the end?
Not a chance. This is just something else to throw into the mix, along with all the rest of it. He is completely devoid of shame and has no interest in anything other than himself and his perceived entitlement to be PM
Boris Johnson will be thinking only one thing this morning. "They can't have another vote of no confidence in me for another twelve months". Nothing else will even register with him.
He's going to take the whole ship and crew down with him. Which would be great if that was just the Tory party, but unfortunately we're all on board with them
They have policies?
Yep:
There is no plan beyond a steady slide towards authoritarianism
As in:
I'm seeing reports on Twitter that the Conservative candidate for Tiverton barricaded herself into a room during the count before storming off once the result was announced.
It's pretty obvious that Helen Hurford has zero people skills. Her career is a little murky too, I can't quite figure out whether she's a former school head or the manager of a nail bar.
Either way, the Tories are forced into scraping the bottom of the candidate barrel.
A sensible perspective I think. Boris is the problem, not the Tory policies, is how many will see it.----
They have policies
Exactly, problem for the Tories is that they have nothing beyond far right posturing, when there's a cost of living crisis to deal with.
The other pachyderm in the pantry is that the potential replacements are beyond horrendous!!
1922 Committee meeting this evening, will be rule change by Monday. I'll give it a month. Tories are ruthless when their majority is on the line. Raab is always poor on Today, never convincing. Probably because he's not convinced himself, and he's not stupid either.
This thread sums it all up
https://twitter.com/chriscurtis94/status/1540235621834391552?t=hwoHhhECui4y19HTz9oD7w&s=19
Raaaaaaab is stupid. No idea of how the world works.
Raab is always poor on Today, never convincing. Probably because he’s not convinced himself...
Raab is about as hard-right as they get, which is why he has a cabinet job right now.
...and he’s not stupid either.
Au contraire.
No idea of how the world works.
That's not the game though. The game is how POLITICS works. Top Grammar School in Buckinghamshire, Law at Oxford and a Masters from Cambridge, he's not stupid.
I’m seeing reports on Twitter that the Conservative candidate for Tiverton barricaded herself into a room during the count before storming off once the result was announced.
Perhaps there were simply no convenient fridges nearby?
Hurford was a terrible candidate
Unfortunately she's pretty similar to a lot of cabinet!
Raab also keeps bringing up the "high wages" line this morning, as the answer to "what's the plan" questions... after a week of ministers talking against higher wages.
The more serious things become for an increasing number of people in this country, the more obvious it becomes that this confederacy of dunces are completely devoid of any ideas and haven't got the first clue how to deal with anything
Even the hardest of thinking must be realising this by now.
We've an absentee government
We've a summer of chaos in front of us and then the steam train of huge energy price increases coming down the tracks in the autumn, and all they have is reheated Thatcherism, 'leave everything to The Market' and their increasingly desperate and petty culture war.
Raab didn't even sound like he remotely believed the bullshit excuses he was spouting this morning. Just going through the motions
Surely this must be the end?
I don't think so. VOC gave him a 12 month buffer to do whatever he wants.
Raab kept using the phrase "distractions" this morning, long may things continue this way, another year of Bunga Bunga, human rights erosion (Raab's pet "bill of rights" project) and levelling down could well cost the Tories the next GE... Kick Borisconi out today and they'd have time to recover...
Nope the time for MPs to disown bozza was a couple of weeks ago. They've nailed their colours to his mast now...
I'd like to believe we are getting very close to the point where Boris calls an early GE, knowing Tories lose No.10 and then try and throw mud at Labour when the Tory failings under Boris all come home to roost. The unrest especially among the low to middle earners families is just simmering now, it's going to get very messy before this tax year ends.
I like to think we're at that point in the Black Knight sketch where he loses an arm only to declare "I've had worse!"
Altogether now...
"You liar!"
They'll only call an early election if they believe, like May, that it'll consolidate their mandate. If Johnson takes that decision against advice he will get the bums rush.
Adam Boulton has just been on Five Live stating the obvious about why Boris is still there.
He said a senior Tory had told him that of the present cabinet there are only 3 people who are up to their cabinet jobs... Gove, Zahawi and Javid, the rest of them are utterly useless and would no way be in a job under anyone else but Johnson. So it's a desperate co-dependency. I'd argue that those 3 aren't up to it either. They're all hopeless
Unlike with Thatcher being deposed, theres nobody of any capability to replace him. They're political pygmies
gove is still in the cabinet? you couldn't tell.
I don’t think so. VOC gave him a 12 month buffer to do whatever he wants.
Ahh but that’s in the current rules of the 1922,as tired mentioned they are a meeting.
Rules can can be changed it’s internal party policies.
gove is still in the cabinet? you couldn’t tell.
Smart move to keep your head down, when the numpties are arsing it up Biggly.
You just love to see it don't you?
The Tories are done, it's over. Ending the same way all Tory governments end, with in-fighting and back-stabbing. It'll be like the fall of Saigon now, they'll be scratching each other eyes out, some trying to get on the last Helicopter and onto public sector board seats, the others fighting to lead them into opposition.
Things might actually get better for us now too, once the Tories remember they need to keep voters happy and not just their rich backers. There’s talk they might bring in the 19% income tax rate now, rather than in April, they might even make it 18%. Sure it won’t help the Poor and it’ll mean they can’t offer public sector workers inflationary rises, but neither of those groups vote Tory anyway and, if I’m honest and as someone who has public sector pay as part of their household income, a tax cut for the majority is fairer than a salary bump for the minority.
Raab has the face of a man that's just been caught w**king in the local park.
and yes he is stupid.
From the Guardian just now...
James Forsyth, who as as political editor of the Spectator is one of the journalists best tuned in to thinking in the Conservative party, has written a blog saying the byelection defeats make it more likely than before the the 1922 Committee rules will be changed to prevent Tory MPs having to wait another year until they can hold a second no confidence vote in Boris Johnson. Here’s an extract.
Looking at these Tory losses, it is hard not to conclude that the rebels would have got the 180 votes they needed to oust Boris Johnson if they had been organised enough to wait until after the by-elections before going for a vote of no confidence. But having had a vote two weeks ago, it is not credible to suggest changing the rules immediately to allow another one.
However, judging from the conversations I have had with Tory MPs this morning, more of them would now like the option of having another vote sooner than a year from now.
Forsyth says this will be an issue in the elections for the 1922 Committee executive (which has the power to change the rules) before the summer recess.
https://twitter.com/JGForsyth/status/1540257723274641408?s=20&t=OYLNRP-6kXRCh593VRfyqw
I would question his motives but saying Gove can't get anything done is a little unfair- he is actually quite effective! Evil, but effective.
Raab has the face of a man that’s just been caught w**king in the local park.
and yes he is stupid.
The man who didn't realise that as an island we're actually quite dependent on our ports? Stupid? Surely not?
Raab has the face of a man that’s just been caught w**king in the local park.
is the best thing i've read in the internet today!
I don’t think so. VOC gave him a 12 month buffer to do whatever he wants.
However, Conservatives MPs have the power to ignore the "Whip" and either abstain or actually vote against parliamentary bills thereby freezing Johnson of any power to enact things.
Whether they have the will or the balls to do so is another matter.
moronic government for a moronic country (the people over the road just had some hard core delivered. To lazy and thick to move their cars out of the drive before hand, now they can't get out and they can't get the barrow past the cars, so they have to carry it through the house in buckets! )
thereby freezing Johnson of any power to enact things.
He's not really doing anything though. Staggering blindly from one bit of gaffe-prone stupidity and corruption to the next.
None of what he is announcing will ever actually happen - 40 new hospitals, a nuclear power station a year.
The only stuff being enacted is stuff they all want like stripping rights and regulations, a "bonfire of red tape", cutting the power of the judiciary and so on.
he is actually quite effective!
Under this PM? Johnson is a brake on getting anything useful delivered.
I would question his motives but saying Gove can’t get anything done is a little unfair- he is actually quite effective! Evil, but effective.
Not at the minute. He is systematically screwing up the planning system at present. Trying to centralise and fudge policy on many detailed planning matters whilst simultaneously claiming he's empowering 'localism' in decision making - all whilst quietly dropping sanctions on Councils that don't perform in meeting housing needs. It's a total muddle and will do nothing to deliver 300,000 homes a year. It's almost as if (like the Ukrainian asylum issue), the Gov are saying the thing they think needs to be heard but deliberately creating red tape and dragging their heals so as to not upset Mr and Mrs BEXIT/NIMBY. Classic doublespeak.
Raab also keeps bringing up the “high wages” line this morning, as the answer to “what’s the plan” questions… after a week of ministers talking against higher wages.
Raab wittering on about a "high wage" economy just four days after a Tory Treasury spokesdroid was on R4 talking about the need to constrain pay increases for the foreseeable future was a spectacularly silly thing to do. When he goes up against Starmer or Thornberry he comes away looking decidedly second-rate, if he wasn't a Tory minister he'd be a middle ranking partner at an ambulance chasing proving provincial law firm.
"However, judging from the conversations I have had with Tory MPs this morning, more of them would now like the option of having another vote sooner than a year from now."
Possibly, but removing the convict a few more months down the line will leave the Torie in the situation of having a leadership battle far too close to a GE which is not a great look. Even now there is precious little time to get in a new guy and turn things around, even if they could.
The set of options they have is bad and getting worse with each passing week.
The problem for the rest of us is that right now more than ever we need a government focussing on the huge and pressing problems at hand and not hell bent on destroying themselves. Normally I'd be out with the deckchair, hobnobs and a nice cuppa to watch the tories destroying themselves but as someone noted a few posts ago, this lot are so evil, greedy and vindictive they will happily burn the temple down if it means a few more shekles for them and a harder a job for the next government.
Also, I think there are quite a few who relish being in opposition for a while and throwing mud at the new government, or out making money rather than having their expenditure scrutinised - though there must be a few slightly more worried today than yestarday about thier safe seats
I don’t think so. VOC gave him a 12 month buffer to do whatever he wants.
I hope he stays exactly where he is, the goal (for me at least) it to get rid of them. Johnson is polling station poison now, his key players are looking more and more ridiculous by the minute trying to defend him. The last thing I want to see now, less then 2 years before a GE is Bozo, Dull Rabb, Mad Nad and Gov the Pob being replaced by a new crowd who might not be so utterly and obviously useless. No, far better this right wing, small minded, populist style of Tory is so utterly destroyed that no one would try it again for at least a generation.
this lot are so evil, greedy and vindictive they will happily burn the temple down if it means a few more shekles for them and a harder a job for the next government.
This feels like the fag-end of the Major government, where its just one thing after another as it all falls apart. And if you remember (if you're that old) one thing they did when they knew the writing was on the wall was rush though the totally ill-conceived rail privatisation, which ironically is this week still showing what a shambles that whole idea was.
God knows what this lot would do? Declare war on France? Privatise air?
economy just four days after a Tory Treasury spokesdroid was on R4 talking about the need to constrain pay increases for the foreseeable future was a spectacularly silly thing to do.
They're going around in circles on this.
Inflation due to supply side shocks. Wages suppressed. Can we have a wage rise please? - just to keep up with inflation that wasn't our fault.
No because it drives inflation.
But my wages haven't increased in years.
Tough, wage price spiral. Apart from the wealthy - we're seeking to remove restrictions from financial players in the city so they can earn more via bonuses.
Don't their wages cause inflation?
No never. Only the low waged cause a wage price spiral despite low wages.
.
No never. Only the low waged cause a wage price spiral despite low wages.
I'm struggling to understand the disconnect in the messaging here.
Work harder or "get a better job"* to be paid more.
But you don't deserve to be paid more cos The Market has decided that is what you're worth.
* as if we can all just go out and "get a better job" like we'd pop out to get a pint of milk...
Get a better paid job but don't ask to be paid more.
Everything this Government says is just batshit mental, they don't have the slightest clue.
When the besotted Nadine Dorries isn't tweeting a banal supportive tweet on the day after 2 local election losses, you're toast I reckon.
Don’t their wages cause inflation?
No never. Only the low waged cause a wage price spiral despite low wages.
Well yes, because poor people spend any excess money on frivolous things like heating, clothing and food.
If bankers get a £200k bonus (for example) it goes straight into their mortgage/property portfolio, propping up house prices. And we all know house price inflation = good*. Very little of that £200k gets into the high street buying things that affect the inflation 'basket'.
*But first, don't be poor. Because then it won't be.
Nads thinks there’s been 11 world wars
His useful idiots in the cabinet have been very quiet and they have a lot to lose.
Hopefully the writing is on the wall.
if he wasn’t a Tory minister he’d be a middle ranking partner at an ambulance chasing proving provincial law firm.
Funny thing is I know this person.
If bankers get a £200k bonus (for example) it goes straight into their mortgage/property portfolio, propping up house prices. And we all know house price inflation = good*. Very little of that £200k gets into the high street buying things that affect the inflation ‘basket’.
*But first, don’t be poor. Because then it won’t be.
There will always be inflation in some segment of the market and this will clearly affect the poor considerably.
But, the wealthy consume more resources, hoard more resources and restrict supply of the resources to the rest of us. That in itself is inflationary. And this is all about lack of supply. Not too much money.
A wage price spiral from the lower paid is in itself an oxymoron especially when your economy is contracting.
Funny thing is I know this person.
I think we all know at least one person who's very existence explains how this lot ended up in power. I'm related to one of them, though I avoid him like the plague. He has an abundance of all the 'qualities' required to be a junior bag carrier in Boris Johnsons cabinet.
Everything this Government says is just batshit mental, they don’t have the slightest clue.
It's the rigged market. Capitalism needs low wages to allow transfer of wealth to the wealthy.
In theory now would be the time offer better wages to court the supply of Labour - but the quad
whammy of a disintegrating economy, no post-covid support, inflation and supply issues has well and truly cut the legs from market forces.
The is no real market expansion now without government money. And the Tories are currently sitting on the small state fence. So let's strip and cut. Then what?
I will eat my bike if we're not in a recession come Autumn (or probably already.)
Nads thinks
I doubt it.
Nads thinks there’s been 11 world wars
Christ, it's like Aladdin rubbing his lamp and his little useless genie pops out! Maybe she's monitoring STW. She is responsible for 'sport' after all ...so maybe not 😉
Funny thing is I know this person.
They crop up everywhere.
Little Hitlers promoted far beyond their abilities due to their propensity for brown-nosing and their unswerving capacity for taking the credit and therefore giving the impression that they know what they're doing / are good at it.
Ridiculously loyal to their boss while also never realising that they are kept in that post purely so they can become the fall guy if needed.
"think we all know at least one person who’s very existence explains how this lot ended up in power."
In my case, Uncle Michael....He believes Britain will be a better place in 25 years time.
He's nearly 80.
Johnston excellently saying that it's all just "a distraction" and that he's "getting on with the job" and "what's really important". Yep, that's why he's in Rwanda.
tomd
Full MemberThe Tory candidate in Tiverton did seem particularly awful which probably didn’t help. The q&a I saw with her looked like a comediene parodying thick grasping tory of the worst kind, a sort of younger Nad type of thing.
Well yes, and no. Because to most people, yes she's an awful candidate. But to the current tory leadership and cultists, she's a perfect candidate. Dorres only worse? Well, they love Dorres, Dorres only worse is their dream. They need people who can lie loudly without thinking, believe anything regardless of how stupid without knowing anthing about anything, and contradict themselves 3 times in a sentence while patronising you. Because that's the only way they can function, now. So it's not like they put up a bad candidate that they'd rather not have had. They put up their dream candidate. It's ace.
PJM1974
Free MemberRaab is about as hard-right as they get, which is why he has a cabinet job right now.
Not quite. Raab got the job for the same reasons as above but specifically because he was one of the most enthusiastic liars about brexit. He went direct to being deputy pm with literally no other qualification.
Meanwhile, Dowden is exactly the sort of Tory that traditionally you'd really worry about.
QT was interesting last night.
The tory 'fall girl' fielded up was absolutely defenceless. Especially when she started telling bare faced lies to the union guy and the rail worker in the audience.
I thought the transport union Boss came across very well, and was very reserved. He needs to be.
I thought Ben (don’t mention the Russians) Elliot was already co-chair, but just keeping a low profile compared to Dowden for “reasons” (don’t mention the Russians).
Oh… Michael Howard has called for Boris Johnson to go now… probably still a remoaner plot.
Michael Howard has already sacked him once, so it's hardly surprising.
Channel 4 news and Krishnan Guru-Murthy having a great time with a captive Boris interview currently.
I see his cheerleaders are taking it well
https://twitter.com/AllieHBNews/status/1540442508584419334?t=tm9eE4-Knh4hpJg2WThZcA&s=19
I like the phrase black belt in bullshit.....
Funny but sadly out of date with so much more to add!
When you accept it's for the most part word soup spat out purely to avoid answering a question or prevent the difficult questions being asked it makes perfect sense.
Is that the Daily Heil road testing some election fraud theories in preparation for the next general election?
Does he pay for a single thing himself?
https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1540484388441538562?t=fJtpSNk2r0EwLOTPRQ_RlA&s=19
Does he pay for a single thing himself?
Does he know that you can buy a 3-bedroom semi for that sort of money in some parts of the country and that treehouses don't actually cost that?!
Christ, no wonder he thought his £250,000 salary from the Telegraph was "chicken feed" (his words) if he's being sold basic stuff at wildly inflated prices...
Apparently the tree house had bullet proof glass in the design and if the rest of the design was equally over the top I can see that the cost might well be £150k. But it’s ok, he wasn’t intending to pay.
Mad
Apparently the tree house had bullet proof glass in the design
And probably some top of the range wallpaper... 😉
and that treehouses don’t actually cost that?!
Here's the scary thing. I just had a posh shed built. 2 rooms, one finished as an office, one a man cave, upvc doors etc. For about 10k. North West prices.
Neighbour's son came for a look around. He lives in London. One of his colleagues just had a posh shed built, it's bigger than mine as it has a mezzanine, but 1 big room to be a gym and office. Price?
I had to sit down. £200k.
£200k for a shed. So yes, in Carrie's world, a treehouse does indeed cost 150k.
Wow.
That certainly tops John Travoltas $5 milkshake at Jack Rabbit Slims, in Pulp fiction.
road testing some election fraud theories in preparation for the next general election?
I’ve heard several ministers prepping the ground for the same thing… that tactical voting is “dishonest” (but majority rule based on a minority vote is not)… they’ll be calling it “undemocratic” or “fraud” come the next election I suspect…
https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1540334029257465856?s=21