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He’s got a pretty impossible job – keeping the party together while not completely shafting the economy over brexit and somehow gaining enough support to get a majority at the next GE.
Which he created and which would have been completely avoidable. That is the frustrating thing about all this, it is an entirely manufactured crisis.
This article gives some insight into how it might have come about.
How Oxford University shaped Brexit
A piece by an Oxford contemporary.
What I find a bit odd about the BJ row is why the police had to be called since they are likely to have been present anyway given he's an ex minister and potentially the next prime minister. Also a bit odd that the neighbour can approach the door unchallenged.
Malcom Ri****d was being interviewed this morning and made the point that the Tory leaders he served under had a hands-on grasp of much of the day to day running of the government departments whereas BJ thinks he can get away with "executive board" style management. He also commented that every couple have arguments, some heated, and that BJ could just have said something along those lines.
It seems a real coincidence that the neighbours were so interested ...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/22/left-wing-neighbours-admit-taping-boris-johnson-row-girlfriend/
Not really ... they want their 15 minutes
the Tory leaders he served under had a hands-on grasp
Maybe he was just practicing?
He also commented that every couple have arguments
Yeah, but not like that. Maybe I'm the exceptional one, and Boris is the normal one, but I somehow doubt it.
It seems a real coincidence that the neighbours were so interested …
Seems to be lots of people trying to push some kind of conspiracy theory to deflect attention away from their man.
There will be plenty more like this, and there already has been plenty of similar stuff.
Yeah, but not like that.
True, when my mrs spills her wine, I just laugh and say she can't have any of mine 😉
On my first job away from home I got asked to tidy up the foreman's caravan - he and his mrs had had a row. "Tidying up" included extracting a kitchen knife from the bedroom door! "Here's Jenny!!"
I believe he will not serve the country well
If only he believed in serving the country it's currently Boris first, party second and country a distant third.
There is no deflection ... they had political interest in reporting it. There is no suggestion of wife beating, but a “domestic” ... so all of these is a true storm ina t cup. I tell you what, if you have never had a domestic with your partner, continue being sanctimonious...
It makes no difference to whether he could or couldn’t run the country.
The fat that he is a complete tit is a completely different matter ... but his personal life is his concern.
The fact that Labour are making a complete hash of being a credible opposition, and monopolising when they could is a very sad state of affairs
Not really … they want their 15 minutes
Really? A link to the Telegraph, the news paper that's doing more than any other to promote Boris surprisingly has a story trying to deflect blame somehow onto the neighbours. Quelle surprise.
Normally I vote Conservative, but not with Boris as leader, his chance was when Cameron left but he bottled it, then did nothing but undermine May who was useless but actually tried to do something.
I do feel a bit for him regarding this whole police thing. Quote from another neighbour which makes his choice of partner (judgment issues again) seem perhaps unfortunate.
Fatimah, 32, said: “It was really loud, loud enough to make me turn down the TV and see what was going on. I could hear shouting and screaming from a lady, she sounded really angry. There was a man’s voice too, but he was much calmer and he was telling her to calm down but she was still chucking things about,” she told the Times.
I tell you what, if you have never had a domestic with your partner, continue being sanctimonious…
I've never had a domestic loud enough that the neighbours could hear Mrs Pondo scream "get off me", or that they could call the police, the police attend, and we're still at it long enough for them to record it.
Nickc ... I am fully aware of the Telegraph’s being the voice of the right wing/Jewish business.
Just as the Guardian is trendy lefty Islington reportage ...
On source of media is un-bias these days .... Sky, the Beeb, the Sun, the Mirror, probably even Hello magazine.
The DT article is just the counterpoint to some of the insinuations here that Boris is a wife beater. Those reporting it were not innocent & motivated by concern ...
I am also very surprises that Boris wouldn’t have some sort of security detail around him.
Taxi25 ... I think a lot of Boris’s life choices are questionable ... and in this case, perhaps he has chosen un-wisely. If he wants any respect, then it is time to wise up, make the correct decisions and behave like a statesman. I truly believe he is unable to do that. I don’t know if it is ego, autism, or just plain weird .... whilst you can oppose his ideals, he writes articulately ... but he personal performance is awful...
Really? A link to the Telegraph, the news paper that’s doing more than any other to promote Boris surprisingly has a story trying to deflect blame somehow onto the neighbours.
I mean, it couldn’t be more Brexit could it? Have a domestic, blame the neighbours. 😀
Man, you are right it is “so Brexit” ... I fail to understand what it has to do with Brexit...
Listening and taping your neighbours is very “stasi”
Just as the Guardian is trendy lefty Islington reportage
Are you serious? The Guardian has been editorially transformed into a neoliberal reactionary rag. You only need to look at their daily anti-Corbynisms and their reporting on Gaza, Trump-lite doesn't do it justice. Incidentally, Corbyn represents Islington North, and he's not very trendy.
Now back to Boris.
I am fully aware of the Telegraph’s being the voice of the right wing/Jewish business.
Just as the Guardian is trendy lefty Islington reportage …
Just to clarify, it seems you're partially aware of some lazy and outdated stereotypes, with a whiff of anti-semitism thrown in for good measure. But you crack on anyway.
makes no difference to whether he could or couldn’t run the country.
The fat that he is a complete tit is a completely different matter … but his personal life is his concern.
If what should have been a private matter becomes loud enough to be easily heard by a neighbour then it ceases to be a private matter.
And it can then shed a light onto how he might run the country.
If someone who knows they are under scrutiny cant keep what should have been a private matter within their four walls, then why should I trust them with sensitive information and matters of national security during a crisis situation? Should he be allowed into COBRA meetings let alone chair them?
I fail to understand what it has to do with Brexit…
I’m not in the slightest bit surprised that you failed to understand that.
Cha****ng ... not in the slightest bit anti-Semitic ... not my bag in life.
Didn’t realise “ Jewish business” is anti-semitic ....
Chuckles at that deadlydarcy, made even better by the total lack of comprehension.
Calling a newspaper "the voice of Jewish business" has a hint of anti-semitism by association with similar claims made historically. And it's not accurate to my knowledge.
Not calling you an anti-semite, I'm happy to declare for the record (as that would also be lazy and possibly unfounded).
Didn’t realise “ Jewish business” is anti-semitic
"Jewish business" you say? Rather than just "business"? I sense a grubby little conspiracy theory somewhere in the offing...
DD - I failed to understand because it complete unlinked? So please explain with you razor like intellect and superior analytical mind ...
Or is it that all Brexit voters are wife beaters?
Chapeau Darcy.
Okay, for those of a sensitive nature, “it’s business and pro-Zionist stance in recent years, which is seen by many as right wing.
Oddly, I have never seen the word “Jewish” as being an insult ... which many here seem to.
I believe anti-semitism is an issue in Labour, is it not?
The DT article is just the counterpoint to some of the insinuations here that Boris is a wife beater.
TBH I hadn't personally made that link, (that he's a wife beater), my take on it was Boris is a person that those even as close to want to be called family get so wound up by him; that they eventually descend it flaming arguments, so loud that two sets of neighbours felt they should call the cops, and one eventually did, and was concerned enough to record it.
Those reporting it were not innocent & motivated by concern …
They have specially released a statement saying that exactly what they did, You have no evidence (other than your own prejudice) otherwise
I am also very surprises that Boris wouldn’t have some sort of security detail around him.
He's just an MP, Jo Cox also didn't have a security detail.
Also, check your antisemitism detector, it appears to be broken; your welcome.
Interesting photo of Boris's car in The Sunday Times today with three or four ignored parking tickets stuck to the windscreen. I think that gives you a fairly clear idea of the sort of person he is - that he treats multiple ~100 pound parking tickets as trivial. Above the law etc.
Oddly, I have never seen the word “Jewish” as being an insult
Is there a difference between calling someone a bastard or calling someone a Jewish bastard?
Above the law etc.
Good to see that he has been found lying again about his connections with Steve Bannon.
Last year when it first came out he tried denying it as a "lefty delusion". Unfortunately Bannon was unsporting enough to have allowed himself to be recorded for a documentary which indicates that the blond arsehole might not have been fully truthful.
Interesting photo of Boris’s car in The Sunday Times today with three or four ignored parking tickets stuck to the windscreen. I think that gives you a fairly clear idea of the sort of person he is – that he treats multiple ~100 pound parking tickets as trivial. Above the law etc.
If you can be arsed to find the episode of top gear he was on, clarkson put to him that he ran up 5 figures (iirc) of parking fines as a car journo. He says he ‘jolly well paid them’, his boss disagrees.
Good to see that he has been found lying again about his connections with Steve Bannon.
You'd almost think the domestic row was a smoke screen to cover over reporting of this wouldn't you 🤔
The row happened, and not because of the neighbour's political beliefs. The telegraph just decided to play the man because there's no way they can play the ball in this case
The Tories have lied, cheated, misrepresented, smeared their opponents and generally behaved like vermin over the last 40 years to gain power and hold onto it any way they can.
And now they blame someone for telling the truth.
Odd isn't it, that people so utterly devoid of moral integrity are so ready to question the motives of others.
Looks like more neighbours are corroborating the traitorous remainers’ account. It would be lovely if they could find somewhere around 27 corroborating accounts. 😀
Malcom Ri****d (snip) He also commented that every couple have arguments, some heated, and that BJ could just have said something along those lines.
That really is an interesting point, it would be easy to defuse it. Just say "Every couple have arguments, this one was over spilt wine on Carrie's new sofa. Carrie and I are grateful to Tom and Eve for getting the Police to check up on us and I'm glad to say we were both fine."
Carrie Symonds is clearly willing to back up anything he says.
So is all this cloak and dagger stuff, plus her having a pop at the other couple in the media all about keeping the story in the media eye to keep Hammond out of the news and stop the media spending time analysing Boris's real failings?
We've all had psycho-birds [1], so I can't imagine getting a bollocking for wrecking a sofa costing him many votes, but an analysis of his competence must cost him votes and every time I see Hammond on the Media in recent days I rate him higher so I can imagine Boris would want to reduce his media exposure.
[1] STW's is called 'Louise'.
Genuine question, who is Hammond ?
Edit: just asked Madame who reads the Guardian most days and she's shaken her head and shrugged.
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Ta.
Edit: but why would Hammond need to be kept out of the news and what advantage to Boris? Hammond is conspicuously absent from UK politics pages in the press so doesn't appear to need attention diverted away from him.
but why would Hammond need to be kept out of the news and what advantage to Boris?
I offered an alternative and I'm sure you can think of others.
It was painful watching him duck Ian Dales question about it for 5 minutes. When the post above mentioned Malcolm Ri****d pointing out how easily it could have been defused it seems mental not to have done so unless there's a reason Boris wants this story to have legs and the only reasons I can think of are:
1) Reduce (eliminate) media discussion of Boris's failings for a while.
2) Keep Hammond out of the media.
I'm sure STW's more politically knowledgeable people can think of other reasons, but given Carrie Symonds has gone on the offensive in support of Boris I can't see any other reason for Boris to be evasive than to keep the story going and those are the only reasons I can come up with.
Feels to me like "Sofa-Gate" is Boris's equivalent of Antisemitism for Labour. It's costs them no votes and distracts the press from things that do cost them votes.
It seems to me that this is all academic anyway. Boris only has to appeal to 160,000 people. They’re all from the Home Counties, rich, white, old, racist and hark back to some mythical age of empire. The rest of us don’t matter. Our opinions count for **** all.
They’ve all fallen for his act so comprehensively that he could start sacrificing babies on live telly by throwing them into a wood chipper and they’d all still vote for him anyway
seems mental not to have done so unless there’s a reason Boris wants this story to have legs
I don't think Johnson or his advisers want the story to run, I don't think they expected it to make it into the press in way it has. Remember the row occurred on Thursday eve, I don't think they expected it to be the news story it has become all weekend and I don't think that by Saturday at the Hustings event in Birmingham they had formulated anything other than "Don't get involved in a discussion about it and just call it your private business". I don't think they expected Iain Dale (an ex Tory candidate MP, after all ) to go after Johnson for as much time as he did...Add all that up and you end up with 5 minutes of Johnson squirming uncomfortably, seemingly lost for words.
Johnson will sack Hammond if he gets to the doors of 10, and Hammond is May's man after all (and a remainer to boot), what Hammond says is pretty irrelevant to most Johnson supporters and the rank and file Brexiteers who hate him anyway.
Hammond is the least of Johnsons worries
even DFDS Liam Fox is being more honest than Johnson!
https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1142764496093626369
Looking back at why the UK is in such a mess, I think it has a lot to do with the succession of shoddy Chancellors as with the PMs. Brown, Osborne, Hammond - this is such an important position that it should be as scrutinised as that of leader.
There is a good argument that Theresa May would have survived and won a GE outright if she'd got rid of Hammond and austerity as soon as she took over the reigns.