You know labour will be using that video of sunak in the leadership hustings saying he had moved funding from deprived areas
I do think he was the balance to Rishi’s austerity and welfare cutting program
Johnson's skill was to take things from you, while smiling and convincing you he was giving you something. Levelling up was/is the perfect example of that.
The New York Times: Opinion | Rishi Sunak Won’t Save Britain
The Tory party has cleared out all but the Brexiteer nutters. Of which Sunak is still one.
Therefore everything they do has a delusional fantasy at it’s core, so is ultimately doomed to be the same abject failure and chaos of the last 6 years
To make any progress, the UK has to hold its hands up and acknowledge that Brexit is a disaster. Sunak is still a believer, so is on a hiding to nothing right from the off
Johnson’s skill was to take things from you, while smiling and convincing you he was giving you something. Levelling up was/is the perfect example of that.
Im not so sure. While he has many flaws, he was/has never been ideologically a right wing conservative or indeed a brexiteer. He's a populist, and is prone to doing what he thinks will make him popular in order to keep the Boris gravy train rolling, but that kept some degree of balance as he was always playing both sides - the public and the party. Rishi is far more driven by what he believes in and will I think be far more likely to tell you one thing and do another.
He’s a populist, and is prone to
doingsaying what he thinks will make him popular
Austerity never ended under Johnson. He just had the knack of making people think otherwise. Levelling up was that in spades. Telling us one thing, doing the opposite. Transport in the North. New hospitals. School budgets.
Just read that NYT article that Ernie mentions.
Very depressing read, but I guess it does explain why Rishi is so (relatively) popular with Tory MPs.
(Essentially saying that Rishi always was and remains a dispassionate Thacherite who will seek to achieve fiscal stability by further shrinking the state & squeezing welfare provision.)
Austerity never ended under Johnson. He just had the knack of making people think otherwise. Levelling up was that in spades. Telling us one thing, doing the opposite. Transport in the North. New hospitals. School budgets.
I don't disagree it was still happening, I'm talking about relative positions on the crap-o-meter of politics. I would argue that we will see increase in ideologically driven austerity etc. under Sunak than we did under Boris because Boris was, improbably, a 'good' influence on the hardline small state / low taxxers in the Tories.
For me austerity means cuts in government spending, did much of that happen under Johnson? If so how much?
Rishi Sunak’s high-spending 2021 autumn budget had Boris Johnson’s name stamped all over it
The Prime Minister has forced the Chancellor to splash the cash in a way last seen under Blair and Brown
Boris was, improbably, a ‘good’ influence on the hardline small state / low taxxers in the Tories.
Boris Johnson was always on about small sate / low tax... that was his other skill though... different messages for different audiences.
https://www.google.com/search?q=boris+johnson+small+state&oq=boris+johnson+small+state
I'm not buying the narrative around Sunak being elected as the first non white PM because he wasnt really, he was selected by MP's from his own party who were too scared to put the vote to their own party members, yet alone the country.
It's like the narrative that the Tories have had 3 female prime minister's. Again, they haven't really, May and Truss were there on a trial period but failed. Work experience at best.
They were still 1st Lords of the Treasury, no matter how short.
And May did get support from the public. Voted in with a minority of votes, but that's pretty normal in our system.
And, I feel it is good that we have a Hindu as PM... even if without a public mandate... something positive to balance up the fact that him being stinking rich "might" have helped him to get there. I'm looking to grab any positive I can out of 2022.
As a non (IE never) Tory voter I thought it was a good first speak from Rishi, and he cirtainly gives a more confidence than BJ or Truss for me. However repeating we have an economic crisis in the UK, mentioned covid / Russia but the be B in the room ignored again.....
Some stirring oratory today as Barry from accounts takes over the top job from Lynn from HR
Well I thought that was a good - and the right - speech. I’m also led to understand his picking a Cabinet of greatest skill* regardless of their political support for Sunak. If he gets results like he just talked over the next two years he may just get them back on track.
To my simple mind at least he’s come across more compelling than anyone else in the last 3 years albeit based on one speech.
* I appreciate this may not be a high bar.
Looks like one positive already, moggy mogg has gone
Grab all the positives. Who else is gone?
Looking at the photos in the Times he seems to have shot up overnight. Maybe he's grown into the job.
picking a Cabinet of greatest skill
Of course not, it will be a cabinet to heal rifts in the party. The good of the country has nothing to do with it.
Looking at the photos in the Times he seems to have shot up overnight. Maybe he’s grown into the job.
https://twitter.com/spittingcat/status/1584862906092584960?s=20&t=WqFuyHiUnTFlj6Yqjj5aTg
picking a Cabinet of greatest skill
There hasn't been anyone with worthwhile skills in the Cabinet for 5+ years.
A bunch of chancers, self-serving ****ers, spivs and lackies certainly but no-one with any tangible skills.
The only qualifications required for cabinet membership are enthusiasm for Brexit (which by definition makes you an idiot) and unquestioning loyalty to the boss, no matter what they get up too
Just look at what are referred to as ‘The Great Offices of State’ then look at the absolute weapons who have occupied those positions over the last 6 years
Is it any wonder the country is ****ed?
Unimpressed with sunak's speech.
No reference to the biggest single drag on UK economic performance - yes, it's that there Brexit again.
I have contacts in a number of local authorities and they are deeply concerned about the size of cuts which they anticipate being imposed.
This is going to be painful.
The only cabinet minister who seems competent is Ben Wallace. That we don't hear about him too much is probably a good sign
No reference to the biggest single drag on UK economic performance – yes, it’s that there Brexit again.
Nothing will change until someone in Government finally holds their hand up and admits that everything about Brexit was and is a total disaster.
Even Starmer is only saying he'll look to renegotiate it and "make it work".
While that millstone is around the UK's neck, nothing will change. We can lurch from austerity to tax rises to greater borrowing and back to austerity, the Tory party can change leaders every couple of months, but nothing will fix Brexit.
Every underlying issue now (including the constant changes of Cabinet and leadership with the Tory party) are either a direct result of Brexit or great deal worse than they could have been because of it.
brabdon lewis's resignation statement refers to having held '...eight ministerial roles, across five departments, under four prime ministers'.
What was he doing last year??
The only cabinet minister who seems competent is Ben Wallace.
the same one that backed boris? that one? competent?
Nothing will change until someone in Government finally holds their hand up and admits that everything about Brexit was and is a total disaster.
Realistically, the labour government after the next one?
The Torys aren't going to revisit it, it would be political suicide for Labour to revisit it, so we're at least 3-4 election cycles off.
If you can't mention Brexit then everything else is bullsh*t.
The first rule of British politics is that you can't mention Brexit. The second rule of British politics is....
I was going to say this isn't fight club but it quite evidently is.
If you can’t mention Brexit then everything else is bullsh*t.
Yup. The whole leave bullshit referendum has utterly poisoned the well. All the "leading" Tories are being described by the MSM as "Brexiteer". It's their defining cult.
There is no sensible discussion to be had yet.
Realistically, the labour government after the next one?
Yeah. Probably that. And before that...
This Tory gov, 2 years.
Starmer's Lab gov, 5 years.
The next Tory gov, 5 years.
We have about 12 years before we can even **begin** to de-Brexit ourselves?
And anypne who thinks that Sunaks annointment is good for racial harmony needs their head checking.
Beyond any fallacy that he has been elected to be PM, just wait until the trade deal with India is done. India wants visas for its citizens to come to Britain, lots of them.
How is that going to be squared with the Brexit mob? And more broadly, the optics will look like MP's of Indian (East African) origin doing everything they can to deport black people to Rwanda and the Caribbean in order to make space for Indian immigrants.
We have about 12 years before we can even **begin** to de-Brexit ourselves?
Yup.
In the meantime we can make changes that will reduce divergence, not least for the sake of everyone living in NI (as well as food security and costs for everyone on the mainland). Yesterday the ERG had a boring press conference where they said they were reassured by both (at the time) candidates to be leader that they would be “tough” when it comes to sorting out the NIP. Doesn’t bode well.
Resignations or sackings - doesn't matter but they're coming thick and fast; buckland, berry malthouse, jayawardena in the past 30 mins.
This could lead to much bad blood on backbenches.
Interesting times!
EDIT: also deeply concerning.
The printers of HoC paper must be making a bomb at the moment.
I'm just hoping that with the exit of mogg, his idiotic brexit eu laws subset bill will be gone too
I was going to say this isn’t fight club but it quite evidently is.
So Who's Tyler Durdon? Or rather who's Head is he living in?
Was 'Brexit' really 'Project Mayhem' all along?
Yep that follows...
Starmer cannot mention the 'B' word as he'd instantly lose White Van Man, retired codger and Essex lady. There is still a huge number of people who think leaving Europe was the best thing this century. Melts.
This supposed ‘Government of all the Talents’ looks very much like the same old tired gang of Brexiteer ****-wits to me
Starmer’s Lab gov, 5 years.
I very much doubt that Starmer will last 5 years as PM. I would expect Labour to replace him pretty quickly once in power. The huge thirty plus Labour leads are down to Liz Truss, not Starmer.
Whilst sitting back and letting the Tories eat themselves when in opposition it won't work when in government - Tory open goals won't govern the country.
Starmer took 3 days before he gave a TV interview attacking the Tories's now infamous mini budget, that sort of indecisiveness might work for the leader of the Opposition but it won't work for the office of prime minister.
If Tory support totally collapses at the next general election, as all recent polls have suggested, and Labour wins a mindboggling 150-300 seat majority it will be a huge headache for Starmer - discipline within the Parliamentary Labour Party will be a nightmare to maintain, I expect endless Labour rebellions.
I might be wrong mind and once installed into Number 10 Starmer might metamorphosis into an inspirational authoritative leader and Prime Minister, with a vision which unites the party. I doubt it though.
Cabinet is looking a huge amount like rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic.
6 months tops for this gov
6 months tops for this gov
Optimistic!
They'll hang on for the full term.
James Cleverly stays as Foreign Sec....that says all you need to know. No change...A cabinet full of talentless idiots. Surely there's someone better in the Tory party to hold one of the most important jobs?
On the plus side the toxic beanpole has gone.
Cabinet is looking a huge amount like rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic.
same old tired gang of Brexiteer ****-wits
No disagreement here.
In a short farewell speech earlier, Liz Truss defended her legacy of trying to push through tax cuts
So, like, the legacy that was essentially "one massive fail" ?
I mean, that's actually failing at noticing you failed. Fail, squared.
Starmer thread >>>
This one is for sunak.
