Boris Johnson!

Have you not noticed the Tory MPs taking the piss out of grandad at PMQ’s?

About the only relevance of this rant against Corbyn as opposed to discussing the actual subject at hand was the bit about PMQ. Did you notice how remarkably similar Boris press conference was to it.
Absolute failure to answer the questions plus some moronic MPs jeering away at anyone daring to ask a question.
The problem is too many people seem to actually be impressed by the childish behaviour rather than asking why the tories actually think it is acceptable behaviour for an MP to act like a child in order to try and protect their representative from answering questions.

It’s ok, both have plenty of years left in them yet.

edit – Joe Cocker and Roger Moore.

Poundland Trump

Submarine PM Mk2 …

Confirmation from @BorisJohnson just in that he “isn’t coming” to the #LobbyHustings, starting now. All 5 other contenders are. Arrogance, fear, or both?

— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) June 17, 2019

Straight from the Lynton Crosby playbook.

He’s locked in a cupboard

Submarine PM Mk2 …

He is comfortably ahead why bother risk opening his mouth answering awkward questions.
Its not like he will be penalised for it.
Besides if he provides anything for free its less to include in his column for the telegraph.

A good take on Bojo by Simon Jenkins at the weekend.

Weaponised charm buffoonery

This whole thing is a classic establishment stitch up. Or if a coup-d’etat if you want to be dramatic about it. Hancock miraculously changing his mind to support him tells us all we need to know. He’s either been bought off with a promotion or strongarmed into acquiescing under threat of it being the end of his political career. I wouldn’t be surprised if the members vote doesn’t happen and Johnson is imposed without opposition.

The weird thing is that the public are not up in arms about it. If this was most other countries people would be out on the streets by now.

Emma Barnett ripping one of Boris’ supporters to pieces; (from 10.13)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_five_live

So how many children does Boris have?

This whole thing is a classic establishment stitch up.

It’s the opposite of an establishment stitch-up. The MPs and Civil Service think he’s useless. MPs are only voting for him because they think the electorate and the Tory members will vote for him.

Boris is like Brexit, it’s the voters stitching up the establishment, not the other way round.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the member’s vote doesn’t happen and Johnson is imposed without opposition.

It looks increasingly like that’s exactly where we’re headed, doesn’t it?

One thing all these Brexiteers in the Tory party seem very very comfortable with is their total contempt for democracy. They don’t even seem fussed about pretending they believe in it any more

Boris on Brown in the Telegraph:
“The extraordinary thing is that it looks as though he will now be in 10 Downing Street for three years, and without a mandate from the British people. No one elected Gordon Brown as Prime Minister…”
“Gordon Brown could appease public indignation over that, and secure the democratic mandate he needs, by asking the public to vote at once on him, on the new EU treaty, and on the implications of the devolutionary settlement. Let’s have an election without delay.”
Let’s have an election without delay. Quite so.

I don’t see the need for public debates, the only people that need to decide the new leader are Tory party members and Tory MP. I don’t need to see a televised debate to know they are all tory ****.

The MPs and Civil Service think he’s useless.

I know someone who reported directly to him at FCO, and while what you say is entirely true, they also said that behind the scenes key MPs @ the DexEU were far, far worse. Which is scary. To think that he isn’t even he worst candidate for PM is quite something.

I don’t think a discussion on TV is needed but it scares the crap out of me when the front runner doesn’t show.
Why? In case he says something stupid, so as not to tarnish his image? I can’t think of a good reason that doesn’t say they’re worried about him speaking.

It’s not just about the TV debates, it it…

quite an achievement, managing to be both a blusterer and a coward.

— Simon Schama (@simon_schama) June 17, 2019

They, meaning MPs who see him as salvation from Farage-extinction syndrome; they meaning Tory membership who think he's "a character" rather than someone with character. Yes. All this while the country faces its existential crisis.

— Simon Schama (@simon_schama) June 17, 2019

I know someone who reported directly to him at FCO, and while what you say is entirely true, they also said that behind the scenes key MPs @ the DexEU were far, far worse.

I knew a Civil Servant who worked with a previous PM. (One many would regard as one of the more capable ones.)

They sat him down and drummed into him what to say at a meeting and critically what he shouldn’t agree to under any circumstances.

Later that night they saw him on TV announcing he’d agreed the thing they said he shouldn’t. 🙂

Mind you, I’m on a Parish Council and our Clerk tells me stuff all the time that slips out of my head. That’s democracy. Popularity/Willingness to do the job != Competence.

key MPs @ the DexEU

Assume you mean Davis and Raab?

fasthaggis’s link is quite an interesting view. Boris is such an accomplished bullshitter and hypocrite that only he can manage the extraordinary climb down needed to get a pragmatic solution to the Brexit shambles passed before the Brexiteers realise that he’s done their legs.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/the-empty-promise-of-boris-johnson?fbclid=IwAR2LZsBJUQ_BGgUoREXUCwy09NhNz7S133lgksoixJ4RGex1S-3hSBWqLUE

A useful reminder of what we’ve got coming.

Boris on Brown in the Telegraph:
“The extraordinary thing is that it looks as though he will now be in 10 Downing Street for three years, and without a mandate from the British people. No one elected Gordon Brown as Prime Minister…”
“Gordon Brown could appease public indignation over that, and secure the democratic mandate he needs, by asking the public to vote at once on him, on the new EU treaty, and on the implications of the devolutionary settlement. Let’s have an election without delay.”
Let’s have an election without delay. Quite so.

Labour demanded a GE when Thatcher resigned and the Tories said No, The Tories demanded a GE when Blair resigned, but Labour said No. It’s a story that’s played out every time a PM resigns but I don’t expect any government will ever ever propose a law that says if/when a PM resigns we have an automatic GE because it’s usually the very worst time for the sitting government.

Equally I don’t suspect The Lib Dems or heaven forbid a Farage lead government would ever really push for PR as a majority government.

The weird thing is that the public are not up in arms about it. If this was most other countries people would be out on the streets by now.

Because it’s an internal party process and the public no longer actually care, it’s Tories doing what Tories do; jockeying for position and power having undermined their last leader…

Plus whoever wins (it’s going to be BoJo though isn’t it) will of course suffer from the same fundamental flaw their predecessor did, the belief that the “Leader of the Conservatives” is the person that Leads the Conservative party…

Of course there’s not going to be a GE, remember when May sought a “Mandate from the people” lost her majority. Boris is arrogant and populist, but he’s clearly learned to listen to his advisors…

Equally I don’t suspect The Lib Dems or heaven forbid a Farage lead government would ever really push for PR as a majority government.

PR has been a cornerstone Lib-Dem policy for years, to the extent that that the crappy “Alternative vote” referendum back in 2011 was one of the few things they actually got from their coalition with Cameron…

Of course there’s not going to be a GE, remember when May sought a “Mandate from the people” lost her majority. Boris is arrogant and populist, but he’s clearly learned to listen to his advisors…

The winner of this vote won’t have a majority to lose. They’ll inherit stalemate. I think it’s *possible* that a new leader might seek to take advantage of their honeymoon period to call a GE to either gain a majority or (failing that) dump the problem on Labour. It’s not likely, but it’s unwise to rule it out.

PR has been a cornerstone Lib-Dem policy for years,

Yup, and as P-Jay says if they ever won a decent majority they’d not implement it because by definition changing would mean they’d be less likely to win next time. The only exception to that would be if they won in circumstances they didn’t expect to be repeated.

Boris is such an accomplished bullshitter and hypocrite that only he can manage the extraordinary climb down needed to get a pragmatic solution to the Brexit shambles

I like this theory. The day Cameron resigned I was certain this would be the chosen solution. Give Boris the job, let him kill Brexit off. I’m still have a suspicion it might happen.

I have a theory that the beeb and Channel 4 are talking about Rory because he’ll actually go on the telly/radio and talk in full sentences, so they want him instead of blusterman or the other BS merchants. He won’t get the job though.

The thought of Johnson and his moronic cabinet of sycophants expecting the EU to be friendly is a nightmare. Macron will veto any further extension (that was the hint that Donald Tusk was making when he said not to waste the time…) so it’s crash out or the WA.

Demonic Raab bites the dust

Surely someone has some real dirt on Boris???

Maybe Rory is waiting until he is in the last two, when he will reveal that whilst spying for MI6 he discovered Boris was spying for the Kremlin.

I have a theory that the beeb and Channel 4 are talking about Rory because he’ll actually go on the telly/radio and talk in full sentences, so they want him instead of blusterman or the other BS merchants. He won’t get the job though.

If he makes the last two he might. He appeals outside the core vote which is critical for a leader and members will understand that better than us.

Unlikely though, the MPs are obviously holding their noses and voting for Boris because they think he appeals to the membership and has election winning star-dust. I still wonder if MPs are misjudging the membership and the electorate.

Thank F that moron Raab has gone.

Shittest boyband reunion ever…

Boris just referred to people on 80 grand a year as ‘middle income earners’

Well i don’t think that ‘debate’ really told us anything about any of the candidates. Seemed a bit rushed and lacked content, all typical politician answers really. With 5 voices a wanting their moment 60mins doesnt go far. Might be better and find out more when just the last 2 are grilled.

Just saw the BBC Conservative leadership debate … 😀

Boris win hands down coz he is not perfect while the others try to present perfect answers.

Rory … crikey … when did he come out of the woodwork? He has no leadership quality at all even magic grandpa (JC) is better than him.

Apart from Boris non of them will be able to save Conservative party and if Boris does not step up then it will be the end of the road for Conservative party for a long time.

The Conservative party is hanging on a very thin thread at the moment. Very thin. Same with Labour.

For the next decade only two parties will survive that is Brexit Party and Lib Dem as both have clear agenda.

Boris just referred to people on 80 grand a year as ‘middle income earners’

On STW they’d be low income voters. I’ve heard some people earning 40-80k have bikes that only cost three figure sums!

Already bored of the fluffy entitled lying bumbler… and he’s not even PM yet… god his short term in office is going to drag…

Anyway, some Rory for you…

#RoryStewart! Brilliant! #RoryWalks pic.twitter.com/SY9eY112qB

— Mockeree (@mockeree) June 18, 2019

Just thought… we might already be looking at our next two Old Etonian PMs… how many would that be then…?

IDS on newsnight; yet more blather.
He gives me IBS.
As for this evening’s ‘debate’; 5 midlle aged, middle class white blokes totally divorced from the real world.
God help us all.
Even Stewart failed to perform.
As for her majesty’s loyal opposition – Jezza and his mob, other than Watson, are unelectable; attempting to avoid making any commitment. I have backed McDonnell previously but no more. Seaumas will tonight be writing Jezza’s next impromptu comments.

“As for this evening’s ‘debate’; 5 midlle aged, middle class white blokes totally divorced from the real world.“

Yes, even that “white” Asian bloke.

In what way are they more divorced from reality than the current Labour front bench?

1 was adopted, 1 shared a bedroom with 3 brothers his parents were so skint, 2 went to comprehensives, 1 started his own business etc etc.

Compare this to Corbyn – born to a wealthy family, himself a multi millionaire, creates job swaps so his son can be employed in the commons whilst decrying nepotism, and the guy has never had a job anyone would recognise as “real” outside politics.

5 midlle aged, middle class white blokes

?

🙂

Boris just referred to people on 80 grand a year as ‘middle income earners’

Probably not far from the truth in London, which goes a long way to explain why we are where we are.

FFS, you haven’t got a clue, have you @dazh… not a **** clue. Most people in London are struggling to pay the rent and the bills. There are normal people down there you know.