UK General Discussion:The Rt. Hon Alex Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Populist Hero

[CumbrianLefty]

Yes, the vaccine mandate for NHS staff climbdown shows how weak the government now is - however much they try to spin it otherwise.

[Blair]

Lol turns out The Gray report isn’t actually the report but rather a summary as she has removed all the specific details essentially in protest at the Met being useless.

[Sir Mohamed]

Yes, the vaccine mandate for NHS staff climbdown shows how weak the government now is - however much they try to spin it otherwise.

Seems to me BoJo is just flip-flopping to buy additional time against a no confidence vote.

[Torrain]

One of the few new pieces of info in the Gray Report is discussion of *two* parties occurring in Downing Street on November 13th 2020 - the day Cummings was fired. Both under Met investigation.

There have been rumours about Carrie Johnson’s impromptu celebration of Cummings departure for a while now, but this is the first confirmation. She issued a formal denial that any event happened that day as recently as yesterday, when her spokesperson sent a statement to the Mail on Sunday. 

The PM made this statement to the House about Nov 13, back in December:

[TheTide]

Entertaining knockabout in the Commons on the Gray Report.

Starmer calls on Tories to overthrow BJ.

BJ responds by trying to tie Starmer to Jimmy Saville.

Theresa May then gets up and gives one to BJ.

[Torrain]

May really went for the jugular. Bet that was cathartic - given their shared history.

Ian Blackford thrown out of the House for stating that Johnson has lied to MPs.

Andrew Mitchell (of PlebGate fame), has just stood up and stated that he has no confidence in Johnson, for the first time.

[Torrain]

Mark Harper, Tory MP (and head of the lockdown-sceptical COVID Recovery Group), restates and reinforces Diane Abbott’s question - will the Gray Report be published in full when the Met is done. Harper is hardly a centrist - if he’s criticising Johnson (and siding with Abbott of all members!), there’s obviously some disquiet in the party.

Julian Lewis, another Conservative, has joined him in the past minute to reinforce calls for Johnson to release the full report. Said that he was simply repeating words sent from Johnson’s whips over the past few days.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You know, I don't think he judged the mood very well there.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

[Torrain]

Steve Baker, Conservative MP for Wycombe makes a pretty direct point about lockdown’s impact on mental health. Poor guy sounds on the verge of tears. There’s a righteous indignation coming from the Tory backbenches today.

Acompanied by yet more Conservatives calling for the full release of the Gray Report. This feels like a direct attempt to undermine no. 10’s line at this point.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

When your team are briefing about 'damage control' when you're still speaking, you're not doing very well are you?

[Torrain]

Aaron Bell, another Conservative, gives an account of attending his grandmother’s funeral during lockdown, and how a beloved local figure could have less than 10 people come out to honour her.

His question to Johnson is “does the PM believes he (Bell) is a fool” for following the guidelines.

A week ago, he refused to confirm whether he had sent a letter to the 1922 committee. He’s certainly come off the fence. It’s worth noting because again, you can hear the emotion in his voice.

The next Tory to rise becomes the 4th Tory to call for the full release of the report.

[TheTide]

The general narrative since last week has been that BJ has been given more time after the Met's intervention. Clearly that's gone to his head and contributed to his performance today.

[Blair]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Boris has a tell when he gets very rattled- he becomes very nasty and personal in a snarling sense. It was clear that he was rattled by Keir’s speech and the rather damning attacks.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

He has since followed up by suggesting that the opposition frontbench are habitual drug takers. Certainly not flailing at all.

[RFK Jr.’s Brain Worm]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

He has since followed up by suggesting that the opposition frontbench are habitual drug takers. Certainly not flailing at all.

Did Michael Gove jump ship without anyone knowing?

[beesley]

Today's disgusting charade at the despatch box. just exemplifies how this man is a dark point in our history. He is a shameful man who has received every privilege and bit of help he needed possible, yet has no vision for our country, no sense of honour, no willingness to be honest, humble or apologetic, and nothing but contempt for Parliament, and the people. As families endure some of the harshest effects of the cost of living crisis, and the Russian Ambassador watches on as we fail to prioritise standing up for Ukraine, he is here making false and (not legally) defamatory statements about a man many times the leader he is, and showing that he really thinks this is all a game.

Policy wise, we were duped into believing that he was something fresh, new, and someone who cared. I was duped myself into believing this could be a change from the failures of the Cameron and May governments. Journalists and MPs who believed in the importance of Parliament (and I say this as a supporter of Brexit) were branded as enemies of the people, while he was encouraged to evade scrutiny at all points. He will impose harsh and crippling restrictions on the people but will break the rules himself. But he will also use money intended for other purposes to pay for refurbish his Downing Street property, yet has done nothing to help the families of Grenfell Tower and little to remove unsafe cladding. Him and his Chancellor write off billions that was given to criminals, but went to great lengths to ensure families who could never afford wine and cheese went hungry.

But above all - Conservative MPs, hungry for power, wanting to get that extra salary and prestige of a ministerial role, allowed the dupe to continue, and some still cowardly support him now, or worse yet, make manouevres without making the most necessary one of all. And any change has not been due to the abysmal record of the government - it has been to defend their own party's advantage. They are all complicit, but those are calling for the full report's publication have at least made some attempt at restitution.

We should all be collectively sorry for ourselves that we have to endure any more of this racist, inept, malicious, dishonest and despotic clown in our highest elected office.

[Blair]

I thought Keir’s speech was very good today- the chamber was silent for it and it was a really good dig into the PMs character.

https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCNews/status/1488180224667832320

[RFK Jr.’s Brain Worm]

Entertaining knockabout in the Commons on the Gray Report.

…

Theresa May then gets up and gives one to BJ.

https://twitter.com/newstatesman/status/1488187762012561414?s=21

Give him one? More like ripped him a new one.

[beesley]

Our first resignation from the government - Angela Richardson from (the marginal seat of) Guildford who has resigned as PPS to DLUHC. You might think it's only a PPS - it's of course not as damning as one from any government minister - but remember, that's one more number in the other corner.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

What I like about the UK is how people in the parliament are much more willing to criticize one openly, even from your own party. That's so different from the US at times.

[Torrain]

Johnson is now in a meeting he organised for all 359 Conservative MPs.

So far, it seems to be going, well...

https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1488222015484006414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%...

Tbh, I think this could be the crunch moment for Partygate. If the rebels can organise over the coming 48 hours, behind members like Mitchell, Davis, May etc, they should have the momentum to force a vote. If Johnson survives today's bloodbath in the Commons, he could be around until the Local Elections, haemorrhaging public support with every Met leak, every government resignation, every scathing editorial. If the backbenches are going to act, this feels like the moment.

[beesley]

Johnson is now in a meeting he organised for all 359 Conservative MPs.

Davies

Which Davies is this? I tuned out of the debate. Philip? David TC is still a whip, so not him.

[Torrain]

Johnson is now in a meeting he organised for all 359 Conservative MPs.

Davies

Which Davies is this? I tuned out of the debate. Philip? David TC is still a whip, so not him.

Ah, my bad, I was referring to David Davis, (after his PMQs statement last week). I always forget there's no 'e' in his surname.

[Torrain]

Initial reports from Johnson's meeting with the parliamentary party don't sound too encouraging:

Laura Kuenssberg: "MPs at meeting with PM tonight says he stressed to them he took this mess seriously due to his own brush with Covid, agreed to publish full report after Harper's intervention, said Lynton Crosby will be advising him again + said he delayed conversation with Putin to talk to them"

Peston: So will they sack him? “Not yet. Nothing that happened today has really moved dial”. His future will be determined by whether Cressida Dick and the Met Police decide he broke the Covid laws

Anushka Asthana (ITV deputy political editor): An MP who is critical of the PM, comes out of the meeting with him and says “they are f***ing deluded… there is no way we are getting 54 letters”.

As ever though, this is all second-hand, so will be waiting before drawing serious conclusions. Everyone in that meeting has their own agenda and spin, but if this is the prevailing narrative, then it suggests tomorrow could be disappointing.