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

[TheTide]

Rebecca Pow, Environment Minister, has resigned. They are still coming.

[YL]

Rebecca Pow, Environment Minister, has resigned. They are still coming.

Looks like this is a delayed announcement rather than saying she's unwilling to serve in a caretaker government still under Johnson.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

https://www.twitter.com/PedderSophie/status/1544962473815580673

[Pericles]

Finally, some good news.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Going to be funny when Johnson as caretaker tries to reverse ferret on his resignation in two months’ time.

[Alcibiades]

Have to say, never thought I’d see him (semi-)voluntarily resign. The staying on until the autumn thing is interesting; I’m sure the official reason is summer recess, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the real motive was Johnson beating the length of May’s tenure, perversely odd man he is.

[Blair]

Going to be funny when Johnson as caretaker tries to reverse ferret on his resignation in two months’ time.

This is very much going to happen and I wouldn’t be shocked if they make the contest shorter to stop this.

He appears to be promoting his lackies in the cabinet to bigger jobs.

[TheTide]

Uh oh.

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1544993604325761025?s=20&t=jp-dPBlzes...

[Mike88]

Uh oh.

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1544993604325761025?s=20&t=jp-dPBlzes...

Hmm... maybe Boris had a call from a certain European colleague who told him, "Look, politicians are also just humans. Say you're sorry and move on." xD

[Logical]

There's a 10% chance of something like this happening.

[Torrain]

Johnson is in the process of appointing a new cabinet.

And Keir Starmer has vowed to hold a confidence vote in the House of Commons if Johnson attempts to cling on as caretaker PM - saying that’s he’s lost authority. That would be awful for the Tories - they have to either trigger an election, or implicitly vote to retain Johnson as PM for now, which is irreconcilable with the past 48 hours.

However hard they try to spin it, it’s just going to be a media spike trap.

[Torrain]

New cabinet to include such luminaries as James Cleverly (the third Education Sec in 24 hours), Kit Malthouse, and Johnson critic Robert Buckland as Wales Secretary (all Welsh Tories declined appointment).   

Cabinet is supposed to meet at 3pm. What the heck is going to have happened by then?

[Blair]

Shailesh Vara as NI sos.

Who? A non entity backbencher who served as a junior minister 4 years ago.

[afleitch]

So it's likely that the Tory led adminstration will make it to at least 14 years longevity with four PM's. Not entirely unusual; 1951 to 1964 also had four PM's. But still unusual.

I do wonder if and when the public will tire of the inability to oust a government themselves. 2019 obviously being a collective shot in the foot.

On that note, the 2019 majority is far less impenetrable in one GE as it looks. By-elections have shown this.

Thatcher's 1979 win was historic, but easily reversible. Labour just fell apart which gave us 1983. 1987 was a genuine endorsement of Thatcherism (and rejection in some parts of the UK). 1992 while a Tory victory was still a huge unwinding . Likewise 2010 was a huge unwinding of Blair's mandate perhaps more so than an endorsement of the Tories.

Add to that a fluid electorate then the next GE is fair game.

[Torrain]

I’ve had my differences with Emily Thornberry, but I’ll give her this - she remains one of the most entertaining MPs on either front bench.

https://mobile.twitter.com/csher1991/status/1544978689355546624

[Joe Republic]

Gordon Brown was seen as a monster because he spent about 72 hours after a general election (which had resulted in a hung Parliament) to see if there was any plausible Labour-led coalition available. When it became clear that there wasn't, he gracefully stood down.

Indeed, Gordon Brown got criticism for that from all kinds of people…

[Torrain]

Johnson at the podium. Can’t watch live because I’m on a train with bad wifi.

Has 20 loyal MPs with him - including such notables as Christopher Chope, a social conservative who’s best known for single-handedly killing a bill to criminalise up-skirting. What a set of optics for a PM who was finally felled for defending a sexual assaulter.

[Torrain]

Johnson commits to serving as PM until next party leader chosen, as expected. Unless the party move quickly, it sounds like that means that Starmer’s threat of a confidence vote will be triggered.

Edit: Johnson has said that the timetable for his departure will be released next week. Very hard to see that passing muster with any of the MPs not currently standing behind him.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I note that he didn't promise to give his successor his full support! Oh dear, oh dear.

[TheTide]

Starmer to table VONC in the Commons.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Bit of historical trivia: Johnson is the first Prime Minister to be ousted in part due to personal scandal since Walpole.

[Torrain]

Starmer to table VONC in the Commons.

Do we have confirmation it’s going to be tabled today? I heard him threaten it earlier, but my understanding was that he was giving the party one last chance to get him out today.

Or was Johnson’s commitment to serve until October the final straw?

[Oryxslayer]

Starmer to table VONC in the Commons.

Does the UK system allow for there to be a window for an alternate PM appointed if they can command a majority of the Chamber, or does this instantly trigger a GE? It differs by country, and if the latter, then it wouldn't be unimaginable for the Tories to chuck Boris out and put up a new caretaker they expect to command their caucus.

[Torrain]

Starmer to table VONC in the Commons.

Does the UK system allow for there to be a window for an alternate PM appointed if they can command a majority of the Chamber, or does this instantly trigger a GE? It differs by country, and if the latter, then it wouldn't be unimaginable for the Tories to chuck Boris out and put up a new caretaker they expect to command their caucus.

There’s scope for an alternative PM to be appointed in the aftermath of a loss of confidence in the Government - such an occasion arose in both 1895, and January 1924. Conventionally, the new administration came from other parties though, and no party with a working Commons majority has lost a confidence vote since that occasion in 1895.

Two other Votes of No Confidence have passed in the Commons since 1895, in December 1924, and 1979. Both of those led directly to a dissolution of Parliament and a snap election.

There were more confidence votes before 1895, but the system, and the electorate were very different then, and don’t make great comparisons, especially given the party system was a lot more flexible back then.

From the Commons Library: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02873/

[Blair]

Reports he is already telling people he’ll quit as an MP.

Very on brand.