This Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy

[Cassius]

I don’t think they’re necessarily completely wrong - a lot of Tory voters clearly are sitting on their hands and refusing to vote for any party. On the other hand, I don’t believe they’ll bother coming out next year for the party either and I think turnout will be down by some margin at the next election (although probably not as far as the nadir of 2001).

[Cassius]

Yet another gay Tory MP turns out to be an absolute rotter and resigns.

Chris Pincher
Crispin Blunt
Boris Johnson
Imran Ahmed Khan
Andrew Rosindell (Coming soon?)
Scott Benton (Coming soon?)

I didn’t know Boris was gay!

Talks in a funny voice.
Exaggerated mannerisms.
Secretive private life.
Uses fancy words.
Went to Eton.
Drinks tea.

I mean, all the stereotypes are there, just for all the wrong reasons.

Being married to Carrie Johnson is also a big Pink Flag.

[Cassius]

I might be wrong but the coalition and Blair years had v few resignations over policy matters among senior ministers but it’s just been so chaotic since 2019.

I have to say, this caught me out. I clearly haven’t been keeping close enough tabs on Tory internal drama, but I never really had Jenrick down as notably right-wing or as an immigration hardliner. Some sort of galaxy-brained careerist ploy in anticipation of a hard right candidate winning the leadership after the general election?

It was reported he was put in the position to be a no.2 to Braverman and ensure Sunak had an ally to watch over her; but it’s been reported for months that he’s been one of those pushing a lot of the harder policy options.

He isn’t the first minister to have this happen in the Home Office (the wisdom being the Home Office makes you v right wing on law and order and the FCO turns you into a liberal) but still seeing as there’s a chance they will be on what 150 seats after the next election he might be planning ahead.

Though if they are on 150 seats, he may not be one of them.

Given that 150 seats would actually be one the better outcomes for the Conservatives at the moment, you’d have to fancy his chances of holding on in Newark with that result (Labour have been competitive in the constituency in the not-too-ancient past, but its been a dead zone for the party in the last decade).

Anyway, Sunak has done some job creation and split the MoS for Immigration role in twain - Illegal Immigration (going to Michael Tomlinson) and Legal Immigration and “Delivery” (going to Eurosceptic hardliner and the Frick to Peter Bone’s Frack Tom Pursglove).

[Cassius]

If Richard Kiel is the best they’ve got then it really is the end.

[Cassius]

People in politics (and journalists obviously are people in politics) behave hypocritically. Water is wet.

Personally, I do think it is bad form for MPs to resign and go waddling off to the trough in the manner that Skidmore has, especially given that this parliament only has (at most) twelve months left to run.

[Cassius]

[Cassius]

Also, Cabinet was held on a factory floor in Yorkshire today, to symbolise the levelling up agenda or something. Vibes are very 'early Cameron' - all it's missing is the PM awkwardly trying to hug a hoodie or huskie - and ironically Cameron himself, who was busy elsewhere.

Grant Shapps took a RAF helicoptor to the meeting, which was supposed to focus on the future of public transport, which is its own metaphor entirely.

I’m sorry that picture is hilarious and it gets increasingly more hilarious the more you look at it. Also couldn’t they at least have found a factory from a British company to hold the meeting in.

Thinner on the ground these days than the hair on Matt Hancock’s head…

[Cassius]

Of course he was trade envoy to Colombia.