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

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

What a fun day this will be for Boris Johnson...

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The irony of a 52-48 result would be too delicious.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Is there any chance for Boris to turn the tide and improve his situation, going forward? Can things possibly go north for him, not south?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Splitting Image has issued its response to Boris' speech.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Reading between the lines there it seems (as I suspected at the time) that they were seriously preparing for a Dismissal if it came to it. It is utterly extraordinary that we reached even that point - this is not a thing that is supposed to happen, ever.

Anyway for those who are not aware, one of the many peculiarities of this country is that the Eye is genuinely the best source for accurate and half-accurate briefings and gossip from the Palace and has been for decades. This is largely because the people who run the magazine went to the same Public Schools as all the senior flunkies and courtiers.

In what circumstances do you think they would have pulled the trigger?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

I was in Cambridge at the time and it took about four hours to get home, because it was so hot that the overhead wires on the train line started to melt. That was annoying, but under circumstances where every ambulance trust in the country is experiencing huge delays in getting patients admitted into hospital due to lack of beds, next week could be absolutely catastrophic.

Am I correct in thinking that most homes in the UK don't have air conditioning?

British homes, from what I've heard, tend to be insulated for the winter. Which...can have less than desirable effects in summer heat waves...