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

[Torrain]

PMQs has been pretty poor again.

Starmer set up some decent optics - being flanked by Rayner on one side and Reeves on the other, while asking questions about the Rayner story. He made solid digs about the upcoming tax increases, but failed to land anything memorable.

Johnson pulled old lines (“We’d still be under lockdown with Labour”, “Captain Hindsight”, “The last Labour Government should have invested in nuclear to prevent dependence on Russian oil”) against the opposition. He was slightly stronger on the economy, citing some seemingly impressive employment figures, but failing to provide any solid answers to questions.

There was no stammering in the way Johnson does when he’s nervous, but there was a loud, fairly aggressive defensiveness to his head-to-head with Starmer that was a bit odd. He mostly calmed down during the backbencher questions, apart from some odd digressions (spinning Aaron Bell’s constituency question into an attack on Labour’s opposition to the Rwanda policy).

Both leaders (and Blackford) pivoted to their election pitch eventually, but the Conservatives seemed to be the most brazen. Almost half of the Conservative questions were scripted attacks on Labour or Lib Dem councils, while attempts by other parties to bring up the elections were heckled into submission.

Most amusing moment was the revelation that among the 200 MPs sanctioned by the Russian Government today, was noted statesman Michael Fabricant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

“The last Labour Government should have invested in nuclear to prevent dependence on Russian oil”

It literally did, of course. There were plans for a comprehensive replacement strategy with as many as ten new nuclear power stations. These plans were then scrapped by the... wait a minute... Cameron government. He really shouldn't be allowed to lie in that way.

[Blair]

“The last Labour Government should have invested in nuclear to prevent dependence on Russian oil”

It literally did, of course. There were plans for a comprehensive replacement strategy with as many as ten new nuclear power stations. These plans were then scrapped by the... wait a minute... Cameron government. He really shouldn't be allowed to lie in that way.

Would also help his case if his Government had actually done anything on nuclear power before February 2022!

[Blair]

I see some Tories are desperate to get Starmers beer in Durnham back in the news.

[Torrain]

I see some Tories are desperate to get Starmers beer in Durnham back in the news.

Especially desperate given that there’s no evidence that the police are actually reopening the case. Instead, the Mail have taken the textbook police non-responses, and twisted them into a headlines.

It’s been a week of poor behaviour from them, even by their own standards.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I'm starting to realize, deep down, why the press has such a poor reputation among so many people in Britain.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Why exactly is the mail on Sunday so deep in the tank for Boris ? I know it's a very partisan Tory paper but why is it particularly loyal to Boris ?

[EastAnglianLefty]

It's not particularly loyal - more now than when Greig was editor, but its politics is still anti-Labour rather than pro-Boris.

The paper that is in the tank for Boris is the Express.

[CumbrianLefty]

That front page from the Mail is an actual bare faced lie, no?

If so, then it should surely be actionable.

[Silent Hunter]

The video is on the DM website. It's not the same as the Downing Street stuff, although it is debatable if it is really work.

A classic case of "mote in your eye".

[Blair]

The video is on the DM website. It's not the same as the Downing Street stuff, although it is debatable if it is really work.

A classic case of "mote in your eye".

If it’s the same video I think I first saw it at least 6 months ago! I think this is the 3rd time they’ve tried to make it happen.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In this case it looks like someone getting in his audition for a new seat elsewhere early.

[Blair]

It’s been interesting that it was spread among well the ‘back Boris’ types on Twitter for weeks- there has been very little written about these people and the hyper form of activism.

We had endless words about online Corbyn supporters (who were different to the organised left) but this is funnily enough rather similar-most likely boomers, the bad memes, alternative media eco-systems, dabbling into conspiracy theories, active on Twitter.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

It’s been interesting that it was spread among well the ‘back Boris’ types on Twitter for weeks- there has been very little written about these people and the hyper form of activism.

We had endless words about online Corbyn supporters (who were different to the organised left) but this is funnily enough rather similar-most likely boomers, the bad memes, alternative media eco-systems, dabbling into conspiracy theories, active on Twitter.

Isn't that because the very online Boris cultuists are just a much less visible online than the online rabid Corby types ?

[Conservatopia]

Does anybody else know/ have suspicions of the identities of the accused MPs? I think I know who the Tory one is.

[CumbrianLefty]

It’s been interesting that it was spread among well the ‘back Boris’ types on Twitter for weeks- there has been very little written about these people and the hyper form of activism.

We had endless words about online Corbyn supporters (who were different to the organised left) but this is funnily enough rather similar-most likely boomers, the bad memes, alternative media eco-systems, dabbling into conspiracy theories, active on Twitter.

Isn't that because the very online Boris cultuists are just a much less visible online than the online rabid Corby types ?

Thing is, they are now becoming more visible as the previous post said.

[Torrain]

The Telegraph have named the Tory p*rn watching MP - Neil Parish, chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/04/29/revealed-neil-parish-named-tory-mp-caught-watching-pornography/

Story now also on the BBC, and confirmation of whip withdrawal.

Edit: for those of you whose minds drifted to by-election potential - his seat of Tiverton and Horniton has been Conservative territory since time immemorial, with the two precursor constituencies being Tory back as far as the 19th century, best I can see from Wikipedia.

[YL]

Does anybody else know/ have suspicions of the identities of the accused MPs? I think I know who the Tory one is.

Did you get it right?

[Conservatopia]

Does anybody else know/ have suspicions of the identities of the accused MPs? I think I know who the Tory one is.

Did you get it right?

No I didn't but there's a twist.
I know of another Tory MP who did something similar.

[Blair]

What a weird 6 months it has been.

[Silent Hunter]

I just finished watching Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix; somewhat timely release, it seems.

[afleitch]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/1519799699607281664

Everything about this...

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

What a weird 6 months it has been.

"A week is a lifetime in politics" - Harold Wilson

[CumbrianLefty]

Only one newspaper not leading on Neil Parish this morning, and the same title is the only one who is actually *supporting* him. Take a guess who.....

[Blair]

The joke about Mr Tony leaving politics to spend more time with his money was very apt.