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

[TheTide]

Dorries and the Chief Whip went into No 10 together, whatever that might mean.

[Torrain]

Fleet Street rumour mill says Simon Clarke, Secretary to the Treasury (Rishi’s old job) is being lined up as Chancellor. He tweeted out his loyalty just after Sunak resigned.

[Torrain]

Dorries and the Chief Whip went into No 10 together, whatever that might mean.

Health Secretary Dorries? Perish the thought.

[Cassius]

Fleet Street rumour mill says Simon Clarke, Secretary to the Treasury (Rishi’s old job) is being lined up as Chancellor. He tweeted out his loyalty just after Sunak resigned.

A man gunning for a spot in the history books as the both the tallest and shortest serving Chancellor since when-the-Hell-ever.

[Mike88]

I know these resignations are just the pilling up of several other scandals and that this last one was just the last drop, but, it's quite interesting that it had to be a man "pinching" other men to almost bring Boris government to complete colapse.

[GenerationTerrorist]

Yeah, of the things that Boris has personally done wrong, I find it odd that someone else doing something wrong will likely be the downfall of him.
Still funny as , mind.

[Torrain]

Lord Frost supports the resignations, and calls for the PM to resign. As ever, I’m unsure why he’s talked about as some grandee - but it’s definitely another domino.
https://mobile.twitter.com/DavidGHFrost/status/1544379667133734917

Also resigning is the PM’s trade envoy to Monaco, Andrew Murrison MP.
https://mobile.twitter.com/AWMurrison/status/1544380831178825733

Notably, Zahawi and Coffey are still silent, and refusing to respond to correspondents from the BBC or Sky. Johnson allies say Zahawi was supportive at cabinet, but the man himself hasn’t said a word since the news broke.

[CumbrianLefty]

Tory MPs would be foolish not to take another look at Sunak as Johnson's successor.

He has dropped a heavy hint that part of the reason for quitting is that Johnson is not sufficiently in favour of eye-watering austerity - one of the few points in the PMs favour.

No thanks.

[Torrain]

Bim Afolami, Conservative Party vice chair, just resigned live on air, during an interview on Talk TV.

Sally-Ann Hart (Amber Rudd’s successor in Hastings and Rye) has also resigned

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Will this finally be the end of BoJo the Bozo?

He's been teflon so far and it's annoying.

[CumbrianLefty]

He will - perhaps absolutely literally - have to be dragged kicking and screaming out of No 10.

This is part of the price you pay for picking a confirmed sociopath because they are a "vote winner".

[Хahar 🤔]

Historically this is a very significant double loss. Should be the end of the PM immediately in any other period of British politics.

This question was asked in the by-elections thread:

But there has been a consistent refusal to accept this from senior people in the Conservative Party. It hasn't even entirely gone away post-Wakefield.

Just today, the Conservative supporting press are talking about Boris’ great (current) appeal and how this cannot he replicated by any potential leadership challengers. There seems to be a complete unwillingness among large sections of the commentariat to accept that not only was Boris never an electoral juggernaut during his leadership to begin with, but also that his popularity has crashed and he is now electoral poison to basically anybody who isn’t a dyed in the wool Conservative supporter. What’s the event that will make them realise he’s a liability, because they’re already well behind in the polls and losing by-elections on big swings, including now to Labour?

I think part of the answer is that committing oneself to being a follower of Boris Johnson is deeply embarrassing and personally degrading, and so embracing it requires a full psychological commitment. Consequently, once one has fully accepted the Boris Johnson message, it's difficult to dislodge oneself from that position because it would require just as great a shift back in the other direction.

[Logical]

Has anyone asked Larry if he still has confidence in the government?

[CumbrianLefty]

Taking all bets: does Boris survive this latest Broadside? Does the government survive or need to be fully reconstituted in some fashion?

Boris surviving is always a safe bet, unfortunately. This would have doomed any other government.

He needs to stay until he has toxified the wider party as much as is possible.

Its the very least the Tories deserve.

[MABA 2020]

On the one hand I want him to survive and continue to damage the party, on the other I don't know if I can take another two years of Boris drama so now is as good a time as any.

[TheTide]

Jonathan Gullis has resigned as a PPS (Northern Ireland office).

[Torrain]

Jonathan Gullis has resigned as a PPS (Northern Ireland office).

F[inks] me. If he’s lost Jonathan Gullis, the man who built a career on his braying support for Johnson, in both the Commons and media, then all really is lost for Johnson.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Had a routine medical procedure today for monitoring purposes, so no news for a few hours. Got back home about half an hour after ~all this~ broke. Hahahahahahahahahaha.

[Torrain]

Saqib Bhatti MP - PPS in Dept. of Health under Javid has also resigned.

[Conservatopia]

For all of you excited for Boris' hopefully imminent demise, just remember that one of the first things that the new PM will do will likely be the implementation of "true conservative policies" to please the base.

Hope you're all on board with that. I can't wait for a swing to the right.

[Blair]

As I walked home I thought we’d maybe see one junior minister resign- not this!!

I think he needs another cabinet resignation to really push him over the edge- but there’s a risk he’s going to lose a good chunk of payroll votes.

Gillis quitting was honestly the biggest shock.

[Torrain]

We’ve lost another PPS - Nicola Richards:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Nicola4WBE/status/1544402731770716163?s=20&t=k9qCIfpElKIn1lW2Nc5rww

[parochial boy]

It's great though. Even if Boris goes, he'll get replaced whoever and they'll get the whole "fresh new start" treatment and wind up 10 points ahead in the polls. Because people still aren't willing to recognise that the fundamental problem is a Conservative party that has been in charge for twleve years. And that has spent the entire time repeatedly demonstrating that it isn't actually capable of doing so.

[Cassius]

For all of you excited for Boris' hopefully imminent demise, just remember that one of the first things that the new PM will do will likely be the implementation of "true conservative policies" to please the base.

Hope you're all on board with that. I can't wait for a swing to the right.

The Boys are back in town.

[Torrain]

Nadhim Zahawi (who still hasn’t commented since the resignations), has gone into Downing Street.

Guess he’s either getting a promotion (probable), or personally handing his P45 notice in (less likely, but not the strangest hypothetical mooted this evening).