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

[Torrain]

Brilliant. This is why I could never be a civil servant.

https://twitter.com/Gabriel_Pogrund/status/1477560271694614538

Not to put on my Tory Leadership race tin-foil hat. But...

It feels interesting that the Times (of all papers) waited until the Christmas break was over (and normal politics and attention resumed) to post a story linking Truss to the sort of behavior that characterised the Tory sleaze narrative last year.

If we're on the verge of a race, with candidates gearing up for an intra-party brawl, this is exactly the sort of story I'd expect Team Sunak, Hunt etc to leak.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Sunak is rich enough that I think he's probably immune to most of the petty sleaze stuff that sticks best. Obscure contracting is easier to spin then stuff like this.

[mileslunn]

Looks like polls tightening again https://redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com/latest-gb-voting-intention-3-january-2022/ .  I suspect as usual Tories will regain the lead at some point this year and then when another scandal fall behind again.  Both parties have challenges

Conservatives: With no allies other than Unionist parties, they pretty much need to win 315 seats or 310 seats at minimum to have any chance at forming government even if they win more seats than Labour

Most people who die in next few years will be Conservative voters and most new will be Labour

Will have been in power for 14 years thus desire for change higher.

Brexit will be a non-issue thus winning Red Wall seats still doable but not as easy never mind Starmer for all his flaws, doesn't scare centrist voters the way Corbyn did.

Green + Labour is close to 45% and its likely many Green voters tactically vote Labour unless in a safe seat.

Labour: Without Scotland, getting a majority is near impossible.

Vote skews younger and younger voters far less likely to show up than older so Tories are more likely to overperform polls than Labour is

Most dissatisfied Tories have moved to undecided column not Labour so not impossible they return to Tories when push comes to shove.

Tory vote more efficient as only need around a 3 point lead to win a majority, Labour needs closer to 10 point lead.  Labour tends to run up margins in university towns and urban cores while Tories even in strongholds at best get around 60%, not 80% like Labour does in strongholds.

[CumbrianLefty]

Um, a single poll - and getting excited about short term movements even more generally can be a mug's game. There are as yet no indications that the long term trends against the government/BoJo that have been pretty steady since last summer are going to go into reverse.

[LAB-LIB]

I don't really have an opportunity to watch, how did PMQ's go for Johnson and Rayner today? I did hear that Starmer tested positive again.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It was mostly notable for the truly incredible number of lies Johnson managed to trot out in such a short space of time.

[LAB-LIB]

It was mostly notable for the truly incredible number of lies Johnson managed to trot out in such a short space of time.

I'm assuming that's every PMQ's though I could see why this one he'd trot out even more.

[CumbrianLefty]

Both the quantity and "quality" of whoppers were notable even by his usual standards.

[Blair]

A bold take from the Cabinet Minister who unlawfully approved a planning application by a conservative donor.

https://twitter.com/RobertJenrick/status/1478869026197712899?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoo...

[Blair]

With the caveat that we're all wise enough to avoid the usual UK-politics trap of assuming we're similar in all regards to the US it has been interesting to watch the differences in our political culture around covid- which seems to have gotten wider in the last month.

I saw a thread on twitter of US liberals who were aghast that their partner had taken their children to eat in an indoor restaurant; there also seems to be more mask wearing in public spaces... yet the idea of the Government providing free testing kits (as they do in the UK) was mocked. 

[YL]

I see there's a certain amount of predictable toy throwing from prams about the Colston statue jury verdicts.

[CumbrianLefty]

Some of the worst people with some of the worst takes.

You do, indeed, love to see it

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington since 2010, has died suddenly. He was previously a senior Trade Unionist (Deputy General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union 2003-07 and then of Unite 2007-10) and was the husband of Harriet Harman. He was 73.

[Pink Panther]

Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington since 2010, has died suddenly. He was previously a senior Trade Unionist (Deputy General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union 2003-07 and then of Unite 2007-10) and was the husband of Harriet Harman. He was 73.

How likely does Labour hold onto this seat?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The general rule is that such things are not discussed immediately when an incumbent dies.

[beesley]

The more you read and see about Jack Dromey, the more tragic his sudden death becomes. Whilst it is clear that he is currently known for his time in parliament, you can tell from the tributes that this was merely a culmination of a long and fruitful life.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The more you read and see about Jack Dromey, the more tragic his sudden death becomes. Whilst it is clear that he is currently known for his time in parliament, you can tell from the tributes that this was merely a culmination of a long and fruitful life.

He was involved in or very near to so many of the big flashpoints in recent British Labour History, from Grunwick all the way to the demise of Longbridge. His death is such a huge loss to memory.

[Blair]

As cliche as it sounds he was someone who is becoming rarer in the party; genuinely well liked by everyone, an experienced trade unionist and someone who’d seen it all- the fact he’d served under every leader was a reflection of that- as were the tributes to him.

[CumbrianLefty]

The (somewhat amusing) story about his original selection for the constituency has inevitably been doing the rounds in the past 24 hours, he soon enough showed he was worth his place though.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The (somewhat amusing) story about his original selection for the constituency has inevitably been doing the rounds in the past 24 hours, he soon enough showed he was worth his place though.

Yes, the thing is he was an effective constituency MP* and also an important voice for Birmingham generally. He'll be sorely missed in the city.

_{*One cannot say quietly effective as he was not quiet: he was a regular on Midlands Today especially, usually for reasons relating to his constituents.}

[Blair]

The (somewhat amusing) story about his original selection for the constituency has inevitably been doing the rounds in the past 24 hours, he soon enough showed he was worth his place though.

Was the story that it was suppose to be an all women's shortlist?

I know he went for Pontefract in 1997... on reflection it seems strange that he didn't get a seat in 1997.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Hard to believe that Dromey's only been a MP since 2010.

[Blair]

With the usual discussion around the NHS in THIGMOO it does seem interesting how few people in the UK are aware that GPs are private- I recently spoke to a family member who was shocked that there GP was closing (and being replaced with some strange sounding company in the next village)

[Silent Hunter]

With the usual discussion around the NHS in THIGMOO it does seem interesting how few people in the UK are aware that GPs are private- I recently spoke to a family member who was shocked that there GP was closing (and being replaced with some strange sounding company in the next village)

They were very much independent businesses before 1948 and stayed so with the NHS creation, but in practice most worked to NHS contracts and only saw NHS patients.

[CumbrianLefty]

Hence the famous phrase about "stuffing their mouths with gold" when the NHS was created.