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

[EastAnglianLefty]

Our first resignation from the government - Angela Richardson from (the marginal seat of) Guildford who has resigned as PPS to DLUHC. You might think it's only a PPS - it's of course not as damning as one from any government minister - but remember, that's one more number in the other corner.

She was also fired as PPS back in November for refusing to vote to exonerate Paterson, only to be reinstated the following day.

[TheTide]

Truss has Covid, as does Zahawi.

[Joe Republic]

Is there much precedent for a former PM standing up and sticking the knife into their same-party successor, like we just saw?  I'm sure Heath would have liked to do it to Maggie.

[Torrain]

Is there much precedent for a former PM standing up and sticking the knife into their same-party successor, like we just saw?  I'm sure Heath would have liked to do it to Maggie.

That depends on how you view Thatcher’s actions from the Commons, and then the Lords in the Major years…

[TheTide]

There isn't much of an ideological or factional pattern to Johnson's group of critics. Some are grandee wets like May and others are hardcore ERGers like Bridgen. Essentially, BJ is the type who pisses all sorts of people off.

[Benjamin Frank]

Entertaining knockabout in the Commons on the Gray Report.

…

Theresa May then gets up and gives one to BJ.

https://twitter.com/newstatesman/status/1488187762012561414?s=21
Give him one? More like ripped him a new one.

Freedom hero Theresa May.

[Blair]

It’s quite funny how the PM has a repeated habit of awful personal conduct yet the backbenches seem to think a new chief of staff or a new name for his office will fix this.

I don’t know whether they actually believe it or are they just pretending to.

[Blair]

And after years of writing about Labour MPs and CLPs being out of touch it’s very interesting how little is written about how divorced from reality parts of the Conservative party are becoming.

[YL]

There isn't much of an ideological or factional pattern to Johnson's group of critics. Some are grandee wets like May and others are hardcore ERGers like Bridgen. Essentially, BJ is the type who pisses all sorts of people off.

I think this is a reflection of how ideologically light Johnson himself is.

[CumbrianLefty]

And after years of writing about Labour MPs and CLPs being out of touch it’s very interesting how little is written about how divorced from reality parts of the Conservative party are becoming.

People are just starting to pick up on this, I think. Corbynistas get accused - often with good reason - of (in different ways) mythologising both the 2017 and 2019 GEs, but many Tory takes on why they won so big last time are at least as much off the mark.

[beesley]

https://twitter.com/PARLYapp/status/1488504302142472195?t=iVrVZdEhRYhC_S4Q98O2KA...

I realise this is closer to his actual job, but if ever there was a loyal stooge...

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

And after years of writing about Labour MPs and CLPs being out of touch it’s very interesting how little is written about how divorced from reality parts of the Conservative party are becoming.

What were the most divorced from reality parts ?

[Torrain]

So, two pieces of news on partygate today.

Firstly - spokespeople for No. 10 spent the morning refusing to say whether they would reveal which individuals were fined under the Met investigation. This was met with a swift and decisive backlash, and has now prompted a classic Downing Street u-turn, with them now saying that they ‘hypothetically would’, per the Guardian.

Secondly, we’ve got another Conservative MP who’s gone public with his submission of a 1922 committee letter. As ever, it remains impossible to really get a sense of the number of letters sent (other than a general sense from backbenchers that Boris is likely safe for the moment, even if the long-term is unstable).

https://mobile.twitter.com/peter_aldous/status/1488538532926873614

[Blair]

And after years of writing about Labour MPs and CLPs being out of touch it’s very interesting how little is written about how divorced from reality parts of the Conservative party are becoming.

What were the most divorced from reality parts ?

Anyone around the Charles Moore axis.

Largely they think the way to fix this is by ditching any climate targets, and by having an unpopular old backbencher as their ‘envoy’ in the cabinet; neither of these things will reverse the slide in the polls and it’s frankly sad how much of their gripes seem to be ‘the PM doesn’t listen to me and my insane views’.

The only thing that imho they’re right about is the impact that the tax hike will have on their popularity.

I just find it bizarre that after the self inflicted wound of the Paterson affair not one single change has happened

[Blair]

It’s interesting as I think lots of people (including myself) thought that the full gray report would be damning and would lead to letters- but it’s actually likely that even without the police investigation stripping it that the Conservatives basically would have made the same form of argument and Boris would have most likely won any contest.

This new version will actually turn up to be a lot more corrosive and damaging to the party; as their former chief whip Andrew Mitchell said this will be corrosive like battery acid, and will burn the rest of the cabinet.

[Torrain]

This evening the Telegraph are reporting that they have evidence Johnson was present at the November 13th, 2020 event at the Downing Street flat.

Particularly brazen not just because Boris and Carrie were boozily celebrating Cummings' departure, but because it occurred as Tier 3 restrictions were reintroduced in London, preventing socialising outside small 'social bubbles', as part of the national lockdown.

It's one of the events under Met investigation, and the very existence of the gathering was being denied by both Mr and Mrs Johnson until this week.

The mind boggles at how they thought this would never come out. I guess they just thought they were above accountability for it. It's just exhausting.

[YL]

This evening the Telegraph are reporting that they have evidence Johnson was present at the November 13th, 2020 event at the Downing Street flat.

Particularly brazen not just because Boris and Carrie were boozily celebrating Cummings' departure, but because it occurred as Tier 3 restrictions were reintroduced in London, preventing socialising outside small 'social bubbles', as part of the national lockdown.

It's one of the events under Met investigation, and the very existence of the gathering was being denied by both Mr and Mrs Johnson until this week.

The mind boggles at how they thought this would never come out. I guess they just thought they were above accountability for it. It's just exhausting.

Well for fourteen months it didn't come out.  Thanks UK media.

[Silent Hunter]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Parliamentary privilege has been frequently used to make allegations about the likes of Gerry Adams and others in Sinn Fein.

[Joe Republic]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Parliamentary privilege has been frequently used to make allegations about the likes of Gerry Adams and others in Sinn Fein.

It's amusing that you can make up all kinds of crap about somebody when speaking in the Commons, but call them a liar and you'll get thrown out.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Which lie ?

[Estrella]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Which lie ?

Keir'll Fix It

[Torrain]

Obvious disclaimer that this comes from an opposition MP.
But it looks like the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda Johnson announced today is mostly just Johnson copy-pasting Theresa May’s ‘Industrial Strategy’ and claiming it’s his own homework.

https://mobile.twitter.com/darrenpjones/status/1488626405361471498?ref_src=twsrc...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A White Paper as well. With... what... three years at most of this parliament to run? Hahahahahaha.

[CumbrianLefty]

Incidentally, if Johnson were to repeat a certain lie outside the Commons chamber, he would almost certainly face a libel suit which, were it to happen, he would certainly lose and would certainly have to pay extremely heavy damages.

Which lie ?

Keir'll Fix It

Some people (an unholy alliance of Johnson loyalists and Corbynite diehards) trying to weasel with the "well, its technically true" line. The point is that "technical" interpretation was most definitely not what Johnson was intending to convey, and as mentioned he wouldn't have a leg to stand on legally were he to use those same words without the protection of parliamentary privelege.

[TheTide]

Dan Hodges' Twitter feed is suggesting that the coup is on or imminent. Words of caution would be that it's Dan Hodges.