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

[Conservatopia]

It's an open secret, but hasn't quite reached into the point where it is common knowledge - and that's the stage at which even Carter-Ruck cannot protect you.

I'm doing my bit by telling everyone what Boris Johnson's favourite wine is.  It's tignanello - in 2019 he was recording talking about how many bottles he drank a week.

[Blair]

Laura K is to present the Andrew Marr Show from September.

I can't say I'm a particular fan of hers, but at least it keeps her off twitter. The below is lifted from Wikipedia.

On 11 December 2019, the day before the General Election, she drew controversy by claiming on air that submitted postal votes, apparently viewed by both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, were "looking pretty grim for Labour in a lot of parts of the country".[42][43] Viewing postal votes prior to polling day is in breach of guidelines set by the Electoral Commission[44] and predicting electoral outcomes based on votes cast prior to polls closing may be a criminal offence.[45][46] The footage was subsequently withdrawn from BBC iPlayer, while the episode of Politics Live in which the incident happened was withdrawn and removed from the BBC Parliament schedule.[47] The BBC News press office tweeted: "Regarding today's Politics Live programme, the BBC does not believe it, or its political editor, has breached electoral law."[48] The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that there was "no evidence of any criminal offences having been committed."[49]

Kuenssberg was criticised, alongside other major journalists, for incorrectly tweeting that a Labour activist had punched a Conservative Party advisor, without verification; footage was released showing this was untrue and she later apologised and retracted her tweet.[50] On 3 March 2020, however, the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit stated that "It found no evidence of political bias nor that Laura Kuenssberg had failed to check the story before publication." In her apology, Kuenssberg noted that two sources had told her the story was true, and she hence decided to publish it.[51]

In May 2020, as the Dominic Cummings scandal broke, Kuenssberg tweeted several statements from an anonymous source close to Cummings about the nature of his trip. In one tweet, she contradicted Pippa Crerar, one of the journalists who broke the story, with information from a "source" which argued that the trip was not illegal. Many suspected that the anonymous source was Cummings himself, which led to allegations that Kuenssberg was defending, or at least uncritically repeating, his side of the story. This led to a significant volume of complaints to the BBC, who defended Kuenssberg's actions.[52][53] In May 2021, Dominic Cummings confirmed to a Parliamentary committee that he "set the record straight" with briefings to Kuenssberg.[54]

An interview with Boris Johnson in July 2020 led to over 100 complaints against Kuenssberg being submitted to the BBC alleging that she had overly interrupted Johnson and was displaying bias against the government. The BBC defended Kuenssberg, stating that she had conducted the interview in a 'thorough, firm but fair manner.'[55]

In November 2020, some economists criticised Kuenssberg's assessment of Rishi Sunak's economic statement suggesting she lacked understanding of economics. The BBC defended Kuenssberg stating that she was summarising the position of the Chancellor and that its economics editor, Faisal Islam, had then given the opposite position.[56]

[Blair]

I'm not someone who pretends to even remotely understand the British political media but I feel it's been a running trend for the 'sundays' to be less and less important.

[Torrain]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1508763010940157957?ref_src=twsrc...

https://mobile.twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/1508763612109758471?ref_src=twsrc...

[CumbrianLefty]

And today it has been confirmed over 20 FPN's will be issued over the Downing Street "parties".

It won't be said *who* actually got them, but if one person who did just happens to be the PM - then its hard to see that not leaking out isn't it?

[Torrain]

And today it has been confirmed over 20 FPN's will be issued over the Downing Street "parties".

It won't be said *who* actually got them, but if one person who did just happens to be the PM - then its hard to see that not leaking out isn't it?

Reckon it will.

And the odds of Labour introducing some kind of parliamentary measure/Urgent Question about the public disclosure if the PM is fined have to be pretty high, even if it doesn’t leak out.

[Conservatopia]

A bombshell report has been released that will undermine one of the most popular politicians of this century.

It shows that Jackie Weaver did not in fact "have the authority" and should indeed have read (and understood) the standing orders.

[afleitch]

https://mobile.twitter.com/KayBurley/status/1508714461653307407

Britain. 2022.

[Silent Hunter]

A bombshell report has been released that will undermine one of the most popular politicians of this century.

It shows that Jackie Weaver did not in fact "have the authority" and should indeed have read (and understood) the standing orders.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-60913569

[beesley]

https://twitter.com/JamieWallisMP/status/1508984487102844931?s=20&t=FgrF11SF...

Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has come out as trans. It was well-known that he was facing a lot of personal struggles, but this wasn't known. And this statement, which is well worth reading, puts some of the cheap shots traded around the issue in their place.

[afleitch]

I do hope this allows for some sort of shift in the conversation and narrative. There is something genuinely disturbing about the political and journalistic class on 'this issue' and it's resulting monomania which has deep and lasting consequences for all of us.

[YL]

I do hope this allows for some sort of shift in the conversation and narrative. There is something genuinely disturbing about the political and journalistic class on 'this issue' and it's resulting monomania which has deep and lasting consequences for all of us.

Guess which minority Johnson was joking about last night?

[CumbrianLefty]

https://mobile.twitter.com/KayBurley/status/1508714461653307407

Britain. 2022.

Well, to be more accurate its "The British Media, 2022".

Of course a lot of focus will be on Jamie Wallis this morning, and rightly so. But yesterday was notable for one of the high priestesses of TERFism, Kathleen Stock, openly declaring that bisexual as well as trans people were now officially "haram". Of course after the T/Q/B will come the G, and then all of the L's who do not fully subscribe to GC ideology. Thus leaving just the core of misandrist second wave "political" lesbians who have been driving this all along.

[Conservatopia]

Obviously it shouldn't be difficult to guess my views on this and I don't wish to rack up more infractions but what I will say is he's not exactly a model MP and Bridgend was already a seat for which I hope (and expect) will be a Labour gain at the nect election.

[CumbrianLefty]

Obviously it shouldn't be difficult to guess my views on this and I don't wish to rack up more infractions but what I will say is he's not exactly a model MP and Bridgend was already a seat for which I hope (and expect) will be a Labour gain at the nect election.

They certainly have a, shall we say, "interesting" personal history - but maybe that has now become a bit more explicable. Isn't there one driving court case still outstanding btw?

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

I do find it strange they tried to use being trans as an excuse for running away from a car accident.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well this is going to be rather awkward given certain things. Not going to be that easy to try to play the cynical kulturkampf game with this issue now, or at least there will be fairly obvious drawbacks to doing so.

[beesley]

I do find it strange they tried to use being trans as an excuse for running away from a car accident.

I'm pretty sure they were talking about their PTSD, and in any case it made sense to reference this given that it was likely to be used as a jibe against them.

[Cassius]

Obviously it shouldn't be difficult to guess my views on this and I don't wish to rack up more infractions but what I will say is he's not exactly a model MP and Bridgend was already a seat for which I hope (and expect) will be a Labour gain at the nect election.

I do find it strange they tried to use being trans as an excuse for running away from a car accident.

Break glass in case of being crooked moment.

[CumbrianLefty]

Well this is going to be rather awkward given certain things. Not going to be that easy to try to play the cynical kulturkampf game with this issue now, or at least there will be fairly obvious drawbacks to doing so.

Many will still try, needless to say. They need *something* for the next GE after all.

[Blair]

Govt have u-turned on their promise to outlaw gay conversion therapy.

Will cause a big storm and rightfully so. It’s vile.

Terfs have opposed the bill recently- I can’t even remember why. Some are celebrating which goes against their claims to support the LBT part…

[afleitch]

Govt have u-turned on their promise to outlaw gay conversion therapy.

Will cause a big storm and rightfully so. It’s vile.

Terfs have opposed the bill recently- I can’t even remember why. Some are celebrating which goes against their claims to support the LBT part…

Terfism is it's core homophobic, at least towards men,because it's unfiltered misandry. Britain is in thrall to a sex cult of previous obsessed biological essentialists.

[afleitch]

My rights as a gay man, in 2022, are most at risk from a group of 'feminists' who are obsessed with penises and chromosomes.

I'm checking the background of every person I vote for at an election to make sure they are not a f-cking loon.

[Blair]

U-turn now reported.

This is the ‘new’ Downing Street operation of course.

[afleitch]

U-turn now reported.

This is the ‘new’ Downing Street operation of course.

Yes.

A u-turn on the U-turn, but only banning it with regard to sexual orientation. Cowards. Which means the LGB Alliance, claiming it wasn't necessary will now have to hold to that line.