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

[Silent Hunter]

And at least part of him maybe still thinks his stock can rise again if he just hangs in there.

This is likely unrealistic, but we can now all see he isn't that good at actual politics.

He became Chancellor of the Exchequer, so he's a lot better than me.

[MABA 2020]

And at least part of him maybe still thinks his stock can rise again if he just hangs in there.

This is likely unrealistic, but we can now all see he isn't that good at actual politics.

He became Chancellor of the Exchequer, so he's a lot better than me.

No just luckier/richer

[Meclazine for Israel]

UK to copy Australia's immigration techniques with "Offshore Processing".

A lot of people don't like offshore processing because it means that people have no path to citizenship if they jump the queue and come over the seas on a boat. So the visas are simply at most a 'temporary protection' and then people get sent back to Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka at some future point.

Turns out UK is currently getting 1,000 illegal immigrant arrivals per day. UK is simply getting flooded with people from Europe. I am surprised France does not actually help the situation.

Their offshore detention location for processing - Rwanda.

That will stop people in their tracks. After offshore processing was introduced in Australia with only 'temporary protection visas' available, the boats went to zero . Since 2013, the Liberal Party has not put anyone in detention as no one has arrived.

Immigration Policy does not need a wall. It needs an actual deterrent for non-genuine refugees (i.e. economic migrants) looking simply to migrate towards the best social security cheque.

[Torrain]

Andrew Bridgen (who recently flipped from Johnson critic to defender) has found himself in a spot of legal bother. I’m not a Times subscriber, so haven’t been behind the paywall yet. But Bridgen is denying any wrongdoing and fiercely appealing.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Gabriel_Pogrund/status/1515580641403879424
Not sure if this will have any significant impact (ie I’m not sure it’s a resignation matter yet), but it does add to our mid-90s, Back to Basics narrative.

If it does end up being relevant, Bridgen’s constituency was Labour through the Blair years, but snapped right in 2010 and he’s sitting on a big majority. A by-election here would be tough, (but not Owen Paterson tough) but provide a major blow to the Tories if lost.

[Blair]

Poll out last night showing not only a bigger Labour lead but also Labour leading by 8 points on the economy (something that they didn’t even do in 1997) and Sunak now being more unpopular than Boris.

They’re normally a more generous pollster for Labour but those numbers under the voter intention are very very bad.


https://mobile.twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1515437025003986950?ref_src=twsr...

[CumbrianLefty]

Deltapoll have only been pro-Labour recently, they've been relatively favourable to Tories in the past.

Possibly an outlier, but could equally be a trend setter.

[Blair]

Big days in Westminster-Bojo’s statement which will have overzealous efforts from opposition MPs, hilarious questions from Government loyalists and some sort of insult from the PM.

Keir will be interesting to watch- he was very good last time after Sue Gray and gave one of the better speeches of his career.

[CumbrianLefty]

Latest poll from Redfield/Wilton had the Labour lead unchanged at 42-34 - despite the army of online BorisBots telling us with totally ironclad confidence that the Rwanda thing would utterly transform the Tories fortunes. When in reality, even polls with massively leading questions showed minority support.

[Torrain]

Debate on PM’s conduct, and referring him to the Standards Committee, is ongoing.

Usually faces seem to be dominating - old Boris critics like William Wragg have spoken in favour of the motion.

Chris Bryant (Chair of the Standards and Privileges Committee) has recused himself from leading the investigation, based on previous comments.

The Conservative Whips had planned to introduce an amendment shooting down the referral, but that plan was abandoned this morning, and Tory MPs have seemingly been told they can go home for the weekend. A referral, and subsequent investigation (once the Met is done) seems inevitable.

Biggest news so far seems to be Steve Baker (hardline Conservative MP, member of the European Research Group, and a key plotter against May) joining the “Boris must resign” crowd, seemingly out of nowhere.

The Baker news is interesting because it comes after Mark Harper, earlier this week. Harper and Baker are chair and co-chair, respectively of the “COVID Recovery Group”, who were established to fight lockdown restrictions. What’s been missing in opposition to Johnson so far is the United opposition of a Tory faction. If the COVID Recovery Group unite against Johnson, it creates a wedge against Johnson, and the potential core of a larger group of rebels.

[Torrain]

I might add - the glum outlook of most Conservative MPs in attendance is hardly in-keeping with the jubilant, forgiving attitude of the Parliamentary Party being reported in the media.

Sure - many of them have gone home. But you’d expect the whips could bring in a few enthusiastic 2019-intake MPs. The tone of debate from the Tories feels more like a a memorial service for your controversial uncle than a vigorous defence of a leader they insist will lead them to another election victory.

[Coldstream]

There does seem to have been a shift in the last few days, it’s gone from Johnson looking safe to looking very shaky. I guess it’ll depend what happens in the locals, but short of a big victory for him he looks to be in trouble.

[Blair]

It’s funny how the mood shifts when Conservative MPs face the prospect of having their names on a voting record. There was certainly a collapse and u-turn from last night- the new fabled no.10 and whipping operation in action of course! They were briefing last night that it wouldn’t pass! They have a majority of 80 and the payroll vote alone could have nearly beaten the opposition.

It puts off the issue further and I doubt the committee investigation will change anything; it will probably issue a middling finding but it goes on and gets further MPs on the record.

There was a lot of anger at Keir from the Tory benches for his threat to put it on leaflets- they said it would lead to abuse. Ofc the Tories have been doing this for years and the fact that they’ve been reduced to well complaining about this shows that they’re running out of anything to push back on. Good political operations usually aren’t reduced to such well weak arguments.

[Blair]

I might add - the glum outlook of most Conservative MPs in attendance is hardly in-keeping with the jubilant, forgiving attitude of the Parliamentary Party being reported in the media.

Sure - many of them have gone home. But you’d expect the whips could bring in a few enthusiastic 2019-intake MPs. The tone of debate from the Tories feels more like a a memorial service for your controversial uncle than a vigorous defence of a leader they insist will lead them to another election victory.

They did send some lobby fodders like Young and Stafford over the top with some ham fisted attacks on Labour- both got shot down so badly (by Starmer and Phillips) that you’d hope CCHQ will not try and clip it.

[Blair]

The main vibe is that it all feels very Gordon Brown 2009.

[Silent Hunter]

The main vibe is that it all feels very Gordon Brown 2009.

Remember he managed to stop the Tories from getting an overall majority in 2010 though.

[Blair]

To make everyone chuckle the grand new policy they’re set to announce is a change to the number of children childminders can look after.

Truly groundbreaking!

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

What's Boris Johnsons absolute last break the glass strategy if he's facing a leadership challenge ?. He seems to have mostly exhausted all remaning tricks trying to cling on this far.

[Blair]

What's Boris Johnsons absolute last break the glass strategy if he's facing a leadership challenge ?. He seems to have mostly exhausted all remaning tricks trying to cling on this far.

Snap election theoretically but it’s hard to see that happening

[Blair]

Not going to share it but Mail on Sunday has published a vile article accusing Angela Rayner of using basic instinct tactics of crossing her legs to distract Boris in the Chamber. Goes onto to insult her even further

This was actually briefed by senior conservatives and somehow written up and published by the MOS. I’m not particularly sure how it got past any lawyers.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Not going to share it but Mail on Sunday has published a vile article accusing Angela Rayner of using basic instinct tactics of crossing her legs to distract Boris in the Chamber. Goes onto to insult her even further

This was actually briefed by senior conservatives and somehow written up and published by the MOS. I’m not particularly sure how it got past any lawyers.

Is Rayner launching a defamation case actualy likely though ?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Not going to share it but Mail on Sunday has published a vile article accusing Angela Rayner of using basic instinct tactics of crossing her legs to distract Boris in the Chamber. Goes onto to insult her even further

This was actually briefed by senior conservatives and somehow written up and published by the MOS. I’m not particularly sure how it got past any lawyers.

Is Rayner launching a defamation case actualy likely though ?

Not qualified to answer this question, but if Twitter is any indication, she's not taking this lying down.

https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/1518126832272486400

[CumbrianLefty]

Of course the article is totally disgusting for all the already well rehearsed reasons, but the real thing to me is - how exactly do those behind it actually think it *helps* the PM??

[Torrain]

Despite the public disavowal from the PM and much of the cabinet, the Mail are doubling down on their Rayner Basic Instinct story, and are now trying to present themselves as defenders of press freedom for stonewalling Lindsay Hoyle after he tried to meet with them to discuss the story.

I just mean, who is this for? Are they going to tell us that they’ve been cancelled next? This all just seems like a ludicrous, cruel fantasy concocted to sell more copies (which I guess is a fair assessment of the Mail’s typical business strategy).

[Silent Hunter]

Has Rayner contacted a libel lawyer about this?

[CumbrianLefty]

Meanwhile as usual the journalistic wagons are circling around the hack who wrote this.

There maybe isn't any other profession with more self-regard combined with less reason for it.