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

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Daily Mail showing this morning that it can be unhinged about stuff other than Beergate.

Since Dacre's mob Took Back Control (and don't you just know this is how they describe it?) the paper has been... unhinged. Dacre was always nasty, but he had a certain touch, an ability to tap into other people's neuroses and veiled bigotries, but this seems to have gone.

[EastAnglianLefty]

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-23/exclusive-pm-pictured-drinking-at-downing-street-party-during-lockdown

The pictures have indeed leaked.

I'm reasonably sure Johnson is just going to try and bluster this one out and my working assumption is that his backbenchers are cowardly enough to let him, but I'd be interested to see how the Met react to their being explicit photographic evidence that they are both incompetent and corrupt.

[afleitch]

Daily Mail showing this morning that it can be unhinged about stuff other than Beergate.

Since Dacre's mob Took Back Control (and don't you just know this is how they describe it?) the paper has been... unhinged. Dacre was always nasty, but he had a certain touch, an ability to tap into other people's neuroses and veiled bigotries, but this seems to have gone.

Newspaper circulation has also absolutely tanked, to the point at which most don't even report their figures. The Daily Mail is at half it's 2015 figures. And attempts to 'put it on the telly' with GBNews and TalkTV isn't pulling people in either.

Papers bucking the trend; Metro and the 'i' curiously take a very different editorial path. But yet the business hasn't learned from that.

[Torrain]

Try telling me that this man didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

[Torrain]

To use a metaphor our illustrious PM would understand.

Shot:
https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1468563160827568130

Chaser:

[Estrella]

Try telling me that this man didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

I'm sure the voters of Wakefield, Tiverton and Honiton and the yet to be revealed Mystery Sex Pest Constituency will be thrilled to see this photo on their leaflets. Preferably next to a stock image of an elderly woman in a hospital bed.

[Tintrlvr]

Try telling me that this man didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

I'm sure the voters of Wakefield, Tiverton and Honiton and the yet to be revealed Mystery Sex Pest Constituency will be thrilled to see this photo on their leaflets. Preferably next to a stock image of an elderly woman in a hospital bed.

I am sure, although the Mystery Sex Pest constituency is of a kin to Old Bexley and Sidcup and will not be flipping in a by-election.

[Boobs]

Try telling me that this man didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

I'm sure the voters of Wakefield, Tiverton and Honiton and the yet to be revealed Mystery Sex Pest Constituency will be thrilled to see this photo on their leaflets. Preferably next to a stock image of an elderly woman in a hospital bed.

I am sure, although the Mystery Sex Pest constituency is of a kin to Old Bexley and Sidcup and will not be flipping in a by-election.

Thankfully there's still the potential for a Somerton and Frome by-election.

[MABA 2020]

This is damning, if only the Tory parliamentary party had the spine to do anything about this.

[Torrain]

And here we are. The Political Editor of the Times is reporting that the PM asked Sue Gray not to publish her report, with the feeble excuse that everything is already out in the open - a lie that it only takes one look at today's photos to disprove. Johnson has finally gone full Trump.
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1528849576798654471

The lack of accountability here is really sticking in my craw. Johnson really seems to have no concept of taking accountability for what he's done.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

The rest of the Tory party has been having a great day too, in case you were wondering:
https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1528823288943747072
https://twitter.com/Chican3ry/status/1528781009705213952

[afleitch]

The Tories going full culture war aided by the press during a Brexit Covid cost of living crisis isn't unexpected. But surely, someone must realise there's diminishing returns in that tactic. Because it's clear the public really care about cost of living pressures.

And what happened in Australia should be a big f-kn red flag.

[EastAnglianLefty]

You might say that, the PM's Aussie deputy chief of staff seems quite convinced that doing anything about the cost of living is 'unconservative'.

[CumbrianLefty]

Try telling me that this man didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

I'm sure the voters of Wakefield, Tiverton and Honiton and the yet to be revealed Mystery Sex Pest Constituency will be thrilled to see this photo on their leaflets. Preferably next to a stock image of an elderly woman in a hospital bed.

I am sure, although the Mystery Sex Pest constituency is of a kin to Old Bexley and Sidcup and will not be flipping in a by-election.

Though that byelection was after the death of a widely respected representative.

If it happens, this one would be after the conviction of the sitting MP for multiple horrific sex crimes (it really doesn't do things justice to describe the allegations as "sex pest")

That can have a significant impact on even the safest seat on paper.

[Torrain]

Christopher Hope of the Telegraph has anonymous Tory MPs suggesting the 1922 committee letters in the mid-high 40s, close to the 52 letter threshold.

Hope loves Westminster drama, but he typically plays up Labour drama and plays down Tory drama (see his barmy equivocating between partygate and beergate), so this feels fairly plausible to me. I know I was probably too bullish about Johnson’s chances of facing a challenge earlier in the year, but I do think there’s a decent (40% or more) that we hit the 52 letters if the Gray Report and leaks do further damage to the PM. Whether Johnson wins that hypothetical vote would be another question entirely.

Certainly, Johnson would not be holding another 1922 committee meeting tomorrow evening if he expected to sail through tomorrow without taking damage.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Isn't this about the fourth time it's been reported that the numbers are in the high 40s? I'll remain sceptical until it actually happens.

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1529179888242106370?s=20&t=x2QnJiWbpz...

Drip, drip, drip...

[Torrain]

The Grey Report has reached Downing Street:
https://mobile.twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1529372027068502016

[Torrain]

Update: There’s to be a public statement from Johnson at 12.30 or so, a statement to the Commons in the mid-afternoon, and a meeting of the 1922 committee (with Johnson addressing the party) around 17.00.

This is all coming in via BBC News, and is liable to change on a day like this.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

What a fun day this will be for Boris Johnson...

[EastAnglianLefty]

Update: There’s to be a public statement from Johnson at 12.30 or so, a statement to the Commons in the mid-afternoon, and a meeting of the 1922 committee (with Johnson addressing the party) around 17.00.

This is all coming in via BBC News, and is liable to change on a day like this.

Which means it will be a weird PMQs, because ordinarily that's the main event whereas in this case it's just an appetiser.

[Torrain]

Update: There’s to be a public statement from Johnson at 12.30 or so, a statement to the Commons in the mid-afternoon, and a meeting of the 1922 committee (with Johnson addressing the party) around 17.00.

This is all coming in via BBC News, and is liable to change on a day like this.

Which means it will be a weird PMQs, because ordinarily that's the main event whereas in this case it's just an appetiser.

Aye. My money is on Starmer putting most questions on cost of living, after one or two on the report. He’ll want to get out ahead of the assumed u-turn on the windfall tax (expected as a late-week distraction from the Grey Report), and he’ll have plenty of time to talk partygate later, if Johnson is giving a statement.

[CumbrianLefty]

Update: There’s to be a public statement from Johnson at 12.30 or so, a statement to the Commons in the mid-afternoon, and a meeting of the 1922 committee (with Johnson addressing the party) around 17.00.

This is all coming in via BBC News, and is liable to change on a day like this.

Which means it will be a weird PMQs, because ordinarily that's the main event whereas in this case it's just an appetiser.

Yeah, a bit like PMQs on Budget days.

[Torrain]

Link to the full Gray Report:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1078404/2022-05-25_FINAL_FINDINGS_OF_SECOND_PERMANENT_SECRETARY_INTO_ALLEGED_GATHERINGS.pdf

[Torrain]

PMQ’s quite dynamic today. Starmer is in high spirits, and focusing entirely on cost-of-living, given there’s going to be a session to focus on partygate later.

There’s a good question about Johnson’s u-turn on the windfall tax being entirely linked to the Gray Report. He even flipped Johnson’s nickname against him, inferring that when it comes to the windfall proposal, “Hindsight is a wonderful thing.”

Johnson is in fighting form, quite defiant. Will be quite bizarre if he shifts gears to contrition this afternoon. It seems like he’s just trying to bluster through the day. Guess we’ll see…

On a less substantive note, Johnson’s hair is the most ridiculous I’ve ever seen it. Looks like a very desperate attempt at distraction.