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

[Zinneke]

https://mobile.twitter.com/robpowellnews/status/1547123763422035969

I've seen multiple pictures of Sunak brandishing a brief case in such manner.  Is this a tradition of some type?   

Yes when the Chancellor presents their budget.

[DINGO Joe]

https://mobile.twitter.com/robpowellnews/status/1547123763422035969

I've seen multiple pictures of Sunak brandishing a brief case in such manner.  Is this a tradition of some type?   

Yes when the Chancellor presents their budget.

It looks like a "take your kid to work" day

[CumbrianLefty]

Its actually a mildly interesting trivia question - Sunak would be the shortest PM since when exactly?

[Alcibiades]

Its actually a mildly interesting trivia question - Sunak would be the shortest PM since when exactly?

Well Thatcher was shorter. If you limit it to shortest male PM, then I’m not sure.

[CumbrianLefty]

Its actually a mildly interesting trivia question - Sunak would be the shortest PM since when exactly?

Well Thatcher was shorter. If you limit it to shortest male PM, then I’m not sure.

Yes I did think she might be his main "rival" in modern times.

[Silent Hunter]

https://mobile.twitter.com/robpowellnews/status/1547123763422035969

I've seen multiple pictures of Sunak brandishing a brief case in such manner.  Is this a tradition of some type?  

Yes when the Chancellor presents their budget.

They're traditional ministerial boxes. Lock from the bottom for security reasons. Every minister gets one.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Its actually a mildly interesting trivia question - Sunak would be the shortest PM since when exactly?

Well Thatcher was shorter. If you limit it to shortest male PM, then I’m not sure.

Which is amusing as the outgoing PM is short enough himself. Naturally his claimed height is an obvious lie, but we really have come to expect that.

[GenerationTerrorist]

As a Centre-Left Labour voter (and Party member), the one I fear most is Penny Mordaunt. The others would be destroyed in a General Election.

[Torrain]

I know that other than the Government failing a confidence vote, there’s basically no way to dislodge the caretaker government. But can we agree that having a government that accepts it has no mandate or authority for two months is a very precarious position, in a time of economic uncertainty?

From all major legislation, from the Gambling Bill to the Online Harms Bill stalling out, or stuff like this:
https://mobile.twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1547344474992513024

Wild that Government MPs decided that it was vital to force a resignation from Johnson, but not vital to replace him with someone capable of running policy during a leadership election. Just send Raab to the Palace, and let him steady the ship for a month. Instead we get six weeks of infighting, while the Treasury does nothing to prepare the coming stress on the country during the autumn and winter fuel price hikes.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Tories should have advised Johnson to call a snap election so he could have the chance to prove that he was still popular.

[CumbrianLefty]

Tories should have advised Johnson to call a snap election so he could have the chance to prove that he was still popular.

If you believe some rumours, he actually tried that one.

And the latest Private Eye says the palace saw that possibility coming and had prepared for it - by all accounts HM wasn't amused about him fibbing to her over prorogation in 2019.

[YL]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

[brucejoel99]

Tories should have advised Johnson to call a snap election so he could have the chance to prove that he was still popular.

If you believe some rumours, he actually tried that one.

And the latest Private Eye says the palace saw that possibility coming and had prepared for it - by all accounts HM wasn't amused about him fibbing to her over prorogation in 2019.

Do you by any chance have a link to (or pic of) that Private Eye account? Would love to read!

[YL]

And the latest Private Eye says the palace saw that possibility coming and had prepared for it - by all accounts HM wasn't amused about him fibbing to her over prorogation in 2019.

Do you by any chance have a link to (or pic of) that Private Eye account? Would love to read!

I presume this is what's being referred to:
https://twitter.com/GerryHassan/status/1547226056565952514

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Reading between the lines there it seems (as I suspected at the time) that they were seriously preparing for a Dismissal if it came to it. It is utterly extraordinary that we reached even that point - this is not a thing that is supposed to happen, ever.

Anyway for those who are not aware, one of the many peculiarities of this country is that the Eye is genuinely the best source for accurate and half-accurate briefings and gossip from the Palace and has been for decades. This is largely because the people who run the magazine went to the same Public Schools as all the senior flunkies and courtiers.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Reading between the lines there it seems (as I suspected at the time) that they were seriously preparing for a Dismissal if it came to it. It is utterly extraordinary that we reached even that point - this is not a thing that is supposed to happen, ever.

Anyway for those who are not aware, one of the many peculiarities of this country is that the Eye is genuinely the best source for accurate and half-accurate briefings and gossip from the Palace and has been for decades. This is largely because the people who run the magazine went to the same Public Schools as all the senior flunkies and courtiers.

In what circumstances do you think they would have pulled the trigger?

[Zinneke]

Reading between the lines there it seems (as I suspected at the time) that they were seriously preparing for a Dismissal if it came to it. It is utterly extraordinary that we reached even that point - this is not a thing that is supposed to happen, ever.

Anyway for those who are not aware, one of the many peculiarities of this country is that the Eye is genuinely the best source for accurate and half-accurate briefings and gossip from the Palace and has been for decades. This is largely because the people who run the magazine went to the same Public Schools as all the senior flunkies and courtiers.

In what circumstances do you think they would have pulled the trigger?

Johnson calling for a snap election.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In what circumstances do you think they would have pulled the trigger?

We'll never really know for sure. He had technically crossed the line where it would have been constitutionally acceptable, but Brenda's default (quite correctly in my view) has always been not to act unless there's no alternative. I suspect it would have come if he had tried to wriggle out of the internal VONC procedures, which was looking briefly, horribly plausible. It's hard to express how utterly mad it is that this was an outside possibility and not an absurd hypothetical.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

I was in Cambridge at the time and it took about four hours to get home, because it was so hot that the overhead wires on the train line started to melt. That was annoying, but under circumstances where every ambulance trust in the country is experiencing huge delays in getting patients admitted into hospital due to lack of beds, next week could be absolutely catastrophic.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

I was in Cambridge at the time and it took about four hours to get home, because it was so hot that the overhead wires on the train line started to melt. That was annoying, but under circumstances where every ambulance trust in the country is experiencing huge delays in getting patients admitted into hospital due to lack of beds, next week could be absolutely catastrophic.

Am I correct in thinking that most homes in the UK don't have air conditioning?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

I was in Cambridge at the time and it took about four hours to get home, because it was so hot that the overhead wires on the train line started to melt. That was annoying, but under circumstances where every ambulance trust in the country is experiencing huge delays in getting patients admitted into hospital due to lack of beds, next week could be absolutely catastrophic.

Am I correct in thinking that most homes in the UK don't have air conditioning?

British homes, from what I've heard, tend to be insulated for the winter. Which...can have less than desirable effects in summer heat waves...

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

Away from the Tory clown car, it looks like we're in for a nasty heatwave, with the UK record temperature likely to be broken on Monday or Tuesday with 40C forecast to be recorded for the first time; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the record (38.7C in Cambridge just three years ago) is broken on Monday and the new record is then beaten on Tuesday.

I was in Cambridge at the time and it took about four hours to get home, because it was so hot that the overhead wires on the train line started to melt. That was annoying, but under circumstances where every ambulance trust in the country is experiencing huge delays in getting patients admitted into hospital due to lack of beds, next week could be absolutely catastrophic.

Am I correct in thinking that most homes in the UK don't have air conditioning?

Air conditioning is pretty uncommon in the UK, though it is getting less so over time, as I understand it.

I have a friend there who just moved to a new house today, as luck would have it, I should ask if she has air conditioning now or not. I'm fairly certain her old house didn't.

[The Dowager Mod]

"coincidence."
https://twitter.com/LouisHenwood/status/1548047108363628548

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

oh my god she is so unbelievably hot

[CumbrianLefty]

oh my god she is so unbelievably hot

You don't prefer Morduant?

Truss is very passable tbf, though I do like her better when not doing a cosplay Thatcher act.