UK General Discussion: Rishecession

[Torrain]

https://twitter.com/breeallegretti/status/1790477309729751510
It'll probably be some awkward celebrity endorsement, but given its a Essex-based event, on the other side of PMQs, I'd imagine local MPs like Will Quince and John Baron will wake up tomorrow to about ten missed calls from the chief whip.

[EastAnglianLefty]

In the unlikely event it is a defection, there's every chance it's not even an Essex-based MP and that that's just a piece of misdirection.

[Silent Hunter]

Essex is a rather big place too.

[JimJamUK]

Priti Patel?

[MayorCarcetti]

https://twitter.com/breeallegretti/status/1790477309729751510
It'll probably be some awkward celebrity endorsement, but given its a Essex-based event, on the other side of PMQs, I'd imagine local MPs like Will Quince and John Baron will wake up tomorrow to about ten missed calls from the chief whip.

What Essex celebrity?! Gemma Collins? Stacey Solomon?

Genuine question - who'd be a celebrity endorsement who'd make headlines. Lot of big names (Adele, Dua Lipa etc) are already known to be Labour so wouldn't be too shocking. One that came to mind would be Clarkson, since it would be so against the grain of what you'd expect from him, but he did previously admit he'd consider voting Labour under Starmer, even before the Tories really went down the tubes. But even so, I doubt Starmer would openly court him or brag too much an endorsement from that Jeremy C.

[TheTide]

https://twitter.com/breeallegretti/status/1790477309729751510
It'll probably be some awkward celebrity endorsement, but given its a Essex-based event, on the other side of PMQs, I'd imagine local MPs like Will Quince and John Baron will wake up tomorrow to about ten missed calls from the chief whip.

What Essex celebrity?! Gemma Collins? Stacey Solomon?

Genuine question - who'd be a celebrity endorsement who'd make headlines. Lot of big names (Adele, Dua Lipa etc) are already known to be Labour so wouldn't be too shocking. One that came to mind would be Clarkson, since it would be so against the grain of what you'd expect from him, but he did previously admit he'd consider voting Labour under Starmer, even before the Tories really went down the tubes. But even so, I doubt Starmer would openly court him or brag too much an endorsement from that Jeremy C.

His Top Gear heyday self would be, how shall I put it, very unfashionable today.

Also, how long is "long in the planning"? A certain Harold Wilson quote springs to mind.

[Torrain]

Everything’s fine north of the border guys, promise. 
https://twitter.com/ginadavidsonlbc/status/1790661936528429361

[YL]

I wouldn’t have thought that an event to welcome a defector would be “long in the planning”, though I suppose the “special guest” could be a late addition.

The rumour mill is in overdrive, needless to say.

[TheTide]

I wouldn’t have thought that an event to welcome a defector would be “long in the planning”, though I suppose the “special guest” could be a late addition.

The rumour mill is in overdrive, needless to say.

Theresa May is a name that I'm seeing quite a bit of. Most likely it's people being mischievous of course.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Labour are telling journalists not to expect a defection, FWIW.

[Torrain]

I think most of the May stuff started because she rebelled on that Labour amendment barring MPs arrested for sexual assault from the Commons.

Several people presented the list of the 8 Tory rebels as the definitive shortlist, and she was the only household name on it (even though it also contains 2 serial rebels and 2 sitting ministers).

[YL]

- Put 2 and 2 together
- Make 5
- Tweet about it
- Watch your rumour spread like wildfire

(Only works if you have enough followers, I suppose.)

[TheTide]

May has given the Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture at the Hansard Society this morning. One of those two was of course a noted defector.

Meanwhile, anyone want to take this guy up on his offer?

https://twitter.com/jep_draper/status/1790477014291415493

[EastAnglianLefty]

May has also confirmed she's definitely not defecting.

[Torrain]

Never really in doubt, but “our former party leader isn’t defecting” is up there with “of course the PM isn’t resigning” as signals of intra-party turmoil.

[Hnv1]

The fact that the possibility of Theresa May defecting is even considered possible is quite ludicrous.

[CumbrianLefty]

Hasn't it now been claimed that the much hyped "special guest" is none other than Sir Kieth himself?

Quality trolling if so

[Torrain]

https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/1791461620578660448
Gething’s premiership continues to be an odd mirror of Yousaf’s.

Also means Hannah Blythyn, who Gething fired for ‘leaking’, might end up with a deciding vote, if Plaid and the solitary Lib Dem aren’t willing to bail him out. Guess he’s found himself his very own Ash Regan!

[CumbrianLefty]

Never fully trusted him tbh, he came across as overweeningly ambitious for the top job in itself rather than because he had any idea of what to actually do with it. Comparisons in that regard with a certain prominent current SC member at Westminster are certainly available

(note: in this context SC means "Shadow Cabinet" - which should surely make it a bit more obvious)

[Torrain]

Comparisons in that regard with a certain prominent current SC member at Westminster are certainly available

Acronyms, acronyms, acronyms... Genuinely curious whether that’s a dig at the Scottish Conservatives (either the Member for Moray, or Baroness Davidson), or one of the favourite sons of the Socialist Campaign Group

I have something to contribute if it’s the former. If it’s the latter, everything I’d have to say has been a cliche since about 2017.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Plaid were only ever going to remain in this rather odd little arrangement until the new electoral system was approved (and have been signalling as such quite clearly for a while), because their leader is on the party's right-wing and was never comfortable with the arrangement to start with. You need to be careful with media coverage of devolved politics in Wales, most of it isn't at all neutral.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Also means Hannah Blythyn, who Gething fired for ‘leaking’, might end up with a deciding vote, if Plaid and the solitary Lib Dem aren’t willing to bail him out. Guess he’s found himself his very own Ash Regan!

She remains part of the Labour Group and a confidence vote would obviously be a whipped matter and to vote against the government in one would be career ending (she has no profile). It isn't the same sort of situation at all.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Never fully trusted him tbh, he came across as overweeningly ambitious for the top job in itself rather than because he had any idea of what to actually do with it.

Well the thing is he actually has done things already, but that as they involve rowing back on some of the more controversial measures that Drakeford pushed through towards the end, this will only have aggravated certain individuals in the Group and one in particular (and that one is not, to be clear, the former FM).

[Joe Republic]

It's pretty remarkable that for about three weeks, the governments in Westminster, Greater London, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland were all led by ethnic minority men.

[CumbrianLefty]

It's pretty remarkable that for about three weeks, the governments in Westminster, Greater London, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland were all led by ethnic minority men.

And by the end of the year it could just be London - Khan, the first, will have outlasted them all.