UK General Discussion: Rishecession

[CumbrianLefty]

Johnson left #10 like three hours ago.

Truss isn't there yet because she's still finishing a speech to her staff.

He still has to go and confirm his resignation with the Queen, and then she confirms Truss as PM.

This was previously done in Buckingham Palace just a stone's throw from Westminster - though one curious artefact is that we still have had a period of 30 minutes or so with no "official" PM - but now it is in her long term residence of Balmoral in the Scottish highlands (due to Brenda's "mobility" issues) so that is going to drag things out a bit.

[CumbrianLefty]

Has to be said this cabinet could have been even worse, though equally that could also be the best thing about it. Braverman and JRM stand out as the "mainly there to trigger the lefties" picks.

(though in the latter case at least, one more optimistic interpretation is that energy - and maybe also climate change - is mostly going to be dealt with by number 10 and he is just a "loyal" retainer)

[CumbrianLefty]

The statement, particularly the 'concerned about her health' bit, sounds very similar to what is part of the official procedure when it's about to happen. When George VI was about to go, for example, something like that was said. It's also worth noting perhaps that the Palace doesn't usually speak in such tones regarding the health of the Queen or any senior Royals, as I think has been said on here.

Just a few days ago she was still able to meet both Johnson and Truss, even if at Balmoral.

So its a pretty rapid turn for the worse if the general current impression is correct.

[CumbrianLefty]

Whenever it happens, it will truly be the end of an era.

She is the only monarch most British people have lived under (and still more, actually remember)

[CumbrianLefty]

Yeah, even if it doesn't happen today or tomorrow we are being mentally prepared.

[CumbrianLefty]

Andrew, Anne and Edward are also heading to Balmoral.

I think that removes any doubt really, its now completely a question of exactly when not if.

[CumbrianLefty]

Rumours that an "announcement" is being prepared for 1800 hours UK time.

[CumbrianLefty]

Its almost as if wanting to outlast his time as PM was her final ambition in life.

[CumbrianLefty]

ITV has now abandoned its normal programming for news coverage, presenter all in black.

[CumbrianLefty]

So it was 1830 rather than 1800 hours in the event.

RIP - a remarkable life.

[CumbrianLefty]

The Queen is dead.

God Save the King.

But what name will he take?

It really *should* be Charles III, but who knows.

[CumbrianLefty]

If you want to see what Boris Johnson would have said in an address to the nation if he had still been PM then, er, look at the tribute he's put out whilst not being PM.

His just missing out on the chance to self-aggrandize is simply so utterly glorious, maybe the best thing in all this.

I hope he is seething constantly.

[CumbrianLefty]

The Privy Council has been an interesting assembly so far - fascinating to see Starmer, Blair, Brown, Cameron, May and Johnson standing at the head of a crowd of politicians, with a sea of familiar Cabinet faces hovering in the background, in addition to Lib Dem and SNP grandees.

Penny Mordaunt is chairing events. Truss made her Leader of the Commons and Lord President of the (Privy) Council on Tuesday, which are pretty low-key jobs in normal times (the kind of thing you give to Andrea Leadsom or Rees-Mogg). And yet by Saturday, she’s MC for a number of constitutional ceremonies, as part of the succession, and by dint of being appointed Lord President (which is normally just a sinecure given to an MP so they have the right to attend Cabinet).

Deep down, Rees-Mogg is kicking himself.

He is a Johnson wannabe in that respect as well as several others

[CumbrianLefty]

IDS turned down the role of Lord President too this week.

He was in the room as one of the invited Privy Councillors though. Watching it all go down, I wonder whether he felt relieved or regretful he turned it down. Probably for the best - he's never been one to command a room in moments like this.

Oddly, IDS feels like one of the most apt comparisons for Truss under current conditions - darling of the Right, more popular with the party membership than MPs, and trying to make themselves heard in an environment dominated by louder voices.

His victory in 2001 over Clarke was announced two days after Sept 11.

Now, *that's* unlucky timing.

[CumbrianLefty]

and then implied he’d do his best to step back from political advocacy (which will assuage some concerns).

Just like every other citizen of the United Kingdom, the monarch pays his taxes, and as such I so no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to express his political opinions or vote in British elections.

I want to agree but the de facto separation of powers is probably the one thing that keeps the monarchy from being abolished. Would have loved the queen to say “f brexit” but this is pretty much a necessity.

Still remember the hysteria in #FBPEland when Her Maj once wore a certain hat

[CumbrianLefty]

What’s you guys’ sense for conference season this year? The Lib Dems literally scheduled theirs for the date of the funeral, so it was always going to get canned, but the other parties haven’t discussed it yet (probably still too early to discuss without tabloids moaning about “playing politics”).

In theory, this is the opportunity for all the big players to make political hay - Starmer trying to define Truss before she can define herself, while bigging up his “Labour can be patriotic too” thing - I’m expecting a lot of flags. Truss has been denied her honeymoon, and can’t even tout her energy policy right now. The SNP have a theoretical referendum to start defining (quite possibly with a Supreme Court outcome to either bemoan or celebrate), which seems like something that would be telegraphed heavily at the October conference.

But the mood is still so weird, that it will be slightly jarring to go from the funeral to party-political fervour within a week. Part of me thinks that it might all still get reduced in scope, and there’s a chance conferences gets cancelled altogether if focus-groups/polling makes them jumpy about diving right back into adversarial politics etc etc.

Its going to be tricky of course, and a few will likely get the transition wrong, but personally I have to say I am already detecting a desire to get things a bit more back to "normal". It is notable how much criticism the decision to call off football matches last weekend got, for example.

(and as far as that is concerned, several other sports went ahead with maybe slight modifications)

[CumbrianLefty]

They didn't say that tbf, rather that they would *only* report the weather.

(and not do their other usual social media stuff)

[CumbrianLefty]

Yeah the fuss some are trying to make over the pen is ridiculous, if anything it humanises him.

[CumbrianLefty]

Kwarteng apparently wants to lift the cap on bankers bonuses.

Good luck to Tory canvassers who have to explain that one on the fabled doorstep.

[CumbrianLefty]

Parliament is now going to be sitting for most of next week, so at least common sense has prevailed there - and after that the Labour and Tory conferences are both going ahead.

[CumbrianLefty]

The problem is that having public p political views very quickly devolves into the Monarch picking sides when a Government is being formulated- it’s worth remembering George V played a huge role in creating the National Government in the 1930s.

The powers we give to the Monarch are so vast- the ability to dissolve Parliament, dismiss Ministers, appoint virtually every senior official and command the armed forces, that we really don’t want them engaged in a political battle with the Government especially when 50% of the time it would be with a Labour Government.

These "powers" are largely theoretical in practice - that is why there was talk of a "constituional crisis" in the summer when Johnson was (metaphorically) threatening to barricade himself into number 10.

[CumbrianLefty]

It’s also not a purely “Leicester” problem, since people seem to be coming in from Birmingham and farther afield to join in, which increases the chance of it turning violent.

Police now seem to think a majority of the trouble makers are not local, shocked I am and no mistake.

[CumbrianLefty]

JRM suggesting in the Commons that opponents of fracking (who included, just in this session, quite a few backbenchers in his own party) are in the pay of the Kremlin.

Yes, this is going superbly.

[CumbrianLefty]

Yes, this is basically Tory 2019 style Corbynism.

The key difference, unfortunately, is that unlike his version of Labour they can still count on sizeable totally uncritical support from client media - and the rest may still be too timid in challenging them.

Has to be said that Reeves was good today though, shooting fish in a barrel territory or not.

[CumbrianLefty]

I've written long posts about fracking in the past and how little sense it makes so I won't bother here, but can I just say how delighted I am that JRM's latched on to an initiative that will undoubtedly lose the Tories votes, and hopefully do damage to his carefully crafted image as an old-fashioned gent.

I noticed that quite a number of Tory MPs expressing concern come from marginal seats in the North & Midlands - Blackpool South, Bolsover, Blackpool North & Cleveleys (maybe a stretch that last one). Hopefully fracking helps Labour to reclaim some of that red wall.

Very possible that a fracking attempt there could turn it red - its really hard to understate just *how* unpopular it is in actually affected areas (and polling which is often skewed towards "do you approve of it to help the energy crisis" type questions shouldn't fool anybody there)