General Discussion of UK Politics

[GT93]

A letter dated some 40 years ago, what in the name of Holy Hell has that got to do with his leadership of the UK these days.

It seems to show that, in the case of Johnson, nothing much has changed over the past 40 years.

This raises questions about the sanity of the British public and his colleagues in effect electing him for such high office.

[stattointhailand]

Would have thought seeing the moron during his term as London mayor would have been enough to stop anyone ever voting for him, but as they say you can fool some of the people some of the time ......... but theres some idiots who can be fooled all the time

[pepesgrill]

gosh you brits are harsh. we've had presidents
toying with strumpets in official buildings. engage
in personal enterprise to benefit themselves.

boris just quaffed a few brewskis
with staff & his mates and you want to rack him

[BillaRickaDickay]

I guess you could look at the situation from a different perspective, whether you like Boris or not, he was savvy enough to see the obvious, and that was a short route to Power on the back of the Brexit vote.
You could also say that the British voter used Boris to get what they had been waiting for since 2016.

[jackspratt]

An astute observation, BRD.

But I suspect (hopefully) he is now past his Use By Date.

[BillaRickaDickay]

An astute observation, BRD.

But I suspect (hopefully) he is now past his Use By Date.

Yeh, another Politician bites the dust.

[rick]

You could also say that the British voter used Boris to get what they had been waiting for since 2016.

But did they know what they would actually get?

Fishing boats can catch more fish, but exporting to the EU more difficult and costly. Expensive seafood is being thrown away.

Farmers can no longer find staff to pick their crops. Half of what they plant rots in the fields. Only the biggest, highly mechanised producers are not suffering.

Exporting anything to the EU now requires a lot more paperwork, time and of course money. 50% of small enterprises who used to export to the EU now find it uneconomic to do so.

But everybody is free to do whatever they want! (especially Boris).

Now they are in power, all those promises to help the lower middle classes pay for those houses, nursing homes etc. are on a back burner. It will soon be back to all but the rich renting, living from pay check to pay check, as the cost of living rises but wages do not. You even have to pay in advance for that nursing home when your old, even if you never need it. Back to the 60's! Maybe they will bring back the workhouse for the homeless, the sick and the old.

[stattointhailand]

No need for workhouses Rick, they will re open Newgate debtors prison and throw the poor in there until someone loads their sixteen tons and pays the company store to get them out again

[Earnest]

boris just quaffed a few brewskis
with staff & his mates and you want to rack him

It's all down to the English sense of fair play, Cali. A chap doesn't make rules for the majority then break them himself. There's a loss of trust now, I don't think I'll be voting for the Conservatives in the next election, not while there's a Party appetite to defend Boris on TV.

[AlexO]

A letter dated some 40 years ago, what in the name of Holy Hell has that got to do with his leadership of the UK these days.
UK Government is not a one man band it is a consensus of initially the Cabinet then offered to the House of Commons and unfortunately also the House of the unelected House of Lords for approval.
It should be noted that there is no such thing similar to the USA Presidential Decree where the US President issues laws/rules/judgments at his personal whim.

Jeez Alex...are your eyes painted on?

Because the letter, if real, describes Boris Johnson to a tee and you KNOW it does. We can only assume that Boris Sr. must have been an early proponent of the "no smacking" mantra for child discipline. Your penchant for placing your leadership on pedestals is alarming. It was misplaced with Thatcher who was ultimately hoist by her own petard. In the current state of this nation's play, it is downright dangerous.

How can upward of a hundred "workers" at #10, fellow cabinet members and the serried ranks of their MP's still be in such thrall of the PM that the serial law breaking and nose-thumbing deceit never saw daylight until now? How many more times must the PM mumble being deeply something or other for the results of another cock up? The whole craven bunch are increasingly trying to hide behind the "head boy" while he casts around for more to throw under the bus. I wonder who is going to pull a "Geoffrey Howe" on Johnson? When that happens, that sound you will hear from Westminster will be from the chickens coming home to roost (the sound of 360 arseholes puckering).

PMQ's yesterday was a slow motion train wreck for the Tories. You could see Boris was seething with rage each and every time he repeated the rote, "Wait for the results of the inquiry" response. Where was the classic deflection when responding to a "cherry-picked" Tory question where he spins and points at the Leader of the Opposition and blames them for doing nothing with some flowery prose? The Tory cherry-pickers failed miserably yesterday with their milquetoast questions. Can't defuse this ticking time-bomb.

The man's hubris must be more infectious than omicron.

Tam
There for the will of God go I. You must have been a real wee 'goody two shoes' 40 years ago, and have never done the slightest thing wrong in the last 4 decades that entitles you to castigate someone you have no personal contact or knowledge of. If he goes, as it is likely he will go due to the venomous attacks on him by the gutter press, who will you and the usual culprits attack next. There is a post from an American gentleman who puts the point brilliantly, but Clinton was a Democrat so it's Ok.

[pepesgrill]

oh , i see. he violated " code of the pub" rules

whilst the upper crust sneered and in their
entitled hubris held private parties. they told
masses " no guinness" for general health reasons

captain bligh v fletcher christian mutinous offense

[tamada]

The people's party of course.

The best PM's too

[GT93]

I'm a bit surprised Johnson is still Prime Minister. I gather this is a bit unusual and usually a PM behaving as he has would get elbowed out quite quickly.

[jackspratt]

For the vast majority of politicians, of all stripes, self-interest will always win in a battle with national interest.

Just look at the GOP for further proof.

[tamada]

I'm a bit surprised Johnson is still Prime Minister. I gather this is a bit unusual and usually a PM behaving as he has would get elbowed out quite quickly.

Despite a rumored 20 letters being filed by Conservative MP's with the 1922 Committee (they need 52 to start the pink-slip procedures), the weight of the Tories parliamentary majority is all that's keeping his punctured dinghy afloat.

In the face of the omicron surge and despite the UK having the highest Covid death rate in Europe, he's now going to repeal some of Covid's social strictures like Covid passports and 'work from home' rules. He's maybe been made to realise that it was the ELECTORATE that got him high office and he'd better keep them onside in the face of a resurgent Labour. Remember it was only last month that a 200 year grip on a constituency disappeared in a by election to the UK's THIRD STRING party's benefit.

[caducus]

I hope that Boris Johnson will be history by this time next week.
But all of the alternatives will very likely be much worse if we consider their policies. But what most Tories want is power, not policies.

[stattointhailand]

Careful what you wish for .....

[vidmaster]

This sums it up nicely

[pepesgrill]

back when he was prancing about parliment or
wherever, giving his shakespearean-like performances , an oratory prodigy in his own mind

i knew this wasn't going to end well. and he's far
from the only one. look at me , look at me yeaaa
how do you fix a broken system. welcome to club

[Earnest]

Look at you?

What are you on about, Cali?