The resignations of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid after Johnson was caught out in yet another barefaced lie brings the phrase rats deserting a sinking ship to mind, although in this case twats deserting a sinking shit is probably a more accurate description.
Neither Sunak nor Javid deserve any praise for suddenly having discovered a sense of propriety. Both were more than happy to serve in Johnson’s government for many months even though they knew all about his lies, deceit, and dishonesty. They supported Johnson when he broke the law, they supported him when he told lie after lie. They supported him when he deceived the head of state in order to prorogue Parliament unlawfully. They supported Johnson when he broke international law and trashed the Northern Irish protocol and international obligations on the treatment of asylum seekers. They even supported Johnson when he insisted that his pal with links to the Kremlin should get a peerage, despite the fact that the security services had advised against it. Both of them have been complicit in Johnson’s trashing the standards expected in public office. They are as bad as he is. He is their creature.
They had no problems with Johnson’s damaging and dangerous behaviour and his manifest unsuitability for the office he holds when they thought that he was their ticket to power and influence. They didn’t have a problem when Johnson lied to everyone else but when it’s them that he lied to, all of a sudden they discover how outrageous it is that the Prime Minister lies. The Pincher scandal is merely the latest in a long line of scandals in a government drowning in a sea of sleaze. Even the most obtuse Tory MP realises by now that all that Johnson learned from his previous escapes from scandal is that he will be allowed to get away with it. He is not “chastened”, he is not “repentant” and he is certainly not about to mend his ways.
The Conservative resignations now have nothing to do with what most of us would regard as honesty, integrity, and accountability, and everything to do with their fears that Johnson is now a vote loser. At what point over the next day or two will Johnson and his dwindling band of remaining supporters ask us all to ‘move on’ from the Pincher scandal? It is always the same sorry pattern – first comes the denials, then the story changes slightly, then he gets caught in his lie, then he blames someone else or gives one of his performative apologies and claims that it’s a misunderstanding, then he asks us all to move on.
After the resignations were announced, some Conservative MPs such as Andrew Murrison, Tory MP for South West Wiltshire and a former junior minister, were predicting on Channel Four news that more resignations would follow. We are now in a full scale crisis of government. Johnson will not go quietly, he will have to be dragged out of Downing Street kicking and screaming and will not care what damage he does to the institutions of the British state or the Conservative party in the process. The Tories put him in office in full knowledge of his malignant narcissism, it’s only karma that they are now being destroyed by it. Therese Coffey, Wil Quince and Dominic Raab were deliberately and completely, humiliated by Johnson in yet another desperate attempt to save his own skin, and they deserved it.
The programme hadn’t even finished when uber-Johnson loyalist Jonathan Gullis and Tory party vice-chair Bim Afolami announced their resignations too. You know it’s bad when even Jonathan Gullis can see the writing on the wall, he’s demonstrated time and time again that he’s unable to read the room, which is why he was always trotted out for the cameras to defend Johnson’s egregious wrongdoing.
Other minor government figures submitted their resignations as the evening went on. The number of amoral Tories prepared to defend Johnson is diminishing rapidly. Other more significant resignations are likely to follow tomorrow. Meanwhile Carrie is greeting about her bespoke wallpaper and wondering which Tory donor can be hit up for the refurbishment of the Johnsons’ retirement home, and Theresa May has got the Abba music on and is chilling the champagne. Johnson is rapidly running out of options to fill the posts left vacant by the resignations. But don’t worry, Nadine Dorries, Priti Patel, Jacob Rees Mogg and Dominic Raab are all staying, so Johnson still has plenty of amoral careerists to do his lying bidding.
Allegedly Nadine Dorries tried to submit a letter of resignation, but accidentally sent off for an incontinence aids catalogue instead. Some commentators had predicted that Nadhim Zahawi would also have resigned, but it seems that he was experiencing difficulty locating a spine. Dominic Raab, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Jacob Rees Mogg won’t be resigning because they are political no-hopers who only owe their current prominence to their loyalty to Johnson. Talking of no-hopers, Alister Jack announced that he would not be resigning because he knows that without Boris Johnson he’d be even more of a non-entity than he already is. He’d have as much power and influence as [gasp] Douglas Ross, the man described by Dominic Cummings as the Conservative party’s Mr Nobody, a fate signifying political death.
Although Johnson was once described by David Cameron as a greased piglet for his ability to wriggle free from a tight squeeze, and Cameron certainly knows a lot about pigs, this really does feel like the crisis that will finally bring Johnson down, that’s despite the fact that Jacob Rees-Mogg tried to assure Channel Four news that it was just a little local difficulty and nothing to get excited about. It’s not over yet, but Johnson will not go willingly, no matter how many resignations he’s hit with.
In the meantime keep an eye out for Michael Gove, he’s gone suspiciously quiet and appears to have gone missing. They were going to put his face on a milk carton but it turns the milk instantly sour. Thoughts and prayers to poor Michael and his bizarre range of physical and verbal tics at this very conflicted time for him.
This is the Conservative party which insists that this is not the time for a Scottish independence referendum because governments should be focused on tackling the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine. Yet this Conservative regime is all-consumed by its own internal party politics, all that matters to the Conservatives is ensuring that their party retains its grubby and sleazy grasp on power. They care as much as Johnson does about the damage that they wreak in the process. It’s time for Scotland to escape this shit show.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
Allegedly Nadine Dorries tried to submit a letter of resignation, but accidentally sent off for an incontinence aids catalogue instead.
That´s just soooo funny Paul and actualy highly believable also.
I hope he’ll resign, but he might want to cling to power and call an election.
Plus Nut-nuts won’t let him…
He’s not going. Zahawi is the new Chancellor.
All the talents…
It’s a funny old world. Alister Jack -can’t really think of anything else to say…….
Other than Independence is the only way out 🏴
I’ve looked at the first sentence in the email notification and had a meltdown of mirth myself. Now to read the rest 😂
The very sad truth is that 20 to 25 plus percentage of Scots will still vote Tory.
Sadly they will, cause they’re affluent with their illegal gains fruiting the large estates of Victorian creation, or aged and still warped with ‘that bloody Alex Salmond and his tartan’ attitude of colonial manipulation.
Hypocrisy doesn’t come into it.
That was brilliant Paul!
You don’t win an indyref with just a hard core of even 25-30%, nor become a government afterwards on that level of support. Which is why they’re desperate to hang on to the Union to the last sleazy squeak. Their credibility problem, not ours.
Adam Price has written to all us Plaid Cymru Members to prepare for a snap election.
I have no crystal ball to inform you whether this will happen but am happy to share you these developments from this side of the fence.
The banter outcome would be for Starmer to receive his FPN tonight.
‘Tony’ handcock is a perfect shoo-in as ethics advisor
Nadhim Zahawi appointed chancellor
Like Hanke being appointed head of the SS during the fall of Berlin.
“…rats deserting a sinking ship to mind, although in this case twats deserting a sinking shit is probably a more accurate description.’
Absolutely brilliant Paul
You’re on fire! 😂🏴
He’s going to try and brazen it out. But I don’t think he can last much longer – more resignations tomorrow would probably finish off this clown show.
I heard a Scottish Lib Dem being interviewed on R4 tonight and she opined that an early election would spoil Nicola Sturgeon’s separatist plans. Well, not if there’s a hung parliament, idiot. How myopic these people are. Must be something in the water in Westminster. She’ll be off home to prepare for government.
He’s just thinking a few hours ahead of himself now.
Or maybe accelerate them. I get the feeling this is all a bit contrived, of all the lies Johnson has told, on a scale of 1 to 10, it probably rates a 2, nor do I believe this is the first lie he has told to ministers, I mean he’s supposed to have lied to the Queen, do we really believe a compulsive and inveterate liar is selective in who he lies to.
Is this an opportunity to good to miss.
Not really contrived at all Golfnut, the whole thing came out of the blue.
Lord Simon McDonald, recently ennobled after a near 40 year diplomatic career, had clearly had enough. A permanent secretary (a Sir Humphrey) at the Foreign and Commonwealth office (2015-2020), knew Johnson was feeding the public a pack of lies; he was personally aware that Johnson had been briefed on Pincher, not the ever changing guff coming out Downing it Street on the story.
His letter, exposing Johnson was made public as the cameras were allowed into the cabinet room; which is why they all looked stony faced. That was it, the gemme’s a bogey and BoJo’s tea wiz very much oot. The PR excercise turned sour as the cabinet realised the implications.
McDonald’s move was highly unusual and far from diplomatic, but obviously the guy has more integrity in his pinkie than the entire Tory administration. Going through the usual channels didn’t appeal, so he took the nuclear option.
Parliament rises on the 21st, Johnson will be long gone before then. He won’t resign, but it doesn’t matter, the knives are out; he’ll be lucky if he makes the weekend. The Tories are ruthless, they might try to give hime the shove before PMQ’s.
Thanks Drew, I wasn’t aware of the background to the current stushie.
An early UKGE would help the English FibDems, the way things are. So no wonder they lust for the chance. Which is just one reason why the Tories would be stonkingly daft to oblige. A wanton repeat of Teresa May’s gamble, recklessly throw away a big HOC majority just to put the FibDems in pole position like the DUP?
It’s sad (for everyone) and demeaning (for them) here in their dwindling Scottish outpost to be so mendicant on English subsidy and support, just to enable their empty shell to linger on. No wonder that David Steel’s presumptuous call-to-arms is only repeated these days in mockery.
Many Cons, Labs & Lib Dems & their supporters do not consider the SNP a legitimate party. This allows them to make the most outrageous allegations and statements about them without feeling the need to justify. What they fail to appreciate is how ludicrous these statements appear to those of us who are not as blinkered as they are regardless of whether we are SNP supporters or not.
Solicitor General has just resigned. Oops.
That’ll make it a bit difficult to contest the LA’s UKSC reference.
Why we shall have our say in the end if that’s the settled will of the people.
https://archive.ph/d38ma
‘It felt like history itself’ – 48 protest photographs that changed the world
We do seem to be witnessing a spontaneous combustion of Tories.
We live in conflagrational days.
Pass the marshmallows 🙂
Mmm, if there’s no UK Government worth a mention, does that mean we’re Independent by default? Will the Queen sack BoJo as it’s been rumoured she’d like to? Will she prorogue him and give him the Royal Ass-ending?
For the next thrilling episode …
Karma, after ditching so many woman, a woman ditches him.
I’ve refrained from the obvious ditch reference.
The ship of state is deserting the sinking rats, methinks.
Dross and Jack, and Sarwar and the Tailor’s Dummy, screech in harmony that ‘Nicola Sturgeon’ should be tackling the cost of living/ inflation/energy prices issues, and the crisis in Health…instead of a ‘divisive’ Ref.
Alister Jack’s Chancellor resigns, his Health Secretary resigns, and Johnson in the last mad days as King of the World threatens to take as many of them with him as possible as he plunges over the ledge.
Patel, Dorries, Truss, Rees Mogg, are running England now.
Dorries will be at the helm when WW Twelve breaks out, and Priti Patel will be off on holiday to the West Bank. while Truss heads off for Tierra Del Fuego to sell Marmite and Penguin biscuits to the natives, and Rees Mogg will eff off to Dublin to count his money.
No sign of any Tory, blue, red or white, or Johnson ‘Loyalist’ breaking cover.
Baroness Rape Clause was on her pal Kirsty Wark’s Newsnight, declaring that she always found Boris Johnson ‘good company’.
Laying the groundwork for a job in Stephne Barclay’s Cabinet?
Yes, he’s still my bet to rise without trace, as caretaker ‘leader’ to take the battled and bruised Blue Meanies through to the next election.
If Johnson calls a GE in the autumn, this will be a de facto Referendum on Scottish Independence, surely?
Pass the popcorn.
Coffey and Shapps will go in the morn.
Gove will follow.
I suppose if an early UKGE were called – though I still think it unlikely – the SNP could use it as a plebiscite election for independence, with the promise of a subsequent confirmatory referendum run under the sole aegis of the SG as a proto-sovereign entity. Turn the thing around, so to speak, if circumstances warrant.
(But I don’t believe the circumstances will warrant. The Tories are now entirely focussed on their own maintenance of power in England. They are only passingly interested in us when not distracted by their own instinct for survival.)
Barclay has been moved to Health….Only 40 hospitals to be built, 105,000 health vacancies to fill, and a 13 mioon patient waiting list by 2023 with which to get to grips.
Is he still the Bouncer at No. 10Party-A-Go-Go?
Come on, Union Jack, gentleman Farmer; are you still Governor General of the Northern Colony?
‘mioon’?
Jeez..’million’. I must stop eating bacon butties over this sticky key board.
Johnson won’t be around to call an election in the autumn; he’ll be history by recess on the 21st.
He’s not wriggling out of this one and the Tories will need an interim/caretaker PM, while they sort out their leadership contest over the recess, which ends on the 5th of September.
Now that his support has collapsed, they won’t allow this to rumble on all summer. You saw Newsnight, they even trundled out Heseltine and Rifkind to put the boot in; which they duly did. When you’ve got a relatively inoffensive individual like Danny Finkelstein pointing out that Johnson’s lie, if it were true (he “forgot” he’d been briefed about a serial sex pest), was reason enough to take a hike, then it really is time to hit the road. He’s done.
Oh and a third world ambulance service to fix …good luck Mr. Barclay ….it’s a horrible experience sometimes deadly, waiting for an ambulance Mr. Barclay.
But, but, but… there’s Boris Brexit’s £350M a week coming to the rescue of (Barclay and) the NHS, isn’t there…?
…isn’t there…?
Scottish Government sees off another Tory Prime Minister…that’s three in six years!
Hmm. I don’t trust the Tory cabal one bit. The resigners are up to something. If they manage to bring Johnson down, one of them will step in, and they are very far right wing, more cunning than Johnson. They resigned to save their own reputations, nothing to do with morals or ethics, whatsoever. Scotland is at the mercy of the English government cabal, and at the moment that’s really not good.
Might the resigners set up a new party, the New Conservatives, like New Labour.
Still, it keeps the attention away from the utter shambles of their Brexit. Shame Scotland is still shackled to the incredibly dysfunctional so called UK, who knows what might happen between now and October next year, in the insanity of the BritNat political arena.
ArtyHetty, my thoughts are along similar lines. It’s some sort of covert plot they’re enacting, most likely in response to the FM’s announcement of last week, deflecting the eyes of the world/press/etc. away from Scotland and democracy, and back to their stinking cohort of putrid decay. They’re such narcissists, this is feeding their sneaky greed. They were caught on the hop and the only way they know how to respond is by even more underhand behaviour.
Drew Anderson kindly filled in the blanks on the background to all of this but I’m like you suspicious ‘re the motivation regarding Johnson’s exposure.
Creating a scenario where an early General election predates the verdict of the Supreme Court, which may or may not allow a referendum to be held October 2023, could put the following GE, a ‘ de facto ‘ referendum back another 3/4 years, effectively denying Scotland a vote on Independence for another 5 yrs.
The SNP Conference starts on the 29th July, I think they need to at least articulate this scenario during the conference, if not before, at least demonstrating awareness if not actually outlining a plan for dealing with it.
Agreed Golfnut. Hopefully Scot Gov and the SNP are keeping an eye on the comments here…it’s all a bit too convenient after the FM’s announcement. We know how sneaky they are and how dirty they will play to keep Scotland and all its resources shackled, and to hell with all the people.
Well we’re not alone in our suspicions regards this exposer, having just visited FB and read a story in the National which tells us nothing other than Ian Blackford and Alyn Smyth haven’t spoken to each other. Comments so far would appear to favour using a snap GE as a de facto referendum.
It pains me that we have to wait until next year to leave this shit show. If the referendum was this Autumn, we would win. Oh well, at least we have time to make it a bigger majority.
[…] Source […]
Many of us were required to learn and recite great swathes of poetry and Shakespeare but not oddly, Burns, in our school days back in the ‘sixties.
I recalled Brutus’ soliloquy, Julius Caesar, Act II Scene I (ok I googled that bit) when i watched the destruction of the Blue Tories unfold last night.
Johnson is a Classics man, so must surely know this wee speech to himself by Brutus, shortly before they entered the senate and chibbed Caesar.
“It must be by his death. And for my part
I know no personal cause to spurn at him,
But for the general. He would be crowned:
How that might change his nature, there’s the question.
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder,
And that craves wary walking. Crown him that,
And then I grant we put a sting in him
That at his will he may do danger with.
Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse from power. And, to speak truth of Caesar,
I have not known when his affections swayed
More than his reason. But ’tis a common proof
That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;
But, when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend. So Caesar may.”
This morning, Johnson is in No 10, apparently ‘scorning the base degrees by which he did descend’.
They knew what they were doing. They put him there; the clown on a zip wire who couldn’t keep his zip fly up.
Alister Jack is backing him. So Alister Jack is OK with serial sex pests looking after his MPs welfare/ He’s ok with Mps engaging in fellatio in their offices? He’s ok with them sexually assaulting young men or sitting behind him in parliament watching porn, or bringing in booze during lockdown when His Royal Maj sat alone in church grieving the death of her huisband, or Johnson approving a flight from Kabul to rescue stray dogs, while Afghans and their families were left behind at the mercy of the Taliban. He’s Ok with MP’s gettin half million pound yearkly retainers from firms to lobby secretly on their behalf?
Ah, the gentleman farmer, still a member of the most corrupt and degenerate regime since Nero.
Has he employed G4S to guard his tatty fields yet?
BBCX Brexit is on Morcambe beach this morning..’Boris’, is doing a good job…and so it trundles on..the Fat Owl of the Remove clings on like grim death.
Nearer home, this from Scotland National Bard.
“Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that,
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that,
The man o’ independent mind,
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A Prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that!
But an honest man’s aboon his might –
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities, an’ a’ that,
The pith o’ Sense an’ pride o’ Worth
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a’ that,
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth
Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s comin yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man the warld o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that.”
WE honest men are looking, but no longer laughing at ‘yon birkie’ Down There.
I find it strange that you did not learn Burns at school. In the 1950s we all learned a Burns poem so we could take part in a national Burns competition. We got a certificate if we recited it correctly. Also remember doing in class Tam o’ Shanter and The Cotter’s Saturday night among others. Palfreys Golden Treasury was the poetry text book we had at secondary school in the 1960s and it contained Burns poems that I remember reading Fast forward to the Noughties and the competition was still going. A friend’s son took part in it when he was in primary school. I remember the certificate being proudly displayed on the fridge. It is probably up to the school whether they take part or not
We had Palgrave’s Golden Treasury, too, L.
But, and this is conjecture, Burns was ‘frowned upon’ as suitable material because of his bawdy verses?
Our Shakespeare was also suitably ‘abridged’.
I recall fondly now, my elderly English master explaining that when Hamlet barks at Ophelia ‘Get thee to a nunnery.’, there was no mention of the double meaning of ‘nunnery’, as convent or brothel, nor the misogyny implied in Hamlet’s wishing a single childless on the poor lass.
Quite the contrary.. entering a convent was portrayed as a good alternatve to her unrequited love of the tormented Prince.
We were probably 14 at the time…
It was not until we ferreted about in our mid teens did we uncover Burns’ booze and hochmagandie…
Neverthe less our School was extremely Anglo centric…Shakespeare, Dickens, and the like/we were educated to serve the Empire..
Ogden Nash’s collection, ‘The Golden Trashery of Ogden Nashery’, obviously pays homage to Pagrave’s collection.
The censor’s damn burst when a new young English teacher brought in copies of ‘Catcher in the Rye’, subversively…
Happy days.
I am hoping for a ‘I’m Spartacus ‘ Moment today at PMQ, with MP after MP getting to their feet and resigning live on air.
I conclude with another piece we learned by heart under the threat of a Lochgelly tawse.
“The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but he had fled;
The flame that lit the battle’s wreck,
Shone round him o’er the dead.”
Johnson at 12.00 today?
Our boyhood reaction to the opening two lines of the stanza?
The boy stood on the burning deck, whence all but he had fled?
Idiot.
I see Keir Stammer has decreed no matter how many Scots vote for independence we will just ignore it as presumably the people of England have not approved it. At least we now know all three London parties see Scotland as a possession, to be held captive and its resources exploited for the benefit of another country no matter what the Scots choose.
From what is coming out about Zahawi on Twitter and in the papers this morning I don’t think he will last long and, as Johnson’s chosen one, just may be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Johnson’s choice for Education Secretary is not faring much better.
Anyone have any popcorn to spare?
Help yourself, Legerwood:
https://media2.giphy.com/media/d3YQCPcckxQiYibe/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e477oidu5bqd8a5ooye4ufmhc6pq6ad8fpsz7cxt3op&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
Ah, the non-fattening kind. Much appreciated
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
Nicola Sturgeon speaks for Scotland – again. Will he survive PMQs?
Nicola Sturgeon calls for ‘rotten lot to go’ after Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resign
https://archive.ph/MoeWi
And if there is an early election, the SNP welcomes it and will fight it on Independence,.
SNP back General Election call as Boris Johnson engulfed by chaos
https://archive.ph/ftHnk
A little creative ambiguity there.
So what do folk think the SNP should do if the GE does come before the UKSC ruling?
My view after thinking about it for about thirty seconds is that they should just go ahead and make it a plebiscite. It’s not totally ideal, but the alternative is we’re stuck for another five years. Plus an early GE is only likely to occur if the Tories are confident of winning it, which would be further grist to the Yes mill.
Let’s assume for one second that Johnson doesn’t resign,
is Starmer going to be brave enough to call a Vote of Confidence?
With the growing number of “rebels” on the Tory benches you have to consider the possibility of it succeeding?
Even if he does finally resign, unlikely as that would appear,
his replacement may want to go to the country on the “I’m not Johnson” basis,
looking to secure a mandate for “look at us we’ve changed but our policies haven’t” with what they will feel is the inevitable bounce?
If so, then whilst that would not be within the timeframe as laid out by the FM,
I would suggest that the SNP fighting the resulting GE on the De Facto referendum footing would still be valid,
whether or not (unlikely?) we have the SC ruling by then.
Assuming the likely landslide result for the SNP with I suspect 50+% of the vote,
I would suggest that would be a pretty strong opening gambit for the FM to put to whoever is now in No10?
“Scotland’s had enough of Westminster sleaze, now let’s talk about the divorce settlement!?”
The whole thing is going to get messy whenever we get to that stage,
I think we’d all like it to be done via a no dubiety “legal” referendum?
However, why not now in the event of a GE result?
Johnson will be gone by teatime.
By threatening to call a UK GE now, he signed his own death warrant.
There is no way the 77 majority will gamble on the xenophobe English Red Wall making this another Get Brexit Done single issue election.
He’ll be ordered to ‘jump’ by the grey suits this afternoon.
The conversation later today will be along the lines of:- ‘Oh, look. Prime minister, what’s that mark splattered on your £300 a roll wallpaper behind you? Oh. I see now, it’s your political career.’
They won’t allow him to cause any more embarrassment by forcing the 1922 panel to ‘change the rules’ and drag out the inevitable, culminating losing a vote of confidence and being dragged kicking and screaming out of No 10 in handcuffs and leg irons.
The man is a psychopath, a man child, who would love to kick them in the goolies as he is forced out of office…Johnson the celebrity, the lovable rogue, the Lads’ man, is now a tired sick joke.
If he wants to segue straight back in to
… if he wants to segue back in to quarter a mill year job in the London Dead Tree Scrolls, he will bow to the Iron Heel Oligarchy, and quit…citing wanting to spend more time with his families?
Have to agree.
Livestream of PMQs here:
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/dba0b829-7485-4ed7-bc7f-ec7184e41cd7
Well I think Sajid Javid’s “Personal Statement” has dealt the coup de grace on Boris Johnston’s premiership. I noted the HoC sound was quickly cut off at the end of it.
RE a snap election. I think that depends on whether there is a decision from the SC before that election. If the SC rules NO to a referendum than make it a plebiscite. It’s hard to imagine a more catastrophic scenario for the Tories to hold an election. Labour isn’t any better either after Keir Starmer’s latest pronouncements on independene (for Scotland only, of course).
Seems they were singing in the chamber,
Bye Bye boris, boris goodbye
The speaker reminded them that there was to be no clapping or now no singing.
Strange that 150,000 people died from covid and they don’t resign.
A wee incident in a gentleman’s club causing them to resign.
The ross thomson incident was also fpund to be non resigning.
Seems another 5 junior government jobs have resigned on Wednesday afternoon at the same time.
Pity we are loking like losing our recruitment expert but didn’t he do well at PMQT, he didn’t answer one question but managed to recite the sound bites.
Bye, bye, Hartless, bye, bye at least:
Watch: Plaid Cymru MPs wave goodbye to Simon Hart as more resignations hit UK Government
06 Jul 2022 3 minute Read
https://nation.cymru/news/watch-plaid-cymru-mps-wave-goodbye-to-simon-hart-as-more-resignations-hit-uk-government/
And he’s resigned, as of 10 minutes ago:
Is it possible to die of popcorn overdose?
It’s all going rather well and Boris Johnson is playing his predictable part in the fall of the English empire
It’s not all about Johnson, the problem is and always has been England the great, England the superior, England the UK, because no matter who the figurehead is the position remains the same, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland are colonies of the great England empire, and it’s that that needs bringing down, and Johnson so far is doing a wonderful job of displaying the arrogance of that country that cares not a jot about the other three countries of the UK because the people of England basically don’t believe that we are countries in the same way they believe they own the countries of the Commonwealth by some glorious God given birthright
You can’t be a friend to someone who believes you are less than they are
Whitehall correspondent for the Mirror.
Well in that case they really do have to “take back control” and get rid of him.
This is just getting silly. If he is no longer leader of the Tory party, and thus no longer PM, he can’t call anything. He’s trying to bluff his way through to the summer recess, but it seems too many low-level Tory worms have turned.
Time to cue the “Downfall” references?
Some think he can only be removed as PM either by the Queen or by losing a General Election..
Hmmm, a coup of one? Doesn’t seem very likely.
And Her Maj was also lied to. She is likewise unamused, I suspect…
If she does get rid of Johnson, do you think she’ll be purring?
A PM doesn’t lose a GE, his/her party does. There is no direct PM vote. So that’s not right. It’s the HOC that decides who is PM, largely by that person commanding the confidence of the House. A PM can thus be ousted by a VONC there – as was Chamberlain in 1940 in favour of Churchill (same party). No election needed to follow, and didn’t. That vote though is a matter of public record, unlike the 1922 Committee ones.
It’s not that simple apparently, the HoC choose who they want but it is the monarch that appoints him and in this UK with no written constitution it appears those that know about such things believe ultimately if he refused to go after losing support of the HoC then the monarch would have to remove him.
https://consoc.org.uk/removing-a-prime-minister/
This all sounds a bit ridiculous of course, because it is, and even Johnson wouldn’t wait on the Queen sacking him if the HoC said he had to go.
I think you’re right on that last statement. In those rarified circumstances the monarch would be well within his/her constitutional rights to dismiss the loser. As per Blick, the only controversy – if you could call it that – would be the utter shame and humiliation of being ousted so unwillingly yet so publicly.
Thread on here about the constitutional ins and out on this :
https://mobile.twitter.com/cath_haddon
Trump?
AT PMQ’s Ian Blackford calls for a General Election at the end of his question, Starmer didn’t.
Then thick as mince Sarwar 10 minutes after Blackford has sat down tweets this.
Ultimately there is only one person who can remove Johnson as PM if he does not resign as PM that’s The Queen (Conservatives can only remove him as leader of the Party).
It does seem that he is trying to say you want me out of Downing Street then either get The Queen to do it (which would cause a constitutional crisis) or hold and loose a General Election.
This sums up the above
You can only be a PM if you can lead a Government. Getting close to the state where that would not be the case. Does Johnson really what that to be his legacy? Being the (I believe) the first Prime Minster forcibly removed as Prime Minister by the head of state?
the first Prime Minster forcibly removed as Prime Minister by the head of state?
_______
Correction: he first *UK* Prime Minster forcibly removed as Prime Minister by the head of state.
In Australia …
See: https://theconversation.com/australian-politics-explainer-gough-whitlams-dismissal-as-prime-minister-74148
He fetishes and feasts on drama…
It’s ironic really.
BoJo will probably go because of this Pincher thing, but he probably did actually forget it. His defence would be:
“There’s been so many Tory sex pests, I can’t keep track.”
Nicola Sturgeon has just tweeted her call for a general election.
And she’s surely not saying that purely as a political reflex, without factoring it in to an indy plan.
Hmmm, is this why Starmer (and tame muppet Sarwar) are getting so antsy of late about indy – nobody wants to be PM of England when they are passed the indy parcel and the music stops…?
We hear “nobody wants to be the PM that is office for the break up of the OK” quite often. I think that’s certainly true of Johnson and Starmer – but I could imagine a PM who took the approach of letting Scotland have an indyRef any go its own way if it chooses to – could have a pretty positive legacy: certainly amongst Scots – but for acting as a much needed catalyst for political change in England.
Indeed. Agree 100%. John Major as PM took that view very publicly over Northern Ireland, which arguably paved the way for the GFA with his successor.
It has been very different though since the ascendancy of English Nationalists within the Tory Party, with enabler Kier “Two Union Rags” Starmer feeling obliged to follow suit. Ironically however it could be easier for Brexiteer Tory types, who are half-way to “shove off, subsidy junkies!” already. I can’t see any Labour PM being in any way so inclined (even supposing there is another within the relevant timeframe), for all their exceptionalist fine principles. Just like virtually all the rest of the English Establishment. Too much fragile ego and self pride.
I still think a Czechoslovak-style “velvet divorce” would be the fastest and cleanest solution, but that would require an extremely brave and principled English opposite number to Nicola Sturgeon. By being proactive and ahead of the curve instead of perennnially lagging it, by being instrumental to an efficient aggro-free break, would gain maximum credit just as you suggest. But I fear there isn’t anyone around or in prospect who has that degree of states(wo)manship and foresight. But on that I would just love to be proved wrong!
Just heard an mp call the buffoon to have a Genitle election..
Currently singing ‘I will Survive’
And I read that as ‘Genital Erection’
firgive my spelling, i only get a single line box
See the bit at the right of that single line like a triangle – hover mouse over it, click and hold left button, and drag it down. I get the same, stupid wordpress.
Thanks That’s the solution.
Here’s one for YIR2 (Defence Geek).
Westminster:LIAISONS COMMITTEE:
Johnson in an answer to Tobias Ellwood (tory mp) stated that pre-Iraq there were 36 RAF squadrons and that currently there are only 6.
Is this correct?
Running-total of UK Government resignations since 6-00pm last night: 31
Michael “Brutus” Gove has now told Johnston to resign. Well that’s it isn’t it. Sniff.
Off to Columbia he shall be marched….
Heck, he needs to resign too
Five hours later – Gove is sacked for ‘disloyalty’
Resignations : 35
Will Boris Johnson ask the Queen to dissolve parliament and force a general election?
He can barely string a sentence together. Mandate? What a big fat blubbering hypocrite…
….. and yet in another place a worthy states if there is a U.K. GE “.. For the first time since being eligible to vote, if there is not another pro-Independence candidate standing, I will abstain.”
Yip that will assist independence!🏴
Do you think the writer is Cole Hamilton/ Sarwar/ Ross?
The buffoon says there will be a lot of fiscal pain on living standards in the uk.
Banks failure, no problem with the majic money tree.
Economy tanking, no problem with the majic money tree.
Falling living standards…… Money tree will not be used
When Boris Johnson says “the last thing the country needs is a general election” what he’s actually saying is *if you lot try to shove me out that’s the first thing I’ll do*
The threat of losing a general election at this point is of far more concern to the Tory party than it is to Boris Johnson, this is a man who doesn’t care about what happens to anyone else, he only cares about what he wants
The Conservative party would likely still win a general election because Kier Starmer is so ineffective as an opposition and so untrusted by the now right wing country of England because of the Corbyn effect which the Tories did such a good job of scaring the English with and the abject fear of rejoining the EU which they don’t want, it’s too embarrassing for them so they will stick with it come hell or high water
Then there of course is the other campaigning tool the Tories would use, the Scottish Sturgeon problem, because if she wins anything God help the poor souls of the children of England there’ll be gnashing of teeth and wailing and moaning and every single newspaper will make sure they come up with a gazillion reasons to vote Johnson right back in again to stop the horrors of Labour socialism and Scottish separation, or worse a Labour government propped up by thieving hands of the Scots
What excitement, what drama, who will be the fastest gun, who will blink first, the Queen has cut her holiday short in Scotland, will Johnson be nipping round with his dissolution letter or resignation letter? tune in minute by minute for every episode of this unfolding soap
Which ministers from scotchland Lords or Commoners have stood down?
Dame Annabelle Goldie? Alister Jack? Lord offord of gravel?// no I have no idea who he is either
From the Twitterverse (or whatever it’s called):
Well , frankly with Bojo’s record of verisimilitude I would say that he will soon ”apologise” for having taken this stance when he actually meant the opposite .
However Boris did get time today to write to Nicola saying No to an S30 order!!
“Now is not the time”
Well, well!!
Beat me to it, WS – damn!!
Next time, my dear barpe, next time!
I wouldn’t put it past you getting BJ’s resignation before me!
You know when it’s time to go when even Priti Patel tells you to resign.
Priti Patel will bully him into resigning – how ironic !
19.25
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is backing those cabinet ministers saying Boris Johnson should go, the Times’ Matt Dathan reports.
________________
Memo to the Times: Alex Clark got there almost an hour befiore you did!
I’m surprised she’s not deporting him to Rwanda
Your very own DD has resigned:
David Duguid has resigned as a trade envoy for Angola and Zambia. In a statement, he said: “In light of recent events, I believe the Prime Minister’s position is now untenable.”
In raise you the possibility of:
Last woman standing: Dorries
Last man standing: Really-Smugg
BBC political correspondent tweet.
Gove has been sacked.
The dad dancing must have worked for him.