Boris Johnson, parties and the loss of the Ethics Adviser, part 7

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4560961-boris-johnson-parties-and-the-sue-gray-report-fall-out-thread-6?page=40&reply=117920731

This thread comes with a trigger warning

"Some donors expressed concern after Johnson used his speech at the V&A fundraising dinner to perform a sexually suggestive call-and-response routine with Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary."

twitter.com/edwinhayward/status/1540955351926931456?t=omufLeqRXPn7jKIky6zHMw&s=19

Yeah, that needs to stop if they've been caught taking the fucking piss at senior level.

They should be restricted to accepting appropriate food, drink and accommodation, like the rest of us on work-related trips. Maybe a symbolic artefact from the city or place of very limited value, to be donated to charity.

Nadine Dorries is 65 years old. Boris Johnson has never shown interest sexually in any woman over 40. So the 'joke' may be in bad taste, but it would only ever be taken as such.

I believe that this happened on the sheikhs visit to the UK - could be wrong though. But that’s where the diplomacy comes in, it’s easy to say ‘that’s a country where terrible human abuses take place. Have nothing to do with them’ but in practice relations are a lot more complicated than that and offence can lead to some tricky international politics with massive consequences. A gift going to charity is probably the lesser of numerous evils if a relationship requires an ongoing dialogue.

Re: the gift giving, happens a lot and fairly standard protocol in international relations as far as I’m aware. It might be antiquated but it’s normal. The queen got a thoroughbred horse from France for her jubilee and I think they’ve given the Chinese similar.

which leads, imho, to one of the issues of an elected figurehead. The RF are conditioned to have diplomacy in mind when it comes to personal gain. It’s obviously not foolproof but they’re a lot less susceptible than people from other walks of life.

They should be restricted to accepting appropriate food, drink and accommodation, like the rest of us on work-related trips. Maybe a symbolic artefact from the city or place of very limited value, to be donated to charity

ok, but you can’t manage what other countries do. If you’re dealing with a culture that takes these things very seriously then you can’t just refuse a gift without repercussions either.

And these gifts are different to wanting a donor to pay for your child's £150,000 tree house.

Yes if it in the accounts for the charity I can't see the big deal. Particularly when they were discussing it on TV this morning and one of them (can't remember who) said, "His aides were actually counting the money" as if that was somehow dodgy, I mean how could they put it in the accounts if they didn't count it? I've never seen an accounts spread sheet with a column for "bundle of money" it is surely accepted that you count it first? So yes someone is making a big deal of nothing and I rather hope he will take a page out of his sister's phrase book and tell them to "naff off."

It’s already sunk pretty far down the page on the DM which is usually indicative that they don’t want to draw too much attention to something for various reasons.

I think it's just not getting the reaction that was wanted.
They need something huge to keep Johnson out if bad press, they've tried royal family scandal a number of times, war, more royal family woes etc. I hope someone is keeping a very close eye on the Queen to ensure her good health.

I suppose they’re discovering the pitfalls of lowering standards, they can’t control who it applies to 🤷‍♀️

I agree, and I'm no fan at all of Charles generally. What this actually means is him being told shut up bitch.

But...what is the incentive for the sheikh to donate bags of cash? Why would he, except for favours.
Even if innocent, its the optics which aren't good

@Roussette quite honestly it’s often just a display of testicles. ‘I have so much money this is not an extraordinary amount for me to donate to your charity’. It’s the mega-rich version of fishing around for a couple of quid to give your neighbours kids sponsored swim.

Its meant to be nonchalant I think which probably feeds into why it was given in cash.

It looks like regally-sanctioned money laundering. But good old Coutts, eh? I bet Andrew York wishes he could get a bit of that action.

But yes Johnson is the real crook and I admire Mick Lynch for holding him and Grant Shapps to account pretty effectively this past week.

Boris Johnson tries to calm Tory anger over his ‘third term’ remarks.
Prime minister says he meant he was focused on ‘massive agenda’ after No 10 initially suggested he was joking:
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/26/boris-johnson-tries-to-calm-tory-anger-over-his-third-term-remarks

Andrew Rawnsley is Chief Political Commentator of the Observer:
Boris Johnson is a sorcerer who has run out of spells, a wizard with a broken wand. The Tory leader tried every trick he knew and his party still suffered a double-whammy of byelection defeats:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/26/boris-johnson-is-a-sorcerer-who-has-run-out-of-spells-a-wizard-with-a-broken-wand

The Tories are teetering, but only a progressive alliance can deal the final blow:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/26/boris-johnson-tories-progressive-alliance-byelections-uk-government

I'm not so sure.

This is interesting...

Forthcoming issues and possible Tory byelections

• Jamie Wallis - 4 driving charges Court July 11th
• Adam Afriyie - bankruptcy hearing Court Sept
• David Warburton - Cocaine / sex harrassment currently sitting as Independent
• the Tory Rapist

And I've read (not substantiated I hasten to add) there's the possibility of 6 defections from Tory to Labour.

Some details: David Warburton, the MP for Somerton and Frome, is facing an inquiry by the parliamentary standards commissioner.
The Conservatives suspended the whip from Warburton in April after a series of allegations emerged concerning sexual harassment and cocaine use.
If this goes to a by-election, it's close geographically to Hon/Tiverton

HMRC submitted a petition to the high court to have Afriyie declared bankrupt over an unpaid bill for at least £1.7m in taxes from his crumbling business empire. Companies House filings suggest that Afriyie’s businesses collapsed owing a total of £2.3m.

On 10 May 2022, Wallis pleaded not guilty to four traffic offences in a hearing at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. These include "failing to stop, failing to report a road traffic collision, careless driving and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position".

The Tory rapist still has the Whip and was able to vote in the VONC. He's been arrested, charged and bailed. Name not common knowledge.

Conservatives’ alarm grows over threat of tactical voting in safe seats.
Last week’s byelection losses saw huge swings to the best-placed Tory opponent – without any formal electoral pact:
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/26/conservatives-alarm-grows-over-threat-of-tactical-voting-in-safe-seats

If the rebel backbenchers can't get the cabinet to resign as they say they should, they should consider all leaving the current Tory party. Maybe setting up their own party.

I wonder why they won't though? 🤔

Right now most of the country is so fucked off with the leadership that we are into anyone but tory territory.

It might change if they remove Johnson and the useless sycophants that surround him but the longer they leave it the more unlikely it is to happen.

That's the only silver lining to the current clusterfuck