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

I think the time for any PM being able to make unpopular decisions, covid wise, is very long past

sadly I think you’re right. Not the best time for large swathes of the population to have zero trust in their politicians.

Its interesting taking in stances now, there’s two distinct sides with a lot of people floating in the middle. Those who think he bodged the entire thing and those who think he went too far. I think he tried to be everything to everyone for popularities sake and ended up pissing off everyone….. because he’s not a leader.

Agree.

And what I'm really trying to get my head around is that this sort of boys behaviour in boys clubs wasn't celebrated in 80/90's but was far more widely accepted as part of that elite man's lifestyle.

It's the 21st century where were meant to have moved on eons with regards understanding and accepting sexual inappropriate behaviour and then this government happens ......

We definitely see more of a split about restrictions now than we did in the first year or so of the pandemic. There's also a distinct third group who think lockdowns etc were justified at the time and would still make that case, but wouldn't support any more restrictions now.

The lack of trust in politicians is an ongoing problem and could well cause longer term damage, but also we're two and a half years into this now, the negative impact of restrictions is much more obvious than it was and I'm just not convinced even a competent and trusted leader would be capable of implementing anything unpopular now. That's been the case generally with significant restrictions in democracies: they've happened and been observed when people were up for it. They don't work otherwise. I think genuinely unpopular decisions would've been possible only in the very early stages, but obviously that's hypothetical as support for lockdowns has been quite high when we've had them.

I think the scope of what’s unpopular has widened though. In general terms, isolations of the infected and very close contacts is eminently sensible with infectious diseases but I think that would be hard to bring back at this point. Especially as the ‘covid is done’ line has been pushed so hard.

Fwiw, I don’t envisage lockdowns even being countered at this point, something catastrophic would have to happen for that to be back on the table. That’s largely due to vaccines so if that prop gets wobbly it’s could get messy.

(Sorry for the covid digression!)

Rumours on Twitter about BJ and his hairdresser. I won't repeat or link, but search and ye shall find it...

Is this current or historical?

He has a hairdresser?!!

I read it early this morning and ome of the comments on it were hilarious. My god, if this is true (and who knows) it'll top the sleaze pile for this day

The rumours seem current. Hairdresser has returned to Canada.

Difficult to take action against inappropriate conduct if you are in a far worse position.

FFS

I'm told at this morning's Downing Street meeting Guto Harri told staff Chris Pincher was vulnerable and had lost his career, so they should all "think about how he feels" today
twitter.com/AlexofBrown/status/1542794063539310595?t=H9wO6diMEp8uBP_HvOGIsA&s=19

#SwallowBackFriday is also trending on Twitter🤣

"Vulnerable" MPs shouldn't be installed in the Whips office.

I'm assuming the vulnerability stems from his misuse of alcohol.

Cold War Steve

This from Russ Jones on Twitter:
'Thatcher's Tories were selfish and cruel. Major's were mired in sleaze and corruption.
Cameron's were too posh to understand real life and too lazy to try, and May's were a flailing, incompetent, squabbling mob.
Somehow, Johnson's have managed to be all of those things at once.'

twitter.com/RussInCheshire/status/1542622494632419328?cxt=HHwWgIC98Yq_v-gqAAAA

I'm assuming the vulnerability stems from his misuse of alcohol.
Pincher's sexuality too, even in this day and age?

No, I think his vulnerability is his inability not to be a sex offender. This isn’t the first time.

Here's Led By Donkeys with a film on the Tories and Russia:
twitter.com/ByDonkeys/status/1542405605784260609/video/1

Mmm it's definitely widened. Some of this is because supposedly 'eminently sensible' measures failed to curb the Omicron wave whilst still causing disruption and inconvenience, but I think there's probably also still a cohort of the population who would still be willing to accept the word of the PM based on trust, like they did previously (trust and approval ratings were really high in spring 2020) if it weren't for Partygate. Hard to untangle the two.

It's bad news for the Tories either way though. Obviously lack of trust in Johnson is disastrous for them, but also the amount of disruption and inconvenience people are willing to take a punt on has been eroded away because of the cost of living crisis. They get the ultimate blame for that and I think it's spiralling costs which will lose them the next GE.

Also yeah no way does Johnson have a hairdresser.

Was he out? I think if it were something he were keeping secret that's completely different to being gay, everyone knowing and it not being news.

Pincher being supported by Bottomley - you couldn't make up that juxtaposition of names

It's a bit Blackadder!

One Tory MP blames.... Keir Starmer

"If there was a strong opposition, Pincher wouldn't have ever been deputy chief whip," he says.

twitter.com/CatNeilan/status/1542805425904652288?t=AovsmDMegDSxt7TFJfedaQ&s=19

I expect they'll all blame Labour for this in due course. Perish the thought that the problem might lie within their own ranks.

I’d love a breakdown of the mentality behind that statement!

If they all turned up in grey shorts and straw hats I wouldn’t bat an eye lid. Their arguments are surpassed in your average junior school playground.

The way the Tories are going, if they did that I'd assume it was some weird sex thing.