Thread 21. Sunak. How many more will be deserting the sinking ship?

[Roussette]

Here we go. Previous thread.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4735780-thread-21-sunak-return-of-the-numpties?page=20&reply=124466839

Are we actually deporting someone to the the European that is Rwanda?
Yay.

@jgw1 Suella is a very positive person. Recently she told Nick Robinson of Radio 4 fame that her parents had nothing but a positive experience of being immigrants in Britain and that she herself has never experienced racism in Britain. My heart leapt to hear that Britain is so welcoming.

Nick Robinson however was surprised to hear she has never experienced racism and questioned her further - she revealed that she has sadly experienced some unpleasant incidents but she just shrugs them off. Nick Robinson felt that the incidents she described were instances of racism but she's such a positive person she bravely shrugged it off.

So, I think she'll have a lovely time in Rwanda and will hopefully boost the Rwandan tourism sector too. Which is just lovely.

Does anyone know why Andrew Bowie bailed as the Tory MP on QT last night?

@Roussette That's a shame for Mr Brine - the anaesthetists just wanted to help.

Would she boost the Rwandan tourist sector because so many people would like to come and visit to see how much she was enjoying her new life?

Yes I think so. Hard working British people like to see people enjoying the just desserts of their labour.

Do hard working people of other nationalities not like to see people enjoying the desserts of their labour @mibbelucieachwell ?

Well yes indeed @jgw. Many people claim we have quite a bit in common with mainland Europeans for example and Suella herself is a self-proclaimed Francophile, so I'd think Rwanda might enjoy an influx of French visitors keen to bask in Suella's happy glow.

mibbelucieachwell I thought you were being serious for a moment!

I should add, just in case anyone is surprised at the extent of patriotic Suella's internationalism- she told Nick Robinson that she's a Francophile.
Maybe a maritime organisation would sponsor her to travel by sea and land to Rwanda? Although as you say it's great to see her exercising good leadership by setting a good example, she must have racked up quite a few air miles by now so she might like to consider going by boat and overland. I think she'll probably feel she's too busy making Britain great again, but you never know.

I’m delighted to confirm that the NHS pay rise will be paid for out of existing budgets and therefore be a £4bn funding cut to the NHS.

twitter.com/parody_pm/status/1636739457905721344?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

I'd love to know where the underspend has occurred elsewhere to free up the cash.

The Conservative party put pressure on the BBC not to describe a claim by Boris Johnson that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile as “false”, the Guardian has been told.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/17/tories-pressured-bbc-over-johnsons-claim-starmer-failed-to-prosecute-jimmy-savile?

There can’t be an underspend elsewhere; over 70% of NHS expenditure is pay. I suppose some of the tens of thousands of unfilled vacancies might cover some of it.

The hints on Twitter is that it's coming from savings in administration which would be a false economy and - despite them saying the savings aren't coming from patient facing areas - it will have a knock on impact on patients even if they can't see it.

I don't think the unions are happy with this deal.

Dsibling has had their appointment today cancelled and rescheduled for a month. For an urgently needed operation, this is dragging on. Is that where this money is coming from? If enough urgent cases die then that frees up the budget.

Notonthestairs · Yesterday 18:47
Downing Street has confirmed next Wednesday's vote on Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal will be treated as THE vote on the deal.

Same time & date as Johnson's meeting with Privileges Committee. Attempt to get Johnson off the front pages or just coincidence?

So not only is this a distraction technique but doesn't it also mean that Boris will have an excuse for not casting his vote? How convenient 🙄

Apologies, I haven't worked out how to do quotes properly.

twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1637005948785942529?t=EJK5lAgn5xQI_FUOdrmg9w&s=19

Rishi Sunak will give Tory MPs a free vote on Boris Johnson’s future if he’s sanctioned over partygate

Johnson allies and critics think free vote would bring a close to his time as Tory MP for Uxbridge

Whatever happens it will reignite Tory civil war

Boris Johnson allies think the privileges committee is a ‘stitch up’ and a ‘lynch mob’

But he’s taking it seriously knowing how high stakes are

He’s been prepping extensively with Lord Pannick KC

Johnson’s defence - a legal submission - will be published early next week

Boris Johnson will argue he was not informed of Downing Street parties

He will lean heavily on as yet unpublished WhatsApp messages & other evidence which he believes vindicates position

The committee will focus on photographs showing Johnson at events with no social distancing

Some think it will be a ‘no win’ situation for Rishi Sunak if Johnson is sanctioned

If he offers a free vote they say it will feed ‘betrayal narrative’. But if he tries to intervene it would alienate ‘blue wall’ Tory MPs

Others say it’s nonsense - that the ‘circus has moved on’

A Lynch mob made up of 4 out of 7 Tory MPs?

There will be a week of this nonsense. Dacre needs to earn his knighthood and those Tory donors and media owners have a lot invested in Boris.

Besides which it will be a free vote because it's house business. (Unless Sunak wanted to follow Johnson's example and whip it.)

I think I linked this yesterday but I'm so annoyed I'm linking it again!

Ministers are poised to cut £250m from investment in the social care workforce in England, it has been reported, in a move that providers say could set back care “for years to come”.
With more than 165,000 care worker jobs vacant, and low pay driving staff to quit for better wages in retail and hospitality, care providers and councils have been clamouring for investment in recruitment and retention. Inadequate staffing levels are frequently noted as a cause of neglect and poor care by the Care Quality Commission.

A further £300m plan “to integrate housing into local health and care strategies with a focus on increasing the range of new supported housing options available” could also be axed, it was reported.
The Department of Health and Social Care did not deny the report.

www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/17/government-to-cut-250m-from-social-care-workforce-funding-in-england-report-says

More vacancies than in the NHS. Hospital backlogs continuing. We know what part of the problem is - lack of social care.

A Lynch mob made up of 4 out of 7 Tory MPs? details, they don't do details.

Which is why Johnson apparently prepping extensively made me If only he had done that with his oven ready brexit deal

It's horrifiying

I was going to say Just when you think they can't sink any lower. Except we know now they will go to any depths.

Prepping extensively for the taxpayer funded legal advice. Heaven forbid he open his own or Bamford's wallet for this.

Boris Johnson’s supporters plotting ‘Spartacus-style’ show of solidarity by voting against any privileges committee sanctions in the Commons

Vote will also act as a ‘show of force’ to Rishi Sunak of support for Johnson

Me with @HugoGye

twitter.com/richardvaughan1/status/1637003761913659392?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

They are going to vote against ANY sanction no matter what information is put before them.
Remind me again why Pannick should argue that the Committee isn't following legal procedures - oh yeah because judges and juries base their judgements on evidence not on political manoeuvring and desperation to keep their jobs. Maybe we just need to stick him in front of a jury and let them decide.