Boris stands down as MP with immediate effect

[sunnydaytoday0]

Just breaking now on BBC.

Same day as Nadine.

I think Nadine might, but Johnson is too much of a snob to spend time with the people Cameron referred to as ‘swivel eyed loons’.

I don’t think he attended either of the two recent right wing Conservative conferences?

I can't see him bothering, to be honest. It couldn't lead to any further political power or achievement, and wouldn't on give him any more platform than he already has to stand outside the tent pissing in.

Yes storm I agree, my first thoughts were he'd be off chasing the money and Nadine would focus on her media career (Talktv often has Reform guests) but BJ did intimate that his decision was "for now".

Yep and I could see him trying to get one of the safer Tory seats maybe, depending on exactly how bad the report is and the response to it. But joining Reform doesn't give him even a theoretical path to power. They might get a few MPs tops, and that's their best case scenario. Could be zero. It just wouldn't do anything for him.

That too storm, I'd even suggest LDs but they're unlikely to want him. It's just a sit back and see, bring the popcorn, situation.

The Lib Dems taking him on would require a level of self sabotage to make the top up fees climbdown look like nothing.

Boris does want to come back, he is saying that in his resignation letter with the ‘for now’ and his outrage about being ‘forced out’. [by the inevitable exposure of his disgusting behaviour which he thinks he should’ve been able to just get away with, he is utterly amoral and entitled]

He will find a way to come back. If he waits long enough the Tories will be so electorally weakened by all of this that I worry that they could welcome him back as some kind of populist saviour after the next GE.
His only claim to fame is that he thinks he has popular support (even when he doesn’t) and that he got Brexit done. (Except Brexit is a complete economic and social failure and it will never done with unfortunately, until we rejoin the EU). And Boris doesn’t believe in Brexit anyway- he just saw a chance to attack Cameron and make a bid for being PM himself.

I’m not a Tory voter but I really hope Sunak pursues centrist conservatism and rejects popularism and Brexit posturing and that he builds up some Tory identity and support in that way. because fuck knows the country has been run into the ground by 13 years of Tory rule and the very last thing we need is for that liar Johnson to get back anywhere near to power.
we have also had 13 years of Labour not getting their shit together in opposition so I really hope that they can finally offer a credible electoral alternative that clearly makes Johnson look like the flailing narcissist that he is.

He will find a way to come back. If he waits long enough the Tories will be so electorally weakened by all of this that I worry that they could welcome him back as some kind of populist saviour after the next GE.

I just can't see Boris going for that tbh. He'd like to be PM again, yes, so if he could get the gig again before the next GE he'd take it.

But after that, the picture is going to look very different. The Tories currently look like they'll get many fewer seats than they'd need for a comfortable, helpful period of regrouping in opposition with the realistic hope of being back in a Parliament or two. Could easily be sub 150, or worse. It might very easily take them more than one GE to become competitive again, so whoever takes the job on after they lose the next one may well be signing up to be booted out after losing again, like eg William Hague was.

It just sounds like a lot of thankless, potentially unrewarded graft, for someone who's never been keen on hard work, and will have more pleasant, lucrative and easy options available to him if he wants.

TLDR- he wont stick being Opposition leader in the wilderness when he could go on the US right wing after dinner and board circuits.

Cakeism is far easier to sell in opposition, so Ironically I think Johnson’s greatest political opportunity is a Labour government, and he also less of a liability for the Conservatives when they aren’t in power.

Opportunity for what, is the question. What is it he'd be trying to achieve and would he want to do that more than he'd want to focus all his attentions on the ex PM circuit?

Remember, you do actually have to do some work as an Opposition leader. He wouldn't be able to conduct himself like he has done since stepping down as PM.

TLDR- he wont stick being Opposition leader in the wilderness when he could go on the US right wing after dinner and board circuits.

Not leader, but being MP for Henley didn’t stop him editing the Spectator. Although he needs money because he is incapable of managing his life (let alone a country), a ‘Lord of the Manor’ role might partially fulfil his need for attention, as long as he can avoid work.

I honestly think BJ has the absolute cheek of the devil. He hasn't been in parliament much , if at all, has been raking it in on the speaker circuit and yet no doubt still been receiving his salary as an MP !

Being an ordinary Opposition MP would be something different entirely. He might consent to be on the backbench perhaps, if it didn't interfere with his other activities. It's not like when he was first an MP though, because serving a bit of time in Opposition then was essential to his political ambitions.

Actually I think what would really suit him is to be in the Lords, so he could turn up when he felt in need of attention and/or expenses. But it doesnt look like he's getting there any time soon.

oh dear😂

I really hope Sunak pursues centrist conservatism and rejects popularism

Probably better to set your sights on something possible. Maybe a UK mission to the moon ?

Two other candidates should be selected by the Tory party to take ghe place of Boris and Nadine. The last thing this country needs is two by-elections being called.

You can't just install 2 unelected people as MPs. 😮

Nigel Adams has stepped down too ( breaking news , daily Mail )

For anyone who needs confirmation of Johnson's popularity, do listen to the closing moments of Any Questions last when the host announced the news of his resignation.

Tories to face three by-elections then. Or should that be bye bye elections?

There's a theory that Boris quite fancies getting himself installed as Leader of the Opposition where he can have fun sniping at Starmer but doesn't have to try to produce any realistic policies or solutions himself. Yes, Leaders of the Opposition are supposed to do some work, but he's never really had a problem persuading other people to do most of his work for him.

I think the problem is he has/had the support of other utter untalented egotists in the party who constantly brown nosed him and the press loved him because he gave them constant 'content' - many 'ordinary' people liked him because he seemed 'a bit of a laugh and a mess' and they could identify with that, without questioning if he was remotely suitable for the job. Anyone who says he wants summaries daily on no more than 2 pages (of important papers) really isn't suitable for the job!!! Stick to being a shock jock columnist.

I may not remotely like or agree with the views of someone like Theresa May but she was quietly digilent and hence did nothing for those who like 'love island' politics- and didn't give the press constant tittle tattle that they need to fill pages and Twitter etc

Thing is I want my MP to get on with the job of being part of governing and representing---not be a celebrity

To give you an example I write to our nice female Lib Dem MP a while ago about a local issue that was part of a campaign . I had a response back in 3 days , personalised and answering each point I had made in some detail

My H wrote about 8 yearsago to the male Tory MP here (1 term only) again about a campaign issue. 9 weeks later received a 2 line response saying 'I don't involve myself in responding to anything that is part of a campaign as I don't have the time ' - (strangely this berk had lots of time to feature frequently in the local posh peoples mag, posing at local 'do's) These type are all the same - a bit Lions/Rotary /Masons - love the being a big fish in a small pond but don't actually want much work of an MP.

He was nominated for peerage by Johnson but wasn’t on final list that came back from Holac

He recently said the idea he could stand down early was ‘utter bollocks’

There are expectations of a fourth one standing down later today or tomorrow The more they are spaced out the more damage they do to Sunak

I've met Nigel Adams at a do at Westminster. On a personal level I actually quite liked him , very personable and he bought us both a drink whilst we talked about our industry. He also loathed Farage and utterly laid into him.

On a political level, don't agree with his views at all- (apart from Farage) but I don't think he believed in them either- just think he liked an important job that was a cushy number- I don't think he's the only one either.

Hilarious jgw1, I thought you were being serious! Sheer joy at seeing the wanker off the premises by the sound of it.

No, that's the House of Lords.