Boris stands down as MP with immediate effect part 3

[DuncinToffee]

Tomorrow is the Commons vote on the Privileges Committee's findings that Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over Downing Street parties during lockdown

The vote is a free vote rather than being whipped either way. Tories have been told that the vote will be a one-line whip, meaning they will not be obliged to participate.

Boris Johnson is believed to have advised his backers to not vote against it.

Michael Gove confirmed on live tv that he will abstain

Tobias Elwood has u-turned on abstaining after hearing stories from voters

Rishi Sunak, who knows

Pmk.

Oh I didn't realize that @cakeorwine - it would be a bold person who says no. That's more deliberate than voting along with other people.

Imagine Johnson as a stick of seaside rock. Snap it into pieces to share. It will have the word Liar in it, all the way through. I hope MPs are decent enough to end his political career properly today & send him back to the likes of the Daily Wail where the rest of his ilk reside. Then his pension needs returned & his 'Honours' list looked over.

I've watched enough divisions

Divisions in the House of Commons (parliament.uk)

Standing Orders Nos. 38-41 direct how divisions are administered. When a motion is put to the vote, the Speaker ‘puts the question’, by saying: The Question is, that ... [for example, the Bill be read a second time]. As many as are of that opinion say Aye", (there then follows a chorus of shouted Ayes), "of the contrary No" (a similar shout of No) ...

At this point, if there is no dissent, the motion will be carried, and the Speaker will say “I think the Ayes have it”.1 He will then confirm that the Ayes have it. There is then no need for a formal division to take place. However, if Members do not agree, the Speaker calls a division. He/she announces, "Clear the Lobbies". The division bells ring throughout the House of Commons estate, the Annunciators display "Division", and the police direct all non-Members to leave the vicinity of the Members' Lobby.

The police also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "Division". (See below for explanations of the division bells and annunciators.) The Speaker has the discretion to ask each side to stand in their places in the Chamber, if s/he believes that a division is unnecessary.

2 Two minutes after the Speaker ‘puts the question’, s/he does the same thing a second time. If the outcome is unchallenged or one side cannot find two tellers then the division is called off. The Annunciators display ‘Division off’, and the Speaker announces, "The Ayes (or Noes) have it".3 If Members indicate that a division is still required, the Speaker then says, "Tellers for the Ayes, Ms A and Mr B, tellers for the Noes, Mr C and Ms D".

I wonder if they could find 2 tellers as well?

It's bound to pass. He's even asked his supporters to abstain, and clearly the opposition are going to have a field day.

I don't suppose there's anything in the rules about someone can say "Aye " and "No" so they force a vote even though they agree that the motion should be carried?

PMK

So did Johnson advise his supporters to abstain (to muddy the numbers)?

Dorries will do whatever Johnson has instructed.

Honestly what a pathetic state the Conservatives are in that it won't support a Conservative appointed committee with a Conservative majority in a Conservative majority Parliament.
Not a shred of ethics left between them and not fit to govern.

@Notonthestairs I think it's so the small size of his support isn't revealed?
Or maybe the particular individuals don't have to put their heads above the parapet so Sunak doesn’t 'see' them ?

@StormShadow I hope so. But, Stranger Things & all that!

What @SerendipityJane said about Yes Minister was very apt. Will watch it again tonight with my teens.

Yes, Johnson has clearly realised the number of people willing to actually stick their necks out for him is shamefully small. Whereas a lot of Tory MPs who either want him to go or at least accept that it should happen are going to abstain. So he's trying to blur the two. Might get Mogg or Nads giving interviews about how the high number of abstentions shows lack of trust in the process, alienation blah blah.

Sunak is abstaining, at least that's what I think he is saying as this is such a non answer word salad

https://twitter.com/GMB/status/1670665740960104448?s=20

Really, if you have read enough Machiavelli (coz you sure as hell won't learn it by reading Dorries) or Sun Tzu, you will realise that Johnsons only hope for the future is to try and project a shadow. To use obfuscation and the dark hint of "something" to advance their agenda. Obviously it won't have any effect on the sane. But we know some posters here will lap it up.

So I'm guessing there won't be any opposition, but Dear Nadine will mutter about "them" and "they" and hint there's some sort of cosmic conspiracy that prevented all the people who really support Boris from acting. "Stories" in the Express about Remaniac plots, possibly "the blob"

Annoyingly this does play into some media agenda as it sells papers and clicks. We all love a good conspiracy theory. The more bonkers the better. And the idea that Boris has a groundswell of support that is somehow being muzzled is pure comedy gold. Although it does risk tripping the old adage about the problem with political jokes is they get elected.

TL;DR a lot of "support" team Boris think they have from media coverage is ironic to say the least.

It's a depressing stat of affairs that the Tories have lost so much heft, there's no one to call Boris bluff. Maybe that will be left up to ordinary Tory members who will have to reject any attempt to parachute Johnson into another parliamentary seat. Or if that fails, the voters of whatever constituency gets saddled with him.

Sunak problem is that it's painfully clear when he's under orders. The orders in this case are to appear statesmanlike and give the impression this is a run of the mill affair that happens all the time, so no big deal.

And because he's not that bright, he thought it was genius and threw himself into it with abandon. Rather than twig what he's been asked to do and how it makes him look.

On a related topic, how do Scottish folk feel about the rewriting of history to claim no one was ever more popular than Boris in Scotland ? With tins of shortbread with pictures of "big Boris" as they affectionately called him a treasured memento in true Scots houses ?

Pmk and thanks Duncin

The funny thing is that Sunak won't win any fans from running away. The Johnson believers dont like him anyway and those Conservative voters that think Johnson has trashed their party will recognise how diminished Sunak is.
So he pleases nobody and reinforces a reputation for weakness.

So much for Sunak's promise to bring honesty and integrity back to government.

Clarke confirming Johnson backers are not pushing report to vote today

https://twitter.com/BethRigby/status/1670709783932936193?s=20

Absolutely pathetic & spineless.

Opposition parties should force a vote.

This is why it's amusing he's following such bad advice. Although I can see why he was chosen as a perfect interim Prime Minister. And he seems so happy at it too.

Eh ?

The motion is to accept the reports findings and conclusions. No vote means it's accepted by default. Which avoids the need to record who voted for and against.

It remains to be seen if any opposition MPs try to amend the motion and what they would add. Removing Boris Westminster pass might be an idea.

On a related topic, how do Scottish folk feel about the rewriting of history to claim no one was ever more popular than Boris in Scotland ? With tins of shortbread with pictures of "big Boris" as they affectionately called him a treasured memento in true Scots houses ? What? Have you been on the waccy baccy. Boris was never popular with Scots in general.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/alister-jack-boris-johnson-scotland-scottish-parliament-labour-b1088663.html

@SerendipityJane Ah I see. I had thought that the Government was simply hoping for it to just wave it through without division (and therefore recording vote/abstentions).

Johnson, as an archetypal OE, was & is anaethema to most Scottish folk. I'm English born (Scottish residing some 30 years) & I've never seen such a tin.