Thread 29 Sunak: Borders, Barges and Bacteria

[DuncinToffee]

Thanks pointythings

previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4853484-thread-28-sunak-lords-ladies-and-lame-ducks?page=1

I know

"Anyone heard any news about the barge?"

Nothing. I don't know how long it takes to flush (?) legionella out of a water system and retest. Presumably this time around they'll wait for the results before moving people in. But I have no doubt they will move people in because they'll view it as a win and they are in need of a win somewhere.

And there was me thinking that we had left the EU to take back control.

So mini reshuffle today to replace Ben Wallace (who went public with his resignation only after Braverman forced the issue in July).

Meanwhile Times reporting that Zahawi (still a serving MP despite his million pound tax dispute with HMRC) is brokering a deal between UAE & Barclay family to regain control of the Telegraph. If successful Zahawi would be given a senior role at the Telegraph.

That seems like an excellent idea - let's give an MP an influential leadership role in a national newspaper!

Wallace has officially resigned today

Apparently Shapps is replacing him

Blimey - how many Cabinet posts has he clocked up in last year? Home Secretary, transport, energy?

& who will move to energy?

Shapps is a man of many faces......

Or as James O'Brien puts it

A man who made his fortune selling get rich quick schemes on the internet under a variety of false identities- and lied about it after becoming an MP - is now in charge of the nation's defence.

Seems I missed out business secretary.
Where else could a worker clock up 5 different leadership roles in a year?

Expect to see a new website pop up selling nuclear weapons at a bargain price.

Sam Coates on Sky

A couple of Tory backbenchers not happy with Grant Shapps being appointed Defense Secretary.

Sam Coates: "This man doesn't get across detail & only cares about photos & gimmicky press releases... what a wasted opportunity"

"He sold encyclopedias. It's a joke given we're at war"

Coutinho in at Energy.

So we've gone through 4 ? Childrens ministers in last year.
11 since 2010.

But it's fine because it's not like children's services or SN children have any issues whatsoever 🙄

I think Schapps is interesting insofar as it's clear Sunak felt he could only appoint a toady/loyalist.
Schapps will tow the line & wont challenge Sunak on Defence spending.
If's effectively weakening the position to my mind.

Coutinho, another Sunak yeswoman

This was what I first though when I'd stopped be incredulous at the position and thinking "WTAF?!"

But right now we need someone as string if not stronger than Wallace.

We are heading towards more the possibility of a bigger war.

Does anyone know why Wallace resigned?

Wallace really wanted the NATO job and had decided to step down as Defence at the next reshuffle and as an MP at the next election.
It was speeded up by a fallout between Braverman & Wallace when he refused to agree to provide troops at ferry ports this summer.

From July

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ben-wallace-suella-braverman-defence-secretary-b2376416.html

SCHAPPS? Ffs.

Will he be updating his office background with pictures of Spitfires and Lancasters?

They really have no idea how unpopular some Tory MPs are, do they? Why on earth Grant Schapps? He's a figure of ridicule.

They’re running out of people to put in these jobs now. I’m looking forward to hearing what the Army Rumour Service makes of it.

🤭

That would make him very well qualified for an important position in any 2020s Tory government I would have thought.

"Schools in England must immediately shut buildings made with a type of concrete that is prone to collapse until safety measures are in place, the government is expected to announce.
Some schools will have to relocate children to other teaching spaces.
More than 100 schools are being contacted before the start of new term."

From BBC.
I mean shouldn't this have been dealt with before now? It's a few days off start of new school term in England.