Thread 33 Sunak : Sense and Sunakability

[DuncinToffee]

After 10 dyas on the rollercoaster, we now look forward to 5 more pledges and a mini budget

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4939564-thread-32-sunak-sunak-v-suella-the-final-countdown?page=40&reply=130888910

itsgettingweird

Be fair, @jgw1 they were very stern with avanti . They told them to pull their socks up or else. And it worked as avanti improved so much they had their contract renewed by the government.

The last time I travelled by Avanti they decided to cancel the train, and then put another one on at excactly the same time, so had two seat bookings for almost every seat.
As you can imagine it went well.

Snap! We might have been in the same train. Was that you sitting in my seat? Maybe I was in yours ?

As you said, that journey went well. It was very cosy and great fun figuring out what was happening.

🙋‍♀️

Let's not allow the thread to derail, though.

By way of contrast when my recent Transport for Wales train was cancelled at short notice a series of staff were on hand to advise passengers as to alternative ways of continuing their travel.

Just caught up on the Covid enquiry. The Conservatives must be in a bad way when Gove is looking like a sensible, competent politician.

Michael Gove clearly wanted to land that apology at the start of his testimony today.
"I want to apologise to the victims, who endured so much pain [and] the families who endured so much loss as a result of the mistakes that were made by government in response to the pandemic," he said.
"As a minister, responsible for the Cabinet Office, and who was also close to many of the decisions that were made, I must take my share of responsibility for that."
It's the first time a government minister in this inquiry has apologised in that way for any mistakes made during Covid itself.
In module one, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was “profoundly sorry” for his part in mistakes in the planning for a pandemic before the virus hit. The inquiry was looking into how well prepared the UK was for a pandemic at that point.
Former Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings has also repeatedly said that mistakes were made by ministers and officials.
"I think the handling of it was a disaster... and I very much regret and have already apologised for how badly No 10 handled the whole thing," he said in his evidence last month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/health-67546295/page/2

Reposted from the Inquiry thread

Key takeaway: Gove lists pandemic response areas in which he believes gov't failed:

Locked down too late in March 2020
Insufficient action in October 2020
Wrong strategy on testing
Not enough focus on vulnearble
Wrong PPE procurement

So sounds like they got all the important calls right then. That is, what wine to bring to the party and what sandwich fillings to have.

The one mistake they did make was not having a Cabinet Minister for Children, I understand that would have made all the difference.

Maybe having g children for cabinets ministers would have been an improvement.

It didn't last long.

Watch the huntin' and shootin' exemption from regulations section (concealment thereof). It got Gove rattled and he still is.

Other than that they did a great job!

Busy busy here and I've fallen off this. 24 hours plus behind!

But with regards to US being the only country that is worse than us with regards richest and poorest it doesn't surprise me we are catching up. Our current positions seems to be modelling themselves on US model and leaders of past (Trump!).

But we are a small island and cannot replicate what they do regardless of whether that's a good idea or not

Oops

In less than ideal timing…

The Commons speaker has a pre-arranged meeting with the Greek ambassador tomorrow.

Meaning the Greek flag is expected to be flown over parliament 😬

So instead we'll take away all their benefits so they lose the roof over their heads and starve. Cracking policy, if you're an utter bastard.

They got all the big decisions right though. Presumably like which wallpaper to have and who to fund it.

And yet they found time to work late into the night not only to make sure grouse shooting was exempted from regulations but also that the regulations didn't draw too much attention to the exemption (for fear of people spotting the special treatment).

According to Adam Wagner they had to exempt shooting because otherwise MPs would "go crackers".

So that's nice.
x.com/adamwagner1/status/1729533291760329040?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

Well, what is more important, continuing male pursuits or helping domestic violence victims?

Or maybe better to ask, what brings in more money.

(Helen MacNamara talked about this in her evidence)

That kind of suggests that the Tory MPs weren't crackers before.

It does demonstrate they know what a woman is, which is very important I am told.

Haven't watched PMQs yet but sounds like it went well for Sunak

Starmer: "I met with the Greek PM, we talked about the economy, security, immigration. I also told him we won't be changing the law regarding the marbles. It's really not that difficult."

"He's the man with the reverse Midas touch, everything he touches turns to ... maybe the Home Secretary could help me out?"

It was pretty good @DuncinToffee - I only listened on the radio but I may seek out the video later so I can see Rishi’s reactions. He did not come out well.

I ennjoyed Starmer searching for a word to describe what Sunak turns everything to and wondering if the Home Secretary knew the right word.

I saw an article earlier referring to the PM as Rishi Soontobesacked. Childish, but made me giggle.