To ask what to do about Boris

[myohmywhatawonderfulday]

I get how it works. We elect parties to reporesnt ya. Their members elect their leaders.

But I feel so strongly that I do not want Boris Johnson to represent Britain as our leader.

Yet I feel so powerless and like an observer watching the Tory party elect someone because of internal politics that has nothing to do with good leadership, integrity and actually leading the country.

What are the options for action open to us?

As they always do. Every. Single. Time.

For me Boris is the "ultimate Tory" - he spearheaded the leave campaign, has proven time and time again he couldn't give a shit about normal people. I think it's good he will be in power - let's see if he can deliver on all his promises! Everyone believed what he said during the campaign I feel like "go on then, do it!"

My hope is he makes such a mess of it, shows how dreadful the tories are and how impossible a good deal is so we have a second referendum and a general election that labour will win.

My local MP is BJ

I’m not at all picking holes on everyone posting here because everyone does it in real life but I I don’t know why he is always .referred to as Boris - no other politician is known just by their first name. His first name is Alexander and it wasn’t till sometime during his time at Eton that he decided that Boris suited the image he wanted to portray better.

He may well have brains but I’m not sure about his moral compass. His career to date has been full of controversy, yet he always manages to come back smelling of roses.

It horrifies me that after so many ‘faux pas’ in his political career so called intelligent people can still think that Mr Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a suitable candidate for PM

I don't think Boris does position himself as an insurgent candidate, nor does he attack elites. That was more the Brexit campaign as a whole, rather than his personal campaign. I think people point out the privilege of those who led that campaign to show that its disingenuous. They are very much the establishment, just as Trump is.

However, Brexit, and the economic proposals backed by those who led the campaign will not solve any of the issues of the traditional working class.For all of your ire for Corbyn, the Labour manifesto did address many of the concerns..

"But yes, let's just Rotherham that issue and carp on about a bit of Tory budget-blowing back in 2015."

So you're going back to 2008 for the Tower Hamlets one, and I think 2005 for the Birmingham one?

Righto

Alexander sounds better than Boris I do agree, but everyone knows who Boris is. He is possibly the most famous Tory in recent times : even people I know who have zero interest in politics or Brexit know who he is and what he stands for.

I think a lot of this voting is because of this fact.

According to inside sources, his friends call him Alex.

@TFBundy, it’s already been explained to you that someone alleges electoral fraud in Peterborough every time its population gets the chance to vote. Every time it’s proved groundless and it goes away until next time. It doesn’t matter who wins the election either, it’s almost like it’s part of its culture.

even people I know who have zero interest in politics or Brexit know who he is and what he stands for.

I'm glad someone knows what he stands for, because I'm moderately interested in politics and I don't have a clue.

." For all his faults, the US economy is flying at the moment. "

Which of course, is nothing to do with Trump. The economy is growing at the same rate as when he took over, unemployment has followed the downward trend that it was on when he took over too.

BJ has made his poshness part of his public persona, a bumbling posh fool, its one he has actively cultivated.

Hilarous that you have criticised Dianne Abbotts maths skills when Boris made several errors with numbers and had car crash interviews during the same campaign. As did Gove, Grieve, Hammond and others. But they never attract the same aggression from you.

The Labour manifesto was actually very good, and as I said, addressed the concerns of the working class and regions.

"So it’s all nonsense, nothing to see here...oh except in those 2 cases which supported a criminal conviction. grin"

Its been proven to be nonsense in Peterborough, by the police.

The Tories have been fined, and a party worker convicted for electoral expenses fraud since the historic cases you are referring to.

the Tories were fined 70k for electoral expenses malpractice and a party worker recieved a coniviction for work in Thanet in the 2015 election.

But

Which of course, is nothing to do with Trump. The economy is growing at the same rate as when he took over, unemployment has followed the downward trend that it was on when he took over too.

Oh come on. I'd wager that hardly anybody on this thread/Mumsnet is a fan of Trump, but the man's been in power for three years now - of course he has to be credited with whatever's happening on his watch, good and bad - including economic performance/unemployment rates.

I feel extremely strongly that I don't want Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the opposition. I also don't want Diane Abbott as Shadow Home Sec or John McDonell as Shadow Chancellor. I find them all a bunch of hellish twats, who in no way represent my views. Fuck all I can do about it though as I'm not an MP or a member of the Labour Party.

Also, when the Tories have in the past blamed Labour for their austerity policies, Labour voters will counter this by saying that the Tories have been in power for X number of years now, so they can't blame Labour for the state of things today. That's a fair argument IMO but you can't have it both ways.

He does cultivate the image, yes he is posh, but as we know, he's very intelligent and has promoted this image of himself for a great many years.

I didn't say anything about not liking posh people, its not why I think Boris is unsuitable for leadership.

In the real world, lots of economists and market analysts say the same thing that I did about Trump. He hails the unemployment figures as success for him and the economy. However they have both followed the trends that they did under Obama.

There was an increase in the stock market following his election, in anticipation of lower corporation tax. However this has been countered by falls due to trade policy and the Fed raising interest rates.

Its not whatbouttery to point out that whilst Dianne Abbot is routinely mocked for that interview and it used to suggest that she would be incompetent , the Tory men who did the same thing aren't given the same abuse, its stating that they are being held to different standards.

Right so someone was convicted in 2008 so its the same now?

The bribery and postal vote allegations that you raised here have been dismissed as no offence took place by the police.

The only thing I can stomach about Alexander / Boris Johnson is his voice , oddly enough.
It's not Michael Gove's slightly hysterical whine or Jeremy Hunt's rather urbane wishy washy drawl. He can sound convincing , he is posh but not too 'plum in the mouth' and it's also a deep voice too. (The rest of it isn't great but his accent is fine. )

The EU will take a dim view of him I heard today ; I doubt they will give him an easy time of it : I don't think the 'Boris charm offensive ' will work on those in power over there somehow. They won't be happy if he gets the job.