How does someone like Jacob Rees- Mogg even come to exist, let alone end up as Leader of the Commons?

[screentime]

Is anyone else in utter disbelief at what politics has come to in the UK? The nation being pushed off the precipice because “democracy”, even though nobody voted for either if these last two PMs and if the referendum was a GE it would have been a hung Parliament. Plus nobody even knew what Brexit would entail when they voted. Everyone knows and openly admits we’ll all be worse off, but never mind, it’s “the voice if the people” . How the hell is BJ PM when he ducked out after the referendum result and flounced out of the negotiations? One day he’s saying he’ll get a great new deal and the “doubters” will be proved wrong, the next day we hear he’s preparing for a no deal as the most likely outcome. What planet is he on? And having brought the nation to this point where we’re the laughing stock of Europe, this JRM “Esq” is focusing on how many spaces to leave between sentences and wittering on about banning random words like some demented headmaster on some petty power trip! It beggars belief. And then he turns up in Wales with a son who is wearing the same clothes as him. If you went out in the streets and looked, you couldn’t find anyone who is more of an utter loon. How is any of this happening? I ask this as someone who has mainly voted Conservative in the past due to the economy, but who in their right mind would vote for this lot? AIBU?

He and his peers are bloody awful. I have no idea why anyone looks at this lot and still thinks voting Tory is a good option.

He's a like a Dickensian villain come to life. I cant believe he's an actual real person and not an actor playing a part.

Rees Mogg simply represents, as Blow Joe Johnson does, the unveiled face of a Conservatism.
No surprise to me - have never voted Tory.
But have always known inherited wealth and privilege steered Tory thinking, and their goal has always been to secure wealth and privilege for the few.
Don't get the shock - these guys and their ilk haven't sprung from nowhere - Tory voters have supported their ruthless climb to the top.

Fraggling He has v regressive views on reproductive rights for women and he seems very cold. No abortion under any circs is very very hardline. No, it's very Roman Catholic, which he is. Those are his religious beliefs which he is entitled to hold.

Just seen the names of his DC. One is called “Sixtus Boniface, “ another has 5 or 6 names.

There is a Harry Enfield sketch called Odd Kid That reminds me of JRM

As for JRM and the way he likes his paperwork set out, at least the man has standards.

His own poor standards of literacy came up on a thread earlier today. This is about the book he wrote -

The Victorians is written (or, as Rees-Mogg confesses, dictated) in a plodding, laborious and barely readable style, completely lacking in humour, sophistication or polish as well as in every other literary quality. Here’s a sample: “Disraeli, as we know, was especially good at being rude and, although we have a persistent image of the Victorians as bound by rigid rules of decorum and politeness, their politicians could be appallingly rude in ways that would be ruled out of order today and Disraeli was especially the master of the jibe.” And so on, and on, and on, in one lame, banal, poorly structured sentence after another, for more than 450 pages.
New Statesman review

That sentence about Disraeli is a disgraceful mutilation of the English language from anyone, but especially from someone who was so expensively educated.

But most Catholics dont have such archaic views Scaryteacher

You voted Conservative. You got what you voted for.

It would be laughable had you not dragged the rest of us along with you.

Scary

Many seem to like JRM for his principles, even if they disagree with him.
But I think his "Roman Catholic Principles" are far more flexible than he would care to admit and he applies then selectively.

Eg, anti choice but perfectly happy to cosy up to Johnson despite the abortions he's been responsible for. A man with such strict morals as JRM would surely have some reservations about BJ wouldn't they? No doubt if it was a "commoner" who had fathered an unknown number of kids by multiple women, pressured others into abortions, and taken a repeatedly loose attitude towards his marriage vows JRM would be full of approbation.

And he's certainly not very Christian in his attitude towards the poor and vulnerable in society.

He's a cynical hypocrite.

But most Catholics dont have such archaic views

Catholics are taught to follow their conscience. They aren't dragooned into what they do - they choose according to their own free will.

Rees Smug - not a man of principle at all. You can assess the real man by the company he keeps and who he supports.

I blame the parents.

Do you actually understand what the leader of the commons role is, and what little power it actually has, or have you just been swept up in your twitter echo chamber.

They have put a political geek in an effective non position to keep him away from front line politics, understanding the intricacies of the working of parliament is the perfect position for him. Being outraged by him having that position shows you are less informed about politics than you would care to admit.

Carefully curated image. In the absence of personality appearance is of great import.

Rees Smug - not a man of principle at all. You can assess the real man by the company he keeps and who he supports.

Corbyn supporters suddenly going through there book of rebuttals.

I like JRM. Seems a decent principled politician.
Quite like Boris too.

Conservatives have had a boost in the opinion polls since he became PM.

Oh who cares, the whole political system is predicated on things that none of us really know about. And that is carefully arranged.

Was Andrea Leadsom the previous incumbent?

I am not a Tory generally, despise people like JRM and his apparent desire to bring back Victorian social classes, and am truly scared by what seems to be a right wing coup in British politics and the prospect of no deal. Nevertheless all these personal and character attacks are not going to help British politics recover. Many old families have weird names they pass on to their kids, there are plenty of other weird names in circulation now. As for all this media fuss over his rules of writing and language: anyone who has written anything for an organisation should be aware of the existence of writing Style Guide documents in general, and the one for their organisation in particular. It is not unusual, it is plain good practice, so that everyone in the department communicates in standard formats and language. His rules are no weirder than others I've seen.

I would trust Rees-Mogg Esq. to bring me the liver of a still warm child in Victorian London, but that’s all I would trust him for. Johnson’s just a prick who’s promising everything to everyone right, left, and centre. He’ll be Farage’s bum boy within 6 months.

But who can explain Mark Francois? Surely he was created by Viz?

Attacking these men for their backgrounds and upbringing is wrong. They are both democratically elected members of Parliament.

Personally I look at the liberal, left leaning folks and think how did you come to exist and then I remember Tony Blair. Everyone is tripping over themselves trying to be diverse and you forget diversity includes EVERYONE including people like JRM alongside the precious homophobic religious types. I know who I would rather have running the country.

JRM is a one-off, fortunately, but you can find blokes like Mark Francois in the bar of any Conservative club or golf club in the country.

Having your country run by rich white men for hundreds of years is not diversity cool. There is no shortage of them in the house.