Owen Paterson

[Francescaisstressed]

Political parties aside, surely Owen Patterson avoiding suspension and the Tory party changing the rules for the mates goes against the very core of democracy?

When the people in power can bend the rules when they seee fit, and have noone to hold them to account I find it incredibly troubling.

MPs keep supporting Boris because he was ruthless when he withdrew the whip from the MPs who were opposing Brexit. They are frightened that if they don't follow him slavishly they will get the same treatment. These were mainly people with integrity and ability and replaced by people who toe the party line without question. The loss of able people explains why we have the fith rate Cabinet we have.
The Public- many fall for the lost little boy with the scruffy hair and crumpled suits spouting latin and greek while playing for laughs persona. There is a lot of "I really like Boris, he's funny" vox pop . They don't see the self serving person looking after his mates underneath.

Have the tories completed their boundary line fiddling yet? So many ways to skewer our votes so they become meaningless. God, I hate FPTP, it just feels like repeatedly poking yourself in the eye every time election day comes round.

Once Johnson is weakened and people start to smell blood, whenever that time is, he will find that few of the MPs strong armed into going along with him yesterday will offer any support. They'll all gleefully stick the knife in.

Because he's made them look like spineless fools. Which of course they are.

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

Once Johnson is weakened and people start to smell blood, whenever that time is, he will find that few of the MPs strong armed into going along with him yesterday will offer any support. They'll all gleefully stick the knife in.

Is it perverse of me to say I will enjoy his downfall? I just really hope it comes. I'm convinced he enjoys harming others, and pushing and pushing to see how much harm he can get away with. All with a smirk on his face and telling the people he's hurting to stop being 'negative nellies'. He is sick.

The blatant corruption and very partisan politics is so American, the politics we are heading toward (as usual).
People seem to love the showman rhetoric, consumerism, money, junk food, glamour, expensive shiny things, macho attitudes etc, so they vote for this mini-Trump and his wealthy friends.

Is it perverse of me to say I will enjoy his downfall? I just really hope it comes. I'm convinced he enjoys harming others, and pushing and pushing to see how much harm he can get away with. All with a smirk on his face and telling the people he's hurting to stop being 'negative nellies'. He is sick

Not at all, and it will come, one way or another. I enjoyed the end of Thatcher. In many ways she was just as hateful and spiteful - and she had no apparent sense of humour.

I too will enjoy Johnson’s downfall just as much as I enjoyed Thatcher’s. Possibly even more.

Is it perverse of me to say I will enjoy his downfall?

It would be right and proper to enjoy it. I would revel in seeing that lump of corruption get his comeuppance. And tbh people like Johnson are unlikely have a gentle retreat from political life. It will be loud and messy.

I would revel in seeing that lump of corruption get his comeuppance

So would I, but I'm not holding my breath
Even if he's not found another safe seat after a short pause, there are still plenty of non-jobs "heading things" to be had for those who've kept their connections green, not to mention directorships and the speakers' circuit at £20k a pop

Not my idea of a downfall, but there you go

Paterson has resigned. Not before time. He's (was ) my MP, not sad to see the back of him.

I like to think we will see the back of him but likely he'll be around in some form forever, profiting hugely from everything he does. Like Cameron. It gnaws away at your sense of justice that his kind are never fully exposed, never held to account and get a free pass to abuse every position they hold. The club code is to act as apologists for each other & they never break ranks. I wonder how long we'll have to wait before things change.

'Lump of corruption' is a brilliant descriptor!

@EvilPea

Starmer should be all over this, he should be absolutely annihilating johnson at question time. It was his job, after all. He gets going, gets on a roll with a good point and then

Sits down.

Fucking own it. Stand up and keep going until every person knows what lying scum bags these are. He’s doing their job for them.

This this and this!!! Or get Angela to shout if he can't!! To be fair I though at first to call them scum was a bit much and not very professional .....I don't any more.

I just read the reports of what Paterson said. I simply don't understand how he thinks. This is not a complex situation.

@PermanentTemporary

I just read the reports of what Paterson said. I simply don't understand how he thinks. This is not a complex situation.

He thinks?

He is a Tory MP, are you sure?

Oh he thinks. MPs aren't dumb.

@PermanentTemporary

Oh he thinks. MPs aren't dumb.

You haven't met my MP.

This this and this!!! Or get Angela to shout if he can't! To be fair I hough at first to call them scum was a bit much and not very professional .....I don't any more.
Don't you? I think the chat around this is disgraceful.

No need for the use of scum, Starmer is calling it what it is, Corruption

@DuncinToffee

No need for the use of scum, Starmer is calling it what it is, Corruption

Exactly

Seems fair enough to me, effectively Parliament is a workplace and if you are sanctioned or disciplined in any other workplace you have the right of appeal - if you are not allowed to appeal, the sanction will usually be automatically ruled invalid

Not necessarily - see, for instance, people who have been employed less than two years, and people who are self-employed. MPs are in a unique position anyway in that they can be chucked out by the voters. I would argue that they are more akin to the self-employed, given that many keep or take on directorships and the like.

Yes probably true, it is corruption and better than using the word scum, it was written in anger and frustration I didnt as I explained like her using it I felt she could have moderated but there you go I just did the same in anger! Yes agree corruption is better when they go low we shouldnt go lower.

Can I hope that the accumulation of mud and slime eventually drowns them?

I do hope so. As I said upthread, I'm in the constituency of a government minister who has a distinctly shaky majority. Local discussion boards have been full of Conservative voters expressing their disgust at his vote supporting corruption, and unfortunately for him he is now stuck with the way he voted and isn't saved by the U-turn. I suspect a lot of Conservative MPs who obeyed the party Whip are feeling very pissed off at being left in that position.

I mean obviously I remain deeply perturbed about the state of politics and this government, but also what an absolutely brilliant day for this not-Tory politics watcher.

And as for Kwasi Kwarteng this morning: hahahahahahahahaha

@Threewheeler1

I like to think we will see the back of him but likely he'll be around in some form forever, profiting hugely from everything he does. Like Cameron. It gnaws away at your sense of justice that his kind are never fully exposed, never held to account and get a free pass to abuse every position they hold. The club code is to act as apologists for each other & they never break ranks. I wonder how long we'll have to wait before things change. 'Lump of corruption' is a brilliant descriptor!

After a respectable interval, Johnson will probably have him appointed to some sort of sinecure, chairing some quango or kicked upstairs to the Lords.