AIBU to ask if Boris was having a manic episode in his peppa pig speech today?

[Talkwhilstyouwalk]

Just that really

I have a loved one who has bipolar disorder and to me, this looked very much like a manic episode. If so, I hope he gets the help he needs.

Either pissed or coked-up or both.

He hadn't put the prep in. Simple as that. You can see that he is winging it ^before^ he loses his place. I suspect an aide wrote the speech and he meant to read it in the car abd dozed off instead. Or something. Not a good look in front of business leaders.

@Hospedia
Bang on. Great post .
And what the heck did Carrie say to him when he got home. I would be mortified to admit I was married to him if I was her.

@Cheerfulcharlie

I just thought he was a bit sleep deprived - he does have a toddler and isn't his second one due very soon?

That’s a very generous view

As was reported in the European, the changes to the social card bill were voted through the HoC, with the government's majority slashed from 80 to 23 votes.

NHS no longer have a duty of card for everyone entitled to, well, NHS care. This really is the start of the US style healthcare in this country. And a very watered down version of the election promise to fund care without having to sell the family home.

And yet, all anyone appears to be talking about is the PM's visit to Peppa Pig Land. Anyone who thinks this is coincidence really hasn't been listening very carefully.

European

Boris Johnson narrowly succeeded in getting the Commons to back a change to social care reforms despite a sizeable Tory rebellion over concerns it will hit poorer pensioners.
Senior Conservative MPs warned they would not back the new policy to cap care costs in England, which critics argued had been watered down to be less generous.
Ministers were unable to say whether the change to the £86,000 cap on care costs would fulfil an election pledge to guarantee no-one would have to sell their home to pay for care.

The joke's not funny anymore (not that it ever was, but then I've always been immune to that scumbag's "charms").

[quote flapjackfairy]@Hospedia
Bang on. Great post .
And what the heck did Carrie say to him when he got home. I would be mortified to admit I was married to him if I was her.[/quote]
I would be mortified to admit I was married to him if I was her.
…….I would think that ship sailed long ago.

The reason, a reason, the speech has had such intense coverage is, as a Downing Street source told the BBC, there is 'a lot of concern inside the building about the PM … it’s just not working...'; or from a Senior Tory MP 'today’s performance was the most embarrassing by a Conservative prime minister since last week's PMQs'.
It wasn't a diversion strategy. Social care isn't going away, the government is in trouble there, the bill only passed by 26 votes.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Bloody hell I just watched this and it was just so bloody embarassing, this isn't some awful pissed celebrity acceptance speech it's the prime minister of england. He looks like he's trying to give a serious speech after accidetnally taking acid. We're all a laughing stock world wide now, he needs to get a serious grip. It's not endearing AT ALL.

As an American, this is how I felt during the Trump presidency. Believe me, nobody over here is laughing after enduring THAT!

He's acting crazy because he doesn't want to stand criminal charges and go to jail!

@LittlePorcupine

Is Starmer still being heckled at his speeches.. I haven't seen him at the lectern in some time. At least we don't have to listen to that uneducated chav Angela Raynor referring to people as scum having left school at 15 barely able to string a coherent sentence together.

If you want to talk about Starmer and Raynor you should start your own thread. Putting it here just looks like you’re trying to do a bit of whataboutery. This one is about Boris Johnson and his bizarre behaviour.

@Cheerfulcharlie

I just thought he was a bit sleep deprived - he does have a toddler and isn't his second one due very soon?

The only reason he would be sleep deprived is because he filled 'Carrie' vacancy now he married her.

But unfortunately I think we at the start of seeing Boris unravel.

@Hospedia

And why would anyone try excuse him by saying he might be tired or whatever. He's the Prime Minister, this speech was planned in advanced so he should have been prepared, and he should try and bring some bloody professionalism to the job he's been elected to do especially when he's already under criticism for being incompetent. Now would be the time to show some statesmanship and polish rather than bumble about like drunk Uncle Nigel at a wedding.

The good thing to come out of this is that it looks like the "loveable" buffoon/"I'm your funny mate Bozza" act that got him elected now appears to be wearing very thin, even people I know who were previously rabid in their support of him are questioning what the fuck they voted for.

There are subtle signs that the knives are out for him within the party and I'd expect him to be gone somewhere in the first half of next year. He'll cite his young family and/or his health post-covid, resign with a blustering speech about steering the ship into port, then off he'll fuck into the sunset with a shitload of our cash and a career on the after dinner speech circuit.

But that’s ok surely? He’s done Brexit and Covid which are both massive ( Brexit broke the two PM’s before him). He’s had Covid, possibly long Covid, he’s got new borns. You know the next PM will blame everything on this government as an excuse for why the countries going wrong. Leading with conviction doesn’t appear to be anyone’s elses strong point. It’ll be back fighting, endless committees that do nothing at great expense and short term projects.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Bloody hell I just watched this and it was just so bloody embarassing, this isn't some awful pissed celebrity acceptance speech it's the prime minister of england. He looks like he's trying to give a serious speech after accidetnally taking acid. We're all a laughing stock world wide now, he needs to get a serious grip. It's not endearing AT ALL.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Prime Minister of England?

He's ill. When you're PM you don't get any space in your diary to rest. It's relentless.

He is run down. I hope they let him have a decent break over Christmas. Everyone deserves to snatch a bit of down time. Even the PM.

@mellongoose

He's ill. When you're PM you don't get any space in your diary to rest. It's relentless.

He is run down. I hope they let him have a decent break over Christmas. Everyone deserves to snatch a bit of down time. Even the PM.

He was on a lovely paid for holiday in Mallorca 4 weeks ago, while the energy crisis was unfurling here. He's had more holiday than most of us over the last year.

‘He's ill. When you're PM you don't get any space in your diary to rest. It's relentless.

Yes poor Johnson. I’ve got a big meeting later. If I perform like he did yesterday, I’ll be on my way to a performance review regardless of the fact that I’m a full time working woman with two primary aged children who is often tired. He wanted this job and new what it entailed.

I wonder if those saying ‘poor Boris’ were as generous when Diane Abbot (who was struggling with diabetes) was destroyed after getting some numbers wrong?

@Cheerfulcharlie

I just thought he was a bit sleep deprived - he does have a toddler and isn't his second one due very soon?

Come off it. All he had to do was read some words off.a page in the right order. It's not like he was doing complex surgery or working on complicated mathematical calculations. .

He's ill. When you're PM you don't get any space in your diary to rest. It's relentless.

As he kept reminding us, he's just had a day off at Peppa Pig's World. And he's had way more holiday this year than I have.

@Hospedia

And why would anyone try excuse him by saying he might be tired or whatever. He's the Prime Minister, this speech was planned in advanced so he should have been prepared, and he should try and bring some bloody professionalism to the job he's been elected to do especially when he's already under criticism for being incompetent. Now would be the time to show some statesmanship and polish rather than bumble about like drunk Uncle Nigel at a wedding.

The good thing to come out of this is that it looks like the "loveable" buffoon/"I'm your funny mate Bozza" act that got him elected now appears to be wearing very thin, even people I know who were previously rabid in their support of him are questioning what the fuck they voted for.

There are subtle signs that the knives are out for him within the party and I'd expect him to be gone somewhere in the first half of next year. He'll cite his young family and/or his health post-covid, resign with a blustering speech about steering the ship into port, then off he'll fuck into the sunset with a shitload of our cash and a career on the after dinner speech circuit.

Love this post @Hospedia. Agree with every word. Saved me writing it.

@mellongoose

He's ill. When you're PM you don't get any space in your diary to rest. It's relentless.

He is run down. I hope they let him have a decent break over Christmas. Everyone deserves to snatch a bit of down time. Even the PM.

But he’s just been to Peppa Pig world! Had more holiday than most of us. Can afford all the household help with his family. He’s representing us. And I am one of millions of people working relentlessly for my family. I haven’t had a day off this year.

He’s done Brexit and Covid which are both massive ( Brexit broke the two PM’s before him). He’s had Covid, possibly long Covid, he’s got new borns.

Cameron wasn't broken by Brexit, he just had the sense to get the hell out so he wouldn't have to deal with it. Johnson can hardly use that excuse having told us all how wonderful it was going to be. Sure, Covid is massive, but it's not unique to us and virtually every other world leader (bar Trump and Bolsonaro) has managed to cope with it better and without making such an exhibition of themselves. And if Johnson has long Covid, he should have resigned long ago.

"I was wondering if he thinks he can still do the turn up and wing it schtick he used to do"

That's what I thought too. He imagined it'd be like the Jeremy Vine anecdote: eccentric story, latin quote, people would be charmed - job done. But he's too tired/ill/hungover to pull it off and it's completely the wrong audience for such thin gruel.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

Cheese I believe so. PMing doesn't attract a huge salary and he's not one for detail.

The UK Prime Minister is paid £161,401.

That’s about 5 times the UK average salary. Looks pretty huge to me.

He also has a free flat to live in during the week that other people have paid to decorate to his wife’s taste and a free country retreat.

I suspect Boris is sleep deprived, also juggling too many things (including family demands) and therefore hadn't had a chance to put the preparation into that particular speech.

He also uses bluster to cover up times when he's searching for a word and so doesn't speak well "off the cuff". Everyone loses their place from time to time, it would have been better if he'd just said "sorry, I seem to have lost my place, I'll be with you in a minute" rather than faffing around....would have been less painful.

I also think he tries to make things personal and use anecdotes to make a point, but he needs to hone the way he does it. Instead of doing the "hands up who's been to Pepper Pig world" thing, he'd have been better going along the lines of, "as a dad I've been introduced to Pepper Pig world for the first time, but, when visiting recently, it struck me this could be my sort of world because.....etc., etc...."

I know it's 'fashionable' on MumsNet to hate the chap, but I'm prepared to give Boris the benefit of doubt. I think his heart's there but his delivery is often the problem....
(And yes, I'm on a minimum wage, rent my home, don't have a pension except the state pension and no, I also haven't had any time off this year...before anyone suggests otherwise).