To be really enjoying Boris Johnson's downfall Part 2

[ClaudineClare]

A follow on thread from

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4457488-to-be-really-enjoying-boris-johnson-s-downfall?msgid=114425763#114425763

He is an ex employee scorned isn't he?
It's a good job he has money and can work for his dad ( which I did read on mumsnet , so no idea if that's true or not ) but he obviously isn't worried that people might not want to employ him now it's clear he likes a lot of revenge on people!

I think DC's tweet illustrates the shortcomings of the SG inquiry terms of reference. She has no power to compel the production of evidence, so any findings are going to be made on the basis of an incomplete picture - and probably immediately discredited by further leaks of photos etc etc

Completely agree. Shame they couldn’t have got Lady Hale to do it.

I think it’s pretty obvious no one believed the SG report would be anything other than a whitewash so you’ll either have people lying to her or leaking stuff after (if they know anything damning).

@CryingAtTheDiscotheque

I think DC's tweet illustrates the shortcomings of the SG inquiry terms of reference. She has no power to compel the production of evidence, so any findings are going to be made on the basis of an incomplete picture - and probably immediately discredited by further leaks of photos etc etc

So DC is holding fire on anything he has got now , so he can watch the PM squirm when the report finally comes out , then lob another bomb into the mix and watch the letters of no confidence roll in? Is this the plan ? What is his plan?

Whatever happens he'll land on his feet somewhere, being lucky seems to be his real super power.

I personally think they'll let him hang on for a few more months, maybe even the rest of this year. 2022 is going to be a bloody awful year for this country (sorry for the depressing prediction). Very, very tough times are ahead in the near future and only the most ambitious, unaware candidate would rush full speed to try for the PM's role (hello Liz Truss...) Actually wanting to be PM in 2022 is like a reverse intelligence test and it's not surprising that Rishi Sunak is said to really not want the job yet, he wants BoJo to stay in place for the inevitable misery of 2022.

There’s no way he’ll survive for the rest of the year. If he’s still in post at the May local elections, the results will be so dire that there will be no choice but to give him the push.

The reverse intelligence test is bang on the money. Nobody in their right mind would want to follow him into No 10, even if it hadn’t got garish gold wallpaper.

I can't see him staying in this job much longer really ; seems that DC is hinting he has more up his sleeve and he is incredibly patient , waiting for the report so that they can't keep saying ' we are waiting on the report ' before producing more things to blow it all up again.
There will have to be a report or inquiry into the MP's who have made bullying claims too as well
I agree it's going to be an awful year ahead too
Whoever takes over won't have an easy time if it clearing up Boris's mess.

@CryingAtTheDiscotheque

I think DC's tweet illustrates the shortcomings of the SG inquiry terms of reference. She has no power to compel the production of evidence, so any findings are going to be made on the basis of an incomplete picture - and probably immediately discredited by further leaks of photos etc etc

I think it is important that we remember that Sue Gray will have done her best within the remit she was given.

If the report paints an incomplete picture then that is the sole responsibility of the man who ordered the inquiry.

Yes, I agree @jgw1. In the (inexplicable) absence of a police inquiry there should have been an independent inquiry with proper powers to compel evidence. Instead, Johnson went for the "quick win" of an internal inquiry with limited powers and limited terms of reference, which he will try to pass off as something else. None of this is SG's fault.

'He is an ex employee scorned isn't he?'

Yes but you wonder why he didn't do this a year or more ago when it would have had a much bigger impact. We were in the thick of it, it would have cause absolute fury. I would imagine there would have been mass protests and civil unrest even.

I kind of feel Cummings has missed the boat really. Most people (except those who want to oust Johnson and attempt to reverse Brexit) don't really care anymore, far more concerned with more pressing matters like Ukraine.

Has there been any criticism of Sue Gray? All I’ve heard is that she’s a tough old bird with a shedload of integrity. Which works for me.

@JaniieJones

'He is an ex employee scorned isn't he?'

Yes but you wonder why he didn't do this a year or more ago when it would have had a much bigger impact. We were in the thick of it, it would have cause absolute fury. I would imagine there would have been mass protests and civil unrest even.

I kind of feel Cummings has missed the boat really. Most people (except those who want to oust Johnson and attempt to reverse Brexit) don't really care anymore, far more concerned with more pressing matters like Ukraine.

I'm not sure how much more fury you want that a Prime Minister with only 22% of the population who think he is doing well. Even Theresa May didn't achieve that.

If you want further evidence of the fury including in conservative shires at the Prime Minister go and remind yourself of the by-election result in North Shropshire.

'All I’ve heard is that she’s a tough old bird'

'Tough old bird'

Ageism and misogyny in such a short sentence.

@JaniieJones

'All I’ve heard is that she’s a tough old bird'

'Tough old bird'

Ageism and misogyny in such a short sentence.

I’m a tough old bird. It’s a compliment.

'I'm not sure how much more fury you want that a Prime Minister with only 22% of the population who think he is doing well.'

Hmm, not quite civil unrest is it. Which, as I said, I believe would have been the case a year ago. Just seems it could have had a more powerful effect if allegations were released when it actually happend imo.

Theresa May must be waking up every morning recently with a smile on her face. David Cameron as well for that matter.

There must be a reason that DC didn't do anything when he left last year ; maybe he was advised by someone that it would just end up killing more people as people would have given up , maybe civil unrest , etc and the delta virus was very bad then, the vaccine had only just been approved and we were all up against it. He might have actually been thinking about other people or the NHS instead of himself ?
It's only a musing of mine , there is obviously a reason he didn't act straight away and just sat on it all? Who knows ?
It's done now anyway, the inquiry will be interesting , I wonder how long that will be ?

Most people (except those who want to oust Johnson and attempt to reverse Brexit) don't really care anymore, far more concerned with more pressing matters like Ukraine.

That's not true. My lovely neighbour frequents the local Conservative Club, and their main conversations are the parties, fuel bills and council tax rises. This is their core voter base, and they're not happy.

(Most wouldn't even know where Ukraine is, let alone care about the threat of war.)

I wonder if his ex-wives are quietly enjoying this as well. They're only human after all

My ( always ) Conservative voting friend thinks it's all but a witch hunt , she still supports the party and the PM.
However , bills are her main concern , ' they ' could do something about that she thinks ?
I just nod and smile.

Cummings is a very astute political operator, the timing will be carefully calculated. If it had been released at the time there would have been far more “He’s doing a good job at a very difficult time” nonsense. It was just after eye test gate so he’d have been accused of “Look over here” tactics to deflect attention from himself. Cummings knows exactly what he’s doing.

Yeah, it's all been carefully planned all this.

I wonder how his current wife feels. Buyer's remorse perhaps?

'maybe he was advised by someone that it would just end up killing more people as people would have given up , maybe civil unrest , etc and the delta virus was very bad then, the vaccine had only just been approved and we were all up against it. He might have actually been thinking about other people or the NHS instead of himself ?'

Yes perhaps he is a good guy after all. Imagine that