Part 6 A thread for the continued enjoyment of Boris' downfall, enjoyment being important

[jgw1]

What the title says.

This will be the one where he resigns, so if please keep the whatabout to a minimum.

Did Kwarteng hear himself?

I think if they actually listened to what came out of their mouths their heads would explode.

What people experience in their daily lives in terms of fraud, not fraud...

To be fair, the first part of his sentence is true. We are all experiencing fraud on a daily basis from Johnson's government.

[quote DuncinToffee]ClaudineClare

There is more..

#SundayMorning: Why did the PM say the govt has cut crime by 14%, when he didn't include fraud & computer misuse... that means total crime increased by 14%... what he said wasn't true
Kwasi Kwarteng: What people experience in their daily lives in terms of fraud, not fraud...

twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1490266046179295236?s=21[/quote]
It's a more ridiculous claim even than that - the comparison is between the year to September 2019 and the year to September 2021.

In the year to September 2021 there were 2 national lockdown, local lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings, pub closures and people working from home.

Unsurprisingly burglaries, robberies and violent crime are reduced when everyone's sat at home. That isn't evidence of anything being done to cut crime.

Given the current appalling delays before criminal trials are held, which is directly down to failure to invest in the criminal justice system, it's extraordinary that this government even dares to mention the subject, let alone to try to claim credit for it.

Karteng knows he isn't telling the truth. It doesn't matter to them. They just launch their soundbites, people hear them, some will believe, others will know they are lies but it won't matter because the idea is out there and will convince some people.

That is their modus operandi.

Priti Patel did announce that shoplifting was down in 2020 and claimed this as an achievement.

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/priti-patel-brags-that-shoplifting-is-down-during-the-height-of-lockdown-185458/

The UK economy is growing - but as with all statistics, it's picking the dates to compare things with if you look at the rest of the G7.

www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/gdpmonthlyestimateuk/latest

More or Less covered this last week

Wonder if Steve Baker is on a zero hours contract for his new job, given that its not that secure and only may be needed for a short period?

I'm not sure I'd bid in an auction for lunch with Jeremy Hunt.

Every weekend I wonder how much lower we can go.

I've realised I don't really understand what a Chief of Staff is, why they aren't part of the cabinet and why this appointment removes power from the Cabinet. Please can someone explain it to me.

@ENoeuf

I think if pmqs was broadcast later more people would see how appalling some ministers are. Johnson wagging his head to Blackford, Mogg treating it like some kind of joke etc.

Yes, and that braying, hooting creature sitting a couple of rows back and to the left of Johnson last week. No mask and face contorted.

Put me in mind of a chimpanzee. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised to see him flinging poo at the Labour benches.

Horrible behaviour.

The UK economy is growing - but as with all statistics, it's picking the dates to compare things with if you look at the rest of the G7.

Indeed.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02784/

@OhYouBadBadKitten

I've realised I don't really understand what a Chief of Staff is, why they aren't part of the cabinet and why this appointment removes power from the Cabinet. Please can someone explain it to me.

I'm glad you asked this because I was wondering the same thing!

@OhYouBadBadKitten

I've realised I don't really understand what a Chief of Staff is, why they aren't part of the cabinet and why this appointment removes power from the Cabinet. Please can someone explain it to me.

Remember Leo from the West Wing?

I am not sure if it's the same in the UK though.

I'm so glad it's not just me Notonthestairs. Political commentators seem horrified, but I'd like to understand why it is bad,
I've never actually watched West Wing maybe I should make a start on it.

This thread tries to explain it but I am just as confused

twitter.com/jillongovt/status/1490248978146992128?s=21

Chief of Staff is a special political advisor (spad)to the PM. Despite the name CofS is not in charge of all staff at No.10 as most No.10 staff will be permanent civil servants, which spads are not. So not really like Leo as he was the boss of all the others in the WW I think?

Also, civil servants are and must be politically impartial, spads are not. This is why civil servants are not answerable to spads (but spads sometimes forget this and have to be told where to go by civil servants!).

Priti Patel did announce that shoplifting was down in 2020 and claimed this as an achievement

🤣🤣🤣🤣

The thing with statistics is people have always spun them to tell a bias. That's not unusual and can and has caused problems in the past. Most of the general population won't be as hot on statistical bias as top statisticians. Spin doctors are usually good at their jobs!

The problem with this current lot is they are crap understanding it themselves, crap at spinning statistical bias and so far up this own arses they assume the general population are too thick to see through it.

If they had the brain power to spin a line they'd be doing better!

Yes Minister on impartiality

I should have said that civil servants are supposed to be politically impartial.😅 Most of us manage it most of the time.

How can Barclay be Johnson's Chief of Staff AND a Cabinet Minister AND a constituency MP all at the same time?

If I could be bothered to list all the lies we’ve been peddled by Mr Johnson and the Conservative party I would - the drinks parties are just the thin edge of a very big wedge and have served a useful purpose in pushing other things they’ve lied about into the background.
It almost beggars belief to me that as a country we enabled the Conservatives to form a government in the first place, but that being so, even worse now is the fact that so many of the elected members of the party still seems to feel that it is acceptable for someone who essentially appears not to know truth from fiction and is happy to lie to save his own skin to continue as the country’s PM.
Mr Johnson has come from a background of entitlement and privilege and mixed in circles that are thankfully alien to me. His antics at Eton and Oxford, his sackings from at least 2 jobs, his extra marital affairs, his loose tongue and dodgy financial dealings should have been enough to tell his fellow party members that he wasn’t a suitable candidate for the job. For some reason they weren’t, and this speaks volumes to me about the morals of the Conservative Party generally.
As to those being sent out to defend him knowing what they do about him (and I’d be surprised if there isn’t more to come) I have no words really. It’s easy for them to say he got Brexit done and managed the pandemic and the vaccination programme well, but when the surface of these statements is scratched they do themselves no favours by trying to defend the indefensible.
If the Prime Minister had one ounce of decency he’d surely resign for the good of the party. Rest assured he won’t end up on his beam end.

@DuncinToffee

Same earler on Sky News

#Phillips - In France energy prices have risen by 4% & it's 54% in the UK... what have the French got that we don't have, except maybe a better government?

Kwasi Kwarteng - They have scared a lot of investors in France...we're securing jobs....

Presumably given that a French energy company makes a lot of money in the UK we are subsidising their lower prices?

Got to love privatisation of essential services.

@BoreOfWhabylon

How can Barclay be Johnson's Chief of Staff AND a Cabinet Minister AND a constituency MP all at the same time?

My DB is Tory through and through, wouldvote for a dustbin if it had a blue rosette. He is also one of Barclay's constituents. Even he thinks he is rubbish

I should add that because of a previous role he has had to have a lot to do with him.