Part 7.5

[jgw1]

AIBU to still be enjoying falls?

Bringing down BJ & spouse will bring down the Tory party too, leading to a Con defeat at the next GE, so DC will have very little time to attack the civil service.
Whatever DC's aims (if he is heavily involved) it isn't to get back in, unless its with Labour?

I don't think it will, they will regroup under a new leader. Two/three years is a long time in politics and unless Labour get their act together, work out what they stand for and the direction they want to take then a win for Labour is in no way guaranteed at the next GE (they have a recent history of missing many an open goal).

I don't think it will, they will regroup under a new leader.

I am not sure about that. After the Thatcher/Major years, it took a long time for them to sort the party out. I am hoping that this time will be akin to the end of the War, where people were fed up and wanted something different. I hope too that Starmer turns out to be an Attlee - a modest man, but who achieved a lot.

So does this mean that Johnson might get off, but Carrie won't? He won't show her any loyalty if he needs to save his own skin.

Both or neither I would imagine.

It's a bit of an odd one because Carrie hasn't exactly helped her husband's situation:
Who held the victory party when DC left?
Who arranged her husbands birthday party?
Who spent a huge amount on decorating the flat which lead to one enquiry and possible another on the horizon? (I don't have Boris down as a man interested in expensive wallpaper and soft furnishings!)

That said, I wouldn't lay the blame for the above fully at her door, he clearly can't/won't set any work/personal life boundaries but I'm disappointed that she couldn't see how inappropriate that all was in the current climate.

I am not sure about that. After the Thatcher/Major years, it took a long time for them to sort the party out. I am hoping that this time will be akin to the end of the War, where people were fed up and wanted something different. I hope too that Starmer turns out to be an Attlee - a modest man, but who achieved a lot.

Yes it did take a long time but then Labour was a quite a different party then to what it is now. Whilst it's clear to see that the Conservatives right now are eating themselves, it's not all going swimmingly behind the scenes in the Labour Party. People may well want something different come the GE but Labour need to offer something different and not what they offered last time which clearly didn't hit the mark.

Oh my god
I didn't realise that when the Russian foreign secretary said the meeting with Liz Truss was like a mute person talking to a deaf person he was talking literally, not figuritively. I've got cringe pains watching this 🙈. twitter.com/ukiswitheu/status/1491816768788180992?t=ai8_kuCcmUokyJT5IYVi-w&s=19

He basically speaks, and she doesn't bother listening to the interpretation of what he said before she launches into her pre-prepared monologue. Then he has to chastise her: "don't talk until they finish translating" . I believe the person next to her squirms then actually nudges her

I find Dominic Cummings a very interesting character. He is only showing us what he want us to see and when he wants us to see it and has a lot of people eating out of the palm of his hand, (ironically the opposite group of people that he appealed to in 2016) there is a lot of other stuff going on below the surface. He is much more interesting than any prime minister or politician. Intelligence and cunning.

Absolutely agree with this.

I'd add dangerous too - I'm just not 100% sure who too yet.

.

I still find it hard to believe we will be rid of Johnson any time soon.

It's a bit of an odd one because Carrie hasn't exactly helped her husband's situation:
Who held the victory party when DC left?
Who arranged her husbands birthday party?
Who spent a huge amount on decorating the flat which lead to one enquiry and possible another on the horizon? (I don't have Boris down as a man interested in expensive wallpaper and soft furnishings!)

If this is correct, then Boris is singularly unsuited to any position of responsibility, if he cannot stand up to his partner/wife, which is what your basically saying, then he is an extremely weak man.

But i don't believe a word of it, BJ has a very cavalier but ruthless approach to life, is completely out of touch with ordinary people and has cultured the image which makes you think he isn't in to luxury furnishings etc & of course it was BJ messaging tory donors not Carrie.

No, BJ is solely responsible for his current situation, you seem like an intelligent person, so i can't believe you swallow the "Ambushed by Cake" fairy tale.

Found you!

Reading Jessica Simor on Twitter, seems this “questionnaire” procedure is an anomaly and v unusual if not unheard of! Some suggestion that it may be to protect junior officers from invidious position of having to interview pm under caution. Not sure how persuasive that is.

One rule… etc etc.

What does it matter really whose 'fault' said not-parties were? They will just string out the legal arguments into eternity, Jarndyce v. Jarndyce. Everyone can see what they were and that our country is in thrall to a bunch of liggers who can't believe their luck and will suck every last freebie out of the State they despise before they are prised out clutching the loot. I hope that's sooner rather than later but until the Tory Party finds it's mislaid backbone we're stuck with them. And they know it.

Some suggestion that it may be to protect junior officers from invidious position of having to interview pm under caution. Not sure how persuasive that is.

Not at all persuasive. In cases where the person in question is considered important, you would expect them to find a more senior officer to conduct the interview.

So what if all the people tell exactly the same story, which would look like collusion?

I think it's getting beyond parties now, and more to the way that there are one set of rules for us, and none for them.

@DePfeffoff

Hmm, so when I was working at home all through the pandemic, I could in fact have invited my work colleagues in for a knees-up? Along with my partner and the person doing my decorations?

Yes indeed, especially if partying is necessary for you to do any work. The Prime Minister made in quite clear in the Downing Street briefing on the 34st of April.

@GreenLunchBox

Oh my god I didn't realise that when the Russian foreign secretary said the meeting with Liz Truss was like a mute person talking to a deaf person he was talking literally, not figuritively. I've got cringe pains watching this 🙈. twitter.com/ukiswitheu/status/1491816768788180992?t=ai8_kuCcmUokyJT5IYVi-w&s=19

He basically speaks, and she doesn't bother listening to the interpretation of what he said before she launches into her pre-prepared monologue. Then he has to chastise her: "don't talk until they finish translating" . I believe the person next to her squirms then actually nudges her

Yikes. Embarrassing.

If Johnson does use the 'my house is my work place ' get out clause, that will lead to some very embarassing interviews and it will also infuriate more of his staff.

Disgruntled employees can find a way of getting revenge.

This is a fairly comprehensive review of LT’s talks with Sergei Lavrov. It’s a curious mixture of cringing and anxiety inducing. I don’t think BJ could have fucked it up more, maybe chucking in some irrelevant quote.

Our government are a car crash and recent events from party gate have sealed the deal. There isn’t even a grudging respect between politicians because we look like the clowns we are. BJ could have done the decent thing and stepped down to save some semblance of our reputation.

Damnit! Forgot the link…

amp.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open

Cornettoninja - that is just painful to read. Can't someone give the Cabinet a few basic Geography lessons? You know, the sort of geography knowledge that a ten year old could be expected to master.

I think @StormzyinaTCup may be right about the Conservatives bouncing back. Which is why it's quite good that Johnson's misguided minions are so desperate to support him - the longer he clings on to power, the more damage he will do, and the more difficult it will be to achieve any bounce back.

They might bounce back - but the Sue Grey report may well flatten that curve. If it is published of course.

From that:

The remark led Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, to observe: “Ms Truss, your knowledge of history is nothing compared to your knowledge of geography. If anyone needs saving from anything, it’s the world, from the stupidity and ignorance of British politicians.” The Foreign Office said that Truss’s remarks had been misinterpreted.

There appears to have been a lot of remarks by the Government that have been misinterpreted

“Ms Truss, your knowledge of history is nothing compared to your knowledge of geography. If anyone needs saving from anything, it’s the world, from the stupidity and ignorance of British politicians.”

I think many of us have for some years known it would come to this. It’s been inevitable.

[quote Cornettoninja]Damnit! Forgot the link…

amp.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open[/quote]
Good grief. Johnson apart, I can't imagine any other Foreign Secretary contemplating going into an important meeting with a foreign power without ensuring they had an absolutely clear grasp of the relevant facts, including basic geography. I suppose Truss thinks that it's OK to follow in her leader's footsteps and ignore all briefing papers.

Didn't Boris Johnson use to be Foreign Secretary?

Sir Jonathan Jones, the government’s former chief legal official

A summary

• Government makes almost all gatherings criminal
• PM tells parliament all rules were obeyed in No 10 and he wasn’t aware of any parties
• Report finds there were multiple parties
• PM was at some of them
• PM is questioned by police about possible offences

Not normal

And yet his supporters tell us it is.
Like Trump and his stolen vote.