Why the fuck is Boris Johnson still Prime Minister?

[noblegiraffe]

Fucksake. I mean seeing minister after minister wheeled out to defend the indefensible in the media rounds. Do they have no shame? Prattling on about how it was an 'essential part of leadership' to be a Toastmaster to an illegal piss-up. No, leadership was the Queen sat alone at a funeral, like so many of her subjects had to do. Not carrying on with your unprofessional boozy work culture and then have your team crow about how they 'got away with it' when they successfully didn't vomit in front of the cameras there for another press conference telling everyone how important it was to stick to the rules.

Johnson knew it wasn't right to have birthday parties when he personally wrote to a kid saying they were right to not have theirs, but then thought it was just fine to have one of his own and then announce that all rules had been followed to Parliament? (The police disagree, as does anyone who was forced to cancel their own celebrations).

Telling people that it was his duty to have a party for leaving colleagues while at the same time people couldn't be with dying family?

And now they are having the gall to say that he has accepted full responsibility? How? That sort of statement is followed by a resignation, not a 'now let's forget about it and move on'. How has he demonstrated that he has done anything apart from his utmost to weasel out of taking any sort of responsibility, to the point of asking Sue Gray to give up on her report? The report that that he told the rest of us that we had to wait months for the outcome of to find out what he already knew.

He says he wants to deliver what the British people want. Polls said yesterday that a majority want him to resign. Get the fuck on with it then.

But polls also showed that only a tiny minority of people actually believe he has the integrity to do the right thing (learned from bitter experience).

So what, the British people are stuck with this craven, corrupt liar as leader?

Well no. He could be no-confidenced by his MPs. What the fuck are they waiting for? Do they think it is to their benefit to have him shitting over public office every day? 'Oh but they can't think of anyone better'. What exactly does that say about the state of the Tory party if that's true?

Cannot stand seeing his face, hearing his pathetic lies, seeing his shitty schtick any more. JUST FUCK OFF BORIS.

It is a good point that maybe no one half way competent would take over at this point.

I just don't think the current Tories are up to that level of strategic, longer term thinking.

There's no contradiction whatsoever between being a leader a lot of the public loathe (which was even true in 2019 actually, Rob Ford has done some interesting stuff on this) and still being the Conservative who polls better than the others. There's just not.

Can you provide evidence that Boris Johnson polls better than other Conservatives?

The phrase "poisoned chalice" comes to mind!

No, probably not.

I don't think there's been anything of decent quality done since the report came out, if that's what you're getting at? Lord Ashcroft had some polling and analysis a couple of weeks back that explains this though: Johnson was polling badly compared to Starmer, but also there was no other Tory who voters were more prepared to vote for.

lordashcroftpolls.com/2022/04/three-reasons-why-boris-johnson-can-survive-the-publics-anger-at-partygate/#more-16735

Now obviously this may change, but that's essentially the point. Johnson is the incumbent, the default. If and when we begin to see not only Johnson behind Starmer in polls but also another Tory doing better than Johnson, that's when we'll see Tory MPs boot him. Currently, there's no evidence of such a candidate existing. That needs to change before Tory MPs will act.

@francesfrankenfurter half way competent would be an improvement.

Not a lying, sneaky sleaze would be a start!

That is a bit of a u-turn Janiiejones. Usually you argue that Johnson is responsible for very little!

The report only investigated Johnson's presence at two of the six parties he was allegedly at.

If and when we begin to see not only Johnson behind Starmer in polls but also another Tory doing better than Johnson, that's when we'll see Tory MPs boot him. Currently, there's no evidence of such a candidate existing. That needs to change before Tory MPs will act.

Actually, that does answer the question 'Why the fuck is Boris Johnson still Prime Minister?' Doesn't it? But it's not about polling data, because the polling data should be irrelevant, given what Johnson has done during his term in office.

What it actually says is "Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister because integrity is not a Conservative value". If they valued integrity, they'd have booted him regardless of successor. The key Conservative value here is "self-interest".

So Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister because the Conservative party currently embodies his values of self-interest and self-preservation over integrity and probity.

Some Tory MPs do value integrity and have said as much when putting their letters in. But most Tory MPs are the MPs of Johnson's Toryism and do not value integrity.

He is not toxic to their brand. He is their brand and they are just like him.

I agree with you, but hasn't self-interest always been a fundamental value of the Tory Party?

NobleGiraffe:

"He is not toxic to their brand. He is their brand and they are just like him."

Hah, have literally just seen this article on twitter which says exactly the same thing but better.

www.newstatesman.com/comment/2022/05/boris-johnson-made-government-reckless-dishonest

"This would be bad enough if it only affected Downing Street, but it doesn’t. One way or another – because of who chooses to work for them, who gets promoted, what policies get pushed because somebody, somewhere, thinks they’ll impress the boss – governments come to look like their Prime Ministers......Under Boris Johnson, though, it means a government as empty of ethics and ideas as he is. It means ministers who defend the indefensible, because neither standards nor the views of the electorate even come into it, and others who mislead parliament and don’t resign. (He hasn’t, after all, so why should they?) It means the replacement of policy with culture war nonsense, because the goal of the exercise is no longer to change the country but to get a flattering write-up in friendly newspapers."

I love these posts. They are proof that Labour voters find it easier to bash the government than find a single positive thing about their own party.

Is Labour still paying it's bots?

I'm not a Labour supporter.

It certainly is very easy to bash the government though, isn't it? So much scope.

Why are you assuming we are labour supporters?
I look back at the Conservative party as it used to be and it looks a totally different party now, past prime ministers would not have insulted business by turning up to speak to them and ranting about peppa pig world. The conservative used to be the party of business. Now they clearly don't give a fuck about any businesses not owned by their mates.

I don't disagree with any of this. It's not particularly edifying to be right.

FWIW I don't necessarily think this will stay the same, even with Johnson having done such an effective job of curbing potential rivals within the party. The cost of living crisis means all bets are off. It's just where we are now, today.

Actually I'm working for Rishi. He pays well.

Lmao probably a sound commercial choice. Boris so wouldn't pay the invoice on time.

"Boris so wouldn't pay the invoice on time."

Actually Lord Brownlow pays quite promptly 😉

No bots needed. There is a lot of outrage being expressed free of charge on all sorts of SM about the way Johnson and his cronies are behaving.

Exactly. And most voters planning to give him their vote at the next election are just like him as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not a labour supporter. I have always voted for the candidate with the greatest passion for the community I live in, whatever their party. I am however a person with a bit of integrity and will not support someone who is morally bankrupt or anyone who enables them.

Boris Johnson is a corrupt, devious and dangerous liar. Anyone who supports or defends him is as despicable as he is.

So do tell us all the positive qualities of this government which means it can continue to count on your vote?