Liz Truss has resigned. Part 3: The Return of the King?

[sunnydaytoday0]

Continuation from last thread.

By Monday we could have a new prime minister, and by next Friday at the latest.

Will Sunak win this time, or could Johnson get his old job back? Would the Tory members once again go against the wishes of the MPs?

And yes I think Johnson sees himself as some sort of world king..

If he gets 100 MPs I guess we’ll find out. He did get a good result at the last election but I’m not sure many won’t just go back where they were raking over same stuff.

My opinion - The Tories are deluded if they think Boris won the last election on his own merits.

A significant number of people who voted Tory last election were not voting ‘for Boris’, or even the Tory party. They were voting for Brexit.

Leavers who had never voted Tories before in their lives held there nose and did it then to make sure they got their ‘Brexit done’.

That ship has now sailed…and dramatically sunk.

It was an anomaly vote about a single issue - it won’t be repeated.

Boris is really not the election winner he and the Tories seem to think he is.

I’m a lifelong centrist and not a Labour “supporter” except in the sense that I would vote Labour in order to end the disastrous shitshow that the Conservative party have wrought.

Johnson himself is the main player in the shitshow. Cameron instigated the Referendum but Johnson used Brexit and the Conservative party only to advance his own interests. He lied repeatedly to Queen, country and to Parliament. He won an election by promising the impossible - to “get Brexit done”. His mendacity and machinations have trashed the economy (even before Truss) and destroyed the UK’s reputation on the world stage. His handling of the pandemic was consistently too little too late and he broke his own rules repeatedly, even when the Queen was observing them while mourning the death of her husband. His government collapsed because his own ministers refused to serve under him for any longer. His 80 seat majority in the 2019 election came from an exasperated public who were fooled once again by his unrealistic promises and weary of the Brexit mess. He is a nothing but a con artist, albeit one of considerable skill and absolutely devoid of conscience. He has destroyed his own party, widely acknowledged to be previously the most successful in the modern Western world.

Sunak on the other hand though a Tory billionaire and obnoxious in many ways at least has a sense of fiscal responsibility and reality. That’s why I prefer him.

Steve Baker is a Labour supporter?

Boris is really not the election winner he and the Tories seem to think he is.

Mmm, some of them have this weird copium idea that he's teflon and it's very odd. In addition to the not to be repeated Brexit factor, in 2019 Johnson was also up against a Labour leader whose personal popularity ratings were even worse than his (he was never actually that loved by the electorate despite common claims otherwise). It's like a cargo cult.

Steve Baker is a Labour supporter?

Interesting times.😀

In fairness, the Tories under Johnson got a huge vote: 13.9 million. That's more than Labour under Blair in 1997 and only slightly less than the Tories under Major in 1992 (which was the most for any party ever.)

A lot of people will ignore the lying, the incompetence and the general lack of responsibility because Boris and he's a laff.

I don’t get talking down the figures from the election.

It wasn’t just Brexit but people voting to avoid Corbyn. I recall research showed a fair few remainers didn’t want Corbyn more.

But as pp said time can’t be reversed, it could go either way but one think in Sunak’s favour is having more MPs with him and not having that drama. I agree he may not appeal as much due to issues re wealth - which is unfortunate as not really relevant - but again depends how things go if he gets it.

And let's not forget the role of the media in all this, that gave that coating of teflon to Johnson in the first place.

It really makes little difference who they pick at this point.

The public services that underpin and support the country, our society, to function - NHS (both physical and mental health), social care, (adults and childrens services, court system, education, emergency services - they have ALL been neglected and dismantled, if not actively sabotaged and destroyed, to the point that they have now collapsed.

The scoffolding has gone. The dam that holds back the water has been destroyed and we are now flooded and drowning. Services either no longer exist, or where they do are so depleted and under funded they that they may as well not exist for the thousands who need them. People are DYING due to loss of these services.

When there aren’t enough drs and nurses, people die.

When there aren’t enough MH staff, people die.

When their aren’t enough community care workers, people die.

When there aren’t enough social workers, important things are missed and people die.

And for those who survive, lives are permanently negatively impacted by lack of this services, children growing up in abusive environments, adults unable to work due to their no support for their mental or physical health, losing their jobs, homes, their families.

It will take DECADES to repair and rebuild this structure. It will take monumental investment, motivation and compassion.That’s not going to come from the Tories who are the very people who have destroyed it all. they have inflicted actual trauma on us all and it the scars will be visible for a generation.

Whoever they pick, right now as a society we are completely fucked.

Someone on twitter was talking about how various parties had been trying to achieve this but were finding it a process like trying to get pandas to mate!

Scott beasley at skyscottbeasley
Northern Ireland Secretary, former Chief Whip and Boris Johnson backer Chris Heaton Harris says unequivocally he “has the numbers” and the former PM is running

Pippa crerar at pippacrerar
NEW: Steve Baker, ex ERG chief, latest Tory right-winger to back Rishi Sunak.

He tells SophyRidgeSky Boris Johnson would be “guaranteed disaster” b/c of HoC probe.

“It's a guaranteed nailed on failure. We can’t allow it to happen. I'm not willing to lay down my integrity”.

Baker? Has integrity? Who knew?!

I don’t get talking down the figures from the election.
It wasn’t just Brexit but people voting to avoid Corbyn. I recall research showed a fair few remainers didn’t want Corbyn more.

The fact that Corbyn was so unpopular by Dec 2019 actually furthers the argument that the Tory success wasn't simply about Boris.

Obviously. However it wasn’t just Brexit as stated by pp.

Times live poll.

Jack elsom at jackelsom
Penny Mordaunt describes herself as the "halfway house" between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak on Laura Kuenssberg Show.

Hahaha!

Mordaunt is my worst choice, finding it frustrating she’s pushing it

No mandate and no where near the backers as Sunak

Sunak is taking all the heavy hitters now

Jesus they are all at it this morning with perverse statements which are utterly contridatory and away with the fairies

Nadine Dorries at Nadinedorries
If Rishi Sunak were to win, the focus of the privileges committee I am absolutely certain would move straight onto Rishi Sunak and what he knew - in order to embolden Labours call for a general election. With Rishi we will be in general election territory within weeks.

Mordaunt.

Liz Truss 2 - Electric Boogaloo.

Friendly reminder. Mordaunt takes votes off Johnson.

I saw a comment last night that Mordaunt should get behind Sunak. And quietly pondered which Tory MP might have most to gain from that... (hint: not Mordaunt or Sunak)

True. Good reminder I needed it 😂

Cat Neilan at catneilan
Steve Baker's switch to Rishi Sunak seems to be changing the dynamics of the contest.

One MP who has been running the numbers says: "He was, I thought, nailed on for Boris."

Although the ERG is split, a couple of weeks ago, a strategist said Baker was one of a handful of MPs who genuinely "make the weather" among colleagues.

Steven Swinford AT steven_swinford
EXCLUSIVE:

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak did not strike a deal last night

Johnson told his supporters this morning that he is the only candidate with a democratic mandate

He said he wants to form a Govt that will reach 'far and wide'

Boris Johnson said that he would treat the Privileges committee with the 'utmost courtesy'

He said that he did not intentionally mislead the Commons

He urged supporters to get on the phones. 'Let's do this,' he said

Johnson said that there has been economic turbulence as a result of politics and that this can't be allowed to happen again

'We must have stability'

He said he will reach out to Rishi Sunak & Penny Mordaunt again later today

Boris Johnson appears intent on going all the way

At the 8am call this morning he was 'dressed for the job' - one colleague was surprised to see he had his shirt tucked in

Yeah. Because it’s totally plausible that teetotal Rishi was fuelling the drinking culture at Downing Street during the pandemic and lying to parliament about it at least as much as Boris