Westministers: Happy New Year?

[RedToothBrush]

And so we enter a New Year full of hope that things might just be about to recover from our national nervous breakdown... or perhaps not.

As we have Damien Green ejected from his role as Deputy PM over allegations of inappropriate conduct towards woman and use of porn at the end of last year, 2018 sees a bright new progressive dawn with the appointment to the role of universities regulator of Toby Young. A man who has deleted 20,000 tweets including many which are inappropriate and offensive to women, is a fan of eugenics and hates the working class and disabled.

Meanwhile the NHS is facing a crisis which is totally unexpected to the government and couldn't possibly have been planned for by a man who has over seen it for over five years. Which naturally bodes really well for Brexit planning.

We are apparently planning to join the TPP. Never mind geopolitics we can move the UK to the Pacific region.

We still are not ready for trade talks because the Cabinet can not agree on anything. Not that it sounds like they have actually discussed anything along these lines yet.

Rumours are that the Cabinet - including arch leavers such as Gove - are leaning towards supporting May and a softer option, despite the disgust of Johnson, who once again is the subject of malicious chatter about his sacking in a forthcoming Cabinet Reshuffle.

There is talk of further Tory Party war with the revelation that membership of the party has dropped to a core of just 70,000 hardline authoritarian men, most of whom are over 60. Tory HQ now wants to (perhaps with some good reason to prevent the loons) rewrite the constitution and limit the power of local associations to select candidates. The Tory party is now lining up to be a power struggle between internal authoritarians, who don't like democracy voices or structure.

Meanwhile the Labour Party membership now apparently overwhelmingly looks upon staying in the customs union and single market favourably and is in favour of a second referendum. In opposition to the leadership who are utterly committed to Hard Brexit. Much to the annoyance of Lord Adonis who is pitching a fit about government corruption and incompetence and being accused of being elite because he going skiing. Unlike of prominent Leavers who are in touch with the working class.

And finally Nigel Farage has got a meeting with Barnier. Farage, unlike Clegg, Clarke and Adonis, will not be accused by the Right Wing Press of undermining the government's negotiating position because...

It appears that we are in for another year of Brexit nonsense then.

We've not even heard mention of Gibraltar yet.

They’ll probably tell everyone they can carry on saying “the NHS” for now (like OFSTED did) and then quietly drop the “& Social Care” bit (because there won’t be any once JH has finished with it).

@theousherwood

Junior ministerial announcements due to start later this morning. Understand there won't be a minister in charge of planning for a no deal Brexit. Obvs moment has passed for appointing said minister with right to attend Cabinet of regular basis.

I imagine, based on similar recent events, that Young's resignation will be attacked by right-wingers as yet another example of "bullying and silencing blah-blah-blah".

Davis letter ironically made it politically impossible to create a minister for no deal...

“On 29 March 2019 at midnight, the United Kingdom will cease to be a member state,” Mr Barnier said in November.

And UK citizens cease being EU citizens .

Tom Newton Dunn @ tnewtondunn
It’s not over yet. Told the PM will ask no less than 12 Tory MPs from 2015 intake to join the Govt tomorrow. Means also a lot of sackings;

Davis letter ironically made it politically impossible to create a minister for no deal...

Maybe that was the intent ? Dark forces are swirling around power at the moment. All we can see is the surface wake. Maybe mass action seems futile, but I would bet money that individuals are making their points behind closed doors.

It's worth knowing how elephants were safely caught by Africans ....

It’s not over yet. Told the PM will ask no less than 12 Tory MPs from 2015 intake to join the Govt tomorrow.

On R4 this morning, the puff was to "promote diversity" in government.

To be honest, the best demographic they could introduce is the unemployed and call an election.

I imagine, based on similar recent events, that Young's resignation will be attacked by right-wingers as yet another example of "bullying and silencing blah-blah-blah".

My social media has been full of right-wing commentators claiming that it's Young's toriness, rather than twattishness, that has generated complaint. Nothing to do with the fact that I could easily identify around 10,000 people who would be more qualified to do the job, some of whom would also be Tories.

Julia Hartley-Brewer @ juliehb1
If you think Toby Young is unfit to be on the university regulator board because he tweeted about women’s tits but you voted for Jeremy Corbyn to be PM after he took cash from Russia & Iran, and supported Hamas & the IRA, then you’re an idiot.

Have you heard that Alton Towers are going to open a ride with a huge flaming straw man in it?

If you think you voted for Corbyn or thought it was possible to vote for Corbyn outside Islington then you are at idiot.

Amber Rudd effectively got dumped with Women and Equalities.

Julia Hartley-Brewer

Who GAS what she thinks ?

Pro EU Labour, gathering pace right now. Corbyn is not safe.

Sam Coates Times @ samcoatestimes
Users of Twitter, Britain is yours

Of course, the main thing, if one is a Leaver, is to gaze calmly at these recent events and the protagonists thereof, and contentedly think to oneself, "Ah, I feel so optimistic that everything at this crucial juncture is in the hands of these giants of the political world, it's all going to be marvellous and my Sunlit Uplands are right on schedule for next March!" whilst putting the English sparkling wine to chill

Twitter has people more qualified and would do a better job in amongst all the trolls and nutters tbf.

Andrew Adonis
@Andrew_Adonis
No accident Toby Young resigned the night before junior minister reshuffle. Jo Johnson, universities minister, worrying about his own job. His only legacy is Mr Young and doing nothing about fat cat vice-chancellors & sky high tuition fees!

Beth Rigby @ bethrigby
Reshuffle day two: verdict from one minister. “Shambles day two. Toby Young.”

Hahahaha yes May's plan to get the headlines with her super inclusive new intake has been rather scuppered before she even starts to make a hash of it.

If the government fires @toadmeister then there is no point. We might as well just give up on democracy and let Twitter run the country.

Errrr If the government takes us out of the EU with no definition of what that means based on grave referendum campaign deceits. then there is no point. We might as well just give up on democracy and let Twitter run the country.

If the government attempts to trigger Article 50 with no parliamentary vote then there is no point. We might as well just give up on democracy and let Twitter run the country.

If the government ( and Labour Party)decides the referendum meant leaving the customs union and single market , despite express assurances to the contrary, then there is no point. We might as well just give up on democracy and let Twitter run the country.

I could go on...

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/01/toby/
Toby Young's resignation. With Apprentice Style Honest Subtitles.

I have decided to stand down from the Office for Students.
I was told to quit as I being a liarbility (sic)

My appointment has become a distraction from its vital work of broadening access to higher education and defending academic freedom.
My appointment was obviously going to cause a problem but I took it anyway as I figured it would enhance my journalistic career and flog a few extra copies of the Spectator.

Education is my passion and I want now to be able to get on with the work I have been doing to promote and support the free schools movement.
Come on you didn't seriously think I'd do an actual job with responsibility when I have the option of getting paid to make hot air instead? I'm taking a leaf out of Farage not Johnson's book.

These schools have already done a huge amount to raise standards in some of England’s most deprived areas and the next challenge is to extend those benefits to every area of educational underperformance.
I've already wasted a shit ton of money in schools with no real improvement for a lot of kids.

The caricature drawn of me in the last seven days, particularly on social media, has been unrecognisable to anyone who knows me.
Only white privileged men like me are allowed to characterise the disabled and poor.

I am a passionate supporter of inclusion and helping the most disadvantaged, as I hope my track record of setting up and supporting new schools demonstrates.
I support eugenics

But some of the things I said before I got involved in education, when I was a journalistic provocateur, were either ill-judged or just plain wrong – and I unreservedly apologise.
Its ok to promote eugenics as a journalist as you have no journalist responsibility. I still believe in eugenics though. I just can't admit it now. Maybe in my next column as a journalist devoid of ethics.

I would like to thank the Prime Minister for standing by me, and drawing a distinction between my earlier life and my subsequent record in education.
I would like to thank the PM for being weak and being a total mug

I would also like to thank Justine Greening, who appointed me to the OfS Board and whose commitment to social mobility I greatly admire.
Hahaha look where that got you love. Sacked. Suuuccckkeeerrr.

I wish her all the very best in the future.
Like hell I do. Bloody red tory.

And I’d like to congratulate Damian Hinds on his appointment as Education Secretary. I know that he is equally passionate about helping children from the poorest backgrounds to succeed in life.
I am excited about the return of grammar schools and someone taking on my crown as the great wrecker of schools.

His job is one of the most significant in Government. I cannot think of a more important mission.
Yes keeping the plebs in their place whilst privatising education is essential to my vision.

Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes to Sir Michael Barber, the Chair of the Office for Students, and the other members of the Board. They have a difficult task ahead of them, but I cannot think of a more able group of people to take on this challenge.
Bastards. I hope you choke on your jobs. I hope someone makes them even more difficult.

I was told to quit as I being a liarbility (sic)

I thought being a liar bility was a positive, an essential prerequisite for positions of national responsibility these days?

Norman smith @ bbcnormansmith
One of the pleasing consequences of the Toby Young resignation is i don't have to spend the day standing in a freeeezing Downing Street #icestationzebra

And there is the BBC's political department downgrading the reshuffle in the order of importance for their headlines today.

Nice one Toby. You must either hate may and want to undermine her agenda for the day or think shes terrible and want to cover up how bad today will be. Or are the selfish serving cunt who doesn't give a shit about wider conservative ideals that every says you are.

(I may be enjoying this resignation a little too much. I apologise)

Iain Martin @ iainmartin1
Dire general election. Manifesto. Party conference. Now reshuffle. Common factor? May. What will it take for penny to drop with Tory party?

Nothing. They are happy. As long as it lets them line their pockets.

.

Kevin Schofield @ polhomeditor
Lots of Tory MPs turning their fire on No10 chief of staff following yesterday’s reshuffle chaos. One says: “He’s a boy in a man's world. MPs are fed up with him and think he has become arrogant and aloof.”

Another Conservative MP: "The problem is Theresa May knows no one and becomes utterly dependent on these courtiers, who are not very good." 2018 starting pretty much as 2017 ended, then.

We have our fall guy. Gavin Barwell.

I always felt that Theresa May's inability to make friends would eventually lead to her downfall. As PM you need to be able to talk to people and appear interested in them. For all his other faults, Cameron was able to do this.