Westminstenders: Johnson v Stewart

[RedToothBrush]

Debate time.

No. Boris stopped writing his column when he was in Cabinet.

No point attacking people like him and Osborne for the money they make from jobs. They see their salary / fees / MPs salary as mere bagatelle.

This is what makes Boris position on higher rate tax interesting. He can see the impact of eroding the top rate entry point on doctors, promoted teachers etc (They are also the bracket losing child benefit and paying most back for longest of student loans atm). but to people like him it is irrelevant. Otoh Hunt cutting corporation tax would benefit the personal finances of people like him and Boris much more.

BTW I had trouble reconciling the costing as headlined. Of the 3m beneficiaries half earn on average £60k so would "only" benefit by £1k if as mooted the NI thresholds move in step. The people at £80k getting the full effect benefit by £3k. The headlines figure was £6k for fatcats. My rough guesstimate was £4.5bn so I am sceptical of the press estimates of £10bn +.

Reading the 'comments' from the Express 'article' linked above, If that is the standard of UK critical thinking, the EU will be better off without the UK.
The fact that the 'headline' suggested one thing but what Mr Rutte said was different is 'interesting' if not unexpected from such a high quality 'paper'.

My friend just messaged me that he's getting to watch/take part in the Starmer Q&A on Brexit, anyone got any questions to put to him and I'll pass them on

Only £4.5 billion... makes it all ok then.

I looked up Heads of Dept on a jobs agency site, very few were over 50k, most around the 40k mark.

The real beneficiaries are those on incomes that don't attract NI.

Turns out Boris did his old friend George a favour and wrote the Standard editorial for him.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-interview-its-time-we-had-some-excitement-but-theres-a-serious-job-to-be-done-a4171831.html

25th July - 3 September for HoP hols.

Sajid is out.

2 spoilt ballots

Gove - 61
Hunt - 59
Javid - 34
Johnson - 157

Javid out and it just got interesting

Still more people don’t want Noris than do... (excluding tactical voting).

spoiled ballots love to know what was written on them....

Damn! I was hoping Jeremy Hunt would stay second! Blooming BJ and MC! God help us all!

It doesn’t matter that Boris has less than half of the total votes. He only has to get into the final 2 and there’s no way that won’t happen!

spoiled ballots love to know what was written on them....

...or drawn on them...

Wank, wank, wank - and without a No Wank

So...
How many MPs have said they would not serve under bojo as PM?

For me nothing to chose between Gove and Hunt - Hunt messed up Health, Gove messed up Education. But I think the one I would enjoy most would be Gove vs Johnson - both the architects of the Leave vote, both with their lies helping them to win, and a public falling out between them as to which has the biggest willy would be entertaining.

Meanwhile the Civil Service could get on with running the country.

Javid out and it just got interesting

Time to test the theory that Javid has been corralling votes for Boris which he can now hand to Hunt to knock out Gove.

According to George BoJo is the man to give us back our MoJo.

www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/evening-standard-comment-we-back-boris-as-the-pm-to-turn-britain-around-a4171816.html

When we had the last Leadership thread back in 2016 it was a LOT more lighthearted. I backed Blonde Ambition last time so, might as well hang for a sheep. Weirdly Bearbehind who disagrees with me on almost everything and thinks I am a complete numpty seems to agree - the logic being it is best to get these things over with (apologies if I have misunderstood Bear so feel free to correct me if you are about)

I get the feeling that the Tories just want to see Gove and Johnson slugging it out as if its all some jape to see these two doing so. Never mind the country just pit these two against each other for a laugh.
The EU will not do a deal with Boris, the animal! Absolute chaos.

Andrew Neil grilling Penny Mordaunt. Gawd, she's dire.

Corbyn would get support from some Tories for NC, but not if he's just promising a softer version of BJ Brexit

If Corbyn and the Lexiters think they can piss off 70-80% of members and voters, then everyone will return after Brexit ....

they may be in for a real shock
and a generation on the Opposition benches - in much smaller numbers

Many longterm Labour voters may never return
neither will the centrists that the Labour left continually sneer at, but need if they ever want to win a GE again.

Does anyone know where I can find a list of hustings dates?

And what the format is, are there questions from the audience?

A bloody Defence Secretary who is so cavalier about the Union ...

Blonde Ambition? I.e. Loathsome Leadsom?

But honestly who knows. I think we all thought that Theresa May was by far and away the best of a bad bunch, and proved herself to be totally incompetent. I can't see Johnson surprising us though - he will remain incompetent.

Hunt I think could just grow into the job of PM.

So, maybe we are placing our bets on the first in a very long line of Tory PMs,
with Labour never getting a look in

If so, it'll be down to Corbyn and the Lexiters

If you don't want any of those as your leader to the point you spoil you ballot, why are you still in the party?

You have to assume they previously supported Stewart.

(I'd love it to be May and Hammond that spoilt their ballots!)

Just called my MP's local office, and asked who he'd voted for and would be voting for. He is apparently supporting Gove throughout. The staff member either wouldn't or couldn't tell me why, and I asked for an email response. He voted remain in the referendum.