Westministenders: A New Approach? No chance.

[RedToothBrush]

Next week we will have a new PM. He will be called Boris Johnson unless something very odd has happened.

His first 72 hours will be 'interesting' especially if today's events are anything to go by.

His Cabinet is sure to be a horror show. It was noticable who abstained today - they don't think they will be in a Johnson Cabinet and clearly don't want to be.

To move forward Johnson must be able to survive a rebellion and a Queen's speech before now and 31st October.

And be able to unit his party in order to find a way forward.

And whilst parliament has voted to block proroguing parliament, it could still be dissolved if there is a vote of no confidence.

And what happens if Johnson loses a vote? Will he manage to become PM? Will there be a GE.

All the signs are that next week is going to be a hell of a ride.

Enjoy your weekend.

I've not got any photos that don't have friends in though, so I don't have any to share with you :(

Getting philosophical now

I remember having an argument animated discussion with a former boyfriend (who was a Marketing Director for a glass company) about whether marketing could/should be applied to charities/charitable organisations/public/3rd sector organisations. He said that they couldn't, because they didn't have the profit motive.

I argued that it depended on what you defined as "profit". Eg, in health terms, "profit" would be improved health.

I then came across Malcolm McDonald's definition (who wrote one of the definitive marketing planning textbooks) which defined marketing as the process by which 2 organisations seek to do business that is mutually beneficial (or at least, along those lines). There is no point screwing your supplier of specialised widgets if they then go bankrupt and then you either no longer have a supplier, in which case a competitor with an inferior product has you over the barrel, or from the other side, charging too much for your specialised product so that your customer can't make a profit and either exits the market/goes bankrupt themselves, finds another supplier or adapts their product so that they no longer need what you supply.

Come to think of it, it could be applied to the Brexit negotiations

As if by magic ....

www.theregister.co.uk/2019/07/19/selfdriving_bus_injuries/

Just back home from March which was very positive and upbeat despite being smaller...it felt like the first one I went on and I felt numbers were respectable despite being the first day of the summer hols and not a People’s Vote big-time affair.
Lovely to meet @TheNumberfaker as a result of a series of coincidences and what a small world it is!

From the beginning.

We came across a man holding actual mackerel in the air because he couldn't find any kippers.

I presume he had an ice pillow with him too

PMK

Well done to kitten, born, faker and all the marchers ! 💐 🍹 🍫

Another very good-natured march on a beautiful sunny day. Some good speeches by Caroline Criado-Perez and the ‘woman in the maroon jumper’ (businesswoman on Question Time a while back who berated JRM with facts.) Also from some people who regret voting Leave.

A definite sense of ‘this isn’t about Johnson, because he won’t be around long, but it’s about all of us, and truth and equality and fairness and honesty’.

LOTS of placards about Johnson lying.

Smaller crowd today, but people aren’t giving up. Another one on 12th Oct, I believe. By then, anything could be happening. Resist.

Well done to all the marchers. I’m sad I couldn’t be there this time, but I had to drive DD and her friend to PGL (2 hours each way).

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/priti-patel-boris-johnson-brexit-trump-cabinet-home-secretary-pm-a9012916.html
Priti Patel: Boris Johnson considering shock return for controversial Brexiteer as home secretary
Exclusive: Thatcherite was sacked over secret meetings with Israeli politicians – but return would be 'clear' distancing from friendship with US president

Johnson: Give me a list of Tory MPs who are flecking useless and controversial. I want to look good by comparison as PM

Thanks to everyone who marched, wish we could have attended!

Not Patel as well ! 🤦🏻‍♀️

BJ really is exhuming the dimmest of the Batshit Tory wing

A Cabinet of Horrors !

Well done Hester too, for marching

Priti Patel: Boris Johnson considering shock return for controversial Brexiteer as home secretary

The Times are suggesting that Priti Patel will replace Liam Fox.

Well done to those who went marching

Interesting comments from the Guardian link about the march today;

"Speaking to demonstrators, it was clear there was no consensus on the goal of the People’s Vote campaign–and the march."

"Jackie, in her 40s, and daughter Poppy, 12, travelled from Bournemouth to join the crowd.It was their fourth anti-Brexit march."

“This does feel like a remain campaign,” Jackie said, “and we are definitely remainers and want to stop Brexit. But it should probably be a neutral campaign for a second referendum."

"T...Nolan, 55, a scientist, and C...Paton, 59, from Suffolk, agreed. “This should be a democratic campaign, people should make a free decision in a second referendum,” Nolan said."

"Paton said he wanted “a remainer-led government”, but also felt the People’s Vote leaders should be clamouring for a second vote, not necessarily for remain."

I did not go today because I did not like the personal "Boris" part of it
and because I thought the timing was odd
BUT
Friends who went have confirmed that it was - yet again - friendly and happy and life affirming

if only everything else was as upbeat

Interesting spat developing in the Far East ...

www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/business/japan-south-korea-trade-war-semiconductors.html

...
The long-simmering issue took new life after South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered a Japanese company to pay compensation to a man who had been forced to work in one of its steel mills during the war. When the company refused, the court ordered the seizure of some of its South Korean assets.

Japan says that case and others were covered by a 1965 pact that declared claims from that era “settled completely and finally.”
...

Seems treaties are under fire everywhere ?

The Guardian report is interesting. I have bemoaned the lack of clarity from those in The People's Vote campaign for months/years. Still waiting for detail and an agreed position on what would be included on the ballot for a second referendum. The campaign is going to come under more scrutiny as we near Oct 31st and the divisions are going to be exposed.

Priti Patel: Boris Johnson considering shock return for controversial Brexiteer as home secretary
*
The Times are suggesting that Priti Patel will replace Liam Fox.*

God help us all

Respect to those on the AIBU thread.

Gove to be 'promoted' to housing Secretary or NI secretary.

Yes. You read that right

Still holding out for 52:48