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.

As someone of Irish heritage I was appalled at Patel's comments.

But shocked? Nah.

Wait til after no deal when Ireland get loads of help to weather the storm from the EU.

That's when the real anti irish stuff will start...

Not sure what the point in cabinet speculation is- we'll know soon enough but the press are suggesting:

Chancellor -Truss or Javid
Cabinet office -IDS
Home Sec -Hancock or Raab
Foreign Sec- Hunt
Defence -Mordant
Chief Whipp- Grant Shapps
Business Sec -Priti Patel, Esther McVey
Brexit Sec- Stephen Barclay or Raab back
Justice -Geoffrey Cox
Education -Andrea Leadsom
Health- Hancock
Environment- Goldsmith
Transport -Williamson
Work and pensions -Rudd
Housing -Gove ,Malthouse and Jake Berry
International development secretary Patel or Leadsom
Culture -Damian Collins
Trade -Barclay or Raab

If that list is correct it will be the least talented and dare I say lowest IQ cabinet of my lifetime and perhaps of both this and last century.

But it will have 4 or five women and some token BAME so Johnson will be able to crow!

Chancellor -Truss or Javid
Cabinet office -IDS
Home Sec -Hancock or Raab
Foreign Sec- Hunt
Defence -Mordant
Chief Whipp- Grant Shapps
Business Sec -Priti Patel, Esther McVey
Brexit Sec- Stephen Barclay or Raab back
Justice -Geoffrey Cox
Education -Andrea Leadsom
Health- Hancock
Environment- Goldsmith
Transport -Williamson
Work and pensions -Rudd
Housing -Gove ,Malthouse and Jake Berry
International development secretary Patel or Leadsom
Culture -Damian Collins
Trade -Barclay or Raab

Of that list, the only minor concessions to the need for competence in government (and I'm being generous here) are Cox, Hancock, Hunt, Rudd and Barclay. The rest are utterly dire.

Surely there must be a spot for failing Grayling? Which Department can he do the most damage to? That's the one for him!

What merit is there in promoting stupid, grasping, immoral BAME MPs like Patel when you leave the likes of Gyimah on the sidelines for petty party political reasons?

The U.K. has fallen so far, so fast.

Yes GeistohneGrenzen, I also understood quite a bit even though it’s a long time since I took French A-level. I’ve started learning French again recently and my teacher says it’s all still there in the brain: it’s a matter of re-awakening it.

Well, is this Cabinet going to crash and burn? They look the type to self-destruct. Still lots of conflicting opinions among them. (And some with slim majorities.)

But at least with Gyimah, Hammond, Grieve and a few others on the back benches, there is some heavy weight opposition. Whether they will be able to overcome their natural instinct to toe the party line remains to be seen, but people like Grieve have absolutely nothing to lose in trying to do their duty and put the good of the country first.

Surely with a 'crash out' no deal the UK won't need a Brexit secretary (in leaver's minds).
OK I know that one will be necessary eventually although my temptation would be for the EU to put a sign up saying 'gone for lunch, leave a message' carved in stone.

Meanwhile, it seems we are slowly being prepared for life after Brexit ... here's something the broadcasters are trailing as "Love Island 2020" with

www.channel5.com/show/celebrity-5-go-barging/

Well done to all of the marchers we have plans for the weekend so couldn't make it. I was wondering if this is the only march in recent history where part of the premise was anti the next PM? Wonder how Boris feels taking over knowing it isn't what over half of the country want? I'm sure it's power he is after so probably doesn't care but he must be aware; he seemed quite shocked when he started getting cat-calls on the street after the referendum lies.

Am also conserving my energy. I suspect we will be in a war with Iran in a few weeks as well. I was wondering if Grayling might get Defence, what with his recent "experience" of boats...

Thanks for the Le Monde article Hester - I was amazed how well I understood it as my only formal education in French was for O Levels back in 1955!

One of the benefits of a Harrow Comprehensive education (apart from Latin) was compulsory French aged 8-14 - no excuses. When I started to visit France it immediate jumped into life to my amazement - to the extent that as long as I could read what I needed, I was fine.

These days, of course, Google translate is your friend.

The weirder thing is my Italian - having been acquired by ear and speech, is shakiest with writing

{These days, of course, Google translate is your friend.}
As long as you are not concerned about accuracy.

As long as you are not concerned about accuracy.

Unless you are directing an opera, it's good enough to muddle through. I had a Sri Lankan colleague who managed to take his family on a (cheap) weeks holiday to France and they managed exclusively using Google Translate - TamilFrench. It was one of those "I'm living the life I imagined" moments when he explained to me - I had never thought of it. And I'm as gimme-the-shiny as you can get.

This article www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/07/the-guardian-view-on-boris-johnson-and-priti-patel-incompetent-insubordinate-and-still-in-office is am interesting read - god help us all.
Interestingly I just returned from the US and the overriding commentary from Americans when they brought up Brexit was that Johnson was going to be our version of Trump. How can this be democracy..

{As long as you are not concerned about accuracy.}
Does translate work when confronted by say strong Geordie text?

Suspect Geordie dialect written down might be detected as Dutch? I started learning Dutch when living in the NE and it was remarkably similar.

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

I saw mackerel man as well! Just outside parliament square. And a bride and groom who had just got married and were joining in the rally. It was smaller than last time - but it was still big enough that I couldn't get into parliament square, and I was no where near the back. The first couple of marches I went on I had no problem getting into the square and finding somewhere to sit - there must have been tens of thousands yesterday.

I'm sure Clav will be along to 'clarify' the numbers soon, pretzels.

Yup, think of a number and Clavinova will swear that it should be divided by 5, based on information from someone who was nowhere near the place.

To further lower Cabinet IQ:

That Sun story had DD (David Davis) demandng either Chancellor or Foreign Sec,
i.e. one of the top 2 jobs

I suspect BJ would also invite JRM, but Moggy may be too busy with his investment portfolios

I found when in the Netherlands - or ordering from an NL site -

that fluent German plus remembered scraps of French & Latin from school (50 years ago !)

enables me to understand basic written Dutch, even though I can't speak a word

"Furrin" are not a hive mind:

Different nationalities, religions or ethnic groups can have current or even historic emnities
e.g. Sikhs vs Indians, Indians vs Pakistanis, some Asians vs some Africans etc

Also of course, some pull up the ladder even wrt the community from which they came,
Just like "aspirational white wc / mc"

i.e. BAME ministers are human beings with faults & virtues, no better or worse than white ministers
So the number of brown faces won't make it a kinder Cabinet

What we can say:
The draft Cabinet we are reading, just belongs to the "dim and nasty" subgroup of humans

I see Hammond has upped the ante a bit ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49062514