Boris Johnson bringing the country together

[Arkadas]

Johnson has said: "... our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together now"

How do people think he will be able to achieve this? I've been racking my brains ever since he said it. IMO, he lacks the necessary personal and diplomatic skills, as he would rather go for a quick laugh/off the cuff remark/than take any kind of thoughtful, reasoned, inclusive position.

I've struggled - and failed - to forgive him for his stupidity in the Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe case, or his remarks about bum boys and piccaninny smiles, and don't believe he's fit to be PM for those things alone. Nevertheless, he is. So, how can he achieve his promise to bring the country together. What would you like him to do to achieve this?

Labour voters stayed at home.

No. Labour voters realised that this time round Labour couldn't win.

Some of them wanted Brexit done, some of them voted tactically and some of them realised that the Labour Party as it stood was not fit for purpose.

‘Unite the country’ is fairly meaningless rhetoric, as with much of what BJ and other politicians say. Divisions and differences of opinion will continue to exist, although some might become less overt now that Brexit is progressing with more certainty. BJ’s pretence of ‘uniting’ people will happen via blocking those who challenge him (as with the Tory MPs who lost the whip, or the journalists denied an audience yesterday) and by using/encouraging language that makes his dissenters sound like whiny pessimists whilst his supporters are right-thinking, forward looking people. Manipulation in other words, perhaps with a touch of Trump. I suspect that any genuine positive change will happen through people themselves and at a far more local level.

+No. Labour voters realised that this time round Labour couldn't win*

Exactly. They never had a Brexit policy and defined whether or not they were leave or email, but played the oke coke with half in and half out.

Watch Emily Thornberry on Question Time. She was going to negotiate the best possible deal with the EU and then campaign to remain.

Bathroom, I've not cut out any family over Brexit, I have simply stopped inviting them round to our house because them being here makes me more sad then happy. Also, we all voted remain. Also, I have friends who voted leave that I get on with well and make me happy to be near. I've said before - the EEA/Norway option would suit me fine, whereby citizens and businesses would go about as they had previously done. EU membership itself does not raise my passions either way.

I also think that there is a point that you have to draw a line and disagree with someone, even people you love, and take practical steps to do the right thing. Whether the disagreement is over private vs. state education, immunisation, abortion, or minority rights. Boris Johnson has been openly hostile towards various minorities over the years and lied to large audiences, which people disregard as serious because he's a charismatic figure (supposedly). He and his followers now hold power and are requiring a minority group to identify themselves with the state authorities where, and this bit is critical, they had no previous requirement to do so before. Now if this does not raise alarm bells i don't know what will.

It's very human for personal relationships to be affected by this sort of thing.

My dad vociferously supports politicians who referred to people like me as queue jumpers, traitors etc, and he actively supports a policy that harms me and other family members.

I don't argue with him about it because what would be the point? He won't change his mind (he's an old man) and I won't ever understand his point of view (he's a wealthy man - the EU has never harmed him - his POV is purely ideological).

But at the same time we live a long way apart and my motivation to spend many hours travelling in order to go and see him is definitely diminished. It's quite possible that I won't see him again.

I don’t argue with the family and friends (mostly living in the north) who are in the grip of the Brexit cult because there really is no point. It’s not just that they are all old, though most are. It is that there is no point in putting rational argument and facts to them. They forget or ignore anything that does not support their feelings, of a patriotism that lies in the culture of a country when most of the most of the world map was pink (they either experienced it or were taught by teachers who experienced it) or of hatred. They hate the EU which takes all our money and spends on unelected bureaucrats, a massive unproductive bureaucracy, and “f*rs like Tusk and, worst of all Junker, sets all our laws and standards and tells us what to do, allows other countries to raid our fishing waters, was going to conscript us into an army, and sends all its thugs and criminals to fill our prisons, and to live off benefits, use up our doctor’s appointments and fill our school places (see also immigrants). They hate immigrants because see above for criminals, but they also dilute our culture and take advantage of anti discrimination laws to gain privilege. They hate the south which is full of rich entitled people who don’t understand the rest of the country and have all the wealth and privilege (they live in a beautiful, mainly middle class and homogeneously white and affluent area.) They hate those who live on benefits and food banks because they are all scrounges and don’t know what real hardship is and think they are entitled to have children with no thought how they provide for them (they spend their money on dying their hair, Botox and cosmetic surgery was a particular gem). They post rubbish like this.

The sad thing is that their children and grandchildren are all pro EU and work in jobs that benefit from EU membership and their livelihoods are at risky. Amongst them is one who has moved to France and has a small business and life there, one who works in a pan European company that is part of the car parts just in time supply chain, a Scientist, two who work in the service sector and one who fled impossible working conditions in the NHS for Australia. If you point out all the economic benefits of EU membership for our jobs they just say “we will be alright”

They love Boris and his dog whistles and easy soundbites that engage their emotions.

So we love them for what they were, and never mention the poison that they have absorbed and makes them into, frankly, bitter bigoted people.....

But Boris bring us together with them????

Does Julia Hartley Brewer realise that she is arguing against her own cause - that the 50p is now potentially worth less as a result of her actions?

Boris' attitude towards Sturgeon suggests that uniting the country does not mean Scotland. He seems to be periodically throwing carrots to the north like maybe the a House of Lords should be up north but he's south-centric as before - especially if HS2 goes ahead.

Boris will be "forgiven " if he can distract us with magic money for public services that his Tory predecessors cut.

Boris will be "forgiven " if he can distract us with magic money for public services that his Tory predecessors cut.

How will that happen with "The Saj" continued with a 5% cut across the board as we speak ?

Boris will be "forgiven " if he can distract us with magic money for public services that his Tory predecessors cut.

This is where he has potential difficulties - if he throws money at the Red Wall Tories, he will antagonise the old ones in the South East. Still he wanted to be PM, so it's his problem.

The country doesn't have the money to make a real difference to infrastructure inequality, certainly not before the next GE, around 4 years away, unless Johnson has another Dec 'election? then there is the planning process.
The north will be lucky to see a branch line reopen by then.

Though tbh the transport infrastructure in the SE is hardly world class, so that will still need investment too.

Like previous promises on 5000 extra GPs, these 40 hospitals will evaporate to some extra AE units, as for 40k extra nurses, will never happen.

Wonder what the excuse will be next time and whether the electorate will blindly accept it?

Sadly, I think many of the electorate will buy it. I am going to find it hard to sympathise with them.

Although who knows? In 1992 I felt devastated that the Tories got in again - 5 years later they were slaughtered.

In the early 1980s I went to Czechoslovakia - who knew that within 10 years Communism would have collapsed? I certainly didn't, although maybe people on the ground did.

It would be quite amusing if despite the ERG getting their Brexit, they still manage to destroy yet another Tory PM. I know they count Thatcher as one they destroyed, although myself, I think it was really the poll tax which did for her, but certainly Major, Cameron and May they can claim the scalps of.

It would be quite amusing if despite the ERG getting their Brexit, they still manage to destroy yet another Tory PM. I know they count Thatcher as one they destroyed, although myself, I think it was really the poll tax which did for her

Taking credit for others deeds may be the ERG way, but with Thatcher it's to swerve the fact that she managed her own downfall with no assistance from anyone else. in fact it was in spite of everyone else who desperately tried to advise her and were ignored.

The poll tax was the bit of the iceberg above the water. Who remembers "We are a grandmother" ? And less well known when Mrs T contacted Buck House to suggest Her Majesty co-ordinated with her on outfits when the had joint engagements .....

Yes, I remember all those. I also feel the Poll Tax was the start of the real push for Scottish Independence.

I was a bit worried BJ was bringing us together by abolishing the Government petitions committee - it’s been out of action since 6 November. But it looks as though they have just elected a chair and will be nominating members over the next few weeks - twitter.com/HoCpetitions
I noticed even Daily Mail readers thought the banning of unsycophantic journalists was a bit much - so maybe abolishing petitions was thought overreach, or maybe they'll only allow pro-BJ petitions

Yes, I remember all those. I also feel the Poll Tax was the start of the real push for Scottish Independence.

I guess it's possible. It's certainly seems co-incident.

That said, I still have a distinct memory when she was unstoppable in around 1988 of Gore Vidal telling an interviewer that she would have to go, to a "what are you on ?" response (I'm sure it was Parkinson). It was the same interview where Parkinson (?) commented how impressed the Japanese were with investing in the UK and Vidal retorted that he'd met with many Japanese businessmen and they had all said:

*All we need from the English is their language. And we've already stolen it."

Even when they allowed anti-Brexit petitions the answer was invariably 'Get lost'.

Hindsight is amazing stuff.

When Rudolf Hess died I said to friends that the Berlin Wall would fall soon after (as he was the sole reason for the four powers to be sharing the space)
I was offered crazy odds - like 400 to 1
I really should have bet that fiver

I really should have bet that fiver

Yes, definitely. I had an ex boyfriend who bet £1 on Foinavon winning the Grand National - 100 to 1 odds, I recall.This was when £100 was a lot of money.

Peregrina - Even when they allowed anti-Brexit petitions the answer was invariably 'Get lost'.

The Brexit dept (the Government) said ‘Get lost’ repeatedly but the Petitions Committee itself is cross-bench - new Chair is Catherine McKinnell, Labour - and they put forward for debate in Parliament the petitions that got over the required number. If Labour can come up with a better leader than Corbyn (not difficult) it could still be useful.

Boris Johnson doesn't get climate change.

"My advice to anybody to whom Boris is making promises - whether it is voters, world leaders, ministers, employees, or indeed family members - is to get it in writing, get a lawyer to look at it and make sure the money's in the bank," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Ouch.

And right on cue behind a warning to get anything from Boris into the bank, we see how the "Global Talent" thing is going ...

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/04/cambridge-sociologists-visa-fight-sends-shockwaves-through-universities

(Posted in another thread, but coming so quickly after a warning that Boris may not keep his word, it seemed apposite)