Good on Kemi!

[MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack]

I'm no fan of Kemi Badenoch, but I'm even less of a fan of Robert Jenrick, and I'm rather delighted to see that she has sacked him and withdrawn the whip before he could jump to Reform.

She has definitely had the last laugh here. He must be spitting bullets!!

Exactly what it says. It’s hardly ambiguous.

72 years old and still arguing like a child.

Yes, I had to look it up. He resigned saying that he felt the govt hadn’t defended the Rwanda plan sufficiently. But also positioning for leadership.

The big objection now for Reform types seems to be numbers though, and he was minister when immigration hit its peak (he didn’t initiate the wave though, that was Johnson/Patel).

But this is just one issue. So far in this goverment I feel like overall he has shown a lack of strong leadership. I am disappointed by this.

I think Kemi is very good and if she does it it’s down to her strength and ability but Reform will be tough to get past. I guess we’ll see over next year or so which ways this impacts, if any.

Yes. Hes strong on pictures.

But fought against carrying out a proper investigation of child rapes nationwide. Until he U-turned obviously.

I don’t actually know who Labour are for because most sane people despise them . I’m sure only the people are socialist idealists who want to change the world on other peoples money .

The corruption, incompetence and lying around Covid is certainly a factor in judging the 2019-24 régime, but it is definitely not all of it. What made it poor was a whole combination of factors including the crumbling schools, courts, prisons and hospitals, ever-deteriorating care system (and whatever happened to that promise about care home fees?), ignoring the Post Office scandal, tanking the economy, and especially the succession of scandals and constant lying. Those things were happening before Covid and their continuation really cannot be blamed on it.

It was always obvious Rwanda wouldn't work. It was unlawful, it wasn't going to have any effect on immigration, and it cost an absolute fortune. It was very typical of the regime's approach to politics - they wanted something showy that would appeal to the right wing, they were happy to give the appearance of being nasty to ethnic minorities, but they hoped they could keep its failure under wraps long enough that they wouldn't be around to be blamed for it when it became clear.

People defending it tend to forget conveniently that Johnson was ultimately forced out because he appointed a sexually predatory person to a position of power within the party and lied about it, leading to the resignations of 62 government ministers, PPSs, trade envoys and party vice-chairmen, with numerous other MPs refusing to take their places and serve under him. On any interpretation that is the marker of a spectacular failure as a government, only outstripped in the incompetence stakes by that of Truss.

The original discussion was "is this Labour the worst government ever".

The PP said no ..it was 2019-2024.

I think the Labour government was worse before Thatcher swept in in 1979. I also think this Labour government is worse than 2019-2024.

What do you think?

Well we’ll see if people give Labour a beating in the May elections and beyond. Many are not enjoying their leadership and will show that when voting.

It wasn’t. It was that this government is the worst in living memory. But now you’re maintaining that the Labour governments in the 70s were the worst. My memory of the 70s is that it was a decade of political incompetence, both parties were equally awful.

Pedantic. I just assumed you would remember the 1970s government. Hence the living memory.

You said 2019 government was worse than this current one.

I said that Labour government in the 70s was worse than 2019. And this government is worse than 2019.

The question is therefore, which is the worst Labour government in living memory; this one or the 1970s IMF job one.

I feel the 1970s Labour was old school and probably misguided but at least honorable. So accordingly this current Labour government is the worst.

Agreed, OP. His PM style glow up and constant overreach and undermining her as a leader was disgusting. Sleazebag now belongs with another sleazebag, let the eat each other. Well done KB.

You assumed nothing of the sort, the “living memory” was before you knew my age - and presumably you’re not posting just for my benefit.

The worst government of my lifetime was the last one because it was not only incompetent but corrupt and venal. As I said the 70s was a decade of all round political incompetence, both parties were as bad as each other. I’d actually agree with you that there was integrity in politics 50 years ago which has certainly diminished, it reached its nadir with Johnson and Truss.

Manifestly this isn't the worst government ever, and there is an excellent case for saying 2019-24 was worse than the 1970s Labour government. Whatever the problems with Wilson and Callaghan, their governments did not collapse with unprecedentedly high numbers of high-level resignations and their own MPs calling for their departure, nor did either leader end up being forced into resigning as Prime Minister after 49 days. On any measure that level of failure is spectacular.

Many do think so, going by feedback in polls and focus groups.

The reason they didn’t initially do an enquiry was because the IICSA inquiry had already been completed in 2022 after seven years under the Tories and included grooming gangs as well as individual CSA. They didn’t want to reopen another investigation because this would delay measures being put in place.

https://www.iicsa.org.uk

Starmer sought independent advice IIRC and opened a new inquiry off the back of that.

I also remember Farage claiming he was going to spend his own money doing an inquiry which never came to fruition. Funny that.

I won’t deny that this government has been more of a disappointment so far than I had hoped, but there is so much misinformation out there and labour’s comms are diabolical which, sadly, I think will be their downfall.

I saw the photo you posted last year so assumed you were not under 50. (I was the one who reported it btw..name change). Plus you dont exactly come across as a whipper snapper 🤣

The 70s were Labour mainly. The Conservatives weren't in power for most of it so irrelevant if they were rubbish or not.

Jenrick was castigated for helping a friend and tory donor avoid tax on a property development...10s of millions, yet Rayner was out on her ear...

Jenrick has gone from an anti Brexitier Tory moderate to a Reformite.

Yes he resigned over Tory migration policy but then came back in to support an even worse one under Sunak!! Odd.

Plus if you believe and trust him, he also said yesterday they all knew Rwanda wouldn't work... yet he stood up and defended it tirelessly.

Honest Rob!

Kruger has some quite extreme "Christian beliefs"

Again wrong, Cons in for 5 years, 1970 to 1974 and again in 1979.

During which time they trebled energy prices, gave us strike after strike and a 3 day week.

Its the rule of lawyers. I know what his excuses were of course. They didn't wash with many.

Remind me when the IMF bail out happened. Oh and the winter of discontent. A culmination of Labours glorious tenure.

@ChurchWindows

Are you an expat

Yes

3 Day week, power cuts and blackouts... a culmination of the Conservatives glorious tenure.

Then when they did get in, they destroyed Northern Britain, squandered North Sea Oil and destroyed UK manufacturing.... along the way, they gave us the ERM fiasco & 2 deep recessions... sold off all our utilities.. a stunning success (not) but not happy with that, next time in, we got Austerity, Brexit, Truss...

I'm afraid that despite your best efforts, for every Labour mess, they'll be a deeper Tory one....

Hence Jenrick accusing both parties of wrecking Britain, of which he and the party he has supported all his life, played a prominent part.

The Tories were in power for four out of nine years in the 70s - that’s almost half the decade. Heath’s performance is entirely relevant.