Runners and Riders.... Next PM.

[harry94]

28 minutes ago, Sooky said:

Reshuffle rumours are that Priti Patel will be Home Sec. Of course, she argued in favour of the death penalty a few years ago.

Jeremy Hunt has been offered Defence but turned it down. Says he’d only be happy with staying as Foreign Sec or going to Chancellor or Deputy PM (which is surely a fairly non-job and a demotion?!)

I'm assuming he wants the job with perks.

With the shambles right now, he maybe fancies himself up as having the clout to try and influence policy decisions without being attached to a cabinet post. Minority government right now and there's certainly a large part of the parliamentary party that would be quite happy to have an opposing figure to Boris.

I always think that the best strategic choice in these situations is just to suck it up and block your rivals from cabinet. Boris getting that Foreign Secretary job was perfect and gave him the chance to publicly fall on his sword and solidify himself as the natural successor when he felt like it.

[welshbairn]

13 minutes ago, harry94 said:

I'm assuming he wants the job with perks.

With the shambles right now, he maybe fancies himself up as having the clout to try and influence policy decisions without being attached to a cabinet post. Minority government right now and there's certainly a large part of the parliamentary party that would be quite happy to have an opposing figure to Boris.

I always think that the best strategic choice in these situations is just to suck it up and block your rivals from cabinet. Boris getting that Foreign Secretary job was perfect and gave him the chance to publicly fall on his sword and solidify himself as the natural successor when he felt like it.

I thought May gave him the FO gig to show everyone how useless he is in a proper job. Worked in a way, however irresponsible of her, but didn't do any good. TV personality is the sole criteria for political power now.

[dirty dingus]

This clown is being lined up for Chancellor or Business  minister. They'll be dancing in the isles of the artisan cheese shops and greengrocer throughout this green and pleasant land when they know Liz has got their backs. 

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.

Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 

He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.

His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Bob Mahelp

[Jambomo]

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.
Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 
He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.
His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.
 
 

Johnston is whatever he needs to be, in order to get where he wants to be and to stay there. At present that will be right-wing racist to appeal to Trump and those who will make money from selling off things such as the NHS.

He may well have been more moderate before, and I don’t think he is genuinely right-wing himself. Yet it doesn’t matter what he actually is, if he is willing to act a certain way and do terrible things to get, and retain, the post of Prime Minister.

[dirty dingus]

As he is anointed today and  it's Wednesday will it be his first PMQs or will he be to busy dealing wi old Betty?

 

[HTG]

2 hours ago, dirty dingus said:

This clown is being lined up for Chancellor or Business  minister. They'll be dancing in the isles of the artisan cheese shops and greengrocer throughout this green and pleasant land when they know Liz has got their backs. 

This is terrifying. 

[mike rankine]

As he is anointed today and  it's Wednesday will it be his first PMQs or will he be to busy dealing wi old Betty?
 

Fairly certain it's May's final PMQs today before heading to the Palace. Johnston won't be PM until afterwards so he'll do the next PMQs.

[Fullerene]

49 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.

Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 

He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.

His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.

Alexander B. Johnson was a "centrist populist" when he campaigned to be mayor of London because that was the only way he could ever become mayor.
If he had adopted a hostile attitude to foreigners, it might not have gone down well in a city full of foreigners.

Since then he calculated that if he wanted to appeal to a larger right-wing audience outside of London, he would have to become Brexiteer-in-chief.
Jeremy Corbyn is criticised for sticking rigidly to the same view even if the world has changed.
Johnson is the opposite.  His opinion on anything today could easily be something different tomorrow - if it keeps him in power and keeps the spotlight on him.

I suspect, like Trump, it will be a continuous publicity stunt with the daily news headlines being "what's he up to now?"

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

15 minutes ago, Fullerene said:

Alexander B. Johnson was a "centrist populist" when he campaigned to be mayor of London because that was the only way he could ever become mayor.
If he had adopted a hostile attitude to foreigners, it might not have gone down well in a city full of foreigners.

Since then he calculated that if he wanted to appeal to a larger right-wing audience outside of London, he would have to become Brexiteer-in-chief.
Jeremy Corbyn is criticised for sticking rigidly to the same view even if the world has changed.
Johnson is the opposite.  His opinion on anything today could easily be something different tomorrow - if it keeps him in power and keeps the spotlight on him.

I suspect, like Trump, it will be a continuous publicity stunt with the daily news headlines being "what's he up to now?"

You're right. 

I'm just worried about the dangers of under-estimating Johnson. The bar is set so low for him that he's almost in a no-lose situation. Everybody expects chaos and failure from the beginning, but I suspect it wouldn't take much for his popularity to grow....especially with the right-wing papers preaching support for him daily.

I also don't believe he'll have as big a impact on thoughts of Scottish independence as many predict. Unionists are Unionists, and will rally round him....I doubt if all that many will actually change opinion simply because Johnson is now PM. 

 

[ICTJohnboy]

1 hour ago, Bob Mahelp said:

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.

Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 

He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.

His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.

 

 

 

Prize buffoons don't do anything subtly.

I doubt if he even knows the meaning of that word.

[ICTJohnboy]

8 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

You're right. 

I'm just worried about the dangers of under-estimating Johnson. The bar is set so low for him that he's almost in a no-lose situation. Everybody expects chaos and failure from the beginning, but I suspect it wouldn't take much for his popularity to grow....especially with the right-wing papers preaching support for him daily.

I also don't believe he'll have as big a impact on thoughts of Scottish independence as many predict. Unionists are Unionists, and will rally round him....I doubt if all that many will actually change opinion simply because Johnson is now PM. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure you will find quite a few - even on this forum - who voted No last time but who will vote YES next time.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by ICTJohnboy

[Dunfermline Don]

 
Prize buffoons don't do anything subtly.
I doubt if he even knows the meaning of that word.

I am still trying to figure out if the buffoon act is an act or just the cuddly public persona to fool the media and Tory members to vote for him.
Something that will be focused on instead of the right wing agenda the country is in danger of adopting.

[welshbairn]

Don't see how he's going to reconcile the promises he made to the One Nation Tories and the ERG true believers. I don't think he has any particular political philosophy of his own, just says whatever his audience of the moment wants to hear and what's politically expedient at the time. His Cabinet picks could be revealing, if he goes full Brexity he'll lose about a third of his backbenchers, too much of a mix and they won't agree on anything and it will be leaktastic like under May. Can't see him surviving till the end of the year unless he wins an election with a pact with Farage, a frightening thought.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.
Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 
He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.
His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.
 
 

Have we become so brow beaten that we can’t equate Boris Johnson’s absolute hatred for Scotland as racism?

[Ross.]

40 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

I also don't believe he'll have as big a impact on thoughts of Scottish independence as many predict. Unionists are Unionists, and will rally round him....I doubt if all that many will actually change opinion simply because Johnson is now PM. 

The hope, from a pro independence point of view, is that those who were unsure or just leaning mildly to one side or the other, will have their mind made up and pushed well into the Yes camp.

I agree that the hardened Unionists and those close to that viewpoint will feel their position solidified further with him in charge.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

I'd like to play devil's advocate here and state that it would be incredibly stupid to do as many are doing and write off Johnston as a died-in-the-wool right wing racist, who will follow Trump in everything he says and does.
Johnston may be the ultimate populist, but he has no real history of right-wing populism.  When he was Mayor of London, his team were pretty diverse...as were many of his policies....and by all accounts he was well regarded in the Moslem community. 
He's always been much more of a 'centrist populist' and as such may surprise many who expect him to fail drastically....and also disappoint many of the real fruitloops in the Tory party who want a hardline right-winger in charge.
His views on Brexit are driven I suspect by the prevailing wind, which he assumes at this moment means to appease the nutcases, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him change tack....all be it subtly....in the next few months.
 
 

You are right in the sense that Boris is fundamentally not pro-Brexit but pro-Boris.

[tirso]

Boris Johnson thought reducing tax on people earning 70k was helping "middle earners".  I can abide the buffoonery, even some of the 'optimism' but the fact the next prime minister doesn't understand the mean income of the people (to this extent) is just sad really.  

I'm not against privileged people but he hasn't shown any sign of knowing what ordinary people go through.  Heard his father on the radio too.  It's like they live in old fashioned times.  Never mind Scotland, going to Leeds is like a different country to these people.

He's the epitome of why I'd never vote Tory.  Even when they've got some reasonable ideas, you just know they don't care one jot for ordinary people.  

Labour need to get their act together.

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by tirso

[zidane's child]

Dominic Cummings named as a special advisor to Boris.

Probably more crazy than Boris in all honesty.

[SweeperDee]

Mundell was a fucking shambles with the questions. Absolute fucking quisling c**t.