UK Politics - Taking the Land Rover to Heaven

[mormont]

If the Tories thought this wasn't damaging, they'd have played it down rather than denying it. Clearly, they do think it's damaging. And I think they're not wrong. There's a growing narrative here, with the refurbishment, the texts with Dyson, the PPE contracts, one that's about Johnson's temperament and judgment. Johnson himself has always done the thing where he acknowledges that weakness or presents it as a strength, and the Tories have until now assumed that voters understood what they were getting with him, so it would bounce off. But that ignores the fact that voters might be growing tired of having a guy in charge who thinks the rules shouldn't apply to him or his friends.

The drip-drip of sleaze allegations is a time tested way of bringing down Tory governments. It feels to me like it's getting some purchase again.

[Spockydog]

When the Mail is actively trying to bring you down you know you're in trouble. 

[Derfel Cadarn]

23 minutes ago, Spockydog said:

When the Mail is actively trying to bring you down you know you're in trouble. 

If the man who decides which party should be in charge (Rupert Murdoch) has also decided to get rid of Johnson, he’ll be fucked. 

[Spockydog]

This is snowballing. The BBC are saying, according to sources, he definitely said it. Johnson is denying it, while flapping big time in front of the cameras.

This and the flat money scandal are going to finish him. Gove is already sharpening his knives. 

[Mosi Mynn]

It does look like a Cummings/Gove thing, doesn't it?  

[Maltaran]

I had a look at betting odds for the next PM, and Gove is only third favourite, behind Sunak and Starmer. Whoever's betting on Starmer is being very optimstic - we're less than two years into the Parliament, the Tories will depose Johnson before they go for an election.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Get Johnson done!

Is such a catchy slogan.

I think they'll wait for the Scottish election to get rid of him. Assuming the SNP performs as well as predicted.

 

[williamjm]

38 minutes ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

I think they'll wait for the Scottish election to get rid of him. Assuming the SNP performs as well as predicted.

I'm not sure the results of the Scottish elections are likely to make much difference to Boris' position in the party because everybody has been assuming for a long time that the SNP will win and the Tories will be in a distant second at best. They can probably spin any result where they're the leading opposition party as a success.

[mormont]

It has to be said also that Douglas Ross, the Tories' great young hope, has been abysmal in this campaign and would be the prime candidate for any sacrificial defenestration if the Scottish results are poor.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

1 hour ago, williamjm said:

I'm not sure the results of the Scottish elections are likely to make much difference to Boris' position in the party because everybody has been assuming for a long time that the SNP will win and the Tories will be in a distant second at best. They can probably spin any result where they're the leading opposition party as a success.

Depends on how poor the results will be from the Tory's perspective. If it will be the proper beating, spinning it will be tough. Johnson is particularly unpopular up north. So if the Tories can pin it to some degree on him, why not? And at least this perception, of he will win elections will be peeled off to some degree, once that defense is gone, the knives might go in easier. Again, all this depdends on how bad that election will go for them. And besides, why let a new PM start with a loss?

[BigFatCoward]

Group of MPs suggest all covid fines should be reviewed. Mixed feelings on this, on the one hand it was some of the worst written legislation I've ever read. On the other hand fuck those selfish arseholes. 

[BigFatCoward]

Are the conservative party really briefing against Cummings by using the trip to Barnard Castle to discredit him? 

You have to admire their nerve if nothing else. 

 

[Spockydog]

On 4/26/2021 at 12:42 PM, DaveSumm said:

Eh? I mean he’s not mega rich but he can afford £200k. 

Turns out he couldn't even afford £58k.

Senior Tories urge PM to come clean on funding of Downing Street refurb

Quote

Boris Johnson is being urged by senior Tories to come clean about the funding of his flat refurbishment as it emerged that a former Labour chancellor refused to join a trust overseeing Downing Street upkeep out of concerns it could lead to a cash-for-access scandal.

The prime minister faced growing disquiet from within his own party on Tuesday over allegations that he was loaned £58,000 from Conservative party funds while being seen to personally foot the bill for renovations of his Downing Street residence.

Reports have alleged that the refurbishment was initially paid for by a donation from Tory peer and donor Lord Brownlow to Conservative campaign headquarters (CCHQ), which then loaned the money to Johnson.

No 10 has insisted that “Conservative party funds are not being used to pay for the Downing Street flat” but have not denied the existence of a donation or loan arrangement. Labour has demanded a formal investigation into whether the government was trying to orchestrate a “cover-up”.

This stinks to high heaven. And as much as Liz Truss and other defenders of the indefensible would like, this issue is not going away. Johnson is finished. The only question is how long we have to wait before the knives start flashing.

 

[Pebble thats Stubby]

23 minutes ago, Spockydog said:

Turns out he couldn't even afford £58k.

Senior Tories urge PM to come clean on funding of Downing Street refurb

This stinks to high heaven. And as much as Liz Truss and other defenders of the indefensible would like, this issue is not going away. Johnson is finished. The only question is how long we have to wait before the knives start flashing.

 

I think they will wait till after the local and mayor of London Election results.    So probably not till a Week on Monday.

[Spockydog]

He is such a fucking idiot. I cannot believe how many people fell for this moron.

ETA: Actually, scratch that. We already know how unbelievably stupid the British electorate is.

[Spockydog]

Michael Gove's beard, Sarah Vine, wades into the debate brandishing a couple of cans of petrol:

Quote

The thing about the whole No 10 refurbishment thing is that the prime minister can’t be expected to live in a skip.

He has to live to a certain standard and the problem with all of these political things like this is that no-one is ever prepared to bite the bullet.

No-one is ever prepared to say ‘look, this building does need to be maintained, there do need to be decent furnishings, we do need to have a fund that pays for it, let’s just do it’ ...

If [Johnson] wants to have a pink sofa instead of a green sofa, I think that’s a perfectly reasonable thing for him to want.

These fucking people. 

 

[Pebble thats Stubby]

2 minutes ago, Spockydog said:

Michael Gove's wife, Sarah Vine, wades into the debate with a couple of cans of petrol:

These fucking people. 

 

considering they get £30k every Year to just to pay for the flat maintenance and re-furnishing  which is more than some people get paid (before tax) in a year  you should be able to maintain it to a comfortable condition and still get your pick sofa.

 

[Spockydog]

 

[Maltaran]

Happy Ed Balls Day, everyone 

[Werthead]

1 hour ago, Pebble thats Stubby said:

considering they get £30k every Year to just to pay for the flat maintenance and re-furnishing  which is more than some people get paid (before tax) in a year  you should be able to maintain it to a comfortable condition and still get your pick sofa.

Not sure about that. Numbers 10 and 11 are a bit of a disaster zone: they've been refurbished, rebuilt and renovated on a near-constant basis almost since their founding, and whenever anyone left it alone for a decade or two they stored up massive problems later on. They once effectively tore 10 and 11 down and rebuilt them exactly the same as before to put in a better frame and it's still causing problems.

Pulling the whole thing down (probably the street) and completely rebuilding it from scratch is what's needed, but they're never going to spring for that, not with the monstrous renovation costs of the Houses of Parliament as well.

Quote

Happy Ed Balls Day, everyone 

Ed Balls.