POLITICS CORNER

[Whyperion]

If BBC Vox Pops are representative its about 1/3 d/k, 1/3 should go, 1/3 should stay.

Update on Vox Pops , of those saying should go , they seem to be saying a replacement should carry on the policies that Johnsons Govt was elected on ( Basically Brexit+ Brexit Isolationist implications )

Steve Baker seems to be up for going for Conservative Leadership (he might even win). Tories are stuck , and have been since the 1960s , split on Europe, stuck on immigration, impossible wanting low tax, but needing to demonstrate spending on NHS (and now NATO/defence/Police) but it has only been the last 15 odd years that the dishing out of public money and contracts has really gone massive.


Helen Whately (faversham and mid-kent) the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, announced her resignation from government.
Security minister Damian Hinds resigns
George Freeman, who was the science minister, has told the BBC that he has resigned from government this morning.
Hexham MP Guy Opperman has resigned his post as pensions minister.
Technology minister Chris Philp has resigned, his departure makes him the 52nd member of government to quit
James Cartlidge has quit as courts' minister, becoming the 53rd member of the government to resign. (which is fun as barristers go on strike)
Education Secretary Michelle Donelan has resigned becoming 54 and some kind of record of being in post 36 hrs ?



Where does Boris go ? (wont be the Lords will it ? , even Have I Got News For You wont touch him). I presume Raab has not resigned from ministerial role as he is hoping to cover PM role from about 5pm tonight. Should Starmer call a vote of confidence in the government and force a General Election - one Lab wont win , but would be close to being a larger 2nd party. Or should Starmer reach out to the fleeing Ships for his fleet?

[Whyperion]

Caroline Johnson has resigned as vice chair of the Conservative Party.

Boris Johnson will resign as prime minister today, the BBC has been told. (Five Live reports that he is resigning as Leader of The Conservative Party)

Now Johnson Has (/ Will ?) gone, are all the resigning ministers flowing back ?

Has rather taken the wind out of Starmers Sails.

BBC now undertaking the inquest of Boris - expect to run for the next two days 24/7

BBC Website Updated :
Boris Johnson will resign as Conservative leader today - he will continue as Prime Minister until the autumn.
A Conservative leadership race will take place this summer and a new Prime Minister will be in place in time for the Tory party conference in October.

Will Boris resign (or be recalled?) as an MP. Should the Member for Tamworth Resign as MP?

[Tizer]

Boris Johnson will resign as prime minister today, the BBC has been told. (Five Live reports that he is resigning as Leader of The Conservative Party)

On BBC News web site Chris Mason, Political editor, says: Boris Johnson will resign as Conservative leader today - he will continue as Prime Minister until the autumn. A Conservative leadership race will take place this summer and a new Prime Minister will be in place in time for the Tory party conference in October.

[Whyperion]

Johnson Beats Neville Chamberlin's Term in Office by one day I assume Johnson was aware of this , hence the hanging on. Should have ordered a bigger fridge from AO.

Will Christopher Pincher MP, go down in political history as the man who brought the Prime Minister down.

Does a resigning MP get to create an honours list ?

Tory MPs ( Conservative MP Robert Buckland ) are looking for a One Nation Tory who belives in Freedom Under The Law (one of the doublespeak phrases I hate due to the interpretation that can be foistered under Legslation - any Gove has already for example, agreed to break international law (in specific and limited ways).

I suppose we had better remember Johnson has been forced out for the good of the Conservative Party, not the good of the country.

[Stanley]

I have got up again and as far as I can make out Johnson will resign as Leader of the Party today and will agree to resign as PM but will stay in post until the Party has chosen a new PM 'at the party conference'. My immediate objection is that it should not be left to the Tory Party but the electorate in a General Election.
In another part of the forest, Liz Truss packs her bags at the G20 conference in Indonesia and heads home. Phew! Thank God for that!

[PanBiker]

I have got up again and as far as I can make out Johnson will resign as Leader of the Party today and will agree to resign as PM but will stay in post until the Party has chosen a new PM 'at the party conference'.

Well, that is what he wants, not necessarily up to him now. 1922 committee can force him out as damage limitation and impose deputy Raab as interim PM.

Dominic Cummings has quoted the same procedure.

[PanBiker]

A lot of the Tories are supporting him staying on until Autumn. This basically shows the double standards up in spades. They have a Deputy PM, so what is the problem, it's what he is there for if the PM is indisposed and Bozo certainly is.

[Stanley]

The World at One has started at Noon and will be commenting for two hours. I shall listen to that. My day has been buggered already.

[Whyperion]

Shailesh Vara has been made Northern Ireland Secretary,

James Cleverly has been appointed as education secretary (Mr Cleverly in Education is every writers dream)

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (referenced earlier) has been appointed as Welsh Secretary, replacing Simon Hart.
BBC political correspondent Ione Wells says no Conservatives from Welsh seats took up the role.
However Buckland, who is the MP for South Swindon, is originally from the market town of Llanelli in south Wales.

Greg Clark as the new Levelling Up Secretary, replacing Michael Gove.
Kit Malthouse becomes Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office after the prime minister.

Andrew Stephenson appointed Minister without Portfolio


Chris Mason writes "A full cabinet has been appointed, I am told" ( From Ikea or a Suitcase from Tesco Local topping it up)

[PanBiker]

Andrew4Andrew - Minister Without Portfolio, that's about right a non de-script position for a useless individual.

[PanBiker]

Now here's an idea:

Larry the Downing Street Cat for Prime Minister

[Whyperion]

Now here's an idea:

Larry the Downing Street Cat for Prime Minister

Might get in by a whisker.


Meanwhile Boris's speech was a masterpiece of eloquence showing his journalistic writing of chivving up the populace, if you can stand to listen to it, mostly it goes in one ear and out the other, too full of a wish list and less on meaningful action. If Boris stays until September and Putin completes invasion of Ukraine thats one leg gone from under him. Things must be important Liz Truss cut short her trip to Indonesia to fly back early (why, no ones died, does she think she needs to find 8 supporters by monday to get into the leadership contest?)

Will Johnson Leaving as PM stop the change of the Tory Blue Wall to Yellow - possibly. We seem unable to get into the voters minds that Conservatives only exist to line their own pockets - or those of their friends.

[Tripps]

UK Education Secretaries, a short history:

Tuesday: Nadhim Zahawi
Wednesday: Michelle Donelan
Thursday: James Cleverley

[Stanley]

I wake up this morning and survey the piste. I am afraid to say that what I see will not do. The idea of Johnson (The man who recently said there would be no psychological makeover as it wasn't in his nature.) shifting gear into non-exec mode and acting as caretaker PM is risible. Notice that the competition for tenancy of the Downing Street tied cottage is being regarded as a purely internal matter for the Tory Party on the grounds of a mythical mandate that has shrunk visibly in the last few months. The result will be decided by a few blue rinses and Colonel Blimps in the Shires (less than a quarter of a million of them.) if they can be bothered to vote. What should happen is a general election that would allow all the voters to decide. (LINK)
As for Johnson's resignation speech, notice that there is no mention of any fault of his, just a rabid party and disloyal minions. In short, another normal Westminster cock-up and one we are all complicit in if we don't protest.
(That reminds me, where were Her Majesty's Loyal opposition? Starmer found time to go to Wimbledon....)
PS. As I listened to Johnson blaming everyone else it struck me that his attitude was pure Bullingdon Dining Club and that is probably the bottom line of why he failed so miserably....

[Whyperion]

Someone said elsewhere Johnson didnt have herd immunity

[Stanley]

Later.... a disturbing thought for you. Under the Tory plan for leadership if, when they have whittled the contenders down to two one drops out, the last person standing is PM with no vote, not even the blue rinse gang in the Shires. I can't imagine a worse outcome.....
Bottom line, we are in deep shit and that is the way to assess what Johnson has done. He has fallen out leaving a smoking wreck behind him. That's his legacy!

[plaques]

Johnson is out, the process of selecting a new leader has begun. Meanwhile HMS Titanic is still full steam ahead on the same course but sitting in his deckchair steering the ship will probably be Dominic Raab crewed by zero hour cabinet members specially picked by Johnson himself. The hard Brexit remains the priority inflicting even more pain on those suffering from food and energy inflation with an economy that's likely to go into recession at any time and GDP growth at near zero. The answer apparently is to cut taxes and create a climate of investment. This means little to those who are not managing now, a penny cut in tax on bugger all is still bugger all. A cut in corporation tax would on the face of it act as a stimulus providing it goes to investment and not into profits and shareholders dividends. Look at what happened to the excess profits made by the petrol companies. The more predictable down side is that lower taxes would mean less revenue so less public spending and more selling of the family silver. A downward spiral requiring lower wages. Jam tomorrow I think not. This born again Conservative party will dress their programme up with tinsel and a fancy bow but like putting lipstick on the pig its the same pig as we have had before. All we have got in getting rid of a liar of a Prime Minister is the same bunch of crooks draining the economy and putting the money into their own pockets. Away with the lot of them.

[PanBiker]

UK Education Secretaries, a short history:

Tuesday: Nadhim Zahawi
Wednesday: Michelle Donelan
Thursday: James Cleverley

The crazy thing and an example of our rotten system is that they all get a substantial severance payment for having to leave their posts.

Michelle Donelan got £470,000 for her two days as Education Secretary.

[Tizer]

All the reports say Donelan gets £17,000. But even that's a ridiculous amount for doing next to nothing.

I recall Matthew Parris a few weeks ago predicting that the Tory Party will eventually morph into two parties, one composed of the right wing and the other of the moderates. The present crisis could accelerate that change.

[Tripps]

Michelle Donelan got £470,000 for her two days as Education Secretary.

Fake news I'm afraid.

This from Guido Fawkes website is more credible I'd say -

"Yesterday afternoon Guido worked out the total severance pay for resigned ministers had hit £120,000, as they are each entitled to 25% of their salary upon leaving office. This morning the Independent puts that at a whopping £420,000. Among these payouts will be Michelle Donelan, whose resignation after 36 hours as Education Secretary will mean she gets £16,876.25. Asked about these resignation payouts in the Commons just now, Paymaster General Michael Ellis said it is a matter of statute…

Responding to Guido’s tweet about her impending pocket-lining, ex-Education Secretary Michelle Donelan has just said she will donate it in full to charity."

[PanBiker]

I also hear £17,000 or so being mentioned. Still good money for a day doing nothing. Statute or not it's wrong.

[Stanley]

Once again Ken has hit the nail on the head. We are set to get the same old same old. I will repeat my plea, can we please have a Vote of Confidence and let the public decide who governs them. The Tory Party is once again acting as though choosing a PM is an internal Party matter. Why do we allow this to happen. Forget all the crap about the mandate, if it's as big as they say it is why not have an election and get credibility? (We all know the answer to that.)
PS, Did I hear that the Chequers Big Bash for Boris's wedding is cancelled?

[plaques]

The Tory party as asked Johnson to stand down as their leader unfortunately like the rest of the country they thought he would give up his position as Prime Minister and all will be forgiven. Apparently Johnson has other ideas, He is determined to stop on as PM until the queen tells him to walk the plank which could be mid september. Meanwhile Johnson will haunt No10 like Marley's ghost pulling the strings of power like some deranged puppet master convinced in his own mind that he has done nothing wrong. Always in the background corrupting the rotting corpse of the party urging them to carry on bringing the country to its knees in some distorted house of horrors dystopia where starvation is an acceptable tool for bringing people into line. Meanwhile 'the Party' of braying donkeys who supported him at every turn even though they knew he was lying will try the convince the public that they will be selecting some virtuous and honourable leader to carry on the good work that they have failed miserably to do over the past 12 years. All this farcical pantomime will be supported by the right-wing press who came spectacularly unstuck trying to smear Keir Starmer's character with their 'Beergate'. Note! that no Mail newspaper reporters were present at Starmer's briefing.

[Tripps]

The selection of ther Tory leader, and hence next PM has started. If you had to invent a system you'd be hard pressed to come up with a worse method. Tonight we learn that the 'Chancellor of the Exchequer' Nadhim Zahawi - who it is rumoured threatened Boris with resignation if he didn't get the job - is under investigation regarding his financial affairs - was under such investigation when Boris Johnson appointed him, and was known by Boris to be under investigation when appointed.

Remember Mr Pincher - this is where we came in. Nadhim Zahawi

“It’s extraordinary that flags were raised ahead of Nadhim’s appointment by the Downing Street proprietary team,” one source said this weekend. “These sorts of concerns would stop someone receiving an MBE or OBE. The idea he could be chancellor or even prime minister is unbelievable”.


He says tonight that will launch his candidacy on Monday. I do hope he reads the Guardian and the Sunday papers befor finalising that decision. then skulks off into immensely wealthy obscurity. I'd say we need a complete clear out of Westminster. CTRL ALT DEL and let's start again. Whatever the outcome it will surely be better than this.

PS Do you rememember the speech by Penelope Mary Mordauntwho for a bet got rude words into it. Penny's speech

[Stanley]

" I'd say we need a complete clear out of Westminster."
I'd say that you and Ken have just about got it right, but it won't happen. For a good steer on where we are going Have a shufti at THIS article in today's Sun. When they say 'No. Ten has attacked' I think they might mean that Johnson is using Downing Street to settle some old scores. That's how nasty it looks as the contest gets under way, it is going to be a blood bath and surely the voters will take notice. How can the 'winner' of such a flawed and messy process have any weight in the polls?
If it looks like this from the outside how must it seem to anyone on the inside of what is happening? Does anyone seriously believe that the politicians inside No. Ten can run anything?
Again, what must this look like in the wider world? Just think what reception phrases like 'we got Brexit done' or 'Trust the Tories with finance' will get between now and Autumn when the leadership ballots go in.
And one last thought, again I ask you to consider what happens if one of the last two takes the bribe of high office and stands aside.....
Later.... The lowest common denominator in the candidates is that all are promising to cut taxes..... Even Sunak! That's a turn up for the book, he was the one raising taxes....
Later.... Nadhim Zahawi has reacted to reports his financial affairs are under investigation by saying that he has paid all taxes due, declared all income and is not aware of any investigations. How can that be true when peasants like us have been discussing them for weeks?
(Later still.... Profile on R4 this morning has as its subject , guess who.... Nadhim Zahawi. )
See THIS Guardian article on another small matter.....