POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

I'm with you Ken, It's all a con trick aimed at the same end, crushing any dissent from the workers and convincing the4m that the Tories are all compassionate do gooders with nothing but the good of the voters at heart.
I will keep saying it. The thing closest to their hearts is their comfortable lives as politicians on a good wage with seriously good benefits, holidays and pensions. For this reason alone Truss must go because she could never win an election and they need the next two years to try to repair their reputation. How they are going to do that as it is with Hunt reinforcing austerity, even with a new leader, beats me.

[Tripps]

In answer every question recently Liz Truss has said that she had protected people from a £6000 per annum energy cost ( a made up figure I think) and said the average family energy bill bill will be £2500 pa. She reatedly said it was valid for the next two winters. Except now it isn't - and it will last only till next April at best.

I doubt she will want to do PMQ's. What can she possibly have to say now?

PS She has swerved the Labour Party 'Urgent Question' trap - and Penny Mordaunt will deputise. I presume the deputy PM was busy.

[Wendyf]

I can't see how she can stand up in front of anyone. If she does and says that she has 'listened' and 'gets it' I will probably Scream & Scream

[Stanley]

This situation following Hunts slash and burn 'readjustment' of the Kwarteng/Truss economic plan may have stabilised the market but it has destabilised the Parliamentary equation. He has offered Truss a chance to try to regain her position, this is a mistake and backbenchers are going to have their say. Slashing the help on energy costs could well be their Achilles Heel.

[PanBiker]

All well and good reversing the other weeks mistakes that trashed the markets and the financial confidence in the country. Doesn't help the thousands of mortgage payers and those that can no longer get on the ladder Lets not forget the £30+ Billion deficit that he still has to make up either. They are also trying to distance themselves from the previous 12 years of mismanagement.

I don't think it will work this time. I thought that Truss would have gone by now but maybe it will be before the week is out. Any new PM, however they fudge it should be immediately tested by the electorate.

[Tizer]

Let's be thankful for small mercies, Hunt is definitely better than Kwarteng!

[Whyperion]

Let's be thankful for small mercies, Hunt is definitely better than Kwarteng!

I was expecting a resignation speech from Truss. Does the lettuce have a use by date of 18th Oct ? ( though you can sprout the stumps with care).
Hunt's form of words in his televised address seems to have been written last week by Treasury Civil Servants ( here's one we prepared earlier )

I think the funding gap now is about £13bn, excluding increased Govt Interest Payable, should be covered by fiscal drag and hopefully a reduced need to pay for energy support as Gas Prices fall. I expect a possible windfall tax might just plug the gap, we might know by the end of November

[Stanley]

I have to agree with Ian. Hunt is doing nothing for the voters, he is engaged in saving the political system and the Treasury from melt down. In return everybody else is thrown to the wolves. There is no way Truss could lead the Tories into a general election with any credibility and the backbenchers know this. They want Truss out immediately and a new PM by acclamation with two years to patch up the damage. I see Truss is saying she'll lead the Party into the next election. She is deluded, she isn't leading it now and certainly won't be next month. I believe the only delay is deciding behind the scenes who the new candidate will be.
The key factor for the backbenchers is keeping their jobs, let's not forget that. (They have mortgages as well.....)

[plaques]

Parliament is like listening to an episode of Dick Barton Special Agent....and with one mighty bound our hero was free.
Jeremy Hunt has unwound 90% of Liz Toast's nonsense and expects the country to clap and cheer that the UK is still in the same hole as before the MINI budget but now with a parapet built round it to stop others trickling into the same hole. Having upset the money markets big style any good that the UK may have had will now have evaporated and the bar for fiscal management set much higher. From now on it will always be harder to climb out of our black hole no matter what we do to try to fill it in. The meager 1p tax cuts have gone, promises promises, but so has the main plank of Liz Toast's experiment the TWO Year energy price cap. Actually to make a two year promise in an uncertain energy world was nonsense to start with. Six months between reviews is reasonable providing that there is some reality in the plan and not 'we'll tell em nowt' but make it sound good.
The only real hope for saving the country is a general election with Labour gaining a good working majority.

Truss is here until the next election. Didn't I hear Johnson make the same promise.

[Tizer]

`Liz Truss: How might Tory MPs get rid of the prime minister?' LINK

[Stanley]

It's not often I disagree with you Ken but I have to over the question of Truss leading the Tories for another two years and then an election. I believe the Tory MPs are convinced she would result in a wipe out and so will want to get rid of her to install someone with half a chance of turning the situation round. I also believe the hold-up is because they haven't decided who the new PM will be.
Sir Graham Brady visits Ms Truss this morning.... It will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens after that.

[Tizer]

It's not often I disagree with you Ken but I have to over the question of Truss leading the Tories for another two years and then an election. I believe the Tory MPs are convinced she would result in a wipe out and so will want to get rid of her to install someone with half a chance of turning the situation round. I also believe the hold-up is because they haven't decided who the new PM will be.

I agree with you that Truss will be out soon but I think Plaques also believes that - I think his `Truss is here until the next election' didn't mean that Plaques himself thought that was the case, he was quoting others. Correct me if I'm wrong Plaques!

The hold-up because they haven't decided who the new PM will be seems to be caused by the fragmentation of support. Too many possibilities and the difficulty of getting a name to stand out as the right one. They need to coalesce around a particular name. It reminds me of my days doing old-style chemistry, trying to get a single chemical to crystallise out of a mixture of chemicals!

[PanBiker]

Don't forget golden boy Hunt. Unless of course they insist on a female in which case it will be that Mordaunt woman who took the flack yesterday for Lizzy. Watched by our very own Andrew 4 Andrew beaming at the camera, another useless appendage.

[Stanley]

You're right Peter and I owe you an apology Ken. I see now you were reporting what she said... Sorry old lad, I'm glad we are agreeing.....

[plaques]

I agree with you that Truss will be out soon but I think Plaques also believes that - I think his `Truss is here until the next election' didn't mean that Plaques himself thought that was the case, he was quoting others. Correct me if I'm wrong Plaques!

Absolutely (hate that word) correct. Liz Truss has raised herself to the pinnacle of stupidity. She has just demonstrated that she knows nothing about the basics of the economy and yet is prepared to knock away the long standing props that act as safeguards against amateur theories and goes along with a nutter of a Chancellor that has similar beliefs.
Kwasi Kwarteng's trickle down theories went out with the ark yet she believed in them without question.
Sacking Sir Thomas Scholar was her first act of self harm, the next was to ignore the OBR both of which would have put her straight quick time. In short she is an incompetent disaster and the sooner we get rid the better.

Thank you Tizer for your support. (some may think it misplaced but still thank you )

[Tripps]

Here or quote of the day?

Sometimes the hole is so deep it doesn't really matter if you keep shovelling or not.'

@jameskirkup
)

[Stanley]

I note and agree with the principle David...
See THIS latest gem from La Truss. She is presenting herself as the saviour of the Party by making 'painful U Turns'. Could they be falling for it? Do I detect an element of disquiet at the prospect of another bout of internal chaos if they decide to chuck her overboard? It won't be the first time they have taken the easy, obvious and totally wrong course of action.
Mind you, in terms of what is best for Labour I think it's best if she stays in post because the Tories will be easier to defeat in a General Election if led by a flawed figure like her. But then again, what damage will she do to the country and society if given another two years as Leader?
"The PM told Eurosceptic backbenchers she was still committed to boosting growth through economic reforms, No 10 sources said."
I assume that this was the ERG group. Has she managed to get even these hard liners on side?
The next place we might get a clue is PMQs. One could almost feel sorry for her but that is a dangerous sentiment.

[plaques]

The only thing that can be said for certain is that nobody other than the puppet masters of the Tory party knows what is going on. The word is that these men in grey suits have told the government what action they are going to take. Who these mystery men are nobody knows and nobody will ever find out such is the fiction or our democracy. The vox pop among commentators is that Liz Truss will go very soon but will told to keep her mouth shut and say as little as possible. Jeremy Hunt will continue as chancellor until all the dirty work has been done and then he's out. The new Prime Minister and Chancellor will be decided behind closed doors and the rules amended to let it happen. The public will be brainwashed through the media that this is a new start and it was all the fault of Truss, Kwarteng and for good measure Hunt, A completely new cabinet will be formed possibly with only one or two ERG (European Research Group) members and the rest of squeaky clean unknown MPs and with fingers crossed hoping that the public fall for it.

All speculation of course since nobody in the outside world knows what's going on but any ruse to hang onto power is feasible.

Another very strong rumor and I repeat a rumor is that Truss was expected to answer a question in the Commons yesterday but sent Penny Mordaunt who said Truss was with Sir Graham Brady (1922 committee) who was actually seated in the Commons himself at that time. Truss appeared later but sat motionless with a very fast eye blinking rate. Its now being said she was having medical treatment. So besides keeping her mouth shut lets hope she keeps her fingers off the Button.

The YouGov polls amongst Tory party members, the clowns that picked Truss as leader are now picking Boris as leader. You couldn't make it up.

[Whyperion]

" squeaky clean unknown MPs " Their voting record is avalible to see how clean they are.


Surprised Truss has made it to the day of PMQs. I presume she has worked out the ability not to answer any question with a meaningful response.

[Stanley]

Ken, I agree. I think we can be sure that the present cast are expendable and will be told to say their hijabs slipped accidentally.....

[Tizer]

Very funny, Stanley! Are you auditioning for HIGNFY?

[Tripps]

sent Penny Mordaunt who said Truss was with Sir Graham Brady (1922 committee) who was actually seated in the Commons himself at that time

Did she? Penny Mordaunt MP

PS - and a search for the word 'Brady' in Hansard from the urgent question on Monday gives no result.

Hansard Mon 17 Oct 2022

[plaques]

PS - and a search for the word 'Brady' in Hansard from the urgent question on Monday gives no result.

You are right Tripps, I interpreted the 'Delayed on Urgent Business' as the discussion with Brady that she had before the question time. The two are quite separate. From the exchanges it was never said where she was all we know is "The Prime Minister is not under a desk, as the hon. Lady suggests"

Sorry for giving duff information.

[Tripps]

Sorry for giving duff information.

Accepted. The events are good enough in themselves. They need no embellishing.

Interestingly an MP referred to the PM hiding under her desk in a PMQ's question, and implied it actually happened. Thus the popular narrative is created.

Now the PM has directly contradicted the Chancellor regarding the triple lock. Will it be five Chancellors in five months - should be.

How can anyone with any self awareness and a functioning embarrassment gene use the phrase "I am a fighter not a quitter". Peter Mandelson has the copyright surely, and who would want to be connected to him?

She's only there because replacing her is in the 'far too difficult tray'

[Tizer]

Suella Braverman has resigned... LINK
Suella Braverman resigns as home secretary in a face-to-face meeting with the prime minister. Losing one of her key ministers will add to turmoil at the top of government, as Liz Truss faces widespread discontent among Tory MPs