POLITICS CORNER

[Big Kev]

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[Tripps]

Boris has cut short his holiday in The Dominican Republic, and has been photographed with his family, flying home with BA. He is said to be in economy class. He must be hard up - probably an 'all inclusive' package deal too. I'd have expected 'Sandals' or Mustique, at least.' The poor wretch must be paying his own way for a change, and is getting used to his 'poverty pay ' again.

Beyond further comment. Is the nation daft enough to allow this all to happen?

The supporter numbers look like Sunak (he is claiming over a hundred now) and Boris will go on the final ballot. I don't think the party will let the membership anywhere near the final decision.

[Stanley]

"the least deserving and least qualified foreign secretary of modern times, who has successfully lived down to all expectations”. "
Game set and match Peter.....
" Is the nation daft enough to allow this all to happen?"
The answer to that David is probably yes.
As a social democrat I want the Tories out but know that under our peculiar system that can't happen so I look on the bright side and console myself with the thought that if Johnson does fool everyone and get the job that guarantees the demise of the Tory Party as we know it within three years.
For the BBC view of the runners and riders see THIS assessment.
Ian makes a good point about the way the rest of the world is viewing these shenanigans. It started as pity, then descended to hilarity and is now pure derision. It was bad enough over Brexit but is now surreal.
Of course you could simply watch

[Stanley]

I'm listening to Moon Face Stephenson making a case for Johnson to be elected PM again and being savaged for it. Beyond unbelievable. In effect he is putting himself up for a Cabinet post.
I tend to agree with William Hague. He says electing Johnson would send the party into a death spiral.
This is surreal.......

[plaques]

The big burning question is 'Should there be a General Election (GE) '? Well look at the facts. Possibly 80% of the population think we should but that means nothing against the claim that the Conservatives have a mandate to stay in power until Jan 2025. That being said they will cling on as long as possible in the hope that with a new team in charge they can sell the lie it was nothing to do with them and was all down to those two loose cannons Truss and Kwarteng. Meanwhile the party must address a more immediate problem of who to pick for party leader. Accepting the fact that a GE would wipe them out and the majority MPs would lose their jobs the equation becomes relatively simple. Which one would do the least damage and preserve the maximum number of parliamentary Conservative jobs. The more astute will notice the state of the economy and the lives of ordinary people doesn't come into the equation. The blame for this mundane problem has been taken care of by the previously mentioned scapegoats,
The real problem then becomes ...>
Sunak = X jobs
Johnson = Y jobs
Mordaunt = Z jobs.
This is a really tough problem well above their paygrade but remember its all being done for the good of the country and the hardworking people.

[Tizer]

This is a really tough problem well above their paygrade but remember its all being done for the good of the country and the hardworking people.

You forgot to add the upside down irony smiley!

A few BBC quotes from today's front pages...
The Telegraph says it can reveal that Kemi Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, and Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, are considering backing Johnson, in what would be a major boost that could unify the right of the party. Penny Mordaunt has told the paper that she promises a government of all the talents and puts a Whitehall shake-up at the heart of her Tory leadership pitch.

The Daily Express reports that Boris Johnson has declared that he's "up for it" as he prepares to launch an "extraordinary political comeback".

The Daily Mail reports senior Tories are trying to broker a face-to-face meeting between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak in a bid to end the "bloodletting" engulfing the party.

The Financial Times says that investors and some Tory MPs took fright yesterday as Boris Johnson considered running for a second stint as prime minister, with warnings that he risked triggering further political and economic chaos. The paper quotes former Tory leader Lord William Hague who said a Johnson comeback was the worst idea he had heard in 46 years of a party membership, telling Times Radio it would put the party into a "death spiral".

The Guardian says that Boris Johnson was gaining ground last night for an audacious bid to return to Downing Street, despite critics warning he risked plunging the Tories into fresh chaos over the impending parliamentary inquiry into the Partygate scandal.

The Sun reports that Boris Johnson has said he is "up for it" as he flew home from his Caribbean holiday to try to "wrestle back" the keys to No10.

The Mirror reports its petition for a general election reached 80,000.

The Times reports that Rishi Sunak's supporters are urging Boris Johnson not to stand in the Tory leadership contest, warning that he would leave the Conservative Party in a "death spiral".

The`i' paper says latest polling suggests Rishi Sunak would come closest to beating Keir Starmer at a general election.

And the Daily Star reports that Boris Johnson has emerged as one of the favourites to replace Liz Truss as prime minister, along with a salad-based pun.

[Big Kev]

I reckon the best option is to wait until next week to see who actually gets the job.

[Tripps]

I'm listening to Moon Face Stephenson making a case for Johnson to be elected PM again

It's all explainable.

Those, at all levels, who behave like that have no scruples or moral compass whatever, and are concerned only with self interest. They probably always were; but the gravity of the plight of the Tories has made made them ditch all pretense, and show their shameful position a lot more obviously.

As Yosser said " Geeze a job"

[PanBiker]

So we get another PM the public didn't vote for who could be in power for another 2 years. Boris may well be a liar and a buffoon but he was voted in by the public and his own party ousted him. If, and it's a big if, he got back in as leader and PM, called a GE the voting public would have the final decision. I think that's how democracy works

The problem for me is that regardless of who gets the job they will not call a General Election. Also the methods that they use to install one leader after another is about as far away from democracy as you can get.

The vote that put Truss in place was 60,000 or so Tory electors who made the decision for 67 Million people in the UK, how can that be democratic? Yes they had a mandate in 2019 but a lot of water, PM's, Chancellors and Home Secretaries and not to mention lying and corruption charges have gone under the bridge since then. They must be tested again!

[Tizer]

In the middle of all this chaos there's something else hanging over us that needs to be considered when judging who we want as PM. The US mid-term elections are almost on us and Trump/Republicans look set to do well. If they get in at the later presidential election the US will turn its back on us and we'll need to have a PM who can repair our reputation and relationship with the rest of the world and be able to take part in guiding Nato after it loses the US as a member. If we make Boris PM again it will be like signalling to the world that we are going down the Trump route to oblivion.

[plaques]

On the face of it our bit of choosing a PM nonsense looks straight forward. To get on the ballot each candidate needs 100 backing MPs. If there are more than two the Conservative MPs whittle it down to two and then the card holders get a say. Easy peasy as they say. Reality then steps in. Only Mordaunt has declared her hand both Sunak and Johnson are playing games so not to lose face. Guido Fawkes has it Sunak = 129, Johnson 58. Mordaunt 24. (at 10pm saturday) Sunak is thinking he can win and and may offer Johnson a job. Johnson in turn thinks that if he can get to the card holders and like Truss can become big dog again and as an aside may offer Sunak a job. All behind closed doors wheeler dealing with no concern what the pubic or the country wants or needs. Just big ego, me, me, me. No transparency. no democracy, each trying to outplay the other with the threat of moving their votes to Mordaunt resulting in another ultra right-wing set of nutters in power.
The above is summary of the ongoing speculation which if true is an utter disgrace to our parliamentary system.

[Stanley]

Once again I think you have it about right Ken and the BBC backs you up on the numbers. (LINK)In effect, just like the Brexit decision, the Tories are treating the matter of who gets the PM's job as a private matter and we, the voting fodder, need not bother our silly little heads with it. Ian is right, they have no residual mandate and after the scale of convulsion we have seenno automatic right to be considered sane and responsible!
Question.... If Johnson gets back in does he qualify for a second £115,000 a year pension?

[Stanley]

I'm listening to the speculation about the Tory leadership and reports that Sunak and Johnson 'have had a conversation'. The thought that occurs to me is that the question I would be asking about Johnson is "Can I trust him....?" I leave you to supply the answer to that and the decision about cooperating.....
(My own feeling is that Johnson has not got the 100 supporters and will not be a candidate....)

[plaques]

A point to clarify on the £115,000 'Pension'. It isn't really a pension but a grant that is available to ex-PMs for events like lectures, talks etc that need preparation but are non-paid events. The idea being that they should not be out of pocket for doing community work. Morally they should not be claiming for paid lectures etc.

Back to the poker game. What reports can you believe? Times Radio. Breaking news.... Latest ground shaking update.... reporter says there should have been a meeting between Johnson and Sunak. It didn't happen and neither did the one scheduled for later but this is what would have been said if it had taken place... So total speculation offered up as fact.

The whole vote is a shambles of lies and deceit taking people as fools. The Conservative party don't deserve being the peoples representatives for one minute longer.

[plaques]

Rumbling in the background of economy, economy, economy, is have does the UK achieve growth, growth, growth? The answer is staring us in the face. Rejoin the Common Market. The OBR projected that it was costing 4% GDP. instead we got 0.08% gain from the Australian deal. Here we are poised to bring back the Brexit liar Johnson and watch HMS UK sink below the waves. Forget all this scare mongering of having to work to their rules if the UK wants to trade with them we already have to work to their rules and on other issues they seem to be doing quite nicely thank you.
Listening to the right-wing media we have had enough of Brexit and its time to move on. Move on to what? Years of more poverty and cut backs trying to stretch the elastic further when its already broke.

[Tripps]

A point to clarify on the £115,000 'Pension'. It isn't really a pension but a grant that is available to ex-PMs for events like lectures, talks etc that need preparation but are non-paid events. The idea being that they should not be out of pocket for doing community work. Morally they should not be claiming for paid lectures etc.

Back to the poker game. What reports can you believe? Times Radio. Breaking news.... Latest ground shaking update.... reporter says there should have been a meeting between Johnson and Sunak. It didn't happen and neither did the one scheduled for later but this is what would have been said if it had taken place... So total speculation offered up as fact.

The whole vote is a shambles of lies and deceit taking people as fools. The Conservative party don't deserve being the peoples representatives for one minute longer.

Agree with every word. Not often that happens. . . .

I learn now that former PM Elizabeth Truss is entitled to issue a retirement honours list. What !!

[Big Kev]

Question.... If Johnson gets back in does he qualify for a second £115,000 a year pension?

Be interesting to know but he's not running despite all the media speculation.

[plaques]

Rishi Sunak enters the PM race and gets the backing of Steve Baker. He of the ERG fame. Unfortunately there seems to be some caveats to his backing. In the interview with Sophy Ridge on Sunday. Steve Baker. he makes it clear that unless the government, Sunak, follows through with the Northern Ireland agenda that has been laid down he and the Eurosceptics within the party (ERG) will bring down any Prime Minister that doesn't deliver.. (see approx 9 to10 mins into interview.) No time scale offered but they will be constantly working away in the background telling the Prime Minister what to do.

9.30 . pm. Boris Johnson pulls out of the contest even though he says he has enough votes, well he would wouldn't he. The reason given was that you couldn't govern effectively without a united party in parliament. Where does this leave Sunak or even Mordaunt. The party is clearly split and ungovernable. Off they should go to King Charles III admit defeat and for Charles to invite Starmer to make a government. No more delay hold the GE next week and get on with saving the country. This of course won't happen so the next obvious thing to do is let Sunak get his portrait on the No10 staircase, then call a general election and get rid of this farce of a government and get some sense into the system rather than more austerity.

[Tripps]

His people have been saying today that he definitely has the more than one hundred MP nominations required. I don't believe it. If he did - he'd have been there tomorrow. In poker terms it was a bluff, and he has thrown his hand in face down. We'll never know.

I have no idea if this is the truth.

[Stanley]

"I have no idea if this is the truth."
Neither have I David but that's exactly the way I see it. The Johnson ego demands a last set of lies to cover his abject failure.
I agree also with everything Ken says. Nothing is solved by all this and Sunak is on a hiding to nothing. The Steve Baker interview flags up one wing of dissent working against an incoming PM before they even step over the threshold of No 10.
See THIS latest BBC report for a summary of the days play. Now, as I understand it, we have to wait until Friday for anything official to happen. Is this correct?

[Tizer]

We could have a new PM this afternoon if only one contender reaches the 100 goal post.

[Big Kev]

We could have a new PM this afternoon if only one contender reaches the 100 goal post.

We do. Rishi is in, Penny changed her mind.

[Tripps]

Rishi is in, Penny changed her mind.

He is - and she didn't get the required 100 nominations so she had her mind chaged for her, and could not be in the final. If she had got the 100 nominations - she would have gone to the membership (if allowed ). Of that I am sure.

I don't think this is a wise choice- let's hope I am proved wrong. He will see it as an auspicious day to win, and it would be rude not to wish him a very Happy Deepavali

"This year, the festival falls on Monday, October 24. Diwali holds much significance for Hindus and marks the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and happiness over despair."

That seems to fit the current situation.

[Big Kev]

Rather a strange day for democracy of any kind though when the man who lost the vote, to become PM, becomes PM

[Tizer]

I'm just thankful we have a grown up back in charge.