[Politics] Tory meltdown finally arrived [was: incoming]...

[pb21]

I saw her on the TV news the other day, leaving her house and turning left onto the pavement. A minder immediately stepped forward and had to shepherd her in the other direction to her waiting car as she grinned gormlessly at the cameras. Then after her leadership launch event in Westminster she stepped off the podium and strode through the posse of hacks before an aide rushed up and pointed her to the exit which was at the other end of the room and she had to turn around and thread her way back past the reporters. She is unfailingly hopeless.



So far as living near to leadership contenders, I live very close to Kemi Badenoch's constituency home. She is in the next village and I see her fairly frequently in the local NISA shop. Well, I say 'leadership contenders'; no way Badenoch has a hope of winning this obviously, and remains in the race purely out of self-interest as her relatively high numbers and the leverage that gives her should help her to secure a Cabinet position under the next leader.

I am starting to think Truss is being backed by the likes of Mogg and Frost etc. solely on the basis that she is a bit dim/light-weight/incompetent and they will be able to get their way. Definitely the weakest candidate in terms of political strength IMO.

 

[Machiavelli]

Does anyone think any of the candidates will seriously embrace net-zero? Not mentioned at all so far...

Nor public services

 

[Stato]

Good to hear that there will be three televised debates. It wouldn't be proper democracy unless we all got the chance to hear from the candidates in an election that 365 of us (0.00078% of the electorate) are able to vote in. It should inform the next round when approximately* 0.3%** of the electorate gets a say. To put this in context the 1832 reform act extended voting rights to approximately 7% of the adult male population (around 3.5% of the total adult population).

* - 'Approximately' because the Conservative Party won't reveal how many members will have a vote: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62138041. 'Open democracy' I believe its called.

** - 80% of whom are from the ABC1 socio-economic groups (or classes as they used to be called, but can't be any more because class is irrelevant and anybody who says it isn't is just jealous and anti-meritocratic. They all got where they are through hard work and exceptionalism just like their fathers and their fathers and their fathers before them did).

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I am starting to think Truss is being backed by the likes of Mogg and Frost etc. solely on the basis that she is a bit dim/light-weight/incompetent and they will be able to get their way. Definitely the weakest candidate in terms of political strength IMO.

How Lord Frost can carry any influence if he’s endorsing anyone really beats me. He doesn’t seem to have two brain cells to rub together. But maybe the people he is seeking to influence are similarly gifted. The jockeying between the different camps astounds me….. but it probably shouldn’t.
Liz Truss does seem to bring an unparalleled level of vacuity to the proceedings, certainly in a class of her own now Braverman has gone.
Lord Frost was denouncing Penny Mordaunt the other day over her Brexit history and other things - quite possibly indicating she’s the best person for the job!

 

[nicko31]

Centre Left? No chance. She is also a proven liar with her tales about Turkey, Britain not being allowed a veto, (all documented on the Andrew Marr show) her bragging about the Navy and wearing submariners dolphins which is the action of a Walter Mitty.

She had a great opportunity to correct the lie of 2016 on Ian Dale's show the other night. Instead she doubled down, not a good look.

Her military background is over hyped, 9 years as a reservist with half of that on Reserve List 6, so no annual training commitment and received no remuneration received.

Then in April 2019 made an honorary commander and an honorary captain on 30 June 2021.

 

[Machiavelli]

Other people dealt with the same point he made yesterday. When Labour had a leadership contest that's what was all over news. If Labour were in government choosing the next prime minister there wouldn't be any tory MPs on newsnight. Its not sone kind of insidious tory bias at the BBC or evil plot, the sitting government always gets more coverage. It was the same under Blair and Brown, nobody gave a sh*t what the likes of Hague and IDS thought!

To keep banging on about it deserves a bit of derision IMHO.

*edit* To address the Corbyn point, yes they had it in for him, it's was inevitable. If you sit on the backbenches for decades slinging mud at everyone, rabble rousing and sharing platforms with dubious characters/terrorists you're going to make enemies. You have to play the game sometimes, that's just life!

It's certainly not a BBC plot, but it's utterly insidious -- in fact, it accords precisely with the definition of the word. The BBC don't have agency here, they operate within a system in which they've been constantly under attack from the vast majority of the media for decades, for both commercial and ideological reasons -- with the latter being by far more important. They've also been put on the back foot by this government, who are constantly threatening its model (which is somewhat ironic, because this government claims to be patriotic, yet the BBC are both trusted and popular with the vast majority of the population), while also well on the way of changing the status of another (respected, efficient, effective, popular) broadcaster.
This is the kind of thing that authoritairan -- and even fascist -- governments, and to deny this deserves more than derision IMHO.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Three of the last five remaining candidates to replace him as leader are those useless lapdogs (and one other served in May's cabinet). As the fifth is about to be booted out next, I'm not sure where this fresh start is going to come from

There was an article by Simon Jenkins in the Guardian the other day which said that Sunak is the only candidate that Labour might fear because he is the only one who has any sense. I think that might be slightly unfair on Tugendhat, but he’ll probably be next out anyway. Sunak is the only one, I think, who hasn’t been daft enough to promise huge tax cuts.

 

[pb21]

How Lord Frost can carry any influence if he’s endorsing anyone really beats me. He doesn’t seem to have two brain cells to rub together. But maybe the people he is seeking to influence are similarly gifted. The jockeying between the different camps astounds me….. but it probably shouldn’t.
Liz Truss does seem to bring an unparalleled level of vacuity to the proceedings, certainly in a class of her own now Braverman has gone.
Lord Frost was denouncing Penny Mordaunt the other day over her Brexit history and other things - quite possibly indicating she’s the best person for the job!

Definitely seems to be a concerted effort from ERG types for everyone to get behind the flip-flopping Remainer/arch-Brexiteer Truss; she will be a puppet PM if she gets in.

IMO Mordaunt is the best of the candidates with a realistic chance of winning.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

How Lord Frost can carry any influence if he’s endorsing anyone really beats me. He doesn’t seem to have two brain cells to rub together. But maybe the people he is seeking to influence are similarly gifted. The jockeying between the different camps astounds me….. but it probably shouldn’t.
Liz Truss does seem to bring an unparalleled level of vacuity to the proceedings, certainly in a class of her own now Braverman has gone.
Lord Frost was denouncing Penny Mordaunt the other day over her Brexit history and other things - quite possibly indicating she’s the best person for the job!

I prefer Daniel Craig's honorary position as Commander James Bond!
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-a...g has been,the fictional British secret agent.

 

[nicko31]

It's certainly not a BBC plot, but it's utterly insidious -- in fact, it accords precisely with the definition of the word. The BBC don't have agency here, they operate within a system in which they've been constantly under attack from the vast majority of the media for decades, for both commercial and ideological reasons -- with the latter being by far more important. They've also been put on the back foot by this government, who are constantly threatening its model (which is somewhat ironic, because this government claims to be patriotic, yet the BBC are both trusted and popular with the vast majority of the population), while also well on the way of changing the status of another (respected, efficient, effective, popular) broadcaster.
This is the kind of thing that authoritairan -- and even fascist -- governments, and to deny this deserves more than derision IMHO.

The Beeb has always was a great source of soft power around the world. But that doesn't matter, if attacking it sure up parts of the Tory base and non-dom media mogul support it doesn't matter.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It's certainly not a BBC plot, but it's utterly insidious -- in fact, it accords precisely with the definition of the word. The BBC don't have agency here, they operate within a system in which they've been constantly under attack from the vast majority of the media for decades, for both commercial and ideological reasons -- with the latter being by far more important. They've also been put on the back foot by this government, who are constantly threatening its model (which is somewhat ironic, because this government claims to be patriotic, yet the BBC are both trusted and popular with the vast majority of the population), while also well on the way of changing the status of another (respected, efficient, effective, popular) broadcaster.
This is the kind of thing that authoritairan -- and even fascist -- governments, and to deny this deserves more than derision IMHO.

Of course, the BBC doesn't have an agenda. Donations and fund raising for the Conservatives is just a hobby.
https://bylinetimes.com/2021/01/06/...nated-more-than-400000-to-conservative-party/

The BBC are fairly compliant when it comes to politics because they want to keep the licence fee.

 

[Jim in the West]

Definitely seems to be a concerted effort from ERG types for everyone to get behind the flip-flopping Remainer/arch-Brexiteer Truss; she will be a puppet PM if she gets in.

IMO Mordaunt is the best of the candidates with a realistic chance of winning.

Listening to (and reading) all the Anti-Mordaunt stuff from the Daily Mail/Express/Telegraph and assorted jokers on the Tory right, I think I'm beginning to warm to PM for PM. It would be hilarious seeing how the Mail & Express handle a Tory leader who they didn't endorse. But - as you say - if Truss wins, she will simply be a puppet of the media barons and assorted nutters with far more money than sense. And zero concern for the average Brit.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Now I know that the ERG has a long established history of complete loonery, but Liz Truss ?

I really can't see beyond the Continuity Candidate or the one funded by Climate change deniers

 

[nicko31]

Nope. They're much more interested in the massively over-inflated non-issues like a couple of boats in the channel than the actual global crisis which is manifesting itself right in front of our eyes.

Looking forward to seeing who is out pushing an end fo net zero in 40+ degree hear early next week. Without even a shred of irony.

UK Met Office just issued first ever red warning for heat. It won't register on these idiots

 

[Hugo Rune]

Personally, I hope Sunak wins and makes a good fist of it.

Out to 7/2 on SkyBet to be the next PM. Worth a flutter if you think the Tory Membership will take to him.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Sky News are covering a video conference debate. How no-one has said they will pledge to make broadband better given their connections, I will never know. Kemi looks like a Commodore 64 loading screen. Pixeltastic.

 

[BLOCK F]

Three of the last five remaining candidates to replace him as leader are those useless lapdogs (and one other served in May's cabinet). As the fifth is about to be booted out next, I'm not sure where this fresh start is going to come from

Truss, I consider a lapdog, but Sunak, Mordaunt, Badenoch and Tugendhat, not so.
The lapdogs to which I refer were more the likes of Truss, Raab, Dorries, Mogg and those other unfortunates who were dragged into the tv studios on a regular basis to defend the indefensible.
Let us wait and see who wins and what they do before casting judgement, but I agree, more of the same will not suffice.
As for serving in a Cabinet, Keir Starmer served under the useless Corbyn in a Shadow Cabinet and presumably wanted him to be PM. One could say that shows a lack of judgement. The point I am making is that serving in a Cabinet/ Shadow Cabinet with people you disagree with doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from later on, ditching previous policies and making a fresh start.

 

[Audax]

Truss, I consider a lapdog, but Sunak, Mordaunt, Badenoch and Tugendhat, not so.
The lapdogs to which I refer were more the likes of Truss, Raab, Dorries, Mogg and those other unfortunates who were dragged into the tv studios on a regular basis to defend the indefensible.
Let us wait and see who wins and what they do before casting judgement, but I agree, more of the same will not suffice.
As for serving in a Cabinet, Keir Starmer served under the useless Corbyn in a Shadow Cabinet and presumably wanted him to be PM. One could say that shows a lack of judgement. The point I am making is that serving in a Cabinet/ Shadow Cabinet with people you disagree with doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from later on, ditching previous policies and making a fresh start.

Starmer's situation was a little different, though, wasn't it? IIRC for Labour both the leader *and* deputy are elected, and they *don't* need to run on the same "ticket". So Starmer was there because the membership wanted him there, not because Corbyn did. It puts a slightly different angle on it for Starmer, and from memory (much as Rayner has done for Starmer) Starmer did on some key issues distance himself from Corbyn, safe in the knowledge Corbyn couldn't just remove him.

 

[pb21]

Sky News are covering a video conference debate. How no-one has said they will pledge to make broadband better given their connections, I will never know. Kemi looks like a Commodore 64 loading screen. Pixeltastic.

You can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj_qw2UQmlw&ab_channel=ConservativeHome

I just endured a few minutes, its all just waffle.

 

[BLOCK F]

Out to 7/2 on SkyBet to be the next PM. Worth a flutter if you think the Tory Membership will take to him.

I’m not a betting man ‘Arry, (except on the odd visits I used to make to Goodwood) but worth a punt if one is.
Sunak is my preferred option, but failing that, anyone but Liz.