Boris is NOT running

[marshy68]

But the economy hasn't crashed.

we haven't left yet.

 

[symyjym]

You may need 400 people in total to handle trade negotiations but I'd be very surprised if they all had to be experts in the topic. The ones making travel arrangements and printing and binding documents certainly don't have to be.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

You may need 400 people in total to handle trade negotiations but I'd be very surprised if they all had to be experts in the topic. The ones making travel arrangements and printing and binding documents certainly don't have to be.

Nope. He was very clear on this point. 400. We have between 12 and 20 as all trade negotiations have been done via the EU for the last 40 years. And anticipating a possible comeback from you he also said that people with the needed skills do not exist in the private sector. Business deals - yes. Trade negotiations- no.

 

[marshy68]

As beorthelm and I have already mentioned, it's highly unlikely that there'll be an election before 2020. Pressure from whom? The electorate? They've already spoken. The Labour party? They're in too much of a mess for an election.

And even if the new leader wanted one: how is he/she going to get it? As I mentioned earlier, I keep asking people who talk about early elections how that's going to happen and no-one ever answers

I agree, with the fixed term parliaments, I don't even know if there is a way to even call an early election. However, with the current political turmoil, a divided country I think the remain 48% will want a new election and put pressure on for this. We are really in unchartered territory.

 

[Diego Napier]

Ah, Gove, the educationalists favourite friend. If, like me, you were worried before, then God help us now.

Gove has stated that Boris Johnson was not capable of uniting the country.

Is the clown totally bereft of a single shred of self-awareness?

 

[Machiavelli]

I agree, with the fixed term parliaments, I don't even know if there is a way to even call an early election. However, with the current political turmoil, a divided country I think the remain 48% will want a new election and put pressure on for this. We are really in unchartered territory.

We are, but:
-- us Remain lot need to accept that we lost, and that we'll have to see what a post-Brexit world looks like, perhaps sparkling up a Rejoin campaign if the future turns out as we anticipate
-- really, what do you think you're going to get out of a general election in the next few months? I suspect that the outcome would be even worse than it currently is.

 

[Gwylan]

I agree, with the fixed term parliaments, I don't even know if there is a way to even call an early election. However, with the current political turmoil, a divided country I think the remain 48% will want a new election and put pressure on for this. We are really in unchartered territory.

There are three ways to call an early election

a) A vote of no confidence in the new PM. That's clearly not going to happen. It may happen after Article 50 talks are concluded but that's off the agenda for two years at least

b) A two-thirds vote of the House (the whole House not MPs present). The Labour party are no state to fight an election now but they would need to vote for it. Tories + SNP + Others wouldn't be enough.

c) A repeal of the FTPA. This could happen but there would need to be parliamentary time allocated and to push it through quickly there would need to be a guillotine on the motion. Not sure how that would be received by the electorate, it may be seen as something anti-democratic given we had a referendum

For b and c, there would need to be considerable Tory support for a GE. I'm not convinced that Brexiters would vote for something if it were seen to be a way of circumventing the Leave vote

There is a possibility that b could happen if pro-Remain Tories, Labour and SNP were to come together and push it through. The numbers are tight however and it would only need a couple of MPs not to play along for the idea to fall through

I would be astonished if there were an election before 2020

 

[The Merry Prankster]

You may need 400 people in total to handle trade negotiations but I'd be very surprised if they all had to be experts in the topic. The ones making travel arrangements and printing and binding documents certainly don't have to be.

He also pointed out that even if, by some miracle, you could get 400 trained up (which he said was impossible) then they would be torn apart by the cream of 27 other countries highly experienced negotiators.

He wasn't being nashing and wailing about this, just presenting it matter of factly like a good Civil Servant.

 

[Doc Lynam]

MG "There were many of my friends saying MICHAEL, we understand your reluctance to run, but we believe you are better equipped, we believe your experience in government, we believe your deeply held CONVICTIONS; we believe that your vision for this country is right. I reflected on those, reflected on what id seen in the last week and came reluctantly,, but FIRMLY to the conclusion that i should stand and Boris should stand aside."

The word hero is overused these days, and it is in this case as well!

 

[symyjym]

He also pointed out that even if, by some miracle, you could get 400 trained up (which he said was impossible) then they would be torn apart by the cream of 27 other countries highly experienced negotiators.

He wasn't being nashing and wailing about this, just presenting it matter of factly like a good Civil Servant.

Exactly, and this cream of highly experienced negotiators also have a 3 month head start on us.

 

[symyjym]

Heseltine is bang on about Boris.

 

[ManOfSussex]

How many do you need? It's not the EU and we also have private sector expertise in international trade negotiations. We've been doing it for centuries.

The figure quoted was 400, as posted elsewhere. The article I read in The Times was by Sir Christopher Meyer, former British ambassador to The United States and Germany. I appreciate he's part of the establishment and people in this country have had enough of experts, but he also argued that every Whitehall department needs to be increased in size now. The UK also needs to increase the size and influence of every diplomatic mission abroad and that defence spending needs to be increased to ensure our purpose and relevance in the new world we're now into.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Heseltine is bang on about Boris.

Totally.

Lord Heseltine told a public event: "I have never seen anything like it. He's ripped the Tory party apart, he has created the greatest constitutional crisis in peacetime in my life.

"He's knocked billions off his value of the savings of the British people. He's like a general who marches his army to the sound of the guns and the moment he sees the battleground he abandons it.

"I have never seen anything like it and he must be answerable for the consequences. But the pain of it will be felt by all of us and, if it doesn't get resolved shortly, by a generation yet to come."

He later added on BBC Five Live: "This is a free society; there’s no question of punishment. He must now live with the shame of what he’s done.

The Tory peer went on to dismiss the contribution of other pro-Leave voices like Mr Gove.

“Boris Johnson is the one who won the referendum,” he said.

“Without him it would not have happened. Without him there would be none of this uncertainty, and he’s abandoned the field.

“Quite interesting, actually, one of the allegations upon which the referendum was conducted is that there is an elite group in this country who are out of touch.

"Well, it’s that elite group that now has to pick up the pieces of Britain’s self-interest while Boris Johnson abandons any sense of responsibility for what he’s done.”

 

[vegster]

Totally.

Lord Heseltine told a public event: "I have never seen anything like it. He's ripped the Tory party apart, he has created the greatest constitutional crisis in peacetime in my life.

"He's knocked billions off his value of the savings of the British people. He's like a general who marches his army to the sound of the guns and the moment he sees the battleground he abandons it.

"I have never seen anything like it and he must be answerable for the consequences. But the pain of it will be felt by all of us and, if it doesn't get resolved shortly, by a generation yet to come."

He later added on BBC Five Live: "This is a free society; there’s no question of punishment. He must now live with the shame of what he’s done.

The Tory peer went on to dismiss the contribution of other pro-Leave voices like Mr Gove.

“Boris Johnson is the one who won the referendum,” he said.

“Without him it would not have happened. Without him there would be none of this uncertainty, and he’s abandoned the field.

“Quite interesting, actually, one of the allegations upon which the referendum was conducted is that there is an elite group in this country who are out of touch.

"Well, it’s that elite group that now has to pick up the pieces of Britain’s self-interest while Boris Johnson abandons any sense of responsibility for what he’s done.”

Well, that's that then for Boris, word is he would probably not be given a seat in the cabinet either. If only he hadn't been too tired to knock out a decent piece on Monday.

 

[Machiavelli]

The figure quoted was 400, as posted elsewhere. The article I read in The Times was by Sir Christopher Meyer, former British ambassador to The United States and Germany. I appreciate he's part of the establishment and people in this country have had enough of experts, but he also argued that every Whitehall department needs to be increased in size now. The UK also needs to increase the size and influence of every diplomatic mission abroad and that defence spending needs to be increased to ensure our purpose and relevance in the new world we're now into.

To be fair to Meyer, he did say this during the referendum campaign as well.

 

[Ernest]

How can anyone trust a Tory after this little lot ?

 

[The Clamp]

Boris, disgraceful man. Never taken Responsibility for a anything in his entire life. Disgusting.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I have no idea if the real reasons that Boris had stood aside, no more than anyone here who claims to be in the know, however it is likely in my opinion that Boris had been outmanoeuvred. The remain lot are DESPERATE to blame someone for the vote that they lost as is Michael Heseltine who is in good company mithering and crying his way through the interview. Boris is a convenient scapegoat for all the terrible things that have happened. Or maybe, just maybe the remain lot will be surprised and all this angst and whinging will have been needless.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Or maybe, just maybe the remain lot will be surprised and all this angst and whinging will have been needless.

I sincerely hope that this is the case. We have just had a revolution though and they don't always turn out quite right.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

Hope he never gets to return to his old role as media-friendly lovable buffoon. It's hard to see what friends he can have left; he has let us all down regardless of what side you were on.