Is Bozo Finally to be Ousted?

[Rival]

A rather penetrating critique here of the modern Tory party, from Dominic Grieve, former Attorney-General in David Cameron's government and who was forced out of the party by Bozo. It's from Prospect magazine:

It was the Conservative Party that created this monster

Tory MPs have an enormous amount of damage to repair now that Boris Johnson has finally resigned

By

Dominic Grieve

July 7, 2022

Boris Johnson’s premiership is no more. He had haemorrhaged support to a point that was simply untenable, and by the end it was far from clear that he would even have been leading what can be described as an administration.

It speaks volumes to Johnson’s total narcissism and entitlement that faced with such a situation, there was still suspicion that he would somehow attempt to battle on or even might try to trigger a general election. A brazen disregard of rules and conventions and any loyalty to colleagues has been his hallmark, just as has his tolerance of misbehaviour by supportive colleagues and subordinates. His serial mendacity makes for an appalling spectacle, and the risk is not yet over: if Johnson remains as caretaker prime minister while a successor is found, it cannot be discounted that he will discover a way to inflict further damage on Britain’s international reputation.

The strangest aspect of this sorry saga, however, is that a Conservative Party that once prided itself on upholding our political institutions, conventions and traditions, and claimed that it would always try to act with propriety and in the widest public interest, put up with Johnson for so long. Even if viewed solely through the prism of self-interest, it has been obvious since the Owen Paterson affair that the public had rumbled Johnson and he had lost their confidence last year. Partygate should have been the last straw. Yet still Conservative MPs either continued to insist his appalling behaviour should be forgiven because he was a winner, or wrung their hands helplessly and usually only in private as he dragged them all down. The Conservative Party has been collectively tainted, corrupted and damaged by Johnson’s behaviour and influence over it.

The problem that brought to Conservative Party to this point is not an aberration. It is the direct consequence of not being able to control or come to terms with the political instability the Leave vote in 2016 inevitably created, of which Johnson was key architect. Making him PM showed an open willingness by Conservatives to use him to break rules and conventions to secure Brexit. Entirely predictably, he used these means successfully, and equally predictably it delivered nothing but serious economic and political challenges and administrative chaos.

Johnson’s actions both over Brexit and in government have also broken the underlying consensus that has held the party together. Without the respect for the constitution, institutions and conventions of the state which previously characterised it, its internal divisions are shown with starkest clarity. Free marketeers, angry at the failure to deliver the deregulation and low-tax economy they desire, confront fellow Leave supporters who want more public expenditure in their constituencies to help levelling up. The liberal Conservatives are marginalised and the pragmatic centre silenced. All will look with foreboding at a leadership election that is unpredictable in outcome and will be determined by Conservative Party members who are increasingly unrepresentative of the electorate who actually vote Conservative.

If the Conservative parliamentary party is to survive and do any good in future, it needs to come to an appreciation of how it created this monster. That is going to require asking hard questions as to how it abandoned the delivery of quiet government for revolutionary upheaval and taking a realistic view of what can reasonably be achieved to restore stability and build prosperity. It then needs to find and insist on a leader who can deliver this, and to abandon the fantasy politics that have taken both the party and our country to such a sorry state.

UNQUOTE

I think the points about the party becoming increasingly unrepresentative of Tory voters, and about "fantasy politics", are very sound observations.

This is all true.

 

[exchemist]

This is all true.

In fact, I had you in mind when I wrote my last line. You voted for a moderate Brexit - and got instead the hardest of hard Brexits, quite out of line with what was suggested by the Brex****ters at the time of the vote.

 

[JIMMY12345]

Both the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, (Finance minister) and the Health Secretary have just resigned, saying they can't take any more of Bozo's incompetence and lack of integrity. The full text of Sajid Javid's letter is here: Sajid Javid’s resignation letter – in full

This is pretty direct, for a resignation letter.

So what will Bozo do now? Who will he appoint to be C of Exch., the most important ministerial post in the land - indeed, who will want the job? Jacob Rees-Mogg? Nadine Dorries, perhaps?

Surely the farce must now come to an end. The Men in Grey Suits will be on their way to see Bozo in the next 48hrs, I would guess, with a bottle of whisky and a revolver.

And I have put the Deutz in the fridge, because when these things happen, they happen very fast and I want to be ready to celebrate the defenestration of the worst Prime Minister of all time. (Though my father still thinks Anthony Eden holds that title, by a whisker.)

Rather then start a new thread can we keep this thread running maybe? Whose is the best person to take over from Boris and why?

 

[exchemist]

Rather then start a new thread can we keep this thread running maybe? Whose is the best person to take over from Boris and why?

On current information I would prefer either Tom Tugendhat or Jeremy Hunt, I think. Hunt, in spite of his uneven success at Health, is clearly a very thoughtful and intelligent man, who is basically honest. I was impressed by some interviews he gave about health and the pandemic last year. He addressed the subjects with some insight and did not try to score points to big up his record. He has also served as Foreign Sec I think and is a far more nuanced diplomat than Bozo (not hard).

Tugendhat is a multifaceted character, French wife and dual British/French citizenship, fluent Arabic speaker, has served in the army in Iraq and Afhganistan, talks a lot of sense and again avoids cheap jingoism. He has been chair of the Foreign Affairs Committees for some time.

Both I feel sure would be able to forge some kind of productive relationship with the EU and mitigate the worst of the economic effects of Brexit and both I suspect would try to honour the levelling up promise, which is the one good idea Bozo had.

Neither will be chosen, however, because they are not sufficiently Brexitty or xenophobic.

 

[JIMMY12345]

On current information I would prefer either Tom Tugendhat or Jeremy Hunt, I think. Hunt, in spite of his uneven success at Health, is clearly a very thoughtful and intelligent man, who is basically honest. I was impressed by some interviews he gave about health and the pandemic last year. He addressed the subjects with some insight and did not try to score points to big up his record. He has also served as Foreign Sec I think and is a far more nuanced diplomat than Bozo (not hard).

Tugendhat is a multifaceted character, French wife and dual British/French citizenship, fluent Arabic speaker, has served in the army in Iraq and Afhganistan, talks a lot of sense and again avoids cheap jingoism. He has been chair of the Foreign Affairs Committees for some time.

Both I feel sure would be able to forge some kind of productive relationship with the EU and mitigate the worst of the economic effects of Brexit and both I suspect would try to honour the levelling up promise, which is the one good idea Bozo had.

Neither will be chosen, however, because they are not sufficiently Brexitty or xenophobic.

What gets me is the biggest enemy at the gate is inflation.In Turkey it runs at 73% in Sri Lanka well lets not go there.All the top candidates bar one so far want to cut taxes.This will be so great for curbing inflation ( not to mention votes).All the extra money sloshing around chasing goods.Enter Mr Sunak. Poverty nor wealth should be a barrier to high office.Mr Sunak is so rich he can tell the truth and not care if he is not elected.Which admittedly he may not be.People who tell the truth seldom prosper.I am curious if he will be eventually be corrupted by high office.

 

[exchemist]

What gets me is the biggest enemy at the gate is inflation.In Turkey it runs at 73% in Sri Lanka well lets not go there.All the top candidates bar one so far want to cut taxes.This will be so great for curbing inflation ( not to mention votes).All the extra money sloshing around chasing goods.Enter Mr Sunak. Poverty nor wealth should be a barrier to high office.Mr Sunak is so rich he can tell the truth and not care if he is not elected.Which admittedly he may not be.People who tell the truth seldom prosper.I am curious if he will be eventually be corrupted by high office.

The Bank of England will control that, though, via interest rates. If the government adopts inflationary polices the BoE will jack the interest rate.

 

[Subduction Zone]

What gets me is the biggest enemy at the gate is inflation.In Turkey it runs at 73% in Sri Lanka well lets not go there.All the top candidates bar one so far want to cut taxes.This will be so great for curbing inflation ( not to mention votes).All the extra money sloshing around chasing goods.Enter Mr Sunak. Poverty nor wealth should be a barrier to high office.Mr Sunak is so rich he can tell the truth and not care if he is not elected.Which admittedly he may not be.People who tell the truth seldom prosper.I am curious if he will be eventually be corrupted by high office.

Careful. That sort of thinking is what led to Trump's election here. The most corrupt President for over one hundred years. If a person got rich through dishonest means, and Trump definitely did that, that person's dishonest will continue while he is in office. And far more of the rich got their through dishonesty than you would ever think.

 

[JIMMY12345]

This is all true.

I would argue (most respectfully) to Exchemist that an increase in interest rate has a limited effect. Also as it will suck in investment into sterling. Other countries will raise their interest rates to even out. Just how far can British Business survive interest rate hikes in quick succession. Personally I am realistic with respect to Trump. Many Politicians in Africa and Asia are corrupt. What makes USA/Europe think they can take a high moral ground and think they are immune?. I suggest this is plain delusional. Trump can not help himself he is simply being himself. His big danger and I suspect he may gain election is he is loved by one man Putin. The Duma clapped on his election. He urged Boris to leave the EU. He was a threat to NATO as well as WHO. On his election a major USA airline manufacturer faced cost capping. As Putin is ultimately controlled by FSB State security would Ukraine still get heavy weaponry from the USA if he is re-elected?

 

[JIMMY12345]

Both the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, (Finance minister) and the Health Secretary have just resigned, saying they can't take any more of Bozo's incompetence and lack of integrity. The full text of Sajid Javid's letter is here: Sajid Javid’s resignation letter – in full

This is pretty direct, for a resignation letter.

So what will Bozo do now? Who will he appoint to be C of Exch., the most important ministerial post in the land - indeed, who will want the job? Jacob Rees-Mogg? Nadine Dorries, perhaps?

Surely the farce must now come to an end. The Men in Grey Suits will be on their way to see Bozo in the next 48hrs, I would guess, with a bottle of whisky and a revolver.

And I have put the Deutz in the fridge, because when these things happen, they happen very fast and I want to be ready to celebrate the defenestration of the worst Prime Minister of all time. (Though my father still thinks Anthony Eden holds that title, by a whisker.)

Round three.Who lights your fire.The excellent Ms Truss or the equally excellent Mr Sunak.? I think Mr Sunak have shut up and given poor Ms Truss a chance to speak.The BBC was very poor at moderating.That said Ms Truss ignores the 80/20 rule.Things are more likely to go wrong 80% of the time eg COVID or Putin/FSB. Things are more likely to go right 20% of the time eg find shale gas.Ms Truss grew up in left leaning family.It has not rubbed off.Ignore the candidates.Put on a piece of paper 7% inflation.With Brexit and no real new trade agreements the REALITY is in 3 years the mountain of debt will just be higher.