UK Politics

[alan5616]

Neil Oliver sums up to perfection exactly how I feel about U.K. politics and politicians. Brilliant, as always. Enjoy. . .

Neil Oliver should stick to presenting programmes on Britain, and it's history. He knows fck all about politics.

In the first minute, he makes an untrue statement. Johnson wasn't brought down by the media; he was brought down by Conservative MPs who'd had enough of his lies, poor judgement and lack of integrity.

 

[timsk]

Neil Oliver should stick to presenting programmes on Britain, and it's history. He knows fck all about politics.

Alan,
You don't need to know anything about politics or politicians to make very salient, insightful and factually accurate observations about both - as Neil Oliver does here.

In the first minute, he makes an untrue statement. Johnson wasn't brought down by the media; he was brought down by Conservative MPs who'd had enough of his lies, poor judgement and lack of integrity.

I suggest you listen again more carefully. What he actually said was ". . . Johnson was brought down [. . . ] by a hellish coupling of media and a self-worshipping political class that appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner. Together they wanted Johnson gone. . ." To deny the media's involvement in Johnson's demise is naive.
Tim.

 

[alan5616]

Alan,
You don't need to know anything about politics or politicians to make very salient, insightful and factually accurate observations about both - as Neil Oliver does here.

I suggest you listen again more carefully. What he actually said was ". . . Johnson was brought down [. . . ] by a hellish coupling of media and a self-worshipping political class that appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner. Together they wanted Johnson gone. . ." To deny the media's involvement in Johnson's demise is naive.
Tim.

My main concern is who will follow Johnson. Unfortunately, I feel the next PM will have to be somebody that Rupert Murdoch gives his support to..

 

[tomorton]

I am sure that the media have been unusually active in seeking out stories concerning Boris Johnson ever since he was made leader of the party. However, given what we now all know about him, I have to suspect its because they absolutely believed that eventually they would dig something up.

I have no doubt that they used strangely determined and underhand and subterfuge means to get information about him. But I have no doubt the reports concerning his lies and deceit were truly reported. This is a guy who has operated not as leader of a large political party, but actually a very very small one - comprising himself.

I think the media knew it was only a matter of time before eventually he would shoot himself in the foot. All they had to do was keep the bullets supplied and be around to take the piccies.

 

[alan5616]

I am sure that the media have been unusually active in seeking out stories concerning Boris Johnson ever since he was made leader of the party. However, given what we now all know about him, I have to suspect its because they absolutely believed that eventually they would dig something up.

I have no doubt that they used strangely determined and underhand and subterfuge means to get information about him. But I have no doubt the reports concerning his lies and deceit were truly reported. This is a guy who has operated not as leader of a large political party, but actually a very very small one - comprising himself.

I think the media knew it was only a matter of time before eventually he would shoot himself in the foot. All they had to do was keep the bullets supplied and be around to take the piccies.

The media didn't need to use any subterfuge. I live in London and, unfortunately, remember him as Mayor. The man is a serial liar who is devoid of a moral compass. The British public have paid the price for 200k, or so, Tory voters selecting him as leader.

 

[Atilla]

BJ was not an unknown quantity and his reputation was well established.

Max Hastings apparently fired him.

I was Boris Johnson’s boss: he is utterly unfit to be prime minister​

This article is more than 3 years old
Max Hastings

I was Boris Johnson’s boss: he is utterly unfit to be prime minister | Max Hastings

The Tory party is about to foist a tasteless joke upon the British people. He cares for nothing but his own fame and gratification, says the former editor of the Daily Telegraph Max Hastings

www.theguardian.com

It is uncanny how this article by Max Hastings was spot on about Boris. He wasn't alone in his viewpoint either. Not the first place he's been sacked from.

 

[Inquisitor]

Alan,
You don't need to know anything about politics or politicians to make very salient, insightful and factually accurate observations about both - as Neil Oliver does here.

I suggest you listen again more carefully. What he actually said was ". . . Johnson was brought down [. . . ] by a hellish coupling of media and a self-worshipping political class that appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner. Together they wanted Johnson gone. . ." To deny the media's involvement in Johnson's demise is naive.
Tim.

To suggest that the media tarnished his otherwise "spotless" reputation is somewhat difficult to believe.

 

[Inquisitor]

I'm nearly 80 years of age and there have been 15 PMs in my lifetime. Johnson is at the very bottom of the pile. An amoral, pathological liar without a shred of integrity. I've just heard that Nadine Dorries is going to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, Health Minister as well as Culture Secretary😂

It depends on how you measure the worst of all. If it is measured on fabricating evidence in which to launch an illegal war that resulted in over 100K deaths, then he is not at the bottom. For all his faults which everyone is well aware of, his legacy will not be one that in any way matches that.

 

[timsk]

To suggest that the media tarnished his otherwise "spotless" reputation is somewhat difficult to believe.

That's not what I said, suggested or meant.
I'm not defending BoJo for one second; I'm defending and agreeing 100% with Neil Oliver's assessment of the media and political class.

 

[alan5616]

Apparently, we've got Johnson as our PM until 5th September. I'm praying that he doesn't cause too much destruction before that date. He's a loose cannon so, anything could happen.

 

[tomorton]

Apparently, we've got Johnson as our PM until 5th September. I'm praying that he doesn't cause too much destruction before that date. He's a loose cannon so, anything could happen.

I suppose its a face-saving exercise which permits him good media footage of him in a good light, in the right place, with a lot of supporters and wearing the right things. He loves all that. And perhaps the party MP's have decided its less damaging if he can depart in a more statesman-like way. Departures from No.10 have been embarrassing news footage.

Meantime anyone in the Cabinet worth their salt would tell him what to do with himself if he tried to push through some radical new policy while he's only "acting temporary PM". If it was something really contentious it might even prompt an earlier departure. The party can change its own rules at any time.

 

[timsk]

I suppose its a face-saving exercise which permits him good media footage of him in a good light, in the right place, with a lot of supporters and wearing the right things. He loves all that. And perhaps the party MP's have decided its less damaging if he can depart in a more statesman-like way. Departures from No.10 have been embarrassing news footage.

All true Tom but there's another factor that tends to be overlooked when discussing BoJo's premiership: the 'Carrie factor'. It's just gossip but, given her influence since he's been in No. 10, it sounds plausible to me. 'It' being her desire to have the use of Chequers through the summer and to throw a lavish party there for all her mates! That's her reason for wanting to keep him PM until the autumn. It'll be interesting to see how long the two remain together after he steps down from the top job and he's only ever referred to in the past tense.
Tim.

 

[Atilla]

That Penny Mordaunt is almost as bigger BS than Boris.

Did anybody notice how she responded to Rishi's question about how she'll pay for the tax cuts?

She replied "We will have growth thanks to the Brexit dividend!"

Does anyone believe UK has higher growth as a consequence of Brexit? On the contrary UK growth has slowed because of it.


However, sadly I think Brexiteers will like her answer and champion the false belief.

Rishi is the smart choice for the country but with everyone else falling over themselves talking tax cuts, I fear he will lose out.

 

[tomorton]

I didn't watch the TV debate. To see good acting I usually go for some Shakespeare.

 

[timsk]

That Penny Mordaunt is almost as bigger BS than Boris.
Did anybody notice how she responded to Rishi's question about how she'll pay for the tax cuts?

Agreed. Say no to PM as PM!
Will the penny finally drop about morphing Mordaunt?

Her career to date has come under little scrutiny. So Tory MPs should read this troubling dossier before putting a cross next to her name again
Andrew Pierce in Mail+ sets out the charge sheet against previously largely unknown Penny, from the woke wing of the party.

Toby Young sums her up in this Tweet:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1547533888968445954

 

[counter_violent]

Agreed. Say no to PM as PM!
Will the penny finally drop about morphing Mordaunt?

Her career to date has come under little scrutiny. So Tory MPs should read this troubling dossier before putting a cross next to her name again
Andrew Pierce in Mail+ sets out the charge sheet against previously largely unknown Penny, from the woke wing of the party.

Toby Young sums her up in this Tweet:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1547533888968445954

PM hopeless
Truss dangerous
Tugendhat ineffectual poster boy
Kemi not a realistic contender for the final two, where she would lose anyhow.
Rishi the only one qualified to take the job on. Doesn't mean he will be any good, time will tell.

 

[tomorton]

PM hopeless
Truss dangerous
Tugendhat ineffectual poster boy
Kemi not a realistic contender for the final two, where she would lose anyhow.
Rishi the only one qualified to take the job on. Doesn't mean he will be any good, time will tell.

I'm finding it hard to get worked up about who will be the next PM. If I was a party member I think it possible I wouldn't even bother to vote in their ballot.

All politicians are ruled by two simple objectives with just a couple of guidelines. Target 1 is get power. Target 2 is keep it.

The way to keep power is don't make bad decisions, which means make as few decisions as possible, and make them as late as possible so that there really wasn't much choice of direction and nobody else could have done any better.

Of course, in a non-democratic system, autocrats don't need to worry about losing power so they don't have to hold off making decisions, which means a high proportion of their decisions are bad for their people.

 

[timsk]

Kemi not a realistic contender for the final two, where she would lose anyhow.
Rishi the only one qualified to take the job on. Doesn't mean he will be any good, time will tell.

Whoa, not so fast, c_v . . .
Kemi Badenoch – the Anti-Woke, Pro-Free Speech Candidate – Jumps into Lead Among Conservative Party Members Who Will Elect Winner

Would-Be British PM Rishi Sunak’s Family Runs A China-Linked, World Economic Forum Partner Company Pushing Digital ID and Social Credit Scores.

 

[timsk]

"Governments exist to do what we tell them - not thee other way around"
Another insightful monologue from Neil Oliver. Enjoy . . .

 

[tomorton]

Whoa, not so fast, c_v . . .
Kemi Badenoch – the Anti-Woke, Pro-Free Speech Candidate – Jumps into Lead Among Conservative Party Members Who Will Elect Winner

Would-Be British PM Rishi Sunak’s Family Runs A China-Linked, World Economic Forum Partner Company Pushing Digital ID and Social Credit Scores.

I saw recently a graphic showing where party members placed themselves on a left/right spectrum, and where they placed the party and its policies.

Conservative party members are on average well to the right of the party's policies and MP's. Same for Labour in the opposite direction - membership well to the left of the party. This tendency can get away with itself and detach from political reality - such as the wild enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn, who although an MP was actually an outlier, further left than the party membership.

The furthest left Labour voters were probably delighted to abandon suspiciously centrist Blairite perceptions but look where it got them - saddled with a leader who was unelectable when it came to a General Election.

Is Kemi Badenoch the Conservatives' Jeremy Corbyn?