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Things not going well for Boris Johnson

bolverk

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bolverk

bolverk 29405

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I haven't been following this too closely, but there's apparently a threat that Conservative MPs could hold a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson next week.

Has rule-breaker Boris Johnson met his match in ‘partygate’?

LONDON (AP) — For Boris Johnson, facts have always been flexible.

The British prime minister’s career is littered with doctored quotes, tall tales, exaggerations and mistruths. When called out, he has generally offered an apologetic shrug or a guilty grin, and moved on. Plenty of people were willing to forgive him.

At least until now. Revelations that the prime minister and his staff partied while Britain was under coronavirus restrictions have provoked public outrage and prompted many in the Conservative Party to consider dumping their leader.

The Conservatives picked Johnson because his image as a cheerful rule-breaker — the naughty schoolboy of British politics — gave him a rare ability to connect with voters. Now, many are having second thoughts.

“His fans would say he’s a force of nature — he doesn’t let things get in his way,” said Steven Fielding, professor of political history at the University of Nottingham.

“Sometimes he’s been caught out, but mostly he’s got away with it,” Fielding added. “Now the reality is becoming more apparent to more and more people.”

Johnson has often been able to talk his way out of crises. The Oxford-educated politician has used words to create the image of a rumpled jokester with a mop of blond hair who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Quips and jokes tumble out of him, sometimes in Latin or ancient Greek.

Many people thought he was too lightweight ever to become prime minister, and Johnson didn’t contradict them. He disguised his ambition with jokes, saying he had as much chance of becoming prime minister as of “finding Elvis on Mars” or being “reincarnated as an olive.”

In fact, he had long dreamed of power. His sister Rachel Johnson has said his childhood ambition was to be “world king.” But his route to the top was haphazard.

As a young journalist at The Times of London, he fabricated a quote about King Edward II from a historian, who also happened to be his godfather. He was fired, but that didn’t stop him becoming Brussels correspondent for the Daily Telegraph in the early 1990s, filing exaggerated stories of EU waste and red tape. Those “Euromyths” about one-size-fits-all condoms and plans to ban “bendy bananas” helped turn British opinion against the bloc, and ultimately led to Johnson becoming the Brexit champion who would years later bring the U.K. out of the EU.

Brexit was won in a 2016 referendum campaign that contained many questionable claims, notably the allegation — often repeated by Johnson — that Britain gave the EU 350 million pounds a week that could instead be spent on the U.K.’s health service.

Johnson suffered an early political setback when then-Conservative leader Michael Howard fired him in 2004 for lying about an extramarital affair. A month earlier, Howard forced him to apologize to the city of Liverpool for accusing its residents of “wallowing” in victimhood.

Opponents long argued that Johnson’s loose grasp of facts — and history of glibly offensive comments — made him unfit for high office. Over the years Johnson has called Papua New Guineans cannibals, claimed that “part Kenyan” Barack Obama had an ancestral dislike of Britain and compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to “letter boxes.”

Johnson has usually responded by dismissing offensive comments as jokes, or by accusing journalists of dredging up long-ago remarks. Attacking the media — along with “lefty London lawyers” — is a longstanding populist tactic of Johnson. His biographer Andrew Gimson has called him the “Merry England PM” who depicts his opponents as joyless puritans.

Now, though, Johnson’s allies worry that the tide has turned. Johnson has apologized for the lockdown-breaching parties in uncharacteristically subdued and carefully worded statements. He has stopped short of admitting personal wrongdoing, saying he believed he acted within the rules.

But many Britons who stuck to lockdown rules imposed by the government — cut off from friends and family, unable to visit relatives in nursing homes and hospitals — have scoffed at Johnson’s “partygate” excuses, including his claim that he thought a “bring your own booze” garden party was a work event.

Chris Curtis, head of political polling at Opinium Research, said public trust in the prime minister had plummeted and Johnson’s personal approval ratings were now “pretty dire.”

“It has always been true that the public would prefer to have a pint with Boris Johnson but wouldn’t necessarily trust him to look after their kids,” Curtis said. “But what we’ve seen happen with this crisis is that now people say they would be less keen to have a pint with him — and people really wouldn’t trust him to look after their kids.”

Next week, senior civil servant Sue Gray is expected to conclude an investigation into the partying allegations. If she does not find that Johnson knowingly broke the rules, Conservative lawmakers may hold back from a no-confidence vote to topple him.

But Fielding said Johnson’s brand has now been irrevocably tarnished, even if the immediate crisis passes.

“It will recede, but I don’t think it will recede to the level that makes him a viable leader for the Conservative Party going into the next election,” Fielding said. “He’s a dead duck.”

 

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bolverk

bolverk 29405

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Possible replacements:

RISHI SUNAK, TREASURY CHIEF

Sunak, 41, is widely regarded as the brightest rising star in the party, the best known of the contenders to the public — and the bookies’ favorite to succeed Johnson.

Sunak was thrust into the spotlight when he became treasury chief in early 2020, tasked with the unenviable job of steering the British economy through its worst economic slump on record due to the pandemic.

Sunak has dished out billions of pounds in emergency spending to help businesses and workers, and his pandemic policies have generally been seen in a positive light.

A big “Star Wars” fan, Sunak nurtures his personal brand with a slick Instagram account. Opinion polls have suggested that he is one of the most popular Conservative ministers among voters, though his elite education and past work for the investment bank Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund means some see him as out of touch with ordinary people.

He would be Britain’s first prime minister who is not white. Born to Indian parents who immigrated to the U.K. from East Africa, Sunak attended the exclusive Winchester College private school, studied at Oxford University, and is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of an Indian billionaire.

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LIZ TRUSS, FOREIGN SECRETARY

Truss, 46, took on the high-profile job of foreign secretary in September after serving as trade minister and has been gaining momentum as a contender since.

As well as serving as Britain’s chief diplomat, she is the U.K.’s new lead negotiator with the European Union to deal with lingering issues following Britain’s exit from the bloc.

Once a campaigner for remaining in the EU, Truss has become a fervent champion for Brexit. Her prior role as international trade secretary saw her signing post-Brexit trade deals around the world and channeling Johnson’s ambitions for “Global Britain.”

Truss is popular with many Conservatives, who see in the free-market-loving politician echoes of the party’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Her supporters have coined the slogan “In Liz We Truss.”

She is less well known to the general public. “When you ask about Liz Truss, 50% of voters say ‘Liz who?’” said Chris Curtis, a pollster at Opinium Research.

___

SAJID JAVID, HEALTH SECRETARY

Javid, 52, has been health secretary since June, leading Britain’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before that he served as treasury chief, but resigned in early 2020 after clashing with Johnson over the prime minister’s order to fire his team of advisers.

The fact Johnson brought him back to the government to handle the coronavirus response reflects his reputation as a competent and safe pair of hands.

The son of Pakistani immigrants, Javid has billed himself as a common-man alternative to his private school-educated rivals — although he had a lucrative career in investment banking before entering politics.

As with Sunak, he’d make history if he were to win.

___

MICHAEL GOVE, LEVELLING UP SECRETARY

Gove, a party heavyweight, has held many key Cabinet posts and is currently in charge of delivering on the government’s promise to “level up” Britain, that is, address inequality by increasing opportunities in deprived areas.

Gove, 54, played a key role in the campaign to take Britain out of the EU and is widely respected in the party, but not completely trusted. In the 2016 Conservative leadership campaign, he backed Johnson for leader before deciding he would rather run himself — a betrayal that many Conservatives have not forgotten.

To the public, he may be best known for being filmed dancing to techno music at a nightclub in Aberdeen, Scotland, in August, in a clip that drew a lot of chuckles when it went viral on social media.

___

JEREMY HUNT, FORMER CABINET MINISTER

Hunt, a former health secretary and foreign secretary, ran against Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, billing himself as the more sensible, serious candidate. He lost heavily, and was dumped from the Cabinet when Johnson took over.

In a recent interview, the 55-year-old was quoted as saying that his ambition to lead the country has not “completely vanished.”

He has remained a lawmaker, and kept himself in the public eye by grilling ministers and experts as head of the Health and Social Care Select Committee in Parliament.

As a critic of the government’s response to the pandemic, he may appeal to those seeking a change from Johnson — though some look on him unfavorably for implementing unpopular policies when he was health secretary.

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immamac

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Imagine having a government that actually cares enough that people will destroy their political careers because they have a fucking backbone and stand up for what's right. 

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Doug E. Fresh

Doug E. Fresh 452

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And he’s done. Yesterday he was “buoyant” and “ready for a fight.” This morning, he has resigned. Long overdue, Boris is a fucking idiot, constantly lying and his Chancellor (Rishi Sunak, who resigned Tuesday) actually raised taxes in a time where inflation and cost of living increases are crushing people. Good to see him go, the challenge will be who replaces him in the next few weeks. The list of Tory candidates is not strong.

 

image.thumb.jpeg.2c1078e699b5dd4248f41da7fe0ba4ba.jpeg

 

 

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WhatTheBuck

WhatTheBuck 28713

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29 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Boris resigns but says that he will stay on until a successor is chosen. Is that really resigning? Feels more like buying time and hoping to convince his party to let him stay on the job.

Yeah, I’ve heard reports that he could stay on into the fall. I don’t know what the timetable was when previous prime ministers resigned. When Nixon resigned it was effective at noon the following day. Don’t they have some sort of succession plan where there’s a second in command who would become his successor right away?

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Post Oak

Post Oak 20187

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7 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

Ros Atkins is my go to when I need a British tutorial.

More than 30 ministers have resigned - so far.
 

 


That “charge of the lightweight brigade” zinger from Starmer was A+++.

 

Charge of the lightweight brigade is bloody brilliant.  Just magnificent.

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tchookem

tchookem 3900

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Imagine having a government that actually cares enough that people will destroy their political careers because they have a fucking backbone and stand up for what's right. 
It is refreshing to see the consequences of ineptitude finally catching up with someone... even if it is another country.
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Nice Guy Eddie

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11 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Yeah, I’ve heard reports that he could stay on into the fall. I don’t know what the timetable was when previous prime ministers resigned. When Nixon resigned it was effective at noon the following day. Don’t they have some sort of succession plan where there’s a second in command who would become his successor right away?

I don't believe there is an official backup like with the VP here. Feels like a flawed system in terms of an immediate vacancy due to death or immediate resignation. I assume the plan is that the party would recognize the immediate need of a replacement even if only temporary.

Google tells me that 7 PMs died in office, all between 1740 and 1865, with only 1 due to assassination. Guess that was an unhealthy time.

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15492

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47 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

The little apple news update I got said he’s resigning as head of party immediately but will be PM until the next is selected. 

That's his plan, at least.  But that's not what anyone wants.  And so there could be a vote of no-confidence brought pretty quickly, which would compel his immediate resignation.

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GopherRock

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4 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

That's his plan, at least.  But that's not what anyone wants.  And so there could be a vote of no-confidence brought pretty quickly, which would compel his immediate resignation.

Or a snap election. This is how Maggie Thatcher came to power.

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15492

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Just now, GopherRock said:

Or a snap election. This is how Maggie Thatcher came to power.

The very last thing the Tories want to do right now is call a snap election.  They'd almost certainly lose.

They want to take care of this internally.  But Boris being Boris, he's making it as difficult for them as possible.  He has the leverage over them of the threat of a snap election if they don't do it his way.  

It's bad for the country and bad for the Conservative Party.  So that's of course the route Boris is going to take.

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Neonmoon

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First, the Brits are using #clownfall for Boris going down. Which is hilarious

Secondly, the PM resigned because of breaking covid rules. 

Half our country is still going to vote for a guy that tried to overthrow democracy. 

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104628

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10 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Bwahaha!

What an idiot. 

Counterpoint: he's a ridiculous-looking arrogant party boy who says stupid shit and is milking a situation to have a sweet shindig with a babe who is much prettier than he deserves.  My only question is.....what is his Surly handle?

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Pig Bellmont

Pig Bellmont 8692

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9 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

First, the Brits are using #clownfall for Boris going down. Which is hilarious

Secondly, the PM resigned because of breaking covid rules. 

Half our country is still going to vote for a guy that tried to overthrow democracy. 

That second point isn’t really true. The latest scandal was repeated and different lies covering up for a guy who was sexually harassing people 

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elfenix

elfenix 34172

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That second point isn’t really true. The latest scandal was repeated and different lies covering up for a guy who was sexually harassing people 
It's like Boris looked at Trump and started comparing.

He's a New Yorker, I'm a New Yorker
He has stupid hair, I have stupid hair
He admitted to sexual harassment, I can cover up sexual harassment
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Neonmoon

Neonmoon 38127

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1 minute ago, Pig Bellmont said:

That second point isn’t really true. The latest scandal was repeated and different lies covering up for a guy who was sexually harassing people 

Let me amend the point

The British PM resigned because he lied about knowing about the sexual misconduct of one of his appointments. 

Half our country is still going to vote for a guy that tried to overthrow democracy. 

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wildcat09

wildcat09 29258

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5 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Never forget that the world’s oldest and supposedly most consolidated democracies, the examples for a whole world of countries trying to implement representative government, were led by Trump and Johnson. 

On that note...

 

 

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wildcat09

wildcat09 29258

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I got you, fam.

 

I know we Americans grew up watching ridiculous French characters like Inspector Clouseau so we came to think of the French as a ridiculous people, but nobody on the planet tops the Brits. It's history's greatest joke that it was these fucking people who came the closest to conquering the entire damned world. 

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