What to expect from BoJo... hypocrisy?

[henry d]

Writing about the Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, who took over from Tony Blair without an election;

Quote

It’s the arrogance. It’s the contempt. That’s what gets me. It’s Gordon Brown’s apparent belief that he can just trample on the democratic will of the British people. It’s at moments like this that I think the political world has gone mad, and I am alone in detecting the gigantic fraud.... They voted for Anthony Charles Lynton Blair to serve as their leader. They were at no stage invited to vote on whether Gordon Brown should be PM… They voted for Tony, and yet they now get Gordon, and a transition about as democratically proper as the transition from Claudius to Nero. It is a scandal. Why are we all conniving in this stitch-up? This is nothing less than a palace coup… with North Korean servility, the Labour Party has handed power over to the brooding Scottish power-maniac... The extraordinary thing is that it looks as though he will now be in 10 Downing Street for three years, and without a mandate from the British people. No one elected Gordon Brown as Prime Minister…

[Scully]

Of course....he’s a politician; what were you expecting? 

[Retsdon]

The passage below is lifted from Richard North's blog. www.eureferendum.com. It's hard to argue with his conclusion.

 

'......Johnson is attracting less favourable publicity, with Peter Oborne in the Mailtaking a dim view of his prospects. However, critic-in-chief for the moment is Matthew Parris, who uses his column in The Times to declare that Johnson's premiership "will fall apart in a year".

Taking note of prevailing sentiment, he writes that, "colleagues know the party favourite is a lazy, untrustworthy do-nothing but seem determined to vote for him anyway". In detail, he says:

That he's a habitual liar, a cheat, a conspirator with a criminal pal to have an offending journalist's ribs broken, a cruel betrayer of the women he seduces, a politician who connived in a bid for a court order to suppress mention of a daughter he fathered, a do-nothing mayor of London and the worst foreign secretary in living memory… such truths are apparently already "priced in" to Mr Johnson. One just hopes the actual electorate are informed that his rascality is already "priced in" and they’re not to bother their little heads with such horrors.

It really does say something of contemporary politics that a prominent columnist in a leading national newspaper can write in such terms about the leading contender for the Tory leadership, without the slightest fear of a libel suit. ...'

[Gordon R]

I recall the same diatribe from Labour, when Theresa May took office. They have memories of convenience.

Has Matthew Parris' column covered Onasanya, Osamor or Corbyn in the same way or is he being selective?  

Boris is a flawed individual - a bit like Donald Trump in more ways than one, but he hasn't tarted up dossiers to take us to war, nor has he made a habit of meeting (then denying meeting) terrorists on a regular basis.

[Rewulf]

I suppose its a little bit hypocritical , but then, does a leadership change have to trigger a GE every time, when a party is in government?

With Bojos bid , he at least needs to fight for the PM job, and secure the support of the wider party, Brown just got nominated and walked into the job https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Labour_Party_(UK)_leadership_election I believe this is what floppy head is referring to, rather than the fact that the public had no say in it, they had no say in May taking over from Cameron either, and there was virtually no mass indignation then.

[Dave-G]

6 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

I suppose its a little bit hypocritical , but then, does a leadership change have to trigger a GE every time, when a party is in government?

With Bojos bid , he at least needs to fight for the PM job, and secure the support of the wider party, Brown just got nominated and walked into the job https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Labour_Party_(UK)_leadership_election I believe this is what floppy head is referring to, rather than the fact that the public had no say in it, they had no say in May taking over from Cameron either, and there was virtually no mass indignation then.

Arr - but she be a remainer my 'ansum. 

[Capt Christopher Jones]

31 minutes ago, henry d said:

Writing about the Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, who took over from Tony Blair without an election;

 

[Scully]

22 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

The passage below is lifted from Richard North's blog. www.eureferendum.com. It's hard to argue with his conclusion.

 

'......Johnson is attracting less favourable publicity, with Peter Oborne in the Mailtaking a dim view of his prospects. However, critic-in-chief for the moment is Matthew Parris, who uses his column in The Times to declare that Johnson's premiership "will fall apart in a year".

Taking note of prevailing sentiment, he writes that, "colleagues know the party favourite is a lazy, untrustworthy do-nothing but seem determined to vote for him anyway". In detail, he says:

That he's a habitual liar, a cheat, a conspirator with a criminal pal to have an offending journalist's ribs broken, a cruel betrayer of the women he seduces, a politician who connived in a bid for a court order to suppress mention of a daughter he fathered, a do-nothing mayor of London and the worst foreign secretary in living memory… such truths are apparently already "priced in" to Mr Johnson. One just hopes the actual electorate are informed that his rascality is already "priced in" and they’re not to bother their little heads with such horrors.

It really does say something of contemporary politics that a prominent columnist in a leading national newspaper can write in such terms about the leading contender for the Tory leadership, without the slightest fear of a libel suit. ...'

Isn’t it just libellous if it’s untrue?

[Flashman]

I think the personal bile directed at the candidates is in direct correlation to the fear they produce in their critics. 

For all his personal character traits, Johnson was a very successful, directly-elected London Mayor.  That's what frightens Labour. 

He's clear on his Brexit strategy and that's what frightens the Remainers.

And he's well educated and shows it and that's what frightens the proles.

[Scully]

Just now, Flashman said:

I think the personal bile directed at the candidates is in direct correlation to the fear they produce in their critics. 

For all his personal character traits, Johnson was a very successful, directly-elected London Mayor.  That's what frightens Labour. 

He's clear on his Brexit strategy and that's what frightens the Remainers.

And he's well educated and shows it and that's what frightens the proles.

This. 

[Gordon R]

Flashman - correct. He is a character who has captured the attention of many - again like Trump. Both flawed, but both too popular in their critics' eyes.

[JohnfromUK]

For me (and I suspect many others) there are two key things;

• Carrying out Brexit
• Preventing the disaster of Corbyn/McDonnell/Abbott from taking office

Johnson (of whom I am not a fan) seems the most likely to achieve these objectives.  I don't see any of the other contenders to be any better in the present climate.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7132117/Boris-Johnson-Labour-sword-general-election-win-140-majority.html

I note that The Labour party (who of course campaigned in the last election on meeting the outcome of the referendum) are now trying (yet again) to prevent any Brexit.

• May's deal was rejected by Parliament - with Labour strongly voting to reject the deal
• Labour are now trying to prevent any 'no deal' and thus undermining any new leaders negotiating position
• Labour remain totally unclear on where they actually stand - other than to prevent the two current possibilities to leave

Whilst the 'claimed Strong and Stable' May was in fact proved to be 'weak and wobbly', Labour have undermined every attempt to carry out the referendum outcome - and so in my opinion share at least 50% of any 'blame'.

Can Johnson (or indeed anyone) get any form of Brexit through Parliament?  I don't know, but I suspect Johnson has as good or better chance than anyone else ......... and if it did come to a General Election (GE) - he seems to be the most likely person to win.  Corby says that as soon as the new leader is in place he will attempt to destroy the government and cause more instability with a vote of no confidence.  If there is a new leader who is showing he would be likely to beat Corbyn in a GE - we should be spared that further hurdle to Brexit.

Can Johnson persuade the EU to do a better deal?  Don't know the EU say not but .........

Can Parliament reject a 'no deal' in advance (or at the time)?  I suspect with the connivance of a remainer speaker they can.

[old man]

I am just concerned about the probity of one and all of the runners, beggars belief that the quality is so poor.

Just like the magic roundabout? 

[panoma1]

Parliament will reject "no deal"......in fact in all likelihood Parliament will reject ANY deal........This remainer Parliament, is frustrating the democratic will of the people, by preventing the UK leaving, In any way they can!........Because they themselves don't want to leave! And they don't give a **** that the country voted to leave!

The Labour Party will try to stop a "no deal" Brexit, the Labour Party will also try to stop ANY deal..........they are frustrating Brexit because they want to bring down the government,  and force a general election! They see it as their chance of power.........they too don't give a **** that  the people voted to leave!

 

[Raja Clavata]

I believe his tenure as Mayor of London will go down in history as the pinnacle of his career, he was a pretty shabby Foreign Secretary who really did not present the UK in the best light.

I'm sure he'd be great company over a pint of as a guest speaker at a formal dinner but don't see him as fit to be PM.

Some other quotes attributed to him:

My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.

 

My friends, as I have discovered myself, there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters.

 

The dreadful truth is that when people come to see their MP they have run out of better ideas.

 

I also believe Brexiteers have far more to fear over his true intentions on Brexit than Remainers do.

[Lloyd90]

Be careful what you say about Johnson, apparently he’ll get your address and some thugs will come round to your home and break your ribs and beat you up. 

They've even got a recording of him suggesting it about journalists! 

Amazed he isn’t finished. Must be lining some big pockets. 

[Rewulf]

42 minutes ago, Lloyd90 said:

Be careful what you say about Johnson, apparently he’ll get your address and some thugs will come round to your home and break your ribs and beat you up. 

They've even got a recording of him suggesting it about journalists! 

Amazed he isn’t finished. Must be lining some big pockets. 

For the record, I dont really like Bojo.
But since hes announced hes running for PM, hes come in for some pretty serious bashings in our mostly left wing media.

We have to remember that just because the gutter press says something is so, doesnt always mean it is.
They get away with it by clever use of words, along the lines of 'reports say' or 'a source close to reveals' very often such things are true, but no one dare risk the court case, other times its just made up tosh by some 'unnamed informant' otherwise know as smears.
If its going to cost money, they sometimes print an apology on page 30 , about an inch in size.

Is he a model candidate for PM ? Not in the slightest.
But look at the alternatives...

As a wise man said, you know youre scaring them, when they start making up stories about you.

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Raja Clavata said:

 

I'm sure he'd be great company over a pint of as a guest speaker at a formal dinner but don't see him as fit to be PM.

 

 

The thing is though, fit or not, I can't see anyone else of those in the running, whom I'd rather have a pint with. There are no alternatives worth mentioning. 

Churchill wasn't without his faults; Boris may yet turn out to be a great statesman.......or the greatest showman. 🙂

 

[VicW]

He doesn't look like a leader, he can't even tuck his shirt tails in .

Vic.

[Rewulf]

18 minutes ago, VicW said:

He doesn't look like a leader, he can't even tuck his shirt tails in .

Vic.

You prefer Corbyn ?
Ive seen better dressed winos down the park 😆

[dead eye alan]

9 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

You prefer Corbyn ?
Ive seen better dressed winos down the park 😆

Where do you think his taylor lives? or does he take a lead from Michal Foot!😎

[WestonSalop]

28 minutes ago, Scully said:

The thing is though, fit or not, I can't see anyone else of those in the running, whom I'd rather have a pint with. There are no alternatives worth mentioning. 

Churchill wasn't without his faults; Boris may yet turn out to be a great statesman.......or the greatest showman. 🙂

 

Couldn't agree more. The list of candidates is akin to a shower of poo. In some ways I'm surprised BoJo has entered the race. Whoever is the next PM has a thankless task ahead of them and coming out of it smelling of roses will be a miracle. If I was Boris, I'd sit this one out (he's plenty young enough) wait for the next one to balls it up and then jump in. 

The prospect of having a pint with Gove or any of the others really doesn't appeal. In any event, they wouldn't want to have a beer with a Prol like me.

[hedge]

I know we all said TM was doing a bad job and she finally was pushed onto her sword - but this could be Brexit disaster part 2.

• 31st Oct deadline gives no time to re-negotiate
• EU say they won't re-negotiate
• Default deal is therefore TM's deal
• No-one wants TM deal
• Default position on 31st Oct is therefore no deal Brexit
• MP's don't want no deal Brexit
• Default deal is therefore TM's deal
• No-one wants TM deal

and repeat........

New PM candidates are saying they want a deal done by 31st Oct. How?

They say they will re-negotiate. How?

They are (unsuprisingly) unclear/ambiguous about a no deal Brexit

I have seen/heard nothing from these PM hopefuls thay makes me think that they are going to do anything groundbreakingly different to TM. 

Can't help but think that they'll somehow get us to another referendum and Remain wins and it all gets brushed under the carpet.

TM might end up laughing if her deal ends up being pushed through after all.

I'm not a big fan of Boris but the options are limited. We're choosing a new PM and already discussing the best of a bad bunch.

 

 

 

 

[Blackbriar]

The man is a shameless liar, and he is downright untrustworthy, with a dangerous habit of accelerating his mouth before his brain is engaged. He has an equally dangerous habit of repeating conjecture and opinion as fact.........

He lost two jobs, both given to him by Michael Howard,  following extramarital affairs ( which he initially denied !).

He (falsely) blamed drunken Liverpool fans for the Hillsborough tragedy, and said that the city was "wallowing in its victim status".

Whilst London mayor, he promised to eradicate rough sleeping - it more than doubled during his tenure.

Also while London mayor, he presided over the Garden Bridge fiasco, which was given £53 million of taxpayers money, before being scrapped.

During his brief tenure as Foreign Secretary, he attempted to secure the freedom of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff, a British citizen, from an Iranian prison - such was his success that  her sentence was increased. Also during this time, he referred to black people as "picaninnies" with "water melon smiles".........hardly behaviour becoming of our most senior diplomat !

 

And that's just the ones off the top of my head !

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Gawd help us!