BoJo banished - Liz Truss down. Is Rishi next for the toaster? **threadbans in OP**

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460103#Comment_118460103

Let's not forget that Boris Johnson has gotten away with far worse over the years, including far worse lies, yet he was elected with an overwhelming majority with this knowledge in mind.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460128#Comment_118460128

Of course he has but lockdown affects everyone. People have lost loved ones and this is the only European country to surpass 150,000 deaths. Meanwhile, Downing St has been laughing at us and partying the night away. Scandals that get forgotten about come and go, this one has been lingering for several weeks now.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460218#Comment_118460218

You cannot blame politicians for the death toll of a pandemic. People aren't robots; they behave as they will, with full knowledge of the risks involved. What we can say is that the UK had the fastest and earliest vaccine rollout in Europe, and that is very much a credit to Boris Johnson's government.

Leroy42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460218#Comment_118460218

Exactly. Billions on a bridge not built is hard for the average punter to feel particularly troubled by (sure they are all the same) but having to sit at home while a loved one dies alone in hospital, having to postpone your wedding, not seeing your friends and family from abroad for months. That all resonates deeply with people. Even those not directly effected by Covid know people that have been.

We have all missed out on nights at the pub, friends birthdays etc.

And of course it isn't so much that it happened, that has already been factored in. It is that they blatantly lied about it when caught. They tried to brazen it out. They let Allegra take the fall, knowing that they had done far worse.

One can excuse lying because it either doesn't impact you personally, or in these political times once it is getting one over the 'others' then it is worth it. But in lockdown there was supposed to be no 'others'. It was all about saving the NHS, everyone in it together.

Turns out not only were not not in it together, which people would have expected anyway, but they openly lied about it.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460266#Comment_118460266

I can when they brag about shaking hands with patients while other countries go into lockdown, skip several COBRA meetings to ski and throw lavish parties while people die.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460266#Comment_118460266

It was the earliest, but not the fastest. We know this because, although the UK started first (and therefore was earlier) it has been overtaken by many other countries (including Ireland) and therefore those other countries have been faster.

And it make no sense to say that Johnson deserves credit for decisions which ameliorated the pandemic (like the early rollout of vaccines) but not blame for decisions which exacerbated it (like late or limited implementation of lockdowns or other measures). People behave as they will, but they are in fact limited by government constraints and influenced by government advice and attitudes, and it's absurd to suggest that a government has no responsibility for the ways in which it influences the choices people make.

I'm not saying that, where the UK has performed badly in relation to the pandemic, the Johnson government is entirely to blame for that - other factors than government actions and policies are at work. But it is partly to blame for that, since government actions and policies are at work, and are a signifcant factor.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460417#Comment_118460417

I didn't argue that Johnson personally deserves the praise; I specifically referred to "Boris Johnson's government". Big difference between the two.

And it's true to argue that other European countries caught up. But it's also true that a greater proportion of people in the UK didn't want to get fully vaccinated in the first place - no matter how many times government was banging on about getting the jab.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460456#Comment_118460456

And they take the lead from Johnson and his government, this is a man who refused constantly to wear a mask even when visiting hospitals or in meetings with other world leaders who were wearing masks. His own party and cabinet took their lead from him and didn't wear masks while in parliament. If he doesn't take covid seriously or obey his own governments advice and rules along with the rest of his party why should the public?

Muahahaha

Although he is a dead man walking Im not sure this latest will be the straw that breaks the camels back, people have known he has been playing fast and loose with the rules for some time now and the axe hasnt been wielded. If he can last to May Id imagine a punishing of the Tories at the local elections will be the what does it as they are likely to get more repeats of the Shropshre by election.

PMQs will be interesting today though, he is going to have to admit and apologise for being at this latest party.

The role of the Met in all this is also highly partisan, like you cant get into Downing St without passing by several layers of their security. 40 people showing up with bottles of wine and six packs doesnt exactly go unnoticed at a police security check. They knew full well that parties were going on and on the same day as this one they had tweeted out how outdoor gatherings were to be with only one other person from outside your household. Now the cat is out of the bag on how they were policing these parties they are saying their policy is not to prosecute people retrospectively. Dame Dick really is in the pocket of the Tories, she owes them for her recent contract extension.

The Raging Bile Duct

I'm seeing a lot of posts on Twitter from people sharing photos and videos of loved ones lost to Covid and who died alone while Boris was having BYOB parties. There's a lot of anger out there.

silver2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460128#Comment_118460128

He could have murdered someone three years ago and got away with it.

The problem now is that we'll over 100 Tory MPs are looking at losing their seats due to his stupidity.

He has lost the crowd and those who thought the sun shone out of his backside realised it was just bright coloured diarrhea.

Even the Torygraph and express have gone against him.

Gone by Easter

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460456#Comment_118460456

Whose fault is that, though? The Tories were happy to perpetuate their culture war BS when it would get them elected. When they then needed people to trust them, they didn't.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460128#Comment_118460128

The UKs awful electoral system gave him "an overwhelming majority" from 43.6%; the people didn't give him it.

Gael23

It looks like he’s going to wait to be chased with a sweeping brush rather than resign if his own accord

Ahwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460266#Comment_118460266

Yes, you can blame politicians. Estimates for unnecessary deaths due to delays in implementing the first and second lockdowns in the UK are 20,000 and 27,000 respectively.

Boris is an absolute clown but it's weird to see Dominic Cummings now present himself as a good guy to the British public.

Politics really does attract the bottom dwellers from across society.

gmisk

His "apology" was half arsed as you would expect. Tories will shift him out if it looks like they will lose a load of seats in the next election. British press seem to love Sunak bizarrely so they will slot him in I would guess.

gmisk

On a side point..I don't dislike Starmer (he is eloquent and measured - not sure that plays massively well in England oddly), but every time I see or hear Rayner speak I think she would be a much better leader for the Labour party.

cheezums

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462340#Comment_118462340

Zero charisma or personality. Labour will never win under him.

Kermit.de.frog

Morgan Freeman voice over: "They tried to say there were no parties but there was...a whole shitload of them"

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462340#Comment_118462340

I saw her on the telly when I was at the gym this morning. She was muted but all I could think of when I saw her was her "scum" remarks. I doubt most of the public know who she is. Starmer comes across as bland but capable. Neither are exactly irresistible in terms of getting bodies to polling booths.

silver2020

His "apology" was hilarious.

I said he'd be gone by Easter, I'll move that forward to valentine's Day.

Kermit.de.frog

Is every single thing Johnson says either a lie or half truth?

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1481327421043396610

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462744#Comment_118462744

The only bodies that Keir Starmer could inspire to visit polling booths are the recently deceased.

His charisma is zero; his plank standard is level ten.

Starmer makes Ireland's plank-in-chief, Pat Kenny, look like Barack Obama.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460128#Comment_118460128

If Labour had been anyway credible or less of a threat to working class communities they would have walked it.

Johnson is a natural salesman and highly charismatic but it was the exceptional effort of turning life long voters in to plumping for a party that many of them hated with a religious fervour that delivered for the Tories.

The approach next time will still be hold the nose and vote Tory.

Labour must appear less arrogant, less snobbish, more capable, somewhat understanding of the working class etc to have a chance.

That's probably a good few more years to go.

Danzy

Problem for Johnson is there were so many parties, so much nonsense, that the next story is already bubbling beneath the surface and the one after that.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462744#Comment_118462744

Her performances at the dispatch box have been very good recently.

She might be a very good leader for labour in 10 years, that's not meant disrespectfully. Lack of experience shows a bit still.

Burt Renaults

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118462744#Comment_118462744

He doesn't strike me as being capable at all. Certainly not capable of winning an election, despite all the open goals Johnson provides for him. Blandness would be forgivable if he had something else in his favour, like a brilliant political mind, but there doesn't seem to be a lot going on there. I genuinely think Labour members voted for him because he sort of looks like a prime minister. One of Corbyn's biggest mistakes was not having a ready-made left-leaning-but-palatable successor waiting in the wings when he quit - which should ideally have happened in 2017, after he took the party as far as the British establishment was ever going to allow him to.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118464650#Comment_118464650

In fairness, the man was a QC. Johnson, by contrast had everything handed to him and failed solely upwards. Winning an election and governing a country require wildly differing skillsets. It's quite rare to find anyone with a good command of one, never mind both. Even if Starmer were to go, who would replace him? Andy Burnham springs to mind but he seems happy enough as mayor of Manchester.

Risteard81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460417#Comment_118460417

So-called "lockdowns" made things worse, so it didn't exacerbate anything. That said, imposing totalitarian restrictions and ignoring them himself should see him face the ultimate punishment.

AllForIt

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/12/uk-could-be-first-country-to-emerge-from-pandemic-expert-says.html

Some good news for the UK on the Covid front.

I do recall back in summer Boris lifted mandatory masks wearing at a time when cases were rising - which caused some concern, but noting happened. Point being he is going to get credit for not being as restrictive as say Wales.

I can't provide a link for the following because I heard it on UK radio - but a poll reports that only 5% of the UK public are following this story at all. I wouldn't be surprised if that's true as the level of saturation coverage of this which is painfully repetitive is a right turn off.

I stopped myself from saying this before xmas but the level of outrage over this has been suspiciously OTT. One woman I just heard speaking to Iain Dale said she died 3 times in hospital on the day of the party, the complaint being her relatives weren't allowed to be with her had she died. It's just that bit comical now and I'm not really convinced that the county is really as outraged as you'd think it is judging by social media or the News. As said before the Tory's has better be sure what their doing if they intend to get rid of Boris before the next election or they might regret it. Maybe that's what Labour are hoping will happen, that getting rid of Boris will do the Tory government more harm than good.

Peregrinus

The "only 5% of people are paying attention" argument is a fairly standard defensive line - a variant on "nobody cares about this outside the Westminster bubble".

On this occasion (as on so many others), it's balls:

https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1481392326241132563?s=20

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118464971#Comment_118464971

By "nothing happened" do you mean they sustained a much higher continuous rate of hospitalisation and death than any neighbouring countries? Because that's what the outcome of them not taking proper health measures was. Sure, they've let the virus burn through the population more quickly and they might be out the other side a month or so before us, but it's cost thousands upon thousands of lives to get there.

Ireland went from a 7 day average of 2 deaths per day on 15th June to 4 deaths per day on 15th October. In the same period the UK went a from a 7 day average of 9 deaths per day to 120 deaths per day. So while Ireland's death rate doubled the UK's death date increased 13 fold. But yeah, let's call that "nothing happened"

virginmediapls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118464971#Comment_118464971

Dangerously close to anti-mask nonsense there !

JupiterKid

He’s finished at this stage. It also looks like he may even lose his own Westminster seat at the next General Election in the UK.

I am on a UK-based forum and the prevailing view from the seasoned posters there is that Boris is toast - not because of his gross incompetence and disastrous mishandling of Brexit, not even because of the wanton disregard he and his ilk have for the hoi polloi struggling with losing loved ones to Covid whilst they party away regardless - it’s the repeated denials, bare-faced lies and backpedaling on the revelations that show he has nothing but complete contempt for the British electorate.

The issue now is not if Boris will get the chop - he will - but who would replace him and what a very disorganised Labour party might do to properly capitalise on this scandal.

steddyeddy

I don't have enough faith in the education of the average English voter to recognise the form of populism that Boris encapsulates as dangerous TBH. Their culture and history relies too much on propaganda IMHO for them to be able to counter populism when they experience it.

steddyeddy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118467232#Comment_118467232

And by the way that's not simply an opinion, it's a fact based on brexit and Boris voting histories.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19845215.boris-johnson-set-isolate-home-next-week-relative-gets-covid/?ref=twtrec

Oh noes , poor old Boris will have to hide in the fridge until next week because an unnamed relative has tested positive.

If it was a soap opera you'd have to laugh at the plot.

The Raging Bile Duct

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118467996#Comment_118467996

'Mr Johnson cancelled a planned trip to a vaccination clinic in Lancashire today, despite official guidance being that you do not have to isolate if you have been double-vaccinated, even if you come into contact with someone who is positive for the virus.'

Doesn't follow the rules when he's meant to, follows them when he doesn't need to. What an absolute joke. He's using any excuse he can to hide from probing questions from the press.

Kermit.de.frog

Even the Torygraph getting in on it now! Booze being snuck in to Downing Street in suitcases

https://mobile.twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1481742852707303427

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118467232#Comment_118467232

The Tories just have to count on Labour being it's usual arrogant, snobbish and sanctimonious disorganized, infighting, contradictory and often insane self.

The Tories will win again not because they are good or nice but because Labour are the way they are and working class communities will hold their nose and anything to keep labour out.

It's damage limitation.

That's on Labour, it is some achievement to make the Tories a better option.

Labour are too comfortable in opposition, talking to each other, absolutely no interest in power or implementing Change. They had at one stage, long ago.

MTU

He delivered brexit, no man or woman or a man who defines themselves as female and same if female the other way could have done it.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471373#Comment_118471373

This is unadulterated rubbish. By the time Johnson became PM, all any PM had to do to deliver Brexit was nothing at all. The UK was on a default course to a no-deal Brexit, and action was required to avoid that.

Johnson's achievement was not delivering Brexit. It was delivering Brexit on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. But even the Withdrawal Agreement had been largely settled before he came along as PM; his particular contribution, the final piece of the puzzle, was the Northern Ireland Protocol.

So, Johnson's contribution to Brexit was the one aspect of Brexit that Brexiters are most unhappy about.

Brexit as a referendum was delivered during David Cameron’s term, driven by an array of actors and the machinations of the exit were delivered during Theresa May’s government. Johnson stabbed her in the back and then waffled on with a series of catch phrases like “oven ready”.

All that’s happened since Johnson took over has been a load of floundering and tabloid headline generation. The utter incompetence of all of it was masked by the COVID crisis / disaster.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471357#Comment_118471357

Isn't "arrogant, snobbish, sanctimonious, disorganised, infighting, contradictory and often insane" pretty much a description of the contemporary Tory Party?

Or should I say, of the contemporary Tory Work Event?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471862#Comment_118471862

Johnson argued to "Get Brexit Done", and that he achieved.

Nobody is saying that the final version of Brexit was perfect, because it wasn't. But it approximated in the right direction, and you appear to ignore the fact that, for many years, there was a concerted and very believable movement to overturn Brexit - both inside and outside parliament.

Johnson won a majority on his promise to push Brexit through and end the years of previous strife and debates about 2nd referendums.

lawrencesummers

When this chapter closes, courtesy of Dominic Cummins will boris resent his missus who insisted that dominic be given the road?

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471373#Comment_118471373

Theresa May was the one who objectively delivered Brexit. All Johnson had to do was cave to the EU and that was it.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118472932#Comment_118472932

I suspect he will be glad that its over because he didn't realise that as PM he would be required to do a little work. As a former PM he will be able to do the speech circuit, get lots of money and do bugger all. That lifestyle will suit the lazy sod!

More like a slice of giant lemon muffin than a piece of toast, in my considered opinion.