Truss has always wanted to be PM hence her quick move to the Tory party when it suited. That’s always a trait which leads to poor leadership. The worst was Cameron though, new MP in 2001 and leader by 2005. Like he read the Tony Blair biography!

 

Then of course destroyed the country by 2016!

This government really are scumbags.

 

Bashing benefits claimants now. Most people claiming universal credit will be taking any job going just to get off the horrendous system anyway so sanctioning them for not doing so is just rhetoric. Yet another policy come up with by people with no experience if the system. Especially as these sanctions could come in before the first payment leading to serious consequences

 

And as pointed out by the opposition,.forcing people to take jobs they aren't suitably skilled for is just going to lead to them losing them and creating cyclical unemployment.

Truss has always wanted to be PM hence her quick move to the Tory party when it suited. That’s always a trait which leads to poor leadership. The worst was Cameron though, new MP in 2001 and leader by 2005. Like he read the Tony Blair biography!

 

Then of course destroyed the country by 2016!

 

Cameron was another awful Tory PM. He came from a wealthy background and was completely out of touch with the issues in the general public.

Media are reporting that some Tory ministers are saying there will be a general election if Johnson is ousted. Personally, that might be a good thing given the general publics emotions are quite raw right now over the partygate scandals and concerns about cost of living crisis. However, I can’t see them going through with it as they must know they are going to lose a lot of seats and it could well be much worse than the situation when Teresa May called a snap election and the Tories lost their majority.

Media are reporting that some Tory ministers are saying there will be a general election if Johnson is ousted. Personally, that might be a good thing given the general publics emotions are quite raw right now over the partygate scandals and concerns about cost of living crisis. However, I can’t see them going through with it as they must know they are going to lose a lot of seats and it could well be much worse than the situation when Teresa May called a snap election and the Tories lost their majority.

 

Dump all the post-Covid problems on Labour and then come back with a vengeance in 4-5 years?

 

Literally straight out the Tory playbook - see the 70s.

 

There's literally no other sane reason to call an election.

Edited January 27, 20223 yr by Chartfridays

Media are reporting that some Tory ministers are saying there will be a general election if Johnson is ousted. Personally, that might be a good thing given the general publics emotions are quite raw right now over the partygate scandals and concerns about cost of living crisis. However, I can’t see them going through with it as they must know they are going to lose a lot of seats and it could well be much worse than the situation when Teresa May called a snap election and the Tories lost their majority.

 

That is Jacob Rees Mogg lying his head off in an attempt to persuade the Red Wall Tories not to submit letters of no confidence. Nothing else.

Dump all the post-Covid problems on Labour and then come back with a vengeance in 4-5 years?

 

Literally straight out the Tory playbook - see the 70s.

 

There's literally no other sane reason to call an election.

 

I can't work out if it's the strategists seeing this as an opportunity to give up power and then take back control in 5 years, or if it's a double bluff to make sure backbenchers don't revolt against the PM. I think it is more likely the latter to be honest. I can't see them giving up power that easily on the chance of an election when they have at least 2 years to try and win back the polls.

Cameron was another awful Tory PM. He came from a wealthy background and was completely out of touch with the issues in the general public.

 

I remember that awful slogan that Cameron and Osbourne (in cahoots with the ghastly Nick Clegg) had "We Are All in this Together" after the financial crisis. However the wealth of the people at the very top went up whislt the value of wealth of the ones at the poorer end of society was cut even further. Never for a moment think that the Tories give a monkeys about the rest of society - they are laughing in their face.

I can't work out if it's the strategists seeing this as an opportunity to give up power and then take back control in 5 years, or if it's a double bluff to make sure backbenchers don't revolt against the PM. I think it is more likely the latter to be honest. I can't see them giving up power that easily on the chance of an election when they have at least 2 years to try and win back the polls.

 

The Tories would never relinquish power voluntarily. Their masters in the media like Rothermere, Murdoch and Barclay brothers (or whoever they are) would never let them for starters.

That is Jacob Rees Mogg lying his head off in an attempt to persuade the Red Wall Tories not to submit letters of no confidence. Nothing else.

 

Surely not. JRM lying? 😮

They know they don't have to call an election with a change of leader, but they also know that given the precedents of recent changes of PM soon leading into a general that it'd weigh on the new PM's authority for the 2 years remaining, putting them in for an uphill battle - and the change of leader at the time when the scandal's fresh does leave a good opportunity for it to taint them too. So yeah, it's a scare tactic for the Tories in marginals to fall in line.

 

My Tory strategist plan right now would be let Johnson limp on for another 12-18 months, then have him quietly resign, handing over to a groomed successor to "fix the country" and be the party of natural government yet again. And give them a small amount of time to build up a reinvention timetable and a record of looking good before any scandals overwhelm them and before anyone really questions their mandate.

Cameron was another awful Tory PM. He came from a wealthy background and was completely out of touch with the issues in the general public.

 

There’s a guy from the guardian who put a tweet up with him posing outside his garden house every time something else goes wrong which always makes me titter :lol:

They know they don't have to call an election with a change of leader, but they also know that given the precedents of recent changes of PM soon leading into a general that it'd weigh on the new PM's authority for the 2 years remaining, putting them in for an uphill battle - and the change of leader at the time when the scandal's fresh does leave a good opportunity for it to taint them too. So yeah, it's a scare tactic for the Tories in marginals to fall in line.

 

My Tory strategist plan right now would be let Johnson limp on for another 12-18 months, then have him quietly resign, handing over to a groomed successor to "fix the country" and be the party of natural government yet again. And give them a small amount of time to build up a reinvention timetable and a record of looking good before any scandals overwhelm them and before anyone really questions their mandate.

May went for an election (after almost a year as PM) because she couldn't get an EU deal through and she thought she would win a majority. Johnson did the same. Neither of them called an election because of any sense that they needed a mandate of their own after a change of eladership.

May went for an election (after almost a year as PM) because she couldn't get an EU deal through and she thought she would win a majority. Johnson did the same. Neither of them called an election because of any sense that they needed a mandate of their own after a change of eladership.

 

Yes, the reasons were unrelated, but they were both less than 12 months after becoming PM. I think it'd be a question that would get asked a new PM and again on the 2024 campaign trail if they don't and they don't fix things, very likely to be a weakness. Both May and Johnson's premiership character only really took shape after their election too.

 

Often PMs that didn't call an election within a year ended up losing and had a poorly regarded premiership, I don't think they want to be the next Douglas-Home, Callaghan or Brown*. The odds aren't in their favour.

 

*only poorly regarded in current historical rankings I feel he may be righted with time given what followed him but yeah, poorly regarded - ESPECIALLY given the Tories were pretty vocal about Brown not calling an election when he became leader

If Tories see a looming defeat they will dump Bozo in a jiffy and elect someone else in who can use the campaign slogan "At least I'm not the lying git that put all of you right up shit street and lied about everything". Without that, they have reality to deal with: I don't see the economy getting a miracle recovery in the next 3 years so what have they got to run? We got Brexit sorted? Didn't, in terms of promised benefits. We saved the NHS? haven't. You're all better off? Only the rich voters. House prices gone down? hardly. Inflation low? As if! Borders sorted? not a chance. Covid defeated? Thanks to the scientists. The death toll tells a different tale. And it might rebound deadlier yet.

 

The main reason they might do well is if Labour eff it up and start infighting rather than anything they have actually DONE they can point to. Except pay people during Covid, which is paid back tax payers and higher taxes (on the way). It really doesn't look good at this point....

Yes, the reasons were unrelated, but they were both less than 12 months after becoming PM. I think it'd be a question that would get asked a new PM and again on the 2024 campaign trail if they don't and they don't fix things, very likely to be a weakness. Both May and Johnson's premiership character only really took shape after their election too.

 

Often PMs that didn't call an election within a year ended up losing and had a poorly regarded premiership, I don't think they want to be the next Douglas-Home, Callaghan or Brown*. The odds aren't in their favour.

 

*only poorly regarded in current historical rankings I feel he may be righted with time given what followed him but yeah, poorly regarded - ESPECIALLY given the Tories were pretty vocal about Brown not calling an election when he became leader

The leadership will be an issue anyway given that this will be the third successive time they have won an election and then dumped the leader. If they go for an election within months, we can ask how long this leader will last before they dump him/her and inflict yet another election on us. If not, we can ask whether this PM will manage what none of the three previous winners have done and serve at least half a full term from the election.

This government really are scumbags.

 

Bashing benefits claimants now. Most people claiming universal credit will be taking any job going just to get off the horrendous system anyway so sanctioning them for not doing so is just rhetoric. Yet another policy come up with by people with no experience if the system. Especially as these sanctions could come in before the first payment leading to serious consequences

 

And as pointed out by the opposition,.forcing people to take jobs they aren't suitably skilled for is just going to lead to them losing them and creating cyclical unemployment.

 

Well it’s interesting the government have blocked a report showing research into whether sanctions are an effective way to get people into work. I think the answer is pretty obvious that the policy will backfire and is likely to just put unnecessary stress on claimants and the government clearly doesn’t want to listen because they don’t care.

So one good thing that may come out of this is that the Tories may withdraw their NI rise which would definitely have been catastrophic for many on low incomes. Which apparently is going to piss Sunak off.

So, we are now told that Sue Gray has been asked to make sure that her investigation into whether there were any parties in Downing Street should avoid mentioning whether there were any parties in Downing Street. Continuing with this approach, Sunak's next Budget speech will be devoted entirely to his favourite recipes and all commentators at the World Cup in November and December will avoid mentioning the names of any teams or players or, indeed, the words ball, goal, corner, foul, penalty or VAR.

So one good thing that may come out of this is that the Tories may withdraw their NI rise which would definitely have been catastrophic for many on low incomes. Which apparently is going to piss Sunak off.

 

Well they haven’t confirmed it yet but it’s political suicide if they go ahead with it given the cost of living crisis. Virtually everyone was against the rise on Question Time last night.