Boris for Prime Minister..

Fretwired

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

chillidoggy

Fretwired said:

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

Not arguing with what he's done, but he needs to be more than a bit smart and a bit tough to deal with the current situation, and I don't think he's smart enough, nor tough enough. Theresa May is a hard-bitten battle-axe, and that's the kind of PM we need right now when it comes to negotiating our way out of the EU.

littlegreenman

chillidoggy said:

Fretwired said:

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

Not arguing with what he's done, but he needs to be more than a bit smart and a bit tough to deal with the current situation, and I don't think he's smart enough, nor tough enough. Theresa May is a hard-bitten battle-axe, and that's the kind of PM we need right now when it comes to negotiating our way out of the EU.

Ha-ha, battle-axe. Thatcher-lite is not what we need right now. She's an OK Home Secretary, and has conveniently kept out of the Brexit fight (on account of having to, as the head of the Civil Service she was bound by purdah rules to do so). But as PM? Nope, nope, and thrice Nope. She'd be a disaster I reckon.

Garthy

There's a shortlist of about 8 likely candidates and it appears to be a two horse race between May and BoJo.

DaevidJ

Given a choice of those two... um.... Cake?

octatonic

Apparently Nicky Morgan is 'testing the waters'.

I'd be very surprised if it went any further.

At this stage it looks like a one horse ridiculous-huge-blond-man-baby race but after the last few days who knows.

Why were Johnson and Gove so subdued yesterday?

I would have thought they would have been elated.

Sleep deprivation?

PolarityMan

Fretwired said:

Dominic said:

every Royal Court needs a Jester !

BoJo is a worldwide brand ..

That's as maybe but does the world really need that many signature les Pauls?

johnnyurq

Liz II has made herself clear and I agree with her.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/johnnyurq/MISC/image_zpsjkiiwuju.gif

Also this bears repeating.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/johnnyurq/MISC/Clya2RNWkAADZla_zpspok9dlcp.jpg

octatonic

Edit: you fixed it.

Heartfeltdawn

Fretwired said:

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

I'd agree with most of this bar the disability cuts and tax credits. Boris voted in favour of the ESA disability benefit cut in March 2016. As an MP, his voting record on welfare and tax credits is that he has voted with the government. 

I'd personally say that he was more liable to question specific cuts as Mayor than he has since returning to parliament. Certainly this was true of bedroom tax as he did raise questions about it when he was Mayor. 

You're right. He isn't an average Tory. He's not your average politician at all. He's got a lot of intelligence but also the capacity to self-destruct. He'd be interesting, that's for sure. 

Fretwired

Heartfeltdawn said:

Fretwired said:

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

I'd agree with most of this bar the disability cuts and tax credits. Boris voted in favour of the ESA disability benefit cut in March 2016. As an MP, his voting record on welfare and tax credits is that he has voted with the government. 

I'd personally say that he was more liable to question specific cuts as Mayor than he has since returning to parliament. Certainly this was true of bedroom tax as he did raise questions about it when he was Mayor. 

You're right. He isn't an average Tory. He's not your average politician at all. He's got a lot of intelligence but also the capacity to self-destruct. He'd be interesting, that's for sure. 

This is what I was on about .. the Tories had a whip so he had no choice in the vote. Not often you get a Tory like Boris in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jan/06/boris-johnson-attacks-disability-payments-cuts

Heartfeltdawn

Again, that's at a time when he was Mayor rather than as an MP. It's bloody easy to attack things when you're not part of the process. 

February 21st 2016 - Boris makes his "agonosing decision" to join the Leave campaign, a decision which could make or break his political career. 

March 2nd 2015 - no such agonising as he votes with the government to reduce ESA disability benefit. 

But I do agree with you. He is not your usual Conservative. He strikes me as being far more suited to the Liberal Democrats in the Ashdown days than a modern Conservative. 

Ro_S

octatonic said:

Apparently Nicky Morgan is 'testing the waters'.

I wasn't aware she was pregnant.

octatonic said:

Why were Johnson and Gove so subdued yesterday?

I would have thought they would have been elated.

Sleep deprivation?

They want to appear statesmanlike and they want to heal rifts and 'reach out' appeal to as many people as possible (especially to Tory MPs most immediately).   

Boris needs to show that he's not just a clown but that he can be regarded as ringmaster material.

I'm sure they had big high fives and smiles before going onto the stage.

chillidoggy

littlegreenman said:

chillidoggy said:

Fretwired said:

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

Not arguing with what he's done, but he needs to be more than a bit smart and a bit tough to deal with the current situation, and I don't think he's smart enough, nor tough enough. Theresa May is a hard-bitten battle-axe, and that's the kind of PM we need right now when it comes to negotiating our way out of the EU.

Ha-ha, battle-axe. Thatcher-lite is not what we need right now. She's an OK Home Secretary, and has conveniently kept out of the Brexit fight (on account of having to, as the head of the Civil Service she was bound by purdah rules to do so). But as PM? Nope, nope, and thrice Nope. She'd be a disaster I reckon.

Don't forget that she'd only be in post for a couple of years before she could be voted out.

What I'm saying is she might be what we need to deal with the EU right now. "Thatcher-lite" indeed, but Boris? Where's the killer instinct, I can see him bumbling and stutteriing and being tied up in knots by the EU bods.

We're talking about the future of the country and to me, dare I say it, party politics are irrelevant at this critical point in time.

boogieman

octatonic;1125933" said:

Why were Johnson and Gove so subdued yesterday?I would have thought they would have been elated.Sleep deprivation?

Even politicians know it's not polite to laugh at a funeral. Cameron's a mate of BoJo too, it wouldn't be good PR.

Chalky

boogieman;1126448" said:

[quote="octatonic;1125933"]
Why were Johnson and Gove so subdued yesterday?I would have thought they would have been elated.Sleep deprivation?

Even politicians know it's not polite to laugh at a funeral. Cameron's a mate of BoJo too, it wouldn't be good PR. [/quote]

They have a lot of work to do before Article50. See who the Tories want as new PM is first on the list...

siremoon

chillidoggy said:

littlegreenman said:

chillidoggy said:

Fretwired said:

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

Not arguing with what he's done, but he needs to be more than a bit smart and a bit tough to deal with the current situation, and I don't think he's smart enough, nor tough enough. Theresa May is a hard-bitten battle-axe, and that's the kind of PM we need right now when it comes to negotiating our way out of the EU.

Ha-ha, battle-axe. Thatcher-lite is not what we need right now. She's an OK Home Secretary, and has conveniently kept out of the Brexit fight (on account of having to, as the head of the Civil Service she was bound by purdah rules to do so). But as PM? Nope, nope, and thrice Nope. She'd be a disaster I reckon.

Don't forget that she'd only be in post for a couple of years before she could be voted out.

What I'm saying is she might be what we need to deal with the EU right now. "Thatcher-lite" indeed, but Boris? Where's the killer instinct, I can see him bumbling and stutteriing and being tied up in knots by the EU bods.

We're talking about the future of the country and to me, dare I say it, party politics are irrelevant at this critical point in time.

I agree. 

We either need charisma with some absolute top notch negotiating people as advisers.  This would be the Boris route.  Or, we need a hard nosed bastard who won't take any crap from people like Juncker, which would be May.

I can see pros and cons for both and I accept thay both have baggage.  Imo that doesn't matter, all that matters is getting the best deal we can out of the EU.  The rest can wait.

Having said all of that I think Boris is more likely to win an election so I'm guessing that's who they'll pick.

chillidoggy

siremoon said:

chillidoggy said:

littlegreenman said:

chillidoggy said:

Fretwired said:

Bucket said:

Yes, Boris can be funny and has more of a personality than we're used to seeing in politicians.

SO FUCKING WHAT.

The man is a self-serving, opportunistic snake who is just as out-of-touch as any other Tories people bang on about, if not more so. If he becomes PM, I will hang my head in despair for what is to come for this country.

Oh yeah. He was the guy who championed the living wage which has helped those in low paid jobs; he championed taking the poor out of the tax system; he opposed disability benefit cuts, tax credit cuts, child benefit cuts, the bedroom tax, he was against May's plan to leave the European court of human rights. You haven't got a clue what you're talking about - he's hardly your average Tory. He won two elections in London - a town with more Labour voters than Tory ones.

Not arguing with what he's done, but he needs to be more than a bit smart and a bit tough to deal with the current situation, and I don't think he's smart enough, nor tough enough. Theresa May is a hard-bitten battle-axe, and that's the kind of PM we need right now when it comes to negotiating our way out of the EU.

Ha-ha, battle-axe. Thatcher-lite is not what we need right now. She's an OK Home Secretary, and has conveniently kept out of the Brexit fight (on account of having to, as the head of the Civil Service she was bound by purdah rules to do so). But as PM? Nope, nope, and thrice Nope. She'd be a disaster I reckon.

Don't forget that she'd only be in post for a couple of years before she could be voted out.

What I'm saying is she might be what we need to deal with the EU right now. "Thatcher-lite" indeed, but Boris? Where's the killer instinct, I can see him bumbling and stutteriing and being tied up in knots by the EU bods.

We're talking about the future of the country and to me, dare I say it, party politics are irrelevant at this critical point in time.

I agree. 

We either need charisma with some absolute top notch negotiating people as advisers.  This would be the Boris route.  Or, we need a hard nosed bastard who won't take any crap from people like Juncker, which would be May.

I can see pros and cons for both and I accept thay both have baggage.  Imo that doesn't matter, all that matters is getting the best deal we can out of the EU.  The rest can wait.

Having said all of that I think Boris is more likely to win an election so I'm guessing that's who they'll pick.

General election, or the Tory leadership election?

I'd agree with you on the former, he's cuddly enough, isn't he?

octatonic

They should get the wee hobbity lady from Scotland to do the negotiation.

chillidoggy

octatonic said:

They should get the wee hobbity lady from Scotland to do the negotiation.

She has to be better than Bozo the clown.....

Like the new avatar, by the way!