Careless Tories!

[ramAnag]

As was David Crosby, RIP, rA

Thank God for commas!

See Greg (safe pair of?) Hands is this month’s Tory Party Chairman and Grant Shapps has been put in charge of energy security. Oh dear! Badenoch and Donelan also reshuffled. Make of it all what you will. More changes than Leeds United’s management.

[MadAmster]

In fairness, apart from Hands, the changes are in departmental responsibilities rather than a proper cabinet reshuffle.

[ramAnag]

In fairness, apart from Hands, the changes are in departmental responsibilities rather than a proper cabinet reshuffle.

There are clear overlaps for Shapps and Badenoch...agreed, but Donelan has gone from ‘Culture’ to ‘Science, Innovation and Technology’ so a bit of a change there.

[swaledale]

Can you honestly see any scenario which allows Johnson or Truss to stand again in the foreseeable future? Surely either candidate would represent a ‘free hit’ to all the opposition parties and any reasonable Tories that may be left. The former is completely discredited in terms of honesty and morality and the latter is just a delusional incompetent imo.

rA, Johnson is only discredited in the eyes of a certain section of the population, there are many in the Tory party who would have him back - including if one is to believe Sir Graham Brady, 102 Tory MP's and "Lord" Cruddas who set up a petition demanding he be allowed to stand in the leadership contest to replace him the first time around!! I would say that probably most of the Tory membership would have him back as a leader, they still think he was somehow stabbed in the back mainly by Sunak, who ironically was one of the last of the 58 plus Ministers who had resigned!!

Johnson is busy manoeuvring to get a "safe" seat to stand in for the next election, his current seat could well turf him out , so he is angling for one that has a larger majority. As with Trump, there are significant sections of his party who believe that whatever his personal characteristics, he is still a vote winner and a substantial number of voters think the same. Whatever the reality, the only thing that counts in politics is power and whoever seems likely to win power will be supported, those that don't like him will hold their noses and back him if push comes to shove!!

So yes I can see Johnson being re-installed as Tory leader before the next election, IF their poll ratings fail to improve.

[ramAnag]

rA, Johnson is only discredited in the eyes of a certain section of the population, there are many in the Tory party who would have him back - including if one is to believe Sir Graham Brady, 102 Tory MP's and "Lord" Cruddas who set up a petition demanding he be allowed to stand in the leadership contest to replace him the first time around!! I would say that probably most of the Tory membership would have him back as a leader, they still think he was somehow stabbed in the back mainly by Sunak, who ironically was one of the last of the 58 plus Ministers who had resigned!!

Johnson is busy manoeuvring to get a "safe" seat to stand in for the next election, his current seat could well turf him out , so he is angling for one that has a larger majority. As with Trump, there are significant sections of his party who believe that whatever his personal characteristics, he is still a vote winner and a substantial number of voters think the same. Whatever the reality, the only thing that counts in politics is power and whoever seems likely to win power will be supported, those that don't like him will hold their noses and back him if push comes to shove!!

So yes I can see Johnson being re-installed as Tory leader before the next election, IF their poll ratings fail to improve.

I agree, there are still a significant proportion of Tories, who are completely lacking any functional form of moral compass, and who would take him back in a heartbeat.
He did, after all, win a very sizeable majority in 2019. That however has to be put in the context of an electorate who were sick to the back teeth of three years of Brexit argument and delay (if only they’d known!) and against a Labour leader who was something of a liability (as a political leader rather than as person).

Four years on and the situation has changed in at least three very significant ways.
1. Starmer has infinitely more credibility than Corbyn ever had.
2. Even a blind man on a galloping horse cannot fail to recognise that Johnson is a compulsive liar, devoid of integrity and completely lacking where the capacity for decency and moral judgement are concerned.
3. Brexit (Johnson’s flagship back in 2019) is no longer the ‘opportunity’ it was once regarded by the gullible as being and it has become the disaster that many of us always warned it would become. ‘Let’s Get Brexit Done’ is no longer a call to arms amongst the politically naive (or worse) and is now more widely recognised as an entirely discredited piece of rabble rousing.

The fact that Johnson finds it necessary to seek a ‘safe seat’ - I believe the search may have moved from the Derbyshire Dales to a new constituency in the North Oxfordshire area - speaks volumes. If he doubts he would be re-elected in his own current constituency then what chance would he stand in any foreseeable return as a potential PM Mk2?

[swaledale]

I only wish I shared your optimism, yes polls show a distaste for the Tories but there are many still who would vote for a Johnson led party!!

[Ramshank72]

I like to cause trouble

Four years on and the situation has changed in at least three very significant ways.
1. Starmer has infinitely more credibility than Corbyn ever had.
Agreed.
2. Even a blind man on a galloping horse cannot fail to recognise that Johnson is a compulsive liar, devoid of integrity and completely lacking where the capacity for decency and moral judgement are concerned.
You may wish to not have a drink in your hand whilst reading this bit: Disagree, I'd say he was the hardest performing PM we've had in decades. He had his man-management / personal failures, granted, but on the important deliverables, he delivered with decency and moral judgement.
3. Brexit (Johnson’s flagship back in 2019) is no longer the ‘opportunity’ it was once regarded by the gullible as being and it has become the disaster that many of us always warned it would become. ‘Let’s Get Brexit Done’ is no longer a call to arms amongst the politically naive (or worse) and is now more widely recognised as an entirely discredited piece of rabble rousing.
Agree with "Brexit (Johnson’s flagship back in 2019) is no longer the ‘opportunity’", but after that, you're just insulting people - imagine if Johnson called people; "gullible" or "politically naive (or worse)". It's no longer the opportunity because it's done, we can't leave again. Alternatively, maybe a party will pledge to seek re-joining the EU, opportunity begs should someone want to make it BREJOIN election.

Swales right, though I wouldn't be one of those voting for a Johnson led party.

[Andy_Faber]

I like to cause trouble

Four years on and the situation has changed in at least three very significant ways.
1. Starmer has infinitely more credibility than Corbyn ever had.
Agreed.
2. Even a blind man on a galloping horse cannot fail to recognise that Johnson is a compulsive liar, devoid of integrity and completely lacking where the capacity for decency and moral judgement are concerned.
You may wish to not have a drink in your hand whilst reading this bit: Disagree, I'd say he was the hardest performing PM we've had in decades. He had his man-management / personal failures, granted, but on the important deliverables, he delivered with decency and moral judgement.
3. Brexit (Johnson’s flagship back in 2019) is no longer the ‘opportunity’ it was once regarded by the gullible as being and it has become the disaster that many of us always warned it would become. ‘Let’s Get Brexit Done’ is no longer a call to arms amongst the politically naive (or worse) and is now more widely recognised as an entirely discredited piece of rabble rousing.
Agree with "Brexit (Johnson’s flagship back in 2019) is no longer the ‘opportunity’", but after that, you're just insulting people - imagine if Johnson called people; "gullible" or "politically naive (or worse)". It's no longer the opportunity because it's done, we can't leave again. Alternatively, maybe a party will pledge to seek re-joining the EU, opportunity begs should someone want to make it BREJOIN election.

Swales right, though I wouldn't be one of those voting for a Johnson led party.

Judging by some of my left leaning friends opinions, 1 isn’t quite that simple, they would prefer a ‘Corbyn who isn’t Corbyn’ rather than a nice guy who’s a wet lettuce. Not sure how that would influence less devout people regarding voting, it wouldnt affect my friends who’d vote Labour no matter what

[MadAmster]

There is, currently, no recognisable Labour Party. They are, quite simply, Red Tories.

[Andy_Faber]

There is, currently, no recognisable Labour Party. They are, quite simply, Red Tories.

So where’s the third way MA? I know you’ve mentioned revolution but there are too many ‘fat and happy’ for that to happen, it’s about as likely as the Lib Dem’s or a coalition. You arent standing in the **** bucket you’re just looking in from just over the edge so you might have another viewpoint