Boris's Brain is missing

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Stradageek
Posts: 1657
Joined: 17 Jan 2011, 1:07pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Stradageek »

al_yrpal wrote: 20 Jun 2022, 2:46pm I think the Police will apply the law sensibly allowing peaceful demos and protests to take place as they should.
Al
Blimey Al, you've clearly never been 'kettled'. And Grace Petrie has a wonderful song called 'The losing side', two verses from which appear below. It is pertinent that the same night the 'mourners' of Sarah Everard were being pinned 'three on one' for breaking COVID regulations Boris was partying. And I particularly agree with the line 'The history books are screaming from the shelves'

From common grief to Bristol up in flames
We came here begging justice and instead we got the blame
For peace disturbed, out on the streets tonight
And watching on the BBC you know something's not right
When mourners come with candles and with flowers
Are wrestled three on one, and pinned down by the state's full powers
This is their world. And these have been the rules
But we have come to break it down with bloody fingernails for tools

Safe at home, you watch it on TV
And never think that one day you could be the enemy
That you might be one day be under attack
From all that should protect you, hoping someone has your back
The history books are screaming from the shelves
That no government who outlaws speaking to defend ourselves
Has good things planned. A storm ahead I see
And not one of us will bear it without solidarity
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Jdsk »

Stevek76 wrote: 19 Jun 2022, 8:11pm
Jdsk wrote: 19 Jun 2022, 11:08am An insight into how stories appear in some newspapers. And then disappear.

"Mystery surrounds Times exclusive claiming Boris Johnson wanted to give Carrie Symonds a £100,000 role":
I've seen it pointed out a few times today that this story is actually months old having been published in Ashcroft's book on Ms Symonds and included in the extract/advertorial for the book published in the daily mail (which is still online).

This bears some similarity to partygate where one event (the birthday one i think) was covered in sufficient detail (the times iirc) to be obviously both guidance and law breaking at the time it happened. But no one really noticed.
"The Times swiftly withdrew a story that made allegations about the prime minister and his wife after Downing Street intervened to complain about it, No 10 has confirmed."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... nson-story

Jonathan
Stevek76
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Joined: 28 Jul 2015, 11:23am

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Stevek76 »

Mail story still up:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... light.html
In late 2017, civil servants at the Foreign Office advised Johnson to appoint a chief of staff. Installing somebody of the highest competence would, they believed, ease their collective post-Brexit burden. This suggestion seemed at first to fall on deaf ears.

But by the beginning of the following year, Johnson seemed keener on the plan. The person he had in mind for the plum, six-figure role? Carrie Symonds.

His allies were 'aghast', according to one source. She would have been out of her depth in such a senior post, they felt, with potentially disastrous consequences.

'Everyone advised him not to do it,' says a source. 'They told him she had been over-promoted and that making her his chief of staff was ridiculous.'

By the spring of 2018, a small number of Johnson's staff had become aware the couple were having an affair. Some were dismayed that he had betrayed his wife, Marina, whom they knew and liked. Others took the view that it was none of their business.

All now understood why Johnson had been so keen to hire Carrie as his chief of staff.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by reohn2 »

al_yrpal wrote: 20 Jun 2022, 2:46pm
reohn2 wrote: 20 Jun 2022, 2:08pm
al_yrpal wrote: .......You have no idea.

Al
I think everyone has a very good idea of the end result of an authoritarian dictatorship.
What people on here are say is that this government is making ickle fairy steps toward decreasing people's freedom,whilst the ruling classes are allowed more freedom.
There are many,many examples posted upthread that you either blank or don't choose to see!
Others have their eyes wide open and see the Tories and capitalism in it's present form for what is!
I believe many examples are sometimes exagerated and are mostly driven by political ideology and class hatred rather than sensible interpretation of the situation.
You sir are a prime example of such,see below!
People who glue themselves to motorways obstructing thousands and causing utter chaos, death and pain should be stopped IMO. I think the Police will apply the law sensibly allowing peaceful demos and protests to take place as they should
The police will use the letter of the law in such cases,and the result of any changes to the law(as the present government intends) will be used against people who gather together and protest peacefully.

Trying to equate this to what goes on in N Korea, China and Venezuela won't wash and makes those putting forward that view look pretty stupid
I agree ,but it is and was yourself who equates such in previous posts on other threads!


Having lived in a mining community I do understand where this sort of nonsense comes from...the 1970s where we sadly seem to be heading back to
You know NOTHING about the mining community,because you've never been a miner so know NOTHING about mining or the community of miners!
:( As for open eyes, a wide eyed stare is often a sign of unreasoning extremism. Scargill was a great example
.
For once we agree.
Scargill was an extremist on the one hand,but don't ever forget that Thatcher was of the equal and opposite extreme.
That is why the '84 strike went on so long.
The British public have their eye upon Boris and his mates and if they dont up their game they going to be out pretty soon. Now its up to the middle and left to convince the public that they can do better without plunging the country into a further economic mess run by the bullys.

Al
The bullies are sat in the HofC with an overwhelming majority,as a result think they can do as they wish for their on gains,if the way the Covid19 pandemic has been handled,the death toll and fortunes made by those bully's friends or the way NHS staff have been treated,hasn't illustrated that to you in graphic detail then I don't know what will!

BTW,the RMT strike is just the beginning of much more to follow after 12 years of teeth kicking the Tories have laid on the workforce of this country.

YVMV,mine surely won't.
Last edited by reohn2 on 20 Jun 2022, 5:46pm, edited 2 times in total.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by reohn2 »

Stradageek wrote: 20 Jun 2022, 4:25pm
al_yrpal wrote: 20 Jun 2022, 2:46pm I think the Police will apply the law sensibly allowing peaceful demos and protests to take place as they should.
Al
Blimey Al, you've clearly never been 'kettled'. And Grace Petrie has a wonderful song called 'The losing side', two verses from which appear below. It is pertinent that the same night the 'mourners' of Sarah Everard were being pinned 'three on one' for breaking COVID regulations Boris was partying. And I particularly agree with the line 'The history books are screaming from the shelves'

From common grief to Bristol up in flames
We came here begging justice and instead we got the blame
For peace disturbed, out on the streets tonight
And watching on the BBC you know something's not right
When mourners come with candles and with flowers
Are wrestled three on one, and pinned down by the state's full powers
This is their world. And these have been the rules
But we have come to break it down with bloody fingernails for tools

Safe at home, you watch it on TV
And never think that one day you could be the enemy
That you might be one day be under attack
From all that should protect you, hoping someone has your back
The history books are screaming from the shelves
That no government who outlaws speaking to defend ourselves
Has good things planned. A storm ahead I see
And not one of us will bear it without solidarity
Spot on!
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by reohn2 »

Creeps do what creeps do... ...possibly?:- https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/boris- ... -bad-news/
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Jdsk »

Jdsk wrote: 26 May 2022, 2:07pm
Cugel wrote: 26 May 2022, 2:03pmAs your remark about the antics of two other cabinet members intimates, there's a slow anti-democratic attempt to arrange what looks very like a proto-fascist arrangement. Election fixing, making protest illegal, constructing pariahs and scapegoats and much else from the would-be totalitarian play book. .......
+ Centralisation of power. + Bypassing of Parliamentary power and oversight of the Executive.

And this is a very different problem from traditional party splits on policy in England or the UK.
Rozenberg on the first human rights legislation ever to deliberately weaken protection:

"Bill of rights? Or ragbag of restrictions?"
https://rozenberg.substack.com/p/bill-of-rights

Jonathan
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Psamathe »

Jdsk wrote: 22 Jun 2022, 9:32am
Jdsk wrote: 26 May 2022, 2:07pm
Cugel wrote: 26 May 2022, 2:03pmAs your remark about the antics of two other cabinet members intimates, there's a slow anti-democratic attempt to arrange what looks very like a proto-fascist arrangement. Election fixing, making protest illegal, constructing pariahs and scapegoats and much else from the would-be totalitarian play book. .......
+ Centralisation of power. + Bypassing of Parliamentary power and oversight of the Executive.

And this is a very different problem from traditional party splits on policy in England or the UK.
Rozenberg on the first human rights legislation ever to deliberately weaken protection:

"Bill of rights? Or ragbag of restrictions?"
https://rozenberg.substack.com/p/bill-of-rights

Jonathan
From Gov. commentary (radio) I've heard here seems to be a lot of (deliberate) vagueness about "Parliament" and "Ministers". Raab on radio this morning was explaining how Parliament is/should be the final arbiter not external e.g. ECHR courts. Yet the powers being sought are for Ministers to override ECHR rulings, not Parliament which means no real scrutiny and justification invariably "we don't discuss issues of National Security".

Ian
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Jdsk »

Psamathe wrote: 22 Jun 2022, 11:12am
Jdsk wrote: 22 Jun 2022, 9:32am
Jdsk wrote: 26 May 2022, 2:07pm
+ Centralisation of power. + Bypassing of Parliamentary power and oversight of the Executive.

And this is a very different problem from traditional party splits on policy in England or the UK.
Rozenberg on the first human rights legislation ever to deliberately weaken protection:

"Bill of rights? Or ragbag of restrictions?"
https://rozenberg.substack.com/p/bill-of-rights
From Gov. commentary (radio) I've heard here seems to be a lot of (deliberate) vagueness about "Parliament" and "Ministers". Raab on radio this morning was explaining how Parliament is/should be the final arbiter not external e.g. ECHR courts. Yet the powers being sought are for Ministers to override ECHR rulings, not Parliament which means no real scrutiny and justification invariably "we don't discuss issues of National Security".
Yes. Or to put it another way... Yes.

And here's an analysis of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill showing exactly the same tendencies:

"The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and its constitutional implications"
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-northern-irel ... lications/
concludes:

"Equally striking is Clause 19 of the Bill. This, remarkably, empowers a Minister to take measures as s/he considers appropriate to implement any new agreement reached with the EU to replace the NI Protocol. So much for parliamentary scrutiny over international treaties.

"And so, Whitehall prevails over Westminster. This is perhaps the most worrying aspect of the NIPB. It is part of a broader and consistent pattern of Government Ministers asking Parliament to give them ever more powers to use as they see fit.

"So the NIPB, striking in itself for its ambition to turn off large tracts of the NIP and stopping the UK judges for being able to strike it down as contrary to the WA, also carries on the tradition of ensuring government by Executive and not by Parliament."


Jonathan
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Psamathe »

Undoubtedly Conservative losses in the two bye-elections are due to Johnson's track record/character. And yet again we see somebody other than Johnson taking the consequences (Dowden goes). Will Dowden be enough of a scapegoat for the sycophantic "Johnson Fan Club" Conservative MPs?

Johnson takes the Consrvative Party from a massive win to not even being able to retain "safe seats" and all Johnson can do is to voe to "Boris Johnson says he will keep going after double byelection loss"(https://www.theguardian.com/politics/vi ... loss-video). Progress like that should see them with negative numbers of MPs come next General election. What does it say about Conservative MPs when they want to inflict "more of the same" on us all.

Ian
thirdcrank
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Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by thirdcrank »

My constituency is Morley and Outwood, which neighbours Wakefield and the MP is Andrea Jenkyns, a member of what might be termed Boris Johnson's praetorian guard. I found this interesting:-
Speaking at the Wakefield count before the result, Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood, said: "I've been on the doorstep for the last month, we've had nearly 130 MPs up, only a handful of people mentioned Partygate to me.

"There's certainly apathy there, but there's certainly not love for [Keir] Starmer."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61896693

That to me suggests that a huge canvassing effort has failed and that a significant number of tory MPs will have had feedback on the doorsteps of Wakefield. Apart from our very own AJ, not many seem to be prepared to try to spin this
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote: 24 Jun 2022, 11:28am My constituency is Morley and Outwood, which neighbours Wakefield and the MP is Andrea Jenkyns, a member of what might be termed Boris Johnson's praetorian guard. I found this interesting:-
Speaking at the Wakefield count before the result, Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood, said: "I've been on the doorstep for the last month, we've had nearly 130 MPs up, only a handful of people mentioned Partygate to me.

"There's certainly apathy there, but there's certainly not love for [Keir] Starmer."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61896693

That to me suggests that a huge canvassing effort has failed and that a significant number of tory MPs will have had feedback on the doorsteps of Wakefield. Apart from our very own AJ, not many seem to be prepared to try to spin this
I'm always very sceptical when political campaigners talk about "what the electorate want" based on a short time of door to door campaigning. It's subject to so many inaccurate subjective influences and completely unverfiable. I suspect that many just use such statements as a platform for their own views (as what people said cannot be contested). But do people say what they think? Would you bother to explain why you regard the object of their admiration as a complete imbecile? (most people have something better to do with their time and would get further explaining ther views to next door's cat. Some people are shy of any form of being critical to somebody's face so say "maybe" when no way they'll vote that way - somebody in an expensive suit, lots of confidence, probably ex-public school and some people just wont stand-up and tell them they and the person they worship are fools.

I regard such "what the people want" based on doorstep leaflet handouts and worthless for all parties, not just Conservatives.

And the results show Johnson's oft repeated "people want us to get on with the job ..." is just not the case. If they wanted that they'd have got even a few votes in the bye-elections.

Ian
thirdcrank
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Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by thirdcrank »

I was trying to say that one of Boris Johnson's most ardent supporters trying to put a positive spin on this simply confirmed (to me) what a disaster this was for his leadership. NB This was in spit of his going to Ukraine rather than try to reinforce the red wall.
Stevek76
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Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by Stevek76 »

I suspect many of the vocal supporters are personally benefitting from the Johnson government. They probably realise the game's up in 2024 regardless now and have little interest in conservative party prospects in that election, they just want to extract as much as they can before then and see johnson as the way to maximising that.

Hopefully they won't manage it, not because I think any other conservative alternative is going to be any better (they almost certainly won't) but if johnson goes into the next election I think it increases the chance of an outright labour majority and that diminishes the chances of ditching FPTP which to me is absolutely vital for the progress and sucess of this country.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Boris's Brain is missing

Post by al_yrpal »

Tories are now doomed. Interesting the huge Liberal alternative support in the West Country but they were nowhere at all in Wakefield? A polarised country seeking a decent effective government. The way forward out of this mess isnt clear at all.

Al
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