Boris v Hunt debate

One poster remarked that BJ didn't answer the questions put to him.
It's because he didn't know the damned answers !!

Lord help us, that's all I can say.

He puts me in mind of the old-time comedian, Will Hay in the 1937 film " Good Morning Boys " where the pupils ran the school/class because the teacher knew nothing.

I did not watch it - my life was complete without it!

I've only seen clips of it.

You know that song - "Is this all there is my friend?".......

Johnson waffled, and bumbled and didn't answer anything - verbally incontinent and incompetent- and he 'edged it' - how, where? How could anyone of sound mind want to vote for him, is beyond me.

Even the girlfriend is three sheets to the wind. God certainly did make them and match them.

How might anyone vote for him indeed!

The incumbent MP here has always seemed a decent bloke - apart from his politics. I know him through musical activities and he is a good constituency MP and champion of many good causes.

But he plans to vote for Boris - I am appalled. They were at Eton together - says it all really.

Twitter

In story-laden inteview, Sir John Major accuses Johnson of being prepared to throw Sir Kim Darroch to the wolves, and reminds BJ loyalty from the civil service is a two way street. Britain not foreign powers chooses its ambassadors., he adds..

Did anyone question Hunt about lowering the abortion age limit? Or is that something else that politicians can say and then assume it will be conveniently forgotten? The only thing that seems to have been honoured, manifestowise in recent years seems to have been the referendum...

Luckygirl ‘they were at Eton together - says it all really.’

Well no, it doesn’t actually. I’m sick to death of hearing comments like that about Eton. It’s nothing more than inverted snobbery. You obviously don’t know anything at all about Eton, which is an excellent school, attended by many students, and which gives scholarships to many students from poorer backgrounds. I understand BJ actually went on a scholarship, but that’s irrelevant, because I’m not defending BJ, I’m defending an excellent school, and no, before you ask, I don’t know anyone who went there. Why don’t you just say you don’t like BJ rather than an excellent school. It reminds of similar comments often made about Oxbridge. Inverted snobbery at its best.

Most politicians won't give direct answers to direct questions because they don't want them to come back to haunt them! I'm sure Theresa May wished she hadn't said 'No Deal is better than a Bad Deal.' 'We are leaving the EU on March 29th' etc etc. I prefer Boris for many reasons. I don't think he's quite as much a fool as people like to think. I also find Hunt extremely pompous and rather dull. I think he's Theresa in a suit.

I am sure it is an excellent school - for the privileged. BJ might have gone on a scholarship, but that no doubt related to his academic prowess rather than the poverty of his family, who are very far from the breadline.

The excellence of the school is not in doubt at all - the fact that it isolates a whole privileged group of young men from the cut and thrust of the realities of the cruelties of this world for those at the bottom of the pile is highly relevant when it comes to government. This, and many previous governments, have exhibited a complete absence of care or concern for those who are poor, sick and disadvantaged; and I am in no doubt that this is [partly to do with the fact that they were educated in sheltered environments that left huge gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

I do not know whether my view might be considered "inverted snobbery" or not - and I think it is not relevant to the facts.

Well said, Lucky !

Yes well said lucky. I don’t see criticism of Erin/Oxbridge as inverted snobbery. It can’t be right that our government and other key institutions are largely populated by people who had e tea advantages in education

Sorry, predictive text - Erin should of course read Eton ?

Sad when it is a criticism to be seen 'peddling optimism.'

Well said Luckygirl.

My sentiments exactlyLuckygirl What knowledge do these people have of state education and the difficulties faced by most of these schools?

Has this turned into a debate about Eton and Oxbridge? I was educated privately. My 4 children weren't. All three have completely astounded me by becoming well rounded and responsible. Not because they went to state schools due to having rather wild parents. My daughter lives in Oxford with her partner who attends Oxford University. Clever chap. Born and bred in Liverpool. State educated all the way through. Was accepted by Oxford and they're doing well. Many people told him he was wasting his time by applying to Oxford and I think this happens with a lot of youngsters. They're told not to bother applying because they didn't go to Eton etc etc. It is a form of inverted snobbery. And mis=placed. ""The majority of Oxford’s UK undergraduates come from state schools. The latest figures show that, of places offered to UK applicants, over 60.5% of undergraduate places went to students from the state sector.""

GracesgranMK3
i see we may be going into recession again too
If that's true we are not alone. Germany is in the same position. It will be a bigger problem for the 'power house of Europe' than it is for us. They have the euro.

Just sharing the latest Boris joke here:

‘Boris is buying a cruiser and doing trips on the Thames, he said that if he was going to continue to sell people down the river, he might as well make a few bob out of it.’

I prefer Boris for many reasons. I don't think he's quite as much a fool as people like to think. I also find Hunt extremely pompous and rather dull. I think he's Theresa in a suit.

Yes, I have to agree Minniemoo. A good summing up.

Hunt 'sounded' better but was the rather boring diplomat and I thought it rather obvious that given the chance he would be dithering and trying to please all sides and achieve very little. He'd say the right things but fail to deliver.

Boris bumbles. He seems to have about five ideas going on at once and his delivery can be rather frantic. he is not silly - just too earnest at times. He is a very clever and astute man though, that is obvious - but he needs to calm down and slow down. He needs a voice coach/PR person.

I have no doubt he will take the bull by the horns and do his utmost to get us out of the EU by Oct 31st. I didn't have that faith in Hunt unfortunately.

BJ said it all in that after Oct 31st hopefully the nation will not be having endless Brexit conversations and that the government can then get on with sorting out important matters that have fallen by the wayside.

What we need, more than anything else, is Brexit progress. No more stalling or political point scoring. If we are going we must get on with it. Boris Johnson said as much. Hunt lacked conviction.

I think BJ is more in tune with the feeling of the nation. A GE this year will be a disaster for the Conservative Party, and Labour. There will be huge political waves to the detriment of the two main parties if Brexit is delayed by parliament yet again.

Boris will fire on all cylinders regarding an EU exit. I feel he will win but he'll have a very short time in which to prove himself. His career could also flounder this year if he doesn't get it right.

Brexit is still the poisoned chalice; those putting themselves forward to take the reins after May's botched, futile and badly disguised attempts to remain chained to the EU, were brave politicians.

My friend's son has a very large house in 6 acres of land. She was asked by a mutual friend why her son needed such a big house and so much land. She replied "because he can afford it". That's snobbery and inverted snobbery in one go .

Actually I do know someone at Eton and he is not at from a privileged background, normal middle class I would think. He got an organ scholarship at Kings until he was 13 and then needed to find somewhere with good enough organ teaching to continue. He is an only child and his parents have given up everything to afford it although some has come from an uncle's legacy. They are in debt but simply determined to do the best for their son. I don't think everyone who goes to Eton is a toff.

Eton is referred to by some as 'Slough Comprehensive' by the way.

I agree that times are a-changing (slowly) for some of our most prestigious places of learning. We need top schools for top scholars. Why disadvantage the bright and the poor but bright?

There are many state schools failing to give students a decent education. Grade inflation is rife - boxes get ticked if kids pass exams or reach certain levels. The system stinks.

If I had lots of money I'd have no qualms about sending my children to the best school in the neighbourhood. Yes, money gives them an unfair advantage but hasn't it always been so? Would you happily send your children to a failing comprehensive just because it's there? Some people have no choice - but given the choice, wouldn't we always do what is best for our children?

I had to send my children to the local comp. Fortunately the outstanding one was in our catchment area and they all did well and three went on to good Universities. A neighbour paid for her children to be educated privately from the age of four and although they went into the sixth form their poorer A level grades didn't open doors to the top Unis for them.

All comprehensives should be outstanding comprehensives, but they aren't, for many and varied reasons. Throwing money at them and providing brand new buildings and facilities doesn't make much difference unless children attend regularly, standards of behaviour make good teaching possible and staff are well qualified and committed teachers. My teacher friends often said a degree in social work would have served them better in their teaching careers.