Boris’ meltdown at PMQs

Former Tory MP Matthew Parrish has seen the light.

Did I really just see Johnson on tv giving a speech in which he said ‘the truth will set you free’?

Matthew Parrish wrote this a year ago.

Having seen Johnson on tv this week I am beginning to wonder of he is suffering from post covid problems. He looks pretty grim. Not making excuses for him but just wondering

Whitewavemark2

Wonder how Johnson is preparing for PMQs?

Reading somewhere and not sure if it is correct that Starmer won’t/can’t ask about the law breaking as it hasn’t been presented to Parliament yet.

I suppose there is still time for a U-turn on the government's intention to break international law. (And to completely ignore the Ministerial Code)

After all, if the focus group doesn't approve it'll be dropped

Wonder how Johnson is preparing for PMQs?

Reading somewhere and not sure if it is correct that Starmer won’t/can’t ask about the law breaking as it hasn’t been presented to Parliament yet.

Whitewave- the town recently added to the lockdown measures has the highest figures nationally. Deprivation, poverty play a part but local news suggests many of the recent cases are linked to a man who returned from Spain. He didn't quarantine as he should have done. He went on a pub crawl.......
No accounting for selfish and stoopied.

Is this lady in GN?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6jesg5MYOs

Fennel

@ Whitewave2 - I didn't mean you by WW2 .

?

I suspect the Conservatives would have won even more seats, if the Brexit Party had withdrawn their candidates from Labour-held seats. There were quite a few Labour seats, where the combined Conservative and BP vote was more than Labour. The BP gained many ex-Labour voters.

Not BL**dy live in. Love-in! Gah.

A lot of very poor memories on here of the wholehearted adoration of Bozza upon election. Indeed, some of those claiming not to recall the live-in were active participants, singing his praises.

paddyanne

WHY would not being ashamed of the Empire be a reason to choose a politician ?

Possibly because many of those behind the red wall were leavers and there was much talk about making Britain great again which implies being nostalgic for an Empire that's long gone. Certainly before most of our lives.

@ Whitewave2 - I didn't mean you by WW2 .

Iam - good point about people in the poorer areas of the north being patriotic. It's similar here in the NE, though I can't say they really like Johnson, more against the extreme left.
You might think there would be support for communists, after their role in fighting for the workers in WW2, but our expectations have changed since then.

I was reading that there is concern that it has become endemic in the NW? And never really reduced. I guess it is poverty and crowded living conditions?

Have people been compliant with lockdown? They certainly were here until the great Cummings escape, after which not so much.

We have 2 universities as well as an art college etc so masses of young adults all not complying. And they are all back soon

WW2 yes. Also, areas of deprivation, of which we have many, are predicted to continue to be hard hit by the covid virus.

iam. Yes I think the red wall is certainly an issue at the moment, but unfortunately the Orthrus of brexit and mass unemployment has yet to play out, and it is expected that the north of England will be particularly hit.

I'm in a north west seat where the good labour MP lost their seat by under 400 votes. The new MP has no links to the area. He doesn't answer emails or letters. He doesn't have a visible profile.
I've heard many neighbours say they think Johnson is doing his best in these difficult circumstances. They still associate Labour with a leader they neither liked nor trusted. The working classes are often patriotic, they liked the fact Johnson appears to love his country that the former leader seemed happy to blame it for all that is wrong in the world.
Starmer is doing well amongst many left leaning people but has a mountain to climb.

WHY would not being ashamed of the Empire be a reason to choose a politician ?

At the beginning of this year an author (Deborah Mattinson) held focus groups and interviewed working class people behind the Red Wall to find out how they voted and why. They chose to vote Tory because of Johnson who they believed stood for what they wanted. He'd "de-snobbified the tories"; "he was focused and determined". She was told that "he liked people"; "he believes in Britain and makes you want to believe in him".

I think that the author is confirming what most of us knew. She contacted some of the original interviewees recently and apparently they were on the defensive. Some thought that the tories had done as well as they could in the circumstances. Johnson was "wishy-washy"; "waffle when we need clarity"

When asked about Labour, most of them knew that there is a new leader and quite liked what they saw but they felt that they didn't know enough about the direction the Labour Party is taking. So for the moment they are still favouring Johnson. To quote one other interviewee " I don’t know what he [Starmer] is about yet. Meanwhile I see Boris clearly. For all his flaws, I get him. I genuinely believe that he is an old-fashioned patriot. He believes in Britain, he’s not ashamed of the empire. He’s positive and optimistic. And for the time being that’s good enough for me.”

Thought this rather apt

David__Osland

The big difference between the Conservative Party and organised crime is the level of organisation

Yes I agree David I am not keen on the going for the throat approach, I think it's why Labour is ahead in the polls now ( well that and the governments ineptitude) , I like the subtlety, it makes a change.

Quote in the Observer this morning:

A Labour source said: “If Boris Johnson wants to have a debate with Keir about past careers then bring it on. While Keir was a human rights lawyer or director of public prosecutions Johnson was being sacked for lying.”

I suspect that if Johnson does find any dirt on Starmer, Starmer is perfectly capable of rebutting it in a professional, understated way. He was obviously genuinely angry at what Johnson said on Wednesday and, I think, responded appropriately. It backfired for Johnson and made him look childish and vindictive - and a liar. Starmer doesn't need to dig any dirt on Johnson and stoop to his level.