Sign up to Gransnet Daily
Our free daily newsletter full of hot threads, competitions and discounts
Subscribe
So, what to do with Johnson?
Excellent article today from which I have cut and pasted.
The nearer we get to January 1st the bigger existential crises we will be in.
*Politically his direction of travel is being cut off. Farage is back with a deeply populist position that leaves Johnson with no chance to tack further to the right. Thankfully.
At the same time there is also no way left for Johnson to make progress with key parts of the Internal Market Bill. President-elect Biden has made it clear that unless Johnson drops the clauses relating to Northern Ireland the special relationship is toast, or maybe something even more akin to those crumbs you have to clear out of a toaster every now and again.
But Johnson must also know that if he takes heed of that message then the ERG will grill him until he’s charred to the point of incineratation, and there remain enough of them to make his life very difficult indeed.
Add to that the fact that public trust in Johnson’s government has very clearly collapsed. The latest lockdown is being faced with both incomprehension and indifference as far as I can see, however necessary it may be. The government’s own incoherence has broken the social contract on this issue.
And Brexit has yet to really happen, as most seem to be forgetting, and will be a nightmare whatever deal is agreed, because we have quite literally none of the infrastructure to make any option, barring an emergency application to extend the transition, work right now.
Johnson has always built his career on lies. More recently to say that its foundations have been in sand would simply to be too kind to it: there has been no real foundation at all. And sometime very soon that fact, with the added element of the absence of Trump to provide cover, is going to become very clear indeed.
There are always, of course, ‘events’ that might help or hinder, but assuming nothing quite extraordinarily beneficial comes Johnson’s way, and all the portents are to the contrary, then it is hard to see what good cards he might have in his hand right now.
His foreign policy is completely shot.
So too is his domestic policy.
As is his economic policy.
Coronavirus is out of control, and that seems to be deliberate.
Tensions in the country are rising.
Finding any upside for him is hard. Not, I stress, that I am being sympathetic when saying so. All this is of his own making. And it is of his party’s too. They know the sort of man he was when choosing him.
But I look at all this and wonder how long that ruthless Tory machine will stick with such an obvious loser. It is just not their style to do so. Leaders who threaten the party are given short shrift by the Tories. And Johnson is threatening more than the party; he is threatening us all.
The question as to how long Johnson can now last has to be in the table. I continue to think it’s not long. Since I acknowledge that I may not much like any alternative to him that the Tories might select that is also not wishful thinking. That is simple analysis. Johnson has created an untenable position from which there is no credible or viable escape route, bar ditching him. And that is why I cannot see him surviving.*
Richard Murphy
Not directed at anyone in particular. I have just re-read the OP, and just cannot see the link. Neither can I see the link to Corbyn. As said above, just deflection- a bit like any interview with Johnson or anyone in the Cabinet.
What have masks to do with the subject
I guess that is directed at my comment biba. Read back through the thread. 3 individual posters on this thread asked for an example, which I merely offered. At least they had the courtesy to acknowledge my contribution and see my point even though we do not always agree.
GrannyGravy13
Oh the irony!!!!
Trump calls people names and folks on here are up in arms.
Someone in the Biden camp insults our PM and you applaud them.
I’m anti- Trump, anti-Johnson, anti-nationalist populist.
What do you expect?
Biden camp see Cummings as the U.K. Bannon. You know he is the one who said Fauci should be beheaded.
t.co/KdfWz6mv5J?amp=1
That is a terrifyingly accurate article, and surely most people can see that? You are fighting a brave fight lemon and I know that we have differing political views, but surely you are concerned at the way things are going? We, as a country are in a very vulnerable position and do not have a leader with the strength of character to do anything coherent or sensible to help. He is out of his depth, and can't lie his way out of this as he has done in the past. Any positives you can put forward? Other than 'it would have been worse under Corbyn'?
Oh the irony!!!!
Trump calls people names and folks on here are up in arms.
Someone in the Biden camp insults our PM and you applaud them.
MaizieD
Whitewavemark2
Bidens aids call Johnson a shape shifting creep.
Anyone know what the collective noun is?'Tory cabinet', isn't it?
I’d put a laughing emoji to your post maize but lemon would say that I was getting annoyed.
Oh to hell with it
????
Whitewavemark2
Bidens aids call Johnson a shape shifting creep.
Anyone know what the collective noun is?
'Tory cabinet', isn't it?
What have masks to do with the subject of Murphy's blog- who is spot on as usual. Same thoughts expressed by someone who truly knows, Prof Dougan from Liverpool Uni- who knows his stuff.
Just to balance the thread and seek information, does anyone know what has happened to the suspension hearing that is/was supposed to be held quickly regarding the Jeremy Corbyn issue.
No, that isn't 'balancing the thread' at all. It's deflecting it and I trust that everyone will ignore your post.
I suggest that you start a new thread or join the Corbyn suspension thread, which isn't at all difficult to find.
There is no enforcement of the wearing of masks
Ok sorry, westendgirl but even if it is mere encouragement as opposed to enforcement it is working jolly well!
Bidens aids call Johnson a shape shifting creep.
Anyone know what the collective noun is?
Shropshirelass
We all have our own opinions, who knows what anyone else would have done in these strange times. We can read all sorts of terrifying things but not a lot we can do about it. I don’t believe everything I read. We will see.
Ditto.
MaizieD - same here in Merseyside. I've used public transport many times and haven't seen anyone get on without a face covering. (Having said that I have noticed that the young adults remove them and start wittering on their phones as soon as they are seated)!
Our local supermarkets have an assistant handing out face masks to anyone who isn't wearing one. No Mask - no shopping.
Just to balance the thread and seek information, does anyone know what has happened to the suspension hearing that is/was supposed to be held quickly regarding the Jeremy Corbyn issue. We were told at the time of his suspension from the Labour Party that a hearing into the matter would be held in no more time than a week.
Now it would seem that Corbyn is not being given an opportunity to defend himself as is allowed for under Labour Party rules and has to sit in the House of Commons without the party whip. So, does Starmer & Co have no real case to offer against him and now are just playing for time????????
This is a case of the Labour Party executive not handling a matter as it should be handled, and in the meantime, the anger on the left of the movement grows by the day threatening a huge split in the party which may never be repaired
MaizieD
^As for shops well, in some shops nobody has a mask on and its so easy to down the necessary forms so you are exempt.^
Compliance must vary widely over the country; just about everybody in my area of Co. Durham is wearing masks on public transport and in the shops.
And here in Sussex.
Everyone masked up.
As for shops well, in some shops nobody has a mask on and its so easy to down the necessary forms so you are exempt.
Compliance must vary widely over the country; just about everybody in my area of Co. Durham is wearing masks on public transport and in the shops.
The enforcement off wearing masks on public transport is utter rubbish. I live opposite a bus stop with 6 buses an hours stopping, howmanhy wear wear masks, hardly any. My Dr at the hospital I attend told me not to go on public transports as it was a hot house for Covid. As for shops well, in some shops nobody has a mask on and its so easy to down the necessary forms so you are exempt. Even Boris father was seen in a shop, twice, without a mask.
Nightingale Hospitals have been built at a huge cost but not enough staff to work in them.
I'm sorry Ellianne, but I must disagree with you .
There is no enforcement of the wearing of masks
The mobilisation of the army to help with testing started only last week in Liverpool. Had the testing and tracing been run properly there would not have been this reactive measure. Interesting letter from a retired GP in the Times last week who said that Gp's should have been used in the testing and tracing, as they had the information readily available. My nearest pharmacist said ages ago that the pharmacies should have been used.
The Nightingale hospitals, which cost £220m are mostly unused as there isn't the necessary staff.In the Sunday Times yesterday there was an article stating that only two of the hospitals treated any covid patients,which made the average cost about £1m per patient. On the same page there is a piece headlined Hospices fear closure as funding dries up.
Lucca
Agree mask wearing is a good idea but it was slow in coming and is apparently not enforceable on public transport.
It's not enforceable anywhere is it?
The re opening of schools at the right time
Schools and colleges are the source of the greatest percentage of C19 outbreaks at the moment so I'm a little puzzled by your statement.
Agree about the army; just a bit worried that it might be mobilised against the population at some time in the not so far future...
Agree mask wearing is a good idea but it was slow in coming and is apparently not enforceable on public transport.
I think the nightingale hospitals were an inspired idea, and they will be even better once the staff are employed to run them.
I don't think the Tory supporters on GN are cowardly, shy, reluctant, rubbishers as has been said in just a matter of a dozen posts. Think about it, would you reply if these were the retorts you received every time?
I will tell you some things that in my opinion have been done well by this government:
The enforcement of the wearing of masks on public transport and in shops
The mobilization of the army to help with testing
The building of Nightingale hospitals
The re opening of schools at the right time
lemongrove why not just state what you think is being done well then leave without getting 'involved'?
You've already taken the time to say various things, so why not say what's going well?
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »Get our top conversations, latest advice, fantastic competitions, and more, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
