Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things.
I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
The problem is that while some will still believe Johnson's lies, his backup team are not so good at it. Johnson is a performance artist, probably one of the few earning good money at this in these times. One of the necessities of performance art is that your audience suspends disbelief. John had a ready-made (oven-ready?) cohort to assist him; all he had to do was appeal to his voters' natural prejudices.
The issue with the backup team is that they are unconvincing. These politicians either come over as believing the prejudice they pronounce on; against immigrants, against people of colour or against being alert to injustice in society. Alternatively, these MPs come over as people whose agreement with Johnson is crumbling, as we saw with the vote on foreign aid.
So, where does Johnson go next? Brexit will not turn out to be the all-round well of happiness that the levers promised. Some will blanch as they recognise the selling off of the NHS. Racism is causing more people to be shocked than agree. Voters liked the solidarity that the England football team showed - and the results it brought. Passivity to thuggish tropes is waining; it is waining just when people will begin to feel the real economic effects of Covid (not Johnson's fault, but it is obvious he made many bad calls).
How long will Johnson last? And if his party - many of whom already cannot stand him and are beginning to be willing to vote against his extremes - throw him out, what do you think the Tories will offer us next?
Gransnet forums
News & politics
The culture war against wokism has been Boris Johnson’s creation and he is being caught out for it.
(91 Posts)The vote on foreign aid was sickening.
He is supported by too many "yes" people.
Sickening and against the nature of so many voters who are so very generous with their time and money when it comes to helping others.
It's another broken promise to add to the list. Perhaps the triple lock pension will be the next broken promise. Or the promise to 'protect the NHS'. If the pattern continues there are so many promises waiting to be broken.
I think the Tories will keep offering us more of the same until either the chip, chip, chip away at honesty, integrity and decency turns off all but the most hardened supporter and/or someone, or some alliance of people (PLEASE!!!), stand up as an opposition people will vote for.
Extraordinary twitter thread on the foreign Aid issue . The poster put up an image (clear and readable) of the letter he had received from his (tory) MP detailing why foreign aid should not be cut and their opposition to it. Yet, when it came to the crunch, this MP voted in favour of cutting it.
twitter.com/andrew_goudie/status/1415010351469498371
(sorry to deviate from your theme, Pippa)
No problem Maizie. I don't see it as a deviation. It is an example of the backup team not being given specific instructions or the instructions changing at short notice - a common fault with Johnson. These poor people are trying so hard to be "yes" people NotSpaghetti but they do need clear direction. Boris doesn't do that.
How can they have changed so far - indeed, have they - that the last PM votes against the government? If it hasn't changed but a majority are staying silent until pushed to the limit, what will they do as this continues? Has Boris stolen the Conservative Party? He was never a Conservative. Johnson is the leader and one of few members of the Libertarian Party. So, does the Conservative Party get rid of him or do they have to leave and reform?
Your post MaizieD illustrates one of the many good things about the much reviled twitter. Without it, nobody, other than the recipient of the letter would be aware of the two faced MP. I was driving along yesterday shouting at the radio (again), as Andrea Leadsom justified her reason for voting for the cuts to the Foreign Aid budget, despite being a member of the party elected to deliver the promise. It was nauseating. But, back to the OP, the little group of defenders around Johnson are looking increasingly pathetic ( I am looking at your Grant Shapps), and I found myself in the uncomfortable position of feeling sorry for Nadim Zahawi when he was squirming, trying to somehow convince Marr and the rest of us that when Johnson meant all anticovid19 measures were to be scrapped, but not scrapped, but no masks, but yes masks. It was impressive.
A Constituent writes to his MP. The MP replies, and the recipient then posts the letter on Twitter.
I wonder if the MP was consulted?
In view of the recent Meghan Markle case, I assume the copyright of the letter belongs to the MP.
And you think this is one of the good things about Twitter.
eazybee
A Constituent writes to his MP. The MP replies, and the recipient then posts the letter on Twitter.
I wonder if the MP was consulted?
In view of the recent Meghan Markle case, I assume the copyright of the letter belongs to the MP.
And you think this is one of the good things about Twitter.
BUt is that all that bothers you about this story ?
eazybee
A Constituent writes to his MP. The MP replies, and the recipient then posts the letter on Twitter.
I wonder if the MP was consulted?
In view of the recent Meghan Markle case, I assume the copyright of the letter belongs to the MP.
And you think this is one of the good things about Twitter.
I think that our desperately underfunded justice system with an enormous backlog of cases isn't going to be in the least bit interested in the breaching of an MPs copyright (though I have my doubts that there is any case to answer).
So how about commenting on the content?
Since Johnson is popular within his Party, with Party members and within the country at large, I think he will be around for a while.
Those who don’t like it will be able to vote for a different Party at the next GE several years off.
He may not be popular with all Conservative MP’s ( what PM is?) but they realise there’s nobody else for the job for the near future.
eazybee
A Constituent writes to his MP. The MP replies, and the recipient then posts the letter on Twitter.
I wonder if the MP was consulted?
In view of the recent Meghan Markle case, I assume the copyright of the letter belongs to the MP.
And you think this is one of the good things about Twitter.
Ah, the old straw man argument. So the question is about an MP, writing at some length to a constiuent about why this was a bad bill ... and then voting for it.
What is your opinion about that eazybee?
Populism is becoming unpopular.
Although it was never really that popular to begin with.
Now YouGov - the Tory poll - has found that 71% want masks to remain compulsory on public transport. 59% supported England taking the knee.
The government now seems to have been rejected by the English players and suddenly the government is on the wrong side of most opinion polls - alarming for Johnson who is obsessed with being popular.
The same has become true almost overnight it seems of the governments false cultural wars.
This reminds me of the Tory backbencher who was puce with anger about someone having leaked to the press information which eventually became the expenses scandal. He was bothered about the leak, the 'treachery' rather than the actual fiscal criminality involved. Strange moral code.
What do you mean by 'culture war against wokism'?
Are you in fact talking about racism? Putting everything under one umbrella seems really unhelpful to me since wokism seems to cover many different beliefs, some of which people may embrace, others not.
It is the Tories who use the phrase - as a tool to create division.
Much filched from Trump and his mad philosophy.
Whitewavemark2
It is the Tories who use the phrase - as a tool to create division.
Much filched from Trump and his mad philosophy.
Ah, thank you.
Blethering on and saying nothing meaningful and hiding behind soundbites seems to be one of their skills.
So true?
lemongrove
Since Johnson is popular within his Party, with Party members and within the country at large, I think he will be around for a while.
Those who don’t like it will be able to vote for a different Party at the next GE several years off.
He may not be popular with all Conservative MP’s ( what PM is?) but they realise there’s nobody else for the job for the near future.
Sadly that’s because they’re all as bad as he is….
The govt hadn't intended to put the aid bill before parliament. I think that the only reason they allowed it is because they knew they would not be defeated. If there had been any chance of a defeat they would not have put it forward.
What does it say about the country if Johnson is the only choice for the near future?
Deeda Not a lot. Except that there are other choices.
Much as I’d like to see Johnson gone, I think Gove would be even worse.
Deedaa
What does it say about the country if Johnson is the only choice for the near future?
What does it say? It says that we are a democratic country who holds regular General Elections, at which the electorate can choose the next government.....which you already know so can’t see why you need to ask.
Many people voted for him as the only viable way to keep Corbyn out.It worked.
We can vote for who we like at the next GE.
The Conservative Party can change their PM if they want to or if there is a vote of no confidence in him. That won’t happen anytime soon in my view.
Dinahmo
Deeda Not a lot. Except that there are other choices.
That is true Dinahmo. Often people have not been that well known or seen as PM until they get there. Stepping into the role will then bring out a character that we have not known. Sadly, our most recent experience is not one to be lauded. You can't be a PM before you are PM; you can be statesmanlike. Johnson never was.
If you look at recent polls, his popularity is not that great either. Also, you can hear the threads pulling apart if you listen carefully. I heard an interview about the suggested new food policy this morning on Today. The Tory MP answered one question with "I don't think that is the Prime Minister's policy, It was certainly not what was in our manifesto". I'm not sure where the poor chap has been this week. The Conservative manifesto is dead and was dead on the day Johnson became PM. All he wants is the power to put his libertarian dictator style policies through. His party have not yet got the guts to stop him.
Matt Hancock is looking for a job I believe.
Join the conversation
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »