Conservative party conference outcomes

Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years

No it wasn't, rosie. Any 'pain' foretold was shouted down as 'Project Fear'.

MaizieD

^Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years^

No it wasn't, rosie. Any 'pain' foretold was shouted down as 'Project Fear'.

Just my opinion Mazie nothing than big was going to be smooth and no I didn’t vote to leave I voted to remain

Just listening to Johnson - Tories are going to change the economic model following "decades of decades of drift and dither"

The delegates are lapping it up.

He's describing a rainbow fantasy land. Now talking about building homes - on brown fields sites. I can just see the developers going along with that. Far too expansive.

Dinahmo

Just listening to Johnson - Tories are going to change the economic model following "decades of decades of drift and dither"

The delegates are lapping it up.

He's describing a rainbow fantasy land. Now talking about building homes - on brown fields sites. I can just see the developers going along with that. Far too expansive.

Windbag, Dinahmo. He's not actually capable of implementing any of it...

Using brownfield sites isn't exactly a new and revolutionary idea, it's been around for years.

rosie1959

MaizieD

Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years

No it wasn't, rosie. Any 'pain' foretold was shouted down as 'Project Fear'.

Just my opinion Mazie nothing than big was going to be smooth and no I didn’t vote to leave I voted to remain

So how long are you prepared to wait for the sunlit uplands?

Do you seriously think that it is going to get any better?

There was something about it that made me deeply uncomfortable. I just keep thinking of that Years and Years program on BBC.

Well that was a load of puffery, incoherence and self indulgent populist rubbish.

No mention of the biggest cut of all

JaneJudge

There was something about it that made me deeply uncomfortable. I just keep thinking of that Years and Years program on BBC.

Exactly! I couldn't put my finger on what he reminded me off, now I know.

The only little bit I hang on to is that Johnson is lazy and a liar, and probably can't be arsed to put any of his pie in the sky into practice. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch today so far, any reports on what pearls of wisdom are dripping from the lips of Mrs Johnson?

Has anybody else heard Therese Coffey singing "The Time of My Life" last night? Insensitive or what?

Maizie I know brownfield sites have been talked about for years but it's not going to happen because the developers much prefer greenfield sites. Unless of course the govt gives them shedloads of money to clean up brownfield sites.

None of it's going to happen. I heard all the speech and all the promises but apparently the only policy that is real is an additional £3000 to science and maths teachers to move to underprivileged areas. Lots of jokes that got the delegates laughing.

Crikey, I bet Therese has a headache today

A warning to those sensitive souls who don't like this newspaper - taken from the Guardian

Boris Johnson’s speech - snap verdict

One of Jeremy Corbyn’s aides once told me that Corbyn always gives essentially the same speech, and it is true. That’s why, despite his huge popularity with his fans, no one has ever published a volume of his collected speeches. Boris Johnson’s hero is Winston Churchill, whose collected speeches used to be an essential item on any well-stocked bookshelf in a home in Britain. But that will never happen for Johnson because, like Corbyn, he basically just gives the same speech every time. The jokes may evolve, but the performance is the same.

As usual, there was no attempt to place the speech in any context, to relate it to what is happening in the world today. There was only a cursory mention of the fuel crisis, and no reference to the universal credit cut happening this week, A host of serious problems sitting on the desk of the PM, like the Northern Ireland protocol, were ignored completely. Johnson showed no interest in sustaining an argument much further than could be compressed in a tweet. As usual, the whole thing sounded like an impromptu after dinner speech; this is a classic Johnson conceit, although, of course, to convincingly sound improvised takes a lot of rehearsal.

But what you do get from a Johnson speech are jokes and positivity. This speech had only one tiny announcement (see 11.57am), an audacious argument about the economy that he has been making all week (see 9.17am) and some fresh, pro-nimby spin on levelling up (see 9.56am). The critique of Keir Starmer as a hijacked cruise liner captain (see 12.09pm). But in so far as there was political substance in it, it was smothered in fluff, cheery Tory waffle. This is what the Conservative party was voting for when they made Johnson leader, and most of them seem to still like it.

Johnson’s critics will despair that the prime minister of the day can deliver a speech so shallow. What they object to most is Johnson’s lack of seriousness. But the danger is that they are making a category error. One of the secrets of Johnson’s success has been to view politics not so much as statesmanship, but as a branch of the entertainment industry (he applied the same approach to journalism), and to gamble that excessive geniality and positivity trumps everything. History and common sense suggest that at some point reality experienced by 65 million people will prevail, but Johnson’s approach has worked for him so far and perhaps it will for longer.

Well somebody must have liked his speech - sterling against the euro has just gone up!
£1 fetches €1.18 this afternoon.
?

Would care to reply to the question asked above, however?

Nope. I haven’t time.

So - I’m prepared, tentatively, to give Boris the benefit of the doubt given Covid… the speech hit the right notes for me, but by no means is my vote guaranteed at the next election. Let’s see some action towards delivering.

It’s not as if I can do anything until the next GE anyway.

Whitewavemark2

Well that was a load of puffery, incoherence and self indulgent populist rubbish.

Much like the Labour Party Conference then.....and any other Political Conference.?
They all big each other up and make a variety of bland and aspirational statements.

The boldest decision they seem to make is doing nothing and taking £20 per week off the poorest in society.

rosie1959

Kali2

Will anyone, just anyone- irrespective of political persuasion or attitude to Brexit- believe Johnson and co that this diabolical mess we find ourselves in, was actually THEIR PLAN ALL ALONG.

Anyone?

In one word no
Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years
Covid has thrown a right spanner in any forward planning they didn’t expect to have to pay our a humongous amount of money just to keep us afloat
They couldn’t have planned for Coronavirus back in 2019

Spot on rosie ????

Haven’t listened to it, been out with some Gransnetters for a coffee (multiple) and a lovely catch-up.

Having been to many conferences over the years (Charities) they preach to the converted, socialise and generally have a good time.

I will judge by actions/deeds as opposed to words, and that goes for all parties…

I wouldn’t think £3k would be much of an incentive for maths and science teachers to move to a deprived area .

GrannyGravy13

Haven’t listened to it, been out with some Gransnetters for a coffee (multiple) and a lovely catch-up.

Having been to many conferences over the years (Charities) they preach to the converted, socialise and generally have a good time.

I will judge by actions/deeds as opposed to words, and that goes for all parties…

You are right. All party conferences are like meetings of a cult, preaching to the converted. Sound bites, little substance

MaizieD

rosie1959

MaizieD

Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years

No it wasn't, rosie. Any 'pain' foretold was shouted down as 'Project Fear'.

Just my opinion Mazie nothing than big was going to be smooth and no I didn’t vote to leave I voted to remain

So how long are you prepared to wait for the sunlit uplands?

Do you seriously think that it is going to get any better?

I am not waiting for sunlit uplands what ever they are
Will it get better well who knows I trust UK business to sort its self out
I have also just got back in so haven’t caught up with the latest news

lemongrove

rosie1959

Kali2

Will anyone, just anyone- irrespective of political persuasion or attitude to Brexit- believe Johnson and co that this diabolical mess we find ourselves in, was actually THEIR PLAN ALL ALONG.

Anyone?

In one word no
Brexit was always going to be a pain in the arse especially over the first few months/years
Covid has thrown a right spanner in any forward planning they didn’t expect to have to pay our a humongous amount of money just to keep us afloat
They couldn’t have planned for Coronavirus back in 2019

Spot on rosie ????

They ignored the operation (Cygnus?) regarding the possibility of a pandemic. Let PPE get out of date. There was always the chance of a pandemic. Things like that should be factored into long term planning especially when you persuade the country to do something as far reaching as leaving the EU. But then this has always been a reactive government, not a proactive one. For a start Gisela Stewart on this very forum told people that our fuel bills would go down if we left the EU. That didn’t go well, did it…