Woke up this morning ... morphing to discussion on Heads of State.

I do wonder how Boris is now regarded in the Red Wall . He has actually done what they elected him to do, left the EU. He has, if you look at it that way, been forced to resign as party leader by what they might view as the Westminster elite. He tells lies but so do all politicians. He's their PM. The Daily Mail realises he still has clout. That photo of him holding Wilf is going to be everywhere isn't it?

It’s seems he is going to have a big party before he leaves, which is was he was good at. Maybe the nation could host street parties and goodbye Boris flag waving parties.

Well I hope the new venue gets a big payment , non refundable, in advance!

maybe it will be in that treehouse someone mentioned on another thread

just heard that party at Chequers is cancelled and a new venue will be arranged!

I’m actually losing the will to think about this anymore.
If it doesn’t stop soon, it’s going to collectively drive us all around the bloody bend.

JaneJudge

Oh I see. They really don't have any shame do they?

None at all Jane. You would think they had never heard the words "Party Gate".

I agree with you Grany.

Johnson never used the word resign in his speech. Which surely must make people wonder what his real plans are.

These past few days should serve as a lesson as to why we need an effective, elected head of state. In a parliamentary democracy, the prime minister must have the confidence of parliament, yet Boris Johnson illustrated how it is possible to continue without that confidence.

His resignation was forced by political manoeuvres, not by constitutional checks. During this time, there has been uncertainty, speculation and considerable concern about where this was heading and the damage it could do. Yet despite the biggest political crisis for years threatening to blow up into a constitutional crisis, our head of state has remained silent.

It is extraordinary to see some commentators fret that the monarch might be “dragged” into this crisis, or that it might cause her some embarrassment. It is the job of the head of state to get involved in these moments of peril, to steady the ship, offer counsel and, if necessary, take steps to protect and enforce the constitution. That’s not a job that can or will be done by a monarch.

DaisyAnne

I think it's the wedding party they feel they didn't have.

How ironic would it be if hardly any guests actually turned up to the wedding party ??‍♀️. Perhaps he would get the message that he's not trusted and certainly not liked but many many people.

Maybe we should all lobby our MP's to discourage them in the event that they have been invited!

I’m finding a amusing how many former Boris cheerleaders are now ‘Boris bashers’, as some on Gransnet used to refer to anyone who criticised Johnson or his government. Soon you won’t be able to find anyone who will admit to having voted Conservative

Thank you for posting the Rory Stewart link DaisyAnne.

When Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary he refused to leave the building for three weeks! Turns out he wanted to avoid paying rent on another flat.

YouGov Poll saying 53% think Johnson should resign as an MP.

Not everyone's weekly read RichmondPark but some are seeing this in the Economist.

Mr Johnson was brought down by his own dishonesty, so some may conclude that a simple change of leadership will be enough to get Britain back on course. If only. Although Mr Johnson’s fingerprints are all over today’s mess, the problems run deeper than one man. Unless the ruling Conservative Party musters the fortitude to face that fact, Britain’s many social and economic difficulties will only worsen.
...
The party will hope that its agony is now drawing to a close. But that depends on it taking the right lessons from Mr Johnson’s failure. One is about character in politics. Mr Johnson rejected the notion that to govern is to choose. He lacked the moral fibre to take hard decisions for the national good if that threatened his own popularity. He also lacked the constancy and the grasp of detail to see policies through. And he revelled in trampling rules and conventions. At the root of his style was an unshakable faith in his ability to get out of scrapes by spinning words. In a corner, Mr Johnson would charm, temporise, prevaricate and lie outright. Occasionally, he even apologised.

The complete article is here. I hope it's not (£) paywalled.

Staying on for another party at our expense? That’s some sense of entitlement.
Andy Burnham

JaneJudge

Oh I see. They really don't have any shame do they?

Polititians don’t have shame, you need a hide as thick as a rhinoceros because whatever you say a minority are going to disagree.

Shame isn’t Johnson’s problem, he’s a pathological liar, always will be.

The Daily Mail is sickening in its portrayal of Boris as an innocent 'world-beating', high-achieving victim brought down by the scheming of others. Photos of Boris by a box of Heroes chocolates, being applauded by teary No.10 staff and greeted by his children with the by-line 'We still love you daddy'.

So many people read this utter bilge.

The only ray of light from an unexpected source, Sarah Vine, who writes, "It's not enough to be a serious politician; you also have to be a serious human being. And the problem with Johnson is that he just isn't. That, ultimately, has been his downfall." Too true.

Dickens you have said it all. What a terrible, terrible speech. Everyone else’s fault but his, quite sickening. We have had our share here of bad PMs but he is just beyond the pale.

Johnson will earn millions once he is out of office, far more than being the Prime minister.

Oh I see. They really don't have any shame do they?

Your usual excellent summary Dickens.

When does Parliament go on holiday? I wonder if they will all understand just how badly this has gone when the MPs are back in their constituencies?

x post. Sorry

JaneJudge

sorry, they are having a wedding party today? at Downing Street??!

Save the Date cards have apparently gone out for 30 July, at Chequers.

That was in the Scotsman.

JaneJudge

sorry, they are having a wedding party today? at Downing Street??!

It's to be at Checkers apparently this summer. They had a "small wedding" and this is the celebratory bash that they had apparently postponed.
"Save the date" cards have gone out it seems. No idea if they were followed up with actual invitations.