Who remembers the Michael Portillo moment?

Iam64

Yes that was Penny’s finest hour wasn’t it

Boris Johnsons finest hour was when he was on Have I Got News For You and look where that led us...

And the "Poor man at his gate" is carefully split into the deserving poor and the undeserving poor, something I thought went out with Victoria.

Apparently nothing much will happen until 3am - it is driving me mad because I’m going on holiday on Friday, so should get some sleep, but I know I will not get a wink!

I think that topic deserves its own thread, Dinahmo.

We still seem to be stuck with a 'rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate' being the divinely ordained norm 😆

I am getting a bit fed up with the Union bashing that is going on at the moment.

Someone has an idea for a business.
They start it.
It expands.
They take on staff.
It expands some more.
They take on more staff.
And so it grows.

They sometimes (not everyone) forget that there employees are necessary for the ongoing success of that business.

Just look at those poorly paid employees who have to claim a state benefit in order to survive.

I'm not against the business owners who should be rewarded for their efforts. Jeff Bezos and Amazon are a prime example.

Yes that was Penny’s finest hour wasn’t it

The whole of the Tory front bench. I may let P Mourdant off as she was excellent at the Accession Council and carrying that sword at the Coronation

Whenever I see George Galloway lately in that hat he’s taken to wearing addressing some crowd, I am reminded of “something” like the Witch-finder General 🧙‍♀️ don’t know why..

Angela Rayner, nothing to do with her background, her rise is to be applauded.
Rishi Sunak, I think we need someone stronger.
Keir Starmer, I think we need someone stronger
George Galloway, far too many reasons to list!

I think Portaloo Michael (Conservative) by all accounts was/is already an extremely wealthy man in his own right by all accounts.
Indeed That Moment was the highlight of the 1997 for me and it seems millions of other viewers.
I won’t be staying up all night again for this lot though!
No need in 2024, we got phones, we got iPads etc.
Similarly I absolutely loathed Ann Widdicombe in government. Then she went blonde and went on strictly and became “quite endearing”
However she has had a political re-lapse in recent years so it’s a 👎 for Ms. “Widdy”now from me.

Good post DrWatson.

I’m sure many of us remember the Liberal Jeremy Thorpe too, and his friend.

For PurplePixie, it looks like you have a strange hope that one set of politicos will be better than the previous set. I've voted in 7 decades of elections, and history conclusively shows that the evidence is by far against you!

Sure, this set of Tories has some oddballs, but so have previous iterations of both parties. Perhaps you campaigned for the terrorist loving and anti-Semitic Corbyn to win, in which case we'd have had Diane Abbott as Home Sec, when her abilities are perhaps better aligned to counting Hackney park benches, if she had sufficient help?

Tony Bliar's chief pal was Peter Mandelson, now Lord (?!!), suspended so often for assorted corruptions that we lost count (3, 4?) and of late advising -- apparently, Sir Keir!

As for Portillo, the people gloating about his defeat back then may well reflect that it must have done him a huge favour, as he's been living a great life touring the world doing travel shows ever since, and rather well too!

Liz Truss
Suella Bravermann
Robert Jenrick
Lee Anderson, I drove through a village in his constituency last Friday and there were lots of Reform banners. I'd really like to see him lose his seat!

I have warmed to Angela Rayner, I heard her on the TRIP Leading podcast and liked her direct style, she may not have had the advantage of an expensive education or an easy supportive childhood but she's a very bright and able woman who has made her own way in the world.

Michael Portillo was our MP. He canvassed me before the election and asked if he could count on my support. I said there were four people in our house, with support for Labour, Lib Dems, Green and Tory. He brightened up when I said one Tory supporter - until I explained that the Tory was 10 years old and we hoped he'd grow out of it by the time he was old enough to vote. He has!

Angela Rayner
David Lammy
Rachel Reeves
Emily Thornbury
Jonathan Ashworth
Wes Streeting

Oh Maddieone I shared your pain until they moved the boundary - we are now in Hamble Valley but I still am encouraging absolutely anyone who possibly can to tactically vote in your constituency to get rid of here. The recommended Advice, for PO14, is to vote Lib Dem although your Green candidate is a very good man .

Diane Abbott
Angela Rayner
Nigel Farage and his party
Rishi Sunak
and too many others to mention

I’m not a Labour supporter, but I do admire Angela Rayner for everything she has achieved. I can identify with her as a working class female, although I was never a single mother. I don’t know how I would have coped!🙄
I think she just needs some speech lessons. I believe Margaret Thatcher had something similar to give her more authority?🤔

Livey

Steven Crabb, local MP here in Wales
Can’t stand the man, no obvious reason except he is Conservative

But Steven Crabb also came up the hard way, not through public school, money and privilege
Isn’t that your current qualification for being a good MP?

Jess20

I don't understand why people want to be rid of Angela Rayner, she's a labour politician come up the hard way, not through public school, money and privilege - she's abrasive but surely also admirable! She's the opposite of Farrage who pretends to be the 'common man'...

Nor me, she proves that you don’t have to be private schooled, to get on.

Steven Crabb, local MP here in Wales
Can’t stand the man, no obvious reason except he is Conservative

I don't understand why people want to be rid of Angela Rayner, she's a labour politician come up the hard way, not through public school, money and privilege - she's abrasive but surely also admirable! She's the opposite of Farrage who pretends to be the 'common man'...

Angela Rayner. She does not become the Party she is supposed to represent. Unfortunately I believe that her views are more prevalent among prospective members of the government to be than her boss, Starmer, likes to present to the public. We will see when they are in power.

I really want Nigel Farage to be vanquished from politics as Reform UK are too far right and likely to be fascist if they get anywhere. Rees Mogg should be consigned to room 101 along with Priti Patell, Suella Braverman. As for the rest of current crop I wouldn't miss any of them.

Still upset over the self imposed disaster of Brexit, so anyone who accepts that it was a huge mistake has my backing.

Angela Rayner, Rishi Sunak, Anneliese Dodds, Jonathan Ashworth, Barry Gardiner, Keir Starmer, Ed Davey, Caroline Lucas, Jeremy Hunt.....