PMQs - Hypothermia

It is just a game to them - an extension of their debating societies.

This government is a disgrace and so are their supporters. I expect someone will be on to defend them shortly. It’s frighteningly easy to slide into poverty and the government seems set on making it ever easier.

I was almost reduced to tears at the callousness.

Later Ed Davey asked for help for farmers whose costs for animal feed and fertiliser has rocketed. The government benches were making the most extraordinary noises of derision while he was speaking. Why doesn't Hoyle control this loutish behaviour?

Yesterday, two of Johnson's own party, Marcus Fysh (Yeovil) and Derek Johnson (St Ives) were asking for help for farmers. Farmers say the capacity to produce more is there but they are having to reduce production due to costs. Fysh went so far as to say that food production needs to be put on a war footing to help with the cost of living crisis.

Blossoming

This government is a disgrace and so are their supporters. I expect someone will be on to defend them shortly. It’s frighteningly easy to slide into poverty and the government seems set on making it ever easier.

No-one seems to defend them any more. They just complain that we're Boris Bashing.

I watched PMQ and BJ tries to deflect from questions by making jokes.
It's obvious he doesn't care about the suffering of the poor. They can't make their minds up about a windfall tax and while they prevaricate people can't afford to pay their bills.

PS. I liked Keir Starmer saying JRM was like a school prefect putting notes on desks of civil servants.

I also think Lindsay Hoyle is far too weak. For goodness sake control the House.

MPs need to have empathy with their constituents but instead they follow their leader who shows nothing but contempt for the hoi polloi.
I agree, this government.is a disgrace.

Explainer here about why the MP cannot be named. Amongst other things, this article says:

Another potential complication is that among the allegations faced by the MP is abuse of position of trust, an offence connected to children aged under 18. If naming the MP could risk revealing the identity of an alleged victim this would also be a major barrier.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/18/why-tory-mp-arrested-suspicion-rape-not-being-named

Oh for Betty Boothroyd .....

It's just not the time for jokes and merriment - yet still they go on. They don't have empathy, they really don't have a clue about ordinary life.

LuckyGirl13

'It is just a game to them - an extension of their debating societies'.

I agree and if they weren't so dangerous I'd even feel sorry for these Public School boys who were sent off to boarding schools, away from any love or care, at age 5 or 6, to have their feelings removed and a sense of entitlement and a Divine right to be leaders ,instilled in their place. Their fathers had usually gone through a similar process. They were often on the receiving end of neglect, cruelty, sexually abuse, beating etc, and as is mostly the case with trauma victims, are cut off from their feelings and the painful realities of their past. They are 'disassociated' and not in touch with reality. It's a recognised state in psychology. Narcissists are rife among this group of men. They are a very disturbed group and don't/can't relate to life in healthy ways, hence their inability to empathise and just see it all as a game.

Bring back John Bercow!

John Bercow Betty Boothroyd or anyone would be better than what we have now
What a hideous unfeeling greedy disingenuous government
Where are the demonstrations ? Where is the civil unrest
Why are we all just taking it and grumbling but doing nothing
That ridiculous man and his cohorts need to disappear we cannot go on like this

I agree Philippa111.

Johnson is a narcissistic sociopath of the most dangerous kind. Rees Mogg too. I have linked to this article by Jonathan Lis before but it bears doing so again:

bylinetimes.com/2020/08/28/boris-johnson-the-anti-prime-minister/

And so the key to this game is failure. Johnson does not set out to fail per se. Rather, failure is just another route to winning. He fails to prove the failure won’t hurt him. He sabotages things because he can.

This thinking sounds perverse because it is. It must be understood within the framework, not of governing, but of a game with one necessary victor. Success, stability and predictability are boring. Why not see how far you can push the people who support you? If you can still win with the most danger, the most excitement, inflicting the most damage, why not try?

I watched the debate in the HoC yesterday. Reasonable people on both sides of the house making considered and articulate speeches with a sense of respect, responsibility and, in some matters, collaboration: Mel Stride and Stephen Timms particularly. But whenever Johnson enters the House the mood changes into something irresponsibly jovial and childish as if none of it really matters, that it's all a big game. So what if another 9000 elderly peole die of cold this year so long as the jokes keep coming and the people laugh.

Sadly, Johnson is up against a man who, whilst well meaning, looks, sounds and behaves exactly as what he is.....a lawyer.

He is often ineffective at challenging Bullshit Boris, particularly at PMQs. Like her or not Angela Rayner has done a far better job when she has taken the reins and Ian Blackford is also more effective. Ed Davey is on a par with Starmer.

This current crop in 'government' are not Conservatives in the traditional sense. Johnson was elected leader of the party because he was always seen as weak and pliable by the far right of the party.

He is too dim-witted to realise that he has been used. Smiles, jokes and platitudes are all he has to offer, whilst his acolytes tear Britain apart. Sad times.

I d love to see Angela Reynor with Andy Burnham that might brighten things up Keir Starmer is an intelligent man and as
I m told by a barrister friend who worked with him a throughly nice bloke but he’s boring and correct and seems very dull with no fire in his belly like he’s never been without a dinner in his life
Oh I’d only…..

A point about hypothermia - TG we can afford heating but being economical at the moment.
Sunday morning was a bit chilly here, so I put on a thick woolly jumper which had just been washed. I didn't notice that it was still damp because we hadn't had the radiators on.
So it was drying on me. I began to shiver and felt really ill, until I realised what was going on. Took the jumper off and got warmed up.So be aware!

BlueBelle

I d love to see Angela Reynor with Andy Burnham that might brighten things up Keir Starmer is an intelligent man and as
I m told by a barrister friend who worked with him a throughly nice bloke but he’s boring and correct and seems very dull with no fire in his belly like he’s never been without a dinner in his life
Oh I’d only…..

'Fire' just isn't Starmer's style. But I think we saw some in his speech in the special debate about whether or not Johnson should be referred to the privileges committee for his constant lying to Parliament. It absolutely dripped contempt and scorn.

I think that 'nice cop', 'nasty cop' Starmer /Rayner combination is fine.

I think Boris is a little in awe of Rayner. He is not used to women like her who haven't had a privileged background.

Fennel
When I had hypothermia I didn’t feel cold at all. I started to feel very very tired and just wanted to go to sleep. That’s the danger.

Ladyleftfieldlover

Bring back John Bercow!

Hear hear.

Exactly Meryl. Drowsiness or very low energy are symptoms of hypothermia. How many people will put the tiredness down to age or not having enough to eat? The body only has to drop 2C below normal for hypothermia to set in. The confusion it causes means someone may not have the capacity to call for help. We’re only four months off from when it will start to get cold again and people are going to die unless Johnson and his ministers stop laughing and start to act. During the Covid crisis, Johnson is on record as saying Let the bodies pile high; It’s only killing 80 year olds and Who do we NOT save? This feels like it is going to be the same.

Earlier in the day, Ed Davey had secured a vote on an emergency tax cut to reduce VAT on our fuel bills. In the last hour, he has tweeted that the Tories have voted against a cut.