Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister

[honeybee13]

It didn't work for Henry VIII, he had to sack the Pope.

[honeybee13]

[honeybee13]

Even the Times said the royal family don't want a new yacht.

[honeybee13]

Article from the deputy pol ed of The Spectator which used to be edited by the PM. She thinks that the rebellion over international aid could be the thin end of the wedge, as I read it.

 

The Tory rebellion on aid shows Johnson’s support is a mile wide and an inch deep | Katy Balls | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

The government has been taken by surprise by an alliance led by a string of former ministers, says Katy Balls, the Spectator’s deputy political editor

 

[honeybee13]

Someone else also said it could be the wrong fight, but maybe it's the start of the party not doing everything Bozo tells it to do.

[honeybee13]

Article from the Institute for Government. 'For Boris Johnson, following advice on ethics is the exception not the rule'

 

StackPath

WWW.INSTITUTEFORGOVERNMENT.ORG.UK

 

[honeybee13]

The Financial Times is saying that Johnson's plans to have his £200m yacht built in the UK breaches a WTO agreement that the UK signed eight months ago. Under the Government Procurement Agreement, the construction of civilian ships must be open to global competition.

[honeybee13]

It's been a bad couple of days for the Cabinet Office, two lost court cases over the FoI 'suppression unit' and Gove and Cummings hiring mates illegally.

 

Judge slams Michael Gove’s office as openDemocracy wins transparency court case

WWW.OPENDEMOCRACY.NET

---

Exclusive: UK government accused of ‘profound lack of transparency’ as openDemocracy wins legal victory over ‘Orwellian’ Freedom of Information...

 

Covid contract for firm run by Cummings friends was unlawful, judge rules | Coronavirus | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

Judge says contract given to firm run by friends of Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser was awarded illegally

 

[honeybee13]

I think the £600k was to try and scare off the GLP and get them to drop the case. Someone pointed out that it's more than the contract was worth.

[honeybee13]

Do you mean they would have claimed more or less than £600k, TJ?

[honeybee13]

28 minutes ago, cjcregg said:

 

Funny how the Guardian can say that the judge said it awarded ''illegally'' when they go on the quote the judge actually saying it was ''unlawful''. Tut tut.

 

OK. You probably don't like Jolyon Maugham either, but he is a QC. He tweeted this earlier.

 

'Not one but two ministers have now been found to have broken the law on procurement. It’s a vindication of what Good Law Project has been saying for months: this is institutionalized cronyism.'

[honeybee13]

cjc, you don't need to Quote my posts to reply when they're just above yours, it just lengthens the thread and makes it harder for people reading on phones.

[honeybee13]

Yes, because BF had posted in the meantime. My mistake, I should have just put your name at the beginning.

[honeybee13]

The G7 hasn't gone to plan, has it?

 

Rather than showing the UK off as a potential global leader, Johnson has probably started a trade war with the EU and is being told that other nations don't trust him.

[honeybee13]

'Global Britain' has refused to let foreign journalists into the final G7 briefing.

 

Tweet from David Henig.

But I think more likely that the PM is simply angry that the EU and US are not believing a word he says on Northern Ireland, and is doubling down because he isn't used to this. This is, again, personal. The future of the UK rather less important than the future of Boris Johnson.

[honeybee13]

We all saw this coming. The start of curbs on the Electoral Commission for daring to investigate Johnson's financing of the Downing Street flat refurb and Vote Leave's referendum spending.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/electoral-commission-boris-johnson-flat-b1868407.html

 

[honeybee13]

Former Speaker John Bercow has joined Labour as he thinks it's the only way to get the Tories out.

 

John Bercow defects to Labour with withering attack on Johnson | John Bercow | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

Former Speaker joined the Conservatives aged 17 but says party has become reactionary and xenophobic under its current leadership

 

[honeybee13]

Despite George Galloway's efforts, Labour have held on to Batley and Spen. I wish Kim Leadbeater well as the new MP.

[honeybee13]

No 10's culture war seems to be unravelling, at least I hope it is. Dividing the nation this way isn't clever. This is how the Irish Times sees it.

 

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/boris-johnson-seeks-moral-high-ground-despite-pivotal-role-in-divisive-culture-war-1.4618517

 

 

[honeybee13]

Does this concept work with global Britain and free trade, TJ?

 

HB

[honeybee13]

I'll have to have a think about that one...

 

But I thought current Tories believed in Thatcherism, or at least some of it, and she was quite relaxed about companies and utilities, etc, being sold off.

[honeybee13]

That's no great surprise, is it? Nobody seems to be interested in any possible Russian interference in UK campaigns.

 

Changing the subject slightly, Peter Oborne has written an article comparing Enoch Powell and the PM.

 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-boris-johnson-modern-day-enoch-powell-racism-tension

 

[honeybee13]

Here's David Allen Green on the PM's speech and press conference yesterday. Suffice to say, he's rather more impressed with Beth Rigby than with Johnson.

 

 

The best of questions and the worst of speeches – a practical example of the accountability gap in UK policy-making – The Law and Policy Blog

DAVIDALLENGREEN.COM

---

15th July 2021 When the question came, it was superb. Take a moment to listen to this question to the prime minister from the Sky political editor...

 

[honeybee13]

To me, that says he doesn't have any ideas and is hoping to use some frrom the public and take the credit, as he seems wont to do.

 

Following public opinion again...

[honeybee13]

Unbelievable. It's just never-ending...