Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.

[nw1]

Oh, the innocence!

He owed Braverman, who might have brought some ERG support with her, whereas everyone loathes Williamson bar Sir Gawain himself. Presumably he was knighted for services to the tarantula industry!

Sir Gawain? Williamson himself I guess, presumably Gawain is the original Celtic form of Gavin.

 

[Busaholic]

Sir Gawain? Williamson himself I guess, presumably Gawain is the original Celtic form of Gavin.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The latest information, leaking from every corner it seems, will see him off, permanently. Telling a senior civil servant to 'slit his throat' and on a second occasion 'go jump out of the window' both in the presence of witnesses!! The man is quite possibly clinically mad, and certainly dangerous. Sunak needs to act NOW.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The latest information, leaking from every corner it seems, will see him off, permanently. Telling a senior civil servant to 'slit his throat' and on a second occasion 'go jump out of the window' both in the presence of witnesses!! The man is quite possibly clinically mad, and certainly dangerous. Sunak needs to act NOW.

My first thought when I read 'Sir Gawain' was Piers Anthony - Bearing an Hourglass. I guess that's not the reference you were thinking of though

 

[Lost property]

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The latest information, leaking from every corner it seems, will see him off, permanently. Telling a senior civil servant to 'slit his throat' and on a second occasion 'go jump out of the window' both in the presence of witnesses!! The man is quite possibly clinically mad, and certainly dangerous. Sunak needs to act NOW.

No ! No ! No ! you are completely wrong ! "he's exactly the right sort of man we needed at the M.o.D , lead from the front, non of this namby pamby desk bound paper shufflers stuff, tells it like it is, and really should be PM ! " (that's my Major Snottington Smythe (ret'd) and life long Mail reader impression btw )

But, there's a trend here...Patel, same allegations, Braverman, same allegations (leaks) and now Gav, effortlessly, allegedly, combining both.

Thankfully, we have a PM who casually mentioned "integrity " and "accountability" in the same sentence recently....unfortunately, he doesn't appear to have consulted a dictionary as to the meaning of the words, hence Gav and Leaky Sue remain attached to their respective office chairs....which, in many ways, is actually beneficial because the more the scandals develop and emerge, the more evidence can be produced at the next G.E to ensure the voting public can be under no illusions as to the calibre of individual currently representing the values of the version of the Tory party which bears no resemblance to the original ..and hence kick them into political oblivion for many years to come.

 

[david1212]

Two weeks in and the FTSE 100 is up to around 7300 from the low point of just over 6800 four weeks ago and around 7050 two weeks ago. Will the recovery continue followed by other funds managed by AJ Bell, Vanguard, pension providers etc or will the financial review halt or slow recovery?

I don't see Williamsongate as serious but IMO the very poor choice of Braverman for Home Secretary will continue to drag the Tories down. The security / email issues of both her and May are off the headlines at least for now but something else will come along.

Generally regarding security / confidentiality phones & computers for government use ought to be locked down so personal email & social media accounts etc can not be accessed on them and government email and confidential information systems locked down so personal devices can not access them. In an ideal world any device connecting to the government system would just be a dumb terminal but guaranteed access 24/7 from anywhere is still a step too far.

 

[jfollows]

Significant commentators such as Anne McElvoy ("The Economist") are saying that Gavin Williamson is done for (https://twitter.com/annemcelvoy):

Effectively after the “slit your throat” reported comment on top of all else , Gavin Williamson is now gone. For Sunak,it’s just a matter of some sort of process to look evenhanded. But the patten is too bad to ignore- plus no real “job” at stake here

Good, I can't stand the man. He acts as if he is competent whereas he never is. Mind you, he's not alone in that!

 

[nw1]

From the Guardian, admittedly in 2016: (https://www.theguardian.com/politic...emove-pet-spider-from-office-gavin-williamson)

'Williamson spoke earlier this week about how the tarantula was part of his team. He said: “You have to look at different ways to persuade people to vote with the government and it’s great to have Cronus as part of the team. Everyone is obsessed with Palmerston and Larry the cat, but in the whips’ office we have a proper pet." '

Sounds just a bit creepy.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Nov 2022 ==

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Still struggling to get it. Is Sir Gawain Sunak? Just thinking of "the only person not to dislike him" as you said above.
And the Green Knight, is that an ironic reference to COP27?

 

[Busaholic]

From the Guardian, admittedly in 2016: (https://www.theguardian.com/politic...emove-pet-spider-from-office-gavin-williamson)

'Williamson spoke earlier this week about how the tarantula was part of his team. He said: “You have to look at different ways to persuade people to vote with the government and it’s great to have Cronus as part of the team. Everyone is obsessed with Palmerston and Larry the cat, but in the whips’ office we have a proper pet." '

Sounds just a bit creepy.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Nov 2022 ==


Still struggling to get it. Is Sir Gawain Sunak? Just thinking of "the only person not to dislike him" as you said above.
And the Green Knight, is that an ironic reference to COP27?

I'll be quite honest and admit to almost total ignorance on the subject of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, other than the existence of it and something of its history and provenance. As a bookseller I had to feign knowledge on so many things to do with books and literature in general, and often felt underread. I always regarded it as my job to be as good a seller of books as possible to aid my customers with their choices, and not the best read. Given I only sold new books and my wife, a business partner, was extraordinarily well read on the fiction side, I don't think we did too badly overall. That's a long-winded way of admitting that the getting of it can be exactly what you wish. 'Too quick-witted for his own good' was the report from my form master at the end of my first secondary school year, but we disliked each other intently!

 

[nw1]

I'll be quite honest and admit to almost total ignorance on the subject of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, other than the existence of it and something of its history and provenance. As a bookseller I had to feign knowledge on so many things to do with books and literature in general, and often felt underread. I always regarded it as my job to be as good a seller of books as possible to aid my customers with their choices, and not the best read. Given I only sold new books and my wife, a business partner, was extraordinarily well read on the fiction side, I don't think we did too badly overall. That's a long-winded way of admitting that the getting of it can be exactly what you wish. 'Too quick-witted for his own good' was the report from my form master at the end of my first secondary school year, but we disliked each other intently!

It rings a bell from my school days but I've forgotten the details. Just thought you were setting a riddle based on it

 

[jfollows]

Williamson has resigned.
”becoming a distraction…..”

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Williamson has resigned.

Shame thats spoilt Starmer evening he will have to find something else to pin on Sunak tomorrow

 

[Busaholic]

Williamson has resigned.
”becoming a distraction…..”

Just after Anne Milton, Deputy Chief Whip 2015-17 when he was Chief Whip, laid into him on Channel Four News. Sunak should have got there first, from the Tory point of view: yet another huge own goal. He should be stripped of his knighthood now, the scumbag.

 

[birchesgreen]

Shame thats spoilt Starmer evening he will have to find something else to pin on Sunak tomorrow

Not really, the question is why should a person was made a minister in the first place.

 

[brad465]

15/11/22 - "Gavin Williamson is reinstated to Cabinet."

 

[dgl]

Not really, the question is why should a person was made a minister in the first place.

Quite, him resigning might make things worse as now Starmer can question Sunak as to why he did not have the balls to at least suspend him pending investigation when all the revelations came out and can ask Sunak which one is next.

 

[SuspectUsual]

His resignation letter is an open goal. With regard to the second complaint (the “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” stuff), he says “I refute the characterisation”, rather than denying he said it. So basically his defence appears to be “yeah I said some grossly offensive stuff but I didn’t mean it like that”.

Absolutely despicable man.

But still, he’ll get 16 grand for resigning after two weeks.

Makes me sick

 

[Scotrail12]

Williamson resigned and Hancock now in the jungle. Good times for the Tories.

 

[jfollows]

His resignation letter is an open goal. With regard to the second complaint (the “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” stuff), he says “I refute the characterisation”, rather than denying he said it. So basically his defence appears to be “yeah I said some grossly offensive stuff but I didn’t mean it like that”.

Absolutely despicable man.

But still, he’ll get 16 grand for resigning after two weeks.

Makes me sick

He’s said he’s not taking the money, as it happens.
EDIT https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63563639

He later tweeted that he would not be taking any severance pay, traditionally given to ministers when they leave office.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

His resignation letter is an open goal. With regard to the second complaint (the “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” stuff), he says “I refute the characterisation”, rather than denying he said it. So basically his defence appears to be “yeah I said some grossly offensive stuff but I didn’t mean it like that”.

Absolutely despicable man.

But still, he’ll get 16 grand for resigning after two weeks.

Makes me sick

Yes he is a nasty piece of work and one of the more extreme whips of modern times but bullying goes on behind the scenes and Speaker Hoyle had a chance to expose the whips bullying tactics over the fracking vote a few weeks ago but he turned a blind eye to it. The Speaker could take on this moral issue but isn't. Time for someone who can modernise this stale place still living in Victorian times.

 

[nw1]

Shame thats spoilt Starmer evening he will have to find something else to pin on Sunak tomorrow

Appointing Williamson in the first place. Not to mention Braverman.

Nothing's changed. Sunak is still labelled with "jobs for his mates" (Williamson) or [insert explanation here] (Braverman).

 

[jfollows]

Appointing Williamson in the first place. Not to mention Braverman.

Nothing's changed. Sunak is still labelled with "jobs for his mates" (Williamson) or [insert explanation here] (Braverman).

As well as "can't be bothered to go to COP 27 because I'm too busy"

 

[nw1]

As well as "can't be bothered to go to COP 27 because I'm too busy"

Oh yeah that too. Forgot that one

 

[SuspectUsual]

Nothing's changed. Sunak is still labelled with "jobs for his mates" (Williamson) or [insert explanation here] (Braverman).

[insert explanation here] is surely “keeping the right wing headbangers onside”?

 

[nw1]

[insert explanation here] is surely “keeping the right wing headbangers onside”?

It's "there are various theories as to why he re-instated Braverman, but I'm not sure which is true".

 

[edwin_m]

It's "there are various theories as to why he re-instated Braverman, but I'm not sure which is true".

Interested to know what the other reasons might be. It must have been obvious to Sunak that Barverman wouldn't achieve anything constructive, would alienate the sort of swing voters he needs, and the very act of appointing her created an attack line against him. If she's intended as a lightning conductor for criticism then she's looking like the sort of lightning conductor that only goes down as far as your roof timbers.

Even fishing in the talent puddle that's the Parliamentary Tory Party, there must have been others that could have done the job better. On the other hand, I can't see that Williamson enjoyed significant support from any part of the party, except maybe the tarantula.

 

[WizCastro197]

If I am honest, every PMQs I see, I notice Mordaunt erring less and less when Rishi Sunak said things that can easily be disputed, she knows he is weak and the whole country does as well. Even through the whole Gavin Williamson little chitchat frontbenchers all got a little rowdy but not Mordaunt, she seemed a little quiet.

 

[nw1]

Interested to know what the other reasons might be. It must have been obvious to Sunak that Barverman wouldn't achieve anything constructive, would alienate the sort of swing voters he needs, and the very act of appointing her created an attack line against him. If she's intended as a lightning conductor for criticism then she's looking like the sort of lightning conductor that only goes down as far as your roof timbers.

Another theoretical explanation (though unlikely) is that he tolerates Braverman's policies and actually wants a hardliner in the post. However I would agree that the "wanting to please the hard-right of the Tory party" is the most likely explanation. That said, doing things to please them just makes him look weak.

Even fishing in the talent puddle that's the Parliamentary Tory Party, there must have been others that could have done the job better. On the other hand, I can't see that Williamson enjoyed significant support from any part of the party, except maybe the tarantula.

Maybe the tarantula could stand as the Tory candidate in the constituency vacated by Dorries, assuming that Boris doesn't get there first.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Another theoretical explanation (though unlikely) is that he tolerates Braverman's policies and actually wants a hardliner in the post. However I would agree that the "wanting to please the hard-right of the Tory party" is the most likely explanation. That said, doing things to please them just makes him look weak.

It does, but I think he doesn't have a choice. That wing of the party still has strength in depth, and they couldn't care less about Sunak.

If I am honest, every PMQs I see, I notice Mordaunt erring less and less when Rishi Sunak said things that can easily be disputed, she knows he is weak and the whole country does as well.

Mordaunt is in a very good position right now. All she has to do is do really nothing to offend anyone between now and the election, and when the Tories inevitably lose, she can take over with a mandate to build the Tories in her vision. She's been very, very careful so far, and I don't think anything will change between now and the election.

 

[Scotrail12]

Hancock just claimed on IAC that he's went in because there is now "stability" in the government.

What a complete insult!

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

If I am honest, every PMQs I see, I notice Mordaunt erring less and less when Rishi Sunak said things that can easily be disputed, she knows he is weak and the whole country does as well. Even through the whole Gavin Williamson little chitchat frontbenchers all got a little rowdy but not Mordaunt, she seemed a little quiet.

Mordant just keeping her head down detached enough not to be associated with Sunak although her opportuinty has probably been and goine as Sunak will solder on till late 2024 now.