Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.

[SuspectUsual]

The suggestion I've heard isn't Johnson is trying to keep secret what was discussed regarding covid, but surrounding some of his other "dealings", such as his ties to Russian donors (we've heard plenty now regarding the trouble intelligence services went to trying to stop Lebedev being put in the Lords as an example of Johnson's known links).

Yes

And also, apparently, the huge amounts of inane nonsense he was messaging to colleagues and others, which paints a picture of a prime minister who seemed unconcerned about what was happening, at least in the early days, and consistent with his no-shows at the initial COBRA meetings

 

[yorksrob]

Well, there's no money to run a decent rail service, but according to The Times, there's money for either a cut in income tax or scrapping inheritance tax !

Newspaper review: Inheritance tax 'plans' and Europe's heat warning

A mix of stories on Saturday's front pages include Europe's intense hot weather and trans pupil guidance.

www.bbc.co.uk

The paper says senior figures in Downing Street are discussing the idea; supporters believe it would be a gamechanger in blue wall seats, in the south of England, that the Tories are defending.

The paper says until now it had been widely assumed that the party would cut the income tax by as much as two pence.[QUOTE\]

 

[WatcherZero]

Ben Wallace has indicated to colleagues he may resign as an MP during the next cabinet reshuffle expected at the end of the year, his seat is one thats being lost in boundary changes and his dream job of NATO Secretary General has been vetoed by Biden in retaliation for him forming the Fighter Coalition and creating enough peer pressure to force Biden to accept F-16's to Ukraine.

 

[nlogax]

Ben Wallace has indicated to colleagues he may resign as an MP during the next cabinet reshuffle expected at the end of the year, his seat is one thats being lost in boundary changes and his dream job of NATO Secretary General has been vetoed by Biden in retaliation for him forming the Fighter Coalition and creating enough peer pressure to force Biden to accept F-16's to Ukraine.

Wallace is one of the very few remaining competent members of this particular cabinet and government. Maybe he's been the only competent one all along.

 

[Typhoon]

Ben Wallace has indicated to colleagues he may resign as an MP during the next cabinet reshuffle expected at the end of the year, his seat is one thats being lost in boundary changes and his dream job of NATO Secretary General has been vetoed by Biden in retaliation for him forming the Fighter Coalition and creating enough peer pressure to force Biden to accept F-16's to Ukraine.

Stoltenberg has been given a one year extension; perhaps Wallace is hoping that, come next year, Biden will have other things on his mind. If it was someone new, that would have ruled him out completely.

Wallace is one of the very few remaining competent members of this particular cabinet and government. Maybe he's been the only competent one all along.

Spot on - and he is in a good position to be arguing the defence case. What he must think about some of his colleagues - when they display their ignorance and incompetence with every sentence, he must know he is best out of it.....

 

[Gloster]

It looks as though Wallace’s seat will disappear at the next election and he does not have the right to be automatically selected for one of the replacements according to party rules. Whether he intends to use the time freed by not being a minister to seek a new seat or whether he has decided that it just isn’t worth it we don’t know. It also looks as though he may be having marital problems: either his marriage is over or they are back together after a separation, but he might have decided to put his family first. (Sources: various.)

He does seem to be just about the only competent minister, at least within his responsibilities. And it takes a lot for me to say anything good about a Conservative…must have a lie down.

 

[317 forever]

There is a prediction that next Thursday could be the first time since 1968 that a government loses 3 by-elections on the same day. As those losses in 1968 were for an incumbent Labour government, next Thursday could be the first ever such occasion for a Tory government.

Maybe Ben Wallace could secure a new seat as so many other Tory MPs are standing down?

 

[Typhoon]

Well, there's no money to run a decent rail service, but according to The Times, there's money for either a cut in income tax or scrapping inheritance tax !

Newspaper review: Inheritance tax 'plans' and Europe's heat warning

A mix of stories on Saturday's front pages include Europe's intense hot weather and trans pupil guidance.

www.bbc.co.uk

The paper says senior figures in Downing Street are discussing the idea; supporters believe it would be a gamechanger in blue wall seats, in the south of England, that the Tories are defending.

The paper says until now it had been widely assumed that the party would cut the income tax by as much as two pence.

Of course they are - 'Forget not being entirely truthful to the Queen, promises on hospital and school building - unmet, Partygate, the PPE VIP lane, Johnson going AWOL - and again, the Truss/ Kwarteng mini-budget, shortages of vegetables ("Let them eat Turnips"), rocketing mortgage rates, food price inflation; we are going to put a couple of extra quid in your pay packets. Vote for Us.'

It won't be the first time a government that has tried this sort of trick - most do (I can't remember the last Liberal government). Unfortunately we sometimes fall for it, and the money has to come from somewhere.

 

[jfollows]

Ben Wallace has indicated to colleagues he may resign as an MP during the next cabinet reshuffle expected at the end of the year, his seat is one thats being lost in boundary changes and his dream job of NATO Secretary General has been vetoed by Biden in retaliation for him forming the Fighter Coalition and creating enough peer pressure to force Biden to accept F-16's to Ukraine.

He’s going to leave the cabinet but stay as an MP until the general election.
I'm not a huge fan of his, but he's less objectionable than most, and I admire him for knowing what he wants and what he doesn't. He'd have been a dreadful PM because he didn't really want the job, and the self-knowledge served him well.

 

[Busaholic]

It looks as though Wallace’s seat will disappear at the next election and he does not have the right to be automatically selected for one of the replacements according to party rules. Whether he intends to use the time freed by not being a minister to seek a new seat or whether he has decided that it just isn’t worth it we don’t know. It also looks as though he may be having marital problems: either his marriage is over or they are back together after a separation, but he might have decided to put his family first. (Sources: various.)

He does seem to be just about the only competent minister, at least within his responsibilities. And it takes a lot for me to say anything good about a Conservative…must have a lie down.

Us Wallaces are renowned for our competence . though I'm no relation so far as I know. He steadfastly refused to get involved in any way with Johnson's departure nor pin his colours to any of the actual or potential candidates to replace him: he was hopeful, if not expectant, about getting the NATO job, but I don't think Biden's change of mind vetoed it, rather that France, Germany and other European countries want one of their EU candidates if the new person at the top isn't to be another American.

 

[yorksrob]

Of course they are - 'Forget not being entirely truthful to the Queen, promises on hospital and school building - unmet, Partygate, the PPE VIP lane, Johnson going AWOL - and again, the Truss/ Kwarteng mini-budget, shortages of vegetables ("Let them eat Turnips"), rocketing mortgage rates, food price inflation; we are going to put a couple of extra quid in your pay packets. Vote for Us.'

It won't be the first time a government that has tried this sort of trick - most do (I can't remember the last Liberal government). Unfortunately we sometimes fall for it, and the money has to come from somewhere.

Indeed. Hopefully enough will see through it

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2023 ==

Us Wallaces are renowned for our competence . though I'm no relation so far as I know. He steadfastly refused to get involved in any way with Johnson's departure nor pin his colours to any of the actual or potential candidates to replace him: he was hopeful, if not expectant, about getting the NATO job, but I don't think Biden's change of mind vetoed it, rather that France, Germany and other European countries want one of their EU candidates if the new person at the top isn't to be another American.

I think that that's a pretty good assessment of the situation.

France was pretty clear that the next NATO leader should be from the EU.

 

[Gloster]

Us Wallaces are renowned for our competence . though I'm no relation so far as I know. He steadfastly refused to get involved in any way with Johnson's departure nor pin his colours to any of the actual or potential candidates to replace him: he was hopeful, if not expectant, about getting the NATO job, but I don't think Biden's change of mind vetoed it, rather that France, Germany and other European countries want one of their EU candidates if the new person at the top isn't to be another American.

There are 31 states in NATO and there have been 13 permanent Secretary-generals, of which three came from the UK. Only The Netherlands has also had three, while Belgium has had two and five others one. So aren’t we being a bit greedy or arrogant to think that we ought to have another go.

There is also the concern among some countries (well, France, really) that we are too much in the pocket of the US.

 

[yorksrob]

There are 31 states in NATO and there have been 13 permanent Secretary-generals, of which three came from the UK. Only The Netherlands has also had three, while Belgium has had two and five others one. So aren’t we being a bit greedy or arrogant to think that we ought to have another go.

There is also the concern among some countries (well, France, really) that we are too much in the pocket of the US.

This has traditionally been France's concern. The onus is on us to demonstrate independent thought (which, to be fair, Wallace has generally shown). But yes, we should be developing our self-sufficiency, regardless of perceived slights from allies.

Mr Wallace will certainly be a loss to British politics when he retires.

 

[simonw]

I believe the clock starts running on the time ministers have to be out of government before they can take a private sector job the day they step down as a minister. This is why a number of ministers have resigned so come the time they leave/get kicked out the clock will be well advanced and so the wait will be shorter!

 

[brad465]

I believe the clock starts running on the time ministers have to be out of government before they can take a private sector job the day they step down as a minister. This is why a number of ministers have resigned so come the time they leave/get kicked out the clock will be well advanced and so the wait will be shorter!

It's not a legal requirement though, given both Johnson and Dorries have gone against it almost immediately after leaving office to almost no consequences. I suspect though many former Ministers either take it seriously in principle, and/or believe that wouldn't get away with it as much as the aforementioned examples.

 

[Gloster]

It's not a legal requirement though, given both Johnson and Dorries have gone against it almost immediately after leaving office to almost no consequences. I suspect though many former Ministers either take it seriously in principle, and/or believe that wouldn't get away with it as much as the aforementioned examples.

They are supposed to take advice on any employment that might overlap with their ministerial posts that they want to take up in the period, something like two or three years, after leaving the post. The body giving the advice is the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA). Unfortunately, if they don’t bother or ignore it ACOBA can’t do anything other than go tut-tut, as readers of Private Eye’s Revolving Doors well know.

 

[Typhoon]

They are supposed to take advice on any employment that might overlap with their ministerial posts that they want to take up in the period, something like two or three years, after leaving the post. The body giving the advice is the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA). Unfortunately, if they don’t bother or ignore it ACOBA can’t do anything other than go tut-tut, as readers of Private Eye’s Revolving Doors well know.

I would have thought that former Defence ministers may get a tut-tut-tut-tut because of the sensitive information that crosses their desk (and Wallace would actually have read it).

It's not a legal requirement though, given both Johnson and Dorries have gone against it almost immediately after leaving office to almost no consequences.

... while Dorries could argue, with some justification, that on leaving office she knew less about the area she covered than the average viewer of Gogglebox!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2023 ==

Us Wallaces are renowned for our competence . though I'm no relation so far as I know. He steadfastly refused to get involved in any way with Johnson's departure nor pin his colours to any of the actual or potential candidates to replace him: he was hopeful, if not expectant, about getting the NATO job, but I don't think Biden's change of mind vetoed it, rather that France, Germany and other European countries want one of their EU candidates if the new person at the top isn't to be another American.

The Mail is reporting something which may well have been the last straw:

But he has clearly decided to go out fighting – by becoming embroiled in an explosive row with Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Mr Wallace has refused the Home Secretary's request for 750 troops to be deployed to plug gaps in the UK's Border Force – claiming that Ms Braverman should have made contingency plans for the shortages, rather than expecting him to act as a last-minute stop-gap.

Ms Braverman said that unless 750 members of the Armed Forces were transferred from other duties to help man immigration posts to cover for striking or absent Border Force officers, then British travellers could face long queues at entry points for months.

However, a source said: 'The Home Secretary must not be allowed to always rely on our hard-working Armed Forces to be there to mop up for Home Office incompetence. If she was so worried, she should have planned ahead.'

A Home Office source said last night: 'We have cancelled Border Force leave, recruited more staff and moved as many as we can from other roles to fill gaps.

'But the Defence Secretary has halved the number of troops he's willing to offer to help backfill jobs compared with the last round of strikes at Christmas when our troops were given a lot of credit for their sterling work and he even turned up for a photo op.

'Now an impending summer of chaos seems to be of little concern – but it is for the millions of people trying to use our airports. It's all so petty.'

As a former soldier, he may well have become fed up with the use of the armed forces to fill (what seems like) every gap in government recruitment difficulties. I would hate to think what would happen if we actually needed troops on the ground for defence duties, they would all be deployed elsewhere (yes, yes, I'm exaggerating).

 

[takno]

I would have thought that former Defence ministers may get a tut-tut-tut-tut because of the sensitive information that crosses their desk (and Wallace would actually have read it).


... while Dorries could argue, with some justification, that on leaving office she knew less about the area she covered than the average viewer of Gogglebox!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2023 ==


The Mail is reporting something which may well have been the last straw:


As a former soldier, he may well have become fed up with the use of the armed forces to fill (what seems like) every gap in government recruitment difficulties. I would hate to think what would happen if we actually needed troops on the ground for defence duties, they would all be deployed elsewhere (yes, yes, I'm exaggerating).

A home office force said that they were extremely wrapped in trying prove that they are every bit as incompetent as they are evil. Even though they had arbitrarily cancelled leave over the holiday period, they were mystifyingly having trouble recruiting enough snarling racists for minimal pay to cover the borders. And whilst they personally enjoyed the queues at airports as a welcome sign of the hostile environment which they were trying to extend from immigrants to everybody in the UK, Suella had been told by Rishi that he'd heard from one of his pals who doesn't use a private jet that potential Tory voters arriving in the UK on larger boats and aeroplanes might prefer to be waved through the border by a bored squaddie.

 

[najaB]

A home office force said that they were extremely wrapped in trying prove that they are every bit as incompetent as they are evil. Even though they had arbitrarily cancelled leave over the holiday period, they were mystifyingly having trouble recruiting enough snarling racists for minimal pay to cover the borders. And whilst they personally enjoyed the queues at airports as a welcome sign of the hostile environment which they were trying to extend from immigrants to everybody in the UK, Suella had been told by Rishi that he'd heard from one of his pals who doesn't use a private jet that potential Tory voters arriving in the UK on larger boats and aeroplanes might prefer to be waved through the border by a bored squaddie.

Poe's Law at it's finest, sir.

 

[nw1]

I take it nobody with a brain cell believes that Boris actually can't remember the passcode for his phone?

GETBREXITDONE.

 

[Typhoon]

GETBREXITDONE.

Surely GOTBREXITDONE.

(in his mind at least).

 

[nw1]

Surely GOTBREXITDONE.

(in his mind at least).

True, but depends when he set it.

 

[ainsworth74]

As a former soldier, he may well have become fed up with the use of the armed forces to fill (what seems like) every gap in government recruitment difficulties. I would hate to think what would happen if we actually needed troops on the ground for defence duties, they would all be deployed elsewhere (yes, yes, I'm exaggerating).

It should also be a concern that public services are becoming so disfunctional that calling in the armed forces is increasingly becoming the default "get us out of a spot of bother" response and that when they do rock up they seem to do a better job than those whose job it actually is!

There will always be a place for the armed forces to help out. Chinooks carrying supplies to cut off communities during heavy snow, soldiers filling sandbags and helping those displaced during floods, Royal Marines using landing craft to rescue stranded cars, etc etc.

But it does feel like so many public services are now so fragile that calling in the armed forces is the only option during strife and the ability of them to just "get on with it" outstrips that of the public service they're supporting.

Not sure that that's an especially healthy situation for us to be in.

 

[nw1]

Well, there's no money to run a decent rail service, but according to The Times, there's money for either a cut in income tax or scrapping inheritance tax !

Newspaper review: Inheritance tax 'plans' and Europe's heat warning

A mix of stories on Saturday's front pages include Europe's intense hot weather and trans pupil guidance.

www.bbc.co.uk

If they implement either they deserve to be out of power for 100 years.

It would be a truly disgusting act to cut income tax or scrap inheritance tax with the country in the way that it is. The railways are in a state, and far worse - the NHS is in a state, in their words there's "no money" to run public services properly, and yet they think they can flush money down the toilet by cutting taxes?

Pure bribery, no more, no less.

They can shove their tax cuts where the sun don't shine.

 

[Busaholic]

Surely GOTBREXITDONE.

(in his mind at least).

Was there even a password or just a PIN, which apparently has been found 'stored' (not by Johnson) and passed to the Hallet enquiry? (Source, the Weekend i newspaper.)

 

[nw1]

Was there even a password or just a PIN, which apparently has been found 'stored' (not by Johnson) and passed to the Hallet enquiry? (Source, the Weekend i newspaper.)

PIN?

1312, I guarantee it. The date of his glorious victory.

 

[yorksrob]

If they implement either they deserve to be out of power for 100 years.

It would be a truly disgusting act to cut income tax or scrap inheritance tax with the country in the way that it is. The railways are in a state, and far worse - the NHS is in a state, in their words there's "no money" to run public services properly, and yet they think they can flush money down the toilet by cutting taxes?

Pure bribery, no more, no less.

They can shove their tax cuts where the sun don't shine.

Someone once coined the phrase "power without responsibility" this policy would be the perfect example of that.

 

[brad465]

"Hello dad, give me a peerage or I'll tell the world our little secret. Charlotte O"

The text Johnson fears more than any covid evidence on his phone.

 

[dosxuk]

PIN?

1312, I guarantee it. The date of his glorious victory.

I heard they were stuck on the password reset questions - apparently nobody can work out the answer to "how many children do I have?"...

 

[SuspectUsual]

I heard they were stuck on the password reset questions - apparently nobody can work out the answer to "how many children do I have?"...

1312 could also be the answer to that....

If it’s the number with each successive partner / mistress it could have been right until a fortnight ago