Boris Johnson is a liability.

[fowler9]

Interesting thought... IF, G-d forbid, BoJo did become PM could we aim him at Trump and therefore get the 2 stupidities to cancel each other out?

Stranger things have happened, not many mind. Ha ha.

 

[mmh]

There's a little hint in both the title of the thread and the conversation, though.

If I was to post tomorrow in the EU Referendum thread on here with a comment like "What are Alexander's real motives?", I don't think people would know what on earth I meant - and that's a (very, very, dear me very) long running discussion where Johnson is one of the main characters.

 

[Bromley boy]

Ha ha. I kind of agree in the sense that I shouldn't lower myself to the levels of Boris Johnson. He is a massive man baby and it terrifies me to think people think he is a suitable leader.

I don’t think anyone has said that (I certainly haven’t). Unfortunately the potential candidates for leadership are all pretty rubbish - including the one currently doing the job!

I still think he’d be a better PM than jezza. You seem pretty sensible and I suspect, even as someone who is centre left, deep down you probably think that too.

 

[Bromley boy]

There's a little hint in both the title of the thread and the conversation, though.

If I was to post tomorrow in the EU Referendum thread on here with a comment like "What are Alexander's real motives?", I don't think people would know what on earth I meant - and that's a (very, very, dear me very) long running discussion where Johnson is one of the main characters.

Precisely. The mind boggles. It’s a very strange thing to be discussing in the first place.

It’s a bit like someone saying they don’t like a particular class of train so are going to refer to it by a different number in order to make some kind of silly point.

They’re happy, but everyone else reading the topic is likely to be confused and wonder what on earth they’re wibbling on about.

 

[fowler9]

There's a little hint in both the title of the thread and the conversation, though.

If I was to post tomorrow in the EU Referendum thread on here with a comment like "What are Alexander's real motives?", I don't think people would know what on earth I meant - and that's a (very, very, dear me very) long running discussion where Johnson is one of the main characters.

Fair enough. Guess we can wait and see if anyone on this thread has no clue what we are talking about. I guess a lot who can still be bothered commenting on the EU thread would know who is being talked about.

 

[fowler9]

Precisely. The mind boggles. It’s a very strange thing to be discussing in the first place.

It’s a bit like someone saying they don’t like a particular class of train so are going to refer to it by a different number in order to make some kind of silly point.

They’re happy, but everyone else reading the topic is likely to be confused and wonder what on earth they’re wibbling on about.

Who brought it up? Two people who know who was being talked about. I'll wait until I see someone ask who Alexander is. (I'll regret saying that, ha ha).

 

[Bromley boy]

Fair enough. Guess we can wait and see if anyone on this thread has no clue what we are talking about. I guess a lot who can still be bothered commenting on the EU thread would know who is being talked about.

I had no clue when I read the first post referencing “Alexander”. I didn’t pay much attention to it because of who wrote it.

 

[fowler9]

I had no clue when I read the first post referencing “Alexander”. I didn’t pay much attention to it because of who wrote it.

Seemed to take about six minutes on the thread before he was frequently referred to as BoJo again. You are smart lad so forgive me if I don't believe you had no clue for terribly long.

 

[fowler9]

Precisely. The mind boggles. It’s a very strange thing to be discussing in the first place.

It’s a bit like someone saying they don’t like a particular class of train so are going to refer to it by a different number in order to make some kind of silly point.

They’re happy, but everyone else reading the topic is likely to be confused and wonder what on earth they’re wibbling on about.

Yeah, none of the threads on this forum ever have people speaking in jargon.

 

[Bromley boy]

Seemed to take about six minutes on the thread before he was frequently referred to as BoJo again. You are smart lad so forgive me if I don't believe you had no clue for terribly long.

Not long, I paid it little attention as it was just yet more wibble.

Aww shucks. If I’m ever in Liverpool, or next time you’re in the big smoke, there’s a pint with your name on it.

Yeah, none of the threads on this forum ever have people speaking in jargon.

You’re quite right, excessive jargon is poor communication. So is referring to the thread subject other than by the name they are commonly known as!

 

[Jonny]

Actually, Boris is just the sort of leader that Britain needs to shake things up. So what if he had an affair? It's a side effect of having the b@11s in his case (both proverbial and literal) needed to sort Britain out.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

Actually, Boris is just the sort of leader that Britain needs to shake things up. So what if he had an affair? It's a side effect of having the b@11s in his case (both proverbial and literal) needed to sort Britain out.

hmm... suitable material to lead the country? if he lied to his wife what makes you think he'd tell YOU the truth on any given subject? I'd say that cheating on his wife {on more than one occasion} is all the proof that you need that BoJo is totally unfit to be PM!

 

[birchesgreen]

Actually, Boris is just the sort of leader that Britain needs to shake things up. So what if he had an affair? It's a side effect of having the b@11s in his case (both proverbial and literal) needed to sort Britain out.

Yeah more testosterone, just what a country needs.

 

[Typhoon]

hmm... suitable material to lead the country? if he lied to his wife what makes you think he'd tell YOU the truth on any given subject? I'd say that cheating on his wife {on more than one occasion} is all the proof that you need that BoJo is totally unfit to be PM!

Wives not wife, he lied to his first wife too. And from the reported response of one of his children, possibly them as well.

 

[EM2]

Actually, Boris is just the sort of leader that Britain needs to shake things up.

In what way is he a 'leader'?

 

[nlogax]

Actually, Boris is just the sort of leader that Britain needs to shake things up. So what if he had an affair? It's a side effect of having the b@11s in his case (both proverbial and literal) needed to sort Britain out.

Mods; can we move this one to the right thread? Thanks.

 

[Typhoon]

Mods; can we move this one to the right thread? Thanks.

Very good!
It has really cheered me up.

 

[furnessvale]

hmm... suitable material to lead the country? if he lied to his wife what makes you think he'd tell YOU the truth on any given subject? I'd say that cheating on his wife {on more than one occasion} is all the proof that you need that BoJo is totally unfit to be PM!

I believe such behaviour is compulsory in France.

 

[bramling]

I don’t think anyone has said that (I certainly haven’t). Unfortunately the potential candidates for leadership are all pretty rubbish - including the one currently doing the job!

I still think he’d be a better PM than jezza. You seem pretty sensible and I suspect, even as someone who is centre left, deep down you probably think that too.

Despite numerous misgivings, I would have Johnson over Corbyn as PM, and I would want Johnson over Corbyn as Conservative leader if I thought he was best placed to beat Corbyn in any election.

It’s not just Corbyn, it’s the whole Corbyn / McDonnell / Abbott / Lammy shower that would inevitably result. Britain really would be a joke then, albeit not an amusing one.

 

[Typhoon]

Despite numerous misgivings, I would have Johnson over Corbyn as PM, and I would want Johnson over Corbyn as Conservative leader if I thought he was best placed to beat Corbyn in any election.

I don't think there is much chance of the blue-rinse brigade voting for Jeremy Corbyn as Conservative leader! Pause while I consider the image. More chance Jeremy Clarkson.

 

[bramling]

I don't think there is much chance of the blue-rinse brigade voting for Jeremy Corbyn as Conservative leader! Pause while I consider the image. More chance Jeremy Clarkson.

Apologies I misworded that...

What I meant was I’d want Johnson as Conservative leader if he was regarded as being best placed electorally to best Corbyn.

 

[Typhoon]

Apologies I misworded that...

What I meant was I’d want Johnson as Conservative leader if he was regarded as being best placed electorally to best Corbyn.

I realised that but the image of Jeremy Corbyn addressing Conservative Party Conference did intrigue me!

 

[nlogax]

What I meant was I’d want Johnson as Conservative leader if he was regarded as being best placed electorally to best Corbyn.

That's an awful prospect. Tbf I genuinely don't know what would be worse, Corbyn or Johnson in charge. We've really reached a political nadir where these are now determined as the best or most likely options. Both routes would be dire in different ways.

 

[Typhoon]

That's an awful prospect. Tbf I genuinely don't know what would be worse, Corbyn or Johnson in charge. We've really reached a political nadir where these are now determined as the best or most likely options. Both routes would be dire in different ways.

If this is the choice, I'm voting 'None of the Above'. I think you understate the dilemma - 'Both routes would be dire in many different ways'.

I just hope enough MPs see the danger and act accordingly. I may be hoping in vain.

 

[bramling]

That's an awful prospect. Tbf I genuinely don't know what would be worse, Corbyn or Johnson in charge. We've really reached a political nadir where these are now determined as the best or most likely options. Both routes would be dire in different ways.

Exactly - Britain is in a bad place at the moment. I don’t really know how we’ve arrived here, but something is clearly keeping good people out of politics. Have we gone too far in demonising politicians? Is the reward package simply insufficient to make up for the negatives that come with the job? Are good people just not being selected for some reason? Are we not electing good people? Did the cynicism of the New Labour / Blair years ruin our politics? Is Britain too divided to deliver decisive mandates nowadays? Just some thoughts that immediately spring to mind.

 

[bramling]

If this is the choice, I'm voting 'None of the Above'. I think you understate the dilemma - 'Both routes would be dire in many different ways'.

I just hope enough MPs see the danger and act accordingly. I may be hoping in vain.

Unfortunately at the moment it really does seem like Corbyn vs Johnson. Even that isn’t a simple prospect as the last leadership contest showed that Johnson isn’t popular and is by no means a shoe-in. But I simply can’t see who else - perhaps Hammond, if he wants it? Gove and Leadsom are both too weak, Javid I think is too inexperienced. As has been posted many times before, it’s so unfortunate that Portillo lost interest - he would be the ideal candidate in so many ways, and he’s pretty Euro sceptic which would sit well with delivering Brexit.

The other one is of course Rees-Mogg, however on paper he’s inexperienced. But it’s not like another party hasn’t recently elected an experienced loud back-bencher as leader...

 

[Typhoon]

Exactly - Britain is in a bad place at the moment. I don’t really know how we’ve arrived here, but something is clearly keeping good people out of politics. Have we gone too far in demonising politicians? Is the reward package simply insufficient to make up for the negatives that come with the job? Are good people just not being selected for some reason? Are we not electing good people? Did the cynicism of the New Labour / Blair years ruin our politics? Is Britain too divided to deliver decisive mandates nowadays? Just some thoughts that immediately spring to mind.

Some good points here. Twenty, thirty, forty years ago there were several politicians who you could say might have a good crack at the job if the incumbent fell under the proverbial bus. Now we have politicians who 'have leadership ambitions' but have shown none of the qualities necessary to do the job.

I think there are a couple of other thoughts - there is so much more scrutiny of politicians these days (and we are adding to it in this forum) contributing to criticism (warranted and unwarranted) that some may feel hard to take. To both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn criticism is like water off a duck's back. Also too many politicians are 'professional politicians' - parliamentary aide, special advisor, managing an MPs office, member of a pressure group or think tank, PR in related fields - before being parachuted into a safe constituency. One reason why I like the House of Lords is that it contains lots of people who have actually done something.

 

[Typhoon]

Unfortunately at the moment it really does seem like Corbyn vs Johnson. Even that isn’t a simple prospect as the last leadership contest showed that Johnson isn’t popular and is by no means a shoe-in. But I simply can’t see who else - perhaps Hammond, if he wants it? Gove and Leadsom are both too weak, Javid I think is too inexperienced.

To think Leadsom was runner up last time around. Two cabinet posts, anonymous in both.
Javed - lucky to get his present job after not being that successful at Communities (housing?). I thought Amber Rudd was unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Hammond - interesting. He is likely to be relegated to the back benches under any 'Leave' supporting Conservative. Might feel obliged to stand (unless there is a wealthy newspaper editor promising an editorship).
Rees-Mogg - quite a lot of baggage (accent, background, views on social issues). He probably realises this and may be reluctant to stand.
Gove - not certain about 'weak' but certainly a marmite figure (including amongst conservatives).

 

[nlogax]

Rees-Mogg - quite a lot of baggage (accent, background, views on social issues). He probably realises this and may be reluctant to stand.

One thing I've noticed in the last few years is an alarming lack of self-awareness in politicians when it comes to this sort of stuff. I don't imagine any of those 'unexpected items in the baggage area' would get in the way of JR-M's designs on leadership.

 

[deltic]

Amongst Tory members Johnson, Javid, Rees-Mogg, Davidson and Gove are generally the top runners as next leader according to the monthly poll of members on the Conservative Home web site. Ruth Davidson would completely revolutionise Tory positioning in the country if she became leader.