General Election 2017: The Results and Aftermath

[me123]

It's time to reshuffle that cabinet! Don't expect much change. Currently confirmed (all unchanged);

Chancellor of the Exchequer - Philip Hammond
Home Secretary - Amber Rudd
Foreign Secretary - Boris Johnson ( )
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union - David Davis
Secretary of State for Defence - Sir Michael Fallon

The only empty chair is "Cabinet Office minister and Paymaster General" (whatever that is). The previous holder of this non-job was Ben Gummer.

 

[najaB]

The only empty chair is "Cabinet Office minister and Paymaster General" (whatever that is).

It's the number three job in the Treasury.

 

[northwichcat]

I suppose that the Labour Party would have been well aware of that particular matter when they planned their latest manifesto.

As would George Osborne when he cut taxes and handed giveaways to certain groups of people.

 

[Butts]

As would George Osborne when he cut taxes and handed giveaways to certain groups of people.

Talking of George Osborne saw him trashing May on The Andrew Marr Show this Morning.

Has anyone heard comment from David Cameron on what has happened ?

 

[3141]

Expect a light Queen's Speech. This is going to easily get the support of the DUP and Tories. They cannot afford any risks, or any dissent. With the DUP, the majority is very slender (two). It puts the longevity of the government at risk, but there's no way TM will risk this speech being voted down. She'd face a leadership contest within minutes.

Probably she would, but there has to be a government, so the immediate question would be who should be asked to try to form it. Even if the new Conservative leader could be slipped into place with almost no delay at all it would seem unlikely that he/she could succeed where TM hadn't. It's more likely that Corbyn would be asked to try, though the Parliamentary numbers are less encouraging for him.

Would anybody want to be Conservative leader at this time? A party without an overall majority, which had just failed to win a vote on the Queen's Speech even with DUP support? The new leader would know that there would have to be another election soon, which would be very difficult to win. Failing to win an election is not the sort of start to one's leadership career that anyone would want. The Conservative Party is in a very difficult situation. The EU question is at the heart of the situation, even if it wasn't the foremost issue in the election debates.

It seems to me that some major political realignment is necessary. The Conservative Party will eventually split between the Right Wing and the more moderate section which eventually may join with other centre groups. That could take twenty years. In the shorter term, a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn may bring about the sort of changes that many of those who voted to leave the EU would like to see; their support for Leave was a protest, not a matter of anti-EU conviction. All this would be happening in the context of our departure from the EU and the need to find many new trading arrangements, in a world which contains a great many uncertainties. Overall, it's a disturbing prospect.

 

[Dave1987]

Interesting seeing an advert from the telegraph saying they had correctly predicted that outcome of every UK election and referendum. Did they guess this one correctly? It would think not.

I see Fallon was defending joining up with the DUP today. Refused to say what the deal between May and the DUP was and will be on a confidence and supply agreement.

In some ways the DUP pact is actually beneficial. Some Tory peers have said that "hard Brexit" is off the table now which is good. May will also be forced to find common ground with other parties to get the votes in the commons.

As Ian Hislop said on HIGNFY hung parliaments are great because politicians have to actually talk and engage with each other and not just slag each other off.

 

[me123]

Very deliberate leak here of a Boris Johnson message on the Tory MP WhatsApp group (I bet that's a barrel of laughs).

Basically - get behind TM.

In the background, murmurings of her being gone by Tuesday.

 

[Dave1987]

I suppose that the Labour Party would have been well aware of that particular matter when they planned their latest manifesto.

Well considering that David Davis could not give the Brexit committee a figure for what a hard Brexit and immigration controls will cost the economy I think that is a bit pot kettle black tbh Paul.

 

[507021]

Well considering that David Davis could not give the Brexit committee a figure for what a hard Brexit and immigration controls will cost the economy I think that is a bit pot kettle black tbh Paul.

I don't there weren't many (if any) costings in the Tory manifesto either.

 

[najaB]

Alistair Campbell wasn't pulling any punches this morning in a BBC interview:

[youtube]p0LDvLthbw0[/youtube]

 

[me123]

Reshuffling ongoing.

Damian Green (former Work & Pensions secretary) promoted to First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office.
David Gauke (former Chief Secretary to the Treasury) takes over his role as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Greg Clark continues as business secretary.
Liz Truss may be passionate about cheese, but she has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

 

[backontrack]

Damian Green, who is not-just anti-Brexit but pro-EU, has been made First Secretary of State, a position that is Deputy PM in all but name.

To fill you in on that, then Heseltine and Prescott both assumed that position when they were Deputy PM. Other previous holders include Mandelson, Hague and Osborne.

Murmurings of Green becoming the anti-Boris candidate. But, more importantly, it shows not just May pivoting away from Brexit but that she is replicating her failure last week by surrounding herself with mates. She's known Green since University.

Liam Fox, Liz Truss and Justine Greening are all in No. 10. Fox looked nervous.

 

[northwichcat]

Interesting seeing an advert from the telegraph saying they had correctly predicted that outcome of every UK election and referendum. Did they guess this one correctly? It would think not.

I see Fallon was defending joining up with the DUP today. Refused to say what the deal between May and the DUP was and will be on a confidence and supply agreement.

In some ways the DUP pact is actually beneficial. Some Tory peers have said that "hard Brexit" is off the table now which is good. May will also be forced to find common ground with other parties to get the votes in the commons.

As Ian Hislop said on HIGNFY hung parliaments are great because politicians have to actually talk and engage with each other and not just slag each other off.

A YouGov poll for The Times did predict a hung parliament with the Conservatives being the biggest party.

 

[backontrack]

Liz Truss has been appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

That's a demotion from Justice Secretary.

 

[me123]

That Useless Hunt is in Number 10. I am not hopeful that there will be any surprise about his job. He didn't look too unhappy.

 

[Domh245]

A YouGov poll for The Times did predict a hung parliament with the Conservatives being the biggest party.

From what I'd read, the Times were primarily using YouGov's old polling methods, which gave the tories a 7 point lead before the election. Their own model, which they stress isn't just a poll, and which had predicted the EU referendum and the US election gave the hung parliament result

 

[me123]

Liam Fox holds onto his job as International Trade Secretary.

 

[me123]

Justine Greening just announced as Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women & Equality - no change.

 

[Y961 XBU]

From what I'd read, the Times were primarily using YouGov's old polling methods, which gave the tories a 7 point lead before the election. Their own model, which they stress isn't just a poll, and which had predicted the EU referendum and the US election gave the hung parliament result

The YouGov seat prediction will probs become more used after this

 

[me123]

Sajid Javid continues as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

David Lidlington (former Leader of the House) takes over Liz Truss's role as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.

 

[backontrack]

And now, I bring you the Conservative WhatsApp group chat: election night

Boris Johnson: jolly good luck old chaps, this election should be a doddle
Amber Rudd: Agreed.
Michael Gove: Yes. I have to say I am looking forward to seeing Tim Farron lose his seat.
Boris: Marxist loon.
Gove: No, Boris, it's Corbyn who's the marxist loon.
Boris: No, he's the mugwump.
Michael Fallon: Look, would the lot of you b***dy shut up, it's the exit poll now
Boris: ...
Rudd: Oh, dear god.
Gove: Oh, dear me. This is terrible. I'll have to start preparing my leadership bid now.
Gove: Any opinion, Boris?
Gove: Boris?
Philip Hammond: Timothy sent me onto the naughty step. Can I come off now? This is quite exciting.
Fallon: Exciting? It's quite clearly RUBBISH! Exit polls are always wrong, I'll just go on the BBC and say so.
Boris: Cheers Mikey, give those oleaginous supine carbon-masses Dimbleby and Kuenssberg a good telling off from me. Sorry everyone, had to go and get a Bloody Mary.
Gove: Rather fitting.
Rudd: Oh dear.
George Osborne: HAHAHA! Amber's f***ed!
Gove: Oiky? Who invited you back here?
Osborne: Shut up four eyes, how's life on the backbenches?
George Osborne was kicked from the group chat
Boris: My word. Five minutes with Ed Balls, and he's become a communist.
Anyway this whole exit poll thing is LUDICROUS - theres no way that Borises's public will have voted for that Marxist mugwump Corbyn. All that stuff we said about terrorism must have stuck.
Gove: Very well said Boris.
Boris: Cheers, Govey. Now what's important is that we keep this group chat strong and stable.
Hammond: Result for Newcastle Central is in. Labour win.
Boris: Obvs.
Hammond: Not such a bad performance as the exit polls made out.
Boris: Then it's simple! A good old Conservative landslide! Just what we always thought would happen.
Hammond: But all those extra Conservatives votes were just the old UKIP vote. and we didn't even get all of that.
Boris: ...
Phillip Hammond was kicked from the group chat.
Gove: That's better.
Hammond: Hello everyone, I'm back.
Boris: What are you doing here?
Hammond: Theresa made me an admin.
Boris: Dear oh dear. Actually, mentioning that, where is she?
Hammond: No idea.

 

[northwichcat]

From what I'd read, the Times were primarily using YouGov's old polling methods, which gave the tories a 7 point lead before the election. Their own model, which they stress isn't just a poll, and which had predicted the EU referendum and the US election gave the hung parliament result

Other way around

https://yougov.co.uk/uk-general-election-2017/

 

[backontrack]

David Lidington becomes Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.

 

[northwichcat]

Damian Green, who is not-just anti-Brexit but pro-EU, has been made First Secretary of State, a position that is Deputy PM in all but name.

To fill you in on that, then Heseltine and Prescott both assumed that position when they were Deputy PM. Other previous holders include Mandelson, Hague and Osborne.

Murmurings of Green becoming the anti-Boris candidate. But, more importantly, it shows not just May pivoting away from Brexit but that she is replicating her failure last week by surrounding herself with mates. She's known Green since University.

Liam Fox, Liz Truss and Justine Greening are all in No. 10. Fox looked nervous.

Green will fill in for May at PMQs when she can't be bothered. Who's Corbyn's deputy for PMQs now, it used to be Eagle?

 

[backontrack]

Who's Corbyn's deputy for PMQs now, it used to be Eagle?

Thornberry.

 

[me123]

Alun Cairns remains Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru/Secretary of State for Wales.

 

[me123]

Sadly, That Useless Hunt remains Secretary of State for Abolition of the National Health Service.

 

[adrock1976]

I suppose you could say that Scotland does have a half hearted representation in the Cabinet, as Liam Fox is originally from East Kilbride. Despite the Conservatives best performance in Scotland for a long time, it seems that there is nobody from a Scottish constituency holding a Cabinet post yet.

 

[adrock1976]

Sadly, That Useless Hunt remains Secretary of State for Abolition of the National Health Service.

I would imagine that somewhere, somebody may have made a ditty containing Cockney rhyming slang that is unprintable to describe Jeremy Hunt.

 

[takno]

It sounds like she's just randomly shuffling the non-entities without bringing in any fresh talent or clearing anybody out. It's like she's just read in Prime Ministering for Dummies that you're supposed to have a reshuffle after an election but she has no clue what, if anything, she is trying to achieve. It's just miserable to watch