Aye Tom, I know what you mean - sometimes it’s just the label thing - falstaff once called me a leftish irishman, yet another label is an ‘entrepreneur’ because i started a business from nothing in the midst a war - truth is I’m none of these things.
My passport says ‘Irish’, my driving licence says ‘UK’ , my outlook says work for a living if you are capable, I hate the fact that WTI peaked at 130 in March, back to 110 this week and still pump prices rise.
Labels. Now there’s a loaded term.
Labels are generally useful as generalisations. But generalisations often contain as much false as truth.
Of course, that’s a generalisation…
Conservatives lose two by-elections in one night -
So what do the results say?
Firstly the government is unpopular. No surprise there - incumbent governments often lose support in by-elections and often lose these sets in mid-term. The statistics do not directly reveal just how badly Boris Johnson’s leadership is rated - but its pretty low.
Wakefield - With Brexit achieved, voters went back to put Labour in power here as usual. The LibDems lost ground here, being pushed as low as 6th place, even being beaten by the “Yorkshire Party”, who are after a devolved Yorkshire Assembly if you can believe that.
Tiverton & Honiton - Massive swing to the LibDems with their vote more than doubling. Naturally this is accounted for by Conservative 2019 voters not supporting that party yesterday, and they lost half their vote total as a result. But Labour lost 86% of their 2019 votes, a terrible outcome for Starmer.
Two Cabinet Ministers quit within hours of each other.
How long can Johnson hold on? Are we talking days or hours?
Boris Johnson resigns as Conservative party leader. Wants to stay on as PM until a replacement is found.
Finally!
I wonder if Johnson can submit his own name for election as new leader?
If he can this will cap the pound’s rally. If he does, the pound will drop like a stone.
Far better idea is “Project Homer”.
Who needs democracy when the Simpsons are in charge?
Revealed: Secret plan to pack Lords with Tory loyalists | ITV News
I wonder what jumped-up knucklehead in the Conservative Party HQ decided it would be great for the leadership candidates to sling mud at each other over their characters and past performances in front of a live TV audience. Who don’t even get to vote.
There’s a possible argument for such a circus when its a presidential election. But this was just embarrassing.
Whilst I agree that Boris is a bumbling idiot, I think he’s done a decent job with what’s been thrown at him. Most of what’s cost him his job is less than what half the country have done wrong.
Is the pound rally because of his resignation or a coincidence? Hard to know.
I think what put him in such a bad position was the way he dealt with the stuff that went wrong. The nail in the coffin was when a junior Minister was asked to lie for him on live TV. Nobody can work with a man who would do that.
A strange message was read out on GB News TV yesterday, while they were examining the cost of living crisis.
A couple had apparently emailed in, saying they were both retired, that they were too young to qualify for a State Pension, but they could not pay their rising bills. So the government must do something.
Not with my tax I hope.
"Nigel Farage: I despise what the Conservatives have done to Britain - YouTube
Watched the first 5-10 minutes and so far nothing to disagree with. All the Conservative Party is good for is keeping other people out of power in Westminster.
Doctors concerned for Queen’s health.
Queen Elizabeth died peacefully this afternoon.
May she rest in peace.
70 candles for our Queen Elizabeth 11
Rip
My wife came to this country as a refugee. She always said that the queen represented the things about UK that she thought were special - politeness, fairness and manners. RIP
Dear Queenie RIP
Well unless this truss woman blows out the “greenie agenda” completely (and abandoning the “Eco surcharge” (and opening up oil and fracking IS a good start ) I’ll be voting Labour next time !
