UK's Johnson faces angry MPs at vote on new virus restrictions

The Conservative party have always been very ruthless when it comes to getting rid of leaders that were not working

The Tories will be keeping an eye on some recent polls which have seen Starmer regarded as the best choice for PM and Labour with a sizable lead. Granted they are just polls in the aftermath of the wriggling and lies of Johnson, but the I get the feeling honest Tories see Johnson as a great campaigner but generally dishonest, incompetent and disorganized.

He’s lied about pretty much everything in his career, but this one is particularly ugly. If Johnson has destroyed his ability to charm the electorate, he’s finished. He can’t fall back on competence and the idea of a pair of safe hands. Blair’s popularity was in steep decline in 2005 after the Iraq disgrace, but given that he gave a believable impression of competence and an organized mind, he could still win an election quote handily. Johnson can’t do that.

UK's Johnson faces angry MPs at vote on new virus restrictions

At first I read this headline to mean they were angry at bathroom restrictions.

Johnson caused outrage for trying to change parliament's disciplinary rules after a Tory MP illegally lobbied ministers for two companies that had him on their payrolls.

Seems hysteria is all the rage among the Brits recently.

@Jimizo

I wonder if you could point to any actual quote of Borris that has been proved as a lie. Even the recent 'party' stuff has come up with nothing more than an online pub quiz where the left mistook a very expensive curtain as a bin liner.

However the point being Boris has out lasted his welcome and would have gone much sooner but for the pandemic. The reason the Tories are down in the polls is because so far they have done nothing they they said they would. Although they still have two years to sort that out.

If the tories started turning the boats back to France, if they defunded the BBC, if they put people who sit in roads in prison, if they cut taxes and spending then I think they would be back in next election. Even the removal of Cresida Dick would give them a boost.

No one knows what will happen today. I expect that the legislation around ID will not be tabled but the other two bits will. If it is tabled it will be Starmer and his mob that put it through and that will cause him more harm than the tories.

There could be letters to the 1922 committee but to get rid of Boris it would need a vote of more than 181 tory MP's wanting him gone. If that does not happen he can not be challenged for a year. I do not think they would risk the vote.

I do expect some resignations if the matter is tabled and that will be timed to cause the most fuss.

@Nator

Many valid points and great insight.

Unfortunately, you will likely be called out for being "hysterical".

Seems hysteria is all the rage among the Brits recently.

I don’t think so. UK politics has been particularly polarized in recent years due to Brexit, but even after that vote, we didn’t have an enormous number of hysterical morons having meltdowns in basements claiming mass voter fraud was the cause, and nor did we have deranged crackpots storming parliament talking about hanging people.

Polarized but not hysterical to that level.

I’m quite prepared to have an honest discussion about the flaws in the current British political system, but I don’t get the impression you are knowledgeable enough about it to contribute much given the content of your previous posts. You tend to just fly off into delirious rants about racism, slavery and the like.

but labour are not the party to replace them

They certainly aren’t inspiring but you could argue that Johnson’s leadership could lead to an appetite for boring over showboating, deceit and silliness. Starmer is not carrying the kind of baggage Corbyn had, and he’s as difficult to hate as he is to like.

Still, I’m not convinced that a Labour can win a majority with the current maths no matter who’s leading. I can’t see Labour ( or the Tories or the Lib Dems ) making a meaningful comeback in Scotland.

Personally I am still undecided. Of course the evidence is complete, omicron is on an exponential hyper rise and death tolls are just incoming and real. On the other side he held that crazy speech in front of business leaders some days ago, talking completely weird things off topic and unprepared, as well as all those partying scandals… I would say, he still should continue a bit, but they should also consider intensifying the search for someone to replace him if they can find a better replacement, but which is a time consuming process so he also has another chance to get fully back on track.

JimizoToday  02:35 pm JST

I don’t think so. UK politics has been particularly polarized in recent years due to Brexit, but even after that vote, we didn’t have an enormous number of hysterical morons having meltdowns in basements claiming mass voter fraud was the cause, and nor did we have deranged crackpots storming parliament talking about hanging people. 

Oh, some valid points there.

Polarized but not hysterical to that level. 

At the same time, you gotta admit, it was a bit hysterical.

I’m quite prepared to have an honest discussion about the flaws in the current British political system,

Great!

but I don’t get the impression you are knowledgeable enough about it to contribute much given the content of your previous posts. You tend to just fly off into delirious rants about racism, slavery and the like. 

And the obligatory insults.

They certainly aren’t inspiring but you could argue that Johnson’s leadership could lead to an appetite for boring over showboating, deceit and silliness. Starmer is not carrying the kind of baggage Corbyn had, and he’s as difficult to hate as he is to like. 

Still, I’m not convinced that a Labour can win a majority with the current maths no matter who’s leading. I can’t see Labour ( or the Tories or the Lib Dems ) making a meaningful comeback in Scotland.

Now this is good stuff. Well, I think the mere fact that Starmer gets to criticize Johnson's many missteps does nothing but promote Starmer's leadership potential, and coupled with his recent promotions within the party that brought him basically overall high marks, he should continue to ride the popular wave. Although somewhat humorous and ironic he is claiming his party is the patriotic party.

I wonder if you could point to any actual quote of Borris that has been proved as a lie.

Throughout his career, even before he entered politics, he’s been caught lying about his private life, fabricating quotes as a journalist etc. He was fired as a journalist and politician for lies. Nobody serious regards Johnson as honest.

Please make the case that Johnson is an honest and trustworthy character. Best of luck.

I didn’t mention the quiz. I don’t see much there on the evidence available.

I did see, like everyone else, his transparent wriggling and lies about the Christmas party at number 10. Only a partisan would make excuses for that.

The reason the Tories are down in the polls is because so far they have done nothing they they said they would.

No doubt it’s a contributing factor, but do you think the goings-on at Downing Street last Christmas have nothing to do with the current slide for the Tories?

zichiToday  03:30 pm JST

do you think it is all to do with slavery and coke? Keep the home fires burning.

Let's stay on track.

See my above posts.

Most here believe Johnson is dishonest, even his greatest defenders recognise the party during last year’s lockdown has caused a great deal of anger. The Tories are likely to lose a safe seat on Thursday in the Old Shropshire by-election. He’s not finished yet, but the writing is on the wall.

Tory MP Steve Baker, from the COVID Recovery Group, 

This man and his self-appointed group are not worthy of international attention. They represent nobody.

Johnson does look like he has jumped the shark or is in the process of doing so. The better-off in the country, including retirees with a house paid off in poorer parts of the country (e.g., my mother), don't mind a PM who clowns around and promises the Earth (Brexit will be "done", 100s of new hospitals etc), but only so long as they think the joke is on someone else. They will not accept the joke being on them. Which it is when there is massive corruption and blatant flaunting of lockdown rules that had other people arrested for their parties.

If the Tories dump Johnson, everything points to the cosplay Thatcher, Liz Truss, as next in line. She is wildly popular with Conservative Party members. She strikes me as a completely mediocre person, as big a yes-woman as Suga was a yes-man.

When the only trace of opposition comes from the ruling party you know somethings wrong.

Labour have a 9/10 point lead. polls or otherwise.

Starmer needs to unite the party.

That includes Angela Rayner Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The next UK General Election, May 2, 2024 longs way for labour to dig. Or unseat the next Conservative PM

Jeremy Corbyn liked or loathed, is honest and stood up for his beliefs rightly or wrongly

The North Shropshire by-election 48 hours away, UK time.

Johnson Government drops this seat and all bets are off.

I had to nail my hands to the table, metaphorically speaking, to prevent a frivolous flutter on the Lib Dem candidate.

Helen Morgan could snatch the seat.

Would I bet that on Johnson surviving to 2024, not on your chinny chin chin.

The political clouds are gathering, vultures from his own party are circling, ready to pick over the bones of his failings.

Heck, I wish he would comb that flipping hair, he appears been dragged at speed, through a hedge backwards.

Johnson is like a puzzle with multiple pieces missing.

Johnson will be fine. The Labour opposition have supported him in key votes throughout the pandemic. The only opposition in parliament is from a small section of rebel Tories. Numerically, they cannot win.

The restrictions are actually quite limited.

The boosters are key, hence the push for them. If Omicron replaces Delta and the mortality rate collapses without boosters, the pandemic is effectively over. If boosters are rolled out and the mortality rate collapses, the boosters saved the day, the pandemic is still going, and governments stay in control.

Boris who ?

The sleazebag is a dead man walking.

My wife does her nut every time she sees Johnson's hairdo on the TV.

I just turn off the sound , close my eyes and count to ten. Fortunately, this blustering, shambolic piece of work will soon be retired to the back benches of the chamber that, to paraphrase Oliver Cromwell,  he has dishonored by his contempt of all virtue, and defiled by his practice of many a porky. The Tories are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.

Sic semper impostoribus!

zichiToday  06:48 pm JST

My wife does her nut every time she sees Johnson's hairdo on the TV.

I thought you don't have a tv?

JimizoToday  02:04 am JST

I see it more as a question of hygiene. When I’m in the pub, I think I the landlord should keep out unbathed, drunken louts when I’m trying to have a conversation.

Is that a common problem where you're from? Wow, really touchy about all this, aren't the two of you?

zichiToday  01:52 am JST

can you imagine someone going to any pub in Liverpool and someone asked what they do and answered they are a sock puppet? The immediate silence would be embarrassing.

Imagine someone denying they have a tv, and then turns out they have a tv, computer, tablet, phone on which they watch television. How would your weirdly hypothetical Liverpool pub fantasy turn out then? Huh ZL?

Heck, I wish he would comb that flipping hair, he appears been dragged at speed, through a hedge backwards.

He deliberately ruffles it before interviews and TV appearances.

My girlfriend owns a TV and she does her nut every time she sees Johnson's hairdo on TV.

Major revolt against Johnson with 99 of his backbenchers voted against his motion, nearly half of all tory MPs. The Noes to the Left 126. The Ayes to the Right 329. Only passed with votes from Labour MPs.

This is big. Thursday’s vote in the by-election will be even more important. If that seat goes Lib Dem, the pressure will seriously mount.

Thankfully, I get the sense that no matter which way it goes, there won’t be a wave of hysterical morons claiming election fraud and talking about ‘the walls closing in’.

Big win for City last night, eh? Liverpool need to keep the pressure on. I’m sure CP as a big football fan will be watching and looking for any signs of racism in the stadium as emblematic of racism in the UK as a whole and as a legacy of slavery. Watch out for brown rice, curry and TV posts too.

This education & interchange in current U.K. politics & history is great, … plus football highlights! A ‘one stop’ shop and moderators don’t even need a Turing machine to see what’s ‘off-topic’. (No need for email, nothing impolite or offensive: it’s understood on this site, U.K. expats are perhaps exempt from “Rules of Moderation?)

Well-explained correlation of politics & sport, sir. Thank you. - “Every picture tells a story” so, would this one do well ? :

1937 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toffs_and_Toughs -

snowymountainhellDec. 15  11:45 am JST

This education & interchange in current U.K. politics & history is great, … plus football highlights! A ‘one stop’ shop and moderators don’t even need a Turing machine to see what’s ‘off-topic’. (No need for email, nothing impolite or offensive: it’s understood on this site, U.K. expats are perhaps exempt from “Rules of Moderation?)

Great observation snowy..

And yes, interesting how the article worked in the English Premier League covid situation.