The Premiership ofLiz Truss. Sept 2022-Oct 2022. New PM time!

[gustavm]

Johnson statement effectively states he believes himself to be far better suited than RS or PM and seems likely he will now proceed to be a destabilising influence on the next Tory government. 2 years is a long time to keep the show on the road with so much internal hatred and rivalry. Was wondering if Johnson would be given a top job as a way of ,"unifying" but suspect he is only interested in being pm anyway.

 

[Joe Hutch]

Agreed - there were about 60 supporters for Johnson and that is about the same as the size of majority the Conservatives hold. Unless they behave (and looking at the list of names, there's a few in there I doubt will) getting anything through Parliament over the next two years will be tricky. It could re-run of May Government-style paralysis; just what the UK needs.

Quite a few of the 60 quickly switched to Sunak. The truly awkward squad is probably no more than 20 or so obvious dingbats (Chope, Bone, Cash, Mad Nad).

 

[Seanm]

One funny thing is that Johnson made his followers look like complete fools just to boost his “after dinner speaking” rates.

 

[Nero]

I guess we'll never see the headline "Mordaunt shorts the pound"

 

[paulfromcamden]

Was wondering if Johnson would be given a top job as a way of ,"unifying" but suspect he is only interested in being pm anyway.

The weird thing is, after a lifetime of wanting to be PM, he didn't actually seem very keen on the job itself. Perhaps he's only interested in the trappings of power.

 

[zarniwoop]

I guess we'll never see the headline "Mordaunt shorts the pound"

No... looks like the Penny's dropping

 

[tones]

A chilling thread from Richard Murphy as to what two years of Sunak will bring (Twitter). I suspect he is essentially correct. The economic incompetence of austerity will be punishing leaving maybe irreversible damage to state services we all rely on, a fractured Tory Party will push ever further to the right crushing human rights as they go. Dark times ahead.

I've used it before, but it seems to become ever more appropriate:

 

[TheDecameron]

A chilling thread from Richard Murphy as to what two years of Sunak will bring (Twitter). I suspect he is essentially correct. The economic incompetence of austerity will be punishing leaving maybe irreversible damage to state services we all rely on, a fractured Tory Party will push ever further to the right crushing human rights as they go. Dark times ahead.

They’re taking the difficult decisions™ -as if we should be grateful. In reality Sunak inherits a factional, disunited rabble of a party, one where he’s open to blackmail by the ERG helmets, Johnson’s loyalists hanging back to in order to sabotage him and other assorted extremists.

Does he invite their leaders into Cabinet in an attempt to keep the shit show on the road or does he appoint ministers with some semblance of competence? Will he even last to the scheduled GE or will he be brought down as their ratings keep indicating electoral oblivion?

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

Hope you are right. This group of zealots have done so much damage to the country and still think they are right. Fortunately, I think the have reached their zenith and are now on the way out. I use Rees Mogg as my weather stick and he will be back to the back benches where he has spent most of his political career. I just hope the rest of Europe catch on to this indulgent rightest nonsense before it too late.

At some point the Tory Party needs to realise that the ERG is their version of the old 'Militant Tendancy' - an entry route/camo for some with wildly unrealistic beliefs about how an economy/society 'should' be. Covered to some extent by (a few) whose views are more rational and evidence-based, and supported by those who stand to gain - or think they will.

As time and events (dear boy, events) show, putting ERG ideas into practice simply demonstrates their disasterous results for most people. (But not, of course, for a few who ride it as a way to power.)

 

[Tony L]

However, I'm not sure the Tories will win the next election as the polling suggests they are too far gone. Murphy also seems to assume that Sunak will be able to unite the parliamentary Conservative party, and I'm not so sure about that.

I’d put money on them losing the next election whenever it is. The ‘red wall’ is long gone, and much of the Tory Party is way too racist ever to elect Sunak. They’ll definitely lose.

As ever my fear isn’t the Tories, it is Labour. The Conservative Party is just a front for a criminal gangster oligarchy. A bunch of elite class-warrior scammers that any decent democratic society should be able to dispatch with ease. The problem is Labour. They are the main tool we have been given to do this and it is an entirely blunt and useless one. They are a cowardly feckless bunch who will challenge nothing and merely keep the HoC seats warm until the Tory elites can regroup and take back their birthright of absolute power. There will be no electoral, social, economic or constitutional reform under Labour. We desperately need all these things, yet with Labour we have been given, at best, a rubber spoon with which to achieve it.

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

My personal view is that:

1) Monetary policy is not the answer because our current circumstances mean you want to both raise (to prevent inflation) and lower (to help with cost of living) interest rates.

2) We should therefore look to fiscal policy which basically means raising taxes.

3) Normally I think we should use taxes as a means of redistribution to help the working poor and the vulnerable, but given the current cost of living problems I think that with spades on.

4) I think ruling out windfall taxes (which are obviously one offs not on going) is nuts. When things are tough, take the low hanging fruit!

I'd agree but add:

2a) Devote some Goverment income to building assets like many wind farms that then give a 'return' of both cheaper energy and income for Government to suppliment tax. Some borrowing may be fine for this because 'the market' can see it as an asset that will deliver a return. Also good for our trade balance and exchange rates to wean us off foriegn fossil fuel costs.

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

Johnson claims he had 102 backers but chose not to stand. Probably got 'backers' confused with 'children'.

The thing about habitual liars and fantasists is that they... erm, keep telling porkies and fantasising. Who knew?!

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

If I was still an artist I'd do a gravestone with them all on it for posterity.

Did you mean "under it"? 8-]

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

Anyone interested in how the economy really works should read Richard Murphy carefully.

I keep advising people to read Galbraith's books. Good content well written. In effect, enjoyable reading, not a struggle. Also often amusing in the barbs and pokes it takes at 'conventional' economics. In terms of readability, far better than, say, Keen.

I just wish all Galbraith's Reith Lectures were on the BBC site, and they'd rerun his old TV series as well.

 

[ciderglider]

At some point the Tory Party needs to realise that the ERG is their version of the old 'Militant Tendancy' - an entry route/camo for some with wildly unrealistic beliefs about how an economy/society 'should' be.

I think you''ll find that the Militant Tendency were a fine phalanx of democratic socialists, unjustly purged from the party by the anti-democratic right.

 

[matthewr]

Boris Johnson as skips.

https://twitter.com/Pandamoanimum/status/1584479418981851136

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

I think you''ll find that the Militant Tendency were a fine phalanx of democratic socialists, unjustly purged from the party by the anti-democratic right.

Some were, others weren't. They were a mix.

FWIW I was a LP member for decades and was usually well over to 'the left' in internal argments about policy, etc. Often unhappy with PLP, etc being too 'right' and middle-of-the-road. So I'm judging it from that experience.

I'd also criticise the way many LP councillors, etc, used it for their own benefit and ignored the views of members/public.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

I guess we'll never see the headline "Mordaunt shorts the pound"

Maybe she'll become speaker of the house

 

[notaclue]

Johnson statement effectively states he believes himself to be far better suited than RS or PM and seems likely he will now proceed to be a destabilising influence on the next Tory government. 2 years is a long time to keep the show on the road with so much internal hatred and rivalry. Was wondering if Johnson would be given a top job as a way of ,"unifying" but suspect he is only interested in being pm anyway.

Though out of the next 2 years, Johnson will be on holiday for 1 year and 11 months. He'll have limited time to do the damage...

Hopefully we will soon see him suspended from the Commons and losing in a byelection.

 

[TheDecameron]

Michael Fabricant has thrown his rug in with Commodore Mordaunt. She’s finished. All we need now is news of a scuffle between Andrew Bridgen and Nadine Dorries and Gove to be caught bent over a toilet cistern for Panto season to officially start.