Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 9:10 am Anyone else noticed that the script has subtly changed? It's now "He took the tough but necessary decisions", presumably to head off anyone raising the small matter of 170,000 dead. I get that he wants to sound like Churchill debating whether or not to allow the bombing of Coventry, because to intercept the raid would show that we'd broken the Enigma code, but seriously?

Watchman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:29 am This “he got the big calls right” really fucks me off, take the vaccination program; there’s a global pandemic, you’re provided with detailed and verified data that a vaccine works, any sane person would say “okay let’s vaccinate the population, it’s not a “big call”, it’s doing the bleeding obvious

Watchman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:29 am This “he got the big calls right” really fucks me off, take the vaccination program; there’s a global pandemic, you’re provided with detailed and verified data that a vaccine works, any sane person would say “okay let’s vaccinate the population, it’s not a “big call”, it’s doing the bleeding obvious

davidjay wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 11:45 am When you analyse his decisions, almost every one was wrong but that's not important because soundbites are better than facts. I survived Covid, none of my family died, therefore he got everything right. QED.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 2:00 pm Johnson's played Lord Geidt like a fiddle, I'm afraid. And Labour.

Geidt, having not resigned over Partygate or the wallpaper lies, has walked out over... the legality of steel tariffs. The steel tariffs Johnson supported are supported by Labour too (thanks, Rachel "Trump" Reeves). The letter was held back long enough for Labour to rush in.

I didn't see that trap coming. Though maybe it doesn't matter- as far as most people are concerned, liar Johnson has lost another ethics adviser.

Boris Johnson is considering scrapping the role of ethics adviser after the resignation of Lord Geidt, who accused him of making a mockery of his position overseeing standards in government.

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the move demonstrated “there are no ethics in Boris Johnson’s Downing Street”. “It appears he will now try to keep it that way, content to further debase standards in public life and demean his office.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson has no ethics, so it’s no surprise he wants to scrap his ethics adviser.”

Boiler wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:30 pm

Watchman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:29 am This “he got the big calls right” really fucks me off, take the vaccination program; there’s a global pandemic, you’re provided with detailed and verified data that a vaccine works, any sane person would say “okay let’s vaccinate the population, it’s not a “big call”, it’s doing the bleeding obvious

I'm more thinking back to early 2020: we could see the mayhem and death toll in Italy at that time - I used to look and think "surely they'll learn from this and take the necessary, if harsh, measures?"

No, Hancock and his horsey mates got their Cheltenham Festival and from then on it was just dither and delay - very much an ostrich mode of hoping "it'll all go away, all it needs is British spunk" or summat.

Utterly, utterly incompetent. Which went on to be mirrored by other populist leaders.

And I remain firm in my opinion that he was never that ill - only his privilege got him into ITU. Anybody else would have been on a ward on oxygen.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:21 pm I've read his resignation letter. Not much mention of steel tariffs, but quite a lot of straws and camels backs.

Election guru Lynton Crosby attending PM’s morning meetings

Lynton Crosby, the election guru and businessman, has been attending Boris Johnson’s 8.30am meetings in No 10, showing he is more involved in the prime minister’s decision making than previously thought.

The Australian political strategist, whose advisory firm has represented tobacco as well as oil and gas interests, is known to have been helping Johnson remotely over his leadership woes but his involvement in the regular meetings shows he appears to have taken a much greater role than before.

Crosby runs CT Group – a government affairs, polling and research company – as well as advising political leaders on their electoral strategy. His return to advising Johnson has coincided with a shift to the right as the prime minister tries to bolster his standing with that wing of the party and those who elected him 2019.

A No 10 source confirmed that Crosby had attended some morning meetings, but insisted these were party political rather than official government ones.

A government spokesperson said: “Lynton Crosby is not a government employee. Any assistance to the prime minister would be party political and in his capacity as leader of the Conservative party.”

One source with knowledge of Crosby said the election strategist, who mostly lives in Australia, had been mostly dialling into meetings.

A second source said he also sometimes attended in-person, entering No 10 via a more discreet entrance in the Cabinet Office. They claimed that officials had raised concerns about his attendance.