Mailwatch(ed) Forum

To be fair, that goes back to 2010. Thirteen years in opposition had seen whatever remnants of the Major era* shuffle off or be Ken Clarke. Nonentities such as IDS were now senior elders. Aside from Clarke as token old guy, Cameron's cabinet was pretty fresh faced.

And oh how quickly it went! By May's time, there was Hammond (famous for going on Top Gear and arguing that the economy would improve massively by upping the national speed limit to 80mph, as everyone would be getting places faster). Hunt was a bit of wet lettuce, most famous for losing arguments to Stephen Hawking, pretending he hadn't, and hiding behind a bush. Big beast came to mean any MP with a waistline over 36 inches who you'd vaguely heard of.

The absence of talent was all too apparent by the time Johnson came in, but let's not forget it started much earlier. Partly the reason why they were always in attack mode - it distracted from the lack of actual work done.

*And even then, Brian Mawhinney, Jimmy Hanley, Iain Lang....

Independent reporting Braverman is about to defect to Reform.

I know we vote for individuals, but defecting after 2 weeks would be quite something.

Doesn’t make any sense, no one can read the runes as to Reform’s future, what route the Tories will take or Farage’s ambitions in relation to the Tory party. Unless Braverman is very dim with a screw loose (no need to answer that one).

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2024 5:24 pm Independent reporting Braverman is about to defect to Reform.

I know we vote for individuals, but defecting after 2 weeks would be quite something.

It’s a shame the Recall of MPs (Change of Party Affiliation) Bill failed back in 2020, which I believe would’ve forced a by-election within six months of all such instances.

(A huge irony of that Bill was that one of its co-signatories was a certain Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP who barely a year later crossed the floor and joined the Labour benches.)

Ha ha.

Not sure I agree with that bill though. That gives the party too much control over their MPs, to my mind. Unless you're Dick Taverne or Jez, you're probably not going to win a by-election.

All it will do is allow Nigel Cunt to brag about his company being diverse; “look we’ve allowed a woman in, and she’s tinted”

I'm not sure Farage will be completely comfortable allowing a somewhat loose canon in Braverman being allowed in his yard. First thing she'll definitely be told is not to upstage him in public.

Wouldn't be surprised if she sounded out a Tory party leadership, got word back that she's no chance and so decided to take her ball and go else where.

James O’Brien is off on his hols for the next fortnight, and believe it or not, one of the people covering for him on LBC next Tuesday - is Braverman !

I didn’t believe it at first, but there it is. Can’t decide whether I fancy listening or not.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2024 8:23 pm James O’Brien is off on his hols for the next fortnight, and believe it or not, one of the people covering for him on LBC next Tuesday - is Braverman !

I didn’t believe it at first, but there it is. Can’t decide whether I fancy listening or not.

I predict a lot of switching off after ten minutes when the rubberneckers realise how bad she is. Not so bad she's good, pointless bad.

Three hours of live radio? Engaging with the general public, as well as the sort of person who picks up the phone to LBC? How difficult can that be?

I predict a textbook lesson in the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Try photocopying your way out of that one and sticking it on your CV.

It’s quite an old radio tradition to have MPs from opposing parties sit in a week each of holiday cover. Rather listen to Ken Clarke’s Jazz greats than Braverman. From the days when Tory MPs had cultural hinterlands.

I'm sure Ms Braverman has a hinterland.

Tune in to Desert Island Genocides as Sue-Ellen selects her favourites.

She heard about Hinterland and was on the phone to her staff demanding they set up a meeting with their ambassador to discuss dumping refugees there.

Well done Andy. After three consecutive nights of poor sleep you've given me the first proper laugh of the day.

The former Attorney General Dominic Grieve has recently joined X. He has tweeted this morning about Tom Tugenhadt and leaving the ECHR. In his tweet he describes Suella as a “parody Attorney General “. I am guessing he was not a fan of her time in that role.

Braverman is apparently eyeing up a media career after bravely not standing to be leader because even her colleagues can’t stand her.

Given her abysmal performance on LBC, she’s either braver or even stupider than I thought.

Paul Ross, Richard Blackwood, Tony Slattery (back in the day...), the Hamiltons....no shortage of opportunities to go on TV and make an arse of yourself for coins.

Then again, wasn't that how Vivienne Rook got started in Years and Years? Fuck.

Maybe she has a passion for some old mode of transport.

If Braverman wants to become a broadcaster then she needs to resign her seat in parliament and then see how much she is actually rated by potential employers. GB News are already moaning that the Labour government is not in a rush to allow ministers to appear on the channel. A news channel that can't get government ministers on its shows is not going anywhere fast.

I wonder how long the money men will continue to keep bailing out right wing news outlets like GB News. Are these channels really going to hang on until the next election or will they cut there losses.

satnav wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 9:48 am If Braverman wants to become a broadcaster then she needs to resign her seat in parliament and then see how much she is actually rated by potential employers. GB News are already moaning that the Labour government is not in a rush to allow ministers to appear on the channel. A news channel that can't get government ministers on its shows is not going anywhere fast.

I wonder how long the money men will continue to keep bailing out right wing news outlets like GB News. Are these channels really going to hang on until the next election or will they cut there losses.

Your last point depends entirely on who's handing money to the money men.
Whether they're businessmen with a sideline in neo-fascism, or middle men for Putin / Koch money.

Why would Ministers waste their time on a "News" (Not News) channel.
Another reason why political parties aren;t "all the same".

GB news sailed pretty close to the wind with Southport before sending Blondie out to explain that lobbing bricks at the fuzz was naughty.
It's a matter of time before they make another wrong call, serious shit follows and their "we didn't mean .." card won't wash.