[Tubby Isaacs]

Reform Party are available for that purpose.

[Abernathy]

I don’t think the North Shropshire backlash, if/when it materialises, will be about a desire to revolt against Covid “Plan B” public health measures. It’ll be motivated by anger at the hypocrisy, lies, corruption and incompetence of Johnson.

Almost uniquely in a by-election, anger at the lies of a PM will be the key issue.

[Abernathy]

The plot thickens

[Malcolm Armsteen]

3am
Lib Dems claiming victory 'by a comfortable margin', Tories not denying it.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

4:15am

Result

Lib Dem : 17957
Tory : 12032
Labour : 3686
Green : 1738
Reform : 1427
UKIP : 378
Reclaim : 375
Monster Raving Looney : 118
Ind (Yolande Kenward) : 3

So a majority of 5925, Tory vote down by two thirds...

Remarkable.

Taxi for Johnson?

[Arrowhead]

Lovely news to wake up to! At 34%, this is the7th biggest by election swing in history, apparently.

[Cyclist]

Johnson is now doing for the Tories what Corbyn did for Labour.

[Youngian]

Johnson is now doing for the Tories what Corbyn did for Labour.

Taking the analogy further; If he’s challenged by Hunt on a Captain sensible ticket, the cranky membership may re-elect Bozo.

[mattomac]

Wasn’t even close, it’s a major revolt and quite possibly a permanently damaging one.

Did the lead up to Batley and Spen mark a high water point for them and did Labour holding on mark the change of the tide. Remember before that Johnson was talking up 10 year reigns.

Then again anyone who does that usually ends up in the dustbin within 2-3

No one saw that coming… not that margin. And not with Labour not collapsing to 2pt

[Boiler]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

[Dalem Lake]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

His usual bombast was totally gone and he was stuttering and rambling all over the place. I don't think he's used to taking the heat.

[Crabcakes]

Johnson essentially said if people hadn't caught them doing what they were doing and then told other people about it, then it would all have been fine.

Which, M'lud, I believe is known as the "Scooby Doo defence", where in this case the media & the public are the pesky kids who didn't let him get away with it.

[Abernathy]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

Yes, thought he sounded totally desperate. Can’t believe that he thinks he’s going to placate anybody whatsoever with such pathetic bluster. Fair play to Coates for trying to skewer the bastard.

One thing (among fucking hundreds of others) that’s really starting to get on my nipple-ends about him is the way he keeps attempting to justify his incompetent blundering by asserting (wrongly) that his government is getting on and delivering “what the people of this country want”. No you FUCKING aren’t, you straw-haired sack of shite ! As I find myself screaming at the tellybox or the radio far too often these days.

[Boiler]

<Insert standing ovation GIF for Abers here>

[Andy McDandy]

Will of the people though. All based on what some of the people wanted on one day some years ago.

And it's great, because anyone who points out that they are "of the people" and don't want this, then that's easy. They're not "the people".

It's like there's an entire people out there that you wouldn't know because they go to a different school.

[Youngian]

The Tory for North Shropshire was a hopeless dud. Its as if he was selected to hasten Johnson’s departure.

[kreuzberger]

Don't know. He would have fitted in perfectly with that mad woman who is in a Smiths tribute band in Beaconsfield, or something.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

His usual bombast was totally gone and he was stuttering and rambling all over the place. I don't think he's used to taking the heat.

Because it's so rare for a journalist to come back at him and not accept the shambolic act.

[Spoonman]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

Not that anyone that posts here on MWF isn't aware of it, but that just there reeks of entitlement arrogance.

And as for this "he's trying his best" crap, from working at schools and being in staff rooms I get the general message of a teacher either writing that on a report or telling a parent the same on parent-teacher meeting night is at least nine times out of ten a polite (dare say "politically correct") way of saying "your kid is thicker than two short planks".

[Watchman]

Did anyone hear The World At One today, along with Johnson's interview with Sam Coates?

Ultimate precis: it's all the media's fault for not reporting what we want them to report.

His usual bombast was totally gone and he was stuttering and rambling all over the place. I don't think he's used to taking the heat.

Because it's so rare for a journalist to come back at him and not accept the shambolic act.

Or have his handlers been withdrawn , and there is no longer the stage management of only allowing questions from “friendly” journalists. If so surely the game is up