[satnav]

I would love to know exactly what Oliver Dowden is doing in the US talking to various right wing think tanks? Is he actually over there with a begging bowl raising funds for the Tory Party. Presumably the Tories can't tap up their Russian donors at the moment so American billionaires could help to plug any gaps in funding.

[mattomac]

Taking notes, be interesting to note if they haven’t already and it does feel with certain policy if they ditch research units and staff.

[Samanfur]

I'm wondering if Dowden needs his own thread at this rate:

[MisterMuncher]

Counterpoint: it is precisely the infighting, defiance and divisiveness created by conservative resistance to the advance of basic equality and human decency that emboldens the "enemies of the West". It not only undermines the importance of civilised values to the "West", but it indicates to said enemies that they'll have a nice repressive glove to slide their hands into when the time comes.

[Cyclist]

I nearly put this in the Continuity Jez thread. It's getting hard to tell the difference,

A Conservative councillor has been suspended from his party after his social media posts appeared to support Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Shayne Pooley, who represents the Gainsborough ward for Ipswich Borough Council, has apologised.

He said he "believed false propaganda" and his posts were "wrong".

Councillor Ian Fisher, the leader of the Conservatives on the council, said the comments would be investigated.

The posts have since been deleted.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suf ... 537267.amp

Yet we're the ones who are red Tory traitors.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This was a new name to me. Editor of Yorkshire Post points out Johnson is a liar. This is "activism", apparently.

[mattomac]

Yeah wouldn’t want Journalists doing their job.

[Youngian]

Gavin Williamson is to get a knighthood. Shows Johnson’s learned no humility and carries on taking the piss.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

You can get a K for selling fireplaces now?

[Watchman]

Gav must have some serious shit on the fat cunt

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Or he's just what they think is a good bloke, talented by their standards, who stood down without making a fuss. They think this is normal and acceptable. The fact he annoyed the teachers, who are all woke lefties, was a serious bonus in the culture wars.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

[Tubby Isaacs]

Be fair, Gav was a visionary. He told Russia to shut up and go away.

[Watchman]

Yep, that one’s aged well

[Oboogie]

Williamson is a former Chief Whip, he knows where the bodies are buried, it'll be for keeping his mouth and his little black book shut.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He was chief whip under Theresa May. Johnson probably doesn't have much to fear from that era.

Might just have been like they do with backbenchers. "Here you go, a K, you owe me for that!"

[Youngian]

Sir Desmond was knighted for stupidity beyond human comprehension

[Malcolm Armsteen]

The moron's moron.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Is that stupidity or does he think it's in his interests to blame the EU? The Kipper base is probably the easiest part of their support to keep hold of.

[Boiler]

A badger that's had its head run over by a 44-tonner still has more brains than Swayne.

In case you're wondering about his background, the following from Wiki:

Desmond Angus Swayne was born on 20 August 1956 to George Joseph and Elizabeth McAlister Swayne (née Gibson). He was privately educated at Drumley House Preparatory School at Mossblown in South Ayrshire and Bedford School. He studied Theology at St Mary's College at the University of St Andrews.

He taught economics at the Charterhouse School for one year followed by seven years at Wrekin College (both independent boarding schools). On 22 November 1986, as a prospective parliamentary candidate for a South Wales constituency, he was quoted in the Western Mail saying that "the surest way to protect the public from AIDS is to outlaw homosexuality and lock up offenders". From 1987 to 1997, he was a computer systems manager at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Yes, he's a God-botherer too.