[Andy McDandy]

Even the culture wars stuff is looking stale. At least Dowden had just about enough blandness to pass off attacks as "I'm as reasonable as the next person but aren't we getting a bit carried away?". Dorries is such a headbanger, she can't manage that. Her "bestselling novelist" claims are easily disproven, and in the public eye she's better known as the woman who chugged kangaroo cock.

When Whippingdale's "Britishness" speech hits on such cultural milestones as Dad's Army*, Carry On films**, and Coronation Street, you know it's pretty thin gruel. Shades of Trump's "Why can't they make nice films like Gone With the Wind?" rant when Parasite won the Oscar. People already pointing out that Fleabag and the Derry Girls would probably hate Johnson's guts.

*The US had a remake of it called Home Guard. And as Chris Morris pointed out, "Bunch of guys full of their own self-importance screw something up" is a comedy staple worldwide.

**Carry On films were a regular fixture on ITV in my youth, but these days where do you see them apart from the nostalgia channels? And amusingly, the speech referred specifically to the CO films of the 70s, generally seen as the series' dork age, rather than the "OK, some of the jokes aren't all bad" 1960s ones.

[Samanfur]

I'm not sure if you've heard, but Whittingdale's lost his portfolio, as well.

[Oboogie]

It appears that these appointments have been driven by popularity as measured by a poll by Conservative Home. Appointing these fuckwits will apparently go down well with Conservative Party members and shore up Johnson's support. As ever, Johnson is putting his own interests ahead of his party, let alone the country.
Not for the first time, I'm struck by the similarities between Johnson and Corbyn.

[Samanfur]

The BBC definitely seem to be determined to tell us how popular Dorries is with the Tory grass roots.

[Andy McDandy]

Well, she has to be with somebody.

[Oboogie]

The BBC definitely seem to be determined to tell us how popular Dorries is with the Tory grass roots.

And, according to Conservative Home's poll, the BBC are correct. Is there any evidence that Dorries is not popular with Tory grass roots?

[Crabcakes]

Johnson was popular with Tory grass roots right up until he started fucking with people's pensions. The biggest risk of promoting based on the "sense" of those who don't have to work with them is that its promoting a distorted image of a person - and when that person fails to perform, it's a double whammy of them not only being measured against general indicators of performance but against the image that got them where they are in the first place.

Which is a roundabout way of saying when Mad Nad fucks something up, or fails to pull off some stupid culture war issue, or accidentally ends up picking a fight on Twitter with someone who turns out to be a war hero, it'll be that much bigger a fall in the eyes of those who thought she seemed like the "right sort".

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Like most Tories she's a passive racist. They'll forgive her just about anything, like Patel.

[Crabcakes]

Like most Tories she's a passive racist. They'll forgive her just about anything, like Patel.

I remain convinced that one day, Patel will be thrown under a bus and discover to her horror that she's not "one of the boys" after all, but just a classic villain's lieutenant - entirely dispensable once her usefulness has ceased.

[Cyclist]

Nicked from Elsewhere (where it had been nicked from the Twitters)

@BorisJohnson
Hello Boris. Weights and Measures Inspector here. Sorry to dispel your latest bit of kite flying.

1. The UK transferring to metric measures had bugger all to do with our EU membership. (1)

2. The UK agreed, when it signed the OIML treaty in 1856 to move to a single system of measurement (S.I. units). Metric measures have been lawful in the UK since 1875. (2)

3. Are you proposing the UK leaves the OIML treaty? (3)

4. Only Myanmar and the USA currently use imperial measures (US measures are actually slightly different). How does this play with your claim of 'Global Britain'? (4)

5. We have a national shortage of Weights and Measures Inspectors. Are you going to pay for new inspectors to be trained (which currently takes 6 years)?

6. Certificates of approval for imperial metrological equipment have long since lapsed. Will you subsidise the industry cost of certification?

Most imperial local standards and testing equipment have long been retired. Will you subsidise Local Authorities for the cost of this equipment and the creation of new metrological laboratories?

A local standard mass comparator costs £30,000. Are you willing to spend many millions of pounds reintroducing such equipment?

Imperial measurements have not been taught in schools since the mid 1970s. Indeed, to have been taught imperial measures, consumers are likely now retired? Are you willing to invest many more millions in educating the UK population of imperial measures?

Or is this, like your Bridge to Ireland, a nonsense policy only to distract form the appalling way you are running this country?

Finally, the USA is a member of NAFTA, where both Canada and Mexico use the metric system. This has meant increased visibility of metric markings on US goods. The US is a signatory of the OIML treaty. Interest in metric is growing in the USA

[Bones McCoy]

I suspect Cameron's puling strings, encouraging the return of the hogshead.

[Boiler]

I suspect Cameron's puling strings, encouraging the return of the hogshead.

[mattomac]

Odd thing is with that list is the only one unpopular who didn’t get shafted (bar the PM) was Patel.

[Spoonman]

I suspect Cameron's puling strings, encouraging the return of the hogshead.

Abe Simpson's car is horribly inefficient, regardless of what nominal customary length & volume you apply to "rod" and "hogshead".

[Youngian]

Taking the bins out, putting the kettle on

[Bones McCoy]

"Made it Ma! Back of the queue".

Taking the bins out, putting the kettle on

Apologies to James Cagney and Barack Obama.

[Youngian]

As David Henig pointed out on the R4 this morning (no Tim Martin!), the present EU roll-over relationships have been fine to conduct US trade. Johnson decided to make a US-UK FTA* a totemic issue and has now fallen on his arse.

* This would amount to minor tariff tweaks and screwing UK agriculture.

[Crabcakes]

Seeing as Johnson likes Churchill so much, I'm sure he'll be seething at his imminent arrival back in the UK sub-Chamberlain style to announce he has in his hand no piece of paper

[Nigredo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58654624

The pork haystack is feeling nettled.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58654624

The pork haystack is feeling nettled.

The fucking entitled arrogance of it.