[Nigredo]

[Youngian]

Some of that 27% will be a vote to keep Johnson on to destroy the Tory party. But I fear most are irredeemable fuckwits.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Might be lots of people who only follow politics at elections in there.

Plus Liz Truss who wants Johnson to take the heat for imminent tax rises and living cost rises.

[Rosvanian]

As a Labour voter I'm quite happy for Johnson to remain in post for a while longer. However, what on earth is going on in the minds of the majority of Tory voters? Their man is a disaster for them.

[Bones McCoy]

Stay or go, this party business isn't going gently into the dark night.


I hear Brenda's doubled the guard at Windsor.
She doesn't want to become the biggest ever dead cat.

[satnav]

Nice cartoon on the Open Britain Twitter feed.

[Bones McCoy]

I hear Rayner's opening the bowling at PMQs tomorrow.

Looking forward to a bit of uncompromsing chin music.
Quite a contrast with Starmer's military medium line and length.

[satnav]

Faced with any direct questioning about the party on 20th May Johnson will avoid giving a proper answer on the grounds that the matter is currently being investigated. The best line of attack would be for Rayner and every opposition MP to raise cases of constituents who had to say their final good byes to loved ones through windows or over the phone and ask Johnson what he would like to say to these constituents.

[davidjay]

The one thing they don't want is his resignation. This lame duck will be allowed to limp as long as he likes.

[Bones McCoy]

Comments on ConservativeHome - I've not seen them so angry since a black man presented the weather - mostly think that Johnson is a dead man walking.

[Bones McCoy]

Also on ConservativeHome:

Moderators pulling an allnighter to hold back a tide of unsavoury comments about Sunak.
I can't see him becoming Johnson's successor while that mob are in the party.

[Crabcakes]

A quick look at the front pages reveals that the party is mentioned on each and every one.

Except The Sun. Obviously.

Special mention for the Express though, which seems to be taking the line of "Sort your staff out, oh blameless leader".

Apparently the Sun is rumoured to have had its own dodgy staff do mid-lockdown, so they’re keeping quiet because if they go in for him as well, they might find themselves on the receiving end of some equally troubling leaks…

As for Johnson, I will be delighted to see him serve up “it is a matter for Sue Grey” at PMQs later, as if that is in any way an answer to “did you go to a party in your own back garden?”. Because the more he does it, the stupider and more callous and elitist he makes them all look. But at least now we all know why they stepped up for Cummings - he knew they’d all been at a jolly a week earlier.

[soulboy]

The Mail goes in two-footed and studs up. How quickly they turn.

Boris Johnson's litany of lies: the PM's multiple public and private scandals from lockdown-busting parties and cash for the No10 flat to misleading the Queen, cocaine and multiple affairs

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ndals.html

The Express however doubles down on its Johnson rimming. Their front page headline is

WINNING WAR ON COVID, FIXED BREXIT... DON'T BLOW IT NOW PM!

[Watchman]

When he does go, I want the full charge sheet; not just the parties, not just the girlies, not just the wallpaper, but everything with his fingerprints - the oligarchs, the PEE scandal, the siphoning of public money to his mates, the malfeasance in public office, the sheer incompetence of his “career”

[RandomElement]

When he does go, I want the full charge sheet; not just the parties, not just the girlies, not just the wallpaper, but everything with his fingerprints - the oligarchs, the PEE scandal, the siphoning of public money to his mates, the malfeasance in public office, the sheer incompetence of his “career”

From the CPS:
Misconduct in public office is an offence at common law triable only on indictment. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

[Watchman]

Who should actually bring the charges?Would that have to be a private prosecution?

[Youngian]

When he does go, I want the full charge sheet; not just the parties, not just the girlies, not just the wallpaper, but everything with his fingerprints - the oligarchs, the PEE scandal, the siphoning of public money to his mates, the malfeasance in public office, the sheer incompetence of his “career”

Even France and Italy put sticky fingered ex-leaders in the dock. The US government fears civil war if Trump is indited but who'd take to the streets to defend Bozo? Dim Stanley is having a go at a Remoaner conspiracy.

[RedSparrows]

To which the answer is: 'so what, motherfucker'.

[Youngian]

Now Johnson's sacked an ERG nutbag. All she wanted was a Brexit bonus. A brave move, prime minister.

[Oboogie]

It just gets better and better:

Dear Young Winston,
Over a year of hard work has paid off today. The High Court has ruled that the Government’s operation of a fast-track VIP lane for awarding lucrative PPE contracts to those with political connections was unlawful.
In a challenge brought by Good Law Project and EveryDoctor to the behind closed door VIP lane worth billions of pounds, the Court found:
“the Claimants have established that operation of the High Priority Lane was in breach of the obligation of equal treatment… the illegality is marked by this judgment.”
The Judge agreed the VIP lane conferred preferential treatment on bids: it sped up the process, which meant offers were considered sooner in a process where timing was critical, and VIPs’ hands were held through the process. She said:
“offers that were introduced through the Senior Referrers received earlier consideration at the outset of the process. The High Priority Lane Team was better resourced and able to respond to such offers on the same day that they arrived”.
The Court found the Government allocated offers to the VIP lane on a “flawed basis” and did not properly prioritise bids:
“there is evidence that opportunities were treated as high priority even where there were no objectively justifiable grounds for expediting the offer.”
The Court noted that the overwhelming majority by value of the product supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda could not be used in the NHS. An independent investigation by the BBC has also revealed issues with the product supplied by Clandeboye which were not disclosed to the High Court. Good Law Project believes that the Government misled the Court and is in correspondence with lawyers for the Secretary of State.
The Judge found that, even though Pestfix and Ayanda received unlawful preferential treatment via the VIP lane, they would likely have been awarded contracts anyway. The Judge also refused to allow publication of how much money was wasted by the Government’s failure to carry out technical assurance on the PPE supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda. Good Law Project is considering the wider implications of these aspects of the ruling and next steps.
We first revealed the red carpet-to-riches VIP lane for those with political connections in October 2020. Since then, we have fought to reveal details of those who benefited, and at whose request - while the Government fought to conceal them.
Never again should any Government treat a public health crisis as an opportunity to enrich its associates and donors at public expense.
We want to thank our expert legal team who have worked tirelessly on this case. And we want to thank you for your trust in us, and your continued support of this case over 18 long months. Without you, this simply wouldn’t have been possible.
Thank you,
Jo Maugham - Good Law Project