[Crabcakes]

Johnson is playing a riskier game than he realises. If he pushes it too much, Starmer may point out that as the buck stopped with him he took responsibility and apologised even though it wasn’t his decision -and he wasn’t even aware of the case at the time - whereas Johnson doesn’t take responsibility for even his own actions, doesn’t apologise, and doesn’t even seem to care about how much of an insult it is.

[Crabcakes]

Also, another letter has gone in. This time from Gary Streeter.

[Boiler]

Johnson is playing a riskier game than he realises. If he pushes it too much, Starmer may point out that as the buck stopped with him he took responsibility and apologised even though it wasn’t his decision -and he wasn’t even aware of the case at the time - whereas Johnson doesn’t take responsibility for even his own actions, doesn’t apologise, and doesn’t even seem to care about how much of an insult it is.

The worst thing for me is that I have gone from merely hating Johnson to wishing harm upon him.

[Boiler]

Also, another letter has gone in. This time from Gary Streeter.

We're still a long way from 52 (or is it 54?) yet and I still think there's enough sycophants to put him back into office.

[Andy McDandy]

Remember when he threw Soames and Grieve and others out of the party for daring to go against him? Put his party into a minority. Could he do that again? Remember, a majority of 78 means that if 39 have had enough, he's in serious trouble.

[Crabcakes]

Also, another letter has gone in. This time from Gary Streeter.

We're still a long way from 52 (or is it 54?) yet and I still think there's enough sycophants to put him back into office.

Indeed. But every one who pulls away gives someone else pause for thought as to whether they should follow suit. And Sunak and Truss will have to make a call soon on whether to push for the throne and call on their allies to put the boot in, or potentially lose their shot at being PM.

[Oboogie]

I've no idea where we are with the numbers*. About a week ago people were bandying around figures in the mid twenties but then it turned out it was only four confirmed. Now, according to the i, there are twelve as of 4pm but I think there may have been a couple more since then. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/no-co ... id-1437207

*Obviously the only person who really knows is Sir Graham Brady

[Tubby Isaacs]

Remember when he threw Soames and Grieve and others out of the party for daring to go against him? Put his party into a minority. Could he do that again? Remember, a majority of 78 means that if 39 have had enough, he's in serious trouble.

Wouldn't think he'd do that. In 2019, he had to get the Brexit Party voters back, and chucking out sane MPs was a good way to do that. Swinson and Corbyn weren't up to peeling enough Grieve types off.

There's not a bunch of voters out there who he doesn't have now who'll be impressed with chucking out Tobias Ellwood and Gary Streeter. It's more likely that leads to more defecting to Starmer and Davey.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nice problem to land in Johnson's lap.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ood-checks

Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister has ordered a halt to Brexit agri-food checks at the region’s ports.

The DUP minister Edwin Poots, whose officials are responsible for carrying out Northern Ireland protocol checks, said he had ordered his permanent secretary to stop them at midnight on Wednesday.

As I understand it, the UK Government would be expected to overule normally, as they're bound by the NI Protocol. But this isn't exactly the image the government is projecting to its base at the moment. It couldn't refuse to overule, could it?

That's a bigger trade dispute coming, one might think.

[Boiler]

There's not a bunch of voters out there who he doesn't have now who'll be impressed with chucking out Tobias Ellwood and Gary Streeter. It's more likely that leads to more defecting to Starmer and Davey.

Oh, I dunno - there's still a *lot* of Brexit zealots out there who'd welcome it.

[davidjay]

Even if they do get the 54, it's a long way from there to the number they'd need to get rid of him, and most of those who have written will be doing so because they're worried about losing their seats rather from any sense of decency. There's no way they will be leaving the party they helped shape.

[Boiler]

Jen Psaki suggests that Joe Biden has never been ambushed by a cake.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ ... df97438997

[Youngian]

Jen Psaki suggests that Joe Biden has never been ambushed by a cake.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ ... df97438997

Now Washington as well as Moscow are taking the piss.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Amid everything else today, I haven't seen this get any attention. WTF?

[davidjay]

Amid everything else today, I haven't seen this get any attention. WTF?

You wonder if he knows if he's lying.

[Andy McDandy]

Lots of commentators are telling Peston et al to stop this gossip columnist crap and do their jobs.

[Boiler]

There's a certain vanity to having an emoji or whatever it is designed in your own likeness.

I see what you mean about the commentators.

[Nigredo]

[Boiler]

I wish I had the eloquence to write to my (Conservative) MP and ask him whether he supports or condemns the accusations made against the Leader Of The Opposition by the Prime Minister.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Johnson has withdrawn the Savile slur.