[Bones McCoy]

ConservativeHome finally twig that Sunak's a socially awkward character who struggles with rapport with normal people.

Hindsight isn't a strong point for the forum that flung its support behind May and Truss.

[Youngian]

Getting sick of lazy journalists describing Sunak as a technocrat because he worked with numbers instead of people. If he was someone who studies complexity of policy and delivers solutions he would be forgiven for being awkward with the public on the stump.
He’s the very opposite of a technocrat who believes opaque workings of the market should replace government problem solving.

[Andy McDandy]

For your average journalist, a technocrat is anyone who can turn a computer on without calling IT support.

It's also journo code for nerd.

[Abernathy]

To give Tory MPs a micron of credit, well Tory ministers really, they are sticking to those crap messages in disciplined fashion. The Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake , was dutifully trotting it out this morning.

But of course, the problem is that one, that Labour has no plan is quite simply an outright lie, and that two, this government’s record over 14 years is so absolutely atrocious - they’ve turned literally everything to shite - that for most people, going back to square one seems a very attractive proposition.

I expect they’ll be getting feedback to that effect from their comms team, so we can probably expect them to come up with a different slogan in the next fortnight or so.

[Watchman]

ConservativeHome finally twig that Sunak's a socially awkward character who struggles with rapport with normal people.

Hindsight isn't a strong point for the forum that flung its support behind May and Truss.

Not sure how late to the party they are on that one; at the end of the day the Tory view of how to engage with the general public has basically been driven by the PLU/silent majority will agree with us belief, no need to make too much effort. Now whether they encourage such "men of the people" as 30p and Squawker Gullis to attract the working class, or simply to cover Sunak's social inability, is open to debate. Also, I've been of the impression that the Tory powers that be, backed Sunak simply because it ensured they kept the keys to Number 10 for a bit longer. I'm sure they knew what his personality was, but given how Tories eventually resort to type (no matter how hard they try to convince you otherwise), I'm sure there are those of the view that "he's a good chap doing the books for his mother's pharmacy, but don't think the old boys at the club would have him as a member, not a JRM sort of chap at the end of the day"

[Tubby Isaacs]

Getting sick of lazy journalists describing Sunak as a technocrat because he worked with numbers instead of people. If he was someone who studies complexity of policy and delivers solutions he would be forgiven for being awkward with the public on the stump.
He’s the very opposite of a technocrat who believes opaque workings of the market should replace government problem solving.

There are, or certainly used to be, people who believe in markets and problem solving at the same time. Obamacare is a good example. I suppose he was interested in free ports before they were fashionable (or before Brexit forced governments to scrabble around looking for benefits). But there's not much.

File under "think I'd be good at it".

[Abernathy]

A summary of today’s exchanges across the despatch box at PMQs :

Keir Starmer : “ Was the Prime Minister surprised to hear one of his own MPs ( Simon Clarke) say that the PM simply does not get what people want? “

Rishi Sunak : “Yah boo sucks. Starmer smells of poo.”

Erm….. that’s it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

And his answer to any Tory MP asking about their constituency is "we're looking at that".

[Andy McDandy]

"He did work for a proscribed terrorist group!"

Well, they were only proscribed very recently. Bit like saying a Gloucester estate agency is guilty for selling a house to Fred West.

[Tubby Isaacs]

And anyway, even proscribed terrorist groups need to have legal representation.

This is funny.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is interesting. Is Sunak going to have to sack the chair of the OBR?

Very welcome intervention by Richard Hughes.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yes but no but.

[Andy McDandy]

It's another irregular verb. I lead. You set an example. He virtue signals.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Absolutely bizarre. Far too long and delivered like she's on to her tenth hour of a filibuster.

[davidjay]

If he does it quietly how does she know about it?

[Bones McCoy]

Does a lot of work for cheridee, doesn't like to talk about it.

[Andy McDandy]

Does he run accompanied by a small army of police officers?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Any difference betvween the US Republicans in 1994 and the UK Tories in 2023 that you can think of?

[satnav]

Apparently Rishi was meant to visit Scarborough today but at the last minute he bottled it when he was made aware that there was a protest waiting for him staged by locals who are not happy about water quality in the area. Instead of facing an angry mob he visited a skills centre South of Scarborough which provided him with the opportunity to dress up for a photo-op.

[Tubby Isaacs]

More Sunakism- the tactic of drawing a dividing line that mostly divides your own side.