Tory Leadership contest 2022

[elbows]

By the way I was tidying up my pandemic archive earlier and came across this article from 2021. I didnt even attempt to gain access to the whole thing, the headline was enough.

‘Rishi Sunak was the main person responsible for Covid’s second wave’

The government had been warned about the consequences of a second wave but, by the end of July, the scientists on Sage were reporting that they had no confidenc

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[bluescreen]

So what was Johnson on about today in PMQ's when he said his successor might be elected by acclamation, so this could be his last PMQs? And then made a sort of farewell speech after which another PMQs would make him look like the man who left and then had to come back for his hat.

Until he mentioned acclamation I thought it the least likely outcome this time round. And the only person I can think of being acclaimed is Sunak who is loathed by Johnson and his chums.

Should add that when this was reported on R4 WatO it was immediately followed by a package on Mordaunt's launch, like a bit of heavy handed drama signalling.

 

[bluescreen]

By the way I was tidying up my pandemic archive earlier and came across this article from 2021. I didnt even attempt to gain access to the whole thing, the headline was enough.

‘Rishi Sunak was the main person responsible for Covid’s second wave’

The government had been warned about the consequences of a second wave but, by the end of July, the scientists on Sage were reporting that they had no confidenc

www.thetimes.co.uk

I was thinking of that too.

 

[wow]

I think you just read their near-to-last post. I don't think they're going to like it here.

I like it so far. Is this a closed shop or something?

 

[spitfire]

I like it so far. Is this a closed shop or something?

No, crack on.

 

[Dystopiary]

Have no idea which twat will be the least bad twat but the thought of another PM being referred to by their given name most of the time is a pretty horrible one. So for that reason I hope it's not Sunak.

 

[Lurdan]

By the way I was tidying up my pandemic archive earlier and came across this article from 2021. I didnt even attempt to gain access to the whole thing, the headline was enough.

‘Rishi Sunak was the main person responsible for Covid’s second wave’

The government had been warned about the consequences of a second wave but, by the end of July, the scientists on Sage were reporting that they had no confidenc

www.thetimes.co.uk

Archived here if anyone does want it.

 

[ska invita]

Have no idea which twat will be the least bad twat but the thought of another PM being referred to by their given name most of the time is a pretty horrible one. So for that reason I hope it's not Sunak.

PENNY

 

[xenon]

Mordaunt is gonna win. Just putting it on record.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

This is excellent on the insanity of the tax cuts/shrink the state/retro Thatcherism malady that is the Tory leadership election and the collapse of intellectual and serious politics within the Tory Party. As the article demonstrates even the most rabid right wingers recognise the need for state intervention and insourcing, yet the Tories remain moored to the neo-liberalism of the 70’s

Britain needs Macmillan, not Thatcher

None of the Tory candidates inspires hope for the future

unherd.com

 

[wow]

No, crack on.

Cheers.

Mordaunt is gonna win. Just putting it on record.

Not going to happen.

One single reason: Optics and future memes from her bellyflop appearance on Splash render her candidacy untenable.

Every wrong word: bellyflop
Every bad policy: bellyflop
Every mistake: bellyflop

It makes you an international laughing stock, and they’ve just got rid of one of those.

Her appearance on that show hasn’t been widely republished through the tory media yet, but it will do when she becomes the binary candidate. After that, curtains.

 

[bluescreen]

Cheers.

Not going to happen.

One single reason: Optics and future memes from her bellyflop appearance on Splash render her candidacy untenable.

Every wrong word: bellyflop
Every bad policy: bellyflop
Every mistake: bellyflop

It makes you an international laughing stock, and they’ve just got rid of one of those.

Her appearance on that show hasn’t been widely republished through the tory media yet, but it will do when she becomes the binary candidate. After that, curtains.

That's a pretty cynical view of the sophisticated thinking of the Tory electorate. So probably right.

Except, except - I reckon most of them are so old they won't be susceptible to memes on social media, or even know what social media is.

It will work fine on the run-up to the general though.

 

[skyscraper101]

Have no idea which twat will be the least bad twat but the thought of another PM being referred to by their given name most of the time is a pretty horrible one. So for that reason I hope it's not Sunak.

Word. I can't abide the amount of people who are like 'Boris' this and 'Boris' that. Fuck off with your matey first name terms.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

His name is Alexander.

 

[Nine Bob Note]

His name is Alexander.

Al to his friends/wives

 

[bluescreen]

His name is Alexander.

His name is Johnson. Unless you're on first name terms with him since childhood I don't reckon you'd be calling him Alex.
Anyway, public school chaps are used to being referred to by surname.

 

[wow]

That's a pretty cynical view of the sophisticated thinking of the Tory electorate. So probably right.

Except, except - I reckon most of them are so old they won't be susceptible to memes on social media, or even know what social media is.

It will work fine on the run-up to the general though.

I didn’t say social media. I said the tory media.

It’ll take a while for it to bubble up to Rothermere’s desk, but once it does it’s game over

 

[bluescreen]

I didn’t say social media. I said the tory media.

It’ll take a while for it to bubble up to Rothermere’s desk, but once it does it’s game over

Point taken. Not sure though that newspapers have the same impact - less impetus and insistence, so not necessarily going to override preferences.

Who is Rothermere's preferred candidate?

 

[tommers]

If we have somebody called Mrs Mordaunt as prime minister then that really is Palpatine kind of levels of evil hiding in plain sight. What do we expect to happen? Its every villain from every film. The woman from the Phillip Pullman books, the head of the ministry from Harry Potter, a Victorian workhouse owner from a Charles Dickens novel. She's Judge Death, the Greek god of the underworld... I could go on.

 

[tommers]

Like fucking hell, portals opening around the country, demons issuing forth....

 

[wow]

Point taken. Not sure though that newspapers have the same impact - less impetus and insistence, so not necessarily going to override preferences.

Who is Rothermere's preferred candidate?

Agreed. A dying influence, but still very much alive in a certain demographic.

Expect a strong persuasion for Sunak from the Tory media.

 

[JimW]

Cheers.

Not going to happen.

One single reason: Optics and future memes from her bellyflop appearance on Splash render her candidacy untenable.

Every wrong word: bellyflop
Every bad policy: bellyflop
Every mistake: bellyflop

It makes you an international laughing stock, and they’ve just got rid of one of those.

Her appearance on that show hasn’t been widely republished through the tory media yet, but it will do when she becomes the binary candidate. After that, curtains.

Nah, Cameron fucked a pig but it's not that which did for him.

 

[bimble]

Expect a strong persuasion for Sunak from the Tory media.

err. the exact opposite of this is happening though isnt it.

Daily Mail out to stop ‘traitor’ Sunak as Tory rivals vie for press backing

Analysis: newspapers still hold great power, and pro-Johnson Mail has set out its ‘anyone but Rishi’ stall

www.theguardian.com

 

[redsquirrel]

This is excellent on the insanity of the tax cuts/shrink the state/retro Thatcherism malady that is the Tory leadership election and the collapse of intellectual and serious politics within the Tory Party. As the article demonstrates even the most rabid right wingers recognise the need for state intervention and insourcing, yet the Tories remain moored to the neo-liberalism of the 70’s

Britain needs Macmillan, not Thatcher

None of the Tory candidates inspires hope for the future

unherd.com

Yes, much of this stuff on taxes is not really being pushed by capital. Which is not to say that capital won't take advantage of any cuts but (i) its Tory members dreams driving this nonsense (ii) its going to much easier to talk this shit then enact it.

Businesses are sceptical about the need for an immediate cut to corporation tax, however, arguing that it is a tax levied on profits at a time when many companies are facing recession. “A lot of companies would not see any benefit of corporation tax cuts as they are not making any money,” said Stephen Phipson, head of Make UK, which represents manufacturing in the UK. Claire Walker, co-executive director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Businesses are not interested in headlines; they want realistic levels of tax cuts and, while a reduction in corporation tax would be welcomed by firms, the immediate need is still great.”

Likewise with much of the environmental stuff. For various reasons large parts of capital has been moving this way for some time.

Lord Adair Turner, the former chair of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), and former head of the CBI employers’ organisation, now chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, told the Guardian: “I definitely think businesses want to continue with net zero. Most businesses have very clear net zero targets, and most are aware of technologies that get us there [to net zero].

“What businesses want is continuity of policy. That enables them to plan. They hate instability of policy, when one government takes one direction then another government takes a different one. They want long term targets, and want to know where they’re going. There is wide acceptance of net zero.”

 

[bimble]

Who is Rothermere's preferred candidate?

Dm has gone full Truss but the telegraph looks Mordant.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Mordaunt is gonna win. Just putting it on record.

It certainly looks that way, she's got the momentum to be in the last two, and she's the members' choice, something big would have to happen to stop her now.

 

[brogdale]

The members want their ‘Iron Lady’ back.

 

[bimble]

lol

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Which is not to say that capital won't take advantage of any cuts but (i) its Tory members dreams driving this nonsense (ii) its going to much easier to talk this shit then enact it.

It’s not even Tory Party members so much. The last polling I’ve seen on their members (Tuesday by Opinium) has cost of living, refugees/Rwanda, Ukraine and the NHS all ahead of ‘grow the economy’ (which I’m assuming includes tax cuts). But your central point - that even capital believes the proposals are economically illiterate is key to understanding just how out of step their MPs are with the real world and the actual economy.

On your second point agree completely, as the article makes clear - there really isn’t much of the state left that could easily be cut or sold off.

 

[Artaxerxes]

lol

Brexit means full English? No hash browns