Should Boris resign

I think he is highly intelligent and completely ruthless. He may or may not use that in the national interest but aside from throwing money at the pandemic he has made a lot of mistakes and clearly the culture he presides over at No. 10 is grossly unsatisfactory. Tinkering with the structure of No. 10 won't solve that problem. And obviously a lot of dead cats aka government initiatives are being quickly thrown on the table to divert us - the Met investigation, levelling up, using the Navy in the channel, the BBC licence fee, playing Ukrainian games, etc., etc. The Tories are tainted by defending him but they have only 2nd rate options to replace him. I think if it comes to a Tory vote on his future I suspect he will win and thus be fairly safe for a year so we shall be stuck with him.

Some will retort that the article does not come from impartial source. Few do- most of the Press certainly does not, especially when Murdoch, etc, pull the strings.

Article from
www.opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-information/revealed-the-files-that-expose-erg-as-a-militant-party-within-a-party/

Here is just one article

A group of pro-Brexit Tory MPs led by Jacob Rees-Mogg were spoon-fed questions intended to undermine their own government. The European Research Group encouraged its members to wrong-foot the prime minister and senior ministers on everything from control of migration to trade deals and EU laws, according to a cache of private documents obtained by openDemocracy.

The questions, usually accompanied by “superficial” research, were expected to be deployed against the Tory government. Details of the ERG’s inner workings were revealed after openDemocracy fought a successful legal battle with the spending watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

The European Research Group received hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayers’ money over the last four years. The ERG’s work, claimed as part of MPs’ pooled resources, is supposed to be research that is politically neutral, essentially not for party political purposes.

IPSA carried out a limited examination of the ERG’s output and found it “factual and informative”. But trade experts who reviewed the material dismissed the ERG’s output as “superficial and selective" and “highly partisan”.

Back to the ERG. And no, those who are concerned about how theyhave been manipulating Brexit, politics in general and Johnson, are NOT conspiracy theorists.

Doesn't matter if you are left, right or anything in between, pro or anti Brexit or EU, or whatever. Take time to find out about this 'secret society', who they are (well they refuse to say, but we know about quite a few of them) and what they stand for.

Now they have (mis)used Johnson to get a big majority, they will get rid of him and do everything they can, to appoint one of them and try and get as many as possible in positions of power.

Oh, and don't confuse 'free markets' with 'free trade'. They are completely different animals.

Anyone with a shred of decency would have resigned by now. Whether he was or wasn’t at these parties is immaterial. As Prime Minister he is responsible for what goes on at 10 Downing Street and at the end of the day he must bear responsibility for the fact that the parties were held there. Staff must have felt confident that he would not oppose what they were doing and that they would not be penalised for breaking the rules. They have been treating the people of this country with contempt and taking us for fools. Whoever has exposed this information has done us all a favour and the sooner he goes the better. Watching his supporters coming on television and trying to excuse him is excruciatingly pathetic and they can have no self respect to do this.

Calistemon

^Whilst he has not yet had the opportunity to lay out his stall, we do know that he is an admirer of the type of free market economy in Singapore.^

Is that similar to the New Zealand model?
I know a lot of people admire New Zealand and its Government.

I am not an economist, that is why I ask.

I think it's more like the US model, Calistemon. Everything is driven by profit, with minimal public spending. The theory is that all needs are catered for by private enterprise and that competition for business will ensure that prices are low and businesses are efficient because they can only make a profit by being efficient. Along with private enterprise goes deregulation, both of standards and workers terms and conditions. State interference in this is inimical to the workings of the market as it introduces barriers to profit taking. Think the Victorian era...

It also means minimal state welfare and no, or minimal, state funded health care.

Blondiescot

Yes, yes and yes again! What 'good' has he done? What more would he have to do for people to stop supporting him - slaughter babies in the street outside 10 Downing Street?

Someone else said stamp on puppies in the street. That would probably turn people off him.

Remember Trump said that if he shot someone in the street, they'd still vote for him? Judging by some of the comments on here I think Johnson's still got a long to go before he's forced out.

humptydumpty

How about Dishy Rishi?

OK if you want a return to austerity

Whilst he has not yet had the opportunity to lay out his stall, we do know that he is an admirer of the type of free market economy in Singapore.

Is that similar to the New Zealand model?
I know a lot of people admire New Zealand and its Government.

I am not an economist, that is why I ask.

He is a serial lier. He can’t help himself. As Max Hastings once said “I wouldn’t trust Johnson to tell me the day of the week”. We can’t trust a word that comes out of his mouth and what credibility will we have as a country if he continues as PM? As for JRM as a possible replacement with his fake accent and Dickensian view of the world I would curl up and hope to sleep until woken up on the day of Keir Starmer’s election victory.

He should totally resign. As someone who works in the NHS, he's absolutely exhausted us by delaying legislation every single time. Whilst he was having a party, I was unable to go into a room to be with my dying stepfather in his care home. I can never forgive him for his complete lack of respect for the hard working, law abiding citizens of this country. He is an absolute disgrace and we deserve so much better than anything the Conservatives can offer. I'm a Lib Dem voter for a reason. They care, and they've done more in my Lib Dem local constituency than the Conservatives ever did in 25 years. The visible results in my local town and city speak for themselves.
May this loser jog on and let's get down to the serious business of leadership with someone else at the helm!

Whitewavemark2

One thing that we can be pretty certain of is that if Sunak gets the premiership, we will be looking at a very different U.K.

Whilst he has not yet had the opportunity to lay out his stall, we do know that he is an admirer of the type of free market economy in Singapore.

So a shrinking state and focus on individual self help. The implication of this of course is further cuts to the welfare state which would include cuts to provide assistance to disabled and elderly, and National Health Service. We know that he was “in talks” with health providers in the USA just before Christmas.

Frankly if I had a choice Truss would be the better option for our beleaguered country.

I think Truss will be 'steered' by the RW of the party and her agenda will be little different from Sunak's TBH.

As you say the Singapore-style free-market economy which they espouse makes me wonder if there will be some Grans who, having lent their vote to the Tories under Johnson to get Brexit "done", will regret their decision.

Those most in need who will bear the brunt of this neo-liberalism - this Randian 'philosophy' - will certainly include some of our demographic.

As the journalist Tom Lloyd Goodwin said:

The problem, however, is not just a lack of money in the system but a more fundamental lack of belief in the state to deliver public services. Three decades of incremental outsourcing and financialisation in the social care sector has left a legacy of fragmented services and a dependence on big capital providers. The consequence of this laissez-faire approach is a sector that is now more oriented to delivering private profit than to the needs of the people it is supposed to serve.

The whole point is that he's a liar. He is the person that makes the rules and breaks them too. One can't trust a liar.

I hope Boris stays then all the people who are disgusted with his lies could vote Labour.
Sir Keir Starmer is known to have done more pro bono work than paid work whilst a barrister. A truly admirable man with a strong moral character. The kind of person I would like to lead us.

MaizieD

Lizz Truss is as bad as Sunak, Dickens. She's 'small state', deregulation, flog the NHS, too.

And the planned legislation to control the population through voter suppression, clamping down on protests, and emasculating the judiciary etc. will all go ahead because that is what the MPs who comprise the tory majority want. It doesn't really matter who is PM, the far right wing will have its way.

... well they all sing from the same hymn book, but which leader will do the most damage in the shortest space of time?

TBH I'd rather Johnson stay - he's ham-fisted enough to upset the RW MSM now whereas Truss /Sunak are 'smoother' operators and might get an easier ride, which will not be a good thing - bearing in mind what's on the agenda.

As an aside I read Starmers latest speech given to the Fabian Society.

He is clearly beginning to shape policies, beginning with what is everyone’s priority - the NHS and care in the community. He uses the phrase “Home First” to indicate the need to provide notice for those in need of care and who choose (as most do) to remain in their home.

Lizz Truss is as bad as Sunak, Dickens. She's 'small state', deregulation, flog the NHS, too.

And the planned legislation to control the population through voter suppression, clamping down on protests, and emasculating the judiciary etc. will all go ahead because that is what the MPs who comprise the tory majority want. It doesn't really matter who is PM, the far right wing will have its way.

Students at University, living and working in the same hall, would have been fined and criminalised for going into the garden space to enjoy a drink with other students. They weren't even allowed to move out of their bubble. At my grandson's university, security and police made regular checks. Pity they failed to do that at Downing Street. We could have paid off the National Debt with the fines.

Kali2

I have avoided speaking about the foreign Press, social media, TV news- but the reporting and comments are dire- just as Liz Truss is attempting the impossible, re-negotiating a terrible deal, and days after she threatened the EU with Art 16. The damage this is doing to International relations is huge.

When I lived in Norway, as a Brit I used to read the Norwegian press covering events and politics in the UK. It was often a lot more thoughtful and sensible in its coverage than our own national media.

Like you, I'm concerned about our international relations - and not just with Europe. Unfortunately, I am guessing there are quite a few people who will say "who cares what they think" and don't realise that the way our government and politicians behave can have detrimental consequences for our country.

If Truss invokes Article 16, this will be the start of another protracted consultation with regular 3 monthly meetings - see the protocol’s Annexe 7 - with retaliatory measures by either side being subject to the bureaucratic process of notice and consultation. That's the legal-jargon... what it will mean in reality, well you can imagine the dramatic headlines in the tabloid press...

She's very gung-ho - but I wonder how competent she is is in all this? It's easy to be fervent and ardent with your rhetoric, but the nitty-gritty is more difficult. Is this what we need, really, at the moment?

I think she's attempting a power-grab and although I'm not against any politician in principle wanting to become a leader, I'm really not sure she's up to the job. Much as I disliked Thatcher, I don't think Truss has the dedication nor staying power that she had - nor the conviction. Trying to be objective here! I really did not like Thatcher one bit, but her conviction was rock solid and born of a life-long held belief. Which is why she lasted as long as she did.

thats a big officeYogamum I believe they were in small offices so a get together is very different from 2 or 3 people sharing the same space .Thet made the rule surely they could understand what they wete telling the rest of us to do ?

but other people were invited

I agree with you. I also think if people were working together (in an office environment) and after hours, shared a bottle of wine or two etc at work, no big deal just like I’d had no qualms if nurses shared food and cups of tea ot policemen sat and ate together on their break ir after work. They’d all been together doing their jobs already so why not.

Sitting outside in the garden at No 10 when it is both a residence and also a place of work, I’m ok with that.

Thank you Dickens.

I have avoided speaking about the foreign Press, social media, TV news- but the reporting and comments are dire- just as Liz Truss is attempting the impossible, re-negotiating a terrible deal, and days after she threatened the EU with Art 16. The damage this is doing to International relations is huge.

Well said Dickens.