Politics Thread!

[Harlequin]

Surely a free market obsessed Government wanting to strip public spending to the bone should be eager to close all its internal bars, restaurants and even more bars to enrich the local privately-owned hospitality businesses in Central London.

[Dio]

But then where would MPs get drunk and feel up anyone who happens to be in the vicinity?

[merman]

Conor Burns, sacked as a show of Luz Truss’s “strength”, is still in line to become Lord Burns thanks to Johnson’s “resignation honours”


Oh, and Moody’s credit agency the latest to downgrade the UK’s credit rating due to Kamikwazi Kwarteng’s mishandling of the financial statement. He has now been forced into publishing more details AND an OBR forecast on October 31st, four weeks ahead of when he planned to. That is mainly to try and make sure the Bank of England doesn’t hike interest rates too much in November...

[Rhythm]

Kwarteng is out. Hunt rumoured to be the leader in the running to replace him but TBH not sure if Truss is going to last long enough to action anything.

[KlaxonCow]

The Tories should have voted for Sunak.

But, ah, I guess asking the Tories to elect the first non-Caucasian Prime Minister might have been asking too much of them.

There's been a woman PM before - successfully so, as far as Tories are concerned - so I guess the Conservatives voted.. well, conservatively.

[tufty]

Oh, what a terrible shame. Still, maybe he can hold the door open for Liz.

[Rhythm]

Hunt confirmed as replacement

[merman]

Hunt confirmed as replacement Chancellor

BBC quoting Tory MPs that Liz Truss’s eight minute statement where she avoided the questions was a “car crash” and that appointing Hunt was tantamount to giving him the chance to take over and oust her.

Thing is, Kwasi’s economic policy was HER policy to go for growth.

That speech also included “shrinking the state” and “efficiencies needed in public services” - in other words:
- twelve years of Tory austerity and cuts were for nothing
- there are no more efficiencies you can make in services that have been cut to the bone & are overwhelmed and over-staffed*
- that goes against her pledge at PMQs 48 hours earlier that there would be NO spending cuts even before her screeching U-turn on the corporation tax cut


*especially where much of the service has already been privatised/put out to tender, thus proving the private sector is not more efficient or cost-effective

[Dio]

that goes against her pledge at PMQs 48 hours earlier that there would be NO spending cuts

That's not quite what she said. There would be no cuts in spending. Several people have pointed out since that 'spending' might be interpreted to include the £60m energy cost support.

[rowan]

I wonder what's next? It does seem as if an apprentice has been left at the controls for five minutes.

[tufty]

Remember when we thought May was the worst possible PM? She was replaced by Boris. We thought he was the worst possible PM. He was replaced by Truss. We thought she was the worst possible PM, and is likely to be gone within the week.

Eventually the PM will be replaced by an actual literal turd, or maybe they'll find someone sane enough to try and rebuild the Tories' credibility. I'm not sure which is more likely. Truss' deputy PM, though, is not Jeremy Cunt - it's Therese Coffey, and thus her who should naturally take the reins of power if Truss walks. That makes me favour the "actual turd" hypothesis.

[Felonious Feline]

I don't think May was a bad person, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She seemed to genuinely want to do what was best. BoJo was a total chancer, but very bright and quick witted - and able to talk his way out of much of the shit. Truss is entirely out of her depth. Had she kept one or two experienced hands in senior positions whilst she learnt the ropes it might've worked out differently.

Now the next game to play is how long will she last? She has to reach January 3rd to not be the shortest tenured PM... My betting is she won't get to the end of the month.

[Dio]

Yeah, May was never a problem in herself. While she certainly did play up to the nasty party image as home sec, she'd probably have made a decent PM in better circumstances. She didn't have much charisma (see also Starmer, Keir) but her problem was the people sat behind her.

[tufty]

My betting is she won't get to the end of the month.

I wouldn't give good odds on her getting a second PMQs.

[Harlequin]

Remember when we thought May was the worst possible PM? She was replaced by Boris. We thought he was the worst possible PM. He was replaced by Truss. We thought she was the worst possible PM, and is likely to be gone within the week.

Eventually the PM will be replaced by an actual literal turd, or maybe they'll find someone sane enough to try and rebuild the Tories' credibility. I'm not sure which is more likely. Truss' deputy PM, though, is not Jeremy Cunt - it's Therese Coffey, and thus her who should naturally take the reins of power if Truss walks. That makes me favour the "actual turd" hypothesis.

Sorry, yeah, my maths was off
But still, including Brown, it's 5 in the past 12 years. That's not normal.

That is all Cameron's fault. The party was so pissed off about him campaigning against Brexit they decided to stuff his Fixed Parliaments Act and instead switch leaders as often as they can. I do not know, however, why they keep trying to find one even worse than the last.

Cross your fingers that Sink Under the Shit but Bail Out the Money Liz survives the next election. They probably have Rees-Mogg or Dorries lined up to replace her.

[Jeremike Hunt:] our fourth different Chancellor in less than five months, as many as there were in twenty-two years up to the 2015 election won by the Conservatives on a promise of strong and stable government.

Worst. Calendar. Ever.

My betting is she won't get to the end of the month.

I wouldn't give good odds on her getting a second PMQs.

A live Twitter stream set up to determine whether she can last longer than a lettuce has just entered its second day.

Personally, I would be content with her lasting up to 118 days. George Canning currently holds the shortest record, dying on his 119th day.