Anarchy in the UK

Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, July 6th, 2022 - 41 comments
Categories: boris johnson, Conservation, uk politics, uncategorized - Tags:

Who would have thought that Boris Johnson’s reign as Prime Minister would be so chaotic.

The problem isn’t so much his inability to manage, or his hypocrisy over Covid or his repeated philandering.  It is his inability to tell the truth.

The latest crisis erupted after a Tory MP Chris Pincher was accused of groping two men while under the influence of alcohol.

He had previously been forced to resign as assistant whip in 2017 after other allegations of sexual misconduct had been made public.  It had been claimed that Johnson said about his former whip that he was “Pincher by name, pincher by nature”.

Johnson was quizzed repeatedly about what he knew about Pincher.  His response initially was that he was unaware of any specific complaints against Pincher, then he said that he was aware of media reports and allegations but had thought that they were “either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint”.  But there had been an official complaint and investigation by the Foreign Office which confirmed Pincher’s misconduct.  Then it emerged Johnson had been briefed in person about Pincher.

Johnson then admitted that he had appointed Pincher to a government position despite having been told about the complaint and acknowledged that he had made a bad mistake by not acting on the complaint.

Then the resignations started flowing.  So far these have included:

  • Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak,
  • Secretary of State for Health Sajid Javid,
  • Solicitor General Alex Chalk,
  • Trade Envoy to Kenya Theo Clarke,
  • Government aide Virginia Crosbie.

Tory vice-chairman Bim Afolami resigned live on TV.

The insults also flowed.  For instance Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell has said this:

“It’s a bit like the death of Rasputin. He’s been poisoned, stabbed, he’s been shot, his body’s been dumped in the freezing river and still he lives,” Mitchell told BBC Newsnight.

He was also adamant that it was “over” for the prime minister.

“This is an abnormal Prime Minister – brilliantly charismatic, very funny, very amusing, big, big character, but I’m afraid he has neither the character nor the temperament to be our prime minister.”

No doubt others will resign as well.  Can the last remaining Conservative Cabinet Minister not forget to turn out the lights?

Others are blithely still drinking the cool aide.

It can only be a matter of when Johnson goes.  If he survives the week I will be impressed.

41 comments on “Anarchy in the UK ”

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  1. SPC 1
    6 July 2022 at 11:34 am

    It would appear that "Boris" needed a minder to deal with management of ethical matters.

  2. Matiri 2
    6 July 2022 at 11:58 am

    Also three Parliamentary Private Secretaries (our Associate Minister equivalent) have resigned –

    Jonathan Gullis – Northern Ireland

    Saqib Bhatti – Health

    Nicola Richards – Transport

  3. weka 3
    6 July 2022 at 12:06 pm

    why now though? Given all the bullshit that's gone down, is sexual harassment and more lying that significant to the Tory MPs and MSM who will decide when Johnson goes?

  4. Anne 4
    6 July 2022 at 12:12 pm

    The problem isn’t so much his inability to manage, or his hypocrisy over Covid or his repeated philandering. It is his inability to tell the truth.

    If my own experience of people who have an inability to tell the truth is anything to go by, it starts back in childhood. They find they can get away with it and eventually it becomes a habit. They even start believing their own lies.

    I think other personality disorders are usually present as well, Someone who knows Johnson well described him as a sociopath. That sounds about right.

  5. Sanctuary 5
    6 July 2022 at 12:37 pm

    Ah the British Conservative party, combining all the discipline of George Best with the sexual restraint of Harvey Weinstein since forever.

  6. AB 6
    6 July 2022 at 12:42 pm

    So in 2019 a decent human being who in reality was characterised only by (to quote WH Auden*) "an extraordinary mildness", was smeared as an anti-semite, a terrorist, unpatriotic and danger to Britain – while a preposterous, chaotic and dishonest Tory clown was cheered to a stonking 80+ seat majority in the Commons. And will now be replaced quite possibly by someone from the right of his party who will prove to be a competent sociopath rather than an incompetent one. Excellent all round then.

    * Auden's great poem "Herman Melville" from 1933.

  7. Ad 7
    6 July 2022 at 12:46 pm

    I hope he stays on.

    The Conservative Party needs to be trashed for much longer.

    • peter sim 7.1
      6 July 2022 at 9:49 pm

      ABSOLUTELY THRASHED. The opposition are pathetic. Britain is very, very overdue for MMP.

  8. Mat Simpson 8
    6 July 2022 at 12:52 pm

    " They find they can get away with it and eventually it becomes a habit. They even start believing their own lies.

    Yes Anne and one of our recent PM's was very successful in the art of deceit.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/04/435-lies-by-john-key/

    These two were beauties

    27.I won’t raise GST

    28.people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST

  9. Mat Simpson 9
    6 July 2022 at 2:04 pm

    I remember sleaze as a contributing factor when the Tories under Major were routed in 1997.

  10. Tiger Mountain 10
    6 July 2022 at 2:31 pm

    What was that long ago story about a Tory leaders University fun involving a pigs head?

    What a lovely bunch, but as always it is up to the people to get involved and hopefully institute a proportional electoral system.

  11. PsyclingLeft.Always 11
    6 July 2022 at 6:14 pm

    A Boris Mashup…..well that was a given : )

    Fight. For your right…to party !

  13. The Craig 13
    6 July 2022 at 7:45 pm

    I'm 100% for Boris too – he's brilliant entertainment and the only weapon the British Labour Party has.

    • DavidJ 13.1
      7 July 2022 at 12:16 pm

      Boris should have gone on the stage. He really is very funny, and would have made an excellent stand up comedian. smiley

  14. Muttonbird 14
    6 July 2022 at 7:58 pm

    https://twitter.com/seandw14/status/1544376829678682114

    End of days for Boris. All he has left is Rambo Zelensky.

  15. Anne 15
    6 July 2022 at 8:32 pm

    The Guardian Live. The Tories are trying to pin the blame on Alistair Campbell, Blair's former communications chief:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jul/06/boris-johnson-rishi-sunak-sajid-javid-resignations-uk-politics-live-latest

  16. Amakiwi 16
    6 July 2022 at 10:04 pm

    Poor Boris. Like all Tory PM's, he went to Oxbridge instead of acting school.

    He has no fan club to sing his praises irrespective of what stupidities or crimes he commits.

    He’s as lovable as a fart in an elevator.

  17. Anne 17
    6 July 2022 at 10:32 pm

    Dear oh dear. One by one they're all resigning. I think there is a bit of bread and some butter going on here.

  18. Populuxe1 18
    6 July 2022 at 11:43 pm

    At this rate Jacob Rees-Mogg will be PM

  19. Muttonbird 19
    7 July 2022 at 8:27 am

    He just sacked Michael Gove, who has been a leadership contender in the past.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisMasonBBC/status/1544777097859764225

  20. BAW 20
    7 July 2022 at 8:50 am

    On a personal level I hope Johnson is looking after himself. Such a political situation can be head wrecking.

    But how on earth does the PM

    1) Survive?

    2) And if he does survive comeback and win the next election?

    The longer this drags on the more likely we might see an instant resignation. How do you chair a cabinet who has asked you to go while the selection process for your replacement goes on.

  21. Sanctuary 21
    7 July 2022 at 8:53 am

    Boris Johnson is "…simply a messy bitch who lives for drama, brought to these humiliating depths by penumbra of chaos he carries swirling around him…"

    A sentence too good not to share and the rest is pretty good as well.

  23. Peter 23
    7 July 2022 at 9:47 am

    Today's a good day to look again at "The life and lies of Boris Johnson" from early June.

    It gives a perspective, a background on the man, a "how did we get to this?"

  25. Anne 25
    7 July 2022 at 10:39 am

    Goodness me. It really is getting serious. Larry has had enough:

    https://twitter.com/carldinnen/status/1544652005154721793

  26. joe90 26
    7 July 2022 at 1:04 pm

    So, no running to Queenie.

    .

    A senior Conservative MP has told Yahoo News UK that Buckingham Palace intends to block an early general election if Boris Johnson calls one as a last ditch attempt to save his premiership.

    […]

    "I've been told that the Palace are prepared to block an early snap election if Johnson attempts to call one to save his own skin," said the MP for North West Leicestershire.

    "And the Palace has the right to do that under the Lascelles Principles

    https://uk.news.yahoo.com/buckingham-palace-early-election-boris-johnson-105754050.html

    • joe90 26.1
      7 July 2022 at 2:11 pm

      Your country's sillier than my country.

      https://twitter.com/ChoiceWandys/status/1544782068105637888

      • SPC 26.1.1
        7 July 2022 at 3:19 pm

        I'll give up a not so hidden clue – the GOP includes those who say that the USA is a constitutional republic and not a democracy. Thomas Jefferson ran for POTUS as candidate for the Democratic Republican Party – which is something Liz Cheney might think about reforming.

    • SPC 26.2
      7 July 2022 at 3:26 pm

      To remind people of times Elizabethan past, the age of Baldrick of the Commons and Flashheart of the Lords, balderdash Boris. Given the time of calling for some knights to rid the realm of such had been and gone, the instruction would have been – be off with you, or head off for another round of bean counting.

  27. Matiri 27
    7 July 2022 at 2:07 pm

    He's Trump without the violence, hopefully. I despair for my homeland.

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