GRALISTAIR
Established Member
The Conservative majority is large enough they can afford for him to lose the whip/{insert whatever demise here}
It appears that only some of the population of Epsom and Ewell have any faith in the dullard, for reasons I can't fathom.
Fair enough - I guessed it might be something like this.As a resident of Epsom, I can answer this - he's actually a very, very, good constituency MP who is always very aware of local issues and is on top of them. Unlike most MPs, he also tries to show his face in the constituency at least once a week, and makes an effort to talk to the ordinary members of the public.
He should be careful where he gets his aftershave.LOL - So will Mr Lewis be having a fitting for concrete boots?
I think it's funny and I'm pleased at what's happened.
Which after all this build up will probably turn out to be a damp squibAlthough they do say the Russia report will come out next week
We should probably keep an eye out to see what else they release/announce on the same day when everyone's looking the other way.Which after all this build up will probably turn out to be a damp squib
We should probably keep an eye out to see what else they release/announce on the same day when everyone's looking the other way.
Which after all this build up will probably turn out to be a damp squib
The Government have now announced they believe there was Russian Interference in the 2019 election, citing the US-UK trade document leak. The report to be released does not cover the 2019 election, it was ready long before then, so the dead cat throwing appears to already have begun.We should probably keep an eye out to see what else they release/announce on the same day when everyone's looking the other way.
"Russian actors" almost certainly sought to interfere in the 2019 UK election through illicitly acquired documents, the government has said.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said any attempt to meddle in UK democracy was "completely unacceptable".
Indeed - a perfect outcome imhoSurely a classic case of cutting off nose to spite face?
Having failed to get their stooge elected as chairman (of a supposedly independent and non partisan committee), the worst possible "revenge" is to make an enemy of the MP who was elected. Sacking him is hardly likely to make him toe the Johnson / Cummings line!
Looks like a good outcome all round - one in the eye for Boris and Dominic, a potentially effective and independent minded chairman, and the utterly useless Grayling unable to do more damage than he managed at Transport and particularly Justice, where his disastrous "reforms" are still being expensively undone.
Getting their retaliation in first - a Russian intervention that helped Labour.The Government have now announced they believe there was Russian Interference in the 2019 election, citing the US-UK trade document leak. The report to be released does not cover the 2019 election, it was ready long before then, so the dead cat throwing appears to already have begun.
'Almost certain' Russians sought to interfere in 2019 UK election - Raab
The government publishes a report on a leaked document used by Labour at the 2019 election.www.bbc.co.uk
Just heard on Radio 4 that MPs have voted for Julian Lewis to be chair instead of Chris Grayling.
It certainly didn't help the Tories, but I don't see how Labour gained anything from it. However I do remember Boris and co. said not long after Labour exposed the leak that we needed to find who was responsible for the leak ASAP, which if anything meant they indirectly admitted the contents of the leaked trade memo was legitimate.Getting their retaliation in first - a Russian intervention that helped Labour.
In the world of news it usually means to put other news stories out in order to try and distract from something much more damaging.Sorry to be slightly off-topic , but I have been out of the UK for 20 years. What is the meaning origin of the phrase "throwing a dead cat"? Never heard it before until I read this thread.
Sorry to be slightly off-topic , but I have been out of the UK for 20 years. What is the meaning origin of the phrase "throwing a dead cat"? Never heard it before until I read this thread.
"Let us suppose you are losing an argument. The facts are overwhelmingly against you, and the more people focus on the reality the worse it is for you and your case. Your best bet in these circumstances is to perform a manoeuvre that a great campaigner describes as 'throwing a dead cat on the table, mate' There is one thing that is absolutely certain about throwing a dead cat on the table ― and I don’t mean that people will be outraged, alarmed, disgusted. That is true, but irrelevant. The key point is that everyone will shout, “Jeez, mate, there’s a dead cat on the table!” In other words, they will be talking about the dead cat ― the thing you want them to talk about ― and they will not be talking about the issue that has been causing you so much grief.’" (Boris Johnson, 'This Cap on Bankers’ Bonuses is Like a Dead Cat – Pure Distraction', The Telegraph, March 3, 2013
Sorry to be slightly off-topic , but I have been out of the UK for 20 years. What is the meaning origin of the phrase "throwing a dead cat"? Never heard it before until I read this thread.
To me, Boris sometimes comes across a bit like an overgrown schoolboy spoilt brat, who throws a tantrum when someone disagrees with him. Or alternately, a bit like a "mini-Trump", although the latter seems far more repulsive in his public image.I think it's funny and I'm pleased at what's happened.
I think it points to one of Boris Johnson's fatal weaknesses, which will do for him in due course - he doesn't like confrontation or telling people what they don't want to hear, so he packs his cabinet with sycophants and rewards people like Grayling for their loyalty rather than for their ability. During the period of Covid briefings it was noticeable that when bad news had to be delivered, someone else was usually "fingered" for the task, yet when "good" news came along it was always Boris giving it.
I can relate to Chris Grayling being a good MP because mine is Esther Mcvey and I've been surprised that instead of just a flurry she seems to remain active and involved in constituency issues. I don't like her politics one little bit, and I'm never going to vote for her, but I won't condemn her for the good work she appears to be doing as well.
The impression I get is that he hasn't outgrown the school debating society, where people argue for or against a motion pretty much regardless of whether they believe in it. He seems to be motivated by beating other people, chooses the motion and which side to take purely on those grounds, and is then moreorless obliged to implement it even if it's disastrous as a policy.To me, Boris sometimes comes across a bit like an overgrown schoolboy spoilt brat, who throws a tantrum when someone disagrees with him. Or alternately, a bit like a "mini-Trump", although the latter seems far more repulsive in his public image.