Interestingly, the major parties in the UK seem to get less multi-cultural towards the left. Look at the Green Party - apart from Sharar Ali, I can't think of any major non-caucasian figures during the last few years.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Matt Hancock resigns and following matters
- Thread starter LOL The Irony
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
C J Snarzell
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Apr 2019
- Messages
- 1,506
I have a feeling that if Kier Starmer jumps ship (which is possible!), he could be succeeded by Lisa Nandy (the trojan spokeswoman for Wigan Athletic!!!) who is both female and mixed race.
On the subject of Matt Hancock - does anyone reckon he will sell himself to a tabloid in a few months time to bite back at Dom Cummings?
CJ
brad465
Established Member
That depends on how you view the treatment of those two female leaders vs male leaders: it could be argued that when their time was up they were publicly hounded until they left by members of their party (May definitely was, I wasn't around in Thatcher's day but I've heard enough to suggest she was as well), whereas when a male leader has to go they get told more quietly, as long as they follow suit almost immediately.
There's also the issue of Islamophobia in the party, which Baroness Warsi has been actively trying to raise awareness of.
Just been reading about that but what says more about him is the timeline. It appears he found out the night before that the footage would be released the next morning so raced home to tell her it was over between them before it came out. Absolute cretin of a man.
LOL The Irony
On Moderation
If this is true, his career is done and he can wave any newspaper column goodbye.
birchesgreen
Established Member
No he'll be back in cabinet within 2 years.
Baxenden Bank
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Oct 2013
- Messages
- 4,035
As I read it: Answering questions in the house at 1730, got a call from The Sun 1800, in The Sun the following morning.
The time to resign honourably was that evening, sometime after 1800 and before print, allowing him time to gather his thoughts, speak to wife and type resignation letter / speak to Boris in person.
Busaholic
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Jun 2014
- Messages
- 14,101
Or just as inclined to tokenism as the other parties?
AlterEgo
Veteran Member
For this to be the case you’d need to be confident that the Tories’ ethnic minority cabinet and women ministers are less competent than their white, male alternatives.
Gloster
Established Member
According to The Grauniad, Johnson (giving an interview in Batley) is now hinting that he was involved in Hancock’s departure. On Friday his spokesman said that he had accepted Hancock’s apology and the matter was closed. (The full text of the interview is still awaited, but this does appear to come from direct quotes.)
Busaholic
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Jun 2014
- Messages
- 14,101
No, it could be a simple case of saying we want a certain percentage of ethnic minority cabinet ministers ( and, before that, Conservative candidates.) Women are another matter, which wasn't under discussion, but the same might well apply there too, just as in Labour's women only shortlists. Off the top of my head, the least competent ministers imo in recent times have been Grayling, Hancock, Truss, Eustice, Patel, Brandon Lewis and Gavin Williamson, so two women, one of whom from ethnic minority. On a personal level, if I were a member of either Labour or LibDem parties, my choice of leader would happen to be a mixed race woman, both of them beaten for selection in recent times.
Last edited:
Firstly, I would give credit to David Cameron, He spent time in opposition modernising the party, 'encouraging' a wider range of candidates on reluctant constituent parties. He did for ethnic diversity in the Conservatives, what Blair did for gender diversity in Labour.
I would also add that the advancement of ethnic minorities into cabinet has only really happened under Johnson (only Javid and Patel predate him). It may be on this Forum or elsewhere that claims have been made than Johnson wants ministers who are less 'talented' than himself; I actually that he wants ministers who are grateful to him. Williamson and Patel given a second chance, some lurking towards the right fringes of the party might think their views would exclude them, but others who might have been overlooked under previous leaders or potential leaders - and this includes some who Johnson has now advanced.
Labour - 2002 Paul Boateng was Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Brown's no 2), 2003 Valerie, Baroness Amos was Secretary of State for International Development (first BAME woman to be a cabinet minister), 2007 Patricia, Baroness Scotland was Attorney General. Labour has got a lot more to do but the roots had been set down. Of course, Labour hasn't been in power since 2010 so the current crop could not qualify; Chuka Umunna would have be pretty certain of a post in 2015 if Labour had won.
One last, controversial element, I'm not certain whether Labour is helped by our system of having ministers who are the people's representatives. There seems to be a fair share of BAME members who are/ had been either towards the left edge of the parliamentary party or appear to be content to represent their constituents (no problem with that, that is why they were elected) or to campaign on particular issues.
Indeed. But is this Boris attempting to rewrite history, having realised too late that he should have sacked Hancock in the first place, in the hope that this might make him look better? Or is it true that he was actually involved in getting Hancock to resign, after having said that the matter was closed?
I know which version I believe, of course.
Johnson threw a protective ring around Hancock. (ie he said that the matter was closed but did absolutely nothing to support him, hid away until the inevitable happened.)
WelshBluebird
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 4,923
Something he and his ministers have been doing for a few years now!
Even when presented with video evidence that they said something they will deny it!
C J Snarzell
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Apr 2019
- Messages
- 1,506
It's fair to say that MPs like Matt Hancock never end up on the scrap heap unless they have committed serious criminal offences.
Even if his political career is over, no doubt he'll secure a three figure salary in the private sector somewhere.
CJ
Even if his political career is over, no doubt he'll secure a three figure salary in the private sector somewhere.
CJ
Three figures huh. Hope it's £999 pounds , the upper end of the scale.
Loppylugs
Member
He should get a half-hour comedy show on the Beeb - oh that's been before hasn't it?
JamboCommuter
Member
- Joined
- 13 Feb 2016
- Messages
- 40
After failing to provide his wife with a suitable explanation of his actions he will in future be known as Matt Han.
birchesgreen
Established Member
I thought all that smoke in London today was his jock strap catching fire.
Or Matt casually burning the rest of his documents...
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Love it!
I've heard another nickname for him frequently in the last few days, but the forum rules (and general decency) mean I'll have to leave it to your imagination!
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
I just refer to him as MUTT
DynamicSpirit
Established Member
I would say the opposite. Whatever you might think of their politics, it seems pretty clear to me that Margaret Thatcher was highly talented and very intelligent as an individual, as I would say are people like Kemi Badenoch, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid. My suspicion would be that it is precisely the lack of tokenism in the Conservatives, combined with the way that the Conservatives tend to value individual achievement and people taking risks and succeeding in own their right that is the reason talented people like that tend to end up in the Conservative party rather than the Labour party in the first place - and then on account of their talents make it very high up the ladder. I would suspect that has a lot to do with why the first female PM was a Conservative and why the Conservatives tend to have more senior people from ethnic minorities.
If I may?
Fortunately for those from ethnic minorities who are now either in the cabinet or on the next rung down, Johnson cleared out stacks of ministers by sacking them, taking the whip away or driving them out, which created more space at the top than there would normally be at any one time. He also wanted to distinguish his administration from the May era. Consequently there are a number who achieved an escalated promotion, meaning that seeing a non-white face at the podium or dispatch box is no longer the exception.
* - in the past I would have added 'class' but that is less obvious now.
It has always been true that for anyone who is 'different' from the norm in any way (gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, accent*) any perceived errors are magnified and publicised. Things go wrong, they always do but there is a trail of white, middle class, mediocre ministers who have survived, comparatively unblemished going back decades; but the performance of those that stand out is scrutinised in depth. They need to be determined to push on, despite all. (I was tempted to quote Kipling's 'If' here). Fortunately gender is no longer an issue but the others are and will be for some time, simply because there will be distinct minorities.
Fortunately for those from ethnic minorities who are now either in the cabinet or on the next rung down, Johnson cleared out stacks of ministers by sacking them, taking the whip away or driving them out, which created more space at the top than there would normally be at any one time. He also wanted to distinguish his administration from the May era. Consequently there are a number who achieved an escalated promotion, meaning that seeing a non-white face at the podium or dispatch box is no longer the exception.
* - in the past I would have added 'class' but that is less obvious now.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
Hatt Mancock had to go, not for his discussion of Ugandan affairs but for doing so against his own rules. He was very happy to tell others to follow those rules while he was busy breaking those rules and laughing at us all. It was intolerable for him to tell people they couldn't spend time with their dying relatives while he was up to no good smashing the very rules he embodied in public. It was gross hypocrisy. He had to go.
The problem was Johnson could hardly sack him for having an affair could he! The problem for us that this departure will become a vehicle to dump all the covid bad news on Hancock, hide how useless Johnson and his chums have been and allow someone to be appointed as HS who will not delay "terminus day" regardless of the true risk.
The problem was Johnson could hardly sack him for having an affair could he! The problem for us that this departure will become a vehicle to dump all the covid bad news on Hancock, hide how useless Johnson and his chums have been and allow someone to be appointed as HS who will not delay "terminus day" regardless of the true risk.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
Also how does a weasley little chap like Hancock manage to attract two women to be interested in him? You just wouldn't!
WelshBluebird
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 4,923
Money, power and the fact he was in control of quite a few lucrative contracts (at least one of those contracts worth £28m went to the mistresses brothers company).
Last edited:
brad465
Established Member
Depends on his chances at the next election. I've heard his constituents are not pleased with this, so if there's a chance the Tories lose the seat in 2023/24 (but would win with another candidate), he will either get voted out or have to stand down, should the constituency remember this well by then.
- Status