Cabinet reshuffle today

[306024]

Truss new Foreign Secretary.

At least we’ll be OK for cheese and pork. As Have I Got News For You isn't on just now lets trot these out:

 

[Bayum]

Dorries reminds me of Sydney Powell. Lots of sound bites and ‘loony left’ huffing and puffing. Concerning really.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Oh. My. God.

The vacuous smile of a mid-afternoon quiz show presenter.

 

[dosxuk]

I think people are forgetting that the number one factor in getting a cabinet position these days isn't the ability to do a job (any job) or being competent at something (anything) or even the ability to not constantly embarrass the government - now all you need is an unswerving loyalty to Boris Carrie.

 

[DarloRich]

Have we really appointed a minister to ensure we have "adequate food"?

 

[Typhoon]

At least we’ll be OK for cheese and pork. As Have I Got News For You isn't on just now lets trot these out:

She seems to have attended the same geography classes as Raab.

Maybe she could point out where the Yorkshire Tea plantations are, I seemed to have missed them when visiting the county (or counties as it is now). I rather think that China's tea production outstrips ours (by at least 2 million tons).

Maybe we do grow wheat more economically than the Canadians, we just don't grow very much of it! And, as a native of Kent, maybe she could explain what the trashing of orchards to build 'much needed luxury (second) homes' is going to do to re-balance the import/ export trade in apples, and indicate how soon the UK will have developed fruit that is ready to be picked between November and April. What worries me is that her degree is in PPE.

If she really believes that twaddle, we are in trouble!

 

[SuspectUsual]

If she really believes that twaddle, we are in trouble!

I suppose it doesn’t really matter. As long as enough of their electorate believe it (and enough of the other guff they come out with) they’ll be re-elected

 

[DarloRich]

I also notice we have appointed a Culture Secretary who seems more interested in being the Culture ( Wars) secretary.

We are a total laughing stock.

 

[brad465]

Have we really appointed a minister to ensure we have "adequate food"?

This is what I've seen circulating, but for obvious reasons it isn't being widely reported.

 

[DarloRich]

This is what I've seen circulating, but for obvious reasons it isn't being widely reported.

Lets cosplay 1940: get the ration books out lads!

 

[Typhoon]

I also notice we have appointed a Culture Secretary who seems more interested in being the Culture ( Wars) secretary.

We are a total laughing stock.

Does anyone know how much she, directly or indirectly, earn't from 'I'm a Celebrity ...'? There are claims that she got £3.800 for an appearance on a celebrity episode of 'The Chase'.
I don't know whether John Whittingdale jumped or whether he was pushed from Culture, Media, Sport, Digital something-or-other, but he is best out of it.

Tweet from Kemi Badenoch:

Delighted to be promoted to Minister of State yesterday, thank you for all the lovely messages! I’m the Minister for Levelling Up at @MHCLG working with the brilliant @michaelgove on the government’s flagship policy and Minister for Equalities with awesome Foreign Sec @trussliz

Firstly, if Levelling Up is the government's flagship why does it share a minister, in a completely different area? Secondly, why does she have to tweet like a twelve year old who's experiencing her first crush?

 

[duncanp]

An interesting point was made on the Jeremy Vine programme on Radio 2 this lunchtime.

Someone said that the reason Dominic Raab was not just sacked was that he had some dirt on Boris Johnson (ie. he knows which skeletons are hidden in which cupboards) and that he would spill the beans if he didn't get what he wanted.

 

[brad465]

An interesting point was made on the Jeremy Vine programme on Radio 2 this lunchtime.

Someone said that the reason Dominic Raab was not just sacked was that he had some dirt on Boris Johnson (ie. he knows which skeletons are hidden in which cupboards) and that he would spill the beans if he didn't get what he wanted.

Not only is that believable, I suspect he's far from the only person in cabinet with such information. I would imagine Gove is likely to have even more dirt on Johnson than anyone else in Cabinet right now.

 

[Gloster]

Someone said that the reason Dominic Raab was not just sacked was that he had some dirt on Boris Johnson (ie. he knows which skeletons are hidden in which cupboards) and that he would spill the beans if he didn't get what he wanted.

It really must be quite some dirt if it causes Johnson to bend to his will. With the list of things that Johnson has on his file, some of which ought to rule him out of even being an MP, but seems to ignore, it must be something extraordinary. Or maybe it is Carrie?

 

[duncanp]

It really must be quite some dirt if it causes Johnson to bend to his will. With the list of things that Johnson has on his file, some of which ought to rule him out of even being an MP, but seems to ignore, it must be something extraordinary. Or maybe it is Carrie?

Probably another person whose first name is Dominic, and who was sacked by Boris, gave Mr Raab all the required information.

 

[Typhoon]

Probably another person whose first name is Dominic, and who was sacked by Boris, gave Mr Raab all the required information.

I suspect he gave him just enough. It wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a stack more, that he has all the time in the world and his ultimate target is female rather than male.

Daily Mail article on MSN:

Dominic Cummings labels Cabinet shake-up the 'Carrie Reshuffle'​

 

[johnnychips]

Just bear with me a minute. I have a friend who worked in the Republic of Congo for three years, and I went to visit her four times. Their president Denis Sassou Nguesso is very much a dictator - though there are a lot worse in Africa - who has amassed a really huge fortune for him and his family off Congo’s oil and has stored it in European banks and property. From the western point of view, we should be horrified, but she said that most Congolese she spoke to were either ‘what do you expect?’ or ‘good for him, he should look after his family’. Of course there is a vigorous minority in Congo who oppose these ideas.

I’m afraid we are now reaching the first opinion about politicians ‘well, what do you expect?’ in this country without being shocked or outraged to do anything about it. We might ‘tut-tut’ but we don’t get outraged enough to do something about it, or even vote for an opposing party (the fact that party is absolutely useless is in another thread somewhere).

I really hope we never get to the idea that some Congolese have that screwing the populace is laudable.

 

[DarloRich]

I really hope we never get to the idea that some Congolese have that screwing the populace is laudable.

We already are. Look at how some/many people respond to scandals involving Johnson and his Government.

It gets worse, Nadine Dorries is now a cabinet minister.

I notice Mad Nad's first action as Culture (Wars) minister was to remove the G2 listing on the Dorman Long tower in Middlesbrough to enable it to be blown up in a photo op for local Tory mayor Ben Houchen.

 

[Typhoon]

We already are. Look at how some/many people respond to scandals involving Johnson and his Government.

Hidden deep among the appointments:

Conor Burns, a close political ally of Mr Johnson’s, also returned to the Government following his resignation as a trade minister last year after a report found he used his position as an MP to intimidate a member of the public. He was appointed to the Northern Ireland Office.

'used his position' as in:

Conor Burns has resigned as a trade minister after a report found he used his position as an MP to intimidate a member of the public.
The Commons standards watchdog said he made "veiled threats" to use parliamentary privilege to "further his family's interests" in a financial dispute involving his father.
It had called for him to be suspended from Parliament for seven days.
...
He had written: "I am acutely aware that my role in the public eye could well attract interest especially if I were to use parliamentary privilege to raise the case."
Parliamentary privilege protects MPs from being sued for defamation for speeches made in Parliament.
...

The Committee on Standards concluded Mr Burns had tried to intimidate the member of the public, and it was an abuse of his position as an MP which required a "sanction more severe than apology".
It added that the dispute related purely to "private family interests" and had "no connection" with Mr Burns's duties as a Member of Parliament.
Apologising to the committee in March, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth West said he should not have written to the member of the public "in the terms I did" using Commons-headed notepaper.

Enhancements are mine. The last line contains what I believe ought to be called a 'Patel apology'.

So not surprising he's back.

First quote:Boris Johnson culls six more ministers to put finishing touches to reshuffle (msn.com)

Second quote taken from: Trade minister Conor Burns resigns over 'veiled threats' in letter - BBC News

I notice Mad Nad's first action as Culture (Wars) minister was to remove the G2 listing on the Dorman Long tower in Middlesbrough to enable it to be blown up in a photo op for local Tory mayor Ben Houchen.

Mr Houchen added: “I would like to send a message to those that think trying to stop these developments is the right thing to do - our heritage does not lie in a rotting coal bunker, our heritage lies in the people that built this great region.

“It lies in the structures that stand tall across the world, from The Shard, Sydney Harbour Bridge and One World Trade Centre.”

From:
Dorman Long tower to be demolished within weeks after mayor wins fight to remove listed status - Teesside Live (gazettelive.co.uk)

I know nothing of the Dorman Long tower so whether that is one of the best examples of brutalist industrial architecture, I don't know but we need to remember that Britain justified the term 'Great' partly because of the labours of so many right across the country, often working in factories in appalling conditions. I was pleased when I saw that parts of the Royal Arsenal had been retained, not (necessarily) because of the goods that were produced but because it marks the work of so many men and women, often in defence of our country. Tees-side has a proud industrial past too, largely thanks to its workforce; it needs to retain evidence of this. Try and touch partially destroyed thick walls dating from the 15th century, and the hoards will descend led by some old buffer with a triple barreled name whose ancestors once were besieged there by the forces of some other family who lived a few miles away, and don't even consider touching a statue erected by the Victorians, no matter how dubious the subject's past.

This chap Houchen needs to remember that there is more to this country than beautiful buildings: what's so special about Sydney, what's wrong with the Transporter Bridge, you don't have to go half way across the world to see it; the Shard won't look so wonderful in 70 years time (it looks pretty rubbish now, but that's just me); One World Trade Centre is notable because of what it represents, not what it looks like. And who are 'the people that built this great region'? The people who worked in the factories, the iron and steel works, the ship yards.

 

[XAM2175]

... what's so special about Sydney ...

The connection is Tees steel, just in case you didn't know. Dorman Long were the prime construction contractor for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

[Typhoon]

The connection is Tees steel, just in case you didn't know. Dorman Long were the prime construction contractor for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Ah! Makes sense. Thanks. The only bridge in the Tees area that I could find which was built by Dorman Long is the Tees (Newport) Bridge, also Grade II, and the reports I found say that it is in a poor state of repair. Given the history of Dorman Long in Tees-side, there should be something to mark their (and there employees) contribution to the area, I would have thought. If not the tower, either the bridge or something else of note.

 

[DarloRich]

I know nothing of the Dorman Long tower so whether that is one of the best examples of brutalist industrial architecture,

I am sure @ainsworth74 has a view on that but it does look like a monumental brutalist building. It is almost Soviet! I am sure there is little practical ( or perhaps more accurately profitable) use but Houchen is very keen to be seen clearing away the old and replacing it with the new.

The quotes in the linked Gazette article are informative:

Historic England felt the tower was also a rare surviving remnant of the coal, iron and steel industries, standing as a monument to Teesside’s, and England’s, 20th century industrial heritage while Mad Nad felt ( based on at least 2 seconds reading of the email form Houchen) it was essentially a functional structure not of sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit listing.

I am sure she knows best!

The connection is Tees steel, just in case you didn't know. Dorman Long were the prime construction contractor for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And the Tyne bridge and many others !

Dorman Long they were merged into Cleveland Bridge ( based in Darlo) who themselves have just gone pop. Funnily enough high viz Houchen hasn't shown up for a photo op there yet!

 

[ainsworth74]

I am sure @ainsworth74 has a view on that but it does look like a monumental brutalist building. It is almost Soviet! I am sure there is little practical ( or perhaps more accurately profitable) use but Houchen is very keen to be seen clearing away the old and replacing it with the new.

It's a landmark to be sure. I can't quite believe that, from what's on social media, it's likely to be gone by this Sunday morning. Though the fact that demolition is expected somewhere between 2200 this Saturday and 0200 on Sunday perhaps tells you all you need to know (based on this Notice to Airmen stating: "EXPLOSIVE DEMOLITION WITHIN 0.5NM RADIUS OF 543508N 0011009W (REDCAR, REDCAR AND CLEVELAND)" which is in effect during those times). Presumably want to make sure that there's no crowds out to see the handiwork of Houchen and his ilk. No high definition video footage of the whole thing. Presumably no benefit to dressing up in high-viz and having photos taken as they bring down a piece of industrial heritage (their little photoshoot when they demolished the first flare stack at the basic oxygen steel plant didn't play entirely positively).

Personally I think it's damn near criminal that they're just going to demolish it. It's a landmark, it's one of the final tangible signs of Dorman Long who built so much around the UK and world. Houchen is, in his usual disingenuous style, trying to suggest that opposition to the demolition is opposition to the entire scheme:

I would like to send a message to those that think trying to stop these developments is the right thing to do - our heritage does not lie in a rotting coal bunker, our heritage lies in the people that built this great region.
It lies in the structures that stand tall across the world, from The Shard, Sydney Harbour Bridge and One World Trade Centre.

Dorman Long tower to be destroyed after listed status revoked

Nadine Dorries strips Historic England protection from the 1950s Dorman Long building.

www.bbc.co.uk

I don't think anyone is particularly trying to stop the developments just suggest that perhaps having some reminder of our industrial heritage is maybe a good thing. Perhaps trying to find a way to combine it into the redevelopment of the vast sight could include some aspects of what it did before. Certainly I hope the schemes come off because heaven alone knows we need the transformative benefits of having all these jobs we've been promised since the steelworks shut in 2015.

Indeed when they first started producing glossy booklets about the Teeswork site a great deal was made about how they would protect the heritage and I recall both the tower in question and the core of the blast furnace were earmarked for preservation. Both now lined up for demolition. Dorman Long this weekend and the blast furnace at some point in the not too distant future.

Perhaps even more amusing Redcar MP Jacob Young even had a page on his website about how he was "Spearheading the campaign to save the Dorman Long tower!" which, er, has gone missing. Presumably Houchen had a word. Mr Young is nothing if not loyal to the party and its desires.

 

[DarloRich]

It's a landmark to be sure.............

Insert hand clap emoji.

 

[RuralRambler]

Jesse Norman sacked as Treasury Minister. Rishi's made him the fall guy for the business/self employed/freelancer covid support (or lack of it) fiasco, the 3+ million excluded etc, not helped by his mishandling of IR35.

 

[XAM2175]

I can't quite believe that, from what's on social media, it's likely to be gone by this Sunday morning. Though the fact that demolition is expected somewhere between 2200 this Saturday and 0200 on Sunday perhaps tells you all you need to know (based on this Notice to Airmen stating: "EXPLOSIVE DEMOLITION WITHIN 0.5NM RADIUS OF 543508N 0011009W (REDCAR, REDCAR AND CLEVELAND)" which is in effect during those times). Presumably want to make sure that there's no crowds out to see the handiwork of Houchen and his ilk. No high definition video footage of the whole thing.

The BBC article suggests that the demolition plans have been pushed back "a few weeks", though there's no telling whether that means "exactly three weeks" or simply "as long as it takes to finish preparations and not a moment longer".

I try not to get too misty-eyed about things like this because I do recognise that we can't preserve absolutely everything, and that trying to do so can weaken the impact of more serious campaigns, but for this building in particular it's disappointing and the process appears very mean-spirited.

 

[Darandio]

Perhaps even more amusing Redcar MP Jacob Young even had a page on his website about how he was "Spearheading the campaign to save the Dorman Long tower!" which, er, has gone missing. Presumably Houchen had a word. Mr Young is nothing if not loyal to the party and its desires.

Jacob Young offers absolutely nothing to us, zero, a total party puppet. For all of the bluster, Houchen is a complete fraud as well, his only interest is getting his picture everywhere.

It's a travesty to even consider demolishing the tower. Shame on them.

 

[Typhoon]

Perhaps even more amusing Redcar MP Jacob Young even had a page on his website about how he was "Spearheading the campaign to save the Dorman Long tower!" which, er, has gone missing. Presumably Houchen had a word. Mr Young is nothing if not loyal to the party and its desires.

I found this and above posts interesting and educational. It does seem odd that we are prepared to keep hundreds of sites which are little more than parts of foundations of some obscure medieval building but trash our industrial past.

Returning to Mr Young, unfortunately, if you seek publicity at every turn, there are still footprints of your past. So in Engineers inspect Dorman Long tower as campaign to save its heritage continues - Teesside Live (gazettelive.co.uk)
there is:

Mr Young wants it saved as a monument to the region's industrial history, and will press the case with the chair of the South Tees Development Corporation, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.

The MP was joined last month by local historian Dr Tosh Warwick, who also backs saving the tower and says the idea was mooted back in 2017 in the Tees Steel: Bridging The World project.

Mr Young said: "Decades ago Cleveland Bridge merged with Dorman Long, so it was great to invite them back on site to take a look at this iconic building and assess its structural integrity.

"They’re going to be sending over some recommendations for the next steps we would need to take for a full assessment of the tower, as it’s only accessible on the ground floor at the moment.

"As we continue our exciting work in developing the Teesworks site, I want to see the tower preserved as a marker for our industrial heritage and the many thousands of men and women who have worked in our steel industry.

"There's still a long way to go but I will do what I can to save Dorman Long Tower as a permanent monument to the people that built the world."

('it' being the tower). There is also a picture of him in front of the tower.

Still, I think the parliamentary bag-carrier roles are being doled out (today?) and Mr Young looks like just the person who is saying 'Me, me, me.' As you say, he wouldn't want any impediment to his progress.

 

[DarloRich]

Jacob Young offers absolutely nothing to us, zero, a total party puppet. For all of the bluster, Houchen is a complete fraud as well, his only interest is getting his picture everywhere.

High viz Houchen has been notable by his absence in Darlo since Cleveland Bridge went pop. Lots of pointed questions about where he is and why isn't he doing anything.

Perhaps even more amusing Redcar MP Jacob Young even had a page on his website about how he was "Spearheading the campaign to save the Dorman Long tower!" which, er, has gone missing. Presumably Houchen had a word. Mr Young is nothing if not loyal to the party and its desires.

Must be after a new job

 

[Typhoon]

Boris Johnson will be forced to decide whether Dominic Raab or Liz Truss can lay claim to Chevening House after concluding that they cannot share the grace-and-favour residence.

Good to know the team stayed 'strong and united' for so long after the reshuffle, and this is their highest priority, not the backlog in court cases or what is happening in Afghanistan or the South China Sea!

Quote from: Liz Truss lays claim to Chevening House but Dominic Raab in no mood to retreat (msn.com)