Brexit

[Mechelle]

Anyway, this is a phenomenal upper-cut on Boris. :)

Somebody needs to make a meme gif where Boris is dancing to the chorus of the Clash's I Fought The Law (And The Law Won).  :P

They have! I am out and about all day today so it is a bit awkward to attach a link, but see the PoliticsJoe twitter account.

[gaggedLouise]

They have! I am out and about all day today so it is a bit awkward to attach a link, but see the PoliticsJoe twitter account.

Bwahaha!!  ;)

Found it: https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1176431923100618754

[Beorning]

I also like the image in the comments that shows Johnson and Cummings preparing their response to the video :)

[Orval Wintermute]

Eddie Mair helping Steve "the hard man of Brexit" Baker look like a complete dick on LBC earlier.  ;D

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/eddie-mair/eddie-mair-hits-out-at-tory-mp-over-boris-johnson/

[Mechelle]

I also like the image in the comments that shows Johnson and Cummings preparing their response to the video :)

That made me laugh too - I have only just got round to seeing the video. This wasn't politics Joe's best effort, I thought, as they do many videos like this - maybe it was a bit too obvious.

Boris Johnson is still quite possibly set to be Britain's shortest ever Prime Minister, and I would have loved to hear his conversation with the Queen.
Perhaps he should seek political asylum back in his native USA as that country's President seems to like him

[Oniya]

Perhaps he should seek political asylum back in his native USA as that country's President seems to like him

He might want to check the news before he does - Donny Boy might be a little busy these next few months.

[gaggedLouise]

One of Boris' men brazenly declares to the House of Commons that "this parliament is dead and has no moral right to sit", and that if they had any honour, they should walk straight out and head for a general election. Wow... ::)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/sep/25/boris-johnson-flies-to-uk-as-parliament-returns-after-court-ruling-politics-live?page=with:block-5d8b52928f081108db9bc6c1#block-5d8b52928f081108db9bc6c1

[gaggedLouise]

One of Boris' men brazenly declares to the House of Commons that "this parliament is dead and has no moral right to sit", and that if they had any honour, they should walk straight out and head for a general election. Wow... ::)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/sep/25/boris-johnson-flies-to-uk-as-parliament-returns-after-court-ruling-politics-live?page=with:block-5d8b52928f081108db9bc6c1#block-5d8b52928f081108db9bc6c1

Oh wow, he is even the attorney general!  :-( And moreover, he used to be the highest-earning MP in the UK...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Cox_(British_politician)

[Orval Wintermute]

Oh wow, he is even the attorney general!  :-( And moreover, he used to be the highest-earning MP in the UK...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Cox_(British_politician)

He might be a complete tool but he does have one hell of a voice.

[Mechelle]

Geoffrey Cox is also the man whose legal advice Johnson followed when he believed it was lawful to prorogue parliament, so I think this show was partly to demonstrate that he has no plans to resign quietly on Johnson's behalf, if the latter tries to throw him under the bus.

With Boris Johnson's schoolboy talk of "girly swats", it would be all too typical for him to try a defence of "Geoffrey Cox said I could do it. It was his fault."

[Beorning]

BTW. Speaking of Boris, here's a look at his UN speech:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/25/pink-eyed-terminators-and-limbless-chickens-boris-johnsons-un-speech-in-quotes

... I have no words.   ;D

[Eye of Horus]

A bit rich for him to be hand-wringing about digital privacy when it was his party that passed the Investigatory Powers Act (aka the Snooper’s Charter) and has since tried to break WhatsApp encryption, but you know, whatever.

[Mechelle]

I have been watching a lot of the debate in Parliament on TV tonight and it was very depressing. Johnson is unapologetic and even said that the best way to honour Jo Cox (the MP who was assasinated by a far right activist during the Referendum campaign) was to deliver Brexit. She was campaigning against it! Her widower has said how upset he is by her name being brought into the debate. Johnson's language was awful, too, talking about a surrender bill.

On a much lighter note, one of Johnson's other scandals may have led to a new phrase in the English language. Jennifer Arcuri, a former model turned IT entrepreneur seems to have benefited from public grants, although she and her company are American. The statement has denied that his visits to her home were for sex, but for "technology lessons". Phrases like "Where do I insert my dongle?" come to mind.

[Oniya]

The statement has denied that his visits to her home were for sex, but for "technology lessons". Phrases like "Where do I insert my dongle?" come to mind.

I used to work in IT.  The sheer number of jokes made about dongles is - well, not surprising.

[Kitteredge]

If you're a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, one of their classic, underrated episodes, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, starring Raul Julia, has an extended series of riffs and wordplay on the word dongle.

[Orval Wintermute]

Well that made me smile.

One of the arguments for prorogation was that there would normally be a recess for the party conferences. Of the major parties both the Liberal Democrats and Labour have had their conferences before Parliament was un-progoued but the Tories conference is next week. The Tories wanted another brief recess so they could have their conference uninterrupted but Parliament would have to vote for the recess.

Parliament has just voted against the recess  ;D

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

There are now rumors of the opposition parties pulling a political fast one by holding a vote while all Tory MP's are a few hours away at conference.

[gaggedLouise]

I have been watching a lot of the debate in Parliament on TV tonight and it was very depressing. Johnson is unapologetic and even said that the best way to honour Jo Cox (the MP who was assasinated by a far right activist during the Referendum campaign) was to deliver Brexit. She was campaigning against it! Her widower has said how upset he is by her name being brought into the debate. Johnson's language was awful, too, talking about a surrender bill.

On a much lighter note, one of Johnson's other scandals may have led to a new phrase in the English language. Jennifer Arcuri, a former model turned IT entrepreneur seems to have benefited from public grants, although she and her company are American. The statement has denied that his visits to her home were for sex, but for "technology lessons". Phrases like "Where do I insert my dongle?" come to mind.

Someone just pointed out (far out on the ocean on social media) that BoJo's deliberately provocative statement that Jo Cox will best be honoured by delivering a hard Brexit, plus threats of more violence if you don't agree, is a variant of the typical argument of the wife-beater: "it's your own fault that you're getting beaten up, you dumb bitch - if you had listened to me and just done what's good for both of us, you would not have made me angry. But you had to be the headstrong slut, so you will get punished".

[Eye of Horus]

I could see that genuinely being the mindset of (Johnson’s main aide) Dominic Cummings, given that he’s got an almost painful fetish for authoritarianism. But from Johnson himself I feel like it’s more likely to be a dead cat on the table (if they’re talking about an offensive statement they’re not talking about how the Supreme Court just humiliated him!) or a play to his base straight out of the Trump playbook (hardcore Brexit supporters love to see Remainers and lefty snowflakes howling in outrage, so easily provoked to irrational emotion by their calm and determined leader).

[Orval Wintermute]

Not entirely Brexit but it is the Tory party conference this week and some of the fringe meetings seem to have taken an interesting direction

https://twitter.com/AdamBienkov/status/1178340579186487304?s=20

Muslim Conservative Party member in the audience says he’s unsure from the discussion whether the panel is here to challenge Islamophobia or promote it.

[Mechelle]

A couple of other things from the conference were that a banner was hung over the motorway heading there from the neighbouring city of Salford, threatening revenge for the deaths caused by benefit cuts, and with effigies dangling from the bridge. The Conservatives were upset by this, understandably, and the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester thought it was offensive (as did I) and it was removed. I was in Manchester today, though, (not in the centre where the protests were) and I  could overhear people thinking it was fair enough as the Tories do the same. These were the sort of northern working class men who they imagine they could lure away from the Labour Party to support Brexit.

We also had lots of rainfall today and one Conservative quipped how the great unwashed would cancel their protest because it would mean them getting a wash.

I was amused to see young right wing commentator Tom Harwood throw a hissy fit when he missed his train back to London as the doors were closed two minutes before its departure. He said he would never use Virgin Trains again. However, there are posters all over the station warning that the train doors are shut two minutes early to ensure a speedy departure, and Virgin Trains are soon to lose the franchise anyway. I just give this as an example of a political journalist's lack of attention and knowledge.

[Orval Wintermute]

During an interview on LBC this morning Johnson was asked about Naga Munchetty, Johnson replied "I've never heard of her."

Which is strange considering Johnson had just been interviewed by on BBC Breakfast by Dan Walker, who just happens to be Naga Munchetty's co-host. You think his press team might have given him a heads up on topics to stay away from.

https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1178955573137727488

[gaggedLouise]

A man tried to set himself alight into a human torch outside the Parliament in London a few hours ago, using a lighter and a can of unspecified flammable liquid. Police sprayed him with fire extinguishers and there was never any real take-off to the fire.

No matter who he is or why he made the attempt, this is a really disturbing act.


https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/01/uk/man-covered-flammable-liquid-parliament-intl-gbr/index.html

[Mechelle]

A man tried to set himself alight into a human torch outside the Parliament in London a few hours ago, using a lighter and a can of unspecified flammable liquid. Police sprayed him with fire extinguishers and there was never any real take-off to the fire.

No matter who he is or why he made the attempt, this is a really disturbing act.


https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/01/uk/man-covered-flammable-liquid-parliament-intl-gbr/index.html

I assumed, like many people, that this act was some protest for or against Brexit, but it seems to be connected to a small parking fine! Huh!

Also, when a fist fight broke out at the Conservative Party Conference today involving a Conservative MP, the first name I thought of was the belligerent Mark Francois (his father was in the war, you know). Many others thought that too, but it was actually the elderly grandee Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown who was told to leave the Conference after a physical dispute with a member of security over access to a room. With perfect timing, this was just before Home Secretary Priti Patel was giving her speech trying to reposition her party as the party of law and order!

[gaggedLouise]

I assumed, like many people, that this act was some protest for or against Brexit, but it seems to be connected to a small parking fine! Huh!

Also, when a fist fight broke out at the Conservative Party Conference today involving a Conservative MP, the first name I thought of was the belligerent Mark Francois (his father was in the war, you know). Many others thought that too, but it was actually the elderly grandee Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown who was told to leave the Conference after a physical dispute with a member of security over access to a room. With perfect timing, this was just before Home Secretary Priti Patel was giving her speech trying to reposition her party as the party of law and order!

"Boris, I can see into your whole brain and there's NOBODY IN IT!"  :P

BoJo has presented the outlines of his Northern Ireland plan - a plan that tries to evade the backstop by doing two contradictory things at once: both keeping Northern Ireland within EU regulations for around five years after leaving the EU (but not within the customs union) and initiaiting there will be no hard border, instead the customs business will be handled at large centres a couple of miles inland from the border, within Northern Ireland. the Northern Ireland government and parliament would then be given a veto over what would happen next - after the expiry of the "aligned rules" period, I suppose.

This sounds like a non-starter, to everyone except the Hard Vrexit camp and especially outside of the UK, and Dublin have already signalled they think it is not a viable plan.

Also, BoJo refuses to take No-Deal off the table or to promise he will obey the Benn Bill, if it gets needed.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/02/boris-johnson-asks-tory-conference-are-we-ready-for-no-deal-brexit

[Orval Wintermute]

I caught a little bit of Johnson speak at the conference, there was one highlight for me.
Boris Johnson "My mum voted to Leave."
Cue applause and camera focusing on Stanley Johnson who's sat to Carrie Symonds, I'm no lip reading expert but even I could see what was being said.
Stanley Johnson "She never told me that."  ;D