Westminster Politics

BBC News - Covid: Boris Johnson's 'bodies pile high' comments prompt criticism
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56890714

Check out the headline on the BBC with what's been reported he actually said. Hmmm

Edit: in the mobile version it's "bodies could pile high" which is totally different in tone and context and I'm not sure where that's come from.
 
Are we really debating who is worse: a Tory scumbag who got thrown under a bus or another Tory scumbag who threw him under said bus and may themselves now be under bus bound?
 
He definitely did not say that.
Why?
Because Michael Gove says so. So it must be true mustn't it....
 
I expect that Cummings is not going to reveal anything that would prevent him from working in Government again. The press seem to have forgotten that he was originally Gove's special adviser, Govey is seeing his way into No10 and Cummings might just get back in a nice job after being the king maker.
 
The country does love a strong leader.
But eventually, that love turns into hate.
Remember Thatcher and even Churchill and to a degree, Blair.
What it does not like is a leader who cannot be trusted.
In the end, the truth always comes out.
Boris is skating on very thin ice. And that is why he will do anything and everything to stop a covid enquiry. That will be the end of him.

Yes, I wouldn't disagree. To some extent every PM's career (no matter how strong they are at their zenith) ends in failure, its just a question of time.
Boris is set fair just now, Labour cannot lay a glove on him, at least outside the Westminster 'bubble', his 'foes' inside the Tory party have been weakened and Boris sails on-wards.He will be overturned, eventually, at the moment its more likely to be from inside the Tory Party than outside.
Official Enquiries and the like are only useful in bringing down a PM when the opposition is at least buoyed up by its own supporters, but Labour is in mortal danger, with its loss of the red wall and it might now even lose the Hartlepool seat, which the Tories have NEVER won before.
Incredible.

Wonder if Boris plays the lottery, if he doesn't he ought too!
 
Yes, I wouldn't disagree. To some extent every PM's career (no matter how strong they are at their zenith) ends in failure, its just a question of time.
Boris is set fair just now, Labour cannot lay a glove on him, at least outside the Westminster 'bubble', his 'foes' inside the Tory party have been weakened and Boris sails on-wards.He will be overturned, eventually, at the moment its more likely to be from inside the Tory Party than outside.
Official Enquiries and the like are only useful in bringing down a PM when the opposition is at least buoyed up by its own supporters, but Labour is in mortal danger, with its loss of the red wall and it might now even lose the Hartlepool seat, which the Tories have NEVER won before.
Incredible.

Wonder if Boris plays the lottery, if he doesn't he ought too!

Literally all of the right wing press has just turned on him. If that’s not a clear indication that his political capital is spent and they need to bring in the next tool for their next task I’m not sure what is.
 
The sad thing is not that he said "let the bodies pile up" it is that the bodies piled up because of his actions.
 
Literally all of the right wing press has just turned on him. If that’s not a clear indication that his political capital is spent and they need to bring in the next tool for their next task I’m not sure what is.

Indeed.
I have been a little surprised that it is the right wing type papers who are leading on this latest round of so called revaluations.
And as there are no real Labour type papers, that is at least encouraging.
 
The sad thing is not that he said "let the bodies pile up" it is that the bodies piled up because of his actions.

Spot on. With all the daily updates on progress of the vaccine, many tend to forget about the truly awful number of infections and deaths.
And that is precisely why Boris is and will do absolutely anything to delay the necessary public inquiry into the government shambolic handling of the pandemic.
 
Literally all of the right wing press has just turned on him. If that’s not a clear indication that his political capital is spent and they need to bring in the next tool for their next task I’m not sure what is.

His 'political capital' outside Westminster is high, see the polls.

I agree, the right wing press are 'piling in' because they are rubbing their hands expecting more exposures from Cumming, but its nothing to do with political capital its to do with a long running (insider) story that's 'got legs'. In any other situation it would be bad news for the PM, however somewhat like Blair before him Boris is becoming 'Mr Teflon'.

Boris has always been something of a Maverick, its almost expected he will say things that afterwards he retracts or denies, this is the 'full throttle' Boris, which many people seem to like. Of course his luck will run out eventually, but to me its unlikely at the moment because if there is a 'cabal' inside the Tories, fermenting discord, it's not big enough...yet, and Labour is all over the place.
 
His 'political capital' outside Westminster is high, see the polls.

I agree, the right wing press are 'piling in' because they are rubbing their hands expecting more exposures from Cumming, but its nothing to do with political capital its to do with a long running (insider) story that's 'got legs'. In any other situation it would be bad news for the PM, however somewhat like Blair before him Boris is becoming 'Mr Teflon'.

Boris has always been something of a Maverick, its almost expected he will say things that afterwards he retracts or denies, this is the 'full throttle' Boris, which many people seem to like. Of course his luck will run out eventually, but to me its unlikely at the moment because if there is a 'cabal' inside the Tories, fermenting discord, it's not big enough...yet, and Labour is all over the place.

I reckon Boris will be gone by the autumn.
 
I'm shite at remembering details, but I think in the past Gove has been overtly loyal to whoever he is backing, only putting the boot in when he judges the time is right. I bet on him to win the last leadership election (at good odds), I'll be bleeding annoyed if he makes it this time instead.
 
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I reckon Boris will be gone by the autumn.

Not if the Tories win in Hartlepool!
If that happens Boris will be carried shoulder high around Tory HQ dressed in a toga and with a laurel wreath on his head.
 
I'm shite at remembering details, but I think Gove has been overtly loyal to whoever he is backing, only putting the boot in when he judges the time is right. I bet on him to win the last leadership election (at good odds), I'll be bleeding annoyed if he makes it this time instead.
I thought Sunak was nailed on at one point but he seems to have been very quiet the last few months, budget aside.
 
I thought Sunak was nailed on at one point but he seems to have been very quiet the last few months, budget aside.
He does seem to be a favourite with the press, but I'm not sure how he'll go down with the very elderly Tory membership when it comes to voting. Now is his best chance though, when he's been handing money out and before he has to start telling us how to pay for it.
 
I'm shite at remembering details, but I think in the past Gove has been overtly loyal to whoever he is backing, only putting the boot in when he judges the time is right. I bet on him to win the last leadership election (at good odds), I'll be bleeding annoyed if he makes it this time instead.

I agree from within the Tory ranks Gove is the one who will step up and play the leader offside, but only when the conditions are right! Gove has stood on too many Tory toes, and has virtually 0 appeal with the public. However as you say he has been King-maker before and he plays the long...long game.
 
I'm shite at remembering details, but I think in the past Gove has been overtly loyal to whoever he is backing, only putting the boot in when he judges the time is right. I bet on him to win the last leadership election (at good odds), I'll be bleeding annoyed if he makes it this time instead.
I don’t see Gove winning any leadership contest, I don’t think he’s liked by the membership so he wouldn’t get the vote.

Sunak will be the next PM, I’d be a lot on that.
 
I expect that Cummings is not going to reveal anything that would prevent him from working in Government again. The press seem to have forgotten that he was originally Gove's special adviser, Govey is seeing his way into No10 and Cummings might just get back in a nice job after being the king maker.
This seems much more likely. Tory internal power struggles is all they care about.
 
I don’t see Gove winning any leadership contest, I don’t think he’s liked by the membership so he wouldn’t get the vote.

Sunak will be the next PM, I’d be a lot on that.
Odds are on it being sunak... but if gove can make it to the final two (though priti patel will also be a contender for that spot as well)

But if he gets in the final two and cummings can suddenly find lots of stuff to suggest eat out to help out was a total mess of an idea that might be enough to persuade a lot of the octogenarian Conservative members to vote for the polite white chap.

Given that gove seems so focussed on becoming PM one day I imagine something similar to that is in his head
 
I thought the Torys always choose the candidate most likely to win the election ? That can't be Gove ? He looks like a proper lizard person.
 
Spot on. With all the daily updates on progress of the vaccine, many tend to forget about the truly awful number of infections and deaths.
And that is precisely why Boris is and will do absolutely anything to delay the necessary public inquiry into the government shambolic handling of the pandemic.
The right wing press are also feeding the masses sycophantic revisionism like this, even using his own recklessness in catching it as some form of defence.

THE SUN SAYS
Boris Johnson’s every act since Covid struck suggests a PM who would do anything to avoid ‘bodies piled high’

He almost became a casualty himself.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14773772/boris-johnson-everything-but-callous-remark-reported/
 
Odds Slashed On Boris Exit This Year As Pressure Mounts On PM



Johnson 3/1 From 6/1 To Be Gone By 2022

Boris Johnson is set to come under even more pressure if the latest betting patterns are to be believed after he was gambled to be ousted from Downing Street as early as this year.

Criticism of the PM mounted on Tuesday as Labour accused him of lying about who paid for renovations of his Downing Street flat, while new allegations claim Johnson told aides in September that he would rather let coronavirus ‘rip’ than impose a second lockdown.

Now the chances of a Tory leadership election being triggered in the near future are getting shorter as BoyleSports cut the odds on him being replaced this year in half from 6/1 to 3/1. It’s also an even money shot from 2/1 that a new leader is in place by the time the Conservatives go into their next general election campaign.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the 2/1 favourite be the next Tory leader, but Michael Gove is a notable mover in the market after falling into 6/1 from 11/1 to replace Johnson despite backing his party leader this week.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Boris Johnson has already denied some damaging leaks but as the week goes on the pressure only seems to be increasing. The odds on him being replaced are going in the opposite direction and after a significant spike in speculation we’ve had no choice but to cut him into 3/1 from 6/1 to be gone by the end of the year.”

ENDS

Year Boris Johnson Is Replaced As PM

3/1 2021

5/1 2022

1/2 2023 or later

Boris Johnson to be Tory leader at next general election

EVS No

5/6 Yes

Next Conservative Party Leader

2/1 Rishi Sunak

13/2 Michael Gove

15/2 Jeremy Hunt

9/1 Liz Truss

14/1 Dominic Raab

16/1 Sajid Javid

16/1 Priti Patel

22/1 Amber Rudd

22/1 Tom Tugendhat

25/1 bar
 
Odds Slashed On Boris Exit This Year As Pressure Mounts On PM



Johnson 3/1 From 6/1 To Be Gone By 2022

Boris Johnson is set to come under even more pressure if the latest betting patterns are to be believed after he was gambled to be ousted from Downing Street as early as this year.

Criticism of the PM mounted on Tuesday as Labour accused him of lying about who paid for renovations of his Downing Street flat, while new allegations claim Johnson told aides in September that he would rather let coronavirus ‘rip’ than impose a second lockdown.

Now the chances of a Tory leadership election being triggered in the near future are getting shorter as BoyleSports cut the odds on him being replaced this year in half from 6/1 to 3/1. It’s also an even money shot from 2/1 that a new leader is in place by the time the Conservatives go into their next general election campaign.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the 2/1 favourite be the next Tory leader, but Michael Gove is a notable mover in the market after falling into 6/1 from 11/1 to replace Johnson despite backing his party leader this week.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Boris Johnson has already denied some damaging leaks but as the week goes on the pressure only seems to be increasing. The odds on him being replaced are going in the opposite direction and after a significant spike in speculation we’ve had no choice but to cut him into 3/1 from 6/1 to be gone by the end of the year.”

ENDS

Year Boris Johnson Is Replaced As PM

3/1 2021

5/1 2022

1/2 2023 or later

Boris Johnson to be Tory leader at next general election

EVS No

5/6 Yes

Next Conservative Party Leader

2/1 Rishi Sunak

13/2 Michael Gove

15/2 Jeremy Hunt

9/1 Liz Truss

14/1 Dominic Raab

16/1 Sajid Javid

16/1 Priti Patel

22/1 Amber Rudd

22/1 Tom Tugendhat

25/1 bar

That list of possible replacements must be rather depressing.

Imagine Brain of Britain Truss as the fourth favourite.
 
The right wing press are also feeding the masses sycophantic revisionism like this, even using his own recklessness in catching it as some form of defence.

THE SUN SAYS
Boris Johnson’s every act since Covid struck suggests a PM who would do anything to avoid ‘bodies piled high’



https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14773772/boris-johnson-everything-but-callous-remark-reported/

Or, they're normalising apathy in the wake of tens of thousands of people dying unnecessarily.



Telegraph columnist, who will no doubt write an objective article on this.
 
Odds Slashed On Boris Exit This Year As Pressure Mounts On PM



Johnson 3/1 From 6/1 To Be Gone By 2022

Boris Johnson is set to come under even more pressure if the latest betting patterns are to be believed after he was gambled to be ousted from Downing Street as early as this year.

Criticism of the PM mounted on Tuesday as Labour accused him of lying about who paid for renovations of his Downing Street flat, while new allegations claim Johnson told aides in September that he would rather let coronavirus ‘rip’ than impose a second lockdown.

Now the chances of a Tory leadership election being triggered in the near future are getting shorter as BoyleSports cut the odds on him being replaced this year in half from 6/1 to 3/1. It’s also an even money shot from 2/1 that a new leader is in place by the time the Conservatives go into their next general election campaign.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the 2/1 favourite be the next Tory leader, but Michael Gove is a notable mover in the market after falling into 6/1 from 11/1 to replace Johnson despite backing his party leader this week.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Boris Johnson has already denied some damaging leaks but as the week goes on the pressure only seems to be increasing. The odds on him being replaced are going in the opposite direction and after a significant spike in speculation we’ve had no choice but to cut him into 3/1 from 6/1 to be gone by the end of the year.”

ENDS

Year Boris Johnson Is Replaced As PM

3/1 2021

5/1 2022

1/2 2023 or later

Boris Johnson to be Tory leader at next general election

EVS No

5/6 Yes

Next Conservative Party Leader

2/1 Rishi Sunak

13/2 Michael Gove

15/2 Jeremy Hunt

9/1 Liz Truss

14/1 Dominic Raab

16/1 Sajid Javid

16/1 Priti Patel

22/1 Amber Rudd

22/1 Tom Tugendhat

25/1 bar
I can see cummings leaking and briefing more and more over the next few weeks

The real challange will be can they force a resignation as im sure nobody fancies being seen with blood on their hands by mounting a formal leadership bid

Surprised Jacob isnt in the running - I think amongst the eligable voters he would do really well
 




Can't wait to see how Johnson wriggles out of this one.

*Johnson wriggles out of it easily*

Oh.
 
PM 'can't be expected to live in skip', says Gove's wife, Sarah Vine
Sarah Vine, the Daily Mail columnist who is married to Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, defended Boris Johnson’s right to have his Downing Street flat refurbished on the Today programme this morning, saying the PM “can’t be expected to live in a skip”. She said:
The thing about the whole No 10 refurbishment thing is that the prime minister can’t be expected to live in a skip.
He has to live to a certain standard and the problem with all of these political things like this is that no-one is ever prepared to bite the bullet.
Here's a picture of the skip he is living in from five years ago;

16478080-9317619-Bringing_your_work_home_David_Cameron_working_on_one_of_his_red_-a-63_1614705589727.jpg


Unless Cameron and May ran around flinging shit on the walls since then, of course...
 




Can't wait to see how Johnson wriggles out of this one.

*Johnson wriggles out of it easily*

Oh.


At today's PMQ, Starter has plenty of ammunition to nail Boris.
He absolutely must not allow Boris to claim that he is totally focused on the vaccination programme. That process is now fully established and Johnson is actually spending his time campaigning.
Starmer must not let Boris evade his questions and he must tie him down.
 
At today's PMQ, Starter has plenty of ammunition to nail Boris.
He absolutely must not allow Boris to claim that he is totally focused on the vaccination programme. That process is now fully established and Johnson is actually spending his time campaigning.
Starmer must not let Boris evade his questions and he must tie him down.

He's had plenty of ammunition since he became Labour leader. Been weak as piss. Might as well be a Tory.