The first duty of the British government is to its subjects. The Chancellor is providing £4 billion of taxpayers’ money to support the economies of the midlands and the north this parliament. @BBradley_Mans pic.twitter.com/NtQCyUXc6M
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) November 27, 2020
I'm not your subject old boy!
Yesterday Rishi Sunak laid bare the devastating cost to the UK of the lockdowns, a.o.:
- Rising unemployment (projected at being over 2.5 million)
- A reduction in the foreign aid budget
- A pay freeze for some of the public sector
- Raised taxes (the elephant in the room)
- £394BN debt
- The largest fall in GDP for 300 years etc etc
Unsurprisingly certain sections of the media, politicians, public sector union leaders and general handwringers (who appear on the BBC for no apparent reason, other than they like to moan about government policy) started bleating about the fact that Sunak can't wave a magic wand to make this go away.
Indeed, the public sector unions are screaming for pay rises willy nilly, conveniently forgetting that their members still have jobs and defined benefit pension schemes, whilst many in the private sector have lost income and in many cases their jobs!
You should have nothing but contempt for these bleaters, for they are the very same people who have been screaming for lockdowns and ever tighter restrictions ever since Covid was first mentioned by the BBC et al.
They OWN this pile of shit, and should never be allowed to forget that they brought us to where we are now.
Monti (aged 8) wrote to me asking if Father Christmas will be able to deliver presents this year 🎅🎁🎄
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 25, 2020
I've had lots of letters about this, so I have spoken with experts and can assure you that Father Christmas will be packing his sleigh and delivering presents this Christmas! pic.twitter.com/pXwcjHSxZg
Former Labour deputy leader, cabinet minister and veteran MP Margaret Beckett is the new chair of the party's NEC.
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) November 24, 2020
Vice chair is @aliceperryuk.
Elected unopposed after digital walk out by Left members of NEC from its first AGM.
What was the point of the walkout?
NEW: Boris Johnson and cabinet secretary Simon Case have written to all ministers warning against bullying:
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) November 23, 2020
"There is a particular duty..to create...a culture which is professional, respectful, focused and ambitious for change and in which there is no place for bullying." pic.twitter.com/vwUuno5CmT
Join us on the 25 November when @CharlesHMoore will discuss the ‘30 anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's downfall as Prime Minister’. This session also marks the paperback publication of Lord Moore’s biography of ‘Thatcher Vol 3’ @PenguinUKBooks https://t.co/fYVecJKCju pic.twitter.com/Po7RVpCqTA
— The Strand Group (@thestrandgroup) October 21, 2020
PM’s advisor on ministerial code resigned after PM backs Patel. Sir Alex Allan: “It’s for PM to make a judgement on whether actions by a Minister amount to a breach of Code. But I feel that it is right that I should now resign from my position as PM’s independent adviser on Code”
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) November 20, 2020
Boris Johnson is expected to set out his decision later on the findings of an inquiry into the conduct of Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Sources familiar with the Cabinet Office report told the BBC it concluded Ms Patel broke rules on ministers' behaviour.
She has always strongly denied allegations of bullying.
The existing Space Directorate, based at RAF High Wycombe, will become the Space Command. Investment in weapons and tech, including ships and Tempest fighter jets, will support 10,000 jobs, the government said.
Successful rocket launches will give Space Command a sovereign capability to put weapons and surveillance satellites into orbit, to defend British interests, without relying on other nations.
The key difference will be that it welcomes staff from across all three armed forces.
It is expected to launch its first rocket from a site in Scotland, Wales or Cornwall.
A first.... @BorisJohnson taking PMQs from isolation pic.twitter.com/H4lkKg9JQe
— Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) November 18, 2020
Corbyn has been readmitted into the Labour Party, now the world waits with baited breath for Starmer to restore the whip.
Now with musical accompaniment...#DominicGoing pic.twitter.com/nwgEM5Z9KX
— Slough for Europe 🇪🇺🎪 (@SloughForEU) November 14, 2020
Cummings hasn't gone anywhere!
The media have been trolled royally😁 https://t.co/AO0YuUXX7N
— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) November 14, 2020
The question that the media haven't asked: given that their attention was focused on the front door, who was leaving by the back door?
I will be hugely amused to see the media's reaction when Cummings is given a peerage!
Hi folks, I’ve been instructed by our NHS Test & Trace scheme to self-isolate for two weeks, after being in contact with someone with Covid-19.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 16, 2020
I’m in good health and have no symptoms, and will continue to lead on our response to the virus & our plans to #BuildBackBetter pic.twitter.com/yNgIme8lOz
PM message to MPs on Whatsapp tonight: “the rules are the rules” pic.twitter.com/9ZSrDOFRTP
— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) November 15, 2020
The media are bleating that this messes up Boris's plans for the reset of his government.
Nonsense!
He can spend this time wisely considering what to do, and still maintain contact with Carrie via WhatsApp!
The media are currently wetting themselves over the now formalised year end departure of Dominic Cummings.
Whilst this may be all very entertaining, if you are in the media or Westminster bubble, it rather ignores the elephant in the room.
His year end departure was known about, and reported on, back in May; eg as per The Metro:
"A source, who reportedly knows him well, told the Daily Mail he plans to step back from politics now Brexit has been achieved.
They said: ‘Dominic has not decided what to do. He will stay in his job if it seems worthwhile and [he] can improve things – otherwise he probably won’t.’
The Spectator magazine, where Mr Cummings used to work and where his wife is a commissioning editor, also reported that he could consider himself ‘largely redundant’ by Christmas if he has completed reforms of Whitehall. "
The resignation is merely formalising what was already the plan.
The question is, once he goes who will become the object of the media's frenzied hatred?
 |
| Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings |
A No10 spad messages this morning. No love lost, it appears: “Literally no one in here is mourning Lee this morning. A rude, needlessly abrasive, insecure clown with no brain for govt, who crashed Boris’s comms into the ground before flouncing off in a huff without an apology”.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) November 12, 2020
There are currently shenanigans aplenty in Number 10, as Boris tries to wrestle with the competing egos and factions within his "in house" team.
Having first promised a sop job to Lee Cain, Boris has had to unpromise it as a result of an outcry from others including Carrie.
Cain has now flounced off, and Cummings is pondering doing the same; with rumours that David Frost may also go.
I doubt very much that Frost will go until the Brexit endgame is over. However, be that as it may, nonsense like this in the middle of a national crisis (partially self inflicted) and so close to Brexit deal/no deal is an utter disgrace. It reflects very poorly on the prima donnas involved, and poorly on Boris for allowing this to happen.
Shape up or ship out Boris, you have until year end to sort yourself and your team out!
Health select committee:
— Rowland Manthorpe (@rowlsmanthorpe) November 10, 2020
Sir John Bell says we have a "70 to 80 per cent chance" of reaching Easter having vaccinated the most vulnerable
"That's provided they don't screw up the distribution of the vaccine."
WATCH: Fireworks in London, Edinburgh as Biden win celebrated abroad https://t.co/dqPLRPso6i pic.twitter.com/xAOzXP79AU
— The Hill (@thehill) November 8, 2020
#Coronavirus has a very significant impact on mental health.@rcpsych said today: "allowing Covid to go unchecked would also have serious consequences for mental illness"
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) November 2, 2020
Supporting mental health is another reason to bring this virus under control. pic.twitter.com/zDr4etoT6Q
Handock really is a vile little man, he knows perfectly well that lockdowns cause untold psychological damage to many people!
Whilst I have your attention, he was the one who leaked the lockdown details on Saturday.
EXCLUSIVE
— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) November 1, 2020
The Brexit Party is to be relaunched as an anti-lockdown party called Reform UK, in a move which could alarm Conservative MPs jittery about Covid-19 policy.
Plans to change the name of the Brexit Party to Reform UK were submitted to the Electoral Commission last week.
The cat has been put well and truly amongst the pigeons!
