Sneak Peak at Lis Truss's 2021 Christmas Card

 

Macron Has Another Hissy Fit

 

The French government has responded to a letter written by Boris Johnson urging France to do more to stop undocumented migrants making the Channel crossing by uninviting Home Secretary Priti Patel from a Sunday meeting of European interior ministers and the European Commission. 

“We find the open letter from the British prime minister unacceptable … Thus, Priti Patel is not invited anymore to the ministers’ meeting,” a French interior ministry source told POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt. 

The French interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said: 

"We consider the British prime minister's public letter unacceptable and counter to our discussions between partners." 

How long will Macron sulk?

Rishi's In Danger of Shooting His Wad

 

There has been a marked uptick in the public hostility from Number 11 towards Number 10.

As per Politico, Harry Cole reports fingers were being pointed at Treasury aides over a vicious briefing by a “senior Downing Street source” to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that appeared to be an attempt to undermine No. 10 Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield. The Treasury and Rosenfield have clashed in recent weeks over the budget and spending review. Today, the Times‘ Steve Swinford also quotes a “senior Tory” blaming the Treasury for the hostile briefing. For what it’s worth, HMT are adamant to Playbook it wasn’t them — but the fact senior Tories believe it was is the real story.

Several sources yesterday pointed the finger at the unit’s chief Liam Booth-Smith, who is said to make little effort to disguise his disdain for the PM … Allies last night did not deny that Mr Booth-Smith has made disparaging remarks about Mr Johnson in the past, but insisted he is not the Chatty Pig.”

“No one epitomizes the growing self-confidence of the Treasury more than Liam Booth-Smith, the head of the joint unit … Booth-Smith ‘is not discreet about his dislike of the PM,’ according to the former colleague, who said they had experienced his disloyalty first hand. ‘He has no compunction to sarcastically say ‘it is going splendidly in No.10.'” Treasury officials (obviously) denied this claim as well when approached by Annabelle and Esther at the time.

Allegedly a handful of letters from those who have hated Boris since the crack of dawn, have been sent to Sir Graham Brady. However, there is no chance whatsoever that any serious move to oust Boris will be made anytime soon. As such, Rishi would do well to bring his dogs to heel; lest he suffer the same fate as Heseltine.

He who wields the knife never ascends to the throne!

There's No Business Like Show Business - #PeppaGate

 

Boris fluffed his lines yesterday at the CBI, and improvised with a few comments about the joys of Peppa Pig.

The media have mocked him for it. However, he repeated the lines at a speech later at the CPS then at a fund raising event for the Tories in the evening (by all accounts it went down rather well).

Boris has temporarily adapted the entertainer's trick of repeating something so often that it has become the equivalent of a catch phrase, attracting the headlines as he did so.

BTW, if anyone noticed, Keir Starmer also spoke at the CBI yesterday.

Boris Likes Peppa Pig

 

Boris Johnson:

'Peppa Pig World is very much my kind of place'

— Olly Barratt (@ollybarratt) November 22, 2021

It's a Funny Old World!

 

It's a funny old world when an investment project of  £96 Billion is considered a betrayal, and when the man who campaigned against HS2 now complains about it being pared back!

Boris's Car Crash

 

NEW: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs “On a clear road I crashed the car into a ditch” over the Paterson affair.

— Kitty Donaldson (@kitty_donaldson) November 17, 2021

Whether Boris can get himself, and his party, out of the ditch remains to be seen!

Priti Patel is on a Hiding To Nothing

 

The Home Secretary and her French counterpart have spoken of their determination to prevent 100% of migrant crossings - at a virtual meeting this evening. pic.twitter.com/mENyVBOflN

— Simon Jones (@SimonJonesNews) November 15, 2021

Patel and the Home Office have promised mountains, yet they have performed molehills.

1 It is in the interests of the French to get these people out of France (no amount of shouting or bribes will incentivise the French to keep them).

2 UK Border Force has given up trying to repatriate them once they land, and is wilfully disobeying (to the point of insolence) instructions from Patel.

3 Ambulance chasing lawyers are taking advantage of the situation, and are ensuring that these people remain in the country for years (to the detriment of our safety).

Therefore the UK will continue to suffer a daily invasion of economic migrants, who have paid large sums of money to organised criminal gangs, until we actually send them back en masse on daily flights. This will require a root and branch overhaul of Border Force, and the repeal of the Human Rights Act.

 

Boris Outflanks Himself

 

In a move to stave off Labour stealing the high ground of the reform of what politicians can/cannot do/earn outside parliament, Boris issued his own proposals minutes before Keir was about to unveil his yesterday.

So far so good.

However, Boris wants his proposals voted on today.

Again, so far so good.

BUT

1 The wording is woolly, especially when phrases such as "within reasonable limits" are used.

2 The time limit for reporting back (31 January) ensures that this will rumble on.

3 Many Tory MPs are wondering if they will be banned from having a secondary income.

It is just conceivable that Boris has outflanked himself.

Chope for The Chop

 

The Government's and Country's Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse

 

1 The expected Russian invasion of the Ukraine

2 The terrorist bomb in Liverpool.

3 The Belarus crisis.

4 The apparent deteriorating health of the monarch.

The EU Can't Function Without Merkel

 

As COP blame game gets underway, fascinating from @KarlMathiesen: “according to green groups, diplomats, observers and allies, the EU in Glasgow has appeared ineffective, constrained and at times looked inept”https://t.co/JMOal9iIEU

— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) November 12, 2021

The Media's Cox Fetish

 

The media, having got bored with covid and COP, have come up with a new way to torment Boris and the government in the shape of Sir Geoffrey Cox.

There is currently wall to wall Cox coverage, analysing his every move and action since the year dot.

Unsurprisingly, this is currently doing immense damage to the Tories. As to whether it makes a real impact in two years time, when the election is likely to be held, remains to be seen.

Cox is unlikely to be bothered if he is ousted as an MP, at which point the media will go after other politicians. However, the media need to have a care that they do not misstep with their allegations. Sir Geoffrey was Attorney General, and is a highly experienced QC; he will not let "missteps" go unchallenged!

Get Your Cox Out!

 

Thanks to the remarkably tin eared, inept and mind boggling stupid handling of the Paterson affair by Number 10 (ie Boris), the media (who have got bored with Covid - since it is declining) are having a field day scrutinising the second jobs and incomes of MPs.

Suffice to say some MPs (Cox) have some explaining to do, especially if they have broken the rules about working for third parties on the parliamentary estate. In the likely event Cox goes, I doubt that he will give a toss.

However, his colleagues who remain, will be giving many tosses and will be asking themselves why did Boris drop them in it?

As for Boris?

There are straws in the wind, not least the hint that some of the whips have been "unofficially" briefing against Number 10.

Bye Bye Sir Geoffrey - A Right Cox Up!

 

Will He or Won't He?

 

People who have nothing better to do, than ponder about Westminster politics, are currently wondering whether Boris will turn up to the Commons debate about the Paterson debacle this afternoon.

I bet he doesn't!

Goodbye Mr Whippy!

 

Given the absolute clusterfuck over Paterson, it is clear heads must roll in order to protect Johnson.

Step forward Mark Spencer (Chief Whip) who, apparently, is not going to go quietly!

Went The Day Well? - The Government's Pyrrhic Victory

 

Yesterday's vote on the Paterson case was a Pyrrhic victory for the government.

The government succeeded in overturning the suspension, and set up a new committee dominated by a five-to-four majority of Tory MPs that would draw up new rules on MPs’ standards. However, that victory was turned to ashes by the fact that Labour and the SNP are to boycott the committee, thus making it look utterly pathetic and a sham.

Such is the anger today over this farce, the government is making a monumental U-turn, and abolishing its own proposed changes.

After huge backlash - Jacob Rees Mogg tells Commons Government will look for cross-party reform.

As @bbclaurak reports, plans from last night seem to be ditched https://t.co/PiNUK51Lq9

— Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) November 4, 2021

The apparent shambles of the last 24 hours can be interpreted in a number of ways:

1 It is part of a grand plan, the overall objective of which remains unclear to mere mortals such as myself.

2 It was a monumental misreading of the situation and, in effect, a cock up.

3 The government thought people wouldn't really care, and assumed it would get away with it.

#StoneGate - Marking Its Own Homework?

 

Many in Westminster agree the watchdog system is flawed/inconsistent. Many agree Stone made errors

But also concern in Whitehall that No10 has made a tactical and tin eared error and should have framed reform around toughening system, not rigging it and getting Paterson off pic.twitter.com/4eSvIYmL4W

— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) November 3, 2021

Sadly, all too often, when presented with an opportunity for positive reform and improvement Parliament manages to drop the ball!

Jersey Sticks Two Fingers Up To France

 

Very punchy interview just now on Sky News by Jersey senator @Ian_Gorst on Brexit fishing row.
``It's bordering on they're just being silly,'' Gorst says of the French threats 1/ https://t.co/HQcvCjoMcN pic.twitter.com/95p87Z0KOU

— Joe Mayes (@Joe_Mayes) November 1, 2021