Clearly rattled PM completely forgets the threat to his MPs to call a general election if they don’t give him what he wants
A clearly rattled Boris Johnson managed to make a complete mess of the ‘big’ speech he had called at short notice this evening. His helpers had trailed that he was going to threaten to call a general election under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act (FTPA) if MPs dare not to give him what he wants this week:
But what “Boris Johnson will say” turned out not to be what Boris Johnson actually said.
Johnson stammered and stuttered his way through a meandering speech in which he often repeated himself – with the sound of a noisy protest nearby clearly audible on the coverage – and then started saying how he didn’t want a general election.
But he hadn’t mentioned there being one, let alone threatened to bring a vote on holding one:
Johnson’s aides tried desperately to cover for his blunder, furiously briefing journalists with what he was supposed to have said:
The complict BBC simply acted as if he had not blundered, putting up text over a short clip that Johnson had ‘warned’ his MPs – and then faded out the clip before it became apparent that he hadn’t:
But Johnson’s complete failure was there on camera, reducing his supposedly big speech to a rambling piece of nonsense-bluster.
Johnson’s confusion and worry was written large on his face and in his words – and lack of them – suggesting his confidence about a general election is anything but what he wants the public to think.
Broadcasters and the press will not mention it, of course – so it’s over to SKWAWKBOX readers to spread the word.
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a rambling piece of nonsense-bluster
Boris neatly summed up in just a few words
Can you hear the demonstrators in the background BORIS …they are coming for you !!
Unfortunately, despite the fluffed speech , Johnson and Cummings gameplan is so far on track – with an endless set of bogus spending promises delivered in the last few weeks to undermine our Labour Election promises, and Johnson able to pose as “the champion of the popular democratic 2016 Referendum vote victors”- against the Remainer political elite”. Bollocks of course – but a powerful snap election narrative.
Pretty obvious that he’s out of his depth. Trump would have pulled it off better than that.
When Johnson blisters, I always doubt whether I did bluster of bluffed… The man is both an idiot and a master tactician, that sometimes it’s difficult to say which is which.
One possible theory I can think of is that he might have had this position forced on him, which he disagreed with, then went on to say something contradicting the press release so whatever happens, whether he backtracks or not, the “true” version will be the more convenient. When he speaks, it’s not to inform, but to confuse.
Or, he might just blundered…
No apologies for posting this video of the ‘Defend free speech and don’t extradite Julian Assange’ demo outside the home office today. John Pilger, Roger Waters speak and play to a good crowd of supporters,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yETgwcKP1-s&feature=youtu.be
This issue of free speech and the vital importance of defending it is never off topic.
I note Chris Williamson MP attended… Labour Party MP that is still under egregious suspension from Corbyn’s LP left in limbo by the political party that claims solidarity is its rallying cry.
I wondered at the time why he’d bothered with the lectern to make such an empty speech.
Standing in front of No.10 telling everyone he’s not bluffing isn’t going to convince his own MPs or Brussels – so maybe he’s just pre-blaming everyone but himself for his imminent failure to get a better deal?
Or maybe he left the building with only two pages of Cummings’ brilliant three page speech – or lost his bottle when he heard all the chanting.
Cummings’ PM-sidekick career looks set to be a lot shorter than Nick Timothy/Fiona Hill’s – I haven’t given up on BloJob beating PM George Canning’s 119 day record yet 🙂
Dominic Cummings may turn out to be far too clever for his own good.
David…..just watched the speech on BBCworld news out of Singapore,Why he needs a lectern is obviously because he needed somthing to cling on to.Either his aids lock the drinks cabinet or stop whatever he’s taking.,because that performance was pure bullingdon boy.The fuzzy bluster will work in parliament ,but not in front of the cameras..The Torys Will soon regret foisting him on the country.How soon before the rows start and the pots get smashed when Boris starts knocking around his current floozy.Life of a TORY grandee for all to see. Ps…..At least the neighbours will not have to phone the police to sort out the Domestic?
All we learned was Cummings glove puppet isn’t as good as he thinks he is and they will bounce the election date to nobble Brexit party
It looks like things aren’t going quite as smoothly as Boris and Cummings hoped.
Cabinet revolt as Amber Rudd warns Boris Johnson not to deselect Tory no-deal rebels
Boris Johnson has been hit by a Cabinet revolt after Amber Rudd told him not to deselect Tory MPs who vote against the Government on Brexit. Amber Rudd confronted Boris Johnson over threats to Tory rebels. The Work and Pensions Secretary said it would be wrong to single out those opposed to a no-deal Brexit when those who rebelled against Theresa May’s deal escaped punishment.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/news/106246/cabinet-revolt-amber-rudd-warns-boris
You write these people off at your peril: this a combination of sturm und drang, smoke and mirrors, now you see it, now you don’t, stuff – which owes as much to Derren Brown or Harry Houdini as it does to Churchill or Thatcher. It’s all very well laughing at them but these bastards know exactly what they’re doing and what the result will be. If we’d all thrown out our TV sets when Play for Today was replaced by Big Brother, assassinated Ofsted inspectors, insisted that Gordon Brown punish the bankers rather than their clients after 2008, or worked out that our mobile phones are the problem rather than the solution, we might not be in this situation.
To quote Guto Bebb the Conservative MP for Aberconwy.
“The Government’s claim is, that by ruling out No Deal, Parliament risks damaging the negotiating stance of the United Kingdom. This I find the most reprehensible assertion of all, because in making it ministers are quite explicitly using the threat of economic self-mutilation. It’s like threatening your neighbours with a scorched lawn if you burn your house down.”
“No reasonable or responsible Government should be allowed to get away with advocating a course of action they know will harm the people of the country and it is an absolute outrage that ministers feel they can do so with impunity.”
https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/opinion/house-commons/106247/guto-bebb-mp-welsh-and
I read his article, thanks Steve.
Bebb thinks himself an honourable man for standing up for ‘poor’ landowners and farmers in his constituency who might suffer losses from no deal. Not the poorest of his constituents but good, reliable Tory voters he sees as more deserving of his help than however many hundreds or thousands of victims of UC there are in his area.
No truly honourable man could fail to recognise the honour that shines out of Corbyn yet this self-deluded, self-righteous faker speaks of him as if he were the antichrist.
No forgiveness for Tory wets – their ‘reasonableness’ just gives cover to their fascist friends.
David I agree spot on,and I would also say that the people who vote for this evil regime,have no sense of decency….and defiantly living it up with his latest floozy off the taxpayer in Drowning street…..What must is wife think……Now that must be worth a punt from our fearless press gossip and lowlife news.I hope someone’s feeding the cat 🐱 amongst all the smashed crockery…..?
Ps. Swansong.. His she back yet from her holiday. And which way will she vote?.
Ps spellchecker and pronunciation. New computer for Xmass I am told……sorry!
It’s sometimes a good idea to watch clips like this through the eyes of the average pro-Brexit, pro-Johnson punter.
Frankly, there is nothing in Boris’s performance that would cause them to question him. The mismatch between the pre-speech release and what is admittedly a shambolic train of bluster will have passed them by. The ramble will have achieved it objective : ‘*I* don’t want a general election’.
Nothing new here. Don’t get too excited. Move along. Yesterday’s chip-wrapper.
The phrase that struck me as pure Cummings was “I dont want a GE. You dont want a GE.”. Conflating what No 10 wants with what we want. The MSM will run with this, as now we are to be told what we want.
Apparently Dominic Cummings is <b<not a member of the Conservative Party