The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel - The Tory leadership elections

I'm not see whats so damning in the Bannon clip?

And what is damning in any future General Election is not the same thing as damning his bid for leadership. its all so intangible. Trump talking about the NHS? Thats tangible, and enough to have had an effect

There's probably a cumulative effect to all this stuff, but I don't know how significant - beyond a certain point it ceases to become a story

the point is that Boris has repeatedly claimed that he didn't meet with Bannon nor solicit any advice. But Bannon certainly has form in exaggerating his own importance.

Even Trump talking about the NHS is a side-show - he'll see it as a deal like anything else if its ever put in front of him. What about the state of it today in many parts of the country, or its ongoing privatization?

Scottish independence voting intention (ft. scenario prompting Boris Johnson being UK Prime Minister):

Yes: 53%
No: 47%

via @Panelbase, last week

— Britain Elects (@britainelects) June 23, 2019

rip woke Ruth

how is it still so close

Scotland should stick around just in case the overdue Tory permaban kicks in tbh

I guess you can only wait so long

how is it still so close

That's exactly what I thought.

lol the union’s gonna die

"ts: boris johnson vs wings over scotland" is how i break it down to an extent

i'm sure that the technology already exists to solve the Scottish backstop problem

late show: a warning from history

gove is gove (bad not good), morley is morley (good not bad)*, the greer sisters are differentially problematic (germaine is terrible, bonnie is mildly blairite) -- and no one has yet mentioned the brexit beatle >:|

*has he ever made a single political noise of any kind?

lol the union’s not gonna die

I am a bit interested in her, in that I never picked up her being so full of bile and froth when she was reviewing things on TV. I don't know if I was just a poor judge of character or if she's been somehow radicalised since then.

― Alba, Saturday, 22 June 2019 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That was a long time ago she was on TV reviewing things.

― Orpheus Knutt (Tom D.), Saturday, 22 June 2019 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

also she was bad

― mark s, Saturday, 22 June 2019 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Poor woman and two-year-old murdered by partner in Essex. Neighbour shouted at police: "You KNEW this was going to happen & did nothing."

— Allison Pearson (@allisonpearson) June 6, 2011

i am crossed out there because as always i am correct

Right, it just adds nothing extra. Its not as if the guy wouldn't be racist if he hadn't met Bannon. Or as if the UK is a wonderful place for migrants and its now under threat because of it.

Are we really flogging the argument that because things are bad they can't get meaningfully worse?

One Nation Tories are in the minority these days but I'd guess the supposedly liberal Cameron contingent is reasonably prominent. For those people it's about the optics - it's not about the logical consistency of going "well this amount of hostile environment was OK but Steve Bannon is beyond the pale" - although they will do that. But being associated with a straight-up fascist like Bannon is a terrible look for a party that needs the votes of the socially liberal to win.

Looking like you're a cog in a supranational far right conspiracy isn't exactly a great look either but most voters won't think like that anyway.

Are we really flogging the argument that because things are bad they can't get meaningfully worse?

I don't think Carole writes up something on Bannon praising Johnson means things getting worse but sure go ahead and 'flog' this one.

I don't think there are any significant number of One Nation Tories at all in terms of there being a clique who would put social policies over economic ones or who aren't fully committed to that ol' free market or have any record of campaigning for a better model of wealth redistribution. Maybe that is judging what makes a one-tory by the old definition or whatever, but makes one these days is not very clearly defined or even complete bullshit as far as I can see.

* what makes one*

*fucking typing*

Did you watch the video? He isn't just praising him, he's claiming he advised him.

Tracer's read that Bannon might be exaggerating his own importance seems pretty credible to me. But even if he was just praising him it would still be newsworthy because it would suggest that Bannon *was* expecting things to get materially worse for a lot of people, and that our most likely next PM might have done something to give him that idea. Even if it isn't of itself hugely significant in the grand scale of things that doesn't make it a non-story or something to be shrugged off.

(xxxpost)

It’s a side note. It doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be covered but framing it as proving Johnson is Bannon’s ‘protege’ does nothing for the credibility of journalists meant to be holding Johnson and his backers up to scrutiny. You only have to look at the front pages of the Telegraph, Mail, Sun, etc, to know there is a coordinated effort by the rich and influential to make Johnson PM. Elevating the importance of a gin-addled old wretch, based on nothing more than his own bragging, to a pivotal cog in the machine just obfuscates what’s actually happening imo.

The bigger question is why on earth Johnson would need to take advice from Bannon. Because as out of touch as Boris is its not like he doesn't know how to play the media or knows less about the UK than a man who thinks Yaxley-Lennon represents the backbone of this country. It isn't worth the risk.

The only reason I can think of for his involvement is that its a condition of campaign funding and even then I'm sceptical because its not like Johnson couldn't easily get the money from somewhere else.

broader web of connections with Trump and his people and Farage/Banks i think, and sure Bannon is the loose cannon gobshite amongst that crowd but

Matt - I didn't watch it at first, just read the piece and massively eyerolled at the thing.

Now I have and I need more than a few texts exchanged/ "advice" - we all knew there is more than nothing but if this is to become substantial I need more meat on the bones of this "advice" business.

to be clear i think this is only really relevant to the extent it might indicate a determined play for No Deal by Johnson as PM

Maybe Boris isn't as smart as people think he is. Shockah!

cadwalladr has a v unhelpful* tendency to hype everything as bad largely bcz ultimately routing back to a vast putin-devised and -run machine, which
(a) overlooks (in fact lol "erases") the more urgently present role of homegrown media and (as SV says) "the rich and the influential", and
(b) allows nitwits to then sketch in their own idiotic connections (putin = stalin = MR seamas milne = chairman alph etc)

*unhelpful not least bcz it gets such breathless traction from ppl who actually aren't themselves terrible on the badness of our media (like peter jukes)

It might also indicate that Boris has bitten off more than he chew in his quest for Number 10 and started playing with forces over which he has minimal control - as opposed the ones where he does like a largely supine British press. I definitely wouldn't rule out stupidity here.

One nation Tory strongholds - the isle of sodor , Brensham, Kembleford; and the last one living might well be uncle Quentin.

You only have to look at the front pages of the Telegraph, Mail, Sun, etc, to know there is a coordinated effort by the rich and influential to make Johnson PM.

I don't disagree with this, but Boris has been runaway fav from day one, the RW press want to back a winner early, and right now the alternative is Hunt. Its difficult to see why they would be any different, its backing the strongest horse. What will they get from Boris that they won't get from Hunt?

chaotically unexpected copy

hunt only delivers "ludicrously unexpected copy"

carrie symonds, according to the times tonight, 'appears to be a carefree blonde, but is a formidable campaigner'

same

probably missing a subclause around wine stains, idk, xp

teabag pressing tho....

Hold on, isn’t this entirely spontaneous and non planned photograph Stasi interference into people’s private lives? https://t.co/LrVMffuQ7r

— Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) June 24, 2019

*scrutinises pixels*

I’m told by the Boris Johnson campaign that the picture is genuinely from Sunday.

Here - just to pass the time - is what Johnson’s hair looked like on Saturday so everyone can compare and contrast

Still hoping copyright of Sunday photo released.... pic.twitter.com/4aimcLHuHG

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) June 24, 2019

maybe 'scrutonises' would be more apt tbh

Hope he can grow the economy as quick

— Steptoe (@Steptoesyard) June 24, 2019

I've been sitting on this straight fire hot take for awhile now but.. is Boris' vaunted "charisma" just a wee bit OVERSTATED

Yeah but consider the kind of people that vaunt it

he's over

he's mr lover lover

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8b646e28e6cecead9b049cca6a3e19325852d940/0_166_2871_1724/master/2871.jpg

There are no charismatic Tories.

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8b646e28e6cecead9b049cca6a3e19325852d940/0_166_2871_1724/master/2871.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=165ca59e61bf6c0ed02f3c208b0728d8

(xp) In the kingdom of the blind...