Johnson?

Sarah Vine pontificating about Hancock's affair: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...-Universe.html

Is she trying to get the attention of her spouse?

Seems to be more of an OBN piece to her 'former friend' SamCam, as well as reminding weasel Gove of his place.

I doubt it. Johnson looks like a bumbling idiot over this (so what else is new?), given that he tried to first keep Handcock in the job and saying the matter was closed, but it was only the outrage of grassroots Tories that made him have to accept his resignation. This makes him look like fool to his own constituency and also reminds everyone of his own affairs, poor judgment, lack of discipline etc...

Johnson wanted to keep Hancock in the job so Hancock wouldn't reveal the scandalous dirt Hancock has on Johnson.

Can there be any other reason that Johnson kept Hancock on?

Meat shield for the blame over BoJo's bungling of the Covid crisis and tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths?

Shirley he, like Williamson and some others, was being kept until there is an inquiry into all the Covid-related corruption, incompetence and general *********** so they could be used as escape goats?

And Neil's comment, as he announces his vacation from broadcasting?

"In two short weeks, we have already built a loyal audience, which has beaten all of our expectations.”

Low expectations?

If Welsh-language Paw Patrol is the same kids' show that airs in the U.S. then it is probably far more serious social commentary than the GB offerings.

More accurate, anyhow.

A Minister, whose declaration of interests shows he works for a US bank, is now in charge of our NHS.

The one I heard was Gammon Bloke News. :)

Boris now apparently trying to claim that Hancock's departure was something to do with him despite fully supporting him, saying the matter was closed on Friday and saying that he reluctantly accepted his resignation on Saturday. Now he implies he sacked him, forced him to resign.

He might as well. He's never going to convince those of us who discount everything the proven liar says, but there are still those credulous enough to be taken in.

Of course. The worse you are as a leader the more essential it is that the people below you are even more useless and pliable. You fill up the cabinet with feeble incompetents who are can’t believe their luck, and they won’t be a threat to you. Maybe the only exception is Gove, who he knows is as unrpincipled and backstabbing as he is, but fortunately also unlikable.

After Len Deighton, SSGB News.

interview: hello government, what's happening with the 2020 fiasco?

government: Yeah bloody Hancock, but he's gone now, quick squirrel! carry on.

Statement from Johnson on Hancock.

"It was with much regret that I choose to fire Matt Hancock last Friday. Ever since I discovered the vaccine Matt has been by my side but it is now time to move on as I need to pick the England team for the game against the bosh tonight"

Johnson couldn't really take the moral high road on this one, what with the whole Jennifer Arcuri business still hovering around the edge of what is newsworthy.

Besides, it was an open secret that Hancock was only being kept on to act as the inevitable post-Covid handling inquiry fall guy.

Yes they don't have to deal with him any more, that is a win for them clearly.

Solidarity for those who commit adultery?

I think Johnson, being an educated racist, would know how to spell "Bosch"

If you say everything, no matter how contradictory, then you can always go back and point to any part of it to claim that part is what you really meant.

England's success on the pitch against Germany will give Boris Johnson a boost in the polls even though he had nothing to do with it.

Meanwhile the Conservatives are changing competition rules to make it even easier to slip their mates a bung and the BBC is portraying the EU's willingness to allow UK sausages to be sold in NI as a victory for the government and a climb down for the EU.

The propaganda machine is in full swing. :mad:

He’d probably know it was “Boche”. ;)

Wasn't it Cameron who said to a woman who wasn't his wife, something along the lines of 'I want to take you behind those bushes, rip your clothes off and ravish you'? Yeah, really sounds like a dedicated and faithful husband.

ETA: found it, it was Lady Swire and he said 'It makes me want to grab you and push you into the bushes and give you one!' after asking her to walk ahead of him because she was making his 'pheromones go crazy'.

As much as I can't stand Sarah Vine and her article is largely twaddle - she is paid tio churn out 'opinion' on current affairs from the 'FeMail' POV, there might be a glimmer of truth about the state of the Hancock's marriage. Largely apart for whole weeks ( a London base and a Suffolk base) with Hancock having no end of excuses for 'working late' or not being there at weekends, the pair must have drifted apart some what, especially if he was giving all his attention to his mistress. It seems quite possible that the sheer stress of his job - being responsible for a huge death toll, botch ups in PPE, the nightingale hospitals - has taken a toll on Matt's psychological welfare (despite his benefitting from business deals within his family and circle of acquaintances). Rather being able to resign as most of can from a stressful job or find another, he has had the relief of his affair being 'found out' and forceably ejected from the role. He thinks he is still in love with the same person he had a crush on at Uni but it will likely turn out to be an illusion as from the video he seemed more eager than her (she had her hands on his arms rather than hugging his body), she is siad to have been married three times, is used to men pursuing her, although I would question whether she is now as attractive as she once was, with a characteristic 'man face' many women seem to develop in middle age onwards. The fling won't last but it will provide Hancock a hiatus of peace and calm after the prevarications of the last year and his conflicts with various people, including Cummings, Boris and Carrie. You can see him giving Boris a 'hate stare' on several occasions at PMQ in parliamentary sessions, so we knew there was tension there.

Ah, yes. JP Morgan, who are surely interested in pushing US Big Pharma onto the Health Service.

I wonder what could cause a memory blackout?

But he's popular, innit?

I understand Bosch is the washing machine manufacturer.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/boche

Pretty sure this was abbreviated to 'the Bosh'.

ETA: Ah, ninjaed.

I think that was the joke.

You and your facts

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

You can use them to prove anything!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-1bn-contracts

Of course, it is just purely coincidental that Bethell, in a moment of "administrative oversight" forgot to record these meetings with so many companies, who all just happened to be bidding for and obtaining highly lucrative contracts. Not to mention completely accidental that his personal e-mail address was used at times in relation to these things he couldn't remember.

If a minister cannot remember certain simple things about what he is supposed to do and how, how can they possibly be competent to be involved in discussions about billions of pounds of contracts? Unless, of course, there is another explanation, which the uncharitable among us - but we are all charitable, aren't we? - might describe as corrupt...

Labour hold Batley & Spen, despite the efforts of George Galloway.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...pen-byelection.

There but for a fleeting I moment, I thought I'd never have to hear about Galloway again. He's said he'll take this to the courts, so presumably it'll be a while before he sinks back to the depths of irrelevancy again.

Doesn't the grift include seeking donations for legal campaigns?

Galloway said he would apply to have the result set aside by the courts, citing a "false statement" made about him during the campaign.

He took 21.9% of the vote!

If "false statements" mean that votes have to be set aside, we're going to be rerunning every vote since Rupert Murdoch pitched up on our shores.

It was probably by his supporters