Three since then!

Jumping before they are pushed in the fallout from Partygate?

Four senior aides to Boris Johnson have resigned from Downing Street within hours of each other amid growing pressure on the prime minister.

Director of communications Jack Doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of policy head Munira Mirza.

They were followed by the chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and senior civil servant Martin Reynolds.

The top aides' resignations come as Mr Johnson faces increasing questions over his leadership from within his party.

Mr Doyle told staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years.

However, Ms Mirza quit over the PM's false claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak publicly distanced himself from the PM's original comment, saying: "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it."

And asked if Mr Johnson should apologise, he said: "That's for the prime minister to decide."

A statement from a No 10 spokeswoman said Mr Rosenfield had offered his resignation to the PM earlier on Thursday, but would stay on while his successor was found.

Mr Reynolds - who was the principal private secretary to the prime minister - will do the same, but then return to a role at the Foreign Office.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60253231

Boris lied about reduction in crime?

Are we surprised?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60250678

He fraudulently claimed a reduction in crime by omitting fraud as one of the crimes being counted! You see, THAT'S what I'm talking about; Trump couldn't be half that entertaining if he set his own underpants on fire! :D

:):thumbsup:

Nadine Dorries shortly to appear on her front lawn in her nightie clutching a pint of wine to tell us that they were all bastards who jumped before they were sacked.

I see that The Fail and The Spectator are joining the rat platoons, swimming to safety.

I hope the stench of this lingers to the next GE, and I strongly suspect it will. Sunak will inherit a poisoned chalice.

Boris flew in a private jet to Blackpool for a photo op today. He shaved an estimated 20 minutes off the time it'd have taken by train

He also avoided plebs and journalists during the journey.

We need to start installing walk-in fridges on trains.

So do I but I fear that a couple of years effort by the Sun, Mail, Express and Telegraph ably supported by Laura Kuenssberg at the BBC will sell the message that the new Prime Minister and cabinet have nothing whatsoever to do with the last, discredited, sleaze-ridden, party-tainted, Covid-bungling lot.

After all, they managed to convince the British public that the current Boris Johnson led government which is acing Brexit is completely different to the Boris Johnson led government which completely bungled it - despite there being no difference in Brexit policy. :boggled: :confused:

Heck, there's still no guarantee that Boris Johnson won't simply blame the departing aides for everything and manage to cling to power.

Perhaps no one told Johnson that it was a private jet? He could have thought it was a train.

Another aide has left but Number 10 are spinning this as Boris Johnson seizing the bull by the horns and clearing house. This is a message that a significant number of Conservative MPs are pushing and may end up being the accepted narrative.

I see the usual placatory nonsense is going on around Government circles.

Boris has acted like Boris. While some of the details may be surprising or even shocking, overall, I'm not sure that anyone can be suprised that he has spent his time as Prime Minister acting like a bumbling self-entitled ball of arrogance. But now there is talk of him 'changing' and 'restoring trust' and somehow becoming a totally different Prime Minister to the one they selected.

Tory's seem to think he is capable of change. He isn't. It's total idiocy. Being 'Boris' has made him Prime Minister, why on earth would he change that? Fundametally, they - and by default, we - got exactly what it said on the tin. The fact that the tin was full of rancid butter and depleted uranium is not his fault - it's always been that way.

What they want is a different Prime Minister. You get that by selecting a different Prime Minister, not by trying to mould the one you already have into something different.

Not sure it will fly as the whatsapp messages have been leaked

https://twitter.com/KevinASchofield/...37562921684995

Attachment 46199

Maybe, then again the target audience for the gaslighting aren't likely to seek out the whatsapp messages.

It also shows that that group of "pro-Johnson MPs" includes at least one who wants to embarrass him and the attempts to support him.

A fifth adviser has resigned from Downing Street within 24 hours amid pressure on Boris Johnson's leadership
Elena Narozanski had been a member of No 10's policy unit under Munira Mirza, who quit on Thursday

Elena Narozanski was an education policy specialist at No 10.
She was a former adviser to Michael Gove and Theresa May, and headed up the New Schools for London programme when Boris Johnson was the capital's mayor.

On BBC live feed.

Conservative candidate Anna Firth has been voted in as the new MP for Southend West following the fatal stabbing of Sir David Amess.

The by-election came at a time of turmoil within the government amid growing pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Sir David had been the area's MP since 1997 and the seat was not contested by Labour, the Liberal Democrats or the Greens.

Less than a quarter of the electorate turned out to vote, while there were twice as many spoiled ballot papers as there were votes for the second-placed candidate Jason Pilley, of the Psychedelic Movement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-60235797

https://twitter.com/MarinaPurkiss/st...FzZNXfXBQ&s=19

An election which Labour and the Lib Dems rightly didn't contest as that would raise the spectre of a terrorist act changing the party allegiance of a constituency.

There have been some Conservative idiots (ETA: including the newly-elected MP) claiming the election was vindication of Johnson

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been accused by a Labour MP of perpetuating a "harmful clinical falsehood" about the morning after pill.

Asked if he would make time for a debate on sexual and reproductive health, the minister said he would not "speak in favour of abortifacients".
But the World Health Organization says the pill does not induce an abortion, so would not come under that label.

Dame Diana Johnson called for Mr Rees-Mogg to correct the record.

The issue was raised by the Labour MP in the Commons on Thursday after a campaign by the women's parliamentary Labour party, journalist Rose Stokes and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service led to Boots cutting the price of the emergency contraception from £15.99 to £10.99.

Dame Diana said the move had "removed the sexist surcharge that is attached to that medication", but claimed cuts to public health budgets and the fragmentation of the NHS meant it was "more difficult for women to access contraception advice".

She asked Mr Rees-Mogg - who is leader of the House - whether he could designate some time in the Commons to debate an MPs' report on sexual and reproductive health in the UK, and its recommendations for "proper funding and accessibility for women's contraceptive health services".

But the minister - who is Catholic and has spoken publicly against abortion - replied: "The right honourable lady cannot expect me to speak in favour of abortifacients [substances that induce an abortion]."

His remark led to a backlash on social media, with campaigners and charities calling on him to correct the record.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60267025

Another Conservative MP has called for Boris Johnson to resign as the turmoil at 10 Downing Street continues.

Former minister Nick Gibb is the latest Tory to submit a letter of no confidence in the prime minister.
He said his constituents were furious that No 10 had been "flagrantly disregarding" the Covid rules they set.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports a photograph of Mr Johnson holding a beer at a birthday gathering has been handed to police investigating Covid breaches.
The paper said the picture is one of 300 submitted to the Metropolitan Police investigation into 12 alleged gatherings and is thought to have been taken by the PM's official photographer, who is funded by the taxpayer.
It says it shows the prime minister holding a can of beer at an event in No 10's Cabinet Room in June 2020, alongside Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was holding a soft drink.

At the time, gatherings of more than two people inside were banned by law.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60268378

I liked the Secret Barrister's tweet on the official photographer's photo

WhatsApp messages between disgraced former Tory MP Owen Paterson and then-health secretary Matt Hancock have revealed the extent to which he was lobbying on behalf of a firm paying him more than £8,000 a month.

Randox was paying Mr Paterson, who had been the North Shropshire MP since 1997, £8,333 a month for 16 hours work, the register of financial interests showed.

On Friday, the government released documents, forced by Labour, showing the extent to which Mr Paterson was pushing the then-health secretary over Randox's offers to provide COVID testing.
Nearly £600 million worth of COVID testing contracts were awarded to Randox, with normal competition rules skipped due to the emergency situation.

Mr Paterson started pushing Randox's tests in January 2020
WhatsApp messages show Mr Paterson gave Mr Hancock Randox boss Dr Peter Fitzgerald's contact details on 26 January 2020 - two months before the UK's first lockdown.
Mr Paterson said he told Mr Fitzgerald to "expect an email" from the health secretary, who contacted the Randox boss that night.
Mr Hancock then told Mr Paterson on 5 February 2020 that Public Health England (PHE) would be in touch with Mr Fitzgerald "directly".

On 25 February, Mr Paterson again contacted Mr Hancock, saying Randox had not been contacted by the government for 19 days, while its test kits had been shipped to "China, Mexico, Ukraine, Oman, Tunisia and Guatemala".
He added: "PHE's attitude looks incomprehensible given current developments. Are you voting today? Can we discuss briefly? Great announcement on pharmacies by the way!"
Mr Paterson then told Mr Hancock there is "absolutely no sense of urgency".
He added: "Exasperating! Nb I'm a consultant to Randox. PS Good news on nurses!"

Forwarding Mr Paterson's messages on to officials, Mr Hancock called him "Owen Patz" and asked for "chapter and verse" on the situation, saying he was "very worried about this".
"If we are treating other companies like this we are failing," the then-health secretary added.
In later messages, before a meeting, a senior official in then-health minister Lord Bethell's office said on 11 May 2020: "Lord Bethell has indicated that he would like a 1:1 with Owen Patterson [sic] beforehand as well (who I understand is a consultant employed by Randox)."

In July 2020, it was found some Randox kits may not meet safety standards, and one email said: "PM worried about swabs and the number of swabs that turned out not to be sterile when tested."
But in September 2020, Mr Paterson sent a WhatsApp message asking Mr Hancock to "revisit even briefly and privately" the long-term future of Randox's involvement in testing, as he had visited the firm in Northern Ireland for the first time and was impressed.
He added there was "widespread exasperation that Randox's achievements have not been promoted".

In October 2020, Mr Paterson complained that a story in The Guardian said the government "only gave Randox the testing contract because I'm a paid consultant".
He asked Mr Hancock: "If it comes up, can you kill this once and for all as I know absolutely nothing about the contact?"
Mr Hancock replied: "Of course."

https://news.sky.com/story/owen-pate...snt-sf-twitter

Lord Agnew, who suddenly resigned last month as the minister in charge of tackling COVID fraud, warned Mr Hancock the government was "paying dramatically over the odds" for Randox's tests.

Presumably he left because he knew they were simply going to write off the fraud and therefore wouldn’t have a job……

Nadine Dorries Says New Laws Would ‘Hold Netflix To Account’ Following Jimmy Carr’s ‘Appalling’ Holocaust Joke
The Culture Secretary has denounced the comic for his "abhorrent" joke made about the Traveller community in his latest Netflix special.

During an interview on Saturday’s BBC Breakfast, the Culture Secretary condemned the comic’s joke made during his one-hour Netflix special, His Dark Material, as “shocking, abhorrent and unacceptable.”
Dorries suggested that in the future, new laws would “hold Netflix to account” for such content.

“We are looking at legislation via the Media Bill which would bring into scope those comments from other video on-demand streaming outlets like Netflix,” she said.
“So it’s interesting that we’re already looking at future legislation to bring into scope those sort of comments.”

The MP said Carr’s comments were “abhorrent and they just shouldn’t be on television”, but it was then put to her that in a tweet in 2017 she had claimed that “left-wing snowflakes are killing comedy”.
She said: “Well, that’s not comedy.

“What Jimmy Carr did last night is not comedy. And you know, I’m no angel on Twitter, nobody is, but I just would like to say that nothing I’ve ever put on Twitter has been harmful or abusive.
“But that last night… Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling.”

She said the comments were “shocking and abhorrent and unacceptable, not just because he was making fun on the basis of people who died in the most appalling circumstances, but on the pain and suffering of many thousands of families”.

In a separate interview with Times Radio, she said: “We don’t have the ability now, legally, to hold Netflix to account for streaming that but very shortly we will.”
Asked on Sky News if there was any way this new law would put restrictions on free speech, she said: “No, absolutely not. We’ve been very, very… well because I’m a Conservative, I’ve been very, very careful about that.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...b0b69cfe8f6f97


A reminder that the Government is pushing for legal powers to arrest Gypsies, Roma and Travellers and confiscate their homes, and imprison adults for three months if they stop in places that have not been designated for them.

I seem to remember that another group of people, seemingly familiar to Mr Carr, weren't that fond of the Roma either. :rolleyes:

By that arguement a chip pan fire is seizing the bull by the horns & clearing the kitchen.

Was this the same interview where she appeared, again, to be drunk?

Also referring to 'last night' seems odd for a show that's been streaming for a while (I watched it a couple of weeks ago).

Congrats to Steve Barclay on his appointment as Boris' chief of staff.

In unrelated news, as Brexit Secretary, Steve Barclay voted against a bill that he himself had spoken in favour of minutes earlier.

I am sure he’ll definitely bring order and consistency to Downing Street.

As the Grauniad says:
No ****, Sherlock.

Boris Johnson has announced two new appointments to his backroom staff following a wave of resignations earlier this week.

Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay will become the PM's chief of staff.

And Guto Harri - a former BBC correspondent and adviser to Mr Johnson when he was mayor of London - will become director of communications.

Mr Johnson said the shake-up would "improve how No 10 operates".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news

Making MPs in to civil servants now are we?
That doesn't seem like how things should work!

Yeah, as an MP your second job is meant to be a cushy well paid “consultant” role!

You can’t expect the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to understand what streaming is.

Nothing better indicates the dire state of UK government as the appointment of someone as incompetent and ill-suited to the post as of Nadine Dorries to the Cabinet (or indeed, any position).

According to the Express, Boris Johnson will win back the hearts of MPs by ditching lefty policies - presumably like levelling up - and focus on tax cuts instead.

Robert Peston tweets
@Peston
Not at all clear from @KwasiKwarteng how @SteveBarclay can grip the No10 chaos while retain his ministerial and MP responsibilities. A number of senior Whitehall officials have told me they are deeply concerned. This is typical. “Being chief of staff is one of the most…

difficult jobs at the best of times. Keeping this easily distracted PM on track makes it harder. How can a minister, with all his other responsibilities, possibly do that?”

Kwasi Kwarteng, in a bid to defend Boris Johnson, just argued people don’t really consider fraud a crime.

I think the reason for choosing a serving Cabinet Minister and MP as Chief of Staff is that only those already chained to him in his Cabinet would be prepared to take it on?

Is that in defence of his recent statement, or of his entire career?

Dave

Kirstie Allsopp, daughter of an Eton-educated Baron, tells young people struggling to buy a home to just look in cheaper areas and give up the gym and Netflix.
She says she gets 'enraged' when young people can't buy their first home, something she did aged 21.

She says she was earning £11,500 a year and average UK house prices were £51,000, so about 5 times her salary and she got family help.
Today, average house price is close to £260,000, about 9 times average salary.

Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake describes Allsopp's intervention as 'good advice'.
Average house prices in Kevin Hollinrake's predominantly rural constituency are around £280,000
A 21 year old is going to have to find £100k plus as a deposit to be able to buy one of those
Hollinrake is a former estate agent

Daddy helped her buy the house. And she was working for mummy. Apparently

Boris Johnson's wife Carrie has said she is the target of a "brutal briefing campaign" by the PM's enemies.

A book, serialised in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday this weekend, alleges she has influence on the prime minister's decision-making.

Her spokeswoman said allegations made by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft were "just the latest attempt by bitter ex-officials" to discredit her.
She added: "She is a private individual who plays no role in government."

Lord Ashcroft has suggested Mrs Johnson's behaviour was "preventing him [the prime minister] from leading Britain as effectively as the voters deserve".

There have been allegations of her involvement in matters including the redecoration of the No 11 Downing Street flat she shares with her family - she is said to have pushed for a luxury revamp of their home - and the evacuation of animals from the Nowzad charity in Kabul, Afghanistan.

No 10 has denied either Mr or Mrs Johnson, who works for a conservation group, had any involvement in the evacuation.

Michael Gove's ex-wife, the journalist Sarah Vine, said the focus on Mrs Johnson was "the equivalent of political slut shaming". She told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme: "The trouble is, it's always the easiest thing to do to blame the woman and the truth is far more complicated than that."
She added: "I know that the nickname Carrie Antoinette is witty and a good pun and we all love a good pun, but I just don't think her head deserves to be on the block in this way."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60281615

The business secretary has appealed to his party to give Boris Johnson the "time and space to deliver" on the government's promises as pressure continues to mount on his leadership.

The PM had another difficult week, with a critical report into No 10 lockdown parties and five senior aides quitting.

More Tory MPs also declared publicly they had no confidence in him.

But Kwasi Kwarteng said the PM was carrying out his commitment for a reset in No 10 and focused on policies.

And he told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme the "ongoing focus on 'partygate' is not helping anyone".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60279079

Odd that the wives of Brown, Cameron, Major, among others, were never subject to these sorts of comments or criticisms. Could it be because they were clearly seen to be not be part of their husbands' working environment? Unlike BlowJob's current wife, who is at an awful lot of work events, meaning she plays a (totally unelected and unaccountable) part in BlowJob's work. Stay clear and no-one will think you are interferring in the running of the country...

And it is nowhere near the vitriol regularly thrown at Cherie Booth.

That's hardly fair, a lot of the things that looked like work events were actually parties.

Allegedly.

We won't know until the police finish their investigation.