Forum Topic

Boris Withdraws

Boris will not be standing after all!! 🙁

Sue Hammond ● 966d36 Comments

I think Andy is confusing Starmer's mandate when elected with the current Starmer.Starmer was elected leader on a range of popular policies including public ownership for monopolies - all of which have been ditched. In fact the two Starmer's are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.The question however is still valid and would apply to any government given decades of mismanagement.I suspect they will be similar to the Cameron government and probably well right of Boris. No real reform but steady hands on the wheel as we continue to sail down the toilet!

Ed Robinson ● 963d

Starmer was on Nick Ferrari's show yesterday morning doing a Call Keir interview and answered questions from the listeners. Various topics came up including: 1) The triple lock - he said under Labour this would be retained 2) Brexit - he said Labour would not campaign to rejoin the EU but are committed to making Brexit work 3) Immigration and Rwanda - he said Labour did not support the Rwanda idea but favoured a points system similar to the one used in Australia 4) Strikes - he defended workers' right to strike but said neither he nor his Ministers will be on picket lines All of the above is from memory so I tried to download the interview for accuracy but strangely it is not available on the LBC website or YouTube. Weird because all the other shows are.🤔

Sue Hammond ● 964d

Disingenuous David.The full question wasAre you convinced the current spate of strikes will end on the election of labour.

Andy Pike ● 964d

"the current spate of strikes will stop on the election of labour"Unusual line from you. Surely you would normally say "the current spate of strikes will stop the election of labour"?

David Ainsworth ● 964d

As you believe that all politicians change their minds and none can be trusted I suggest you go and have a lie down. But I would say that the Conservatives have demonstrated their failure and are at the top of the “do not trust a word they say, whomever says it.”Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 964d

Yes Nick but we know politicians change their minds like the weather and Labour are no exception.Are you really convinced that the current spate of strikes will stop on the election of labour and the unions will accept, say 5%? If they do that will prove the talk of passenger safety etc was hogwash it was simply a ploy by the trade unions for regime change. So my point will stand its all well and good writing it down but will their paymasters allow them to stick to it?

Andy Pike ● 964d

Andy, I suggest you read Rachel Reeves speech to the recent Labour Party conference.This includes their fiscal rules:Labour will close the deficit on day-to-day spending over five years- Labour make sure government debt is falling at the end of five years- Labour will borrow only to invest• When the Monetary Policy Committee decides that monetary policy cannot operate (the “zero-lower bound”), the Rule as a whole is suspended so that fiscal policy can support the economy. Only the MPC can make this decision• In addition, we will legislate so Office for Budget Responsibility reports to Parliament, not Treasury.I note that Sunak has yet to make any statements at all about his financial policies since he ran to be PM.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 964d

"He should be honest with us and admit that each of Brexit, COVID, de-carbonisation and Russia's actions cost us money and will reduce our standard of living. 2 of these are beyond our control. One is a necessary choice. One is a delusion."It is not going to be an easy sell, putting forward a levelling-down agenda.

David Ainsworth ● 964d

That is fine Andy.We first need to find out what Sunak and co will do as from today.We may have a rough idea following Sunak's track record but we do not know for certain.

Ivonne Holliday ● 964d

Just asking what the opposition would do if they found themselves in government. Not entirely clear to me.Speck of dirt or no speck of dirt.

Andy Pike ● 964d

Andy,Regarding your comment, do you think that his saying would be appropriate?"First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"I do not wish to offend anyone, by any stretch of the imagination, but before asking such information from the opposition, should there not be greater demands from our current government - however transitory it may seem at the moment?

Ivonne Holliday ● 964d

This is a ridiculous and partisan comment. C. Half a million people choose the Labour leader. They are not Ultra-lefties, just people who have joined either the Labour Party or a Trade Union. This is not really Avant Garde behaviour.Relying on the people to make a choice though is no better at times than a random number generator. The people gave us Brexit and Johnson (and Boaty McBoatface). The only advantage of universal suffrage is that people tend to accept the result. It is often a bad choice, but they get to change it soon enough.legitimately, Sunak has a couple of years before he has to go to the country. His path now is very much constrained by international influences, including the markets.OHe should be honest with us and admit that each of Brexit, COVID, de-carbonisation and Russia's actions cost us money and will reduce our standard of living. 2 of these are beyond our control. One is a necessary choice. One is a delusion.

Michael Winstanley ● 964d

Hiw will the costed programme square the curclecwith their union masters ( who fund thevparty) and the 10% plus wage claims.I look forward with interest to that.I think Starmer will be toast if he diesnt buckle thd  we can have the debate about a few thousand left wing party members electing his successor.

Andy Pike ● 965d

Andy,The other problems we also have now (after 12 years of Tory rule) is that the markets are still fairly volatile and sensitive to policy.  Boris managed to surf the waves but Liz Truss really........Just you wait, on Halloween we will hear of austerity Osborne-style and tax increases.  I do not wish to be so cynical as to say they will apply mostly to the lower paid grades.....And this is a point of view of somebody who did agree with the conservative policy mostly but the personal "discontent" started with Cameron, sadly.

Ivonne Holliday ● 965d

I think you’re thinking about Labour of the days of Corbyn and perhaps even Benn. The Labour party has changed and are committed to a costed programme and fiscal discipline. I imagine Richi’s wife will be worried about their Non-Dom policy.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 965d

NickIf there was an election how do you think the markets would react to Labour meeting all the current pay claims of 10%+ in the public sector, on the railways etc. That would need significant tax and local tax rises. Re nationalisation of railways, gas electric another tax rise.How would those increases in our train fares , tax and council tax solve the cost of living crisis? Presumably they have a solution to Ukraine, a phone call to Putin asking for a favour for old times sake? As far as I can see they have no costed policies for us to judge.What of those policies ( when they do get them) will they be willing to dump if they need a coalition partner? I think a GE will long term benefit the tories and short term the union barons.Viva the revolution.

Andy Pike ● 965d

Andy, the problem is that one of their recently chosen leaders tanked the economy which was already suffering from low growth, high inflation, energy hikes and crippled public services. None of the “candidates” have set out their policy agendas and the promises in the  2019 manifesto are pretty meaningless. I just watched Rishi Sunak read out a banal and content free statement for the TV cameras. Which is just one example of why we need a General Election as quickly as possible. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait for another bout of austerity and a winter of discontent announced on Halloween. No treats, just tricks. 12 years of misrule with no end in sight.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 965d

I think before the last GE there was a debate on here as to whether it was a presidential election or electing a party to run the country. Most of the anti conservatives were saying it was a party election ( probably due to the popularity of Boris) . If that's the case then the Tories won it and therefore have the right to install a new leader. As labour did with Brown.

Andy Pike ● 965d

One could say the Johnson was the people's [mistaken] choice.We will not know who will be the next people's choice but neither Truss or Sunak were.

Ivonne Holliday ● 965d

Does that mean Keir Starmer is the people's choice? Or that Johnson was?

David Ainsworth ● 965d

As opposed to Richi Sunak, "the Markets" choice :-)

Michael Ixer ● 965d

Yes, people’s choice.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 965d

Would it help?

David Ainsworth ● 965d

Definitely need a GE!

Michael Ixer ● 965d

Ditto

Jane Carter ● 965d

I agree.

Sue Hammond ● 965d

"For once he appears to have pulled out in time...."Hahahaha as soon as I posted I knew someone would pick that up!😽 Oh for an edit button ...

Sue Hammond ● 965d

Yet more wonderful news - now for a GE and let the people decide.

Clifford Cowell ● 965d

Bottled it then.

Michael Winstanley ● 965d

There's a first time for everything, Matt:-(

Michael Ixer ● 965d

For once he appears to have pulled out in time....

Matt Palmer ● 965d

Sue. Point of detail: my understanding is Johnson said he had 102 nominations but only evidenced 52. I suspect a 102 said yes, we'll support them when he offered them a cabinet job but many never completed the nomination paper work when they realised there weren't 102 secretary of state positions they'd all been promised :-)

Michael Ixer ● 965d

He received 102 votes so hopefully a lot of them may now be given to Mordaunt and she gets on the ballot paper.  She received more votes than Sunak in the previous membership vote so it could happen again and she becomes PM.

Sue Hammond ● 966d

Thank heavens for small mercies.

Judy Allen ● 966d

Thank goodness!

Caroline Whitehead ● 966d

https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-pulls-out-of-conservative-leadership-race-12728576

Sue Hammond ● 966d