Snap General Election called

[Zhivago]

Allegedly Boris wanted Truss to be chancellor but Zahawi threatened to quit if he didn’t get it. Boris is literally hanging on by the finger tips.

But I have a feeling he will survive. Unless some more big names step down tomorrow then he can continue and ride out the next year (assuming the 1922 doesn’t change the rules and there are no motions of no confidence that Tory MPs support).

My guess is his backbenchers will revolt against him and he'll threaten/launch an election if they don't toe the line.

[Mellsblue]

Allegedly Boris wanted Truss to be chancellor but Zahawi threatened to quit if he didn’t get it. Boris is literally hanging on by the finger tips.

But I have a feeling he will survive. Unless some more big names step down tomorrow then he can continue and ride out the next year (assuming the 1922 doesn’t change the rules and there are no motions of no confidence that Tory MPs support).

My guess is his backbenchers will revolt against him and he'll threaten/launch an election if they don't toe the line.

The backbenchers have already revolted. Look in to the numbers of the no confidence vote, strip out those on the payroll, ie ministers, and the numbers are stark.

[Greebo]

27 resignations in 21 hours

#WorldBeating

[Son of Mathonwy]

She is the 7th education secretary in 8 years. That’s utterly appalling. Arguably education should be one of the top offices.

She also wanted to be an MP at the age of 6. I felt no need to read further as that alone should disqualify her from any public office.

It would be if the position was responsible for educating Tory MP's kids. It isn't.

[Puja]

Outstanding.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Outstanding.

Puja

Just coming in to post the same thing

[Puja]

Please let Boris call an election in a fit of pique. Please.

Puja

[Banquo]

Please let Boris call an election in a fit of pique. Please.

Puja

Its not beyond the bounds of possibility. Almost certainly would become indyref2, which would be....interesting. Then SKS gets a Fixed Pen Notice. Ay caramba

[Sandydragon]

It’s one of those days where I can’t get enough of BBC News 24! Will he, won’t he? Popcorn anyone?

[Banquo]

It’s one of those days where I can’t get enough of BBC News 24! Will he, won’t he? Popcorn anyone?

except Rome is burning and Nero is fiddling

[Mikey Brown]

I’m so confused. Even if he goes he’s just going to replaced by some equally awful piece of shit, while Starmer continues to just exist and little more. Everything will continue to be terrible forever, right?

What are you all so hopeful of happening here? Don’t get me wrong I wish all the misfortune in the world on Johnson, but what of significance is likely to change here?

[Puja]

I’m so confused. Even if he goes he’s just going to replaced by some equally awful piece of shit, while Starmer continues to just exist and little more. Everything will continue to be terrible forever, right?

What are you all so hopeful of happening here? Don’t get me wrong I wish all the misfortune in the world on Johnson, but what of significance is likely to change here?

This was my thought process earlier in the thread:

I'm somewhat torn about the no-confidence vote.

On the one hand, Boris Johnson may be the least competent Prime Minister in living memory. He has no morals, no principles, lies with such ease and frequency that it's hard to tell if he's actively and maliciously deceiving or just saying what seems easiest and most populist to him at the time to keep people liking him, regardless of whether it has any basis in fact. He's a man with such a frightening combination of low wisdom and high ego that, as foreign minister, he couldn't be stopped from showing off that he'd memorised "The Bells of Mandalay" (a Kipling poem glorying the British Empire's conquering of then Burma, now Myan Mar, by the motif of a British soldier reminiscing on the Burmese girl he'd fucked and how she still wanted him), while on a state visit to one of the most sacred temples in Myan Mar, despite the ambassador literally standing next to him saying, "Not a good idea, Boris." He *kept* *going* despite someone telling him not to, because he wanted to show off a thing he knew! He has so many flaws that I can't even fit them into one post.

Surely, by that metric, the country is better with him gone as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, the Conservative party as a whole is a blight on the UK right now - more interested in stoking culture wars to hang onto power than abiding by any principles that they might lay claim to, and the sheer possibility of Liz Truss or Priti Patel taking over makes my blood run cold. Is it better to hope that Boris wins, continues to blunder, and the country votes the whole lot of them out at the next election?

Two and a half years is a long time though, both in terms of the damage that Boris could do (especially in throwing red meat policies at his base to try and win back favour), and in terms of Boris's incredible ability to avoid consequences and win public favour despite his dizzying list of inadequacies. He wins this and he could end up not only fucking the country for another 2.5 years, but 7.5 years and longer.

I think, from my thoughts in typing this out, it's better to hope to have him go now. Better the bird in the hand and the hope that someone slightly better will take control (as the best of a bad bunch, I'd take Sajid Javid, although (almost) anyone'd be better than Truss).

Boris going won't make everything all better, but he won't be replaced by an equally awful piece of shit, because I don't believe one exists. Even the people who are worse humans (Patel, for example) are more functional and competent and less aggressively self-centred. At least Patel has ambitions and goals to advance Satan's agenda here on earth; Boris literally cares about nothing other than having power for the sake of having it.

Puja

[morepork]

Well that escalated quickly. What a shambles. Are there any public servants in power that, you know, actually serve the public?

[Sandydragon]

Well that escalated quickly. What a shambles. Are there any public servants in power that, you know, actually serve the public?

Not obviously so, no

[Sandydragon]

Just a thought. What if Boris tells his MPs to fuck off and before the rules can be changed, goes to the palace and requests parliament be dissolved?

Would the queen agree? Can she not?

If she does, would the Tory MPs have time to elect a new leader? I’d suggest not. The et would have to back him or just refuse to campaign for him.

And what happens if the conservatives have a majority afterwards (not impossible)?

Will Boris roll the dice? Most PMs would do the right thing and step down. But Boris only cares about himself and our constitution can be so very vague at times.

[Which Tyler]

[Sandydragon]

Boris ain’t quitting. He’s just sacked Gove.

[Puja]

Just a thought. What if Boris tells his MPs to fuck off and before the rules can be changed, goes to the palace and requests parliament be dissolved?

Would the queen agree? Can she not?

If she does, would the Tory MPs have time to elect a new leader? I’d suggest not. The et would have to back him or just refuse to campaign for him.

And what happens if the conservatives have a majority afterwards (not impossible)?

Will Boris roll the dice? Most PMs would do the right thing and step down. But Boris only cares about himself and our constitution can be so very vague at times.

I believe the Queen has the right to refuse a dissolution of Parliament and probably would if she saw it as being done just for shenanigans to try and hold onto power. I suspect that it wouldn't get as far as her actually having to refuse him - there'd probably be several layers of flunkies politely intimating to Boris that she would prefer he didn't put her in the situation of having to refuse him with the implication of, "You're not getting it either way, so don't embarrass me or yourself by forcing the issue."

Boris ain’t quitting. He’s just sacked Gove.

I mean, who can blame him for wanting to sack Gove just on general principles, but is there anyone left to replace him with?!

Puja

[Sandydragon]

I would hope that the queen would take that position, but you can never tell with her desire to be as ceremonial as possible. But there would be a lot of good reasons for her to refuse, after all the government hasn’t lost a parliamentary vote.

Sacking Gove won’t lose anyone any sleep. Hopefully Patel is next

[Puja]

Boris Johnson saying he has to stay as Prime Minister, because if he goes, then a Labour/SNP coalition of chaos will bring in proportional representation and lock the Conservatives out of power.

Once again, I'm really wishing we had the version of Labour that exists in the panic of right-wingers rather than the version we actually have who would do precisely none of the cool things that we're threatened they would.

Also, it's a really weird flex to say, "If people were actually given what they voted for, we'd not see power again for decades, so we must stop it at all costs." I mean, it's probably true, but you probably shouldn't be saying it out loud.

Puja

[Sandydragon]

Boris Johnson saying he has to stay as Prime Minister, because if he goes, then a Labour/SNP coalition of chaos will bring in proportional representation and lock the Conservatives out of power.

Once again, I'm really wishing we had the version of Labour that exists in the panic of right-wingers rather than the version we actually have who would do precisely none of the cool things that we're threatened they would.

Also, it's a really weird flex to say, "If people were actually given what they voted for, we'd not see power again for decades, so we must stop it at all costs." I mean, it's probably true, but you probably shouldn't be saying it out loud.

Puja

Even his own argument has no logic. Assuming that what he described is a threat to someone’s view of how the uk should be governed, his continued presence as PM is making a Labour victory more likely than another leader.

[Which Tyler]

Boris Johnson saying he has to stay as Prime Minister, because if he goes, then a Labour/SNP coalition of chaos will bring in proportional representation and lock the Conservatives out of power.

Once again, I'm really wishing we had the version of Labour that exists in the panic of right-wingers rather than the version we actually have who would do precisely none of the cool things that we're threatened they would.

Also, it's a really weird flex to say, "If people were actually given what they voted for, we'd not see power again for decades, so we must stop it at all costs." I mean, it's probably true, but you probably shouldn't be saying it out loud.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

Boris Johnson saying he has to stay as Prime Minister, because if he goes, then a Labour/SNP coalition of chaos will bring in proportional representation and lock the Conservatives out of power.

Once again, I'm really wishing we had the version of Labour that exists in the panic of right-wingers rather than the version we actually have who would do precisely none of the cool things that we're threatened they would.

Also, it's a really weird flex to say, "If people were actually given what they voted for, we'd not see power again for decades, so we must stop it at all costs." I mean, it's probably true, but you probably shouldn't be saying it out loud.

Puja

Pretty insane to claim that the SNP, the greatest beneficiaries of the first past the post system, would scrap it. Labour are also extremely unlikely to do so. Unfortunately.

[Which Tyler]

[Puja]

Michelle Donelan has actually done something other than nod along to the PM of the day!

Although an argument could be made that she's being pre-emptively loyal to the new regime by following the party line and resigning.

Puja