Does the PM undergo regular medical and psychological evaluations? - There is a possibility that he is in the early stages of a breakdown - a narcissist who has got the job that he always craved, only to find out it was beyond his abilities. Add in a bit of impostor syndrome and he could be spending the rest of his life needing help.
I'm going to stick my neck out and say it was staged to a degree. He was late, the young woman seemingly ill, but not obviously so. The skittish pauses. What I don't think plays as well is that you can be eccentric and bumbling when you're campaigning, when you're on a crusade, but when you're a PM, there are bigger concerns and you look at trust and composure and how they might deal with pressure (at least some will). I don't think his people are factoring that in. The latest trend wording on the news outputs is "wargaming" which does show a shift in move and countermove and rolling with punches fast, My belief is Cummings single key focus has been to call a GE under duress. Everything from day 1 has pointed to that from appointments to statements to decisions and painting themselves purposefully into a corner. Cummings is a campaigner, a strategist for elections. There is no reason for him to be there if not to campaign and run a GE. I recall reading he could only be available til end of October as he was due an operation and he put it off. Would suggest the increasing desperation to do anything needed to try and get a GE, campaign, try and win it and then default to something approaching more normalcy. The best approach of opponents has to be to allow Johnson to dig his ditch himself and run out of options, call a no confidence vote or wait for him to do that himself (or resign) and then form an alternative government to get sufficient time to do this all sensibly. Having sacked so many, I think it may well be easier to do this now. I'd hope that Corbyn would allow a cross party cabinet and temporary leader for that to happen, seeing as so many of his supporters say how he doesn't covet power. But in the meantime its important he isn't goaded into a GE. Thats Johnsons one shot. So don't allow it him.
Good points. It was indeed a weird performance but as you imply I think Johnson/ Cummings are clearly 'gaming' the situation and probably thinking 3 steps ahead. Time will tell but in the meantime he's not coming across at all well as a leader of this country
This is Boris Johnson. Its the fake learned behavioural side for sure, but make no mistake, this is him. As London Mayor, he bumbled way more often than he resonated. I'm sure he believes he thinks there is charm and an amiable side to such acts. And I suspect it also helps wrong foot people as he's so much harder to pin down or predict.
It works so well for Trump. The aim is squarely at a specific audience and the fact that ‘most’ of us see it as a failure is unimportant. Cummins will know the numbers and will play them brilliantly, that said; he is a bit of a loose cannon himself, and the story of him publicly goading Corbyn the other night is very strange. The alternative view would be that Cummins is a communist who’s just been given the opportunity to destroy the Tory party from within. In every sense of it - we no longer know what the ‘truth’ is, everything is up for grabs.
I've no idea whether there is all some cunning plan or if Bojo is out of his depth, well Bojo is out of his depth but is Cummings playing on that and seeing something we dont. The one thing I do know is the very fact Boris is trying to force an election next month means its the one thing that Labour and the rest of the opposition should make sure he cant have it. In any case if he gets his vote through on Monday and the MP's agree to give him an election on 15th October then they are relying on him keeping his word not to change the date. Given the Tories past form on promises made to their own MP's when May was negotiating and even more pertinently Boris's record on being honest and straightforward I wouldn't for one moment give him that chance to shaft the will of parliament as I suspect he would take it. Election in early November is what Labour and others should be aiming for. The timing is now in Corbyns hands not Johnsons he should use it carefully
Let him sweat & make more enemies in his own party. Force him to go cap in hand to Brussels for an extension or resign. Call for an election. Brexit Party will field a full set of candidates vs Boris after that & split the vote. Corbyn may lack appeal to a lot of people, but his is a cunning Parliamentarian.
I've no doubt there are plans and counterplans. Its rare for the same plan to work so may times and it not be seen through by some. But as I think Donny said, the target audience isn't the whole country. The target audience is very much the right wing, the angry, the frustrated, the hard done by, and they are trying to resonate with them. I suspect they are, irrespective of the words being lies or how it would impact. And with Cummings involved, lies, fear and "you cant tell me what to do" will be critical. But very much agree, denial of a GE is essential, for now. I just wish Corbyn were a better front man. I know it won't happen with Corbyns views, but Campbell and Blair, and even Mandelson are exceptional strategists and Labour could do much worse than listen to them. They have much better idea of planning, polling and executing strategy than Corbyn.
I wouldn't call for a GE. Just form an alternative govt by getting all parties on board and having a say in the cabinet makeup. Cleaner, faster, more able to have cross party support, remove all the red lines and negotiate properly. Have to disagree re Corbyn. Best on a soapbox I'd say. But when it comes to detail and delivery and nuance in HoC or delivering interviews, I think he's been outdone and wrongfooted so many times by Cameron and May, and his delivery has been really poor. I also think he's got very poor advisors. He clearly trusts them, but they've guided him into some very odd decisions that have hurt him rather than built him up to wider audiences that might vote for him.
I think not going for a GE in the near future will make Corbyn look like he is running scared. The allies in this coalition, the Lib Dems and SNP will be keen to go to the polls & I think both will do more damage to the Tories than the Labour Party. A lot of remain seats that put a pro ERG candidate in, like Justine Greening's seat in Putney could be lost & a lot in the South West, which is very pro remain. My meaning regarding Corbyn as a parliamentarian, is not so much about his delivery, but how he plays out his strategy in parliament. The way he has handled not going into an election & letting a more moderate back bencher (Hillary Benn), table the bill to take over parliament was a bit of a masterstroke in my book & it has lead to Johnson losing his first two votes in parliament & his parliamentary majority. It could well lead to a vote of no confidence getting passed also, which would be the best way for the parties to go into a GE, rather than Boris calling one. It seems now that the Labour Party is pretty much united, with only a few exceptions, something that was miles off at the last election.
I just wish we could have got to this position a long time ago with a more united opposition. But maybe it needed the collapse of moderate tories to trigger that. Not sure. Can see your point re Benn, but then, he is very articulate and measured and frankly, he is better with detail and process than Corbyn, so whether he just made way or instructed it... my instinct is more former than latter in all fairness. Agree with the lib vote, but I'd still be inclined to do the right thing and then call a GE after that temporary alliance self terminates.
Once a Commie always a Commie . They only work in their own interests as the International Brigade and the anti Franco movement in general found out . There is nothing more destructive than a Communist plot they don’t covet their members or Communities its always for the leader and anything and everything can be sacrificed . Lots on here get Socialists and Communists mixed up many on purpose but their is a vast difference. Cummings will be on a mission and I think it’s not to destroy the Tory party but to use it cause the mistrust and disunity the worst Tory party can muster on the country . We’ve seen how social media etc has been infiltrated and used to influence certain events around the world and it serves Putins purpose to have the powers at loggerheads with each other. He’s got the perfect tool in Johnson and he’ll use it to the best effect he can ..
Funny as **** & so true. He is electioneering. Really badly. He has surpassed Theresa May & David Cameron in a matter of weeks in the race to be the worst PM this century.
not all of communists are bad apples mukka,two of the greatest (imo) trades union men in this country were communists, Frank Watters and Arthur Scargill, i urge anyone with an interest in politics and trade unions to read about these men (i mean read beyond this country's media), Franks book 'Being Frank' is a fantastic read and when i can find my copy you are welcome to borrow it, his upbringing which was subject to hard poverty in the 30's shows people why people like Frank take the bull by the horns and try to make the world a fairer place many people wrongly assume all communists to be like russian dictators or Cambodian dictators and this is simply not the case (not saying you hold this view marlon btw) As a side note,frank, like scargill saw the EU as nothing more than an extension of world capitalism both men perplexed that many see the eu as a champion of workers rights.
No your quite right dek my bad I should have said Commies like Cummins who imo have a mission. Indeed these were good men you mention and at Houghton Main Colliery where I worked for s while there were quite a few great lads in the Communist party in fact the NUM Secretary at the time was a Commie who fought in the International Brigade George Wilkinson. One I got to know also a great lad Scottish NUM man Mick McGaghy . But some Communist have been known to sacrifice everything for the party, take the spies in the 60s &70s who betrayed their country and friends for Russia . I suppose what I was getting at is imo I think Cummins is on a mission and the good of the country is not in the forefront of his actions .
'Normalcy' int a proper word mate. I think WG Harding the US President in the 1920's made it up. We don't want to go down the US route do we? And, I know, after your considered post I mention your use of the word 'normalcy'. Bloody pedantic! However, these are unnormal times.
At that time it probably was, but since then they have remained where they were politically, or moved to the left if anything. We, on the other hand are so far to the right we are on the wrong side of the road.
