One of the key questions about Johnson is: Can he be damaged? Or does that wink-wink image he's cultivated insulate him from political attack? Well it looks like the lobbying scandal might be about to answer it. https://www.politics.co.uk/comment/2021/04/14/corruption-scandal-could-pose-first-moment-of-real-danger-for-johnson/
Surprised by pushback to Boris Johnson’s comments that restrictions have played a key role in reducing UK Covid rates.
Why do people think rates have fallen among unvaxxed groups?
I always felt "lockdown effect" was implicit in these charts, but here it is explicitly labelled
@CraigGrannell People like me don’t help because we enjoy dunking on the easy target they present. There is a distinct trajectory though. They have to keep nudging to the extreme to excite their audience. Then they go too far and extremists are the only friends they have left.
Also irritating to see how much press they get. Laurence Fox is a rounding error, yet has more column inches than Berry (Green, 6–10%) + Porritt (LD, 7–11%) combined.
As ever, if you’re a shouty white man acting like a dick, you get more press coverage than women w/ smart ideas https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1382269037535764480
I am so deeply tired of these egomaniac attention-seeking conspiracy-theory bellends in politics. Feels like as soon as one goes, another comes in to take his place. Or worse, they come back to life. https://twitter.com/pressgazette/status/1382266537332109312
I am so deeply tired of these egomaniac attention-seeking conspiracy-theory bellends in politics. Feels like as soon as one goes, another comes in to take his place. Or worse, they come back to life.
Alex Salmond has claimed his new Alba party is being censored by the BBC and STV: “We are clearly the story of the election and yet the doleful duo of Scottish broadcasting pretends we don’t exist." Both broadcasters say they are following Ofcom guidelines.
Boris Johnson whipping Tories into voting against Labour motion rather suggests he isn't as keen on cracking down on cronyism as he keeps telling us
The Greensill/Cameron web of lobbying is growing.
Who else do we need to add?
Another fine piece from @rafaelbehr, who always seems to find sharp and subtle angles on current news stories. Consistently the best broadsheet commentator on UK politics, IMHO. https://twitter.com/rafaelbehr/status/1382014884477595656
Column, on Cameron, Greensill and the Westminster's Platform 9-and-three-quarters, where the serenely entitled cross into an enchanted realm of power without accountability https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/13/britain-free-corruption-decay-david-cameron
It's hilarious that Pickles is annoyed that everyone ignores his committee and just gets on with the corruption which as Crother's points out "is not uncommon". See @PeterKGeoghegan & https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/politico-london-playbook-chancing-in-the-moonlight-chisholm-in-a-pickle-manzoni-overboard/ @alexwickham https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/revolving-door-watchdog-has-met-only-once-since-johnsons-election-win/
Wow. Just a Scottish MP spreading conspiracy theories in the name of 'just asking questions'. The depth of conspiracy theory thinking in Scottish politics right now is hugely under appreciated.
I was Chief Commercial Officer (Procurement Director) in a large government department years ago. I had worked in private sector before that and I resigned after 3 years to be procurement head at NatWest. Foolishly, it never occurred to me that I could do both jobs for a while.
“Bill Crothers moving to a new role for next phase of commercial reform”. The announcement in 2015. Zero mention of what the new role is. Designed to mislead. Product of a govt that craved civil servants with private sector skills. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bill-crothers-moving-to-a-new-role-for-next-phase-of-commercial-reform
Huge respect for @alexmassie on @BBCScotland this evening for making me look like I'm neatly groomed
Will anyone ask Douglas Ross about this at the #stvdebate ?
Douglas Ross and the war on Scotland’s Travellers
How the Scottish Tory leader has prised open one of the country’s oldest and deepest racist fault lines
www.opendemocracy.net
“Radio DJ by day, caped crusader by night” Channel 5 will be all over it https://twitter.com/mrjamesob/status/1382273316761833472
Refreshes the parts other shows cannot reach... https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1382272097075003393
@mrjamesob If only more people laughed at Johnson like Starmer did, as opposed to as if Johnson was simply a game-show panellist.
Paging Mark Morrison...
Keir Starmer: "This is the return of Tory sleaze." #pmqs
Starmer is really enjoying himself. Good to see.
Boris Johnson at PMQs:
'This is a government and a party that has been consistently tough on lobbying’
New Government Counter-Extremism Chief's Ties to Pro-Trump Hate Groups – Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2021/04/13/new-government-counter-extremism-chiefs-ties-to-pro-trump-hate-groups/
Refreshes the parts other shows cannot reach...
This is the moment James O'Brien's keen ears could have saved a listener's life...
@mrjamesob
