Be Excellent To Each Other

Assuming you're talking about Cowchinski, he was basically my MP until I moved in with Jem. I met him once, he came to our new offices at work to see them and do a photo opp.

He's very tall. And a twat.

Sorry, I was unclear. I mean that the North Shropshire constituency is where a lot of Russell’s family live.

Ah, gotcha. Well, Paterson was also a twat - not sure how tall he is, though

"Turns out, they're all cunts"

https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/ ... 1268330501

UK Brexit minister Lord Frost has reportedly resigned from the government over its "political direction" https://t.co/gAlgcMWyUG

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 18, 2021

Brexit devours another of its most devout.

Still, at least he'll have more time to complain about Lord Frost's Brexit deal.

Rest easy, Britain! Truss is here!

Would that be the truss to which is attached: the noose?

It's just occurred to me that if Johnson falls under his own big red bus before the summer, he'll have been PM for less time than his predecessor, which would be satisfyingly pleasing.

I really enjoyed Rayner's last question at PMQs, about the PM not taking responsibility and always blaming others and then in his reply the PM went on and on about what Labour had done, hadn't done, will do, and won't do.

Shame I missed it. Rayner's excellent and really knows how to get under Johnson's skin (a metaphor that becomes more unpleasant the more I think about it).

As we have to celebrate victories in this thread when they come, I'm very pleased with the jury's decision over the Colston dunking. Who's next?

This is an odd one.

From what I know, there is very little doubt that the four people in court damaged the statue without the consent of the owners. Once the CPS decide to prosecute, they *should* have been found guilty but the Jury seem to have made their decision based on what’s morally right.

To be clear, I approve of the dunking, and the police absolutely did the right thing in not intervening on the day.
Predictably, there’s a lot of “save are statues” waffle going on.

Even more bizarrely, Jacob Rees Mogg has made very sensible comments on how this won’t encourage further damage.

There's that here

https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/ed ... -defendant

Bits of it seem to be "you can smash stuff up if you have an honestly held belief it will prevent bad stuff happening" wrapped up in more clever stuff, which is fine.

Edit:

This is much better

https://thesecretbarrister.com/2022/01/ ... ould-know/

Absolutely not. Not ever.

Edit on a re-reading: Unless you mean should do 83% of the time

On the back of this, a quick back of fag packet calculation suggests that with a 15% charge rate and a CPS conviction rate of 83% you've got a solid 7/8 chance of getting away with general criming, although the mix might be a bit different.

TBF the reasons I'm not wholesaling contraband are more to do with large start up capital, unreliable customers, and unclear margins more than the legality of it all.

To clarify, I think the CPS should have dropped it as not in the public interest, but given that they went ahead, the facts as I understood them meant a conviction was very likely.

And thanks for the articles

That secret barrister one is really good.

Johnson looked very miserable throughout PMQs today. He clearly didn't like the attention, and his non-apology was pathetic. Sounded to me like he was trying to throw everyone else under his big red bus, as usual.
Starmer was excellent with his line of questioning and genuine anger at Johnson's abysmal responses.

Still, at least the nation can unite around washing machine filters!

Theresa May was behind and clearly loving the washing machine bantz.

Interestingly, I think two to her left was Truro and Falmoutb MP who is usually quite vocal about plastics in the water, but was sat there rather quietly.

Yeah, I could see a glint of joy in her eyes for the first time in years.

Those corn fields are gonna get wrecked tonight

New Prince lyrics for our time:

"Tonight I'm gonna party like it's Prince Phillip's funeral"

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status ... 4251056132

Extinction Rebellion activists Reverend Sue Parfitt, Father Martin Newell and Philip Kingston have been cleared by a jury at Inner London Crown Court of obstructing the railway during a 2019 stunt which saw them cause 77 minutes of disruption

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) January 14, 2022

Haha. Priti will be pleased

Surely he has resign. I can’t see Boris surviving this.

Have you not heard about Operation "Save Big Dog"?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 93433.html

I bet that sounded amazing in his head.

I may vomit.

Johnson's psyche, yesterday:

Oh

https://twitter.com/LiamThorpECHO/statu ... 9407296519

Pippa has only gone and got a photo of the wine fridge being delivered! https://t.co/A329zyYeiI

— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) January 14, 2022

?

Why didn't they just drink on Zoom like everyone else?

Anyhow, it's the lack of ambition that's really disappointing. They should have raided the government's own wine cellars, lit up the Foreign Office with flame machines and lasers, fired t-shirt cannons from the ramparts, and gone full-on last days of Rome. But, no, it's just a suitcase of booze from the Co-op.

Oh god, I've just realised. Big Dog is what he calls his Johnson, isn't it?

I've ruined my breakfast with this thought, so might as well ruin yours.

I'd imagine he gets out of a suddy bath and shakes it around like a wet Dulux dog.

*leaves the internet*

The government took a massive battering in the Other Place last night as the most egregious parts of their police bill were rightly eviscerated. Not that I have any confidence in the Commons accepting these changes.

Sadly, the government's elections bill, which among other things makes mayoral elections first-past-the-post, introduces voter id to combat the non-existent problem of poll fraud and the more existent problem of people without ID not voting Tory, and curbs on the Electoral Commission, passed the Commons. As much of this was in the Tory manifesto, their Lordships might be more reticent to tamper with it.

Oh, and don't make the mistake I did and read the transcript of Nadine Dorries's answers in the House about the BBC. It's toe-curling bad.

I suspect now that, much like Coronavirus, the Cabinet did not realise the seriousness of these parties until it was far too late. Instead, they believed in their own abilities to get through this.

https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/sta ... 2985542661

The Red Wall plot to remove Boris Johnson - with Tory MPs meeting to discuss submitting letters - is not going down well in Cabinet

'It's pretty sickening. They were only elected because of him. Most of them are a load of fucking nobodies. It's nuts'

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) January 18, 2022

Oh the irony

Quite. Rules are for little people.

They all think it's the Oxford Union.

What are the odds on Johnson not appearing for PMQs tomorrow?

Low. I hope Starmer subs out, though, as I love a bit of Rayner. She really loves sticking it in, and does it with such unbridled jkyy, and superb prep.

Problem is the equally vile bastard that replaces him might be *competent*.

Definitely a worry. Though I don't think they have any of those at the moment.

Yes, a combination of the lack of the talent in the parliamentary party and a rabid membership means the chances of getting a reasonably competent successor are pretty slim. Johnson has to go however. Making a mockery of lockdown is such an failure of leadership and responsibility that proves his lack of suitability of office, and this would remain my position even were the rest of his premiership not mired in corruption and dire policy decisions.

Besides, being forever known as having a shorter reign than May would be hilarious.

Bury MP defects to Labour!

That's your pre-game show folks, onto the main event.

I wish he'd shouted, "We will Bury you!" as he made his defection, but you can't have everything.

Starmer is chirpy.

The BYOB joke was excellently delivered.

Johnson clearly decided that rattling through the greatest hits was a better approach than answering anything. He had the energy of someone who knows their time's up and doesn't care.
Starmer was clearly enjoying himself, and i think a couple of things (the Queen statement, the statement of Labour's plans) were designed to stick in people's minds rather than hit Johnson directly.

But I wasn't expecting that question from David Davis. Ouch.

Interesting response from the Bloviating Buffoon after the Davis kill shot. "I don't know anything about the quote". Johnson is Churchill's biographer, meaning he is either completely incompetent at that (not beyond the realm of plausibility) or he's a liar...hmmm, strokes chin in contemplation.

It's pathetic, isn't it?