Can you imagine being such a toady and still getting the boot?

[Soph0571]

Watching the cabinet reshuffle. I mean come on - Buckland & Jenrick would go on the Sundays and LIE over and over and they are still out. Lie down with dogs... hehe

[marble falls]

1. Does Johnson have a clear majority or a coalition?

[Emrys]

3. A stonking overall working majority of 83.

The Tories have 363 seats.

[marble falls]

5. Why does he feel a need to shake up his cabinet?

[Soph0571]

7. The bank benches need to feel that they can get a leg up.

Will be interesting to see who gets promoted

[marble falls]

9. So we may be seeing the post Johnson Tory leaders coming up?

[Soph0571]

15. He is still teflon

But that won't last for ever and the Tories are ruthless

[marble falls]

17. It's not politics. It's the confluence of charismatic, low substance politicians and money.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Williamson's an idiot; Jenrick is ethically suspect, Buckland too moderate

A running commentary from the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/sep/15/uk-covid-live-news-coronavirus-sajid-javid-tory-masks-vaccines

They expect Raab to be removed from Foreign Secretary and given Buckland's job at Justice. Raab was highly criticised for staying on a foreign holiday when the shit hit the fan in Afghanistan, rather than interrupting it to do his job. The reshuffle doesn't have to be done right now, but if Johnson thinks he can construct a team that voters will accept, it's better to do it now rather than in a rush before the next election.

[marble falls]

11. Replace them now and get the goofs behind him, makes sense.

[Emrys]

10. The polls have been slumping for the Tories recently.

Until then, it seemed that no scandal (and there've been plenty) could shift them. This might have happened sooner if Labour wasn't such a shambles as an Opposition.

Also, some Tory backbenchers have had their loyalty tested recently by various legislation that's been passed. It's not reached a pitch where there's been any real significant rebellion, but if enough of them feel that Johnson's becoming a liability and making their prospects in a future general election look dodgy, rumblings may grow. Having a few heads roll is a way of trying to draw a line under the past and refresh what's quite quickly become a transparently threadbare administration.

In real terms, it doesn't really matter who's in the Cabinet - they're all a shower of shiftless, crooked bastards. It's just a matter of degree.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. a big majority

He can do what he likes, and doesn't even have to worry about small Tory groups of MPs rebelling.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Williamson sacked from Education too

Maybe there is a limit to the incompetence BJ will allow in underlings. Jenrick had screwed up on multiple occasions too - breaking lockdown, dodgy dealing with Richard Desmond ... At times, a government has to look competent. Whether it is or not is a different matter, but being a laughing-stock eventually costs them at the polls. And god know, BJ is bad enough - there's little room for the rest of them.

[Soph0571]

6. Raab moved to Justice!

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. And Liz Truss has replaced him as Foreign Secretary ...

Just as well the UK is a non-entity on the international stage, with the standard of recent Tory secretaries. It really is time we gave up the UN Security Council permanent seat - it's embarrassing to be there.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. That sinking feeling when ...

... Mad Nad turns up in the "new appointments" section, not the "sack the fucker" section...

Nadine Dorries, the health minister, and Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, have gone in to Downing Street.

Zahawi has been tipped as the next party chair.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/sep/15/uk-covid-live-news-coronavirus-sajid-javid-tory-masks-vaccines?page=with:block-61420cbb8f08001fa2d1a85a#block-61420cbb8f08001fa2d1a85a

[Soph0571]

14. She is tipped for culture - we are all doomed

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Better than her getting Education, I think

which was what I feared. Culture may involve the new head of Ofcom, and the Channel 4 privatisation, so there's damage she can do.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Reaction from Tim Ireland (who exposed some of the worst of Dorries, many years ago)

Retweets:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Cosmo Blues]

19. He has to have people

To blame bad policies on, and that falls on the outgoing

[LeftishBrit]

20. I'm glad that Nick Gibb has gone...

and that the new Education Secretary is probably the government's most competent Minister (though being good on vaccines doesn't necessarily mean being good on education),
.
But the vile Nadine Dorries for culture??? ARGH! I haven't forgotten 2010. When my MP was defeated largely due to a Christian-Right smear campaign (somewhere where such things Just Don't Happen) and she certainly gloated viciously about it and probably was involved in it.

She can go and practise that sort of vileness in Michele Bachmann's constituency, not in my fucking backyard. Or better still go back to the jungle and eat ostriches' bums. Except that there are more brains in an ostrich's bum than in Nadine's head!