Current Affairs

[oldbluefox]

The hypocrisy is mind boggling.

[Onelife]

What I don't understand is why any sane person believed him last year

What I don't understand is how any sane person can believe him this year ... the man is clearly bitter and an accomplished manipulator who has complete control over his emotions and body language.

At least he’s not alone, Carrie Symonds has the same attributes…out with the old in with her cronies and all Boris could do was Squeak! Squeak!

If nothing else Cummings revelations, will I hope give the parliamentary establishment the kick up the ar*s that is needed.
What this country needs is a statesman not the figurehead puppy/puppet like Boris…. although for you puppy lovers he apparently does a good sit, down stay on command.

[Manoverboard]

What this country needs is a statesman ....

Statesmen are great for going to war but generally speaking they are not in touch with the common man ... a bit like Corbyn and that other feller wotzizname-Sty-farmer.

[Onelife]

What this country needs is a statesman ....

Statesmen are great for going to war but generally speaking they are not in touch with the common man ... a bit like Corbyn and that other feller wotzizname-Sty-farmer.

Not sure I would agree with that Mob but I am not about to argue the point with my elder

[Mervyn and Trish]

What this country needs is a statesman ....

Statesmen are great for going to war but generally speaking they are not in touch with the common man ... a bit like Corbyn and that other feller wotzizname-Sty-farmer.

Not sure I would agree with that Mob but I am not about to argue the point with my elder

I'm sure you typed better but autocorrect appears to have changed it to elder!

[Onelife]

Statesmen are great for going to war but generally speaking they are not in touch with the common man ... a bit like Corbyn and that other feller wotzizname-Sty-farmer.

Not sure I would agree with that Mob but I am not about to argue the point with my elder

I'm sure you typed better but autocorrect appears to have changed it to elder!

Nah!...I typed it correctly, it just autoed out the 20 years my senior

[Manoverboard]

Nah!...I typed it correctly, it just autoed out the 20 years my senior

You wish

[Gill W]

Whatever the truth or not of the detail it is hypocritical that Labour, who previously would have sent Cimmings to the Tower of London for execution, are now calling for Hancock's resignation on the basis of his say so alone.

I'll wait until all the evidence from all sides has been heard before I reach any conclusion.

I thought Jonathan Ashworth said Labour wasn’t calling for Hancock’s resignation ?

[Gill W]

What I don't understand is why any sane person believed him last year

What I don't understand is how any sane person can believe him this year ... the man is clearly bitter and an accomplished manipulator who has complete control over his emotions and body language.

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

[Manoverboard]

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

All Prime Ministers and peoples in High Office need a ' Mr Fixit ', it goes with the territory and Boris should not be an exception.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Whatever the truth or not of the detail it is hypocritical that Labour, who previously would have sent Cimmings to the Tower of London for execution, are now calling for Hancock's resignation on the basis of his say so alone.

I'll wait until all the evidence from all sides has been heard before I reach any conclusion.

I thought Jonathan Ashworth said Labour wasn’t calling for Hancock’s resignation ?

As on all things they can't make up their minds. There were reports of Labour calls for his resignation. Now their leadership are saying not.

[Mervyn and Trish]

What I don't understand is why any sane person believed him last year

What I don't understand is how any sane person can believe him this year ... the man is clearly bitter and an accomplished manipulator who has complete control over his emotions and body language.

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

Alistair Campbell

[barney]

What I don't understand is why any sane person believed him last year

What I don't understand is how any sane person can believe him this year ... the man is clearly bitter and an accomplished manipulator who has complete control over his emotions and body language.

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

Manipulator is an understatement.
His interrogation by the committee exposed him as even worse than that.
While running a policy of zero leaks in government, one strike and you’re out, he’s now confessed to briefing Miss Laura K about the contents of a Cobra meeting.
He’s mentally deranged in my opinion.
He’s an entire book for a physiologist.

[oldbluefox]

Judging by his performance the other day would you be happy to employ him?

[barney]

Judging by his performance the other day would you be happy to employ him?

He’s actually made himself unemployable so I suspect he’s aiming at getting interest in a book and maybe turn himself into a media type.
He’ll rock up on Jeremy Vine show eventually

[Kendhni]

Judging by his performance the other day would you be happy to employ him?

That would all depend on who is telling the truth. We are talking of the civil service here, generally a toxic environment of doing as little as possible for as long as possible. They need to spend more time doing something useful rather than wasting most of it teflon coating their backs, in case something goes wrong, yet crawling out of their hiding holes to take credit when it is deemed to have 'gone right' (usually based on an incredibly low bar set at 'barely competent').

[Gill W]

What I don't understand is how any sane person can believe him this year ... the man is clearly bitter and an accomplished manipulator who has complete control over his emotions and body language.

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

Alistair Campbell

?

Bit of a non sequitur!

[Gill W]

What do we think of Matt Hancock’s body language last night at the press conference.

Looked like he was sweaty, ruffled, uncomfortable - the body language of somebody who is desperate to avoid answering a straight question.

If he’s in that state after 20 minutes of questions with yes woman Jenny Harries to back him up, God knows what he’ll be like after hours of sustained questions in the committee room!

[Mervyn and Trish]

If it is true that Cummings is an accomplished manipulator, it says volumes that Johnson wanted such a person as his chief adviser

Alistair Campbell

?

Bit of a non sequitur!

Not really. Just try substituting the words Campbell and Blair in your sentence. Remembering that Campbell compiled the dodgy dossier that resulted in us going to war in Iraq with consequences to this day.

[Gill W]

I was firmly against the Iraq war, so I’m not going to start defending Blair or Campbell in this respect nearly twenty years lately.

I meant it was bit of a non sequitur response as it referred to something so long ago when we are talking about current events and also someone who I’m not going to jump to defend

[Mervyn and Trish]

I was firmly against the Iraq war, so I’m not going to start defending Blair or Campbell in this respect nearly twenty years lately.

I meant it was bit of a non sequitur response as it referred to something so long ago when we are talking about current events and also someone who I’m not going to jump to defend

I believe this a free flowing conversation where we are not obliged to follow a previous poster's choice of topic.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Interesting article in the Independent (not a renowned Boris supporter):

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/as ... d=msedgntp

Especially this bit:

"To the less discerning viewer, his (Cummings) apparent openness may perhaps wrongly be interpreted as transparency, authenticity, and even honesty."

[barney]

Excellent article and pretty much as I saw it Merv and I’m not a clinical psychologist.
The panel were a bit week in their questions and allowed Cummings to dictate everything.
When he said that the Times story of ‘bodies piled up’ was inaccurate but the BBC version was true, it was clearly apparent that he was the leaker, but they failed to spot it.
I’d have asked him outright if he leaked information from a confidential meeting to a BBC political journalist.
If he said no, then he’s clearly lying and everything else is discredited.
If he said yes, then he incriminates himself.

[Kendhni]

Interesting article in the Independent (not a renowned Boris supporter):

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/as ... d=msedgntp

Especially this bit:

"To the less discerning viewer, his (Cummings) apparent openness may perhaps wrongly be interpreted as transparency, authenticity, and even honesty."

Good article, but you have to accept the man is a typical civil servant, 90% BS/spin and 10% blame everyone else. However the most important thing we have to wait for is to see if he has any evidence (such as his much talked about WhatsApp account) that backs his accusations up. Johnson probably has got a skilled team of linguists (at tax payers expense) going through his WhatsApp' account putting all new spin and interpretation on every word ... why was nobody thinking of Dilyn, Johnsons greatest achievement during that period.

[screwy]

Another kick in the teeth for the anti Johnson brigade.
An independent adviser on Ministerial interests say No conflict of interest in donations for Downing st flat refurbishment.

Also, Hancock guilty of ‘Minor’ breach of Ministerial code.

I’m sure some will dismiss it as a cover up..