[TobyD]

Obviously I agree.  I don't particularly like the conservative party in terms of policy, but I can think of quite a few I'd far rather were PM than Johnson. 
Sajid Javid is probably the most likely.  Ben Wallace,  Tom Tugenheart, Jeremy Hunt... all better than this embarrassing buffoon.  Anyone but Raab or Truss really. 

[remus]

The standout quote for me was the MP shown in a news night montage yesterday:

There were no parties, but if there were, they definitely di not break the rules.

The depths of stupidity are bottomless.

That could be straight out of a monty python sketch!

[SA Chris]

I think there's a little Britain sketch about an MPs and his wife giving statement that more or less follows these lines.

[mrjonathanr]

We are back to Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ levels of hypocrisy.

[TobyD]

We are back to Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ levels of hypocrisy.

Its way,  way beyond that.  John Major is an intelligent man who is basically honest.  He did not break the law in office, preside over widespread law breaking and then repeatedly lie about it.  Sure, the expenses scandal was appalling but MPs  (not Major himself) were breaking employment rules and guidelines,  not the law.

[Wellsy]

The worst feeling I have about this is how depressingly predictable it all in

Of course he broke the law, of course he lied about it, of course he won't resign, of course his party will close ranks with some bulkshit excuse. They know and we know it. The look in their eyes says "come on... you know its rubbish but just accept it, don't make me say it again, just let it go" and wearily we go yeah, okay, sure, we can't do anything so whatever.

It's as obvious as the sun rising and setting. And then they do it all again and come a GE they say well okay Boris is all these awful things and he did break the law and shit all over the sacrifices of grieving families but he is really really sorry (honest) and besides are you going to vote for Labour? Who hate Britain? With their woke gay trans black lives matter lefty European ways? Levelling up! Getting Brexit done! And I'm not convinced it won't work tbh

[Will Hunt]

Indeed. If it were anybody else in any other top job they would have gone long ago.
If a CEO presided over, and actively partook in, a culture of rule breaking they would never be allowed to be the person to "fix" it. They'd be gone and someone new would be brought in.

Yet, somehow, we're all expected to believe that a lower set of standards should apply to the government, whose pathetic excuses are completely without credibility. Oh, he didn't know it was a party, he didn't know it wasn't allowed, he thought he was at work. They know it's bullshit, but they know that the public will just accept it if they can just shrug their shoulders for long enough.

The fact that the Tories have scraped the barrel and this is the best they can offer as leadership is a damning indictment on the whole party.

[TobyD]

It's worth listening to 'the rest is politics' to hear what Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell have to say about the fines. It's not an exaggeration to say that Stewart hates Johnson more than Campbell, which is probably quite difficult.

[SA Chris]

It feels like Trump; he can't survive this surely! And yet he does..

[Ged]

It feels like the fact that trump did survive everything that he did has reset the bar in terms of what's acceptable for politicians. Would Johnson have got away with this pre trump? Or would Johnson have changed the mold himself?

[mrjonathanr]

A sort of appalling behaviour version of the Overton window?

[TobyD]

It feels like the fact that trump did survive everything that he did has reset the bar in terms of what's acceptable for politicians. Would Johnson have got away with this pre trump? Or would Johnson have changed the mold himself?

Johnson was lying,  cheating and breaking any rule he could see long before Trump was in politics. Although having said,  so was Trump.

[Paul B]

Of course, predictably the Times is reporting the second FPN is already in the post and the Mirror is suggesting more are on the way.

[SA Chris]

So Sunak wanted to resign, but was told not to as it would mean PM had to too.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rishi-sunak-party-fine-resign-b2057014.html

I think this was covered in the 2nd or 3rd episode of The Thick Of It.

[Wellsy]

Lord Wolfson has resigned, and he is a Minister

So we'll see if anyone else follows up. Bizarrely as much as I'm opposed to the Lords on principle in terms of standards and function they tend to be considerably less awful than the worst of the Commons

I mean there's only four Tory MPs who have faced criminal charges there of late, and one Labour. Barely any. Jesus.

[slab_happy]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/13/boris-johnson-could-get-three-more-fines-over-partygate-say-insiders

[TobyD]

Lord Wolfson has resigned, and he is a Minister

So we'll see if anyone else follows up. Bizarrely as much as I'm opposed to the Lords on principle in terms of standards and function they tend to be considerably less awful than the worst of the Commons

I mean there's only four Tory MPs who have faced criminal charges there of late, and one Labour. Barely any. Jesus.

I'm actually in favour of the Lords, when you look at how many of them there are, that's probably still a lower than average number of convictions than the general population! There are far too many of them, and some of the appointments are appalling but I think they are a valuable check on the Commons, especially in slowing or altering poor legislation.

If only they had some method of moderating the PM's behaviour...

[TobyD]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/13/boris-johnson-could-get-three-more-fines-over-partygate-say-insiders

If he gets more, will he own up to it though? I seriously doubt it. My suspicion is that he'd judge it too risky to announce and cover it up. Hopefully someone somewhere would leak it to the media though.

[mrjonathanr]

I think he will be advised that it’s too risky to cover up as it will inevitably be leaked by No 11 come to light.

[TobyD]

I think he will be advised that it’s too risky to cover up as it will inevitably be leaked by No 11 come to light.

I believe many think the PM's office leaked the details about Rishi's wife. Although this information was mostly published in Private Eye about a year ago and no-one seemed terribly bothered at the time. Amazing what anyone will tolerate from a man who's paying half the country not to go to work.

[TobyD]

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/04/12/lockdown-fine-public-think-johnson-sunak-resign

[slab_happy]

They're clearly expecting more fines for Johnson, since they're already trying out the defence lines:

https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1515248809542135812

(Many, many people are now pointing out that if you get caught speeding four times, you lose your license. And also that speeding in a 30mph zone is very much endangering life.)

[Bradders]

From whom is that quote meant to originate? It's such a mind-blowingly stupid argument to try to make I can't believe someone would actually try it!

[slab_happy]

An un-named "one of Johnson's allies", according to the i news article.

I share your bogglement, but unfortunately I can believe that plenty of the current government are that fucking stupid. Also they're mostly very privileged people who sincerely believe it's unfair for rules to be applied too strictly to people like them.

If Johnson had been caught four separate times going 35mph in 30mph zones, some of them probably would be arguing that it's unfair for him to lose his license, because after all he was only speeding a little bit each time and he's very busy and important.

[TobyD]

An un-named "one of Johnson's allies", according to the i news article.

I share your bogglement, but unfortunately I can believe that plenty of the current government are that fucking stupid. Also they're mostly very privileged people who sincerely believe it's unfair for rules to be applied too strictly to people like them.

If Johnson had been caught four separate times going 35mph in 30mph zones, some of them probably would be arguing that it's unfair for him to lose his license, because after all he was only speeding a little bit each time and he's very busy and important.

I'd guess it's probably Guto Harri (No 10 communication chief). It sounds like him.