Current Affairs 2023

[Gill W]

Ok. But I still don't see why Blair was brought into a conversation about Johnson. There is no comparison.

Hi Paul.

I recognise your name from way back on the cruise forum circuit, but I'm guessing that you haven't been active recently on this forum.

Bringing up Tony Blair is a common deflection technique used on this forum to avoid talking about Boris Johnson's lies and corruption, which, for some reason, some forum members find difficult to face up to. Another alternative deflection is 'yeah, but Jeremy Corbyn.....' or 'Starmer had a curry'.

For what it's worth, I profoundly disagreed with Blair regarding the Iraq war, but I'm not going to start banging on about it 20 years later, particularly on a thread called Current Affairs 2023.

Regarding the Privileges Committee hearing yesterday and the question of when Johnson misled Parliament, was it on purpose or reckless.

Thinking back to Spring 2020, the population were pretty much united, and we took the Covid restrictions seriously. Johnson was a key figure at the daily briefings when it came to imparting the information to us, and we all knew that we couldn't socialise, we could only have minimal people at a funeral and no wake afterwards, or if you had to go to work, it was for essential purposes only and if you couldn't do the work at home. Certainly not for leaving do's or birthday cake. People who worked through the pandemic have told me that those sort of things were banned in their offices. Therefore I believe it is a nonsense that the people in No 10 thought their 'gatherings' were essential for work purposes, and any reasonable person would have known that at the time.

Johnson would have had to be completely oblivious and ill informed not to realise what was going on around him (not good characteristics in a PM), so I personally believe that he mislead Parliament on purpose, because he thought he'd be able to get away with it. However, I don't think that the Committee will go this far - I think they will be more likely conclude that Johnson 'recklessly' misled Parliament. I think this was what Sir Bernard Jenkin was getting at - why did Johnson not get proper legal advice before speaking in Parliament, instead of relying on his 'advisors,', who were in it up to their necks with Johnson.

(note for Paul the Eagle - this post will probably attract some comment about 'Boris Bashers', a term which is used on the forum to minimise the opinion of anybody speaks plainly about Johnson)

[towny44]

Gill, one persons plain speaking could be someone else's biased rantings.

[oldbluefox]

Gill, one persons plain speaking could be someone else's biased rantings.

There would be some on the forum who would be struck dumb were it not for Boris Johnson as without him they have very little to say.

Just for the record I know of nobody on here who has approved what he has done but some of us get weary with being accused of supporting him, an accusation which is totally unfounded. Keeping the situation in context is somehow seen as support. Strange.

On the subject of Blair I said Johnson can make a fortune on the speaking circuit in the same way Blair has done. Both are controversial characters but the mention of Blair has nothing to do with deflection, unless a choice is made to warp it to suit a particular argument.

[Gill W]

Gill, one persons plain speaking could be someone else's biased rantings.

Very true, I've seen a lot of it from various forum members !

[oldbluefox]

Gill, one persons plain speaking could be someone else's biased rantings.

Very true, I've seen a lot of it from various forum members !

Then keep away from mirrors Gill
(Sorry )

[Manoverboard]

Don't get too excited you Boris bashers ... the absolute worst that could happen to Boris is that he loses his seat but then, surprise surprise, he is able to stand for that vacancy in Uxbridge.

He will of course win that hands down and be back in the House again.

T'is all excellent fodder for his speech circuit

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think Boris was a p***ock. His parties, if that's what they were, upset a lot of people who conformed to the rules. We can indulge in semantics as Chilcot did, to use or not use the word lie. It is clear both Boris and Blair misled parliament and the public.

I have and will continue to raise Blair. Yes it was 20 years ago but sadly we are still feeling the affects of his reckless and illegal war. In 20 years Boris and his cake will be forgotten.

Blair ordered our armed forces to go and help the US to kill people. 10s, or on some counts 100s of thousands died directly or indirectly. Some are still dying today. That war didn't end terrorism, it encouraged it. The Manchester Arena attack and others were encouraged by Blair's war.

Putin and his allies justify to themselves his atrocities in the Ukraine by US and UK actions in Iraq. He claims his operation is essential to protect his country's security. As with Iraq. He has sought to overturn the regime of a sovereign country. As with Iraq. He has indiscriminately targeted areas killing innocent civilians, women and children. As with Iraq. He has laid waste cities. As with Iraq.

I am not trying to excuse Boris or divert. But neither will I accept those who condemn Boris for misleading about a birthday party trying to stop me talking about a Prime Minister who makes him look like Mother Theresa.

Yes this is Current Affairs affairs 2023. And more people will die in 2023 because of Blair.

[paultheagle]

Thanks Gill for your long and detailed response in #901. I have followed the Johnson debate on here from the beginning. let me explain. On the old P&O forum I was paultheeagle and I kept that name when this forum replaced the P&O version. I was on here as paultheeagle for a couple of years. Then I got rid of my computer and for about 7 years I didn't have one.

During lockdown in 2020 I got one of these fairly new, brilliant smart phones and I decided to join up again. I couldn't get in as paultheeagle so I was bensham33 for a little while. Then during a stint in hospital, just a couple of weeks ago, my phone, somehow got irreparably damaged, I lost all my data, apps and contacts and they couldn't retrieve them from my old phone. So I had to start again.

I enjoy this forum very much and tried to log in again as bensham33 but it wouldn't let me, so I tried paultheeagle and here it am.

My apologies for this long and boring explanation but I thank you for reading it.

Paul

[barney]

Thanks Gill for your long and detailed response in #901. I have followed the Johnson debate on here from the beginning. let me explain. On the old P&O forum I was paultheeagle and I kept that name when this forum replaced the P&O version. I was on here as paultheeagle for a couple of years. Then I got rid of my computer and for about 7 years I didn't have one.

During lockdown in 2020 I got one of these fairly new, brilliant smart phones and I decided to join up again. I couldn't get in as paultheeagle so I was bensham33 for a little while. Then during a stint in hospital, just a couple of weeks ago, my phone, somehow got irreparably damaged, I lost all my data, apps and contacts and they couldn't retrieve them from my old phone. So I had to start again.

I enjoy this forum very much and tried to log in again as bensham33 but it wouldn't let me, so I tried paultheeagle and here it am.

My apologies for this long and boring explanation but I thank you for reading it.

Paul

I knew you were one and the same.
The odds on two Palace fans being literate is quite low

[oldbluefox]

He actually wanted to support Stenhousemuir but found Palace the easier spelling.

[paultheagle]

I knew you were one and the same.
The odds on two Palace fans being literate is quite low

That's a nice thing to say. Thanks Barney...... I think.

[paultheagle]

He actually wanted to support Stenhousemuir but found Palace the easier spelling.

When I was a nipper, many years ago, I thought Sten House Mooer was a three word team like Bradford Park Avenue, Heart of Midlothian, Queens Park Rangers and Queen of the South.

Counting was a problem back then as well

[oldbluefox]

Some of those Scottish teams have such wonderful names. Crap footballers but great names

[screwy]

I remember Stenhousemuir being the place where them big Chews were made. Put one in your gob and you were chewing for days till your jaw went numb.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Interesting experience yesterday that shows Madeira will not let Brexit adversely affect its relationship with Brits.

I had a minor health issue (involving, I suspect, a small sprig of Rosemary, caught in the throat.) Got an appointment with a very pleasant doctor, who spoke perfect English, at the local health centre.

He peered down my throat, assured me the offending object had gone and the resulting irritation would soon clear, but gave me his mobile number to call if I had any concerns over the weekend. (Wouldn't have got that service at home!) And refused to accept any payment.

Pre Brexit a very grumpy doctor at the same health clinic charged €80 for a consultation and antibiotic prescription for a chest infection.

[paultheagle]

What a very nice man.

[Stephen]

I’d be a bit concerned about him giving me his ‘weekend’ mobile number. He obviously took a shine to you.

[Ray B]

Florida children were offended by a picture of a Michelangelo's David sculpture. Poor darlings could see he was a man, I'm sure in our younger days it would have resulted in a bit of childish sniggering end of.
Maybe it’s more appropriate in today's world that a pāreu type of skirt is worn by David and the more inquisitive can lift it to get a peek..

[Manoverboard]

I was offended when I saw it, thought it should have been much bigger

[Ray B]

Not to worry Moby, not everyone can be so endowed.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Is no-one going to criticise Andy Burnham for driving at almost twice the speed limit and getting a £2000 fine in an area for which he is responsible for the police force? After all he broke the law and the fine is twenty times what Boris paid.

No of course not. Because he's not a Tory and Brexit wasn't his fault.

[Stephen]

Oh yes it was

[Manoverboard]

But was he going to / returning from a party ?

[paultheagle]

Is no-one going to criticise Andy Burnham for driving at almost twice the speed limit and getting a £2000 fine in an area for which he is responsible for the police force? After all he broke the law and the fine is twenty times what Boris paid.

No of course not. Because he's not a Tory and Brexit wasn't his fault.

Who is Andy Burnham? How often is he in Parliament? What Cabinet job does he do? He's a nobody who plays at being a mayor with no influence. Hardly headline news. In fact I ain't seen this story or heard it on the news. It's a non story.

[Onelife]

From a voting perspective I think Andy Burnham resonates with a lot of Labour voters…his speeding ticket is hardly the crime of the century…I’ve had four of them.