Rishi Sunak - PM

[Trinucleus]

How are the Anti-Growth Coalition getting on these days? I haven't heard anything about them for a while.

They're getting bigger

[IvanV]

It's the ones who aren't public that worry me. I don't know why they get to keep their membership private. Though tbh I don't understand these groups anyway. Are they a new thing or have there always been them and it's only in recent years that they've become important?

In general clubs are not required to publish their membership lists, indeed it can be difficult to publish them even if you want to with modern data protection rules.

Before political parties were formalised, they were informal and fluid groupings like these. But even after political parties were formalised, pressure groups persisted, and may be associated with a particular political party. Two early 20th century ones, both formed in 1903, and both within the conservative sphere but opposing each other, were the Tariff Reform League and the Unionist Free Food League.

We used to hear a lot about the Monday Club back in the 80s, that became the noisy and influential right wing part of the conservatives back then, though had been founded back in 1961. But they seem to have retreated to insignificance, as the aftermath of Mrs Thatchers demise led to in-fighting and many people leaving.

[Rich Scopie]

Looks like he's got another by-election coming up…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67767890

[headshot]

And probably another in Blackpool South too.

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ng-scandal

[jimbob]

And probably another in Blackpool South too.

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ng-scandal

Don't forget another in the pipeline.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... s-watchdog

This one is interesting because as far as I know, we don't know what Miriam Cates is supposed to have done except that it's for

“actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the house as a whole, or of its members generally”

At this point, I'm only half joking about Sunak by-electioning the Tories out of a majority.

[Grumble]

I genuinely thought the Network North plan to fix potholes in London was too obviously satire. My satire meter obviously needs a log scale.

[Trinucleus]

I genuinely thought the Network North plan to fix potholes in London was too obviously satire. My satire meter obviously needs a log scale.

Maybe it counts if it's on the North Circular. They really don't care now, do they?

[wilsontown]

The only thing this lot think of the North is "we saw you coming".

[Tessa K]

The only thing this lot think of the North is "we saw you coming".

They probably think the North means High Barnet.

[IvanV]

The current edition of the Economist has the cover headline "Rishi Sunak's Strategic Genius". Any Sunakite picking it up, hoping for an encomium to the man, might feel cheated. It makes use of an older meaning of "genius", in the sense of mental capacity, be it high or low, rather than the modern commonplace meaning. It naturally concludes he has little strategic genius, a distinctly unskilled politician.

[El Pollo Diablo]

I don't think it's an older meaning of the word so much as irony, Ivan.

[Sciolus]

London is in the north. Isn't that right, Tenchboy?

[tenchboy]

London is in the north. Isn't that right, Tenchboy?

Oi! you leave me out of this!

[dyqik]

London is in the north. Isn't that right, Tenchboy?

Far north.

The midlands starts at Devil's Dyke, and the north at Gatwick.

[bjn]

The North starts at Wareham Bridge, or so I was reliably informed by a local at the Square and Compass in Worth Matravers.

[Lew Dolby]

Was at Uni at Bristol, knew a guy from Exeter. He used to believe the North started at Bristol - 'til he got here and found it actually started at Gloucester.

Stu Maconie has the right idea - the North really starts at Crewe.

[wilsontown]

Give over, the world ends at Disley, there's nothing south of there.

[Tessa K]

Everywhere is north of somewhere except the South Pole.

[FlammableFlower]

How many do people reckon he'll lose before we actually get to an election?

[dyqik]

Everywhere is north of somewhere except the South Pole.

The South Pole is both East and West of the South Pole.

[monkey]

Everywhere is north of somewhere except the South Pole.

The South Pole is a north pole, so everywhere's south of it.

[jimbob]

A principled resignation with immediate effect - forcing another by election

Chris Skidmore - who is obviously unhappy at Sunak earing up the Net Zero commitments that Skidmore signed.

meanwhile apropos of nothing, this thread is interesting. And to be honest, I think Plodder's statement still stands.

Rishi Sunak, who likes licking bums, is IN! as chancellor.

https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/sta ... wsrc%5Etfw

What? Who? Huh?

[nekomatic]

He’s not popular in Marple

[Grumble]

He’s not popular in Marple

If I’d known he was driving past my house I’d have got some tomatoes ready.

[wilsontown]

I've always had a healthy respect for the sensible folk of Marple. And Marple Bridge.