A Turning Point For Boris Johnson

[Gromit]

A bad day for the PM, and most of the lethal blows coming from his own party. Can he recover and fight the next General Election.

Boris Johnson faced a wall of fury from all wings of the Conservative party over the UK’s conduct in Afghanistan, with 11 former cabinet ministers among the dozens of MPs and peers expressing their anger and frustration at Britain’s failures in intelligence and preparation.

// During a torrid session in the House of Commons, the overwhelming majority of Tories who spoke condemned Britain’s failure to anticipate the Taliban takeover of Kabul and its perceived humiliation on the world stage. More than 30 Tory MPs spoke against the government, while only a handful voiced support for its actions. //

[ichkeria]

And Thatcher had a 100-seat majority not a paltry 80 :-)

[ToraToraTora]

naomi: "The left have never ceased telling us that Boris is on his way out. " - indeed! Doesn't really matter who lead the Tories, Labour haven't won since 1974 and I doubt they'll win again. Boris is going nowhere, they'll get hammered in 2024 as usual. This sort of post is just a lefty wet dream that keeps coming up. Rodders will get the boot long before Boris does.

[Gromit]

// Dominic Raab failed to make a crucial phone call while he was on holiday to seek urgent help airlifting translators out of Afghanistan, the Mail can reveal.

Senior officials in the Foreign Secretary's department advised last Friday that he should make immediate contact with Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar as the Taliban advanced on Kabul.

The officials said Mr Raab, who was on a luxury break with his family in Crete, needed to urgently request assistance in rescuing interpreters who had worked for the British military. They said it was important the call was made by him rather than a junior minister.

But Mr Raab did not make the call. Officials were told he was unavailable and that Lord Goldsmith, the Foreign Office minister on duty, should speak to Mr Atmar instead.

However, the Afghan foreign ministry refused to set up an immediate call between Mr Atmar and a junior minister who was not his direct counterpart. As a result, they did not speak until at least the next day, with crucial time lost before the Taliban seized control of Kabul on Sunday. //

A shameful dereliction of duty.

[ichkeria]

The criticism from “the left” is irrelevant.
Can’t you see it’s the criticism from the Conservative party that matters?

[ichkeria]

Thatcher went in 1990 and the conservatives still won the next election but the point is it was a different leader.
Thatcher was defeated by the Tories and it’s more likely that it will happen to BJ.

[naomi24]

Ich, if that happens then today’s Conservative MPs will be acting just as shamefully as their predecessors.

[Untitled]

Johnson is lazy, unprincipled, flakey, incompetent, and sleazy... i do not believe for one moment that he cares at all for this country or its interests... he cares only about himself. i have said numerous times that the Tory party was reckless and shortsighted in choosing him and I cant stand him.

Much as i dislike him i think people are overblowing this. The withdrawal is popular even with its horrid consequences... and many tories want us to close our borders to refugees that we are responsible for and let them die.. so the MPs having a go at him will not have much impact. Its nothing compared to what Theresa May received... she clung on for ages and had no majority.

[ichkeria]

The refugee crisis isn’t really the issue for Johnson: it’s the complacency and incompetence and refusal to admit a foul up.
If it was just this issue and no other then it wouldn’t be so bad but he’s been on the slide for ages. The Hancock affair and his non handling of that was very damaging.
If he does go it won’t be soon but I’m less confident than I was that he’ll be around come the next election

[naomi24]

TTT, you say most of the world assumed the Afghans would fight and I think you’re right. However, I said in the beginning that the Taliban had no opposition and the very people jumping up and down now disagreed with me. I think this has come as quite a shock to them.

[Gromit]

Boris can’t afford to live on £160K and is constantly pleading poverty. When he goes, he will go gladly.

[Untitled]

But how many blue voters see Afghanistan as a foulup? I don't think it is many... even if his own MPs are angry.. the occupation has been unpopular for ages and most of his base will just be glad that we are out... your average tory voter simply does not care that much about the fate of Afghanistan.

[naomi24]

Gromit, he has a personal wealth of several millions.

[naomi24]

Untitled, I think those people care but know it’s futile.

[ichkeria]

“ your average tory voter simply does not care that much about the fate of Afghanistan.”

They don’t but it isn’t the point.
If Johnson fails on competency and especially in perceived general electability then the chances are the voters won’t even get the chance to say so :-)

[naomi24]

There’s that slimey smile again. Be careful what you wish for, ich.

[Untitled]

That would be very odd i think... you compare Thatcher but she was very unpopular at the time she was booted. I do wish that Johnson was... but he's not. If the tories get rid of him who will their "redwall" voters support?

[ichkeria]

Johnson is also very unpopular!

[Untitled]

Is he really? Oh praise be!!!! :-)

[ichkeria]

Why was Johnson popular with the so called red wall brigade?
Brexit the getting done of and just about nothing else
But as Brexit the getting done of fades that is less of an issue. And he’s already unpopular in more traditional Tory places.
Could all change of course but those MPs: even his own defence Secretary …

[ToraToraTora]

ich: "Why was Johnson popular with the so called red wall brigade? " - surprised you have to ask that! Look what the alternative was! Sure hard lefties like gromit and co would have loved Agent Cob and the abacus but people on the ground saw right through it! I don't think It was Boris they especially liked it's just they feared what real Labour would do if they got the keys to no 10.