The Tory government has bungled Brexit, crashed the pound, and given wads of cash to their chums. Never Again!
Peter Oborne reporting for the Middle-East Eye says, “Former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick, who has a history of Islamophobic remarks, has emerged as the frontrunner”
The fact that this has happened to a party that has been a symbol of British political stability for two centuries should ring alarm bells with anyone who cares about democracy. For British Muslims, the prospect is frankly terrifying.
Peter Oborne, Middle East Eye, 6 September 2024
From 35 foodbanks to 3,572 while the richest 1000 went from £284B to £1T.
Tory MP George Freeman has quit his ministerial role because – get this – he says he can’t pay his mortgage on an income of “only” £118,300. That’s such a tiny amount that any of us would be hard-pressed to… Oh, wait, I meant to say most of us would love your income. Suck it up buttercup.
The median average salary for all workers in the UK is £27,756 Avtinity says which they get from this government source. If George’s outlier income of £118,300 cannot sustain a person then we are all doomed.
Well, there goes another one.
MPs have voted to suspend Peter Bone from the Commons for six weeks after an investigation found he had bullied and was sexually inappropriate around a former member of staff.
The move is likely to lead to a by-election in his Wellingborough constituency, a former Tory safe seat polling indicates could flip to Labour.
Parliament’s behaviour watchdog found Mr Bone had exposed himself to an aide and physically struck him.
Mr Bone denies the charges.
MP Peter Bone suspended from Commons for bullying, BBC News
Here’s some related coverage:
The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) has today published a report which finds that Mr Peter Bone MP “committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct” against a member of his staff in 2012 and 2013. It has recommended that he is suspended from the House for six weeks. A suspension of this length triggers the Recall of MPs Act 2015.
Independent Expert Panel recommends suspending Peter Bone MP for bullying and sexual misconduct, parliament.uk
The results from Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire represent one of the worst by-election nights that any government has had to endure.
In Tamworth, the 23.9% swing from Conservative to Labour was the second highest in post-war by-election history. No government has previously lost so safe a seat – the Conservatives had a 42% majority in 2019 – to the principal opposition party in a by-election contest.
Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections ‘one of worst nights any government has endured’, BBC News
It is almost as if the country is waking up to the idea that almost anyone is better than the Tories.
Here are the results in graphical form – thanks to the BBC.
If this loss rate carries over into the general election the Sunak’s Conservatives could face utter humiliation. I am okay with this.
Food shortages, moldy apartments, a lack of medical workers: The United Kingdom is facing a perfect storm of struggle, and millions are sliding into poverty. There is little to suggest that improvement will come anytime soon.
The UK Faces a Steep Climb Out of a Deep Hole, spiegel.de
