Boris has resigned- well sort of

[nukecad]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-62072419

He thinks that he can stay on as PM until autumn, I guess the conservative party and parliament will have something to say about that.

He will be making a statement later today.

Meanwhile Theresa Coffey says she will be staying on at the DWP:

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey says she will remain in office to ensure the "wheels of government keep turning".

In a tweet, she says she understands colleagues' concerns and "the very bad situation we are now in".

But she says her department needs to be "firing on all cylinders" to support the most vulnerable people in society.

[StarBright]

It's been absolutely awful to watch, like watching a car crash in slow motion.

I wonder who will be next?.

[nukecad]

I wonder if the DWP would even notice if Dr Coffey was minister or not?
She never seems to know much or do much anyway, apart from spout government policy.
She seems more of a press officer than a minister.

On the bigger picture I think that a general election is becoming inevitable now.
The Tories will try to resist that at all costs of course, they know they'll get hammered at the moment.

[StarBright]

Beth Rigby on Sky did an interview with her on the london eye last week. She isn't someone who stands out at all, some people stay quieter than others in the government.

I wish Boris would just say goodbye & let the deputy Dominic Raab hold it together until the next one starts. Boris is supposed to be filling the jobs people left & that's a bad idea because whoever is next will pick their own people they want anyway. They think it will be three months before someone new is in charge.

They could help reduce that time by opening it up today for people to put themselves up for PM. They don't really know how long it's going to take because it depends on how many people say they want to be PM.

[scotleag]

Won't be an election. Look at the number of times a PM has been changed mid-Parliament since the end of WW2

Eden 1955, Macmillan 1957, Home 1963, Callaghan 1976, Major 1990, Brown 2007, May 2016, Johnson 2019. Only Eden went for an election straight away and he knew he was going to win. Next five on that list all hung on to the last possible moment and only two of them - Macmillan in 1959 & Major in 1992 - won. May went for an election a year later because she thought she would win easily, Johnson in 2019 because the opposition stupidly agreed. Corbyn & Swinson both deludedly thought they had a chance of winning, the SNP because a Tory government in Westminster suits them fine. And the DUP - holding the balance of power - because they were stupid enough to believe Johnson's promises to them.

Next PM won't go for an election as it's impractical in summer and energy price increases will have bitten by autumn and winter. Plus there's a real chance they'd lose - especially if they've been associated with Johnson for any length of time.

[nukecad]

It's all changing very fast this morning, with opinions flying all over the place.

It will be interesting to see what waffle Boris comes out with (supposed to be anytime soon, BBC 1 are running a 'special').

It will be interesting to see if he is still PM by teatime, let alone by tomorrow or next week

[StarBright]

Good to see Adam Boulton again, missed him from Sky.

Education & leveling up have now been filled. Don't for one minute think that there will be a job called leveling up when the new PM comes in because that's boris's baby

[nukecad]

He is supposed to have appointed a full replacement cabinet this morning replacing those who have resigned.

It could be the shortest serving ever bunch of cabinet members, appointed today replaced tomorrow?
(They'd still get 25% of their anual ministerial salary as severance pay, not bad for a days work).

[StarBright]

I personally can't stand Keir Starmer. To be fair if he saw me he would probbaly feel the same way

Every day I switch on the TV I hope Durham police has fined him so he buggers off. But nope he's still there

[scotleag]

I'm afraid you haven't got your wish. Durham Police have said
"It has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work."

Which is the logical conclusion. Regardless of anyone's personal opinions of Keir Starmer there's no comparison between having a drink with a meal at the end of a long working day and the weekly piss-ups in Downing Street. Suitcases of wine. God almighty