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Month: September 2017

Betting on when Boris Johnson ceases to be Foreign Secretary

Betting on when Boris Johnson ceases to be Foreign Secretary

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When asked if they will resign, Cabinet ministers are traditionally very quick to say no if the answer is no. Boris just pointedly didn't. — Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) September 18, 2017 Boris Johnson wd be 'happy, happy, happy' to quit May's government, says his dad Stanley. Top hit by @KayBurley https://t.co/jf5R1i8eig — Paul Waugh MP (@paulwaugh) September 18, 2017 Why I think Boris is about to F Off from the F. Off. Paddy Power have a market up on…

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Compounding the problem

Compounding the problem

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Picture credit : Wikimedia commons It is said to have been Albert Einstein who called compound interest “the eighth wonder of the world”, and at this time of the year when some 400,000 fresh faced students are about to set off to university for the first time, they and their parents would be well advised to study what he meant. Thanks to the application of compound interest to their student loans, this year’s new students will be faced with truly…

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Rewriting history

Rewriting history

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The first calling point of the UK's negotiator immediately after #Brexit will not be Brussels, it will be Berlin, to strike a deal — David Davis MP (@DavidDavisMP) May 26, 2016 Medieval artists were very fond of the myth of St Sebastian’s martyrdom.  Perhaps it was the uplifting story of a holy man miraculously surviving apparently certain death, perhaps it was the opportunity for the artist to spend hours at a time with a handsome naked young man in front…

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Prize Competition: How long a standing ovation will TMay get at her party conference?

Prize Competition: How long a standing ovation will TMay get at her party conference?

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After an election that didn’t quite go to plan “How long in minutes and seconds will the standing ovation be at the end of Theresa May’s main speech at the Conservative Party conference in October?” This is the subject of the latest PB competition. We’ve got two excellent prizes to give out – “The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2017 Hardcover” which is being published on 21 Sep 2017. Published since 1880, this is the authoritative guide to…

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What’s wrong with this picture?

What’s wrong with this picture?

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Under the Conservatives, there are more people in work than ever before. pic.twitter.com/SCWM2LoAuW — Conservatives (@Conservatives) September 13, 2017 High employment and low wage growth Another month goes by and another month of extremely confusing employment data.  The good news is astoundingly good: record levels of employment, 40 year lows of unemployment and record numbers of job vacancies per unemployed person.  These are statistics that would indicate a booming economy and you would normally expect rapid wage growth.  Indeed, economists…

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Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got in for May

Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got in for May

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The front page of The Sunday Telegraph. Sunday Times says Gove & Boris have mended their relationship. Feels like the end game for Mrs May pic.twitter.com/R8rBnaEcYG — TSE (@TSEofPB) September 16, 2017 This is starting to feel like the end of IDS. He also went shortly after a Tory Party conference. https://t.co/IgFkK1zOhr — TSE (@TSEofPB) September 16, 2017 Infamy, infamy, they've all got in for May. https://t.co/FnekAmpL3d — TSE (@TSEofPB) September 16, 2017 TSE

Boris has blown it again

Boris has blown it again

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In the aftermath of the referendum, the job of Prime Minister seemed to be Boris Johnson’s for the taking.  As one of the leaders of the Leave campaign with proven star quality and the intellectual backing of Michael Gove, he looked to be clear on goal.  But from six yards out he skied it over the bar.  Somehow he lost the backing of Michael Gove and he withdrew. The eventual victor, Theresa May, made him Foreign Secretary but it rapidly…

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