May v Johnson: One may be forced to resign – but who will it be?
Others seem to think that Mrs May could be the one who ends up out on her ear, after Mr Johnson told an interviewer who asked whether he was prepared to resign if he doesn’t get what he wants, “I think you may be slightly barking up the wrong tree here.”
The situation is therefore as clear as mud – or as clear as Mr Johnson’s conversation usually makes it.
Disapproval of Mr Johnson’s Telegraph article, in which he laid out his ideas for Brexit, continues to rattle around the media.
His claim that the government would “take control” of £350 million of public spending per week has now been put down by Paul Johnson of the influential Institute of Fiscal Studies:
The government has an official position on fiscal effects of Brexit. This is it. pic.twitter.com/1qdlGAOsf1
— Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) September 19, 2017
It says: “The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts the outlook for the UK economy and the public finances; these forecasts have been adopted by the chancellor as the government’s own. They contain an allowance of almost £250 million per week – not £350 million – for funding that could in principle go to the NHS rather than the EU. But this would involve no state support for any other activities, such as subsidies for agriculture, that are at present funded in the UK by the EU.
“The bigger picture is that the forecast health of the public finances was downgraded by £15 billion per year – or almost £300 million per week – as a direct result of the Brexit vote. Not only will we not regain control of £350 million weekly as a result of Brexit, we are likely to make a net fiscal loss from it.”
“Sounding off personally in this way is totally unhelpful and he shouldn’t exploit the fact that [Theresa May] hasn’t got a majority in parliament,” former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke said on Tuesday. “And he knows perfectly well that, normally, a foreign secretary would be sacked instantly for doing that.”
Ken Clarke has the best 'put down' for Boris Johnson. pic.twitter.com/PSl2MlZLR0
— The New European – Think Without Borders (@TheNewEuropean) September 19, 2017
Tory Darling (but hated by everyone else) Jacob Rees-Mogg, on the other hand, reckoned Mr Johnson should be knighted for his intervention: “‘What Boris Johnson has done is give the right approach to Brexit, emphasise the positivity of it, and he should certainly be given knighthood not sacked.’”
Mr Johnson himself, ambushed by reporters in a hotel lobby, denied he was going to quit, according to the Mirror: “Mr Johnson, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, replied simply: ‘No.’
“But despite his protestations, the pair are not thought to have met up or even since his latest EU intervention – even though … the PM and Foreign Secretary [are] staying in the same hotel in the Big Apple.”
Meanwhile, confusion still reigns over what Brexit actually means for the UK:
Does Britain know what it wants from Brexit? @jennirsl and @IainDale debate pic.twitter.com/TGYSa181XD
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) September 19, 2017
b
Theresa May says Cabinet – including Boris Johnson – is 'absolutely united' on Brexit. Johnson says the cabinet is a nest of singing birds😳 pic.twitter.com/fIsitnpz0n
— Angela Rayner 🌹 (@AngelaRayner) September 19, 2017
Be funny if Johnson is trying to be sacked but May is too weak to do it!
What an absolute shambles!— Tom London (@TomLondon6) September 19, 2017
Sick of politicians excusing @BorisJohnson's ridiculous antics & remarks by saying 'Boris is Boris' – He's a 53 year old man, not a child.
— Mark Peel (@MCJPeel) September 18, 2017
So @BorisJohnson used Leave campaign to bring down Cameron and get top job. Failed. Now trying same trick with May. Door opens for AN Other
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/davidallengreen/status/910158103122993152
Remember MSM hysteria when some obscure backbench Labour MPs criticised Corbyn? https://t.co/WcIedQmXE2
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) September 19, 2017
When you are willing to destroy the country through a #brexit based on lies; it isn't #BorisIsBoris but absolute power corrupts absolutely.
— John Smith (son of Harry Leslie Smith) (@Harryslaststand) September 18, 2017
This is the best summary, though:
Tory cabinet chaos as rumours circulate that Johnson is to resign if he cannot get his way. Is this strong&stable in the national interest?👎
— Angela Rayner 🌹 (@AngelaRayner) September 19, 2017
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Seems like we have the ugly sisters, but will the slipper fit Boris’s mighty hoof.
Boris for Czar
Ideally it would be nice to see the back of the whole dishonest, corrupt lot of them