The man tipped as the natural successor to Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party has succeeded Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party.
He is Hamza Yousuf. He beat Kate Forbes, who suffered adverse publicity over her religious views, and distant third-placing Ash Regan.
Mr Yousuf is a Muslim, meaning the UK now has, as Shehab Khan stated on ITV News, “British Asians as prime minister, Scottish first minister and mayor of London. Representatives from three different parties. This would have been inconceivable a generation ago.”
This Writer has hardly followed the leadership campaign as I found it extremely dull in comparison with everything else that has been going on.
However, I did consider the occasion worth marking with an attempt at satire (referring to his rival, Ms Forbes):
Private Eye, eat your heart out!
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Boris Johnson and money: did you think you would ever see this image again?
It seems Boris Johnson may not have pulled out of the Tory leadership race for the reasons he stated at the time, but because of selfishness.
“I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do,” he said at the time.
“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.”
He was saying that he hoped the successful candidate would be able to unite the Conservative Party in a way that he – as a polarising figure – couldn’t.
But now members of the entertainment industry, of all places, have suggested that Johnson withdrew because he realised he could make much more money away from government than in it.
Since he resigned in July, Johnson is known to have been in talks with entertainment and talent agencies including Endeavour, run by US businessman Ari Emanuel, and the Harry Walker Agency (HWA), one of its subsidiaries.
His earning potential is suggested to be about £20 million per year – but only if he didn’t lose in a leadership election against Rishi Sunak. If that happened, his appeal to global audiences would disappear – cutting his earning potential by at least half, according to the talent industry.
A spokesman for Johnson has said that financial reasons were “totally irrelevant” to his decision. He would, wouldn’t he?
We may never know the full story. But with Johnson being such a flagrant self-publicist (why is he at COP 27, anyway?) it’s not beyond possibility that money might have played some part in his decision.
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Tireless self-promoter: Boris Johnson spent a huge amount of time performing stunts like this zipwire nonsense. He would have been well up for another Tory leadership contest… except suddenly he wasn’t. Have we been told the whole story about that?
Sir Graham Brady, chair of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, has made it clear that Boris Johnson did have more than the 100 nominations he needed to take part in the Tory leadership contest that ended when Rishi Sunak went unopposed.
According to the BBC,
Sir Graham said “two candidates” had reached the threshold, and “one of them decided not to then submit his nomination”.
This raises – again – the question This Writer posed when Johnson withdrew from the leadership contest: why?
I suggested a few reasons at the time:
It has … been suggested that, while Johnson would be an extremely popular choice among Conservative members, he would be electorally catastrophic for the party with most voters unwilling to forgive and forget the transgressions of his original period as prime minister – irrespective of whether MPs would unite behind him.
Could one possibly argue that Johnson was brought in simply to take votes away from any other serious candidate, to ensure they could not progress through the process and, thereby, to deprive Conservative Party members of their democratic choice?
That would be a blow for the party faithful – especially as Johnson was their preferred choice.
Brady has poured cold water on the second of these ideas:
Sir Graham insisted the committee had wanted to involve party members in the leadership race, despite setting a “very high” nomination threshold to speed up the contest.
“We thought it was in the national interest to get a result as quickly as possible – but wanted to make sure we weren’t closing that possibility that the members would also have a vote,” he said.
But do we believe that?
Johnson is not the kind of man who will give up on his ambitions lightly – especially knowing that a majority of Conservative Party members would have supported him.
So what really happened?
Was he discouraged from putting his nomination in? If so, then by whom? And what reasons were given?
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The law of unforeseen consequences seems to be striking the Conservative Party hard.
Rishi Sunak has been elected unopposed as party leader, and is soon to be invited to be prime minister by King Charles III. We know that.
Some of us suspect that this was a result of behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Boris Johnson withdrew, despite having enough nominations (more on that elsewhere, possibly). And Penny Mordaunt may feel justifiably robbed of the nominations from Tory MPs who supported Johnson instead of her (while they may feel cheated out of having him on the ballot paper).
But it seems that nobody feels quite as scorned by the process as the Conservative Party membership – the rank-and-file members without whom the organisation cannot function.
It seems many of them are so incensed by the way they have been treated – cheated, maybe, out of electing a new leader – that they are pulling up their stumps and leaving, with former Brexit party Reform UK as their likely new home.
(Interesting, that. Has the dog-wagging tail of the Tory Party been a single-issue group all along?)
On Twitter, the outrage has been palpable:
There’s a massive storm about to erupt here, members denied a vote on the leader of the party & their Prime Minister … id expect another mass cancellation of memberships from the @Conservatives party.
I am not sure members of the @Conservativesare are taking well to being told what to do by the media, the parliamentary Tory party or by self appointed political pressure groups. I suspect thy can think for themselves.
It seems veteran broadcaster Alastair Stewart is right – Tory Party members can think for themselves – although that thinking seems to extend only as far as the nearest Brexiteering right-wing party.
That should sink both the Tories and Reform UK.
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Boris Johnson: he’s out of the Tory leadership contest.
Does this count as the first time multiple philanderer Boris Johnson has ever withdrawn from anything?
And he doesn’t even have a good reason!
He has pulled out of the Conservative Party leadership election, despite claiming to have 102 nominations, which puts him beyond the number needed (although the BBC had been keeping its own count – and believed he had only 55).
“In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.
“I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.
“A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the Government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.
“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.”
“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.
“But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.
“And though I have reached out to both Rishi (Sunak) and Penny (Mordaunt) – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.
“Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds.
“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”
Do you believe any of that?
“I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do“?
When was Boris Johnson ever interested in the right thing to do?
Perhaps the next line provides more light:
“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.”
I don’t know what you think, but doesn’t it seem as though someone has had a word?
It ties in with what Russ Jones was telling us a few days ago – that the Conservative Party is a coalition of several warring factions, and leaders have only managed to succeed by uniting several of them behind their banner.
And it could also be an excuse.
It has also been suggested that, while Johnson would be an extremely popular choice among Conservative members, he would be electorally catastrophic for the party with most voters unwilling to forgive and forget the transgressions of his original period as prime minister – irrespective of whether MPs would unite behind him.
Also, with his withdrawal, does this leave the way clear for a Rishi Sunak coronation – as Penny Mordaunt has too few nominations to pass the threshold for participation?
Could one possibly argue that Johnson was brought in simply to take votes away from any other serious candidate, to ensure they could not progress through the process and, thereby, to deprive Conservative Party members of their democratic choice?
That would be a blow for the party faithful – especially as Johnson was their preferred choice. If he really does think he might “deliver” a Tory victory in 2024, he might have scuppered his own chances by betraying his home constituency.
So, what’s next?
Should we look out for an announcement that Sunak will be the next Tory leader and prime minister at some time on Monday (October 24)?
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What’s going on with the Tory leadership? Your guess is as good as mine.
Two candidates have formally declared themselves: Rishi Sunak, apparently with 139 MPs supporting him, and Penny Mordaunt with just 23 (it seems her comment about now-former PM Liz Truss not hiding under a table has done her no favours).
Boris Johnson has yet to declare himself but apparently has 56 MPs already supporting him.
And the pundits are having a field day…
Be warned – this one has STRONG LANGUAGE:
It goes on and on – and will continue to do so, at least until the leadership contest is over.
We’re supposed to form a balanced view of who should be Tory leader (and prime minister) from all this.
But we’re more likely to write off the lot of them as the maniacs they’re showing themselves to be.
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Was Jeremy Hunt’s statement, trashing her economic plan, the death knell of Liz Truss’s premiership?
She stood for the Tory leadership on an economic plan that has now not only been scorned by the markets but rejected by her new Chancellor.
And there was talk that more than 100 Tory MPs have submitted letters of ‘no confidence’ in her leadership to 1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady – or intend to in the very near future.
She must see where all this is going. Her credibility as a leader is completely gone.
But she has consistently shown that she is not intelligent enough to realise what it means.
Will somebody please send in the people in grey suits to tell her it is time to go?
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I wasn’t going to publish any more articles today (Monday, August 22) – but then I stumbled on this clip accidentally.
You’re welcome:
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Israeli apartheid: this barrier separates Israelis from Palestinians, who are treated as a lower class of human being by the government of Israel.
There is no way that Amnesty International is an anti-Semitic organisation. It simply is not possible when one considers the composition and purpose of that organisation.
The world’s largest human rights organisation, it has just published a report labelling Israel as an apartheid nation and demanding change:
It’s official. Amnesty has concluded that Israeli occupation authorities are enforcing a system of apartheid against ALL Palestinians living under their effective control – whether they live in Israel, occupied Palestine, or in other countries as refugeespic.twitter.com/TspoveeqNt
You can read the full report by following the link at the bottom of this article. It is sensible and balanced.
But when UK-based organisations that claim to represent British Jews caught sight of it, they made fools of themselves by denouncing Amnesty:
We have seen a copy of a report due to be released by @AmnestyUK tomorrow. We are shocked but not surprised by the content given the history of AI UK’s one-sided positioning on Israel. @bodpres and @JLC_uk Chair Keith Black have issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/0X7NHzBxNd
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) January 31, 2022
“The report is completely biased and applies standards to Israel that are not applied to any other country.”
A lie.
“The emotive term “apartheid” against Israel is a preposterous slur.”
Another lie. Israeli apartheid is well-documented – not least in the Amnesty video that appears above.
“Despite AI UK’s claim to recognise the Jewish claim to self-determination… it does not support that right.”
A lie. Amnesty does not suggest that Jews should not have that right.
“It chooses to focus on demonising the one Jewish state, holding it to clear double standards.”
A lie. Amnesty’s report attempts to hold Israel to the same standards as any other nation.
“The situation for the Palestinian people is indeed distressing; this will not be alleviated by destroying Israel.”
There is nothing in the Amnesty report that even remotely suggests dismantling Israel.
“This is a bad faith report hostile to the very concept of Israel.”
I think we can all see who is acting in bad faith!
Like all controversial acts, the Amnesty report has attracted detractors (who follow the BoD/JLC attack line) and supporters. Let’s focus on the supporters because they are right:
Today Amnesty International published a report detailing what they describe as 'Israel's apartheid.'
This must be a wake-up call for leaders across Britain, Europe, and the United States.
It’s time to face up to the reality of the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people.
Amnesty International says Israel's treatment of Palestinians is a crime against humanity and is illegal under international law — adding that Israel's "domination" of Palestinians amounts to apartheid.https://t.co/op6YYaUilZ
The response by the Bod and the JLC has also led to another conclusion:
If the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council are prepared to falsely and maliciously accuse Amnesty International of "antisemitism" in order to discredit their report, isn't it just possible their accusations against Jeremy Corbyn were equally false and malicious?
— Frank Owen's Legendary Paintbrush 🟨🟥🥀🇵🇸 (@WarmongerHodges) February 1, 2022
The response from the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council to Amnesty International's report declaring Israel an apartheid state is a million times worse than anything Jeremy Corbyn said in response to the EHRC report into Labour's "antisemitism crisis".
— Frank Owen's Legendary Paintbrush 🟨🟥🥀🇵🇸 (@WarmongerHodges) February 1, 2022
It’s a fair point, which leads to a further issue: Keir Starmer’s support for apartheid Israel.
So come on, @Keir_Starmer, famous lawyer, explain forensically why you disagree with Amnesty International's finding that Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounts to apartheid.
— Glenn Barnacle-Milieu #DaveNellist4Erdington (@leftnotlabour) February 1, 2022
We shouldn’t hold our collective breath waiting for a response. Starmer is a coward and will run away from a challenge like this.
While we do wait, we can all read the Amnesty report.
Boris Johnson: his entire career could rest on his performance in Prime Minister’s Questions on January 19.
It seems rumours about a group of Tory MPs from the 2019 preparing to challenge Boris Johnson’s leadership are accurate.
In a previous article, I drew your attention to this:
One Tory MP from the 2019 intake claiming a group of them are "ready to make a statement about Boris" over partygate row, adding that "it’s not positive". https://t.co/Wzvm18Q5zg
Now the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg has got on the case, although it seems she’s treating it like a damage-limitation exercise on Johnson’s behalf.
According to Ms K,
there’s a notion that they will as, a group, submit their letters [of no confidence in Boris Johnson] to Sir Graham after Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday afternoon.
She reckons there are around 20 of these MPs, rather than a dozen, as previously suggested. If it’s true that 35 MPs have already submitted ‘no confidence’ letters to Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, then he will have 55, which is one more than the threshold for a challenge to Johnson’s leadership.
Kuenssberg went on to say that a Johnson-loyalist Cabinet member has dismissed the “notion”, saying it is not a serious threat to the prime minister but a “pork pie plot”, playing on the fact that one of the 2019 group is Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton (home of the pork pie).
If her report of that intervention is accurate, then it can only make Johnson and his people look worse because, as Kuenssberg states,
colleagues say Ms Kearns has been unfairly targeted and that she’s not leading any rebellion.
Let’s hope other Conservative MPs are as disgusted by the behaviour of this Cabinet member as I am, and they add their support to the 2019 group and oust BoJob before he can do any more harm to the UK.
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