This was not even a case of rearranging the deck chairs on Titanic.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/08/theresa-mays-reshuffle-thrown-off-course-by-defiant-ministers

Theresa May's reshuffle in disarray 

What had been heralded only 24 hours before as the cabinet reshuffle to stamp Theresa May's authority on her government, a bold and ruthless purge to demonstrate that she is in charge and in complete control, has turned into nothing of the sort. In fact the proverbial "damp squib", was not even present for this performance of stunning ineptitude and chaos. The event got off to a poor and confused start with the announcement that Chris Grayling was to be the new Conservative Party Chair. Less than 5 minutes later, the "appointment" was hurriedly withdrawn and Grayling's name was never mentioned again as he remains Transport with Brandon Lewis later appointed to Conservative party Chair. Grayling must be the shortest serving party Chair in the history of politics.

From there the day which had started badly became even worse. Minister after minister who Theresa May wanted to move to other positions (or perhaps even sack), told her very clearly that they were not prepared to leave their posts. What threats these cabinet members used to keep their positions we may only speculate on, but at the end of the day Johnson, Hammond, Rudd, Davis, Hunt, Leadsom, and Clarke all remain in place. Justine Greening resigned from government rather than be moved, adding another complication after Brokenshire resigned from government on health grounds.

The resultant chaos from this reshuffle that never was will no doubt have ramifications for Theresa May over the coming weeks. If she expected some support from the usual quarters this morning, she is sadly mistaken. She probably expected  some criticism from those elements of the media who traditionally would not necessarily support a conservative government, but she must have been shocked and even hurt by the savage comments in those papers who usually support the conservatives no matter what. Today's papers reveal the extent to which the Prime Minister has been damaged by the events of yesterday. A glance at the headlines will be worrying not only for Theresa May, but for all of her government.

"No Prime Minister." Daily Mail.

"Cabinet reshuffle descends into chaos". Express

"Night of the blunt stiletto". Telegraph.

"Greening quits in shambolic reshuffle". Times.

"Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle backfires as education secretary Justine Greening refuses new role and quits". Evening Standard.

"Night of the blunt knives: Ministers wreck reshuffle". Independent. 

Senior Conservative tells The Independent, 'if this was meant to show she has the power to reshuffle her Cabinet, it has shown the complete opposite' 

A few short weeks ago, some senior conservative sources were saying that Theresa May would only be allowed one more mistake, but yesterday she made a series of errors and misjudgements.

Cabinet reshuffles are supposed to be about the Prime Minister asserting her power. Yesterdays comedy of errors has only underlined her weakness.

Northern Ireland and Brexit. The return of "The Troubles"

Northern Ireland: police attacked in another night of disturbances | Northern Ireland | The Guardian When the "Brexit" debate was still filling our newspapers and our television screens, readers may remember why I had changed my mind since voting to leave at the referendum vote. Apart from the economic arguments, which had become crystal clear after peeling away all the lies and misrepresentations trotted out by Bozo Boris and his "Get Brexit Done" conspirators, there was always the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Would it be possible to have a border between the European Union and the United Kingdom where people, goods and services could pass freely between the two nations without customs restrictions, tariffs, duties and all the other formalities? Would it be possible to have one part of the United Kingdom treated differently from other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly when Scotland for example had voted overwhe...

Enough of this hysterical nonsense

http://style.uk.msn.com/royal-baby/how-will-the-royal-baby-look-as-he-grows-up Media generated hysteria. This is too much. For the last 36 hours (thought it seems more like 36 days) there has been wall to wall news coverage, media and television comment and reporting, with Sky News taking first prize for frenzied minute by minute reporting from the Palace, the hospital, from a village somewhere in England, from the studio and anywhere else that Burley, Botting and company could stick a microphone into some obscure "celebrity's" face and ask for yet another banal quote. All this galvanising the mass hysteria of some elements of the public, (who the media would have you believe is the reaction of "the whole world",) with their flag waving, dancing, singing and cheering over what is after all, no more than a woman having a bab...

A perverse and rather sinister media obsession to discredit, smear and undermine Jeremy Corbyn

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/venezuela-jeremy-corbyn-blasted-for-not-condemning-president-maduro-a3606156.html#commentsDiv Venezuela: Jeremy Corbyn blasted for not condemning socialist President Nicolas Maduro as violent conflict escalates There is a perverse and rather sinister obsesseion with the media and particularly television "interveiwers", in seeking to secure from Jeremy Corbyn a "condemnation" of some person or organisation or event. This time it is connected with events in Venezuela and the actions of President Nicolas Maduro and the bloody crackdown on protests against the result of last weeks poll which inaugurated a constituent assembly . The media "stories" and the interrogation by the television interviewers, are as subtle as a sledgehammer being nothing more than a variation on the "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" question, which so many repoters use in order for them to make themselves appear very ...

Agenda 2019

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