The moral adulterer?
Sir Keir Starmer tests positive for Covid for a second time
Labour's leader will miss Prime Minister's Questions, with deputy Angela Rayner filling in for him.
The moral adulterer?
Does the Queen or future King automatically give a knighthood to Cameron and heaven forbid Johnson now, based purely on the fact that he is former PM?
No.
Youād hope so, you mean.
The moral adulterer?
Infidelity to morals is better than having no morals
Youād hope so, you mean.
No, I mean that the knighthood for Blair was not one that was proposed by anyone other than the Queen herself. Although knighthoods are honours bestowed by The Queen, the majority come via the honours committee. There are a few each year which are from the personal discretion of the Queen. This year, Blairās was one of them.
But that wasnāt the case with Thatcher or Major, for example. Those were via the Parliamentary process from what I recall.
Iād take the sharp brain of Thatcher. The avuncular/calm approach of Major. The oratory of Blair. The presbyterian work ethic of Brown. The humility of May. The charisma of Johnson.
I donāt remember Callaghan and wasnāt alive for the others.
Disagree about the first, agree about the second.
Itās only really a pattern if you can spot more than one example. If it was just Blair, it was an aberration, but if the current leadership think so, it looks like a problem.
That said, Blair did win 3 elections, so maybe he knows more than I doā¦
Iām sure itās been said here before, but the whole knighthood, MBE/OBE is just utterly ridiculous when you take a step back. I get that some brilliant people get awards but surely thereās a better way than pretending theyāre now part of some historical elite.
If modern-day Rome was to start inviting people as members of their empire, everyone would laugh, but Britain still at it
In naming yes it is quite ridiculous, but itās not so ridiculous if you think about it in the more abstract terms of recognising members of society for their contributions?
Look great on your CV though, Member of the Roman Imperial Order of Gallantry. Iām in.
Better than the Canadian Ultimate National Treasure awardā¦.
Better than the Canadian Ultimate National Treasure awardā¦.
Donāt you already have that one?
Believe it or not something very similar.
His style of government was autocratic, centrist and controlling. His government became known for spin, and the media management of policy and announcements, caused an erosion of trust in politicians. Thatās ultimately led us to the shitshow we have now, and you can, I think, trace a direct line from Blair to moments like Brexit and the Public response to Covid. Anywhere you have people assuming bad faith in politics I think was helped by the style of Government Blair ushered in.
Worth considering that academics view all of the Westminster systems as having a nearly steady trend through most of the post-war era towards very centralized government, at the expense of Parliament and ministerial power. Thatcher was also subject to this criticism, Gordon certainly was. The coalition complicates the signal, but even in that period the tension between the parliamentary arrangement and the centralizing force of the bureaucracy was there.
Believe it or not something very similar.
Accept no substitutes.
Labour's leader will miss Prime Minister's Questions, with deputy Angela Rayner filling in for him.
Looks like Starmer is using the Premier Leagueās delay tacticsā¦
Could be interesting potential for fireworks unless Johnson tests positive last minute. I would not put it beyond him. As far as I know thereās no fridges in parliament
In Japan one of the highest awards is āLiving National Treasureā. I love that.
I was fortunate enough to know one when I was a child.
Living National Treasure
Iād say thereās a few on hereā¦
Johnson might have to answer some difficult questions for a change