‘Twas on the Good Ship Venus 200

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Submarines don’t have much rigging, which somewhat spoils the chorus, but I am delighted to hear that sailors on board Britain’s nuclear deterrent are heavily into sex and drugs. As the North Korean diplomatic standoff shows, nuclear weapons are utterly useless even within the context of the one situation in which they are supposed to be of use. Nobody has yet argued that the solution to nuclear proliferation is to start an atomic war, so what are the things for? The notion that Putin has a secret desire to send tanks rolling up the streets of Dumfries is obvious nonsense.

However, if we are going to wreck our economy by squandering US$250 billion on a redundant weapons system, it is good that at least some people are getting some fun out of it. Mind you, for $250 billion the entire nation could get high and shag like crazy for a very long time, which would be more equitable than confining the merriment to a couple of dozen people sitting on some big bombs. Michael Fallon is one of the few people in the world who would like to see nuclear weapons actually used. He is reportedly distressed that post-coital ennui or drug induced lack of coordination might reduce operational efficiency and delay the apocalypse. I sometimes suspect Fallon must have taken far too many drugs when he was young. Certainly large parts of his brain appear to have been altered to something way beyond the normal.

It is not only Major Tom who noticed there is nothing much else you can do whilst sitting in a tin can. The problem of drug-taking submariners is actually over a hundred years old. We can be fairly confident they have been shagging that long too: the new development being that they now have the choice of shagging members of the opposite sex (though I am amused to see that in the current scandal the distinction between officers and other ranks was properly observed when it came to penis insertion).

I was talking yesterday with a Tory journalist who was exultantly predicting that the emerging MP’s sexual abuse scandal would be much worse for the opposition than the Tories – purely on the grounds that “Tory girls” would be much less disposed to “make a fuss” about sexual advances from the MP’s they work for. I find that depressing on a great many levels, but have a nagging feeling it might prove true.

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200 thoughts on “‘Twas on the Good Ship Venus”

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  • freddy

    Completely agree, we should not renew Trident.
    There is no point to the system.
    Of course the reason we are being forced to have the ludicrously expensive Hinkley Point c
    is to keep enough people training in the nuclear industry.
    Add the money for a new nuclear power fleet, to the money for the nuclear deterant fleet
    and you could buy a small country, like Spain.

  • Sharp Ears

    Sky News are all over the Garnier and Crabb story. Garnier is a Brexit minister and Crabb was a DWP minister.Not a peep on the BBC though.

    Will Marr cover it in his ‘papers review’? 😉

    ’29/10/2017 9am
    The Andrew Marr Show
    Interviews with key newsmakers and cultural figures, and a look at what is happening in the world this week.

    Andrew Marr’s guests include health secretary Jeremy Hunt MP, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott MP, and actors Annette Bening and Jamie Bell. Plus music from Jason Isbell and Owen Jones and Isabel Oakeshott review the newspapers.’

  • fwl

    Polemic argument doesn’t work. It agitates, divides and reinforces prejudice and view points.

    Military discipline is obviously fundamental and drugs should not be taken whilst on active duty on nukes – not least for the very obvious reason that adherence to security is likely to be weakened with the consequence that all other countries will know where we are.

    Shagging is another matter although obviously it leads to all sorts of issues and tensions which are best avoided whilst in a tin can.

    You may oppose nukes and there are good reasons to do so, but when still in existence you want them to be in disciplined hands. You do not want ill disciplined operators. A little example is giving guns to the police. Whilst the military bear arms whilst on duty with a degree of dignity and discipline the police do not and yet hang around on street corners tooled up chatting, which does not inspire confidence. Are you suggesting armed police should drop a tab?

    What I would not want to see are drone nuke subs. Heaven forbid.

      • fwl

        Maybe. I accept that one can always make light of anything. If your just taking the piss that’s ok (as long as you don’t actually prefer doped out nuke operators to sober ones).

        There is of course an interesting side topic as to the use militaries and other armed forces have made of drugs in armed conflict, but that’s for another day.

      • Dave Lawton

        Craig yes you are right as a ex RN submariner and when I was in the service we use to dress in fancy dress out of sight out of mind.Remember they stopped the Rum Ration so submariners will look for an alternative.I remember we doing diving trials in Loch Long during the day and in the evening we would go ashore to the Arrochar hotel and what fun we had.I will say no more.

    • Dave Lawton

      fwl

      “Military discipline is obviously fundamental and drugs should not be taken whilst on active duty on nukes – not least for the very obvious reason that adherence to security is likely to be weakened with the consequence that all other countries will know where we are. ”

      You don`t seem have any understanding of the reality of front line forces.My late friend who was a plotter navigator on Vulcan bombers use to take drugs to keep him alert courtesy of the RAF.I cannot say anything else except to say it would blow your mind.

      • fwl

        Dave: No, I have not been on the front line, but whatever you may have to say wouldn’t blow my mind. Drug use for military purposes is obviously as old as conflict. Hell even racing drivers used to carry a hip flask for Le Mans. Captagon seems a recent favourite in the ME. It is because the reality of killing is so unpleasant that there needs to be discipline even if that may ultimately be something of a facade. Still need it.

      • kailyard rules

        in all probability only those deserving of it. “We were only winding him up” whined those with the busted honkers.

      • Republicofscotland

        Two Jags, could through a good punch himself.

        However the knockout king must surely be IDS, he’s laid low millions with the strokes of his pen.

      • Shatnersrug

        Freddy,

        True but he did say “there’s too many fucking Tories in here” before he punch one. And seriously? Who could argue with the logic, eh?

      • Muscleguy

        One and punched past particible. He is no longer in the house but has a very good blog supporting Scottish Independence from a Labour p.o.v.

  • Walter Cairns

    “Nuclear weapons have shown themselves to be completely useless as a deterrent to the threats and scale of violence we currently face or are likely to face, particularly international terrorism. Our independent deterrent has become ­virtually irrelevant, except in the context of domestic politics.” No, not the words of a swivel-eyed Stop the War fanatic, but pronounced by Field Marshal Lord Bramall, supported by two senior generals.

    • nevermind

      Exactly Walter, especially this current and past museums piece, and by the same measure, we do not need Hinkley at all, its a massive scheme to support rich bankers with tax monies for years to come, a rip off.

      ‘there will be new regulations, rules and an arbitration system’ said the PM. Well Mrs. May, we have got everything in place, its called the law, apply it to yourself as you apply it to us who vote for you scoundrels, stop making it up as you go along just because you can. There is no difference between you or the female MP sitting in the next cubicle, shagged or not, Mrs. May, and you are not special for sitting there constipated with Brex/sex/drugs/ shit.

      Too many councils, too may cllrs. and too many hangers on…..and how did we get here? by means of FPTP, safe seats and widespread cheating by politicians who think they are better than voters and can do as they like.

      • Walter Cairns

        Thanks you for this response. I was interested in your mention of Hinkley Point, another misbegotten nuclear project. All nuclear power stations should be shut down forthwith on security grounds. Several governments have acquired the technology to organise electro-magnetic pulses aimed at power grids.. If any of these should hit our shores, the electricity systems would be disabled and the nuclear plants would go critical within days, releasing radiation on an unprecedented scale and sending millions to their deaths.

  • Peter Beswick

    “How can I know that an order I receive to launch my missiles came from a sane president?”

    Asked a USAF officer, in 1973, whose job it was to launch nuclear weapons.Harold Hering.

    He was told he didn’t need to know and discharged from the service.

    Since Britain decided to give up its independent defence policy and adopt unquestionably US policy it is the US president who will decide if the RN launch live nuclear weapons.

    Under those circumstances I think it is entirely understandable that RN crew carry out their duties whilst smashed out of their heads and relieve their stresses with their and others genitalia.

    • craig Post author

      I was considering writing a post about that article because it is incredibly stupid. WikiLeaks have announced that Cambridge Analytica had approached them about the Clinton emails, and they told Cambridge Analytica to get lost. On the basis of which “connection” – a Guardian loon builds a massive conspiracy theory.

      • Clark

        Well said, Craig.

        However, had I used the term “conspiracy theory” I would have been accused of complicity in mass murder by a cabal of your followers, whilst “moderated out of existence” as Macky puts it by your moderation team.

        And you have been refusing my attempts to communicate; is that the behaviour of a friend, I ask?

          • Clark

            I’m fucked with it Mark. Sorry. Humanity’s just not good enough. The evil lurks in the very heart of each and every one of us. We can expose whatever we like in the world beyond ourself, but our Freudian ego constantly hides the motives of our id from our consciousness, and until we fix that we are on course for self destruction.

        • Tony_0pmoc

          Clark,

          You are too nice. You shouldn’t have been the unpaid moderator on here for years. You were piggy in the middle for far too long, and you did the best you could.

          Cheer up. You don’t have to do that any more, and I’m sure Craig still loves you.

          I always thought you were a nice bloke, even though I never met you, I wanted to meet you and shake your hand.

          Tony

          • Resident Dissident

            As you are such an expert perhaps you might know who tipped off the Russian security services that Snowden was travelling through Moscow – Putin mentioned this during Oliver Stone’s hagiography of him.

          • Resident Dissident

            The FSB have access to the Chinese systems for checking passports in Hong Kong. Possible but unlikely I would say.

          • Clark

            It usually takes me a while to realise just how stupidly self-contradictory most conspiracy theories are, so I end up posting afterthoughts like this one, which drives people nuts on the 9/11 thread.

            RD apparently believes (because Putin said so) that Assange tipped off Russia to grab Snodwen as he tried to change flights in Moscow for South America. So highly experienced ex-spook Putin, who supposedly collaborated with Assange to “hack” both the US election and the Brexit referendum, apparently voluntarily admitted this to professional publicist Oliver Stone, thereby helping to discredit Putin’s own alleged prize asset Assange…

            “I want to believe”.

        • Phil the ex-frog

          “what Farage was doing visiting Assange”

          Maybe they just enjoy a drink together. Never judge a man by his politics eh? Oh the banter. Don’t repeat the jokes in front of the ladies mind!

        • Tony_0pmoc

          Clark, Is Phil the ex-frog’s wife, really nice? I know you are a good looking bloke – you could easily have been a model.

    • fred

      “Any other members of the alliance?”

      Or to put it another way, who is the useful idiot’s useful idiot?

  • reel guid

    STV have reported that the SNP are winning the social media war in Scottish politics. The SNP had 3,170,000 Facebook video views in the last three months. That is 19 times more than Labour and about 60 times more than the Tories.

    More evidence that Ruth Davidson is not the star politician in Scotland that she’s had her people hyping her up to be.

    • fred

      “STV have reported that the SNP are winning the social media war in Scottish politics.”

      Was that meant as an answer to Resident Dissident’s question?

      • reel guid

        In the same period the SNP had 520 times more Facebook video views than your favourite party, the Lib Dems.

        • Republicofscotland

          I wonder how that “grown up” “adult” website, you the one with bonkers skewed view of British history, is getting on when it comes to viewing traffic.

          No doubt it will reach peak viewing, on Halloween.

    • fred

      “STV have reported that the SNP are winning the social media war in Scottish politics.”

      A piece on the BBC web site this morning.

      Facebook has said as many as 126 million American users may have seen content uploaded by Russia-based operatives over the past two years.

      The social networking site said about 80,000 posts were produced before and after the 2016 presidential election.

      Most of the posts focused on divisive social and political messages.

  • reel guid

    I hope Royal Navy traditions are being upheld and that they never snort until the sun is over the yardarm.

  • mark golding

    Actually we were given Benzedrine, a lively amphetamine, to keep us awake during extended operations at sea. We know now this drug causes premature heart failure. Thankfully with the Birth of the Cool. ‘Bennies’ became the signature drug of the psychopath and marijuana became the norm that reflected a slower, more accomplished existence.

  • Republicofscotland

    I do wish we could remove Trident and it baggage to south of the border. However if there needs to be any orgasmic explosions from nuclear sub, it’s better they come from the crew than the missiles.

  • Republicofscotland

    The British Captain Pugwash animated television series, which originally aired on the BBC between 1958 and 1967, is widely believed to have featured characters with risqué maritime names,such as Master Bates, Seaman
    Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy. Of course I’m not sure if that’s entirely true.

    However I’m sure the submariner fornicators, will also have risquè terms.

    Such as flood the tubes, or raise the periscope.?

  • reel guid

    Didn’t a Royal Navy sub fire a dummy missile in the wrong direction towards Florida in an exercise a while ago?

    Smackheads in charge of warheads.

  • reel guid

    These new aircraft carriers Westminster built but can’t afford any planes for. Hope the Fleet Air Arm don’t get hold of some LSD, then they might think they don’t need the planes in order take off.

    • Republicofscotland

      Yeah reel guide, I think Labour politicians must’ve been high as a kite as well when they locked us into those PFI deals.

      https://archive.is/KFRfl

      I mean how else could you explain such complete incompetence?

    • Dave Lawton

      reel guid “These new aircraft carriers Westminster built but can’t afford any planes for. Hope the Fleet Air Arm don’t get hold of some LSD, then they might think they don’t need the planes in order take off.2
      If you dropped some LSD there is a possibility it may expand your consciousness.Because LSD does not work like you describe.Just think you could go from Lo Q to Hi Q.

      • Muscleguy

        A recent study using scanners showed that people on LSD actually have large areas of their brains shut down. Far from ‘expanding’ the mind it in fact shut much of it down.

        LSD in fact shows how much of our brains we need to make sane sense of the complications of reality.

        I find it fascinating how objective science keeps proving the subjective viewpoint seriously misleading.

        One of the Profs in our Physiology dept during my degrees was rumoured to have been one of those in New England who would take LSD and try and rationally relate to their colleagues what they experienced to try and gain insight to consciousness. The project failed utterly. He was pretty good but a little strange which lent verisimilitude to the rumours. His academic history put him in the right place at the right time though.

        Further fun times with drugs in the lab. During my summer studentship I had a sub master key my supervisor gave me so I could come in evenings and weekends. One summer Saturday morning I came in to find the lab door had been jemmied, shards of the door jamb were in the glass wash tub and the 2.5l bottle of ether from the fume hood with ETHER on a big label was missing. I called the cops who arrived with the prof mentioned above. The miscreants were found in the adjacent connected building in the toilets smashed.

        When the boss arrived back from his summer working in Paris (supervise me? the very thought) and was told he exclaimed ‘the cocaine!’ and flew to check the unlabelled Petrie dish which sat on the electrical trunking above the dissecting scope. It contained about 20g of pure cocaine. He had bought some from Sigma back in the day to use tiny amounts in nerve studies but you had to buy a minimum amount.

        The miscreants had walked right past it. It was still there 6 years later after I’d finished my PhD. I wonder what happened to it when he retired . . .

  • reel guid

    Ian Jack full of praise in his Guardian column for These Islands Ltd. That’s what the Guardian has come to. Carrying laudatory articles about astroturfing organisations that peddle British exceptionalism.

    • Republicofscotland

      reel guid.

      I wonder who the politically motivated money men/women are, that are behind that astroturfing site?

      Of course we’ve seen this kind of thing before in the likes of No Borders for example.

      • Shatnersrug

        The guardian, is run as a PR site for london property developers, they’re also under increasing pressure from a number of security agency’s who are exerting pressure in various, sometimes contradictory directions. On top of that HSBC are in charge for their USA operations. See it’s called pluralism.

        Why anyone bothers with it is beyond me. You might as well read a foxtons mail out and. Ross reference it with the home office website.

    • jake

      Without Saccone and Speed we wouldn’t have the Navy we have today. They remain a preferred supplier of the senior service…and that of the diplomatic corps too I believe.

    • Tony_0pmoc

      Aidworker1,

      Thanks for the link. I’ve been a fan of Peter Oborne for a long time, but will he get that published in The Daily Mail?

      I am also a big fan of Gearóid Ó Colmáin

      I’m not sure if I completely agree with him, but I do on most of the stuff he writes. His view is very diffeent to Craig Murray’s.

      “Catalan ‘independence’ – A Tool of Capital Against Labour”

      https://www.gearoidocolmain.org/catalan-independence-tool-capital-labour/

      Re Captain Pugwash – I was never a fan, but the evidence is fairly clear that Seaman Stains, and Master Bates never sailed with them, and that the journalist who invented their names was successfully sued by the creator. However, I have not actually checked the content of the original series, so am in no position to verify.

      Tony

  • frankywiggles

    The drugs that Sir Michael took when young seem to be having the most powerful hallucinatory effects to this day. This great man has borne witness to the British Army needing to be bailed out by the Americans on each of its last two outings (Basra, Helmand); yet despite its failures to subdue ragtags of peasant insurgents, and despite his party’s subsequent savage cuts to its budget, our man is absolutely itching for it to go toe-to-toe with the Red Army. It speaks volumes of where we are as a country that Sir Michael is one of the most respected figures in British politics.

        • Tony_0pmoc

          freddy, I am almost certain, that nuclear weapons work, and have not been faked. All the nuclear bombs, and the nuclear waste, need to be dismantled, cleaned up, and turned into safe clean energy. The Technology is available. If we didn’t have a complete bunch of morons in control, this process would be well underway.

          But some people prefer death and destruction.

          Most of the Criminal “Elites” should be facing Trial, and if found guily, spend the rest of their miserable lives in jail.

          Tony

    • Tony_0pmoc

      freddy,

      I just love snorkelling and divng, and one of my friends who I have known for about 20 years, has rented out her house, and moved there and got a job out there. She used to be into politics too, but was mainly into men.

      Her underwater photography is completely amazing – it makes my efforts look like shiit

      I think it’s The Bedouin side of the Red Sea, and we have always got on well with The Bedouins.

      They have a Brilliant sense of humour.

      She was on a camel, miles away from anywhere, and I said no – you can keep her..and walked on my way…along the sandy beach

      In the end, I got my lovely wife back for the equivalent of £3. If I’d haggled, I think they would have paid me.

      She speaks raw Lancashire, even better than me.

      Tony

  • FranzB

    Fallon always struck me as one of those ‘speak your weight’ politicians who will just echo whatever line his superiors lay down. He was stupid enough to repeat a lie about Sadiq Khan that Cameron made in PMQs, except Fallon made it outside of Parliament. He settled outside of court.

    http://www.cityam.com/243953/defence-secretary-pay-compensation-tooting-imam-over

    Perhaps Fallon should have made the acquaintance of Stanislav Petrov to put the defence of the UK into safe hands.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

  • Durak

    “Michael Fallon is one of the few people in the world who would like to see nuclear weapons actually used.”

    I’d go as far as calling him almost a warmonger but he comes across as thick as pigshit.

    • Sharp Ears

      At the trough contd.

      Why would he be given an invitation to Lords for a Test Match by this company in Saffron Walden?
      http://www.lpa-group.com/AboutLPA/TheBoard/tabid/93/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
      Also two tickets from Sky for another Test match plus Rugby tickets from the RFU.

      Another ticket via Hanover Communications. You can work out the connection here.
      http://powerbase.info/index.php/Hanover_Communications

      There are many more declarations of freebie test match and rugby tickets on his Register of Interests.
      https://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=10194

      Nice work Fallon. Good game! Good game! as Brucie used to say.

      He also employs (ie we pay her) Wendy, his wife, as his ‘constituency based senior caseworker’.

      PS Why did they go to the Cayman Islands along with the APPG in 2008. Jolly holiday or financial?

      He has sold his interests in Just Learning and Tullett Prebon from which he resigned. He has been around the HoC for a long time – since 1975 with Lord Carrington. Later a PPS to Cecil Parkinson and an MP since.
      1983.

      He’s been everywhere and knows where all the bodies are buried, as the sayings go. A loyal and true servant of the partei.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fallon

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Apart from what he did as a boy (girl?) and then in power ANTHONY CHARLES LYNTON BLAIR converted to The Roman Catholic Religion – and received a Blessing from The Pope…So he obviously must believe in it.

    I wonder, does it torture him? The knowledge, that when he dies, he is going straight to hell for all eternity….which is why we should keep him alive for as long as possible….so he can think about what is in store for him…

    I can’t see any Get out of Hell cards for him.

    Tony

    • Brianfujisan

      Hi Tony

      My Dad Went West Coast Diving..Lobsters With Claws. that would Slice a Mucle man’s Arm …Clean off… Best meat ever…….

  • Anon7

    As far as I am aware nine sailors tested positive for cocaine taken while off-duty and there was a relationship between a male and female onboard the submarine.

    It’s not exactly some wild drug-fuelled orgy on a nuclear submarine with the crew shagging each other and snorting coke off the business end of a Trident ICBM.

    • freddy

      The Americans wished to have a corridor between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean sea, pushing up against their Foe/Friend of Turkey
      what they wanted more though was to preclude Russia/Lebanon/Syria/Iraq/Iran
      having a corridor linking
      the Caspian/Persian Gulf/Mediterranean
      with Russia/Iran in charge.

    • freddy

      Prior to the independence referendum, the Kurds fought alongside Iraqi forces in their US-backed campaign against Islamic State terrorists. Washington regarded the Kurds as a major ally, supplying the Peshmerga with arms despite strong objections from its NATO “ally”, Turkey.

      On Sunday, Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga launched a second round of talks aimed at resolving the conflict. Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, earlier demanded the Kurds cancel the results of the independence vote; and hand control of border crossings between the Kurdish region and Iran, Syria and Turkey, through which oil flows, to Baghdad.

      Quite difficult to work out who is shafting who, this is The Great Game2

      • Laguerre

        “Quite difficult to work out who is shafting who, this is The Great Game2”

        It isn’t a shafting, that’s why it’s difficult to work out for you. It’s a correction to a situation where the KRG Kurds have spent years (since 2003) ripping off Baghdad, with the encouragement of Israel, and the US. The Iraqis have the perfect right to take back Iraqi territory the Peshmerga have been occupying. In spite of the attempts of rudaw.net to claim that the Iraqis are attacking KRG, it is evident that they are not, it would be very foolish to do so. And that’s the orders from Baghdad.

        • freddy

          Laguerre, a correction, yes, that would make sense.
          The Americans, would perhaps prefer a tame Kurdistan, incorporated within Iraq but still with the arc of influence, pushing up against Turkey and touching the Mediterranean.
          That might suit the Americans, better, as long as the Iraqis, play ball, with the Americans.
          The Kurdish/American arc, would put constant pressure on Russia/Turkey/Iraq/Syria/Lebanon, it would be win, win, win for the Americans.

    • Laguerre

      “Ever felt you have been used?”

      The Kurds shouldn’t. They profited enormously from the Americans. Only they weren’t realistic, and wanted more. Yeah, why shouldn’t one lot get everything it wants and more, contrary to international law? And why shouldn’t they then complain that they’ve been badly treated. They Kurds are like children – more, more, more!

      • freddy

        i am not sure what has happened Laguerre, Kurdistan was, I thought, a U.S.A. project, an arc of influence, pressing up against Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.
        This arc, would have given the U.S.A. immense power in the region, why would the Americans, let this go?

        • Laguerre

          The Iraqis have been very clever. It was a brilliant coup, I thought, one of the best. If the reports are correct, Baghdad did a deal with the Talebani clan in Sulaimaniyya, who provided the Peshmerga in Kirkuk, and the Talebani Peshmerga just walked off and didn’t fight. The Talebanis’ interest was of course to do down the Barzani clan in Erbil, which has now succeeded, as you report.

          As long as KRG territory isn’t invaded, the US can’t justify putting in air-strikes to stop the Iraqi army. The US needs the Iraqis too.

          At a stroke more than half KRG revenues, perhaps two thirds, have been cut off. The Kurds are going to be back to being nomadic goat herders in the mountains. I have no doubt that Baghdad has a deal with the Talebanis over the future autonomy of KRG, which no doubt will be based on the oil law, which guarantees 17% of Iraqi oil revenue to KRG, but administered through Baghdad. No future independence that way. But also no wish to return to direct rule. The Kurds can do what they like in their three poverty-stricken KRG provinces, just as long as they don’t interfere elsewhere.

          I can’t see for the moment what sort of counter-strike the Kurds could carry out, without it being manifestly illegal and outright aggression. That’s why Barzani’s resigned. A Cameron moment.

  • reel guid

    The BBC news website refers to Puigdemont in a sub-heading as “the former Catalan leader”. Not as they could have said ‘deposed Catalan leader’ or ‘ousted leader’ , ‘disputed leader’ or ‘defiant leader’. Or how about this? ‘Democratically elected and legitimate leader’.

    No, the BBC likes to call him the former leader. Thereby subtly trying to legitimise the fascists and manipulate the public.

  • nevermind

    My money is on Ruth Davidson. Amber Rudd Plc. might just not make the cut at the next GE and Rees Mogg is far too posh, a niche chap, to be considered by the public.
    Anyway its all going to be OK, the same cheats and the same FPTP system will guarantee that safe seats stay safe.

    • reel guid

      In order to be leader Davidson would have to persuade a Tory MP in a safe seat to stand down so she could try and get to the Commons. Not something the Tory Party Central Office is going to approve, considering the Tory/DUP majority is so small.

      If Davidson tried to engineer a Commons seat it would look that she was putting herself before the good of her party. If she did it while a leader was still in place she would look very untrustworthy and scheming (which she is).

      If the Tory leadership became vacant she could hardly demand that a leadership election be put on hold while she set about persuading a Tory MP to stand down, got the nomination to fight the by-election from the constituency party and then campaigned in the by-election itself. There would also be no guarantee she would win such a by-election. As I say, by the time she accomplished these considerable tasks to get her into the House, the Tory leadership election would already have taken place without her.

      The whole Davidson as next leader thing is partly a creation of hype from her own clique and partly a tactic by British Nationalists to pretend that Scotland still has any influence in the UK setup. The Tories are rapidly losing support in Scotland as it is becoming clear that their Scottish MPs are doing nothing to fight Scotland’s corner.

      Forget the whole Ruth Davidson as next Tory leader meme. Its not realistic.

      • Johnny Guffgarments

        It won’t be Ruth Davidson because Theresa May will fall far too soon, and since there will then probably be a general election the Tories will want someone who’s in the Commons rather than some body they dole out a peerage to fast or who stays outside of the British parliament altogether. If they did decide it was her, they could I am sure find an MP to stand down…but then she’d have to fight the by-election with everyone going “Hey look! The parliamentary Tory party couldn’t find one of its own number to lead itself”, she might not hold the seat for the Tories (at any rate there’d be likely to be a swing against them), and then she probably would lose the general election. Which would leave her where exactly? Given all that, she wouldn’t want the effing British Tory leadership – she’s got a strong position in Scotland and she won’t want to give it up – so I agree it’s unrealistic.

    • Johnny Guffgarments

      Rees-Mogg may surprise people. He is the only major contender who can portray himself as a “non-politician” kind of politician. Kind of “innocently” unaware of what others think of him. (He’s actually nothing of the kind. He’s very sharp and I believe a lot of work has gone into his image.) And he’s young. His hair may be stuck to his head, preventing him from coming across as Hugh Grant, but still.

  • Johnny Guffgarments

    (A mod put this comment into moderation and asked me to choose a more conventional username than the one I’d used. So I have.)

    ***********************
    The two cabinet ministers on the spreadsheet of Tory sex pest MPs are

    Boris Johnson and David Davis.

    Rees-Mogg, Mr Hedge Fund who keeps his knob under control, is in a strong position. So is Amber Rudd, who may be connected to Bahamaian moneylaundering but hasn’t got a todger in the first place.

    My money is on Mogg.
    ***********************

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