Should Boris resign?

[TheOstrich]

Well there's no defending it, Boris has messed up big time, but like Suff I'm more concerned about the leaks. Who in Downing Street is physically releasing these old e-mails. So far they're intended to harm Boris, but the person doing it must be privy to more sensitive information which could conceivably lead to a breach of security. To me that's a much bigger worry.

I have seen it suggested that the answer to your question may be found in Barnard's Castle, Jenni .....
And indeed, the leakage may not be over yet.

[Workingman]

An e-mail sent Cc or Bcc is not 'sensitive' it is not secure. it is open to anyone to read.

Reynolds sent the email by broadcast to multiple recipients, Bojo was one of them. He knew it was a party.

Please stop trying to defend him. He is guilty as charged.

[miasmum]

I don't think Jen was trying to defend Boris, as she said he has messed up big time. But she is concerned re the leaks. Are we not allowed to comment on anything unless its to Boris bash now then?

[Workingman]

Comment on any subject you like and do it to your heart's content. I was simply pointing out that the after the event publishing of an insecure round-robin email sent to multiple recipients is not a "leak" as they are already out there and on record.

Some might call it investigative journalism, the sort many of us would like to see on a daily basis as it keeps certain people / groups in check. Sadly we have Cbeebies News and the daily comics instead.

[jenniren]

I have seen it suggested that the answer to your question may be found in Barnard's Castle, Jenni .....
And indeed, the leakage may not be over yet.

I've no doubt Dominic Cummings is behind the recent leaks, but there were leaks from closed cabinet meetings coming out well before this. And yes of course the papers will jump at the chance to report, sadly on occasions with complete disregard to how it affects national security.

Please stop trying to defend him. He is guilty as charged.

I'm not sure what you're reading WM, but I haven't seen anyone defending him for the current debacle. Sadly it's this kind of knee jerk reaction that's made me reluctant to post on this board too often!

[Suff]

Please stop trying to defend him. He is guilty as charged.

Neither of us said it was defensible, we just wanted to know who is behind trying to oust him.

Plenty of PM's do things which are indefensible but don't face calls to step down in this way. Also, outside of watergate and the Chelsea manning leaks, I haven't seen this level of sensitive material leaking. I wasn't talking about email. I was talking about video surveillance data from #10 itself. That has Mega high classification as it can show all sorts of things which our government doesn't want known, most legitimately.

Don't let your dislike of Boris or the current Tory government hide what is going on here. There is a plan here to discredit Boris and this government. It is insidious and it is highly damaging to our democracy.

Whilst understanding that our PM doesn't actually want all these restrictions for Covid, hence his rather irreverent handling of the matter, I don't say "he has to GO", I say, "who the hell is trying so hard to get rid of him".

Mind you every cloud has a silver lining. Unless you rip it off and try to sell it. If Bojo stays you can be 1000% sure that the UK will be the very first western democracy to exit the pandemic. It's guaranteed. Because it is the only possible sop to an angry public he could deliver.

Or we could get rid of him and get, what? A Sturgeon clone? I'd laugh my ass off for YEARS and NEVER let anyone forget what they had done.

[TheOstrich]

Whilst understanding that our PM doesn't actually want all these restrictions for Covid, hence his rather irreverent handling of the matter, I don't say "he has to GO", I say, "who the hell is trying so hard to get rid of him".

I'd respectfully suggest that the current debacle is nothing to do with Covid, Suff, and everything to do with lying and sleaze ....

The answer to your question includes, inter-alia, me. I'd have no problem with a Sturgeon clone. ABJ.

And let's get rid of Rees-Mogg and all the other lickspittle lackies whilst we're about it.

[cromwell]

Well there's no defending it, Boris has messed up big time, but like Suff I'm more concerned about the leaks. Who in Downing Street is physically releasing these old e-mails. So far they're intended to harm Boris, but the person doing it must be privy to more sensitive information which could conceivably lead to a breach of security. To me that's a much bigger worry.

Jen, imo the problem Boris has is that the list of possibles is endless.
Suspects.
1) A disaffected civil servant. It should be remembered the the civil service was 100% Remain in the Brexit carry on.
2) Ditto any remainer in the cabinet.
3) Michael Gove. Gove has worked closely with Dominic Cummings in the past and he has already got form for stabbing Boris in the back.
4) General enemies within the party. Jeremy Hunt, soundly beaten in the leadership race by Boris. Theresa May who lost the Tory majority in the 2017 general election, was ejected from office and then had to watch Johnson get an 80 seat majority.
5) As Suff believes it could be economic interests.
6) Any MP who is worried about losing their seat. There are a lot of these and I imagine that the current much-forecasted cost of living crisis is only going to increase their number. It comes down to this, if the Conservative party thinks Boris is going to lose the next election they will ditch him faster than you can blink.

There is a general move to ditch Boris now. If it were just his enemies he'd probably be OK, but when his former supporters fling their hands in the air and give up the ghost it is serious.

Westminster has always leaked like a sieve but it certainly seems to be getting worse.

[Workingman]

Jen and Suff, if I read you both wrong then I apologise.

Who wants to oust him? That would be everyone who did not vote for him, many of those who did, and quite a few in his party and some of his MPs. What is going on might be insidious, but the public's ability to learn what is going on behind closed doors in the corridors of power strengthens democracy. Try Russia, China or North Korea for the alternative.

I would prefer to know rather than be kept in the dark.

[Suff]

I would like to know things they don't want us to know too WM. But I don't want to compromise the UK security to get it.

Once you breach that barrier, then mal actors realise there is a way in and they will go for it.