In the news

School leaders are in an unenviable position, particularly special schools who need to make sure they can keep all the children safe, silence from the DfE is deafening but when they speak it will be to point responsibility elsewhere

The mystery behind the astronomical rise in neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s could be caused by exposure to environmental toxins that are omnipresent yet poorly understood, leading doctors warn.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/23/environmental-toxins-neurological-disorders-parkinsons-alzheimers

The climate crisis poses a “significant and growing threat” to health in the UK, the country’s most senior public health expert has warned.

Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Dame Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said there was a common misconception that a warmer climate would bring net health benefits due to milder winters. But the climate emergency would bring far wider-reaching health impacts, she said, with food security, flooding and mosquito-borne diseases posing threats.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/23/climate-change-poses-growing-threat-to-health-in-uk-says-expert

Almost like there is an argument for tighter environmental regulatory control

Johnson's out.

Are you spying on me?

Johnson's out.

I don't think this was meant to be an imperative.

Wonderful news and I read it here first.

What a relief.

Johnson's out.

Awaiting further instructions....

I wonder why there aren't more women on this forum.

Typical weasel statement from Johnson: I would win and the tory party members want me to come back but other people won't unite behind me. I've been betrayed again.

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.”

But I thought he was doing this in the national interest?

That he got 102 nominations in the first place is something...quiet word in his ear I guess from somebody ro please don't run.

Mordaunt Vs Sumak then?

That he got 102 nominations in the first place is something...

It's not true

Did he really get 102 when officially it’s only just over half that?

Lying to save face isn’t a surprise

Numbers seem to stack up with the bullshit from Guido fawks for a distribution of the currently unannounced.

I doubt anyone could convince Johnson to do anything in anyone's interest bar his own.

I'm starting to think Brexit was bollocks too

I absolutely refuse to believe that Johnson was ever going to do a second term.

He got his mates to spread the rumours so he could reestablished his political power (which prior to this had evaporated), and used it as a way to cut a deal with Sunak for something - Lords, doss job for £££s, pushing through polices for his mates, etc. TBH even just for his own ego and a bit of extra PR for his speaking engagements would be enough for the fucking toad.

I know I'm shouting into the echo chamber here, but also the absolute fucking delusion of his acolytes - this notion that he's some sort of devout patriot who's journeyed back from overseas like Kevin fucking Costner in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves to serve his people. HE'S BEEN ON FUCKING HOLIDAY AFTER ALREADY HAVING A FUCKING SUMMER HOLIDAY EARNING EXTRA CASH FOR CHATTING SHIT. Jesus, no wonder our country is so fucked.

That or he sees the zero chance of a win and wants a cushy 5 years as leader of the opposition after an early election that he campaigns for (he wrote a speech for both sides you know)

Most of those MPs go to a different parliament.

I walk past the newspapers this morning, headlines are all about Sunak.

Sure he got the nominations but Penny Mordant is standing too,so WTF.

Ha! :)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/24/sunak-poised-become-uk-pm-mordaunt-johnson-withdraw?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Penny only got to 90 nominations so Rishi it is.

With no membership vote... one for the "oldest democracy in the world" :)

Dissected here by a lawyer.

Narrative violation in the FT today. Makes the Italy comparisons look excessively flattering for the fiscal sick man of Europe

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fiscal sick man

I wonder if bonfire of regulations also meant removing limits on borrowing money? It's ridiculous that the deficit after Cameron's election in 2010 far exceeds that of the Blair years, yet hardly any Tory voter would beleive this you if you told them.

It's ridiculous that the deficit after Cameron's election in 2010 far exceeds that of the Blair years, yet hardly any Tory voter would beleive this you if you told them.

Looking at the chart, I think it's saying we borrowed a shit load of money to bail out the banks in 2008 / 9 and (not surprisingly) we can only pay that money off slowly over time.

It might also be that they measure the debt against the GPD of that year, so if in 2009 (presumably the year you are referring to) our debt stayed constant but our GDP shrank, it would look like our debt increased....

tl;dr I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I'd be surprised if Cameron and co. spent more money than Blair did, but I wouldn't be surprised if our economy contracted heavily post 2008 increasing the debt as a %GDP

Looking at the chart, I think it's saying we borrowed a shit load of money to bail out the banks in 2008 / 9 and (not surprisingly) we can only pay that money off slowly over time

Not as slow as you might think. As of last year the total cost of the bailout to the taxpayer was only £35bn. Vast majority has been paid off. A lot of money for sure but a lot less than many people think.