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Collective responsibility?

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Senex

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Boris Johnson strongly criticises in public a policy still under discussion in cabinet. The prime minster's spokesman declares that she has full confidence in him. Does this mean that cabinet collectve responsibility is finally utterly broken, or does it just shew that May is a prime minister now so weakened that she cannot control her own cabinet? Or does it just mean that no-one in the Tory party dares to stand up to the hard-line Brexiteers? (Or all of these, of course.)
 
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Domh245

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The problem with Boris is that whilst he is useless and dangerous inside the cabinet, he would be worse (long term) outside. If he were a backbencher and Brexit were to go wrong, he'll be in all the newspapers insisting that if he were PM it would have been unicorns and rainbows, keep him in the cabinet and he can't do that. We take the short term pain of having Foreign Secretary Boris and hopefully we'll avoid future PM Boris.
 

Busaholic

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Boris Johnson strongly criticises in public a policy still under discussion in cabinet. The prime minster's spokesman declares that she has full confidence in him. Does this mean that cabinet collectve responsibility is finally utterly broken, or does it just shew that May is a prime minister now so weakened that she cannot control her own cabinet? Or does it just mean that no-one in the Tory party dares to stand up to the hard-line Brexiteers? (Or all of these, of course.)
She now has carte blanche to sack him as his uselessness in failing to persuade Trump to change his mind on Iran, or indeed to even secure an audience with him, shows what a debased level of attainment we now expect from a Foreign Secretary. Will she do so? Not a chance, as compared to her John Major was a towering statesman. Survival of the Maybot now her only thought, if you can call it such.
 

pemma

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Boris Johnson strongly criticises in public a policy still under discussion in cabinet. The prime minster's spokesman declares that she has full confidence in him. Does this mean that cabinet collectve responsibility is finally utterly broken, or does it just shew that May is a prime minister now so weakened that she cannot control her own cabinet? Or does it just mean that no-one in the Tory party dares to stand up to the hard-line Brexiteers? (Or all of these, of course.)

The PM having 'full confidence' in Amber Rudd meant she resigned a few days later.

We know the PM doesn't have control over the cabinet, Jeremy Hunt and Chris Grayling both reportedly refused to move to new roles so they let them stay put.
 

Tetchytyke

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May is a prime minister now so weakened that she cannot control her own cabinet?

Absolutely, but then she's been a lame duck prime minister since the day she was appointed.

Or does it just mean that no-one in the Tory party dares to stand up to the hard-line Brexiteers?

It's a very tough one. It's hard to stand up to the hard-line Brexiters because they have influence. But equally there is no point ostracising them, because when (not if) Brexit destroys this country, you need them to be in the heart of Government to carry the can. Ostracise them, fill the cabinet with moderates, and when Brexit goes wrong there'll be no Brexiters in Government to carry the can.

There's a lot to be said for making them lie in the bed they've made.

The PM having 'full confidence' in Amber Rudd meant she resigned a few days later.

Amber Rudd went because questioning was getting a bit too close to the Maybot who designed, built and controlled the nastiest elements of the immigration policy.
 

DarloRich

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The problem with Boris is that whilst he is useless and dangerous inside the cabinet, he would be worse (long term) outside. If he were a backbencher and Brexit were to go wrong, he'll be in all the newspapers insisting that if he were PM it would have been unicorns and rainbows, keep him in the cabinet and he can't do that.

May isnt strong enough to survive his constant attacks from the back benches if he was released from ministerial responsibility. To quote LBJ: It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pi$$ing out, than outside the tent pi$$ng in.
 

61653 HTAFC

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I can only think of one type of structure where a Boris Johnson on the inside is better than a Boris Johnson on the outside... and it isn't a tent!
 

Tetchytyke

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May isnt strong enough to survive his constant attacks from the back benches if he was released from ministerial responsibility.

She'll be fine till Brexit. None of the Brexiters want to go near leadership until it's done, because they all know it's going to be an absolute car wreck. They'll all chime up in when the car's been crashed to say how they'd have done it differently and that Brexit has been betrayed. But not before.

There are no depths that the likes of Gove will not plumb.
 
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