this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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[–] guriinii@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Are the rest of the Tory MPs so shit they have to bring back a disgraced ex-Prime Minister that actually ruined foreign relations?

[–] gnutrino@programming.dev 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yep. That's what ideological purges will do to a party.

[–] guriinii@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Now ex- ~~Tory~~ Labour PM, Tony 'War Criminal' Blair, whom presided over the killing of over a million Iraqi civilians, has been appointed Gaza Humanitarian Coordinator.

Absolute fucking Joke. Rishi really wants that Gaza Marine license.

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

You would have thought that with that thumping 80-seat majority they'd have a deep bench?

[–] athos77@kbin.social 25 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The fucker who decided to call a non-binding (and very ill-defined) referendum on whether the UK should leave the EU, made a major campaign because he wanted to stay in office, promised he'd shepherd the UK through Leave it if went through, accidentally won, decided it was absolutely binding, and then promptly fucked off for the exit? That fucker? Who the hell decided he needed anything other than eternal ignominy?

[–] rynzcycle@kbin.social 11 points 11 months ago

The other day I sat a glass of milk on the counter next to my cat, and told her NOT to push it off. Well she did, so I went out and let my wife know she should probably clean it up.

(This did not happen, if it did I'd be divorced or dead... Probably dead.)

[–] snaprails@feddit.uk 16 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Diplomats across the world currently polishing up their "pig poking" jokes.

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Poking, porking, forking, fucking!

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 2 points 11 months ago

And pork markets

[–] BigChungus@sh.itjust.works 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

About near fell off my chair in shock at this one - seems like even the news outlets are a wee bit surprised too

[–] tal@lemmy.today 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Yeah. I wonder how many PMs have been called back to serve in other minesterial positions after their term as PM is done?

googles

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/national/david-cameron-becomes-15th-ex-pm-to-serve-in-later-government-led-by-another-103370/

According to a Government blog from November 2012, 14 ex-premiers have previously come back in a different government role since the 18th century.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who served for just under a year as prime minister after taking office in October 1963, was later appointed foreign secretary by Edward Heath.

He held the role from 1970 until 1974 and is the last former PM to return to government under a different leader.

I guess it's not that uncommon. I don't know if we've ever had an ex-President do it over here in the US.

[–] BigChungus@sh.itjust.works 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh for sure, it’s more about who it is than the fact it’s happened at all. Cameron quietly slipped away after the Brexit vote and used his position to lobby for a number of his business interests, like Illumina. However, a I know a number of Tory voters who still love him and have him up there as the best the party has had in a long time.

It kind of feels like the Tories are scrambling to find a face who a lot of their disenfranchised base don’t immediately hate, especially after Patel and Braverman have been so reviled. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out before the election - wonder if Cameron has any intentions of running for leadership again.

[–] palordrolap@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago

wonder if Cameron has any intentions of running for leadership again.

I would not be surprised if that turns out to be the plan.

There's no-one else in their party who's vaguely fit for the job, even based solely on the last few examples they've produced. A cannier eye, even a Tory one, would likely see that their other potential candidates are just as bad.

[–] Oneeightnine@feddit.uk 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

John Quincy Adams went back into Congress after being President but unless I'm missing someone I don't believe any US President has ever become a minister after serving.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

If one includes other branches of government, looks like Taft became a Supreme Court justice. Not common to even do that, though.

thinks

Cameron left office because the British public voted Leave after he'd urged them to vote Remain. I wonder if his return has any relevance to Brexit and shifting public opinion on the matter?

[–] Oneeightnine@feddit.uk 6 points 11 months ago

Chief Justice iirc.

It was the role he wanted from a very young age, to the point where he had to be persuaded to become Vice President under Roosevelt because he thought it'd all but end his ambitions to become a Supreme Court Justice.

(Sorry, I'm into US Presidents and I have very few options to talk about them).

[–] brewery@feddit.uk 3 points 11 months ago

I really doubt it. Brexit is still too toxic right now for any reversal and everyone wants to just move on. The Tories doing it would be completely suicidal.

I think its Sunak and the party leadership completely out of ideas and any remotely competent people willing to work with them. He had decent public support before, especially with big business which labour have completely brought to their side so this is probably to try to woo them back. I'm not sure it'll work. Business right now just want stability and know the Tories cannot give that until they decide who will lead once they lose the general election and how far right they will end up (I.e. if its too much, I think big businesses will struggle to support them because of their HO staff and need for cheap immigrant labour to do the actual work)

[–] deadcatbounce@reddthat.com 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

He wasn't even a good PM, and now ..

I'm still pissed that they/he screwed over the Alternative Vote referendum - a path to the Proportion Representation.

Looks like we're heading to a zealous two party system, like the States to me. That's never a good idea. The two parties are both trying to claim the middle ground but both are incompetent.

In Sir Kier's defence, he's a knight of the realm and so doesn't/hasn't get/got involved in politics.

That doesn't matter to them: in a two party system, not-the-other-one is a legitimate voting basis.

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Come on now: Cameron was the best PM we've had for the last 5.

[–] deadcatbounce@reddthat.com 1 points 11 months ago

Liking your style, Derek.

[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 9 points 11 months ago

Deck chairs on the Titanic.

[–] anteaters@feddit.de 9 points 11 months ago

So how secure is the Queen's body? Any chance of her coming back, too?

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

An unelected Prime Minister appointing an unelected Foreign Secretary, who is himself a disgraced former Prime Minister.

Couldn’t make it up.

[–] lud@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Are Foreign Secretaries often elected? As far as I know the UK elects a party and not Prime Ministers.

UK should have a reelection though considering how fucked up everything is.

Edit: removed redundancy

[–] bugsmith@programming.dev 2 points 11 months ago

Well yes. They are usually elected members of parliament. They don't have to be of course, as is apparent.