Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[PJL]

And to think Sunak only got the job because of Javid resigning due to Johnson/Cummings wanting more control over the Treasury team.

[Sheilbh]

I think Sunak needs to move quickly before we get to the multi-year bore of repairing the public finances. But that graphic, pretty damned cheeky really 

It's incredible and no-one in Number 10 seems to have a grip

You're right I think Sunak's maybe got 6 months to a year when his reputation will be at a peak - but I'd just flag he is very good. John Rentoul said he's not seen anyone have the Commons in their control in the way Sunak does since Blair.

I also wonder to what extent Johnson wants to carry on being PM. It is a pretty crap job unless one is a genuinely public-spirited person; bad hours, poor pay, dubious status. So much more fun to go back to being a celebrity columnist and after-dinner speaker sniping from the sidelines. He could go back to being popular as well if he did that.

I think there's something to that and as I say I think his party's tiring of him. He's got a majority of 80 seats and 38 of them voted against second lockdown. I think the number of rebels will grow if there's another lockdown. That doesn't matter in terms of policy because Labour backed lockdown, but politically to have lost half your majority in less than a year since you won it is an indicator that you've got real issues in the party.

And to think Sunak only got the job because of Javid resigning due to Johnson/Cummings wanting more control over the Treasury team.

Yes. I always thought that might not work because structurally the Chancellor has a lot more weight behind them - they have the entire Treasury (famously, or at least in their own view, the brainiest department in government) while the Prime Minister has a small number of officials supporting him and works in a terrace house. So I thought that over time the sort of gravitational pull of the Treasury would overwhelm Number 10, rather than the PM exerting control over them.

What I hadn't counted on was just the political factors of accidentally appointing someone who's politically savvy/talented. And you know especially in the Tory party, MPs have no loyalty and power/influence follows hope - if you're an up and coming MP or a junior cabinet minister, at this stage are you going to tie yourself to Johnson or to Sunak?

[Josquius]

Johnson will be gone next year. Its clear he is sick of it.
He just wants to get brexit over the line and then probably have a bit of a buffer so it doesn't look too much like that is what he is doing. Perhaps he'd like to see a corner turned on corona first.

[Sheilbh]

Johnson will be gone next year. Its clear he is sick of it.
He just wants to get brexit over the line and then probably have a bit of a buffer so it doesn't look too much like that is what he is doing. Perhaps he'd like to see a corner turned on corona first.

Agreed on that timing. And for the Tories he's there to "get Brexit done" etc but can then be disposed of because he is damaged by covid.

Then they can replace him. And I think Sunak's an appealing option because he's got clean hands on Brexit (he was a Leaver but also so junior it doesn't exactly define him) and he's probably the only minister coming out of covid with their reputation intact or enhanced.

[Syt]

Does this go here? Are we using this for general UK news, too?

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/truro-been-ranked-among-top-4670847

Truro has been ranked among the top dogging capitals of the UK

Popular spots include Daubuz Moors and Victoria Gardens apparently

With the country moving into lockdown and sex indoors between people from different households now being illegal, experts expect that bonking Brits will only get more adventurous in their sexual endeavours to reduce the risk of being caught in the act.

The Hookup Hotspots map by dating and sex experts Datingroo reveals that Truro takes the number 13 spot for dogging capital of the UK, with locals not wanting to miss out on the lockdown loving due to coronavirus.

Research shows that there has almost 30,000 Brits have been searching for dogging locations in the past two months, and there has been an 85% increase in people searching for outdoor hook-up spots over the past year.

The past two weeks showed the highest number of dogging searches since summer and 'Dogging' was even trending on Twitter in the UK with over 2,500 tweets in the two hours following the announcement. It appears the nation is obsessed.

Datingroo researched the different casual locations around the world by collating locations for dogging, cruising, hook-up spots and outdoor sex using information from a number of dogging and swingers sites.

Truro comes in thirteenth place with a blood pressure-raising 48 dogging and cruising locations.

Where do the Truro locals go dogging? Popular spots include Daubuz Moor, Victoria Gardens and at locations along the Truro River.

Cornwall Live in no way condones people meeting for naughty times in a layby during lockdown. Stay at home and have a cold shower.

Manchester takes the top spot as Dogging Capital of the UK with an impressive 131 locations. Birmingham comes in second place with 103 spots.

In third place comes Chelmsford with 85. Heading back up north, in fourth place is Liverpool with 82 sexy hotspots and in joint fifth place is Cardiff and Bristol both with 76 spots.

[Valmy]

No place to go dogging in Northern Ireland. Sad.

[Sheilbh]

Johnson will be gone next year. Its clear he is sick of it.
He just wants to get brexit over the line and then probably have a bit of a buffer so it doesn't look too much like that is what he is doing. Perhaps he'd like to see a corner turned on corona first.

Probably gone within the year.

[Tamas]

I think Starmer benefits from the same thing as Sturgeon: they are being compared against Johnson which makes them look super-competent.

[Tonitrus]

Does this go here? Are we using this for general UK news, too?

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/truro-been-ranked-among-top-4670847

Truro has been ranked among the top dogging capitals of the UK

My town here is ahead of them! 

[Grey Fox]

Dogging is slang for which sexual act? Full Intercourse? Oral? Anal? Queer friendly or straight only?

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is alfresco sex in places like car parks with strangers.

[The Larch]

Dogging is slang for which sexual act? Full Intercourse? Oral? Anal? Queer friendly or straight only?

It's basically public sex with random people and/or watching people doing it in public.

[Caliga]

Dogging is slang for which sexual act? Full Intercourse? Oral? Anal? Queer friendly or straight only?

I thought it was just fucking outdoors (like dogs do)?

[Sheilbh]

It is alfresco sex in places like car parks with strangers.

It's cultural appropriation of cottaging

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is alfresco sex in places like car parks with strangers.

It's cultural appropriation of cottaging

You guys are mainstream and boring now