Lion in Winter

Personally, I think that being impressed by someone's ability to speak coherently, impressed enough to what to put them in power because of it, is setting the bar a bit low
It's a sad statement on how incoherent and stupid so many of our "leaders" appear to be, that Moggy can impress on that basis alone.

Bipat

Most of it is press sensationalism! "Tipped for leader" etc.
In the actual survey he got 142 votes, David Davis 240.
I would imagine after the recent interview Rees-Mogg would get far less!

https://www.conservativehome.com/the...eneration.html

Tory MPs line up to disagree with Jacob Rees-Mogg's 'utterly abhorrent' views on abortion

Lion in Winter

Yes, I can't see many wanting him for leader except for the tweedy few. Can't see him leading the Tories against Corbyn's power with the youth vote.

But Davis

macliam

"Setting the bar low" is what the Tories have to do, given the dearth of talent in their ranks. However, as a practicing RC he would put to the test the discussion as to whether there is a bar to a Catholic becoming PM (Blair ducked the issue until he resigned). There's no specific bar in law, but it depends how you interpret the Roman Catholic Relief Act (1829), Section 18: "It shall not be lawful for any person professing the Roman Catholic religion directly or indirectly to advise his Majesty, or any person or persons holding or exercising the office of guardians of the United Kingdom".

Lion in Winter

Ah, a papist plot. To the Tower with him.

SultanOfSwing

It'd be interesting to see how the Tory-DUP coalition would go if there was 'one of them' as the leader

Funny as it would be, it wouldn't be worth having a batshit theocrat at the helm though. The UK doesn't need to become US-lite.

macliam

Maybe the DUP should approach Holland and see if King Billy's folks fancy taking them in.....

Having said which, apart from the obvious, the Moggster would seem to have the same reactionary views as "our friends in the North" ...... anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage and I'm sure a lot else too!

SultanOfSwing

I'm sure they'd love it there, all that dope and reckless sexual abandon. Right up their street ...

Well yes, a batshit theocrat is a batshit theocrat. Seems a bit funny that he'd end up teaming up with the crowd that's been chanting "**** the Pope" for the last umpteenty-odd years.

Poetic justice, or dramatic irony, or some such nonsense.

macliam

...... hmmm, I was always told that the phrase "King Billy was a fruit merchant" was to be avoided on the Falls....
You have to presume they don't mean it literally ...... unless it was true about the auld King.....

A great definition of Unionism from Frankie Boyle:
"The belief that two similar countries might fare better together. Unless they're both part of Ireland."

SultanOfSwing

I think they'd be fine with it on the Falls. The Shankill, on the other hand ...

Well, you never know. I mean, by all accounts he was supposed to have been a half decent king as far as I can tell, but the mere inference that he might have bent that way would not do you any favors, since they really do love him in some parts of Norn Irn. Particularly Larne, but they're all inbred sheep shaggers in Larne, so we prefer not to talk about them

That's quite a good one, actually.

BritInParis

You missed out the rest of that section which talks about appointments to the Church of England. JRM might not be able to advise on the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury but it doesn't prevent him from becoming PM.

His views on the matter as a devoutly Catholic father-of-six are hardly surprising. It won't have won over anyone who already disliked him but then I would be surprised if he has alienated any of his previous admirers. He has also avoided falling into the Farron trap by clearly setting out his stall.

Farron's problem was that he clearly does, as evangelical Christian tend to, believe that homosexual acts are sinful but he could never quite say so. This meant that ever interview he ever gave, regardless of topic, would end up on the same subject with the interviewer trying to nail the leader of the Liberal Democrats as a homophobe.

JRM won't have this problem because he has clearly articulated what his views are, that they are his personal moral position and that he does not think that this should inform government policy. You may not like them but he can't now be forever hounded on the subject.

macliam

I left it out because it is obvious and therefore irrelevant. It does not detract from the statement as quoted. Were he to become party leader and prospective PM he would be the first ever practicing catholic in that position....... because constitutionally it is unclear.

However, he and Boris are doing well so far as the Laurel and Hardy of politics. Let's hope it stays that way.

macliam

Shhhhhh, we don't even mention the Shankill - because it's a bit ironic that the bastion of loyalism has a name derived from Irish

BritInParis

What a bizarre assertion. It is neither obvious nor irrelevant, quite the opposite. The edited quote you provided makes it appear that no Catholic can advise the monarch which would prevent any Catholic from being a member of the Cabinet or the Privy Council which is demonstrably false. The whole point of the Act was to grant political emancipation to Catholics. This wasn't extended to the established church for reasons of anti-popery.


Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829

Lion in Winter

I don't think anyone was proposing to hound Moggy, but a man who takes orders regarding how to think from an imaginary being, and orders that involve deciding for women what rights they have after being raped, doesn't inspire confidence as a national leader and being pressed on that in an interview seems quite legitimate since he is in government. I had my doubts about Blair on that score, too.