19 Comments

  1. Mike Wilson
    June 13, 2023

    Well Mr. Redwood, you and your government have really shafted young people. In your DESPERATE desire for growth at ANY cost, you allowed absurdly low interest rates and devised the Help to Buy scheme to suck young people into the housing market. Now interest rates have increased to more usual levels a generation finds itself with huge mortgages and massive monthly increases in their mortgage payments. Very, very well done. My eldest lad – a higher rate taxpayer who pays a lot of tax – is now seriously planning to emigrate. He said yesterday ā€˜Dad, we donā€™t want to move thousands of miles away, but despite both of us (he and his wife) earning good money, we canā€™t afford to have a family here.ā€™

    If there is any way my wife and I can join them, we will. Still, it will make a bit of room for you to ā€˜welcomeā€™ a load of replacements.

    Politeness and the moderation here prevent me from telling you what I really think of your useless government.

    1. Mike Wilson
      June 13, 2023

      Oh, and I couldnā€™t give a toss about Boris Johnson.

  2. Peter
    June 13, 2023

    The interviewer began by talking over a lot of Sir John Redwoodā€™s replies.

    I will not comment on process itself or the Sunak/Johnson battle.

    However, it is a bit rich for Johnson to portray himself as a champion of Conservative values.

    We can see that is clearly not the case from his time as Prime Minister when Brexit, and a prudent economic policy were abandoned to pursue Net Zero issues and a war in Ukraine.

  3. Cuibono
    June 13, 2023

    Somewhat lefty style interview.
    A couple of unforgivable inferences implying dinosaur status.
    And one of them bizarrely involving a play!
    Overall relatively polite though.
    JR on his mettle was not caught out!
    Very well played I thought.

  4. Bill B.
    June 13, 2023

    I think the discussion needs to be more about how long Sunak should remain in office, rather than about Boris.

  5. Mickey Taking
    June 13, 2023

    Channel crossing highest ever on a single day.
    More than 600 migrants crossed the English Channel on Sunday, the highest number on a single day so far this year, the Home Office said. Some 616 people were detected making the journey from France in twelve small boats.

    The previous daily high for this year was 497 people on April 22.
    Measures working well.
    07.37

  6. Sir Joe Soap
    June 13, 2023

    It strikes me yet again that it’s perverse and difficult to defend Johnson as keeper of the 2019 manifesto. Meanwhile the Snake (now hissing) option, plucked from outside the democratic decisions of membership and public, is totally indefensible.
    Oddly the only person in this saga who comes up roses is Liz Truss. Naive, high risk and perhaps half-baked ideas but at least honest.

  7. Donna
    June 13, 2023

    Good to see you on the Julia H-B show Sir John.

    Meanwhile, the DT reports that one of our very few remaining coal-fired power stations has had to be fired up to provide electricity because the solar power network had to be turned off because it was too hot for them to operate safely; anything over 30 deg.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/06/12/britain-fires-up-coal-plant-weather-too-hot-solar-panels/

    So we have banks of windmills which don’t work when the wind doesn’t blow, or blows too hard. And banks of solar panels which don’t work for around 6 months of the year when it’s either not sunny or too hot for the little darlings …… or overnight.

    Wind is currently supplying 2.6GW. Solar, 1.7GW.

    Yet we’re supposed to believe these hugely expensive, part-time power generators are going to give us all the cheap, reliable electricity we need.

    I think it’s called a Black Comedy.

  8. Ian B
    June 13, 2023

    Elsewhere – On a day of bitter exchanges, the former PM typically came out fighting and vowed: ā€œIā€™ll be backā€ ā€“ a strong declaration major force in British politics.
    In a personal message, Mr Johnson thanked Daily Express readers for their continuing support and said he would keep pushing the Tory party ā€œto fully deliver on Brexit and on the 2019 manifestoā€.

    You have to ask why didn’t he try harder when he had the chance, instead of creating a costly one horse race to NetZero.
    Now Jeremy Hunt is promising one day the UK will have low taxes again, why not today

    The dummies still don’t recognise it is ‘the economy – stupid’. A strong economy is they only way to fund any thing, tax is recessionary

  9. formula57
    June 13, 2023

    That BBC site demands that I register with it in order to play the interview so I forego hearing even your words lest registration affords any boost to the wretched BBC.

    1. Bloke
      June 15, 2023

      I registered solely to listen to SJR’s contribution which made it worthwhile. Today I received a ‘Welcome to BBC Sounds’ junk email in response so unsubscribed & sent it to spam.

  10. Bloke
    June 13, 2023

    B Johnson is described as feeling hounded out. He goes where he senses gain. A Shih Tzu in false clothing has little effect behind the door of No 10 with a Big Dog outside. BJ is more of a retriever gathering popular support. Anti-democrat Michael Hezeltine whimpering about Brexit has no traction either.

  11. Ian+wragg
    June 13, 2023

    So on a beautiful day we have to ramp up axial fired power station to meet demand. The temperature is toi Hugh for solar panels and the wind wasn’t blowing.
    Three cheers for the government non energy policy.
    Opposition here we come.

  12. Bert+Young
    June 13, 2023

    I avoid the BBC for several reasons and missed the interview . The one thing that I feel very concerned about is any approach that attempts to defend Boris Johnson’s Covid behaviour . Leadership must be trusted and there is no room for anyone who expects standards from the ordinary person that are not followed by themselves . The Conservatives have to re-invent themselves and prove to the voters that they can and will restore their faith and trust . Time is running away and drastic change is required .

  13. Keith Collyer
    June 13, 2023

    How a seemingly intelligent person like you can still be defending a malignant narcissist like Johnson truly beggars belief. Let’s not forget, your party under him achieved a massive majority compared with May with only 1.3% more of the vote. So nowhere near the ringing endorsement you and other apologists claim. In the same election, a 4% increase in votes for the Liberal Democrats resulted in a reduction in MPs. He didn’t win, Corbyn lost.

  14. Richard II
    June 13, 2023

    Dear Sir John,
    I may not be your only reader to have have noticed that in the last few days it has taken much longer than usual for comments on your blog to be uploaded. Perhaps this is because of urgent consultations and possibly new arrangements (?) you have been making with others of like mind in the political arena. I remain hopeful.

  15. Geoffrey Berg
    June 15, 2023

    Upon the death of former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, Conservative M.P.s would do well to set aside the sneering and jeering about him by the establishment political class, and reflect upon the impact this ever controversial, very extroverted, unconventional and I would say brilliant man (perhaps the forerunner of modern populism) had. He saw his opportunity and not only defeated the governing centre-right Christian Democrat Party that had governed Italy for almost 50 years but he personally completely destroyed that long-governing Party. The Christian Democrats no longer exists as a political force in Italy.
    That is what one very talented populist (eventually overtaken by more ‘extreme’ populists) can do to a long established governing Party. Who is to say Boris Johnson (especially if he allies with Nigel Farage and Liz Truss), a born populist isn’t with a radical populist growth, tax cutting agenda capable of superseding the Conservative Party as Berlusconi superseded the Christian Democrats? Especially with Labour now run by very uninspiring leadership, one may ask are the Conservative Party now any better and less vulnerable now than the Christian Democrats in Italy were when the talented populist Silvio Berlusconi obliterated them?

  16. Christine
    June 15, 2023

    I blame May and Johnson for the mess we are in. May betrayed Brexit with her deceit and lies, and Johnson had the support of the people to rectify her betrayal but failed to deliver a clean Brexit. He then set in motion the accelerated race to Net Zero. Sunak is a weak non-entity who bows before his WEF masters. I will never forgive these charlatans for the destruction of the country I love.

  17. Original Richard
    June 16, 2023

    You may like to make full use, Sir John, of all and any opportunities to be interviewed by the BBC (and Times Radio) between now and the next GE, should you so wish.

    This is because, if, as currently expected, Labour become the largest grouping in the next Uniparty Parliament, the BBC will convene a secret meeting where it will be decided that the politics is settled and henceforth no alternative views will be allowed any airtime should any mis-, dis-, or mal-information, be inadvertently disseminated on their programmes.

    A secure VPN will be required.

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