Quote from: Raider4 on 06 April 2020, 07:25:14 PM
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, has just been reported as being moved to intensive care.

This is worrying. I've just received a letter from him. 

Seriously, I wish him a speedy recovery, just as I do with any victim of this plague.

Yeah, I have mine too. Well, actually from Hancock and Jenrick, which isn't greatly better as Hancock had it but I assume he doesn't personally lick them, he'll have a minion to do that...

Mine today as well, looked at and filed !

Quote from: ianrs54 on 07 April 2020, 06:28:15 AM
Churchill came close in 43 and also in the 50's, but I think you are right...Are we looking at another General Election ?

A General Election is unnecessary.  We have never elected PMs in this country, we elect parties on the basis of their manifesto.  The PM is the leader of the elected party and can, and does, change mid-term.  It doesn't matter who it is as long as they has the confidence of the House of Commons, and with the present Tory majority that is hardly a challenge, I'd say. 

I looked it up out of interest and was surprised to find that since 1900, only 11 of the 28 changes of PM have been the result of General Elections.  The other 17 changes of PM resulted from changes of party leader mid-term.  So, remarkably, it is actually the most common way to become PM.  Brown replaced Blair, May replaced Cameron and Johnson replaced May for the most recent examples. 

In the event of their incapacitation, the PM has the power to delegate responsibility to any of his ministers, and Johnson has nominated Raab, as First Secretary of State, to deputise for him in the interim.  So, Raab will continue to head the government for the foreseeable future.   

In the event of Johnson's demise, I wonder what the Tory party would do.  Would they go through a contested leadership election in the midst of the COVID crisis?  It seems an unlikely distraction.  Perhaps they'd elect Raab party leader unopposed.  Let's hope none of this will be necessary and that Johnson recovers.

Whatever happens, I'm just thankful we haven't got Steptoe and his bunch of misfits in charge.



   

Ahem.....

Gentlemen.....This has been starting to get political again...

....and not just from John's post above.

Can we please (Pretty please !) try and keep politics and political opinion away from the forum....I seem to have been saying this too many times recently.
It'll only end up in a row....and I'll end up having to use 'the buttons'..which I really don't like having to do.

Cheers - Phil   

Sorry, but I feel obliged to use every available platform to denounce the expansionist policies of Babur the Mogul, political or not. Dawghouse me if you must.

Sadly the pandemic is implicitly political, Phil. Politics and it's handling are deeply intertwined, and you can't ignore that (unless you take the "only obeying order" / we just kept quiet approach, which seldom ends well).

I too denounce Babur, except he's got a great hat and fantastic pajama robe there, which would be *ideal* for current quarantine restrictions. I'm not even allowed to wear my harem pants!

Quote from: toxicpixie on 07 April 2020, 12:32:21 PM
I'm not even allowed to wear my harem pants!

not even in the house!!! 

Especially not as the other half is also confined to the house and therefore would have to witness my magnificent couture all day!

Are you insane! Barbar has brought joy to countless millions of children worldwide and ...oh! Wait! Never mind.

Quote from: d_Guy on 07 April 2020, 03:45:36 PM
Are you insane! Barbar has brought joy to countless millions of children worldwide and ...oh! Wait! Never mind.

This is babar



This is a barbar (yes it's a Belgian beer)




I guess one brings joy to small children and the other on to bigger children. Would advise not to confuse them while handing them out!  

Quote from: petercooman on 07 April 2020, 03:51:05 PM
This is babar

Never liked Babar. Always found something . . . unsettling about the book. Don't know why, just felt wrong, somehow.

Quote from: toxicpixie on 07 April 2020, 12:32:21 PM
Sadly the pandemic is implicitly political, Phil. Politics and it's handling are deeply intertwined, and you can't ignore that (unless you take the "only obeying order" / we just kept quiet approach, which seldom ends well).

Though What goes on in the greater world and the conduct of this forum / post, happily, do not have to be intertwined, unless we choose to make it so and otherwise spoil a special meeting place. With the death toll rising and some of this forum audience (i'm thinking of the silent majority) inevitably and sadly increasingly having a connection with that aspect, then a certain reverence and self discipline here becomes increasingly paramount.

Babar is colonial. I grew up reading it at my grandparents house (ex colons).
But yeah, it is a really old vision of Africa.

Quote from: Techno on 07 April 2020, 11:51:20 AM
Ahem.....

Gentlemen.....This has been starting to get political again...

....and not just from John's post above.

Can we please (Pretty please !) try and keep politics and political opinion away from the forum....I seem to have been saying this too many times recently.
It'll only end up in a row....and I'll end up having to use 'the buttons'..which I really don't like having to do.

Cheers - Phil   

OK, it's your ball and your game, but I suggest you rename this area "For anything at all (except politics) non-wargaming related!", or remove it entirely.