UKC

.... than Boris Johnson was?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/01/jeremy-hunt-draws-eu-ire-o...

That should help reduce the temperature before the next round of Brexit talks. 

Rados?aw Sikorski, foreign minister in Tusk’s government, demanded an apology from Hunt, describing comparisons of the European Union to the USSR as “cheap and offensive, particularly to us who have lived in both”. On Twitter he wrote: “Did the Red Army force you to join? How many millions has Brussels exterminated? Gulag for demanding a referendum on independence? Apologise, Jeremy Hunt!”

oh. Maybe it won’t. 

At least Boris mostly stuck to offending people he wasn’t currently in delicate and high stakes negotiations with. 

Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to reinforce my very low opinion of him.

His comments are a disgrace. Pandering to leave voters with their EUSSR b*****ks.  

The man is an idiot, with very little comprehension of the wider impact of his actions (or if he does comprehend, he doesn't care, which is perhaps worse). And yet hes remains a cabinet minister! 

Just when I was starting to warm to him slightly.  He had been maintaining a fairly low profile and just getting on with his jobs over the past year and had started to look positively statesmanlike in Burma. 

Admittedly, appearing relatively competent is a pretty low bar at the moment and sadly today's comment were less dog-whistle than air-raid siren.

I still think he'll be the next prime minister though.

Either

a)  He's an offensive idiot

b) He is deliberately being provocative to offer red-meat to the wilder brexiters in the party to keep them on board with Theresa and Chequers until an agreement is reached.

I'm hoping for b, but...

How depressing is it that managing to survive nearly three months in office with only one diplomatic blunder (getting Chinese and Japanese mixed up on an official visit to China) is now considered a relative success. I guess he's now about par with two blunders in three months.

He was aiming for B but ended up at A. He's an idiot anyhow for thinking he can somehow appease the ERG morons.

After he knackered the health service he's been promoted to knackering an entire continent!

He's uniquely qualified for the task at hand - I know of no-one else with the necessary credentials.

Most don't seem like morons to me, but rather seem to be acting in calculated, cold-hearted self-interest to fabricate anti-EU sentiment so as to better achieve their goals of making a killing in either personal wealth or political opportunism (probably both) at the expense of 99% of the nation.

C) he’s pandering to the swivel-eyed loons as he manoeuvres for his leadership bid.

Wanker. 

Go on then I'll be the one to do it this time;

youtube.com/watch?v=-JpNravrwZc&

Desperately going for the "sorry boss, dreadful cough" while stifling a school boy giggle.

D

D) he’s goading the EU so that a deal is impossible while buying cover with the Swivel eyed brigade (Farage has said approvingly  Hunt is ‘using his language’) before backing a 2nd referendum to avoid a no deal outcome 

maybe. After all he was a remainer so a conversation to frothing europhobe invoking the spirit of the Battle of Britain seems unlikely to be genuine; it’s a calculated ploy to achieve an end.

sadly, your option C seems much more likely than my suggestion....

Have you considered Chris Grayling? he seems to get similar results over shorter timescales

His constituency (mine) is also remain so you never know.

I'm actually beginning to warm a bit to Gove (actually I've never found him as irksome as most seem to). He does seem rather more dignified as statesmanlike than the other leading Brexiteers. I suppose it is all relative though........

What have you been drinking, Robert?

Just water today!  I suppose that if I had to have a drink and an intelligent conversation with one of the leading brexiteers, I would definitely choose Gove - he just seems to have more substance than the others.

I'm no Gove fan but certainly during his short stint as Justice Sec he actually began to listen and attempt to improve things. After Grayling's tenure it started from a very low baseline it must be said. However, a minister actually trying to be effective couldn't be allowed so her was swiftly moved on.

Yes, he even got plaudits from the opposition for some of the stuff he was trying to do. I hate to say it, but he has also made some sensible noises in his Environment role about post brexit.

I think it is extremely unfair to single out Jeremy Hunt as being the worst Foreign Secretary. I'd like to point out to all who have this appallingly blinkered view that he was probably the worst Health Secretary too.

Dave

I would suggest JRM is the most dignified and statesman like of the Brixiteers. He listens impassively and considerately, he speaks with a calm confidence and politeness and is resistant to emote. 

I'm sure he's not popular on this site, but definitely fits your criteria more than Gove IMO

God help us

I agree he is effective in getting things done (which shouldn't make him stand out quite as much as it should) but I'd question his "listening". When he was in education, he didn't seem to listen, but just did what he thought best. That may be the case in Justice, he just happened to agree with what people wanted. 

I must be listening to a different person. I find him pompous, arrogant and evasive. He gives the appearance of listening but very rarely responds as though he has taken on board what has been said and just spouts out re-hashed soundbites.

A posh accent*, calm voice and a smattering of Latin does not make you dignified and statesman like.

*this is said as someone with a posh (though not quite that posh) accent.

*this is said as someone with a posh (though not quite that posh) accent.

So you sound pompous and arrogant as well then

No comment........

But sounding pompous and arrogant is a result of what he says and how he says it, not the accent in which it is said. 

Ha ha ha ha 

It's just his schtick. Part of which is : nobody that ridiculous couldn't be utterly genuine. 

There's more to listening than not talking over someone.

jk

The different regard Gove's different tenures at Education and Justice are held in is interesting, he clearly knew little of either at the outset so what is the difference? Did he learn from his carcrash in education, did he have strong personal opinions on one but not the other or is it just as you propose that his opinions happened to chime in Justice with those he oversaw but didn't in Education. He's an odd one. I'm not convinced at all by the green brexit nonsense, if any of it really were a priority the Conservatives have had nearly a decade to address it through the EU but they haven't even tried.

jk

He had a real plus as Justice Secretary by not being Chris Grayling. So there's that.

Who could possibly trust Gov? This politeness thing, who could possibly be fooled by that? Would you want him to hold your rope? Thought not.

In fairness, the same could be applied to your profile picture

I'll have you know those tweeds are absolutely the real thing!