Andrew Neil blasts the Tories over failure 'to serve' the country

“By the end of it we could have offered any man, woman and child a free house and the people of this country had just switched off.”
The Conservatives forgot the "iron rule of politics", they're there "to serve", says former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland.
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[@wraith7707]

Wasn’t a failure to serve. They had no intention to serve anyone but themselves.

[@simony2801]

You’ll be saying the same thing bout labour in 12 months time.

[@darrylsimpson4744]

@@simony2801think you’ll be disappointed.

[@majuli8420]

Hey, that's not fair. They also served their donors and their friends.

[@moomin7461]

​@@simony2801Nope.

[@JK-pe6ft]

@@simony2801 Labour plans to ban most second jobs for MPs (www.ft.com/content/11c76546-901f-4093-8f97-12685c935252). That certainly is a giant leap away from what the tories have been doing.

[@bc5295]

It's not about left and right it's about character and integrity. And by those criteria this government has been the worst anyone can remember.

[@aleph8888]

After this election it’s clear that they cemented Brexit and shot Scottish independence.

[@marumaru6084]

Lol no TB was the same.

[@marumaru6084]

@@rinkydinkfretboard8737 All three are WEF clones so the analogy lands on its feet!

[@sarahstrupinski6863]

How can anyone take these left over Tories talking about what we need to do in the future? They had 14 years!

[@rebreaville9332]

Tories chose performative politics over substance, power dramas over governance, and relied upon their enablers in the press to gaslight the public. Reforming the press would go a long way to disciplining conservatives.

[@mr.mayhem7402]

They had no policies because they have no purpose. There is no point to them do they need to go.

[@thecheesefactor]

They spent 14 years shaping the media to keep them in power. This was not only at the BBC and Ofcom but also ITV reality shows to try to help reinvent the public image of disgraced Tories and pad their bank accounts. Then we had GB News and Talk TV. Much of this apparatus was unexpectedly exploited by Brexiters and then by Reform. Destroyed by their own creations? In part, yes. And it is interesting the idea of not 'blaming' the electorate. That knocks a bunch of variables out of the equation such as marketing and propaganda. The electorate is not inert.

[@mogznwaz]

The Leftie MSM is what needs reform to hold LEFTISTS to account because the attacks go only one way.

[@AnEnemy100]

The press requires reform that matches a reform of the entire entitled upper crust of our establishment. Oxbridge, the class system & the large estates are begging to be destroyed.

[@thecheesefactor]

@@AnEnemy100 Indeed. Too much offshore ownership of UK news media. Ofcom not fit for purpose. GB News needs to be shut down.

[@karmanline2005]

Served themselves and their chummy kleptocrats very effectively. 😢

[@SL89999]

Next pandemic I am setting up a PPE company.

[@rolandhawken6628]

What do you think Starmer is going to do he made 7 million in politics already? And JC is worth over 4 million . So you are silly if you think Labour are connected to ordinary people ,dream on sonny

[@francesclarke6808]

​@@SL89999😂

[@TimComley]

Evidence….

[@user-vl7pu3fp7c]

@@rolandhawken6628 Well if you think the 2 MPs you mention are disconnected to the people, what must we say about certain ex- govmnt tory ministers - they even conveniently forgot what they were there for it seems! All MPs are well paid, but that has nothing to do with being disconnected to the ordinary people. It depend on one's ethics not on money earned!

[@steviegee8747]

Biggest Tory cheerleader of the last 20 years was ...............ANDREW NEIL!!!

[@waynewal971]

Absolutely? Well it wasn’t me gov! Sickening!

[@TimComley]

Worst sentence construction in last thirty years , you

[@rwo5402]

...and now he figured out that the Tories where only in it for themselves. Andrew Neill is smart cookie.

[@rwo5402]

...and it took Andrew Neil 14 years to figure that out. He's a really smart cookie.

[@samkumar4059]

Yup, and then he went and Joined extreme right wing GB News , that's the day Iost all respect for him and his opinions

[@SL-sd3sg]

They’ve always served themselves

[@ECECECECEC]

Don’t underestimate the role of the Tory media supporting, covering up and not reporting Tory corruption, incompetence, and inaction.

[@andym.6141]

Oh they served alright, themselves, day after day, month after month, year after year.

[@paulbird3235]

Robert doesn't seem very concerned he has losr his job does he! gravy train MUST have been good for him.

[@TimComley]

Can you give us more please but of depth

[@TimComley]

@@paulbird3235 are you thick

[@saddoncarrs6963]

Andrew Neil declared that he didn't cast a vote as he thought it important that broadcasters, such as himself, remain unbiased. Very funny guy. It'd be hard to find a more prominent mouthpiece for the tories since the Thatcher years.

[@VaucluseVanguard]

And you’d find it harder to identify a more effective critic who uses logic and reason to criticise them rather than childish temper tantrums that amount to stamping their feet and screaming “hate Tories”. That’s what the Guardian has done for the past 14 years.

[@matthewotooleis]

Well said.

[@GusMcGuire]

@@VaucluseVanguard Whataboutery. You didn't address his point about Neil. Noone is saying that a journalist can't have an opinion, but saying "I didn't vote because I wanted to remain unbiased" is a rather incongruous excuse from a well known Tory-supporting journalist who was only to happy to make a move to GB News not long back, when it thought it might benefit him. It sounds more like Neil just didn't want to go down with the sinking Tory ship.

[@davidgriffithsbjjcoach7207]

@@VaucluseVanguard I'm not sure I agree with your point but let's accept it for the sake of argument. It was staggering to me how immune to facts those who STILL supported the Torys were. Prisons are full, the national debt has exploded, taxes hugely increased, cost of basics increased, mortgages up, NHS list at record highs (it was also rising BEFORE the pandemic), huge immigration and what do they say? Labour would put taxes, debt and immigration up. Yet they ignore that that's EXACTLY what their party has done in power... I can see why that might make people exasperated...

[@jpc443]

​@@VaucluseVanguardThe Guardian had just cause 😅

[@markevans7244]

First and foremost, people want stability and competence from their government. That has been absent for a long time.

[@mogznwaz]

Well said 👏 So sick of Westminster playground politics taking centre stage while the country goes to rack and ruin

[@lizdocherty3067]

​@@mogznwazexactly we don't need a circus government that the Tories have been for the last 14 years, I would rather have a government who got on with their job and the spotlight was on what they had actually done, not what they say they are going to do just to keep the electorate on their side. Hopefully Labour will spend more time running the country than earning money in their. 2nd or even 3rd jobs.

[@BjørjaBear]

You'd be raving mad as a young person to vote for the Conservatives.

[@lfarrell6375]

Just the young?I’d say anyone. Tories look after the rich . Always have. Always will. Its in the DNA.

[@patrikfloding7985]

Anyone with a decent IQ and decency would be mad to vote for them.

[@mogznwaz]

Vote Reform instead

[@fezfez]

you won't be saying that in 5 years.

[@lesigh1749]

@@lfarrell6375 Labour are no different there. Metropolitan snobs with disposable income benefit from labour, poorer people get shafted.

[@HistoryonYouTube]

I am sure they made enough cash whilst in power.

[@dragonfly6908]

The multi millionaire and champagne socialist Saint IKEA Starmer is reportedly worth around £7 million. 💰🍸🍷💰

[@jamesprivet]

They only ever served themselves and their mates and did nothing to actually govern or do their jobs.

[@deannilvalli6579]

Does anyone recall him complaining about this "failure to serve" at any time in the last 14 years?? Anyone? It seems he is a bit late to the party here. 14 years late.

[@francesclarke6808]

Andrew Neil also a self serving tory loving individual

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

The real rot was Boris Johnson, what an absolute waste of time that man is.

[@albedo0point39]

“What did we have to say to young people?” - GET IN THE ARMY 😂

[@freddysw]

“Go die for us”

[@anllpp]

Starmer needs to have a forensic public inquiry into PPE...

[@JohnSmall314]

"Starmer needs to have a forensic public inquiry into PPE..." More than just the PPE scandal. There's the common law crime of misconduct in public office. Which is only ever used to prosecute lowly officials for relatively minor offences, but needs to be used for ex-Tory ministers and MPs. Especially Johnson.

[@eddieharris6004]

Unlikely.

[@andrewoliver8930]

It needs the sane enthusiasm as when they go for benefits cheats. Not a public inquiry.

[@johnstrong7079]

Treachery caused them to get a BLOODY NOSE.

[@Tom_murray89]

We’ve had enough of being taken advantage of

[@matthewframpton8737]

Neil has cheerleaded this administration at every step along the way. For him to be attacking them now is disgraceful hypocrisy and revisionism.

[@paulbird3235]

WELL HE DID WORK FOR RUPERT MURDOCH!.

[@Robc--jd6yh]

Eh? Any evidence?

[@paulbird3235]

@@Robc--jd6yh HE WORKED FOR SKY AND THE SUNDAY TIMES!.

[@Robc--jd6yh]

@@paulbird3235 THANKS FOR THE CAPITALS.

[@paulbird3235]

@@Robc--jd6yh NO PROBLEM.😆😁😂..

[@michaelmouse4024]

Brillo Pad Gets Peeved About Useless Brexit Backing Torys. Satire is dead.

[@supernoodles91]

'Invest in financial products'? Wtaf is he talking about? If you're forced to privately rent (ie, paying somebody elses mortgage and into THEIR pension) that uses up the vast majority of their salary, where tf does he think they're gonba get money to 'buy financial products'? Out of touch or what. Victoria Atkins as potential leader? 😂😂😂😂 funniest thing I've heard all day!

[@brenglover72]

A fourteen year trolley dash with tax payers money. It had to end at some point.

[@dragonfly6908]

I wonder how rich Saint IKEA Starmer will be after 5 years in office?, he is reportedly worth around £7! million now. 💰🍷🍸💰

[@supernoodles91]

Andrew Neil pushed to leave the EU, he was never going to suffer financially or culturally, where does he live? A nice little villa in France.

[@minimoog4236]

They served themselves, their families, and their donors. That was their job and they did it exceptionally well. Those non-exec directorships that will flood their bank accounts are rewards for services carried out as MPs. The Italians used to be open about corruption - just leave a suitcase full of cash on your doorstep, the Brits are a bit more subtle.

[@robertofranceschini2857]

In Italy they go to prison after they have been convicted; in the UK do they ever? Hopefully with Starmer do we expect a fiscal solution applied to those who have so blatantly milked the system and taken OUR money?

[@therealrobertbirchall]

​@@robertofranceschini2857how much has Brexit cost so far?

[@angelamay23]

The public don't care about right or left ... they want a safe prosperous country for themselves and their children ... they want to sleep well at night after a productive day at work with the respect of their peers, managers, community and their leaders ..

[@Not00]

This bloke supported and propped them up over the last 14 years.

[@robertdavies8931]

This from the man who has served self interest and Murdoch above all else.

[@Msax50]

What went wrong ??? Seriously ???

[@robertstraw9881]

When have the Tory’s ever served anyone but themselves and there donors?

[@mickyg6981]

He lost me at "we have to take a moonshot" my god they are so detached from reality, well about from here to the moon detached.

[@kerb.]

Didn't stop him from doing everything he could to support them when he helped launch gb news.

[@goattm2]

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, LEAVE! WILL OF THE PEOPLE, YOU LOST GET OVER IT! etc etc. Nice to give them a taste of their own medicine.

[@FionaJane-vc2tw]

We all know why Johnson dodged the interview with him, Johnson wouldn't have survived it. Great to see a grown in No 10 again.

[@user-sx3pc4dj3r]

He's a Tory with a red tie. Watch and see

[@JD83000]

Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum 🥱. Intersting to see how this big meh-jority plays out. Less actual votes and less vote share than Corbyn in 2019 🤷

[@alanpage3973]

​@@JD83000but a 170 seat majority 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@JD83000]

@@alanpage3973 exactly

[@bonuscheese1]

​@JD83000 😂 meh-jority is right. Less votes than Corbyn would suggest this majority is not build on sturdy foundations. Either way, they'll get to do what they want as long as it lasts.

[@brianconnelly7823]

Andrew Neil, who was chairman of the Conservative association at Glasgow University blasting the Tories? He IS a Tory.

[@mickeythompson9537]

You could always have blasted the Tories any time over the last 14 years, Neil.

[@tonyprice1526]

He promoted them for years. Typical tory never accepts his role in their disastrous rule.

[@_andytang_]

As a famous journalist, Andrew Neil didn't hold the Tories to account. By being one of their biggest supporters, he allowed this to happen.

[@JK-pe6ft]

Shouldn't Andrew be more concerned about the ongoing elections in the country where he is enjoying EU Freedom of Movement rights: France.

[@JelMain]

It goes deeper than that. You didn't forget, you didn't give a damn. Your motivation was wrong, and that started as children, aged 7. Leadership no longer works, nobody wants to follow you.

[@Dogboy73]

Failure to serve? Good of you to notice, Andrew!! 😅

[@Daithai96]

Good Grief! How on earth can someone talk for so long and say absolutely nothing? That really is a skill!

[@carlowingfield7743]

They simply stopped listening .

[@angelamay23]

In Australia just this year when the public is hurting more than ever before, our institutions are posting record profits ... our regulators has lost power and now our government was boasting record profits ... democracy's have been losing their moral compass for decades so it's truly refreshing to hear these ideas toss around ... oh wonderful! No more beauty parades ... meaty change! Brilliant 👏👏👏

[@richardtaylor5438]

We need a government who will serve our country

[@markwichard7494]

still out of touch

[@SteveRose-iq1cs]

Outlaw MPs having 2nd jobs.

[@g.pmoore4293]

Surely he should know by now that Tories only serve their own pockets.

[@johnhawkins2717]

I can't fir the life of me understand why Neil is so respected, hes spent the kast 14 years telling anyone who'd listen how great the tories are, and now look at him.

[@guydreamr]

The party of selfishness serving the public? Good luck with that.

[@neiltucker7408]

Since when did they serve anyone other than their billionaire pals/donors?

[@MrAvant123]

My view is the tories had it in their power to look into price gouging on food, fuel and energy and they just didnt !!!

[@therealrobertbirchall]

Because they will now get non executive directorships with the energy companies and food retailers. The gravy train never stops for some.

[@andrewoliver8930]

They have shares, directorships and donors relying on them to do nothing.

[@thecheesefactor]

Too much of what I buy at the supermarket has gone up in price 50%. Some prices have doubled.

[@garyw7342]

Andrew can't absolve himself by criticising after the fact. He was a big geebeebie part of the medias failure in not holding the tory ghouls to account.

[@GS44691]

Buckland thinks that during a housing crisis, if you offered folks a free house, they'd not take notice. Ridiculous man.

[@thisisbob1001]

They served themselves nicely

[@francesclarke6808]

As usual the tories served themselves and forgot that they were supposed to be working for us 😂🎉. Good riddance .

[@scene2much]

Send every Tory MP and future MP candidate to serve Community Service among the very people who voted them out. Working for them in Soup Kitchens, and Second Hand Shoppes, and whatnot will FORCE them to listen HUMBLY. Many will have no idea what they will later be grateful for in taking on this assignment. At least the Tory party can take heart that they failed to govern "for the people" and left the country in the hands of Labour, which can learn from Tory mistakes.... since the Tory party didn't recognize or learn from their own mistakes. It was clear when Truss's mini-plan hit the press that the party, and those who shepherd it along, had lost its way.

[@user-no9ew9gu9z]

The problem was, they served themselves, and forgot about their employer s. The British public.

[@jackdaniels71759]

Why have they just realized they are there to serve the public after they have been kicked out of office after 14 years didn't they know before that goes for Andrew Neil too ?

[@GG-hu9dn]

The point of coporate tories is to serve only themselves?!

[@fabiansanderson4489]

What about those young people who cannot afford to buy, social housing is needed

[@DavidJones-mo9sj]

one nation tories. Has there been a more spineless political animal in the last decade ?

[@lesigh1749]

They are Lib Dems in all but name, and they are why the Tory party has been wishy washy in the middle and doing NOTHING that its voters actually wanted for the last 14 years.

[@turksrds]

No matter how many times I mailed my Tory mp .- no replies😡😡😡

[@david-hf3dk]

Lies, Corruption, Incompetence and more lies is the reason and I hope they never get back in.

[@TheRichardduncan]

He actually speaks sense

[@trulymental7651]

Exactly Robert "Talking about" meanwhile our town and the country has fallen apart. Blaaa

[@willempasterkamp862]

stop the boats, reform bbc and so a couple of things more, they had no interest, sadly.

[@WillaLamour]

Some insight, but still disconnected from the rest of the country.

[@XX-wd9xn]

Think Buckland is very sensible 🎉

[@patrikfloding7985]

Did Andrew say this before the election failure, as well?

[@PhilMacVee]

No skilled workers to build houses [brexit anyone?], no materials to build houses? [De-industrialization]. Here come the 1950's again with modern easy to build homes: pre-fabs! What a legacy!

[@misterguts]

Of course the Tories served the UK. They served the UK with a side of fava beans.

[@aldworth33]

The fact that the working people bore the brunt of all of their cost cutting while seeing the richest increase their wealth when we were told that we would all have to suffer was a massive kick in the teeth, plus the mishandling of the NHS, housing, councils budgets, education and basically every facet of life that normal people feel every day is the reason they lost. And they fact he thinks its some sort of PR failing says it all

[@danielmcleanfisher]

Tories talking about house building like they have not been in power for 14 years

[@andrewfisher3035]

Why don’t you let Labour choose your next leader as you don’t have a good track record of choosing and backing one yourselves 🙄

[@paulbird3235]

O'h SERVE, they thought you said "SELF-SERVE", WELL F-ck me, it was just a mistake they made!..

[@brianwindsor6565]

Just excuses. 😢

[@tradeladder146]

The Tory Times, now totally irrelevant. 😁😁

[@Dude-etiquette]

The tries talked about listening to people during election speeches but didn’t give a F**k for the people any other time

[@marcusmeijerbom7658]

The so detested ‘cheap imported labor’ from the rest of Europe basically stopped providing their services in the UK in 2016. They were cheap because they were efficient. But if the UK wants affordable housing, cheap isn’t necessarily a bad thing now, is it? These skilled craftsmen now builds good and affordable houses for the younger generation in other parts of Europe.

[@ivanconnolly7332]

Entitled reality show wannabees serve themselves , always and only.

[@ChristopherDowning]

Andrew gives him an open goal to show a single good Tory policy and he can't kick a single one in.

[@greg-kz9jc]

Does this mean Camerons out ?

[@Stephen0988]

Cameron, Austerity and Inequality.

[@diligentmindz]

C’mon! 14 is not a bad run! For a totally self absorbed selfish greedy party! I’d say they won to have lasted so long giving so little to others!

[@aptreadwell]

I blocked him on X only yesterday. His brand of alcohol inspired third rate divisiveness is tiresome at the best of times but I can't see the point in him anymore....and nothing of value was lost.

[@roby1376]

Still in lala land

[@leecudmore-ray6697]

why are these people even getting air time?

[@SuperSchiehallion]

Sir Robert - one of the good guys

[@davidmchale5890]

These tories still can’t see what they did to the It started in lockdown with one rule for them and one rule for the rest of us and it just went downhill from there on

[@bazzatheblue]

The tories had a very bad time to be in power (wars and pandemics etc)and didnt have the talent to handle it either.

[@wolfen210959]

The Tories became obsessed with 2 policies that the population rejected, the first was Brexit, and the second was Rwanda. In the run up to the election, it was Rwanda that the Tories got themselves fixated on, and no other policy got any attention at all, they totally dismissed the cost of living, and have now paid the price.

[@djmattblack]

Dont blame it on Sunak, don't blame on it on Johnson, don't blame it on Liz Truss, blame it on the far right

[@michaeljefferson9863]

Too late Buckland you were given the chance in 2019 to become the party of the people instead you betrayed that position. If people are smart they will never vote Conservative or Labour again and vote for politicians who do what they say they will do.

[@antonyware9887]

«serve the country ». The Tories ? Who actually believes that ?

[@changbeerbeer]

Only after the results do they want to start talking sense!

[@philippenachtergal6077]

They promised and pursued policies that could not possibly end well for the public in the long run They organized a major grift for their donors during an epidemic They failed to follow the rules they were promulgating Having failed to follow the rules, they repeatedly failed to recognize it and step down or make the people responsible step down. They repeatedly lied or obfuscated their answers during PMQs.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

I like Robert Buckland. He should run again. He is needed in a One Nation Tory Party.

[@mollienight]

Who listens to Andrew Neil anymore. Yesterday's man, establishment through and through.