Who to replace Cameron?

It looks like the final might be between May and Leadsom. Arrrggghhh! Leadsom has never had a cabinet role, so never been in the firing line, but her beliefs are akin to Thatcher on steroids!! That's why Ukip is backing her and urging people to pay the £25 for Conservative membership. Strangely enough, she was a committed pro-European until a couple of years ago.

Like Gove she seems to have spent time in Damascus !

Just heard it said that May should be given rthe job without a vote of the party members. So much for democracy.

Wouldn't Andrea Leadsom have the same problem as Boris if she has never held a cabinet position. There would have to be a general election to ensure that the country knew what she stood for and had elected her on her ideas. She can't just take over Cameron and Osborne's manifesto.

Interesting. The reason she wasn't in the cabinet was because she had offended Osborne by asking him to apologise to Ed Balls for suggesting he was implicated in the Libor scandal.
If she's in, Osborne is definitely out.

Ken Clarke says May 'bloody difficult', Gove 'wild' and Leadsom's views 'extremely stupid'

Sky News has just broadcast footage of Kenneth Clarke, the former Conservative chancellor, mocking three of the leading candidates in the leadership contest.

Clarke was in discussion with Sir Malcolm Rifkind, another former Tory cabinet minister. The two of them were chatting in the studio before going on air to discuss the contest, apparently unaware that their conversation was being recorded.

Here are the highlights.

Clarke said that Theresa May was “bloody difficult” and did not know much about foreign affairs. But Margaret Thatcher was difficult too, he said. He said that she was good and that he would probably end up voting for May, after supporting Stephen Crabb in the first round.

He said that Andrea Leadsom had been saying some “extremely stupid things” and that he did not think she favoured leaving the EU.

He said he did not know Crabb’s views on most things.

Clarke said that Michael Gove was so hawkishly “wild” that he would “go to war with at least three countries at once”.

He said that the idea of Boris Johnson being prime minister was “ridiculous”.

Rifkind said he did not mind who won, as long as it was not Gove.

The recording, which is so much fun that I’ve listened to it three times already without getting bored, also suggests that Clarke can be a difficult conversational companion. You keep hearing Rifkind trying to butt in, but Clarke won’t let him get a word in edgeways.

www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jul/05/brexit-live-tory-leadership-tom-watson-unions-jeremy-corbyn?page=with:block-577bb06be4b0fd4b1c53114a#block-577bb06be4b0fd4b1c53114a (@14.22)

Richard Murphy describes Leadsom as 'dangerously naive' about banking.

Listening to Clarke and Rifking was amusing

Clarke takes his own 'grandee' status too seriously, and comes over as a pompous old fool.

...or maybe he just doesn't suffer fools.

If you mean arrogant and insufferable....

Always struck me as a complacent Tory fat cat, but it seems he is being wheeled out on tv a lot just at the moment, and people are chortling at his old man rants, can't think why.

Considering Clarke has been MP for forty five years. Been chancellor, Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Education and Science, health, employment, and several other positions in government I would think he isn't wheeled out just at the moment, he has knowledge and experience few MP's have or will experience

Roses, do you like any politicians?

First time that I've ever come across someone that doesn't respect Ken Clarke.

So after all those years at Westminster and countless TV appearances, Ken Clarke was unaware that the TV cameras were still running? Hmmm.

Johnson couldn't run fast enough. not so sure about that, I think Gove has something on him.
Although we know most of it already, don't we?

why do we still have so many undesirable people in our country.
Who says they are undesirable? I object to the tone of your post, petra.
I think petra means murderers and rapists in addition to those we have already who are native to this country.

I think those people whose daughters, loved ones, have been murdered or raped by visiting EU nationals considered undesirable would be very upset by anyone who objected to petra's post.

I so like Ken Clarke,

I listened to it on the car radio coming home; did they really think that they would not be recorded or at least overheard in a recording studio - they are not that daft!!

As for Ken Clarke - is he still wearing Hush Puppies? Many apologies to serious posters - this is a 'vest-type' question.

I doubt anyone would disagree with Petra's views on undesirables , like most of us, she didn't make it clear what was meant

How many people have been murdered or raped by EU nationals? I know of only one high profile case, but her parents stated they didn't want the case to be used against migrants.

Some undesirables come here, and some leave here to become undesirables in other countries

I would love to discuss politics with Ken Clarke. I don't agree with many of his views, but I think we would probably want the same things. He comes from an 'ordinary' family and went to Cambridge on merit. He's a one-nation Tory and a Europhile and I think we could shake hands on our differences. He was a smoker and real ale drinker before Farage made such things his trademark.

PS. I didn't realise until five minutes ago that 'Hush Puppies' is an American brand. Somehow they always seemed so English!

How many people have been murdered or raped by EU nationals? quite a number I think and as anniebach says, they leave to become undesirables elsewhere after leaving prison.

And I suppose I limited the scope of undesirable as it could encompass other crimes than rape or murder.