Andrea Leadsom

I can't believe that AL wants to bring back fox-hunting. How can anyone be in favour of inflicting terror and agony on an innocent animal? What is the difference between fox-hunters and people who run dog-fights for betting purposes, which is illegal and frowned on by nearly everyone? I thought this country was becoming civilised at last when fox-hunting was abolished, and here is AL advocating its return! She seems like a very intransigent person who will say anything if it will gain her votes! I certainly wouldn't vote for her. She doesn't seem honest with her CV, and as for The row about TM not having children - well, that is really punching below the belt!

Well said, Daphne Broon! Ms Leadsom seems to stretch the truth in many different directions, as well as making sly digs at her rival for party leadership. Untrustworthy!

She is also for abolishing maternity pay and rights for women working in small firms. Also wants to cut rights and benefits for part time workers, of whom most are women. Neither are very family friendly. Despise the woman

Didn't a lot of women vote for Thatcher because she had children, run a house and job, so therefore she knew what it was all about.

I was wondering what she had said about God; I think it was Andrew Marr last week who asked her if she'd had a voice from God or something like that...I did wonder what he was referring to. She must have said something about it in the past. Made me think of the Francis of Assisi quote from Mrs T.

a scary careerist who claims to have a hot line to God. I'm a socialist

I think, in fact that that was Tony Blair who claimed to have a hotline to God Jaxie.
When he took us into an illegal war that all the idiots such as us marched against, or protested against if we were unable to march.

I would not be influenced to vote for a man because he kept on presenting himself as a husband and father. Either he is up to the job or not. Why should it be different fo a woman?

I just read Quizqeen's post. Theresa May was unable to have children but I find it ludicrous that she links Heath's behaviour with his lack of children. So, as I didn't like Gordon Brown removing the free ten percent tax band for the poorly paid, should I assume that anyone with a glass eye will be a poor Chancellor or leader?? I don't like to be argumentative, but felt I had to on this occasion.

Doesn't matter which (witch) of them gets in, they will be both in it for themselves not the country.
I don't agree with TM in everything she says and does, but I do think she has what she believes is the country's best interests at heart.
And I do think she is what we need at the moment (until we have an election at any rate).

specki4eyes We are in this situation, like it or not, and I am trying to be optimistic and think that TM is our best hope of negotiating a reasonable exit deal.

Unfortunately, I am not a member of any party, and I cannot vote so what I think doesn't really matter.

I heard today that Murdoch told Boris he had something on him and he couldn't possibly run for PM.
Disgruntled
I think that could have been the underlying message in THAT EMAIL from Mrs to Mr Gove.
Didn't do them a lot of good, did it.

You'd think Murdoch would be too busy at the moment, wouldn't you!

It was they way she said " but I have children!" And then " and they will have children " The tape has been played loads of times and it is exactly as the journalist said. Ledsome is clearly a liar in many ways.

Andrea Leadsom is Thatcher No2: she is as hard as nails and a scary careerist who claims to have a hot line to God. I'm a socialist so in the unlikely scenario that she's elected leader of the Conservative Party I think they'll get what they deserve.

@primrose 25

I do not support Leadsom at all,but I believe her stance against maternity leave and the minimum wage is aimed at start up companies of less that 3 workers,and not in general.No one should be on less than the minimum wage,though maternity pay and employing a temporary replacement could cripple a tiny enterprise.
I see the reasoning,though may not agree.

@specki4eyes.

Like myself,many who voted to leave the EU have waited for this opportunity for some years,and were not swayed by a silly red bus and the muppets on it.
Many of us are well informed people who have followed the workings of the EU for decades.Had we been granted the promised referendum on the Lisbon Treaty,it may not have reached this stage.
I freelance for companies in the EU and USA ,so may take a financial hit. I did not vote lightly.

...I thought at the time that she might have been having a dig at Ruth Davidson [sp]. So, even then had suspicions about her scruples.

She was already going on about being a mother before she was trying to be PM. I couldn't understand why she was making such a point of it .

Would the question of children have arisen if her competitor was a man?

Sorry, I've unfortunately had to meet and work with a few 'Tory Committee Ladies' who were ringers for Andrea Leadsom. In almost every case they were far more interested in 'being' (Chair, Director, officer of some sort) than in 'doing' the necessary preparation and hard slog of the job, always expecting someone else to do the donkey-work for them. Even then their arrogance far exceeded their ability, the only thing they were good for was socialising at the golf club or yacht club and thus publicising the cause (whatever it might be) but often to no good effect and sometimes with a great deal of misinformation that was hell to try to put right subsequently. I hate to tar others with the same brush but experience tells me not to expect anything different from this one.

I do find it strange that there appears to be slim pickings.
I have no idea why.

Politics not seen as an easy or well paid career? Cant believe I have just written that, but I dont know what else it might be.

I can't think of anyone off hand

I am more concerned about other issues - the fact that her CV suggests higher roles that may not match her actual job titles, and that she may be against maternity pay and the minimum wage. I cannot understand why someone who has no cabinet experience has even been proposed.

Where are the wise and honest statesmen and stateswomen that we need now?

OMG Quizqueen - seriously?! Michael Gove?! He who squirmed and avoided the issues throughout the campaign and betrayed his friend David Cameron, then his friend Boris Johnson? I'm not surprised you are proud to have voted LEAVE, clearly having believed all the lies and rubbish spouted by Johnson, Gove and Farage and therefore, with your fellow Brexiteers from Cloud Cuckoo Land, wrecking the sound and growing British economy.

I'm sorry to be so vehement - it all makes me so angry that we have been sold down the river by uninformed people who still refused to listen to all the dire warnings.

Theresa May is a woman of integrity who is our only hope of steering our badly holed ship through the choppy waters ahead.

She may be a wife and mother BUT who looked after the children and the home?

We should remember that the last PM without children, Mr Heath, sold us down the river and took us into the Common Market knowing full well what the future held. In fact, he said that losing our fishing waters was a price 'worth paying' and he lied about the future Federal State it would become.

As someone who voted LEAVE, I must admit I am not too keen on Andrea either but do not trust Theresa to get the best terms for Brexit. I would have much preferred Mr Gove as PM who, I believe, did what he did because he realised Boris was untrustworthy. I hope he gets a senior position on the negotiating team to steer our way out of the EU.

I'll never be a brexiter . It reminds me of the times when it was dangerous to be a Protestant or a Catholic/York or Lancaster/ Roundhead or Cavalier.

I am not a Tory supporter by any stretch of the imagination but I've been impressed by Theresa May since she stood for the leadership.

To quote an article in the Telegraph
"Mrs May says: "If I am prime minister we will come out of the European Union and part of that will be control of free movement. But alongside that it's important to show how we can come through what will be I think some difficult times with a better, brighter future. "It is very important that people see there is at bright future and we can re-engage that entrepreneurial spirit of the trading nation for which the UK has always been known - that dynamic, creative spirit."

"She urges the party to drop the terms "Brexiteers and Remainers", echoing the suggestion by Lord Hague last week that "we are all leavers now".

She says: "It's very important that we unite as a party and as a country. I am very clear that Brexit means Brexit.

"But I don't think we should see people as Brexiteers and Remainers now. We have a job to do in making the best deal we can in coming out of the EU and I am very clear that I will deliver Brexit."

If only all politicians felt the same instead of squabbling about whose fault it is that the majority didn't vote the "right" way and throwing their toys out of the pram - I'd say like children, but that would be an insult to children.