Next Tory Leader.

Although I admire TM for her tenacity she didn’t need to humiliate herself, after the second vote she should have accepted defeat and handed power over a couple of months ago.
I fear any deal that the EU are going to agree to is going to be worse than remaining or leaving . To bring the Brexit issue to a conclusion the EU might just say “ The Backstop Deal stands, take it or leave it,” and refuse to negotiate.
The problem is with Westminster any new PM has to convince them to change, TM has been back to EU time and again and got nothing. MPs have voted against no deal, with that fact how does “hard line Boris” or any one else, expect to change EU minds, as a first step MPs need to rescind that vote.

After 3 yrs it is time to bite the bullet have a second referendum and either remain or leave, for better or for worse.

The bookie’s favourite:

Mr Johnson is the early favourite to take over, but he faces a mounting ‘Stop Boris’ campaign from MPs who oppose him. At an economic conference in Switzerland, he yesterday ruled out any further delays beyond the end of October, when the latest extension is due to expire.

He said: ‘We will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal.’

Matt Hancock seems like a normal human being. He won’t stand a chance then.

Many in society suffer humiliation daily, I weep more for them than I do for her. TM has control over her life, she made many bad decisions in her effort to attract the more repellent Tory voter with her disgusting handling of the Windrush scandal, with her unrealistic targets for net migration and her vile bus with the go home message. So much for wanting to get rid of the nasty party image.

I agree that seeing someone humiliated is not good. But I cannot get past the daily humiliations suffered by the disadvantaged in our society.

At what point will the leavers recognize the reality that this fantasy brexit is ultimately undeliverible?

Well we should be clear that Mrs May’s resignation statement today represents a mutual failure – she failed to sell the deal, but viewed from the other end of the telescope, the deal itself proved unsaleable.

Historians of Brexit will quibble forever over who should bear most responsibility for this – Mrs May for setting red lines that framed the negotiations impossibly; or Mr Barnier and the Europeans for responding with a framework that made the problem worse – but both sides must shoulder part of the blame.

Because without wishing to suggest that the EU will give up on the backstop now – they are too politically invested – it is also true that it is not hard to find EU members states and diplomats who question why the Irish issue was allowed to drive the Brexit process to the wall.

It saddens me to see anyone humiliated and even worse in public .

Does anyone else remember Matthew parish try to live on unemployment benefit for a week way back in the 80s.

He lasted until the Wednesday I think?

I love Matthew parish and that about Boris is Hilarious. And honestly who knows!!

Corbyn bless him I bet he’s bloody dreading any possibility of a GE. He might actually have to lead!!

Good old vince the old hottie

When I heard Theresa May's speech on the steps of Downing Street in 2016, talking about the "just about manageings" it so reminded me of Margaret Thatcher's speech citing the prayer of St Francis

"Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy"

The contrast between the words and the deeds was so startling that when I heard Theresa May mouth similar platitudes, I felt physically sick. She has lived up ( or should that be down?) to my expectations.

Today 19.28. A bit of a worry if that's all we can really on though. I really wouldn't trust the man if he was out of sight.

Absolutely agree with you Luckygirl.

I will save my sympathy for the Windrush generation, for the disabled people who have had their benefits reduced, for the people waiting 5 weeks for their first Universal credit payment, for the people who have to use foodbanks and all the other people that Mrs May pretended to care about and did nothing to help.

How someone who sent lorries out on the streets with "Go Home" messages on them is supposed to be "dignified" is beyond me.

By "her" I do of course mean TM.

^"But, the mission to make Britain a country that works for everyone means more than fighting these injustices.
"If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise.
"You have a job, but you don’t always have job security. You have your own home but you worry about paying the mortgage.
"You can just about manage, but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school.
"If you’re one of those families, if you’re just managing, I want to address you directly. I know you’re working around the clock, I know you’re doing your best and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle.
"The government I lead will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives.
"When we take the big calls, we’ll think not of the powerful, but you.
"When we pass new laws, we’ll listen not to the mighty, but to you.
"When it comes to taxes, we’ll prioritise not the wealthy, but you."^

My arse!

Remember all that? That was her promise to the "just managing" - appealing to what she thought were her core voters - and no mention of the seriously poor; and no action on their behalf.

I refuse to feel sad for a privileged rich woman who made promises that were total eyewash - she will do a David Cameron and float off into a comfortable life of overpaid after-dinner speeches; and she will rest on the fat cushion of her husband's wealth.

I am not impressed by her crocodile tears. I think Nicola Sturgeon is being amazingly charitable. I hold her in contempt.

The scenario described by Matthew Parris may be our only hope.

Newnanny I am not sure whether you are being serious or not. I cannot imagine anyone finding a child being brought down by the rather large framed Boris amusing. As Mayor of London he promoted the idea of the Garden Bridge which lost between £43 million and £53 depending on which source you read. He ordered the double deckers with no air conditioning and windows you couldn’t open. Oh and don’t forget the water cannons, bought for millions and sold for thousands.

GGMk3. Your vision of what Boris will do is similar to my prophecy of a few weeks back. He will take over, see himself as a knight on a white charger/Churchillian figure, then say he 'has seen the light and will lead the country out of the mess it is in". It is acknowledged by many that he was livid at having backed the wrong side 3 years ago. This could be his chance for power and to get one over on his old chum Cameron.

Urmstongran-if only!

Corbyn + she has clearly lost the confidence of her own MP’s !

The same Corbyn who on becoming leader the oposition front bench resigned, then came a vote of no confidence followed by a second leadership contest which he won but couldn’t form a full shadow cabinet, some in his cabinet took on two positions

A Summer of celebration!

Sir Vince has announced that he will hand power over to his successor on 23/07.
Oh come on Corbyn,make it 3 out of 3...please.

What did anyone expect her resignation speech to be like then?
‘That’s it, I’m off !’ ??
Of course she had to say something dignified.

"... but the first thing to be done is to revoke article 50 to avert disaster." (Fri 24-May-19 11:37:09)

Varian Matthew Parris was saying earlier that Johnson is probably the only one who could go off to Brussels, have a chat, and come back saying it's too difficult and will take a long time (the truth he didn't tell previously) and that we need to revoke and then plan exactly what we want to do. I must admit I felt there was a bit of straw-clutching going on there but these days, the worst I have ever known politically, anything is possible.

One thing where I do agree with the pundits about is May's place in history; it will depend on how well or badly her successor does. If they make a pig's ear of it we may look more kindly on her. If they get it right - although I don't see how they can with the country so split - we will downgrade our opinion of her -where that is possible.

Ian Dunt

I agree with every word

“Theresa May announced her resignation as prime minister in the same way she began her term: with the expression of political values she did precisely nothing to promote.

It was a bookend speech, almost identical in its vision to the one she made when she first entered Downing Street. She spoke about the need to find "compromise" on Brexit. She said the referendum was a call for "profound change in our country". She outlined her supposed accomplishments in national finance, helping first-time buyers and the environment. She emphasised a "decent, moderate and patriotic Conservative government, on the common ground of British politics". And she called for a country that could "stand together".

Not a single word of it was true. The two bookend speeches bore no resemblance at all to the content of her premiership.

The list of accomplishments was particularly desperate. In reality, as everyone knows - as she knows best of all - Brexit has wiped everything else off the domestic agenda. There is no time or capacity to do anything about inequality, or industry, or the environment, because it eats up all of the attention of the government and civil service”