Next Tory Leader.

I notice all the sneering aimed at people in their seventies and more, and their apparent lack of knowledge about real life.
I considered my local community, with plenty of young families and adults of all ages and voluntary support groups, and my own connection with the village hall committee, library support group and village clean-up party. These are all organised and run by people in their late sixties and seventies, and even eighties; the library group battles to keep the library open, and funds all the free activities provided for toddlers, and children on Saturday mornings. Not one parent of these children ever attends any fund-raising functions, or attempts to help with activities; same with charity evenings at the village Hall. The litter pick up group, same age. The Primary School PTA, which used to flourish, has collapsed due to lack of support, from over four hundred pupils, and not all parents work full time. Many of the former PTA members have graduated to other voluntary and charitable activities, such as Day centres and Care help.

So don't sneer quite so much at the elderly; they contribute a great deal to community life, and actually do have experience of real life, now and in the past, whether their hair is blue, pink or grey.

I think arrogance coupled with incompetence is the worst possible attributes in a politician and we see that in May, Grayling, Abbott, Corbyn, etc etc.

I don’t see arrogance in Ruth Davidson.

Easybee

Quite right excellent post

Well said, eazybee. I bet some of them even live in the Shires.

Our village is like that.

I don’t think anyone who points out the average age of the Tory Party or NF supporters is “sneering at the elderly”, merely highlighting the lack of diversity or representative nature of that demographic. Of course the voluntary sector, community groups, food banks, charities etc need the older person who may have more time to give, without a young family and employment ties they are invaluable . But you can’t pretend they are representative of the population as a whole.

Well no demographic group is representative of the population as a whole is it?

If the Tories get a better leader and deliver a sensible Brexit they will get back support.

Same as labour. If they ditch Corbyn and their woeful front bench and get the back benchers in power they too will get back support.

If both the main parties don’t then they are doomed in my view and the main parties will be Lib Dem and Brexit parties polarising the country even more.

I think eazybee was pointing out that, precisely because of our involvement in our communities, we are aware of what goes on in society. We dont live in isolation.

I don think it would make a jot of difference who becomes leader, it won’t make the Conservative party electable - in common with all the other mainstream parties. Come a general election I honestly don’t know who I would vote for.

I think there is only one candidate : Kermit the frog!

I do think that those feeling miffed because they think that their age and communities are being sneered at by some people are actually missing the point.

What I think is being criticised is the fact that the average age of Tory party members is 72. If it doesn’t begin to attract the young voter, it’s membership will die out very soon. Most of the Tory party members reside, not in inner cities or suburbs but in the more rural areas of the U.K. thus not reflecting the majority of life in the U.K. The young and poor cannot identify with either the demography or geography of the Tory party.

So as individual Tory supporters you aren’t being sneered at. But criticism of the demographics etc is valid. I think the tory party recognise this problem.

I think the Tories most certainly do see this.

Thatcher was so popular at one time because she recognised that taking the young the aspirational and the main stream win her elections. Like Blaire did.

Once Brexit is out of the way both main parties need to become far broader churches and that means the Tories less right wing and labour less left wing.

Well to be fair I would think kermet was more competent than Grayling.

Good post eazybee well said.

Listening to Gove this morning I am beginning to wonder what on Earth this country is coming to.

He was being asked about the next Tory leader. He was clear in his coded reply that Johnson would be very likely to be the next leader, and yet his tenure as a Foreign Minister was one if the worst ever, and he is really unfit for office of any sort, and yet it seems that Tory MPs are willing to hold their noses in order to get someone as leader who they think will get them the vote at large.

It can only get worse!

Well WWMk2 it is said about the USA that they get the leader they deserve. If, on that basis, we get Boris, what does it say about us as a country? A country led by an adulterer (multiple), liar(multiple), clown, incompetent. Just what is happening?

Theresa May should go now. I have no faith that the Tory Party will chose an acceptable leader, let alone a good leader, but it is important to waste no more time on her many-times rejected deal.

We have pushed our EU partner countries to the limit and I think it unlikely that they will approve a further extension to Article 50 beyond October 31st. We need to Revoke Article 50 before then to save us from a disastrous no-deal brexit.

How much longer do we have to suffer? Bye bye Andrea.

Leadsome gone- well I won't miss her- for sure.

They are all distancing themselves from her.
I think she should have gone before now, but seeing the rats leaving the sinking ship is an unedifying spectacle.

I agree MawBroonsback.

It would seem that Britain no longer has any effective government. In that, there are many problems facing this nation alongside Brexit that require urgent attention, and yet we have a House of Commons that has not had any real discussion or debate on Brexit or any other matter since its return following Easter.

While the above inaction takes place, senior Tory figures fight like rats in a sack for the job of Prime Minister. That faction fight will prolong Government inaction for a further considerable period of time and even at its conclusion, the rifts in the Tory party will still in all probability make effective government impossible.

Surely it is now time for General Election so that the people of Britain can choose afresh who it is they wish to lead them through Brexit and the mass of other problems that face this country.

Let us see an end to the most inefficient and inept, Government this country has had since the fall of the Neville Chamberlin Administration in 1940.

And they’ve got half term off.....

'Surely it is now time for General Election so that the people of Britain can choose afresh who it is they wish to lead them through Brexit and the mass of other problems that face this country.' - ah, you are relishing that, aren't you? Do you truly think that JC would win?

It is time for a second Referendum - just 2 choices- leave with No Deal, or Revoke and remain. The only way out now.

But you can’t pretend they are representative of the population as a whole.
Just spotted this.
Nobody is representative of the party as a whole, and no party is representative of the whole country.
That, I believe, is called Communism.

It has to be, doesn't it Jura. A coronation is not going to hack it. There will be no change in the numbers so why bother - and look at the choices we are likely to have. [rolls eyes]

You are right Grandad. I cannot see how the Tories can continue to exist, let alone be in government. What appalling people they have amongst them.

This country is such a sad place at the moment and I feel it will take decades to recover. Never again should we have a Tory government. Never again should they be trusted. You simply cannot trust a Tory.

Contest going to start about 10th June. The idea is to save Mays dignity during trumps visit.

Not sure how that works as presumably Trump can read?