Tory Leadership race

I do wonder why this race for the leader of a political party is gettiing so much air time. It doesn't really matter what any of us think or which one we would like, in the end 160,000 members of the Tory party will decide. So why on earth are they being paraded in front of us? It's a bit like showing your kids a row of Easter eggs and pretending they'll get to choose one when you know their aunty has brought them one already.

Matt Hancock who pulled out the other day has now said he is backing Boris.

Maybe uniting the Tory party will come up on Tues, let's hope so. They did all agree that it was important that the party unites behind the new leader, whoever it may be - but that presupposes a centre-ground leader, and one with leadership qualities. I had hoped for questions about funding public services and taxation.

Urmstongran I so agree, everybody keeps forgetting that what this lot are standing for is leadership of the Conservative party, which happens, at present to also encompass the post of Prime Minister.

Government policy is irrelevant, that is argued out and voted on in General elections. The biggest obstacle they face, even before Brexit is how you manage and unite the 330 MPs that nominally form the Conservative party in Parliament, which is currently more factionalised and at each others throats than the Labour Party, and that is saying something.

That is what these public debates should be about, not about government policy.

What would be much more interesting would be to ask them, and force them to lay out, what their strategy is for managing the Tory Party.

None of what they have said they want to do is remotely possible unless they can neuter and destroy the ERG as a faction, while stopping Grieve, Gyimah and similar from walking out and collapsing the government while making sure that they protect the MPs who are under the cosh from UKIP entryists for being even slightly sensible about Brexit.

Exactly what are they going to do at conference and how are they going to stop it being an utter disaster as it was for May?

I too thought Rory Stewart was the most impressive in this evening’s debate, but must realistically be throwing his hat in the ring for next time - hasn’t had a big enough portfolio yet. After him I thought that Hunt and Javid did well. Then Raab, then Gove, who was much too domineering.
Boris did himself no good by declining, and I liked the way the other 5 made an effort to be good-humoured with one another as though to prove him wrong about the ‘cacophany of blue on blue that he predicted.

And some he’s not admitting to....

Well People are criticising @BorisJohnson for not turning up to this Channel 4 debate but, in fairness, it is Father’s Day. He’s got a lot of places to be.
?

On the basis of their performance on the Channel 4 debate I would put them in this order-
1 Stewart
2 Javid
3 Hunt
4 Gove
5 Raab
6 Johnson

But , like almost every other British citizen, I don't have a say in the matter.

Day6...good posts, I agree.

Rory Stewart won’t be picked for PM, he has no chance IMHO.

I think the final two will be Johnson and Hunt.

I heard them say/ promise everything I wanted to hear!

If only I were naive enough to believe it all, I 'd sleep well, feeling safe with any one of these wonderful men at the helm.
Then I'd wake up aged 30 and size 10, looking forward to another day in my well-paid, satisfying job, before popping my head round the stable door to check that the unicorn was fed and watered.
Have they suffered some form of collective amnesia, forgetting that we've heard the promises and watched them being broken!

I don’t think remainers are “singing the praises” of Rory Stewart. Name one! Most of his supporters are moderate Brexit supporters.

I completely agree Ww. All hypocritical but Stewart best of bad bunch.

What humbugs!

Their priorities are all the areas that they have completely trashed in government.

Just watching the debate on Ch4 and Rory Stewart is winning hands down IMO.

firecracker Is your conviction that BJ will make a successful PM based on his success as Foreign Secretary?

Just remember Nazannin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and what his crass stupidity did to her chances of release by the Iranians.

I did read that poem several years ago and in the interim BJ has simply built upon his reputation as a jingoistic idiot.
WM generally has treated SNP MPs ( the 3rd party in HoC) and the country they represent, with utter disdain and contempt. It's unthinkable that he'd be accepted as PM in Scotland.
I now take comfort in the fact that this brexit debacle (reinforced by the prospect of being 'led' by BJ) will inevitably lead to independence.
Watching the live debate now, I have absolutely no faith in any of them, but all are less awful than BJ!
Significant that Rory S seems to have the audience on side???

Some gaffs by Johnson. Blimey! They never stop do they?

www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-published-poem-friendly-fire-james-michie-extermination-of-scottish-people-2019-6?r=US&IR=T

Oooops...pressed accidentally before sentence finished...

I have no idea why people felt Rory Stewart would make the best PM.

However, I am glad I don't have to play a part in the voting process. I wouldn't vote for BJ, as I have little confidence in him.

Sajid Javid would have been my choice but if I could pick from ANY politician in Westminster to lead the country, I'd be hard pressed to vote with confidence given most MPs have behaved despicably over Brexit.

There has been no unity. There is no party unity (within the Labour and Conservative parties.) The likes of once-Labour MP Chukka Umunna, dipping and diving and leaving and joining parties (all to suit himself) illustrates wonderfully how fickle and self-serving many of our career MPs/politicians are.

I have no idea why

The 'enemy' (in inverted commas in case you didn't notice Ginny42) being Brussels, and only because May faced Barnier (Brusssels' envoy) in trying to negotiate the best contract for the UK, not the EU.

Many commentators questioned why the contract should favour Brussels - the other side, if you like. You must know this, but do make a big deal of the language used in my post.

I think Boris will be a success as PM and delivering Brexit.

Rory Stewart wants to reach out to Nigel Farage and The Brexit Party are the Remainers on here still singing his praises now lol.

Its disgusting to talk of "enemies". BJ is not the person to unite the country , far from it, he is a divisive figure who is driven by his own ego and bugger anyone else. His current tottie is apparently a very ambitious lady and is trying to improve his image - lost weight, new haircut, keeping to the script etc. He is obviously loved by the media as he might say something outrageous /amusing at any moment, but that doesn't make good PM material , especially if you look at his foreign secretary record. He might take Theresa May's crown as the worst PM in history. We shall watch with interest / horror.

There is an excellent article in the New Yorker magazine dated 13 June entitled "The Empty ~Promise of Boris Johnson". Very interesting and a good read. (Apologies if you've seen this message on another post)

The 'enemy' being other citizens of the UK with a different view I presume?