Tory party members; choosing your next party leader and everyone's next PM, what, who, why?

Sorry typo but you get the gist...

I will probably vote for Penny Mordaunt. She speaks plainly and I like her style. I do not intend to let the usual suspects get into an argument with me so I will say no more.

Jeremy Hunt always puts me in mind of Norman Bates, from ‘Psycho’.

It’s the mad look to the eyes.

??

I’m waiting for one of them to mention support for the nhs .

I realise their commitment to small state means continuing devastation of our public services,

growstuff

OMG! Urmstongran I really despair that anyone thinks Badenoch is a serious contender.

I think pensioners and disabled people need to worry about Badenoch. She’s openly said that some of her constituents have told her they don’t need the winter fuel payment. If it’s true then she must be in a wealthy constituency given the price of gas and electricity and yet she’s using this as a yard stick to introduce means testing. As with all other means testing the thresholds will be set so low as to exclude those who genuinely struggle.

Small state usually means those at the bottom of the pile will suffer - the sick and disabled have been hammered under successive Tory governments and support benefits will inevitably be in Badenoch’s sights. Be careful what you wish for.

I find it all very worrying. Tory MPs don't appear to be genuinely looking for the best future PM. For instance, can Michael Gove seriously believe that Kemi Badenoch is ready to be prime minister tomorrow? Of course he can't. Rees-Mogg and Dorries obvs think that Liz Truss is the only one who would give them seats in her Cabinet.

All Cabinet members, are equally guilty of not speaking up earlier and not ditching BJ earlier - unfair to single out any of them.

I'm appalled at how many of them are offering little more than promises to cut taxes, with no thought of one man's tax cut being the next man's withdrawal of services - as others have said.

I line up behind Tom Tugendhat.

Not one of these candidates has shown any inclination to stop the plans to renege on the NI protocol agreement negotiated and signed by Johnso n's government. So they all appear to intend breaking international law, endangering the GFA and trashing the UK's reputation for honest dealing.

Prentice

growstuff you sound very aggressive towards Kemi Badenoch and to posters on here, as a black older woman I should be used to it, well, I am used to it actually.My amazement is not faux.
Again I wonder why you are singling Kemi out, and again I say I am not promoting her just pleased to see so many ethnic origin MP’s running for the top job in politics.You obviously are not pleased and seem to have a very big problem with this.

I listened today to various talks on the candidates and found that Javid and Zahawa are interesting and capable politicians, and will listen to other candidates today.I have no vote on the outcome.

I think growstuff is one of Badenoch’s constituents, so probably is in a position to give an experience based opinion. I’m not keen on Badenoch because she’s an advocate of small state and we all know what that means. She’s also using the fact that some of her constituents have reportedly told her they don’t need the winter fuel payment as a reason to means test it. Means testing doesn’t work, and I am automatically wary of any politician who advocates for more of it.

Quite right Pammie! It's hardly surprising that some of her constituents have told her they don't need the winter fuel payment. Saffron Walden is one of the richest constituencies in the country. What Badenoch forgets is that there are pockets of real deprivation. Over 1000 children in the constituency were provided with free school meals last summer, but she forgets about them. She's hardly likely to know because she hardly ever comes here. The constituency is a stepping stone for Brand Badenoch.

According to the most recent poll on Conservative Home (only party members can vote in these polls) Mordaunt is out in front but only barely with Badenoch coming a very close second. Sunak comes a very distant third - I do not want him as our party leader under any circumstances, if it wasn't okay for Boris to get a fixed penalty notice then it isn't okay for him either. Kemi Badenoch would be my choice - I've seen her at the dispatch box, she is impressive and skewers whichever unfortunate Labour front bencher she is up against. She believes in tax cuts, but not uncosted ones, and a smaller state - we have 90,000 more civil servants since covid, getting rid of those would be a good start as would efficiency savings in government. People always seem to assume that small state means less money for the NHS - not true. The equalities report was made by a panel comprised of experts from ethnic minority backgrounds and concluded there was no serious problem with institutional racism. It did NOT say there was no problem with racism at all. Naturally it was criticised by the left who prefer our BAME population to be victims who need their support. They cannot cope with someone like Kemi who flies in the face of their cherished beliefs. Kemi for PM!

I’m another who is extremely wary of Kemi Badenoch. I’m wary of anyone who declares no racism to see here. She’s extremely right wing, has made no reference to the nhs. Small state and tax cuts are the last thing this country needs.
Zahawi says he’ll give Johnson a cabinet post. What ? nothing about Zahawi suggests to me he’s trustworthy.
I dislike and distrust Truss, and remember Hunt from when Health was his responsibility. So I’m unhappy with the candidates whatever their ethnicity or skin colour Prentice

I’m another hoping for Tom Tugendhat. I’m interested in Penny Mordant as a possibility

Anniel

I will probably vote for Penny Mordaunt. She speaks plainly and I like her style. I do not intend to let the usual suspects get into an argument with me so I will say no more.

I wouldn't argue with you about Mordaunt Annie. I won't get a vote, so it's not up to me, but I think she's the best out of a lacklustre bunch. Thankfully, Braverman will probably be eliminated, but Badenoch and Braverman are seemingly joined at the hip as far as their ideology is concerned, so I suspect Braverman votes will be transferred to Badenoch :-(.

PS. I'd like to see Tugendhat as Foreign Secretary.

I've seen Badenoch twice at election hustings in the flesh, when she's had to answer questions without a script. She was tongue-tied on both occasions and makes stuff up when she's on to a loser.

I think I’m going to apply the ‘ would you buy a used car from this person’ system. Which probably leads to Mordor and Tugendhat.

PS. The country has had to employ extra civil servants to deal with Brexit.

Mordaunt is a small state Tory who thinks she is the next Margaret Thatcher and told lies on camera about the accession of Turkey to the EU so as to get the Brexit she wanted.

Not one of them is fit to be PM, maybe Tugendhat but I'm sure that there is something waiting to come to the fore about him.

Nothing's going to get any better, maybe it will get worse, but at least we won't have a man-child as PM who thinks calling the opposition leader names is an acceptable way to behave at PMQs.

MayBee70

I think I’m going to apply the ‘ would you buy a used car from this person’ system. Which probably leads to Mordor and Tugendhat.

Mordor. Quite appropriate.

DD is utterly opposed to Jeremy Hunt because a close friend worked for the company he established and described it as the job from hell. The atmosphere was dreadful, the pressure nasty and people left almost as fast as they joined.

If that is a guide to his managment style then he is not suitable to be PM.

Braverman going to cut welfare.

Whitewavemark2

Braverman going to cut welfare.

Just watched it. Words fail me ( well, repeatable words that is….). Could she possibly be even nastier than Patel?

MayBee70

Whitewavemark2

Braverman going to cut welfare.

Just watched it. Words fail me ( well, repeatable words that is….). Could she possibly be even nastier than Patel?

I wouldn’t be surprised.

Cut welfare to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. That doesn’t bode well for a stable country.

Not eligible to vote and haven't even heard of a couple of contenders. Don't care re male or female or about ethnicity so long as honest, intelligent ,with a desire to help all members of the community have a better life, to improve the country's standing worldwide after Boris and to be in politics for the people and not his/her self. Somebody with integrity!

knspol

Not eligible to vote and haven't even heard of a couple of contenders. Don't care re male or female or about ethnicity so long as honest, intelligent ,with a desire to help all members of the community have a better life, to improve the country's standing worldwide after Boris and to be in politics for the people and not his/her self. Somebody with integrity!

That is no one then

With all our public services on the very verge of collapse any talk of tax reductions is totally irresponsible. The only exception I would make would be to the financially worst off.