Now the TV hustings are over, where does that leave us?

They're all just making it up as they go along, aren't they?
Truss with the dreadful school she attended and Badenoch with her burger flipping and water carrying...

And in other news:

Another ? moment, too, as racist 'Britain First' tells its tory party members to vote for Badenoch...

I have no comprehension of the minds of people who supported Trump/Johnson/Badenoch. What is so admirable about these people? Please say.

On the whole fees issue: if she was 16, which is what she says, she wouldn’t have been at university, but at sixth form or tertiary college, for which there are no fees.

I think she was working on Saturdays or whatever, as I imagine most of us did, to earn some spending money.

Whitewavemark2

Tobias Ellwood lost the whip?. Now in parliament as an independent.

Crikey. I missed that. So much happening: can’t keep up. Thought he’d been a bit quiet lately. Bet Johnson wishes he’d got rid of him along with the other decent Tories.

So it’s just happened! The government call for a vote of no confidence in itself but doesn’t allow itself own MP’s to vote the way they don’t want them to. Frightening.

Zonne

On the whole fees issue: if she was 16, which is what she says, she wouldn’t have been at university, but at sixth form or tertiary college, for which there are no fees.

I think she was working on Saturdays or whatever, as I imagine most of us did, to earn some spending money.

She came to the UK when she was 16 and went to a sixth form college to do A levels - and worked at MDonalds to earn pocket money. She then did a gap year, attending some kind of exclusive foundation/transition course. I use to know the name of the organisation which ran it, but I've forgotten. She then went to Sussex University to study Computer Systems Engineering.

MayBee70

So it’s just happened! The government call for a vote of no confidence in itself but doesn’t allow itself own MP’s to vote the way they don’t want them to. Frightening.

Ellwood didn't even vote. I understand he was on his way back from some meeting, but couldn't make it.

RichmondPark1

Blossoming

The only thing I can’t understand is why these ‘debates were ever given airtime in the first place. This is not a General Election, only a tiny percentage of the UK’s population will be eligible to vote for the next Conservative leader. Are they trying to copy the Americans?

Does this normally happen? Or is it just a very good distraction from the fact that Johnson has admitted he met Russian oligarch and ex-KGB officer Alexander Lebedev without officials present?

No, this doesn’t normally happen.

growstuff

MayBee70

So it’s just happened! The government call for a vote of no confidence in itself but doesn’t allow itself own MP’s to vote the way they don’t want them to. Frightening.

Ellwood didn't even vote. I understand he was on his way back from some meeting, but couldn't make it.

I read that he abstained: did he, perhaps, deliberately plan to not be in the house for the vote?

They are choosing their Party Leader It just so happens that the chosen one will be PM. The same thing would happen if Labour were the Party in power. In all these types of elections in the end the donkey always Red, Blue, Yellow ,or Green.

I read that Ellwood was in Moldova

Ilovecheese

I read that Ellwood was in Moldova

That sounds more important!

So now there are three ...

Personally, I think they're as bad as each other, but at least the worst has gone.

"The foreign secretary sought support from the right of the party, and early into her bid won the backing of Johnson loyalists Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg."

(Wo)man is known by the company (s)he keeps.

Conspiracy whisper is that Sunak’s whips have asked his supporters to “lend” their votes to Truss because he’d rather go up against Truss than Mordaunt.

Wouldn’t surprise me.

Badenoch is out. Sunak first, Mordaunt second and Truss third.

Interestingly a YouGov poll an hour ago suggested that Badenoch would win and Sunak lose.

I typed the above 20 minutes ago and then was distracted b my DH talking about plants so apologies for overlapping

Ellwood was in Moldova meeting the President as part of his role as Chair of the Defence Committee. Doing his job in fact. Obviously a sacking offence as far as Johnson is concerned.

Mamie

Ellwood was in Moldova meeting the President as part of his role as Chair of the Defence Committee. Doing his job in fact. Obviously a sacking offence as far as Johnson is concerned.

Johnson has had Ellwood in his sights since the humiliation Johnson received at one if the committees.

Johnson was clueless and Ellwood gave no quarter.

Whitewavemark2

Mamie

Ellwood was in Moldova meeting the President as part of his role as Chair of the Defence Committee. Doing his job in fact. Obviously a sacking offence as far as Johnson is concerned.

Johnson has had Ellwood in his sights since the humiliation Johnson received at one if the committees.

Johnson was clueless and Ellwood gave no quarter.

How quickly did Ellwood lose the ship compared to Pincher?

Truss the bookies favourite for next PM???

In a statement, Ellwood said he had been unable to return because of travel issues. He said: “Following my meeting yesterday with the president of Moldova I was unable to secure return travel due to unprecedented disruption both here and in the UK.”

What a horrible, vindictive man Johnson is. Now, I may have misunderstood this but a Badenoch supporting MP who was asked who he would now be supporting, implied that he would be finding out what would be in it for his constituency. Which reminded me of something else that happened where Conservative MP’s were threatened with withdrawal of funds for their constituency if they didn’t support the government. What promises are being made by the various camps to people who vote for their candidate? It’s like a mediaeval battle.

I have a bit of a soft spot for Ellwood because as a young man he came canvassing at our house and said how nice it was to meet the real Labour vote. ?

Mamie

I have a bit of a soft spot for Ellwood because as a young man he came canvassing at our house and said how nice it was to meet the real Labour vote. ?

He was also the MP who tried to save the dying police officer after the 2017 terrorist attack in London.