Tory leadership contest

Baggs

Good post, doodledog.

Maybe a good politician is one who 'reads the room' and passes laws that the electorate want?
Yes, because they are supposed to represent the electorate, not tell voters what they should think. They also need to be able to convince party members of course.

at root we either believe in collectivism with the strong looking after the weak or individualism and people looking out for themselves
A bit of both is what I would hope for. Entrepreneurs are as necessary to a successful society as caring/teaching professions (etc). I don’t think these ideas need to be totally or always diametrically opposed. I think they can and should complement each other.

Yes

I'm rather upset that posters are assuming that this thread is intended to be confrontational.

I thought it could be interesting to find out what tory voters want from their party now and who they think would be the best person to lead it to achieve that.

MaizieD Gransnet might be running out of Tory voters? It’s very unfashionable at the moment….

MaizieD

I'm rather upset that posters are assuming that this thread is intended to be confrontational.

I thought it could be interesting to find out what tory voters want from their party now and who they think would be the best person to lead it to achieve that.

I would have been in favour of Penny Mourdant, unfortunately she lost her seat.

Honestly, I haven’t read or listened to any of the current candidates. I was away with family and as the GC had a no tech policy for the duration I joined them.

I will have a look over this week and make up my mind.

I am looking for a strong candidate who can unite the party, along with honesty and integrity.

I genuinely hope you find one, as I've written above, one that can sit between Labour and Reform and represent those feeling lost, not wanting to support Labour yet mistrusting not just Reform policy but the way it operates - a limited company which seems to mainly communicate through social media.

It would be someone who would not appeal to labour voters, or rather to voters who move between labour, greens, lib dem, so if they say someone 'you' approve of, that's the wrong choice.

I think the main issue is that the Tory party have not yet decided who they are or what they represent, and I would have thought this a much more productive debate than simply rushing headlong into choosing what appears to be a candidate from a very narrow set of ideology.

What destroyed it last time amongst much else was the constant waring factions that were responsible for so much of the disastrous decisions that were made.

All of the candidates to my mind represent the old era.

It's a real problem that this discussion is being carried on in a vacuum whilst parliament is not sitting.

We're not able to assess what the tone and views are of current Conservative MP's are.

This is the timeline for election of a new leader as laid out by the conservatives:

www.conservatives.com/announcements/leadership-election-2024.

MP's whittle down the candidates to 4 on 29th September, reduced to 2 by 9th October, and final vote 31st October.

Parliament resumes on the 2nd September so there will be some time before final election of the new Conservative leader

Thanks for that, Wyllow*.

So the final decision is still with the party members.

I think the main issue is that the Tory party have not yet decided who they are or what they represent, and I would have thought this a much more productive debate than simply rushing headlong into choosing what appears to be a candidate from a very narrow set of ideology.

There were proposals from various present and former Tory MPs and advisers that a lengthy reset period, with Sunak remaining, or even MPs electing an interim leader for up a year, would be beneficial. Sunak made it clear he was only prepared to remain leader until the Conference, if I recall correctly, and the 1922 Committee, after two (reportedly fractious) meetings decided against any other measures or timescales.

So the final decision is still with the party members. hmm

One can only hope that MPs have narrowed it down to two pragmatic options, otherwise managing the factions will be impossible still.

At the moment only x4 have reached out with their proposed intentions to the Members.
3 men and x1 woman and that's not PP.

Siope

^I think the main issue is that the Tory party have not yet decided who they are or what they represent, and I would have thought this a much more productive debate than simply rushing headlong into choosing what appears to be a candidate from a very narrow set of ideology.^

There were proposals from various present and former Tory MPs and advisers that a lengthy reset period, with Sunak remaining, or even MPs electing an interim leader for up a year, would be beneficial. Sunak made it clear he was only prepared to remain leader until the Conference, if I recall correctly, and the 1922 Committee, after two (reportedly fractious) meetings decided against any other measures or timescales.

So the final decision is still with the party members. hmm

One can only hope that MPs have narrowed it down to two pragmatic options, otherwise managing the factions will be impossible still.

They could have an interim leader put into place.

They have 5 years! They rushed last time and got rid of 2-3 leaders before settling on Cameron.

Mel Stride is an interesting candidate. Rather unknown compared to the other candidates but enters the contest with far less baggage. I liked Tugendhat till he supported Truss and then said he would be prepared to leave the ECHR.

Not at all convinced by this change of heart from PP. And I seem to remember that in office she was a blamer which is never a good thing.

WWM2 They would vote for Farage like a shot, given the opportunity.

I'm a Tory voter and certainly disagree with this statement.

I gather from Wyllow’s link that the closing date for nominations was July 29th, so I am assuming the 1922 Committee now know who is standing officially.

Does anyone know when it will be announced and to whom?

OK. I would like to see a young, forward thinking leader. I don't necessarily mean young in terms of age, but a more perceptive person with progressives ideas. (I think the Labour party did well getting its vision across thistime).
WWM2 made a good comment, that currently all of the candidates to my mind represent the old era. They come with baggage, blunders, and botch jobs to their names.
Farage would not be considered.

twinnytwin

WWM2 They would vote for Farage like a shot, given the opportunity.

I'm a Tory voter and certainly disagree with this statement.

I agree twinnytwin unfortunately on GN there are some posters who cannot distinguish between Conservatives and Reformers, it’s just laziness…

GrannyGravy13

twinnytwin

WWM2 They would vote for Farage like a shot, given the opportunity.

I'm a Tory voter and certainly disagree with this statement.

I agree twinnytwin unfortunately on GN there are some posters who cannot distinguish between Conservatives and Reformers, it’s just laziness…

But one of the problems with the Conservative Party in recent years has been that they have been so scared of losing the UKIP/Reform vote that they’ve tried to morph into those parties.

I don’t believe Wwm was talking about Tory voters but Tory part members, who are a very small subset of Conservative voters.

I am genuinely interested to hear who the GN Tory voters are supporting for their new Leader.

The leader will determine the way the party moves forward, in the same way that KS has done. Everyone won’t be happy … but that’s politics🤷‍♀️

As a Labour Party member, I voted KS for leader and AR for deputy leader👍

Siope

I don’t believe Wwm was talking about Tory voters but Tory part members, who are a very small subset of Conservative voters.

This sub-set as you call it is my family members.

They certainly seem to have changed the 29th July nominations date laid out in the official plan. Is anyone aware of any announced changes?

Yes twinnytwin/GGG13 I agree there are large numbers out there who want to draw a clear line between them and Reform. To state the obvious, those who voted Conservative when there was a Reform candidate.

Mel Stride is one such who is seeking to set a clear line -

news.sky.com/video/uk-riots-tory-leadership-hopeful-mel-stride-says-nigel-farage-helped-fuel-conspiracy-theories-13193190

"UK riots: Tory leadership hopeful Mel Stride says Nigel Farage helped 'fuel conspiracy theories'

Mel Stride, who is running to be Conservative Party leader, told Sky News that comments made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage "helped fuel conspiracy theories" about the Southport killings." (short video clip where he speaks)

As an outsider, it seems to me that a new contender without the baggage the past might serve conservatives better?

LizzieDrip The concept of’Tory voter’ is a fluid state - sometimes LibDem and rarely Reform and Conservative depending on how they did in government. There’s a group though who will never vote Labour.

Accepted ronib; perhaps I should say ‘Tory leaning’.

I’m interested in which way Tory leaning GNetters think the party will / should move in the future, which will be largely determined by the new leader.