Who will be our next Conservative leader? Who is right for the job?

ronib

Iam64 The jury is out on this government’s first 100 days.

It's not though, is it? There are five long years before the jury's even signed in.

Casdon someone needs to speak up for the poor and vulnerable and the only person left is the leader of the opposition. So a mouthy Badenoch might be just the ticket.

Badenoch speaking up for the poor and vulnerable?

Really?

Unbelievable!

Doodledog Badenoch is a politician - it’s all about scoring points.

ronib

Casdon someone needs to speak up for the poor and vulnerable and the only person left is the leader of the opposition. So a mouthy Badenoch might be just the ticket.

I think that’s going to fall to Ed Davey somehow. The Tories have blown it with the £17k Rolex. Let’s hope the shadow cabinet contains some ballast though.

ronib

Casdon someone needs to speak up for the poor and vulnerable and the only person left is the leader of the opposition. So a mouthy Badenoch might be just the ticket.

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. As a constituency MP, she's never bothered with the poor and vulnerable.

Casdon you don’t know if the 17k Rolex was a cheap imitation or even if it was owned by the person photographed wearing it. Very few pensioners would risk wearing a Rolex these days for fear of theft.

Doodledog

ronib

Iam64 The jury is out on this government’s first 100 days.

It's not though, is it? There are five long years before the jury's even signed in.

It's what struck me, the government has always made it clear no quick fixes. Some extra-ordinary unpredictable events this summer, too.

If a poster on GN decides to be judge and jury post 100 days, 💁
but its pretty arbitrary, especially before even the first budget.

If I was being kind, I’d say it was a silly gaffe ronib. However, as you keep pointing out, the impression people give does matter, and once something is out there it’s too late.

Doodledog

Badenoch speaking up for the poor and vulnerable?

Really?

Badennoch has said she would cancel the minimum wage - speaking up for the vulnerable?

correct - Badenoch

I don’t know if Badenoch will become the next leader but if she does, I am sure she will change her position to suit. Very much in the tradition of Uk politics today.

Change her position to suit what?

Badenoch sticking up for the poor, the vulnerable and women is a joke

Well we can't have it both ways.

Either its OK to change a political policy due to x or y circumstances (and we can assess case by case it its reasonable or not)

Or it's not OK to change policy and be accused of flip flopping?

..................?

ronib

Casdon you don’t know if the 17k Rolex was a cheap imitation or even if it was owned by the person photographed wearing it. Very few pensioners would risk wearing a Rolex these days for fear of theft.

Well, if it was a cheap imitation, he would be a criminal and liable for very heavy fines and more. Better? There are very strict Laws on copies!

Well maybe Ed Davey will see the gap in the market Iam64. Can’t see Labour has recognised this category of poor, vulnerable and a woman. Too busy tilting windmills.

Fleurpepper one neighbour owned two genuine Rolexes and he would never wear them outside with the dial facing up. That makes me think that this photo shoot is staged. He was a bit boring about his watches too. I don’t think he would have advertised ownership of such an expensive watch in so obvious a way.

ronib

Doodledog Badenoch is a politician - it’s all about scoring points.

Well yes. But even so, Kemi speaking in support of benefit claimants or the sick and disabled would leave the Tories wide open to accusations of abject hypocrisy for moaning about the WFP being means-tested after years of cutting support for the poor and vulnerable. A decent politician would be fully aware of that, surely?

Doodledog The WFA is not properly means tested though is it? The government is using a very crude method and many pensioners are going to suffer this winter.

ronib

Fleurpepper one neighbour owned two genuine Rolexes and he would never wear them outside with the dial facing up. That makes me think that this photo shoot is staged. He was a bit boring about his watches too. I don’t think he would have advertised ownership of such an expensive watch in so obvious a way.

Why would they stage this? Would make no sense at all in the context. Adn this man was not outside, but in his own home. Makes no sense.

LOL I live in a part of the world where a Rolex is just not the ticket!

ronib

Doodledog The WFA is not properly means tested though is it? The government is using a very crude method and many pensioners are going to suffer this winter.

Yes, that's true - the whole thing has been badly handled - but it hasn't been abolished, and many who previously got it were neither poor nor vulnerable. The fact remains that if KB started asking questions about 'the poor and vulnerable' as LOTO it would be very easy for KS to do the point scoring by pointing out how many cuts were made under the Tories that have badly affected them.

True Doodledog. If I were him I’d just point out the relative wealth of the poorest pensioners in 2010 compared with when the Tories left office.
ifs.org.uk/publications/how-have-pensioner-incomes-and-poverty-changed-recent-years

ronib

Iam64 The jury is out on this government’s first 100 days.

really? The Labour poll ratings are dreadful are they not?

Casdon let’s hope for real change in the budget for the poorest pensioners without delay and with maximum effect.