Conservative party/opposition watch

[UndercoverElephant]

Front page of tomorrow's Sun is a direct reference to the most famous photo of Thatcher leaving Downing Street for the last time: https://i.imgur.com/DZVJfhb.jpg

She may be forced to resign with no plan in place on who to replace her with or how. edit (which would presumably be followed by a labour VONC in the government, which would put tory MPs in the position of having to either declare confidence in a government which has completely fallen apart, or face a general election with their party in total chaos).

[UndercoverElephant]

https://twitter.com/nicholaswatt/status ... MuswA&s=19

Since I broadcast this the mood against Liz Truss on her backbenches and in the ministerial ranks appeared to have hardened. Talk of how there could be decisive moves against the PM tomorrow with a mountain of letters calling for a confidence vote expected to head to Graham Brady

[PS_RalphW]

It turns out that yesterdays vote was a three line whip after all, and Tory mps who didn’t vote will be punished, up to 40 of them. If they all lost the party whip, then the tries would lose their majority. This after the vote was declared not a confidence vote in the house, on the direction of no 10. Among those who didn’t vote was one Liz Truss.

I think the reinstatement of the three line whip was a condition for the unresigning of the chief whips, who had just spent the entire day making themselves very unpopular with their fellow mps.

Can the pm lose the party whip?

[dustiswhatweare]

If nothing else this all shows what happens when it's party first, country second. Not edifying.

[automaticearth2]

Sir Graham Brady inside no10. Looks like Truss is toast. She could be gone before the lettuce has gone limp.....

[Mark]

as we said before, go for a walk, clear your head, do something constructive.

I do plenty that's constructive, thank you....
May I politely suggest that rather than taking yet another luxury holiday at Martha's Vineyard or Tenerife, you volunteer some time at your local Foodbank or Homeless Shelter - it might give you a broader world view....

[UndercoverElephant]

Sir Graham Brady inside no10. Looks like Truss is toast. She could be gone before the lettuce has gone limp.....

Yep. "Discussing rule changes" basically means he's telling her that if she doesn't resign then the 1922 will change the rules in order to get rid of her with a VONC. I will be astonished if she doesn't go this afternoon. I am guessing Hunt will be made caretaker PM while they argue about who they want to lead them into the next election, and when that election is going to be.

[RevdTess]

So, statement in Downing St in 10 min... Place your bets.

[Potemkin Villager]

Christmas election such splendid fun just as the lights go out.

[Mark]

6 weeks as PM...... bye bye.......
Bit disappointed that there weren't any tears though....

[automaticearth2]

I liked this from someone just now 'If Sunak is the new PCP leader, we are finished as a party'. Indeed........ it was partly due to his warblings before the mini budget that didn't help matters. Plus, he was a banker during the last financial crisis..... whatever the answer is, it isn't Sunak....

[clv101]

Lettuce wins!

Tory members will be livid at being cut out of election.

[RevdTess]

Lettuce wins!

Tory members will be livid at being cut out of election.

Big congrats to the lettuce!

I do wonder what Tory party members are thinking. This whole debacle is very clearly being seen as their fault, and they very obviously get no say in the next leader.

But it does remind me how insistent Tory Brexiteers were that we can’t just keep having votes until we get the right result…

[dustiswhatweare]

Wait, the lettuce won, yet it doesn't get to be Prime Minister?

[Stumuz2]

Wonder if Boris will make a comeback?