Conservative party/opposition watch

[Mark]

True - Cleverly is the only one that vaguely resembles a relatable human being...
But he doesn't seem to be the sharpest and has no momentum - still stuck on the same 21 votes he had after round 1.

[UndercoverElephant]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7481gy3kg9o

I'd have done better than Sunak in election, says Truss

"If the mini-budget had been allowed to succeed” then voters would have looked more kindly on the Conservatives, she argued, but it was "difficult" to get the changes she wanted through without the support of Tory MPs.

The former prime minister said she would not endorse any of the four contenders vying for the Tory leadership - Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly.

“So far I haven’t seen any of the candidates really acknowledge how bad things are in the country as a whole and frankly for the Conservative Party.

She urged candidates to think more radically about policies like expanding fracking and coal power, and abolishing the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act, arguing that Britain was now a "socialist country", thanks in part to previous Conservative governments.

The packed auditorium listened largely in silence, but broke into applause and cheering when Truss said a Donald Trump victory in the US elections "would really cheer me up".

She denied lacking a sense of humour, but said jokes about her from "left wing" comics were "just not funny" as they were "in power" as part of the liberal establishment she was fighting against.

Explaining that she was on a mission to save "not just Britain but Western civilization", she added: "I enjoy the fight."

“Conservatives won’t succeed until we get rid of the Office for Budget Responsibility,” she said

What a fruitloop this woman is.

[Forever_Winter]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7481gy3kg9o

I'd have done better than Sunak in election, says Truss

"If the mini-budget had been allowed to succeed” then voters would have looked more kindly on the Conservatives, she argued, but it was "difficult" to get the changes she wanted through without the support of Tory MPs.

The former prime minister said she would not endorse any of the four contenders vying for the Tory leadership - Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly.

“So far I haven’t seen any of the candidates really acknowledge how bad things are in the country as a whole and frankly for the Conservative Party.

She urged candidates to think more radically about policies like expanding fracking and coal power, and abolishing the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act, arguing that Britain was now a "socialist country", thanks in part to previous Conservative governments.

The packed auditorium listened largely in silence, but broke into applause and cheering when Truss said a Donald Trump victory in the US elections "would really cheer me up".

She denied lacking a sense of humour, but said jokes about her from "left wing" comics were "just not funny" as they were "in power" as part of the liberal establishment she was fighting against.

Explaining that she was on a mission to save "not just Britain but Western civilization", she added: "I enjoy the fight."

“Conservatives won’t succeed until we get rid of the Office for Budget Responsibility,” she said

What a fruitloop this woman is.

Agree. A complete nutcase ...

[UndercoverElephant]

The more I see of Robert Jenrick, the more thoroughly horrible he appears to be. He might have some appeal to the tory membership, but I can't see him being able to reach out to anybody else. From my perspective he has no redeeming features whatsoever. He's like a concentrated version of everything that is loathsome about the tories.

[Mark]

My reading is that Tom Tugendhat is the next to go....
Then it's 2 from Jenrick, Badenoch and Cleverly.

I don't mind if they choose Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch - the abyss surely follows, as night follows day...
As said previously, James Cleverly is the only one that vaguely resembles a relatable human being and he apparently performed well at their Conference - think he's their only viable option to win the next GE, but not sure how bright he is ?

[UndercoverElephant]

My reading is that Tom Tugendhat is the next to go....
Then it's 2 from Jenrick, Badenoch and Cleverly.

I don't mind if they choose Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch - the abyss surely follows, as night follows day...
As said previously, Tom Cleverly is the only one that vaguely resembles a relatable human being and he apparently performed well at their Conference - think he's their only viable option to win the next GE, but not sure how bright he is ?

I don't think Cleverly would beat Jenrick or Badenoch in the last two. The membership will vote for the most right wing candidate they are offered.

[Mark]

I don't think Cleverly would beat Jenrick or Badenoch in the last two. The membership will vote for the most right wing candidate they are offered.

Let's hope so.....

[Mark]

James Cleverly 39
Robert Jenrick 31 (down 2 ?)
Kemi Badenoch 30
Tom Tugendhat 20 - the latest to go...

And then there were 3....,

[UndercoverElephant]

James Cleverly 39
Robert Jenrick 31 (down 2 ?)
Kemi Badenoch 30
Tom Tugendhat 20 - the latest to go...

And then there were 3....,

Jenrick down 2 is hilarious. He's an arrogant little git. Cleverly will make it into the final 2, because he'll pick up the majority of Tugendhat's 20 votes. Really hard to say who the other one will be, because there may be tactical voting going on to keep either Badenoch or Jenrick out of the final 2. I still don't expect the tory membership to make Cleverly the new leader, but stranger things have happened.

[BritDownUnder]

I recall reading Jenrick's wife is an American-Israeli and 10 years older than he is. Of course he is welcome to marry whoever he wants but not exactly looking good for an independent foreign policy?

[Mark]

Cleverly will make it into the final 2, because he'll pick up the majority of Tugendhat's 20 votes.

To me, it shows that Tory MPs are still split roughly 50/50 between right of centre and 'Reform' types...
James Cleverly 39 + 20 = 59
Robert Jenrick 31 & Kemi Badenoch 30 = 61

[UndercoverElephant]

Cleverly is out. Lots of tactical voting, and some people did not get what they wanted!

Badenoch will win.

[clv101]

Hahaha, Cleverly was the only one with broad enough appeal to win a GE. I expect we'll see another Tory leader before the next election.

[UndercoverElephant]

Hahaha, Cleverly was the only one with broad enough appeal to win a GE. I expect we'll see another Tory leader before the next election.

The only way I can make sense of the result is that there was a lot of anti-Jenrick and anti-Badenoch tactical voting designed to make sure one of those two didn't make it on to the final ballot, but that must have been tactical voting by people who assumed Cleverly was guaranteed to make the final two and actually wanted him to win (otherwise the tactical vote is pointless).

EDIT: rumour now has it that it was Cleverly's camp that was orchestrating tactical voting in an attempt to keep Badenoch off the ballot paper. Ooops.

Electing another leader won't solve their problems. Cleverly would not have been capable of clawing back the 10-15% of the electorate which has switched from the tories to Reform. They are still left with a fundamental choice between committing to a more Farage-like position, committing to reject that and trying to win back the centre, or splitting. Failing to choose leaves them perpetually unelectable, even with Labour on 29%. Nobody will work with them in a hung parliament.

[Mark]

Haven't laughed so much since my nan got her right tit stuck in the mangle....
Ahahaha hehehehe hohoho

What a shambles - they couldn't even rig their own vote...