The Tory Leadership race: who will be the UK's next unelected PM?

[Mel O'Drama]

It's a such a busy time with various Tories throwing their hats into the ring and winning support it feels as though we need a thread to keep track of the comings and goings.

Here's the state of play as of today, complete with a brief CV of each candidate's achievements and stances. Plus (perhaps most tellingly of all) a list of those Tories who are backing them.

No doubt it will change by the minute, but it would be good to hear views on the current lot. Who do you think could succeed? And who you think should succeed?

 

[Angela Channing]

The beauty contest of liars.

Only weeks ago these people were defending and voting for Johnson's policy of increasing National Insurance and now they are falling over each other to say they will reverse that tax increase and cut taxes further. These people are now talking about the importance of trust and integrity in politics yet only days ago they were lining up to defend Johnson's lying and corruption. Anyone who defended and supported the Johnson crook and was part of his government should be immediately excluded so that would only leave Jeremy Hunt and Tom Tugendhat in the race.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm surprised that Chris Pincher didn't stand for the Conservative Party leadership, no one embodies Tory values more closely than he does.

 

[Angela Channing]

Pritti Patel couldn't bully enough MPs into supporting her so she couldn't declare her candidacy.
Sajid Javid withdrew because he couldn't get enough MPs to nominate him.
Grant Shapps withdrew because he couldn't get enough MPs to nominate him.
Rehman Chishti withdrew because he couldn't get enough MPs to nominate him.

These people must have been seriously deluded if they thought they had a chance of winning when they couldn't even muster the support of just 20 MPs so they could enter the race.

I predict that Nadhim Zahawi and/or Suella Braverman will be the first contender(s) to be eliminated after the first round of voting.

 

[Englishboy]

Nadhim Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt have now been eliminated from the contest after the first round of voting.

I think Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt will be the final two on the ballot paper that goes out to the membership.

I think Penny Mordaunt will win it.

 

[Angela Channing]

My prediction wasn't far off yesterday but it was wrong. I think Suella Braverman will be eliminated tomorrow.

 

[Ome]

I think Penny Mordaunt will win it.

I need to know more about her, but from what I've seen so far, I would hope she wins. I really don't want Sunak in, he will continue to screw the weak over like he's been doing for the last few years.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I need to know more about her

Same here. Though I've started to feel it's futile to even look yet since once again we'll have no say in the matter. The best we can hope for is the least right wing option, and I fear none of the candidates tick all the boxes.

From what I've seen Mordaunt does seem stronger on environmental issues than Sunak, and her voting record on social issues is reasonable enough for a Tory.






On a shallower note, Sky News commentator Beth Rigby yesterday quoted a diarist and asked Mordaunt if she's just "Theresa May with bigger hair".

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It does indeed sometimes look as though it's trying to escape from her head but can't decide on a direction. As independently mobile as Johnson and Trump's. As meringue stiff as Thatcher's. Not associations which instil confidence. But of course, it's not all about the image and it's what goes on beneath the hair that counts.

 

[Angela Channing]

I need to know more about her, but from what I've seen so far, I would hope she wins.

Same here. Though I've started to feel it's futile to even look yet since once again we'll have no say in the matter. The best we can hope for is the least right wing option, and I fear none of the candidates tick all the boxes.

I think she is a better option for the UK than Sunak but that doesn't say a lot. All the the remaining candidates are rabid right wingers but maybe Mordaunt is slightly less extreme than the others so she is probably the least right wing option.

Yesterday Mordaunt said she wants more tax cuts and reductions in public spending which I think is concerning. Tory tax cuts almost always favour those on high incomes over those on lower incomes, partly because cuts in the basic rate of tax are really expensive and partly because many Tory donors and voters have high incomes. I thought her comments on trans issues to be both unedifying and a rowing back on past support for this marginalised group. In her favour, she was never in of Johnson's cabinet.

 

[Ome]

I’m finding myself torn over who should take over. Do I go with the best of the worst scenario or do I go with Sunak who I trust the least. Do I want the Torries to survive another general election because we have the best of the worst, or do I want the worst which could ultimately lose them having the control.

Would the Red Wall voters vote for rich boy Sunak?

 

[Angela Channing]

I've

I’m finding myself torn over who should take over. Do I go with the best of the worst scenario or do I go with Sunak who I trust the least. Do I want the Torries to survive another general election because we have the best of the worst, or do I want the worst which could ultimately lose them having the control.

Would the Red Wall voters vote for rich boy Sunak?

I've thought about this too. I think Liz Truss is truly awful, totally bereft of any intellect and most of what she says is populist nonsense that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. I think if she becomes Tory leader and the next Prime Minister then Labour would almost certainly win the next general election. That should be a good reason for me wanting her to win however the election might be 2 years away and she could do a lot of damage to our country in that time.

I would prefer someone competent, intelligent and more balanced in that role which means anyone but Truss and Badenoch, the latter of which is totally out of her depth. The remaining three are still pretty bad. It's like having to choose between being shot in the head or stabbed in the heart, all options are unpalatable so it's a case of deciding which one you think might give you a slightly better chance of surviving.

 

[Ome]

It's like having to choose between being shot in the head or stabbed in the heart

That really made me laugh out loud.

But, you’re right. As much part of me wants the worst of the worst in there, i certainly don’t want any more damage. I’m struggling because none of them inspire me with any hope. I thought Penny Mordaunt felt a better option, I haven’t found much of what she has said to be truthful.

The debate usually helps get a bit more of an understanding, but 4 out of 5 of them didn’t have the strength and confidence to say that Boris was dishonest. How can they appeal to the British public when they can’t answer one of the simplest and easiest question that killed the party they belong to?

 

[Alexis Colby Carrington]

I'd have had Penny for PM but now I think it's going to be Liz

 

[Rove]

Only weeks ago these people were defending and voting for Johnson's policy

That's politics.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Well... today's the day. It seems Truss is will be it.

But since there's nothing 99.7% of us can do about it, I find myself pretty disinterested.

How's everyone else feeling?

 

[Ome]

How's everyone else feeling?

I’m finding difficult to comment or even process what happening because I can’t believe a single word these two are coming out with.

I live in hope that today marks the beginning of the end for this embarrassing, selfish, cruel reign of horror from this party.

 

[Ome]

It seems Truss is will be it

And so begins a new nightmare!

 

[Angela Channing]

So we have replaced one liar with another liar, one clown with another clown and one adulterer with another adulterer. This gif sums up is how I feel about this cruel individual becoming our Prime Minister:

 

[Angela Channing]

Is this new clown able to utter a single sentence that doesn't include the word "deliver"?

 

[Biggie]

Well done Liz.