UK Politics: The End of May

[Werthead]

Chuka has chucked in with the LibDems, as was prophecised in the ancient texts.

[Ser Hedge]

Why do I have this picture in my mind of Boris in a straight-jacket, restraints and a face mask like Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs being wheeled out (like a wheelie-bin) by his handlers only when absolutely required and quickly returned to a maximum security assylum right after 

[SeanF]

14 hours ago, williamjm said:

Or the Literal Democrats?

I can see why they might not have wanted to seem like a single-issue party, but this would probably have been the best choice in terms of attracting voters.

If you're looking for the craziest remaining candidate then surely Dominic Raab must be the front-runner?

Mark Oaten, the Lib Dem who won Winchester by 2 votes in 1997, after several recounts,  came close to assaulting Richard Huggett, the Literal Democrat candidate, who  had won 640 votes, when it looked as though he had narrowly lost the seat.  At one point, he could be heard screaming "I'm going to tear your f*cking head off."

It turned out that Oaten had ………...strange tastes.

[Pebble thats Stubby]

Mat Hancock has withdrawn his leadership bid so now we are down to 6

Boris Johnson – 114

Jeremy Hunt – 43

Michael Gove – 37

Dominic Raab – 27

Sajid Javid – 23

Matthew Hancock – 20 (withdrawn)

Rory Stewart – 19

Andrea Leadsom – 11 (out)

Mark Harper – 10 (out)

Esther McVey – 9 (out)

[Which Tyler]

FFS - is this really the state of political discourse now?

https://www.indy100.com/article/rory-stewart-manspreading-bbc-news-tory-leadership-contest-laura-kuennsberg-video-8953271

[A Horse Named Stranger]

What a bunch of dicks. I mean come on, that's literally what the majority of boarders here think of that Tory leadership race.

So give Kuennsberg some credit here for cutting out the middle man and going directly to the source so to speak.

But yes, Stewart doing a Sharon Stone really should be the big story, obviously. It's not like there's anything at stake or so. But then again, Stewart has no chance whatsoever to make it to number ten, so we might as well talk about him showing his crouch to the BBC.

[Heartofice]

44 minutes ago, Which Tyler said:

FFS - is this really the state of political discourse now?

https://www.indy100.com/article/rory-stewart-manspreading-bbc-news-tory-leadership-contest-laura-kuennsberg-video-8953271

I always despair when 'what random people have said on twitter' is confused for actual news.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I remember when the Independent used to be a reputable news source.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Judging by the crap the Torygraph keeps sending to my twitter feed, that publication has become little more than click-bait

[Heartofice]

57 minutes ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

Judging by the crap the Torygraph keeps sending to my twitter feed, that publication has become little more than click-bait

Can’t think of a paper that isn’t click bait 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

So nobody decided to withdraw over the we?

Ah, right. Ken Clarke, the faint and outgoing voice of sanity within the Tory party, said he would vote out any Tory goverment that tried to plough thru a no-deal policy.

And Lord Kerr (architect) of Article 50 is bemoaning the fact, that observable reality has once again left the Brexit debate within the ruling Tory party, and that The unicorns are back, frolicking in the Tory forest. I know nothing of this is particularly new to anybody who paid attention to the entire process, or has even bothered to skim thru this thread alone.

Guardian link and stuff.

 

Like I said, it doesn't really matter who becomes Britain's Next Top Tory (the world's craziest casting show, where the winner gets to govern a nuclear power). The observable realities, with parliament being against no-deal, and the EU not re-opening the WA, have not changed. So just pick the craziest mofo you can find, phone in and vote for him, and bask in all the insanity. There's not much else you can do anyway. They will suffer the same fate as May soon (enough).

So go Dominic! Although McVei, is endorsing Johson now, so still not 100% convinced Raab is really the craziest guy left.

Having that said, may I suggest A Party beyond the Tripping point as next thread title. I know a bit late as the drug use of the pack is already becoming old use, but it still feels appropriate, with the Tory party being high on a harmful substance (No-deal Brexit), and it's also nice to have some sort of symmetry with the US politics Tipping Point thread title.

 

[Which Tyler]

Did anyone watch the leadership debate?

I didn't bother as I have no say in how the country is being run until the next GE, and the thought of listening to that much self-aggrandising and delusion just wouldn't be good for my blood pressure, or my strained-to-breaking faith in humanity

[Werthead]

Watching all four of the rest of them tear into Raab was quite entertaining. Otherwise pretty much as you expect: excessive bloviating from Gove, empty rhetoric from Javid and flies buzzing in and out of Hunt's head, meeting no obstacles along the way.

Rory Stewart emerged as the only one of them remotely in touch with Actual Planet Earth.

[Which Tyler]

8 hours ago, Werthead said:

Watching all four of the rest of them tear into Raab was quite entertaining. Otherwise pretty much as you expect: excessive bloviating from Gove, empty rhetoric from Javid and flies buzzing in and out of Hunt's head, meeting no obstacles along the way.

Rory Stewart emerged as the only one of them remotely in touch with Actual Planet Earth.

Nothing new there then

[Heartofice]

I only saw bits and pieces but Rory has consistently impressed me, in comparison to many of the other candidates (who were almost all terrible). I thought he did well in the debate, he's relatively charismatic and seems to be able to articulate the issues in a clear manner, without resorting to bland 'believe in me' rhetoric. 

(btw, Jeremy Hunt's "I was an entrepreneur, I know how to do deals" was so Trumpian I felt sick)

The problem is Stewart is simply not popular (yet) with the conservative voters:

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/06/17/three-quarters-conservative-party-members-think-bo?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=website_article&utm_campaign=conservative_members_june_2019_good_leader

with 50% thinking he would be a poor leader. I think that is unfortunate but it might have more to do with his strange almost computer generated appearance and awkward nature. The more you hear him speak the more you get on board with what he's saying. 

[Chaircat Meow]

5 hours ago, Heartofice said:

I only saw bits and pieces but Rory has consistently impressed me, in comparison to many of the other candidates (who were almost all terrible). I thought he did well in the debate, he's relatively charismatic and seems to be able to articulate the issues in a clear manner, without resorting to bland 'believe in me' rhetoric. 

(btw, Jeremy Hunt's "I was an entrepreneur, I know how to do deals" was so Trumpian I felt sick)

The problem is Stewart is simply not popular (yet) with the conservative voters:

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/06/17/three-quarters-conservative-party-members-think-bo?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=website_article&utm_campaign=conservative_members_june_2019_good_leader

with 50% thinking he would be a poor leader. I think that is unfortunate but it might have more to do with his strange almost computer generated appearance and awkward nature. The more you hear him speak the more you get on board with what he's saying. 



I think the real reason for Stewart's lack of popularity is his stance on Brexit (I mean this goes without saying right). He is the continuity May candidate and he comes across more remainy than her - I mean she didn't come across remainy at all, but lots of Brexiteers think she did. Support for Brexit now is all about denying reality, in one way or another, and as Stewart is refusing to do that he's not much of a Brexiteer. He's made it much clearer than May ever did that he only thinks Brexit should happen to honour the referendum; she gave the impression that she'd become convinced, or at least accepting, that there would be upsides - he doesn't think there will be any. 

edit: sorry, forgot my punchline: William Hague. You don't not get elected Tory leader for looking weird: Hague looked like a foetus. You do get denied, despite obvious ability, for having the wrong views on Europe. 

[williamjm]

11 hours ago, Heartofice said:

I only saw bits and pieces but Rory has consistently impressed me, in comparison to many of the other candidates (who were almost all terrible). I thought he did well in the debate, he's relatively charismatic and seems to be able to articulate the issues in a clear manner, without resorting to bland 'believe in me' rhetoric.

He does seem to be worrying some of the rival camps, with the Torygraph leading with a front page story about him being a former spy. It does seem an odd story to run, given that everyone already seemed to assume he worked for MI6, and I'm not sure it's making him any less electable.

Of course, he still doesn't have a chance of winning this time but he might be making himself a leading contender for the next leadership election after Boris manages to mess up Brexit.

[The Anti-Targ]

2 hours ago, williamjm said:

He does seem to be worrying some of the rival camps, with the Torygraph leading with a front page story about him being a former spy. It does seem an odd story to run, given that everyone already seemed to assume he worked for MI6, and I'm not sure it's making him any less electable.

Of course, he still doesn't have a chance of winning this time but he might be making himself a leading contender for the next leadership election after Boris manages to mess up Brexit.

Isn't Brexit going to mess up Boris? 

If Boris (or whoever the PM is) does nothing does that mean Brexit just happens? I guess that means the new PMs job on Brexit specifically, if they are a no-dealer, is extremely easy. Sit on your hands and let the October deadline pass and voila! the UK is out of the EU. If a deal is to be had it'll be up to the EU to come knocking and propose changes.

Is the EU prepared accept no deal? If the EU doesn't have a walk away option it's in a weak position leading up to the October deadline. If Boris (or whomever) believes the EU isn't prepared to walk away and that they will deal at the 11th hour to save Britain from itself, then the PM is going to walk headlong into no-deal and wonder what happened when it hits them on the arse as they walk out the EU exit door.

If the EU is prepared to walk away, then it needs to say, again and again until it sinks in that the only options are no-deal, the May deal, or remain, the EU will live with any of those 3 outcomes, and won't negotiate a plan D.

[polishgenius]

1 hour ago, The Anti-Targ said:

If the EU is prepared to walk away, then it needs to say, again and again until it sinks in that the only options are no-deal, the May deal, or remain, the EU will live with any of those 3 outcomes, and won't negotiate a plan D.

 

It is and has been doing that for ages now. It's not gonna sink in but that's not on the EU, they couldn't possibly have been clearer about it.


 

[The Anti-Targ]

3 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

 

It is and has been doing that for ages now. It's not gonna sink in but that's not on the EU, they couldn't possibly have been clearer about it.


 

Yeah, but do they reaaaaaalllllly mean it?