Current Affairs

[Kendhni]

For me, Tugendhat clearly won the first debate ... by a long margin. Moradunt did well, but the others were somewhat languishing.

Liz Truss was a disaster, I think she thought she could take the same approach as taken by the current government ... do not read the brief, do not listen to your advisors, no need for a plan ... just go in there and wing it. To paraphrase her twitter, she can (sometimes) talk the talk but is verifiably incapable of walking the walk.

[Stephen]

It amused me when the presenter asked the audience to raise their hand if they trusted politicians. Not one person put their hand up …..and who can blame them.

Tory leadership rivals trade blows over tax and spending https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62186878

[david63]

What I am struggling with over this leadership election is that all the candidates have their own "policies". Surely the "policies" are those of the Conservative party and are (or at least should be) the same for all the candidates. If that is so then shouldn't they be stating how they propose to implement those policies?

[Kendhni]

If that is so then shouldn't they be stating how they propose to implement those policies?

Exactly what I have been asking for ... it isn't good enough to simply say 'here is my policy', you have to have at least some sort of strategy in relation to how it can be implemented, how it will be funded and how the success/failure will be measured. The current government is a prime example of what the 7 P's of planning try to prevent.

[Onelife]

I thought Tugandhat come across very well, however, not sure he would be fully tuned up on the wider issues of running the country. He would however appeal to the less informed electorate come a GE.

I though Mordaunt held her own and displayed more statesmanship quality’s than any of the others, she also displayed her figures well which I estimate to be around 36-25-36.

Truss would be an asset in any cabinet reshuffle but lacks leadership potential.

Sunak is probably right about how we should approach the economic issues but wouldn’t have a cat in hell chance of winning a GE….so he’s out of the running for me.

Badenoch has a lot of potential, thinks on her feet and came across very sincere…another cabinet position contender.

[Manoverboard]

I enjoyed the Tour De France Highlights

[oldbluefox]

The football was good. I hope Gareth Southgate was watching and taking notes.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Kemi seemed out of her depth to me. Tom seemed competent but he went down by two votes in the second MP poll. So those two will be gone in the next two rounds of MP voting. How the final three end up depends on where the supporters of those eliminated move their allegiance. I still think Rishi will top the final two but he's not so popular with the party members so I reckon the runner up with the MPs will get the job. My money is currently on Penny. And Lisa to replace Sir H before the general election.

[Bensham33]

I'm going to watch Bromley v Dartford this afternoon. It will be 100 times more interesting than who will be next Tory leader.

[Manoverboard]

We beat Wycombe earlier by 4 goals to 1

[barney]

We are currently playing Portsmouth.
1-0 down at half time.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm sure there's a footie topic somewhere. Just saying....

[Manoverboard]

Is there really ... what's it about ?

[david63]

Is there really ... what's it about ?

Politics

[Gill W]

I didn't see last nights debate, but saw various bits and pieces afterwards. There's too many candidates at the moment to gain any deep insight - might actually watch a debate when they have been whittled down a bit more

However, general impressions so far, not just from last night.

Tom Tugendhat seems the best of the bunch, and I appreciated that he was the only one who could give a direct answer, when asked about Boris Johnson. Although I find him a bit irritating when he keeps going on about 'having served'. None the less, if I had a vote, it would probably go to him. However, if he's appealing to me, he's probably not appealing to the target audience, so he's almost certainly the next one to go

Kemi Badenoch - nothing much to say about her, may have potential, but it's not her time.

Rishi Sunak - very shiny and polished but seems rather shallow underneath. Also gets flappy if pressed on awkward questions. But will probably be in the last two.

Penny Mordaunt - I was hoping to like her, but not warming to her. Also, not keen at all on her overplaying the 'I have served' card. But should make the last two.

Liz Truss - I had already rejected her, but she was dire last night, from what I saw. If she gets onto the final ballot paper, I can only hope the the Conservative party members don't vote for her - she would actually be worse than Boris Johnson.

On the subject of Boris Johnson, I see he's finishing like he started - by missing Cobra meetings. (Yes I know the PM doesn't need to go to all meetings, but in the event of a looming national emergency it might be nice if he went to one of the meetings) Instead, he's preparing for his farewell party at Chequers. More partying, you literally can't make it up!!

[barney]

Looming national emergency ?

Thousands could die headline.
They could, but I bet they don’t.

It’s a bit hot.

I was bought up in north Brisbane and we’d consider this winter

Seriously though, the over reaction is ridiculous
Jeremy Vine showed a chart from 1976 it the temperature was the same as now but without the histrionics.

[oldbluefox]

Headless chickens running around in the media coop. Do they really think we are so witless we don't know how to cope with hot days. For goodness sake!!!

[Mervyn and Trish]

I spent most of the summer of 1976 sat up a scaffolding tower repointing my house. Got my best tan ever.

[towny44]

I didn't see last nights debate, but saw various bits and pieces afterwards. There's too many candidates at the moment to gain any deep insight - might actually watch a debate when they have been whittled down a bit more

However, general impressions so far, not just from last night.

Tom Tugendhat seems the best of the bunch, and I appreciated that he was the only one who could give a direct answer, when asked about Boris Johnson. Although I find him a bit irritating when he keeps going on about 'having served'. None the less, if I had a vote, it would probably go to him. However, if he's appealing to me, he's probably not appealing to the target audience, so he's almost certainly the next one to go

Kemi Badenoch - nothing much to say about her, may have potential, but it's not her time.

Rishi Sunak - very shiny and polished but seems rather shallow underneath. Also gets flappy if pressed on awkward questions. But will probably be in the last two.

Penny Mordaunt - I was hoping to like her, but not warming to her. Also, not keen at all on her overplaying the 'I have served' card. But should make the last two.

Liz Truss - I had already rejected her, but she was dire last night, from what I saw. If she gets onto the final ballot paper, I can only hope the the Conservative party members don't vote for her - she would actually be worse than Boris Johnson.

On the subject of Boris Johnson, I see he's finishing like he started - by missing Cobra meetings. (Yes I know the PM doesn't need to go to all meetings, but in the event of a looming national emergency it might be nice if he went to one of the meetings) Instead, he's preparing for his farewell party at Chequers. More partying, you literally can't make it up!!

Is his farewell party back on at chequers, I thought he had decided to look for another venue?

[Mervyn and Trish]

That's the wedding party. Surely the leaving party will be in Downing Street with cake? And I believe there's a rival event in Durham with curry.

[Gill W]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 24709.html

It's the leaving party (reported from multiple sources if you don't like the above!)

The wedding party must be yet another party!

I spent most of the summer of 1976 sat up a scaffolding tower repointing my house. Got my best tan ever.

I did my O levels in all that heat! But I had the whole of July and August to do as I pleased.

Looming national emergency ?

Thousands could die headline.
They could, but I bet they don’t.

It’s a bit hot.

I was bought up in north Brisbane and we’d consider this winter

Seriously though, the over reaction is ridiculous
Jeremy Vine showed a chart from 1976 it the temperature was the same as now but without the histrionics.

Brisbane 's infrastructure is built to cop with heat, and the people are more used to coping with it - they know what to do. The forecast temperatures for some places for Monday and Tuesday are higher than 1976. There were excess deaths in 1976 due to the heat.

[oldbluefox]

I would expect that Boris is fully entitled to make use of Chequers no matter what The Independent () says. Whether it's for his leaving party, his wedding reception or just a knees up is of no concern to me. As far as I know he won't be breaking any rules unless The Independent knows better.

[Mervyn and Trish]

If there was ever a misnamed paper it's the Independent.

Whether this story is accurate or not I don't know but as Gill rightly says you couldn't make it up. Though the press often do!

[screwy]

So the BBC / Womens football correspondent isn’t happy that the Lionesses beat Norway 8-0 with a team of wholly white players.!

Meanwhile Panorama claims that that our Special Forces are a bunch of Murderers,dodgy evidence from a dodgy Australian source. Perhaps Panorama would like to go to Hereford and confront the SAS personally.?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Despite being.largely a fan of the BBC I've never been a dan of Panorama. Not since Richard Dimbleby left anyway!