And then there were four

[Onelife]

So out of the four who if any would you like to see as the next conservative leader?

Robert Jenrick· Kemi Badenoch. James Cleverly.· Tom Tugendhat.

Whilst having to accept our not so merry-go-round political system one has to look for the candidate that might be able to put a different spin on things. For me Kemi Badenoch with her dictatorial approach is to my mind the way to go.

[oldbluefox]

I rather like Kemi Badenoch as one who says what she thinks and doesn't beat about the bush. She certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly. I remember she once put Kay Burley in her place when she pronounced her name wrongly.
I hope she hasn't queered her pitch with her comment about maternity leave. Perhaps she would have been well advised to take a page out of Starmer's book and kept it quiet until after she was appointed. It's not what politicians say which is worrying, it's what they don't say, something many who voted for Labour are now coming to regret.

[CaroleF]

I agree about Kemi Badenoch and from what I read she's popular with Conservative members, of whom I am one. She sounds much more like a leader than any of the men. I just hope there's no fiddling of the results of the MPs voting. When Penny Mordant stood when Liz Truss was elected there was a lot of tactical voting amongst the earlier rounds of the MP's voting which, as far as I could see, was designed to ensure that Penny wasn't in the final two when the decision went to the Party Membership. It wouldn't surprise me if the same things happens to Kemi Badenoch this time. Kemi and Penny seem to have some similar qualities. Had Penny been able to stand this time that's where my vote would have gone. I'm not choosing either of them because they are women, but because, to me, they both sounds like leaders. None of the men seem like leaders to me.

[Onelife]

I rather like Kemi Badenoch as one who says what she thinks and doesn't beat about the bush. She certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly. I remember she once put Kay Burley in her place when she pronounced her name wrongly.
I hope she hasn't queered her pitch with her comment about maternity leave. Perhaps she would have been well advised to take a page out of Starmer's book and kept it quiet until after she was appointed. It's not what politicians say which is worrying, it's what they don't say, something many who voted for Labour are now coming to regret.

Hi Foxy, I noted that Kemi had Laura Kuenssberg flinching a couple of times during her Sunday morning show…. it’s about time the conservative party had a leader who sounds as if they would be in control rather than singing the tune of the choir behind them…. the one thing that stood out to me was when Kemi commented on immigration...saying something along the lines of “it’s not the cultures that come to this country that are the problem, it’s the culture that they bring with them that is the problem”

I haven’t placed my Strictly bet yet but I’m now thinking of doing a win double on Kemi and Tasha.

[Onelife]

I agree about Kemi Badenoch and from what I read she's popular with Conservative members, of whom I am one. She sounds much more like a leader than any of the men. I just hope there's no fiddling of the results of the MPs voting. When Penny Mordant stood when Liz Truss was elected there was a lot of tactical voting amongst the earlier rounds of the MP's voting which, as far as I could see, was designed to ensure that Penny wasn't in the final two when the decision went to the Party Membership. It wouldn't surprise me if the same things happens to Kemi Badenoch this time. Kemi and Penny seem to have some similar qualities. Had Penny been able to stand this time that's where my vote would have gone. I'm not choosing either of them because they are women, but because, to me, they both sounds like leaders. None of the men seem like leaders to me.

Hi Carole, I think you are fast becoming my favourite poster as I agree with everything you have written about both Kemi and Penny, a formidable pair should the opportunity ever arise.

I’ll be hoping the bookies have got this one wrong as they presently have it as a two-horse race with Jenrick trading at 8/11 with Kemi at 7/4 for the leadership.

[oldbluefox]

I find the male candidates all rather wishy-washy. They talk but don't really say anything (much like Starmer). None of them made any significant changes when they were in power in their respective offices but Kemi is very precise and definite in what she thinks and what she believes. She is also canny enough not to be drawn into controversy no matter how much different interviewers have tried to trip her up. It's a pity she was eliminated so early in previous elections. Maybe the Tories would have been a little more electable, maybe not enough to win but certainly not to suffer as badly as they did.

[towny44]

I agree about Kemi Badenoch and from what I read she's popular with Conservative members, of whom I am one. She sounds much more like a leader than any of the men. I just hope there's no fiddling of the results of the MPs voting. When Penny Mordant stood when Liz Truss was elected there was a lot of tactical voting amongst the earlier rounds of the MP's voting which, as far as I could see, was designed to ensure that Penny wasn't in the final two when the decision went to the Party Membership. It wouldn't surprise me if the same things happens to Kemi Badenoch this time. Kemi and Penny seem to have some similar qualities. Had Penny been able to stand this time that's where my vote would have gone. I'm not choosing either of them because they are women, but because, to me, they both sounds like leaders. None of the men seem like leaders to me.

Hi Carole, I think you are fast becoming my favourite poster as I agree with everything you have written about both Kemi and Penny, a formidable pair should the opportunity ever arise.

I’ll be hoping the bookies have got this one wrong as they presently have it as a two-horse race with Jenrick trading at 8/11 with Kemi at 7/4 for the leadership.

Jenrick frightens me with his view that the only way to stop the boats is to leave the European convention on huma rights. That will make us a pariah state in Europe.
It may be OK for the US not to sign up to many of the conventions, they are the world's largest economy and not many countries want to fall out with them, but we no longer have that sort of leverage.

[Onelife]

Fair point John, and to be fair, I have myself said we should leave the European convention on human rights if we want to take control of our boarders, however, having taken onboard your point I can see that in our present economic climate this may not be in our best interests.

[oldbluefox]

Even if we didn't leave it I think it needs revising as there are anomalies within which have some strange and unintended consequences. The less scrupulous are very happy to exploit them.

[Onelife]

Even if we didn't leave it I think it needs revising as there are anomalies within which have some strange and unintended consequences. The less scrupulous are very happy to exploit them.

Agree Foxy, there's always those who think they are doing things for the right reasons but fail to see the consequences of those reasons.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm not overly impressed by any of the four. But it won't matter, none of them will ever be Prime Minister. By the time the Tories get back in power someone else will be leader. Time for a by-election in a safe Tory seat to get Penny back. Before the electorate rumble Labour. Mind you that seems to be happening faster than I expected.

[Stephen]

I think the electorate have already rumbled Labour. If they get to go the full term I’d be very surprised. I certainly can’t see them getting a second bite at the apple.

[Mervyn and Trish]

What amuses me is that when the Tories were in power and the left wing Civil Servants were leaking every conversation that happened in Whitehall Labour were egging them them on. Now the boot is on the other foot and right wing Civil Servants are at it and Labour, especially the lovely Angela, are furious.

[oldbluefox]

Please don't refer to the boat people as illegal immigrants. They are now irregular migrants, Mrs Cooper said so.
Just like that she has solved the immigration problem.

[Onelife]

Hi Foxy, I’ve been giving this leadership race some thought and have come to the conclusion there isn’t imo any of the leading contenders who can turn the fortunes of the Conservative party around. The divisions withing the party itself are insurmountable because you can’t have two party politics within the same party, with some wanting to take the party left and some wanting to take it further right.

I think the only workable solution to conservative woes is that there is a parting of the ways and a reforming of conservatism taking the party one way or the other. What I do know is that the Conservative Party no longer represents conservative voters, this is primarily because conservative voters don’t know what they are voting for anymore.

Let me know if you support my application for the role of adviser to whichever side takes up my suggestion

[towny44]

If I had a vote, I think it would go to Cleverly. I think he would be a steady had on the tiller, which is what will be needed now, and he is the most statesman like of the four.

[david63]

What the Conservatives need is somebody with some charisma and there has not been anybody around like that since Boris left - having said that Starmer has managed it somehow (but that is more by default than design)

[oldbluefox]

I would like someone with a bit of backbone who says something and then delivers it. Too many politicians promise all manner of wonderful things which are genuinely attractive but it's all just words.
Already this lot in office are sliding back on some of the few initiatives they did promise and the excuses are flowing thick and fast. Some voters will be very disappointed but the Labour Party have form from when they were last in office and it doesn't look like they have changed from the Blair days.

[towny44]

I would like someone with a bit of backbone who says something and then delivers it. Too many politicians promise all manner of wonderful things which are genuinely attractive but it's all just words.
Already this lot in office are sliding back on some of the few initiatives they did promise and the excuses are flowing thick and fast. Some voters will be very disappointed but the Labour Party have form from when they were last in office and it doesn't look like they have changed from the Blair days.

TBH, I have said many times that election promises, even those fully costed, can never be considered firm commitments until the money is spent
There are far too many unforseen problems which can throw a govt off track, or if big enough, throw a huge spanner in the works.
This then requires all hands to the wheel, and even if it does not drain all the money out of the exchequer, it ties up the civil servants and therefore slows down all other projects.
I am sure that Sir Keir and crew are currently learning the hard way just how different governing is to being the opposition.