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So he's going for London Mayor.
Would you guys vote for him, if you could?
He's now an independent so I don't feel so dirty for thinking he seems an ok sort of bloke.
What's your take on him?
Have you been on the cooking Sherry?
Well I wouldn't put it past him. Party politics are not really in vogue right now, he's got more charisma and know how on conducting a campaign than the current official conservative candidate and the current mayor hasn't exactly set pulses racing....plus it's been done before. Livingstone won as an indy.
I reckon it's evens
Not part of that London, and not a Tory in any way but I reckon he's in with a fair shout. I quite like his not-quite-populism, not-quite-partisan, not-quite-elitist approach.
I'd like more politicians of all persuasions to be a bit more Rory.
Nah Tory candidate Sean Bailey was already looking shaky
But I reckon Rory has just gifted it to Sadiq Kahn
Don't know much about London mayoral politics as I'm from the grim North.
Rory as ex tories go seems reasonable.
I do emphatically think that Sadiq has has a really rough ride as he's labour, and his predecessor was Johnson and the tories have slashed budjets for police etc. And then blamed him for being weak at tackling crime. In particular street crime, knives, etc.
Rory is the most dangerous kind of Tory - one that appears human.
If he had a shred of decency he wouldn't have joined them in the first place.
Rory Stewart voted in favour of repealing the Human Rights Act 1998; against plans to save the steel industry including fast-tracking infrastructure projects requiring large amounts of steel
Rory Stewart voted to remove the duty on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to work to support the development of a society where people's ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination and there is respect for human rights.
He was absent for most of the NI gay marriage debates too.
See also Ken Clarke.
A moderate Tory is still a Tory.
And all the more dangerous for it.
Having listened to Rory more - it strikes me that he has moved on philosophically somewhat from his earlier Tory days, much like Bercow. It’s not as obvious as Bercow but he has - I find it hard to condemn someone because of previously held views unless they are outright nasty. I get the feeling and hope that his views change further, we will see.
Remember, we need opposition as a counter balance - if you are going to try and find bipartisan support on issues then you need people like Rory. Condemning them is ridiculous.
I’ve never voted Tory. I’d never vote Tory. The language used by Rusty is as dangerous as those he (and I) politically oppose. No, probably much more dangerous. We’re all human.
He announced his resignation by reading out a private personal document of the kind our ginger non-king is suing the press over.
He's just boris of a decade ago.
Remember? When he was on 'have I got news for you' - and the retard british public fawned over him because of his floppy mop and easy going demeanour?
You effing idiots.
Didn't fall for this ****t then, or for this identikit idiot now.
Snakes.
Rory actually has a sound grip on foreign affairs, security and development - I don't remember Boris hiking Afghanistan.
They couldn't be more different in terms of character - it's just they both sound posh and effete to you.
This isn't a man who lacks moral conviction:
I’ve never voted Tory. I’d never vote Tory. The language used by Rusty is as dangerous as those he (and I) politically oppose. No, probably much more dangerous. We’re all human.
Go on? Give us an example?
A Hong-Kong-born-Eton-Oxford-silver-spoon-in-gob Tory - come the révolution... . It's a mind set. Only the stinking rich should consider voting for him.
You can lay the accusation of being privileged on Corbyn as well.
You can’t judge an MPs character entirely on their voting record thanks to our party system. If instead of voting for the ridiculously outmoded notion of parties and thus MPs constrained by the whip system and instead voted for individuals at a local level who we thought best represented our constituency- then we would be able to judge their character purely from their voting record.
But that’s way to ****ing sensible for an entrenched polarised population that like to pigeon hole everyone that disagrees with them or find a reason to blame their shit futile meaningless lives on out groups.
London Mayor?.
Who really gives a flying ****.
Tries to come across as reasonable but he's not. May Brexit voter, austerity voter etc. Seems very confused to me.
He was one of Binners' Brexit heroes - Christ knows why.
Straight off that MAD comic too.
As above too with Nobeer.
I could vote for him but most definitely won’t, publicity stunt for his career after leaving the Tory Party and not what London needs.
His nickname among the tories in parliament was 'Florence of Belgravia'.
He has zero connection with London so other than bagging the generous salary it’s hard to see what his motivation for running for office is.
He will split the tory vote and ensure a labour victory
As rusty says - once a tory always a tory.
No attempt at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
Aneurin Bevan
Cheddar - its all about power. He can't get any thru parliament so this is the second prize
You can’t judge an MPs character entirely on their voting record thanks to our party system.
Indeed, anyone using opposition day motion votes to demonstrate the "mendacity" of their particular chosen politician is just being successfully propagandised at.
As rusty says – once a tory always a tory.
The increasing Footballisation of our 2 party system is killing any attempt at rational debate
Nobeerinthefridge
Member
London Mayor?.
Who really gives a flying ****
I'm guessing the people who live in London?
nickc - see that quote - its from 60+ years ago and its perfectly correct.
You cannot have a rational debate with a tory. You never have been able to. Its all about power, privilege and cruelty. We have seen such deliberate cruelty from our current crop of tories that they Bevan quote is still as true now as it was all that time ago
Lets just remind you. Deliberate impovrishment of the sick and disabled.
Deliberate destruction of public services
Deliberate discrimination against LBGT
Support for vile dictatorships the world over.
Stewart is a tory. He is lower than vermin
Not sure on his politics but he walked across Afghanistan so he’s got bigger balls than 99.9% of the posters on here.
You cannot have a rational debate with a tory.
Stewart is a tory. He is lower than vermin
Equally you can't have a rational debate with anyone who comes out with nonsense like this. Personally I judge people not parties, Just as there are MPs in Labour/SNP/PC I can't take seriously, there are Tories to whom I'll pay attention when they have something to say.
So what does Stewart have to say? How can he defend what he has voted for? tens of thousands of deaths from policies he has voted for
You think Bevan was wrong?
nickc - the reason I am so vehement about this is I have seen the despair and death deliberately caused by the tories. I will never forgive them.
Equally you can’t have a rational debate with anyone who comes out with nonsense like this. Personally I judge people not parties, Just as there are MPs in Labour/SNP/PC I can’t take seriously, there are Tories to whom I’ll pay attention when they have something to say.
+1
Richard Burgon/ Lisa Nandy Chope/Tugendhart
Can't believe they are in the same parties, I know which I listen to.
Cheddar – its all about power. He can’t get any thru parliament so this is the second prize
Whereas Sadiq did it for.......
nickc – the reason I am so vehement about this is I have seen the despair and death deliberately caused by the tories. I will never forgive them.
Should people forgive the hard working NHS/ staff complicit in the Stafford hospital scandal? Or are those deaths valued differently?
Those deaths are the result of deliberate tory policy! You accept "hard working staff" but put staff under intolerable stress where it is impossible to do their jobs and deaths will happen
NO other party pushes policies that they KNOW will result in thousands upon thousands of people dying and consider those deaths to be a price worth paying for the tax cuts they give to the rich.
So what does Stewart have to say? How can he defend what he has voted for? tens of thousands of deaths from policies he has voted for
Might be worth checking out James O'Briens podcast with him 'full disclosure' - he apparently explains his position.
Good luck with that.
I think people confuse his 'politeness' with his actions.
People are what they do not what they say.
Here is one example from today
Private prisons so a cost cutting measure by cutting staffing numbers and wages while giving money to their pals along with a punative criminal justice system leading to a death thats totally avoidable
Most other rich countries in the world the woman would probably not be in prison and if she was would be in a specialist unit properly staffed - not left alone in a cell
Deliberate policy they know will cost lives but they do not care.
This shows how venal he is.
Against equal rights and human rights for all
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24964/rory_stewart/penrith_and_the_border/divisions?policy=6703
This shows how venal he is.
Do you understand the point of opposition day motions? They are literally so that either the Tory's or Labour can print a list of things opposition MPs have voted against in the campaign literature that drops onto your doormat ever few years. Nothing more. They likely do not, nor likely ever will have any bearing on any individuals (bar a few monstrous ideological idiots on both sides of the benches) view on any subject ever. They are just just tit for tat nonsense so that folk like you can wave them like placards.
"Look" they say, "He hates you, and gay people, and working people and dogs and cats and the old...Vote for me instead, I love everybody"
Don't fall for it, TJ, you're smarter than that.
Not sure on his politics but he walked across Afghanistan so he’s got bigger balls than 99.9% of the posters on here.
Just displaying colonial spirit IMO. It fits in the mindset I mentioned. Hong Kong, India, Iran, ****stan, Afghanistan - you see a trend.
It doesn't matter what he says or what his potentially whipped voting record suggests. He chose to join the Tory party and become a member of parliament of the Tory party.
He has resigned now that it has become the worst it has been for a few decades but even when he joined it, it was hardly a party for people who actually gave a shit about people was it.
No different from Johnson.
Everyone simpered over the PM when he was on HIGNFY despite warning signs that he was a giant thunderc*nt.
Rory's 'resignation speech' was reading out boris' school report. Whilst funny, it's exactly the sort of thing ginger harry and his missus are suing the daily express for - violation of personal, private details, under GDPR etc.
Bit cavalier with the law eh? Remind you of anyone?
he walked across Afghanistan so he’s got bigger balls than 99.9% of the posters on here.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTMWgOduFM
nickc - if he had an ounce of compassion or ethics he would not have voted against equal rights and not have voted to deliberately impoverish the disabled
By voting as he did he shows his true colours.
Not sure how walking across Afghanistan gives you any qualification for the role of Mayor of London unless I'm missing something. Of more relevance is he has little connection with London as much of his career was spent overseas and his career as an MP was representing a very rural constituency in Cumbria. I would have thought that a key qualification for the role of Mayor of London is having had significant experience and involvement in the governance and leadership of our capital city.
Would you guys vote for him, if you could?
Yes, only if he is a tough guy but he is not isn't he.
Nope - as others have said, he's just an Austerity Tory who fancies parachuting into another politics job. Cathy Newman nailed it last night on C4 when she asked him his favourite London pub. The shifty expression revealed that he hasn't a clue about London.
But that’s way to **** sensible for an entrenched polarised population that like to pigeon hole everyone that disagrees with them or find a reason to blame their shit futile meaningless lives on out groups.
Looks like someone got their end away last night !
nickc – if he had an ounce of compassion or ethics he would not have voted against equal rights and not have voted to deliberately impoverish the disabled
By voting as he did he shows his true colours.
Should we write off the labour and snp MPs based on their voting records too? Because there are some easily spun half truths there.
I like Rory, he seems driven by results rather than ideology. Publicly promissed to quit if his prison reforms didnt work. Voted against Borris' government etc.
You can’t judge an MPs character entirely on their voting record thanks to our party system. If instead of voting for the ridiculously outmoded notion of parties and thus MPs constrained by the whip system and instead voted for individuals at a local level who we thought best represented our constituency- then we would be able to judge their character purely from their voting record.
But that’s way to **** sensible for an entrenched polarised population that like to pigeon hole everyone that disagrees with them or find a reason to blame their shit futile meaningless lives on out groups.
he did't have to be a tory. No one forced him to vote for policies he must have known would cause tens of thousands of deaths and untold misery for millions. But he did.
He has blood on his hands as does every tory.
Should we write off the labour and snp MPs based on their voting records too?
Which ones voted for policies that they knew would cause tens of thousands of deaths? find me one who did and I will call them out as well
I was going to go for what Educator posted.
Also if you widened it to unpopular policies then there's tuition fees.
Yup - that will do. Blood on their hands and forever a stain on our country.
However that hardly in the same league as deliberately inflicting tens of thousands of deaths on the old, the sick and disabled in this country is it?
I have seen at first hand the damage, destitution and despair the tories deliberately inflicted on the UK population
However that hardly in the same league as deliberately inflicting tens of thousands of deaths on the old, the sick and disabled in this country is it?
Im sure you didnt mean it how that comes across.
#Blacklivesmatter
yes you are right!
My point being that being an ill advised junior partner in a war is somewhat different to killing tens of thousands of your own people deliberately - and deliberate it was because they were told deaths would result but still went ahead with the raft of policies that caused these deaths.
I'd say killing people in their own homes with hand grenades is worse than neglecting old people, unless you think people in Iraq are worth less than people in Britain which I hope you don't. So I'd turn it around and say that neglecting people isn't in the same league as starting a war and using a load of modern weapons against civilians.
My point being that being an ill advised junior partner in a war is somewhat different
That is a false idea only held by Brits, everywhere else Blair is considered the main villain as Bush couldn't have gone in without Blair and it was Blair's lies that enabled the Americans. Read Chirac's memoirs, it's a topical time to do so. I was hoping for Chirac RIP thread on here but given that Chirac and De villepin were the main opposers of the war they never get much press in the UK.
Edit to add:
After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Stewart became the Coalition Provisional Authority Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator in Maysan and Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator/Senior Advisor in Dhi Qar in 2003, both of which are provinces in southern Iraq.[12] He was posted initially to the KOSB Battlegroup then to the Light Infantry.[14] His responsibilities included holding elections, resolving tribal disputes, and implementing development projects.[14] He faced growing unrest and an incipient civil war from his base in a Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) compound in Al Amarah, and in May 2004 was in command of his compound in Nasiriyah when it was besieged by Sadrist militia.[12] He was awarded an OBE for his services during this period.[15]
While Stewart initially supported the Iraq War, the international coalition's inability to achieve a more humane, prosperous state led him in retrospect to believe the invasion had been a mistake.[1
One of the last colonials.
Also TJ, to argue against the core of your belief rather than a peripheral point;
Being Tory and believing in a smaller government doesnt mean they want to kill old people. It means they believe the way for a country to prosper is to reduce tax rates and encourage growth so that the gdp rises and tax income with it. c.f. the eu referendum, borris didnt lie and say we could save 350 million, he lied by infering that it was spent on needless beurocracy in the eu and and said we could spend it on the nhs instead.
Tory policy wasn’t driven because they deliberately wanted to kill people, it was driven because they are fiscal conservatives. Whether you like it or not, someone at some point has to decide how much money can be spent on public services. Labour under Milliband would have cut as well, just not to the same extent. If you are going to take issue with the conservatives, talk about policy, calling people vermin is dangerous.
The idea that Rory is somehow worse than the Blairites morally, is both hysterical and racist.
Whereas in reality for a country to really prosper you need a healthy well-educated population. You don't need that for a few wealthy mill owners to get stinking rich and build follies on hills.
Rory was a Blairite, Rayban.
Edit: in fact in many ways he still is. 🙂 Go on, read his Wiki page, he spent many years implementing the worst aspects of Blair's policy.
Labour Blairites Edukator - most of the Labour backbenchers voted in favour at the time as well. So it’s not exactly like it was just Blair and his cronies pushing us to war.
Whereas in reality for a country to really prosper you need a healthy well-educated population. You don’t need that for a few wealthy mill owners to get stinking rich and build follies on hills.
Theres two arguments against that, 1 they cut taxes for low incomes too. 2, top down vs bottom up arent nesicerily a rich vs poor argument unless badly implemented. Building a folly is a good example as it provides no benefit to the owner but probably employed several builders for several years on a completely pointless task (and preemptively that can be argued against by saying higher taxes could have spent that money on public services which is incorrect as thats a left vs right argument not up vs down, plenty of hospitals were built by rich philanthropists).
Just read that Wiki page and check out just whose policies he was working so passionately to implement in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's right, Blair's.
Whats that wooshing - the point going straight over your head.
the tory cut essential public services while also cutting taxes for the rich and enabling tax evasion on a massive scale.
They did this in the knowledge that their cuts would lead to tens of thousands of deaths. Its nothing about what is affordable, Its only about whats best for the rich and if the poor and disabled die well thats just too bad.
Nice whataboutery over Iraq - but yes Edukator your point has merit.
Calling me racist rayban just shows your true colours.
As I said - I have seen at first hand the damage the tories caused - and it was deliberate in that they knew the cuts would lead to deaths. For a government to enact policies for nothing but ideological reasons that led to untold death and misery on the population of the country is shameful and makes all tories complicit. Its as simple as that
Nice whataboutery over Iraq
Not whataboutery at all. Stuart's role in the occupation is well documented, to the point he got an OBE for it.
Building a folly is a good example as it provides no benefit to the owner but probably employed several builders for several years on a completely pointless task
When if the rich were taxed the money could be spent on the same builders building infrastructure which would benefit everybody. Try reading John Maynard Keynes or Thomas Picketty. The Hoover dam benefitted industry, the rich and the poor. Tax benefits everybody including the people who pay it, so I'm happy to live in one of the most taxed places on the planet because the benefits are enormous.
Keynesian economics works under the right circumstances. Like anything, it’s not a panacea or a silver bullet to develop a healthy economy.
And yes, I’d be happier to pay more tax. That doesn’t mean that I assume that all Tories are vermin.
As I said – I have seen at first hand the damage the tories caused – and it was deliberate in that they knew the cuts would lead to deaths. For a government to enact policies for nothing but ideological reasons that led to untold death and misery on the population of the country is shameful and makes all tories complicit. Its as simple as that
If we’d had our credit rating down rated we’d be Greece by now. Yes, I do not agree with the way the Tories balanced the taxation in terms of demographics or depth of the cuts. But they were right about needing to make cuts.
the tory cut essential public services while also cutting taxes for the rich and enabling tax evasion on a massive scale.
Do at least try to see the opposite oppinion.
The economic theory they followed was that without cuts the government would continue to borrow untill it became unsustainable and the economy would not recover and suppourt it as tax would have to rise and stifle growth. Eventually leading to............ the collapse of the economy, bankrupt public services and even more deaths.
I dont believe MPs on either side went to war to kill brown people or cut services to kill the proletariat. I believe they both believe that their decisions were the best way out of a bad situation and that they believe doing the alternative would have been worse.
Not whataboutery at all. Stuart’s role in the occupation is well documented, to the point he got an OBE for it.
If we can accept that opposition day motions and whipped votes arent a great representation of individual beliefs. Cant we accept that following orders in the army to the best of your ability is different from being Vald the Impaler?
Nope – as others have said, he’s just an Austerity Tory who fancies parachuting into another politics job.
With a huge salary and benefits which will nicely tide him over the Brexit fallout as millions of mear mortals loose their jobs and homes and incomes.
He did seem to be fairly upright citizen on the TV programmes he did, then fell into the Prisons job...
But no.
I’d rather some road sweeper from Clapham take the job before he does.
He was a civil servant in Iraq, not in the army so he didn't have to follow orders, he was free to quit at any point. He chose to be part of the occupation, an occupation that was very much a part of rise of IS.
He was a civil servant in Iraq, not in the army so he didn’t have to follow orders, he was free to quit at any point. He chose to be part of the occupation, an occupation that was very much a part of rise of IS.
And quitting sooner would have achieved?
Blaming a civil servant inbolved in attempting to rebuild iraq for the fallout of the iraq war is like blaming the fire brigade for a fire.
in attempting to rebuild iraq
Now you're rewriting history. Apart from doing what was necessary to get the oil flowing again could you point me to how much of what Britain destroyed it rebuilt. Sweet FA. But yes they got British companies to benefit from the oil spoils of war:
Rory does actually care about international development and rebuilding failed states. Would you rather that people like him, were not there to attempt to pick up the pieces of our misguided foreign adventures?
It's not like he was driving the political decision to invade, was it?
Now you’re rewriting history. Apart from doing what was necessary to get the oil flowing again could you point me to how much of what Britain destroyed it rebuilt. Sweet FA. But yes they got British companies to benefit from the oil spoils of war:
So appart from the major source of income for the country which perhapse naively might have been assumed would help them rebuild the country in the absence of corruption, what have the coalition ever done for Iraq?
Im not defending the iraq war, but blaming Rory Stewart for it or the aftermath is a stretch.
Most of Iraq's oil goes to China BTW, not the US or the UK. And for the most part wars in the middle east push prices up which harms western economies.
He was in favour of the war. I don't know why but his background and declared interests are very much centered on colonial culture (the picture of his fater on wiki is a clue). And he took part in the occupation following an invasion he approved of.
You want London run like a colony then vote Rory.
We aren't going to agree on this but thank for giving me the opportunity to present my views on him. I was curious when he ran for PM and looked into his background, as someone else said, a random council employee would be a wiser choice for London.
what have the coalition ever done for Iraq?
Destroyed it and created a power vacuum filled by ISIS.
One day Iraq will again be a powerful nation state to be reckoned with - no thanks to the "coalition". I hope they use their economic power wisely.
TJ can't be a racist, he never called me a Sassenach when I met him!
Anyway, when Stewart was justice secretary he said he'd resign the post if violence in HMPS didn't reduce within 12 (?) months. He didn't need to.
He is still a politician though, so should be shot anyway.
All politicians are the same, lying, hypocritical, self centred shits.
Destroyed it and created a power vacuum filled by ISIS.
REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.
COMMANDO #3: And the sanitation.
LORETTA: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?
REG: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.
MATTHIAS: And the roads.
REG: Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--
COMMANDO: Irrigation.
XERXES: Medicine.
COMMANDOS: Huh? Heh? Huh...
COMMANDO #2: Education.
COMMANDOS: Ohh...
REG: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.
COMMANDO #1: And the wine.
COMMANDOS: Oh, yes. Yeah...
FRANCIS: Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.
COMMANDO: Public baths.
LORETTA: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.
FRANCIS: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.
COMMANDOS: Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.
REG: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
XERXES: Brought peace.
REG: Oh. Peace? Shut up!
Rayban / tinas - they could have not cut tax for the rich, they could have stopped tax evasion / avoidance, they could have stopped spending billions on killing brown people. Instead they took money from the poorest ( an no bollox about cutting taxes for them - the poorest do not pay tax) they could have done a lot of other things including raise taxes to something near most civilized countries.
Instead the tories enacted policies that did nothing to reduce deficit or debt but instead caused the deaths of tens of thousands of british citizens and that caused misery for millions
So yes - they are lower than vermin every one of them
And intelligent guys like you should not be deceived.
Austerity was not needed at all. Its was an ideological policy designed to reduce the state for putely selfish reasons
lower than vermin every one of them
He is still a politician though, so should be shot anyway.
It's what Jo Cox would have wanted. A kinder, gentler politics.
Austerity was not needed at all. Its was an ideological policy designed to reduce the state for putely selfish reasons
I don't agree here, I do agree that they made cuts in the wrong places and didn't have to cut as deeply as they did.
Unfortunately TJ, try convincing middle England that raising taxes can work.
Ken Clarke kind of agrees with you on taxation TJ hahah 😀
The evil bastard 😛
I stand by my thoughts on this, your anger should be directed at the aspirational little Englanders who support people like Mark Francois.
It’s what Jo Cox would have wanted. A kinder, gentler politics.
Wrong turn of phrase on my part & apologies, but get the gist that I despise all politicans equally.
As I said. Lying, hypocritical, self centred shits. All of them.
