Subscribe now and choose from over 30 free gifts worth up to £49 - Plus get £25 to spend in our shop
Despite supporting boris and saying he'd get behind him he now says he's got no confidence in him as a leader and so he's standing for pm himself....
Politicians in politics shocker.
The phrase 'Rats in a Sack' would seem to summarise whats happening in both parties.
I think neither Gove or Boris has a cat in hells chance. They're too closely associated with the lies, racism and general nastiness of the Leave campaign. And as the whole sorry mess unravels, as it surely will - they'll become electorally toxic. The real powers that be in the Tory party are already well aware of this. I think/hope that this will mean the end of both their political careers
My heart bleeds....
Even my daughter, with only a younger teenager's passing interest in politics, was incredulous at the prospect on Boris being PM. "Seriously Dad? Surely we can't have him as Prime Minister? Surely they wouldn't do that? Look at him!" 😀
Oh ffs. What the public doesn't matter they'll get one of the buffoons on the front step then wage the same campaign in a general election that they did for brexit. politics isn't about the general good it's about keeping your arse in a powerful seat for as long as possible and hang the consequences.
He said he was standing because he had come "to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead".
No wonder he has been so quiet!!
Dreaming that one up. What a lovely bunch these politicians are.
So Sarah Vain for PM with Michael as her first man. Wow there's an offer that's hard to turn down.
Having shared dinner and breakfast tables with Dr Fox while on holiday for the past 7 or 8 years, his announcement that he'd thrown his hat into the ring was no surprise. Though, I don't think he stands a chance as he is far too near the Bill Cash brigade to bring any unity to the swivel-eyed loons. My money's on Voldemort's drag queen - is she the Anti-Mandelson?
Lib Dem rehabilitation???
TBH, the LDs undeservedly took the public's ire at the last GE - a bit like Remain during EUref
Whilst it would be probably be bad long term I would [i]love[/i] Boris to be Prime Minister just to be in the history books.
Can you imagine future generations looking back and thinking "what the **** happened there!"
Can we have a vote of no confidence in the entire political system?
Tim Farron's a good guy. Too good to have anything to do with the front benches in our adversarial system. Perhaps if we built a new parliament, where people sat in a circle... 🙄
Boris will be PM, if not in September then later.
fascinating watching the odds pricing move by the minute at Ladbrokes.
Mrs Ming still leading at [s]Evens.[/s] EDIT changed again! Now 10/11!
Gove has dragged BoJo from 11/8 to 4/1, with Gove on the same price.
My bet on Crabb on Sunday at 16/1 came into 8 and has gone back out to 12 this morning.
Boris will be PM, if not in September then later.
It worries me this seems to please you.
[img] 
[/img]
I think you will find he has stabbed him in the front.
The whole charade is somewhat predictable, the whole campaign was about gaining power, now they will fight amongst themselves for their prize.
if you want to know who wears the trousers....
Crabb is an utter moron.. he believes homosexuals can be cured
I am just upset JRM is trailing at 100-1. I would happily live in his Tory hell-scape just to hear his mellifluous tones.
crabb back out to 16. Well there goes my tenner 🙂
Gove at 3.5 nudging in front of Boris at 4
Gove seems such a nice chap with the nations best interests at heart.
[img] 
[/img]
WTF, I'm actually starting to think it might be a good idea to get referendum Dave back
It makes you wonder why Mrs Gove bothered to leak that email, and not just ring the Guardian direct.
WTF, I'm actually starting to think it might be a good idea to get referendum Dave back
Do you remember why Call Me Dave was PM? Such happy times....I just wish we could go back. 🙁
It was suggested at the last general election but maybe Scottish conservatives Scottish labour and SNP should just battle out a general election. Their leaders are the only vaguely electable politicians left.
Anyone who thought the labour leadership battle was nasty hasn't seen anything yet, now the professional ****s are lining up to rumble.
By the power of Greyskull! What a thoroughly despicable character.
wwaswas: where's that from?
WTF, I'm actually starting to think it might be a good idea to get referendum Dave back
As Tories go, he's by far the best of a bad bunch.....
Gove as PM.... for the future of the countries children after the entire teaching profession marches into the sea...
I think neither Gove or Boris has a cat in hells chance. They're too closely associated with the lies, racism and general nastiness of the Leave campaign.
The Leave Campaign that won though...
To be fair, I oppose euthanasia for schoolchildren too.
Is this politics or a episode of House of Cards????
I have always been very sceptical of Boris's chances, always questioning whether he would make it onto the membership ballot, but once Gove had supported him I thought the game may be up. Now Gove has done to him to him what he did to Cameron, absolutely fantastically brutal - gotta love it.
The Leave Campaign that won though...
Yes but Boris and Gove are trying to get as far away from that cock up as possible. It's really hard when you are trying to hide the fact that you are trying not to win...
Hopefully they all get a grilling by the press, it will be like fish in a barrel
Is this politics or a episode of House of Cards????
I've given up watching house of cards. The BBC Parliament channel is more gripping 🙂
The Leave Campaign that won though...
It's my understanding (from reading stuff) that of Tories are quite annoyed at the outright lies he used simply to further his own career.
Seems like they are rounding against him. Presumably Gove has been offered something by May to run against Johnson.
Is this politics or a episode of House of Cards????
[img]
[/img]So who is waiting till this lot make each other unelectable?
Yes but Boris and Gove are trying to get as far away from that cock up as possible. It's really hard when you are trying to hide the fact that you are trying not to win...
Boris maybe (ok probably), but not Gove, I am convinced he believes leaving is the right thing.
Anyone who thought the labour leadership battle was nasty hasn't seen anything yet, now the professional **** are lining up to rumble.
Nah, nobody does backstabbing like the left.
[quote=Stoner ]crabb back out to 16. Well there goes my tenner
Gove at 3.5 nudging in front of Boris at 4
Boris is out at 5 at http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/next-conservative-leader
(I always think the best odds is the most reliable indicator, as anything shorter is just the bookies taking profit - especially given the book is more than 100% even if you mix and match)
Oh and Crabb at 25
I've given up watching house of cards. The BBC Parliament channel is more gripping
I agree, but sometimes the plot on the Parliament channel gets a bit silly. 😀
To be fair, I oppose euthanasia for schoolchildren too.
You obviously don't know any!
[quote=mefty ]Boris maybe (ok probably), but not Gove, I am convinced [s]he[/s] his wife believes leaving is the right thing.
Well yes - I don't think [s]he[/s] his wife is stupid enough not to realise that the "expert" comment was far too dangerous a thing to say if you didn't want to win
The Sun have thrown their support behind Johnson haven't they? (Let's call him Johnson, the same way we refer to others as May, Crabb or Gove.)
The Sun have been on the winning side of every national election, or referendum, in the last 40 years or so.
[quote=HoratioHufnagel ]Presumably Gove has been offered something by May to run against Johnson.
I was wondering that - that or there's some other scheming going on. I can't believe Gove really thinks he has a chance, it has to be a move against Boris. It's easy to imagine May and Gove getting onto the members' ballot, whereas I'm not sure who else one side of the party might realistically unite behind.
This is all kind of fascinating car crash politics
The Sun have been on the winning side of every national election, or referendum, in the last 40 years or so.
Yes, curious that isn't it?
[img]
[/img]
[quote=bails ]The Sun have been on the winning side of every national election, or referendum, in the last 40 years or so.
Except this isn't (initially) a national election of any kind, not even within the Conservative party. If BoJo makes it onto the members' ballot he'll stand a good chance, but first he has to be voted there by the MPs, most of whom don't read the Sun, or even pay much attention to it (TBH I'm not sure many Tory members do either).
I expect a lot of the MPs would love to give BoJo a kicking, and whilst Gove might be guilty of the same crimes, they're well aware which if the two of them is most unlikely to win a popular members' vote.
Politicians saying and doing what is expedient the moment to advance their own career, shocker.
I would love to see all the candidates write a business plan and go through an Apprentice style round of interviews... all televised of course.... Littner, Brady, Souter, the lot....
bails - Member
The Sun have thrown their support behind Johnson haven't they? (Let's call him Johnson, the same way we refer to others as May, Crabb or Gove.)The Sun have been on the winning side of every national election, or referendum, in the last 40 years or so.
[s]Lady MacBeth [/s] Sarah Vine said that the Mail/ Murdoc, didnt fully trust Johnson
Goves definately more their man, or possibly Hunt
These leadership contests just have me singing the chorus to this in my head
I can't believe Gove really thinks he has a chance, it has to be a move against Boris.
Or to give Boris a reason not to stand?
kimbers - Member
WTF, I'm actually starting to think it might be a good idea to get referendum Dave back
As I often say, be careful what you wish for. CMD looks better by the day!!!
Odds on May shortening - I think the gamblers have worked out what I did
I was wondering that - that or there's some other scheming going on. I can't believe Gove really thinks he has a chance, it has to be a move against Boris. It's easy to imagine May and Gove getting on
I imagine that once his wife's email leaked? 😉 , Gove new that his partenrship with Borris was over
If you want to by cynical... you need to be on the final ticket and you want the other one to be disliked more than you. Lots of characters in the room and the horse trading starts as the votes are spread out. Then time to make some deals...
do these guys honestly think that the lies they told during the referendum will just be forgotten? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice . . . .
and to be honest you could learn a bit from us down here, we get these things done by dinner so that you can have a beer and crack on the next morning 😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_spill#Federal
He's come a long way since his early days on kids tv.
[img] 
[/img]
[quote=somewhatslightlydazed ]Or to give Boris a reason not to stand?
Ooh, I like that conspiracy theory - he's not declared yet has he?
In other news, Theresa May says there needs to be a proper contest for the Conservative leadership, with "no coronation brought about through backroom deals". Well good luck with that!
Except this isn't (initially) a national election of any kind, not even within the Conservative party
Oh no, I know that. But they want him to be PM and he can't get there if he's not in the running for Tory leader.
Sarah Vine said that the Mail/ Murdoc, didnt fully trust Johnson
I could believe that (although Sarah Vine is a regular columnist in the Mail isn't she?). Johnson's got too much of an ego, he won't necessarily do what he's told.
Were I Johnson or Gove I'd be looking for any way I could to not win this leadership contest whilst still maintaining face.
Now if those guarantees his wife was so worried about were "neither of us will have to deal with the hell we've unleashed" I can see how this would work.
Gove and Johnson split the vote, look unpleasant even to the tories, fail to win the leadership they really have to stand for but don't want. Watch the poor unfortunate who did "win" go down with the ship, reconcile their differences and then launch a bid to replace the (almost undoubtedly) ousted leader after the Tory collapse in the next general election.
The only spanner in that plan is Corbyn producing a melt down in the labour party that even the post thatcher tories would have been proud of and actually getting the Conservatives re-elected
"Judge me on my record"
Why has May ruled herself out - only Prescott was worse at implementation.
From Billy Bragg
Okay, it's late and I have had a very long day toiling at the Brexit shit/fan interface, but as Boris Johnson seems likely to launch his bid to be Prime Minister tomorrow, I'm going to share my crazy hunch about what is happening here.
This all goes back to March 2015, when David Cameron said he would not serve a third term as PM if the Tories won a second term in office. Johnson at the time was out of parliament and, as Mayor of London, had developed a cosmopolitan image of someone at ease with multiculturalism. Sniffing the possibility of becoming PM, he got himself elected as an MP and set about trying to ingratiate himself with the Conservative Party membership whose votes will ultimately decide who is the next leader of the party.
Now the Tory grassroots are old, serious and overwhelmingly Euro-sceptic, with a broadly anti-cosmopolitan outlook. How could the cuddly Boris who won London convince the Tory faithful that he was a worthy candidate for their support? The EU referendum seemed to offer a way of squaring that particular circle. All he needed to do was to take a leading role in the Leave campaign, travel the country tickling the belly of the Tory faithful and, when the country voted to Remain - as it surely would, to do otherwise would be suicidal - he could portray himself as martyr to the grassroots favourite cause and so sweep up their votes when Cameron resigned ahead of the election in 2020.
That explains why Johnson has no plan. He never expected the Leave campaign to win, so it didn't really matter if he made outrageous claims on the campaign trail - as he'd never be called to deliver on them, who would really care? Now everything has gone pear-shaped in the worse possible way. Johnson is being ushered to the front by the majority of pro-Remain Tory MPs who expect him to explain how he is going to take Britain out of the EU. If he is elected leader, he will have to face an electorate, the majority of whom are not happy about being turfed out of the EU (yes it might have been 52% vs 48% on the day, but by the next election, many of the the 64% of 18-24 yr olds who didn't vote in the referendum will surely want to have their say).
What once looked like a relatively straight forward path to No10 now seems fraught with danger. A Conservative Party led by the architect of Brexit is likely to be heavily punished at the ballot box in October. Holding on till 2020 will be ever more precarious as his current batch of MPs are predominantly Remainers who could potentially make serious mischief given Johnson has a parliamentary majority of just 12.
As I say, this is all just a crazy theory cobbled together as a way to try and make sense of what is happening right now. It may be preposterous. But it may also be that, in Boris Johnson's desperate attempt to have his cake and eat it, the Blonde Bombshell might just have bitten off more than he can chew.
It's not often I agree with Mr. Bragg but those are my thoughts entirely. I said on day 1 of this clusterf*** that BJ and MG didn't expect to win. Hopefully this omnishambles will bury the pair of them.
4 years ago, but still amusing
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/michael-goves-secret-ambition-to-be-prime-1459462
We need a single-issue general election.
And we need the [url= http://www.libdems.org.uk/lib_dems_pledge_to_take_britain_back_into_europe ]Lib-Dem resurgence[/url].
Tim Farron (leader of the Lib-Dems):
"The British people deserve the chance not to be stuck with the appalling consequences of a Leave campaign that stoked that anger with the lies of Farage, Johnson and Gove.
The Liberal Democrats will fight the next election on a clear promise to restore British prosperity and role in the world, with the UK in the European Union, not out."
Sounds good to me.
The tousle-haired special one is failing to turn up to his own leadership launch...
tick. ( wot DK said )
Perfect for Boris. Can now sit out for next few years and come back stronger.
It could well be Gove who wins- it won't be Boris.
Why?
Murdoch has put his stamp on BoJo, and has anointed him as his. He won't want Boris tainted by the A50 antics (or whatever else we end up having to do.) Check the Murdoch press at the weekend and beyond, where Kelvin McKenzie suffered buyers remorse- that came from the top.
Boris will stay in abeyance until the rammy is over; whoever takes the job this time is a sacrificial lamb.
I'm not looking at the bookies odds. It didn't work out on the referendum.
I reckon we'll be saddled with Mrs Ming.
So Boris standing
Boris v Gove is likely to lead to a May PM and Gove DPM.
[edit] and now he's not. 10 minutes is like a week in politics.
Boris, during an outpouring of unbelievably egotistical ME ME ME! drivel about how wonderful he is, has just seriously suggested that people now live longer because of him.
Absolutely unbelievable! The bloke really is the most utterly shameless charlatan
So these are the 6
Home Secretary Theresa May: The 59-year-old has overtaken Boris Johnson as the bookies' favourite to win the contest. She's held the Home Office brief - often something of a poisoned chalice - since 2010, and is a former Tory party chairman. She says she can offer the "strong leadership" and unity the UK needs, and promised a "positive vision" for the country's future. She backed staying in the EU.
Former London mayor Boris Johnson: The 52-year-old journalist-turned-Conservative politician is one of the most familiar faces in British politics, his unconventional political style and unique brand of charisma making him a household name. He spent eight years in City Hall before re-entering Parliament last year - and was the most prominent figure in the winning Brexit campaign.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove: The 48-year-old former newspaper columnist was a key figure in the party's modernisation that led to its return to power in 2010. He was a reforming, if controversial, education secretary between 2010 and 2014, and now holds the Ministry of Justice brief. He was a leading player in the Brexit campaign - which put a strain on his close friendship with David Cameron. He has pitched himself as the candidate that can provide "unity and change."
Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb: The 43-year-old was promoted to the cabinet in 2014 as Welsh secretary, and boosted his profile earlier this year when he took over as work and pensions secretary. A rising star of the Tory party he has promised to unite the party and country following the referendum result and provide stability. Raised on a council estate by a single mother, he has a back story to which many Tory MPs are attracted. Backed Remain.
Energy minister Andrea Leadsom: The 53-year-old former banker and fund manager was one of the stars of the Leave campaign. A former district councillor, she became MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010 and - after serving as a junior Treasury minister and as a member of the Treasury select committee - she was made a junior minister in the energy and climate change department in May last year.
Former cabinet minister Liam Fox: It's second time around for the 54-year-old ex-defence secretary and GP, who came a close third in the 2005 leadership contest. His cabinet career was cut short in 2011 when he resigned following a lobbying row. A Brexit campaigner, and on the right of the party, he has said whoever becomes PM must accept "the instruction" of the British people and not "try to backslide" over EU membership.
I wouldn't want to bet on the 2nd in the ballot - some games to play mostly about trying not to win...
aaaaaaand there he goes..
Don't let the door, etc...
Boris out
what a spineless *.
Boris you *-nugget, this is your *ing mess, you *ing clear it up.
oh no, he's hiding under the duvet.
****.
This saga keeps throwing up amazing turns of events
Bojo busted already!!!
Be careful what you wish for proved yet again!!!
Daily Politics show a bit behind the times!! Leading with Bojo pushing ahead - oh dear!! Embarrassing use of "we discuss the latest events"... 😉
And people claimed that Dave was running scared.
Bojo exposed for what he was - a naked opportunist. Shameful
Wow, big news
It's a safer position to take, rather than take flak at the front in a parliament that doesn't want brexit
Change the thread title - Boris throws Gove under the bus.
[img] 
[/img]
A very carefully constructed piece of faux-bufoonery.
Wonder what he's promised Gove to get him to take the hit?
Hilarious! Pob for PM
Not.
Anyone with any doubt how repulsive a shit Gove will be better-informed now.
Bojo busted already!!!Be careful what you wish for proved yet again!!!
and BoJo wins... not plan A but a well rescued plan B.