Well yes – I don’t think he 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.

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?

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.

Lady MacBeth 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

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TiT22Os4Qg[/video]

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.

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

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiS-vWmgLwI[/video]

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 Lib-Dem resurgence.

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

theresa may

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/18/theresa-may-u-turn-wasting-millions-passport-office-staffing

http://www.channel4.com/news/police-give-theresa-may-the-silent-treatment

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/theresa-may-wrongly-deported-48000-students-after-bbc-panorama-exposes-toeic-scam-a6958286.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/9212861/Mays-bid-to-deport-Qatada-descends-into-farce.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/8876640/Theresa-May-refuses-to-resign-over-border-checks-scandal.html

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.

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.