Boris leadership 2019

Javid calls Raab a dictator, 18.48
waiting for more blue-on-blue damage.

Gove talking about love and hope. Bizarre.

Some hack on Radio 5 is saying that Johnson wins tonight because he's about to steal all the headline with some major splash in his Telegraph column - details coming out at 10pm.

Or maybe Stewart will swoop in for the win in the last second by smothering everyone with some 90s Hugh Grant romantic comedy charm ...

https://twitter.com/RoryStewartUK/status/1140365120973025280

Gove is now my 2nd favorite behind Stewart (albeit a long way behind).

Strange days

Grove does seem to be the most nuanced thinker of the lot.

Gove says that trigering A50 without a plan was a silly mistake.

Does that mean he would revoke it, since there is no plan?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/white-male-tories-need-to-look-at-the-country-they-want-to-lead-9hdz8b2zz

One MP told me his wife had threatened to divorce him and his daughter had told him she would not let him walk her down the aisle at her wedding if he supported Mr Johnson.

I wonder if anyone has told Michael, apart from his wife, that calling a referendum and campaigning for Brexit without a plan was an even bigger f**king mistake.

This is the membership the candidates are trying to win over:

1 Attachment

Really grown-up tactics...

https://twitter.com/FraserNelson/status/1140866694530949122?s=19

I'm hoping Stewart makes it through today's vote as that seems the only chance of making this evening's debate more than just a procession for Johnson...

It's a death cult

Raab is looking like the biggest c*** in the Tory Party right now

Only because Johnson is in hiding.

A good summary of events (as ever) from Paul Waugh

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-waugh-zone-tuesday-june-18-2019_uk_5d0899dbe4b0886dd15e4524

That is hilarious/terrifying.

Here's the original source which has other interesting details.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/06/18/most-conservative-members-would-see-party-destroye

These are the people choosing our next PM. Fantastic.

Who are the 4% happy to see Scotland go but not to see NI go??

He's second favorite to become the next PM according skybet^:

Boris Johnson- 1.13
Rory Stewart - 11
Jeremy Hunt - 13
Michael Gove - 29
Dominic Raab - 34

^ They were very wrong about Brexit & Trump.

Id rather Rory Stewart that bumbling fool Boris. Best of a bad bunch I suppose.

Maybe I'm being a bit blasé but I'm watching this whole leadership race with a kind of detached amusement, esp. given what that YouGov poll says ... there is just no way the winner of this race, whichever tosser it is, is going to govern long time.

I'm actually surprised Johnson is blowing his load in a race now, given how precarious his position will be as leader - he could quite easily be PM for less time than May or Brown.

Only thing I worry about Stewart is that he may actually do well in a general election. The Tory we want in power is the one that will be most un-electable in the next GE so we get them out of power.

I'm actually surprised Johnson is blowing his load in a race now

I've always imagined that he wants to have held the job title, rather than actually wanting to do the job. Name on the trophy, stick it out for a respectable length of time, job done.

If he misses out this time, the next time will be the third time running he'll have had a go. By that point, and in a very changed landscape, he could start to look old.

Yes, I hold a similar view. After all, he has never done justice to any of the various positions that he has held. He just likes the power/importance.

Stewart has likely been backed into 2nd. I doubt that it is a reflection of the probability of him becoming PM.