Being unable to watch C4 this evening for reasons I shan't bore you all with, I'm enjoying reading the running commentary. Will be interesting to see whether or not the universal PB opprobrium being directed towards Truss means she's about to crash and burn, or triumph with a selectorate that seems attracted to awfulness, like so many flies swarming towards the irresistible blue glow of the insectocutor.
Not watching live, running behind, but I do like how weird these things are, when the random public are watching and being appealed to, even though we've not even gotten to the member stage yet, and the MPs and members will want very different things to the public.
I suppose the hope is someone shines and if the general public is shown backing them that will influence members, but its still weird, as no way they'd all say the same things if it was a room of only MPs, or Tory members.
Someone who would have become the architect of Britain's Golden Age, according to the Doctor, but was unfairly brought down before she could do because he didn't like her doing something he disapproved of (even though it was perfectly reasonable)?
I'm struggling to see who Mordaunt would appoint as Chancellor.
Sunak - Tainted over his tax affairs. Too Osbornian? Javid - see Sunak Zahawi - question mark about his tax position Gove - can he be trusted? Hunt - campaign flopped and he isn't popular in the country Badenoch - Inexperienced which probably isn't what Penny needs Norman - not been in the cabinet Truss - not very popular and radical
I wonder if Jesse Norman might be the best bet? Financial secretary to the Treasury and worked for Barclays. I fear it may be Leadsom.
Mordaunt comes across as trying too hard. I think she needs to pick a position and stick to it. (E.g., is she anti-Boris or pro-Boris?) She comes across better than TT, but you know where TT stands.
Kemi coming across well, but sometimes seems a little green.
Sunak is the one who has charisma. He has answers. They’re not always convincing, but he’s fluent.
All of them are ducking the questions! Only TT has a clear answer to the Boris question that hangs over everything so far.
I'm struggling to see who Mordaunt would appoint as Chancellor.
Sunak - Tainted over his tax affairs. Too Osbornian? Javid - see Sunak Zahawi - question mark about his tax position Gove - can he be trusted? Hunt - campaign flopped and he isn't popular in the country Badenoch - Inexperienced which probably isn't what Penny needs Norman - not been in the cabinet Truss - not very popular and radical
I wonder if Jesse Norman might be the best bet? Financial secretary to the Treasury and worked for Barclays. I fear it may be Leadsom.
You’re running well ahead of the rest of us there.
Why did they all make such a mess of a simple question about trusting the other candidates? Just say yes you do, no matter how ridiculous that might be, but it was just verbiage splurting out.
I'm struggling to see who Mordaunt would appoint as Chancellor.
Sunak - Tainted over his tax affairs. Too Osbornian? Javid - see Sunak Zahawi - question mark about his tax position Gove - can he be trusted? Hunt - campaign flopped and he isn't popular in the country Badenoch - Inexperienced which probably isn't what Penny needs Norman - not been in the cabinet Truss - not very popular and radical
I wonder if Jesse Norman might be the best bet? Financial secretary to the Treasury and worked for Barclays. I fear it may be Leadsom.
She could always steal Kemi's idea, put Kemi in charge of the Number 10 economic growth unit, and give what's left to someone else. It'll save her time in office from showboating Chancellors.
If she cannot be bothered to look after her teeth she will not look after her country.
Ha! I take the opposite view. People who (unnecessarily) get their teeth straightened don't have the right priorities in life.
This debate is positively fizzing with exciting ideas as to how to take our country forward, and you think we should just choose the one with the worst teeth??
Keir Starmer must be on his second beer watching this — prime time TV, the 5 top Tories uniting to condemn their own record in government before descending into blue on blue — with no candidates particularly impressing
Not watching live, running behind, but I do like how weird these things are, when the random public are watching and being appealed to, even though we've not even gotten to the member stage yet, and the MPs and members will want very different things to the public.
I still think three live TV debates is overkill for this, for that very reason.
She's clearly stressed and drained by this experience
Perhaps she realizes, to her horror, the challenges that lay ahead IF she wins? Including increased media scrutiny, but also the immense demands upon next Prime Minister? And doubts her capacity to deal with them, not as 2nd or lesser banana, but as the Her Majesty's Great Pumpkin?
By his own account, Warren G. Harding felt that way in 1920, when he was elected President of the United States by greatest popular vote landslide (up to that time) ever recorded.
So, half an hour in: Tuggy: more impressive than I expected. Because I like John Major. Truss: exterminated and hasn't noticed yet Sunak: doing fine, though "sorry I got a fine" was a bit cringy Mordor: sunk without a trace Badenoch: still interesting
Keir Starmer must be on his second beer watching this — prime time TV, the 5 top Tories uniting to condemn their own record in government before descending into blue on blue — with no candidates particularly impressing
Standing back, you take a look and the first thing you think is - is that it? Seriously, these are the five people the conservative party thinks are best to be next PM in a time of economic mayhem and war?
Comments
Best summary so far;
Liz is Boris without the shits & giggles #C4LeaderDebate
https://twitter.com/GeneralBoles/status/1548013339204149256
No jobs for JRM or Dorries under her!
Haven’t seen much of her before .
PM: Deliver the Boris manifesto
She's shit. Mega mis-step with her Boris trust answer too.
She also appears as if a mortician had been at her. Odd.
Liz Truss is like the former PM Harriet Jones.
I suppose the hope is someone shines and if the general public is shown backing them that will influence members, but its still weird, as no way they'd all say the same things if it was a room of only MPs, or Tory members.
This is bad
Only Mordaunt and Badenoch sounding vaguely human, Tugendhat is irrelevantly quirky
Truss' campaign ends tonight
Once members watch this and future debate they might revise their opinions very quickly.
But MPs should still vote for Penny.
Wooden, cold, excusing, woolly.
NO. NO NO NO
She's clearly stressed and drained by this experience
Here are my two word assessments of each candidate
Truss - haziest bluster (I’ll never do better than that anagram)
Sunak - Putin’s favourite
Mordant - woo woo?
Tugendhat - ok gone
Badenoch - wtf not
Members would be mad to elect her.
Sunak - Tainted over his tax affairs. Too Osbornian?
Javid - see Sunak
Zahawi - question mark about his tax position
Gove - can he be trusted?
Hunt - campaign flopped and he isn't popular in the country
Badenoch - Inexperienced which probably isn't what Penny needs
Norman - not been in the cabinet
Truss - not very popular and radical
I wonder if Jesse Norman might be the best bet? Financial secretary to the Treasury and worked for Barclays. I fear it may be Leadsom.
Whereas the TV audience judged Kennedy the victor. And the rest as they say, is history.
HE HAS A FRENCH MOTHER
That's like having JE SUIS A TRAITOR tattooe'd on your forehead
Kemi coming across well, but sometimes seems a little green.
Sunak is the one who has charisma. He has answers. They’re not always convincing, but he’s fluent.
All of them are ducking the questions! Only TT has a clear answer to the Boris question that hangs over everything so far.
I misheard that question. I thought KGM said 'do you have sex with Penny Mordaunt's stance?'
Mind you, Jones got exterminated by a Dalek. Truss looks like she has had the same experience but is fighting on.
If she cannot be bothered to look after her teeth she will not look after her country.
But, she did so because she wanted to be true rather than loyal.
https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1548020009565163520
It won’t be the same later on YouTube.
If it was TSE they wouldn't dare.
Yawn.
By his own account, Warren G. Harding felt that way in 1920, when he was elected President of the United States by greatest popular vote landslide (up to that time) ever recorded.
And he was right.
Tuggy: more impressive than I expected. Because I like John Major.
Truss: exterminated and hasn't noticed yet
Sunak: doing fine, though "sorry I got a fine" was a bit cringy
Mordor: sunk without a trace
Badenoch: still interesting
Jeez.
How hollowed out the tory party is.