I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Amazing how nervous everyone seems to be about the state of democracy in the UK when we have an elected Labour government with a current majority of 156 seats and more than 4 years to go until the next election.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Good afternoon everyone. The difference between Cameron and all the rest is basic competence, but if the Tories reappoint Johnson, they don’t deserve to survive.
Amazing how nervous everyone seems to be about the state of democracy in the UK when we have an elected Labour government with a current majority of 156 seats and more than 4 years to go until the next election.
Agree. But if we have it right about 3/5/29 that's now just slightly less than 4 years.
Amazing how nervous everyone seems to be about the state of democracy in the UK when we have an elected Labour government with a current majority of 156 seats and more than 4 years to go until the next election.
I have faith in British democracy, but I think we are seeing a very inexperienced bunch of politicians. Neither Starmer nor Badenoch have been long in Parliament, so have no particular brand or hinterland.
Between the expenses scandal, the near wipe out of the LDs in 2015, the Brexit purges, the Corbyn years, the Labour losses of 2019 and the Tory meltdown of 2024 we have had an astonishing turnover. Social Media and related disillusionment has led even more to stand down.
Some of the current backbenchers may eventually distinguish themselves, but the 2029 election is likely to cause massive turnover again, and elect a bunch of inexperienced Reform paper candidates.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
And yet, if the next Conservative PM isn't yet in Parliament, it's hard to see the party surviving long enough for them to complete the long march to Downing Street.
As for the effect of Boris's purge, I suspect the issue isn't so much the famous faces that were cut down as the people we didn't hear of in the lower ranks, or who just never joined up. The ones who would have been useful junior frontbenchers now and might have been ready for government when they were needed in 2035 or so.
As things stand, hardly anyone who is young, professional, ambitious... who really ought to be a young Conservative... wants anything to do with the party.
What might save Kemi B is a sense that things are so hopeless/Farage will win doing the things we would like to do that there's no perceived point in changing leader. As Sam Freedman put it last week,
Plus, the fight has just gone out of a lot of them. They seem resigned rather than eager to plot yet another leadership change, which is perhaps the most worrying sign of all for them. Tories not wanting to plot is like a usually vivacious child lying listless on the sofa.
Besides, even if one takes the optimistic spin that it's only as bad as IDS (it's not- it's far worse), who is the Michael Howard figure? Who is broadly tolerated enough to give the sinking ship a bit of buoyancy?
Time to provide…the S T R I D E
Stride would at least likely hold the 24% who voted for Rishi at the last GE, Kemi isn't doing even that, the latest polls have the Tories on 20-21% on average and in some post local election polls even under 20%.
I suspect she will be given a year or 2 to turn things round but if that doesn't change and a number of Tory MPs fear losing their seats they will act and probably put Stride or Jenrick in by coronation
That's certainly the easy do nothing and hope something turns up option. But what if they're polling 12% by then ?
Then Boris has to be recalled
You think at that point it would make a difference ?
Yup, More in Common has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour on 22% and the LDs 15%.
Indeed at this point Boris may be the only chance not only to save Tory seats but also to stop Farage becoming PM assuming we don't get PR before the next general election and even then Farage could become PM if Reform win most votes and Reform and the Tories combined reached 50% or more as they did with BMG yesterday https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/media/2cyg5l1m/more-in-common-post-election-briefing-4.pdf (p48)
But then the binary choice of Johnson or Farage as PM is not dissimilar to pondering a menu whose choice is limited to either a s**t sandwich or s**t on toast.
But that sort of polling is largely name recognition. There could be a good future Tory leader who polls poorly because no-one has heard of her, but who shines when in the role.
(If the Tories do want to coax a former leader out of retirement, they don’t want Boris. They want Ruth Davidson.)
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
» show previous quotes For Trump to win his trade war, he has to cure America of its desire to buy foreign "stuff".
Whilst making stuff foreigners want to buy.
I said: And he is fundamentally correct that the continuous and massive trade deficits that the US has run with the rest of the world are impoverishing the US. The debt that the US has piled up over the last 30 years means that there is a continuous flow of money from the US to other countries reducing domestic consumption and investment. A lot of this is in bonds but, as with the UK, there is also an increasing number of US businesses being sold to finance this deficit. It is making the US poorer.
What he is fundamentally incorrect about is his batshit "solutions" to the problem. Erratic tariffs and economic policies positively discourage investment in the US. His bizarre behaviour at borders is costing the US tourist market tens of billions. He has failed to comprehend that his policies restrict imports to which manufacturers in the US can add value further damaging production. He has failed to appreciate that the inflationary consequences of his actions makes it harder for the Fed to cut interest rates.
Biden's solutions to the same problem, such as the CHIPs Act, were a breach of GATT rules but the US has destroyed that institution by making the court non quorate by vetoing new appointments. But. right or wrong, those policies positively encouraged investment in manufacturing in the US. They were a far smarter way of addressing what is a real problem for the US.
I surely can't be the only person who doesn't understand this post in its entirety? Another one is presumably Trump......
Why if this brief synopsis can be understood by at least 9 PBers is its content being overlooked by Trump and his advisors?
Because Trump is delusional and no one in his clique is allowed to disagree with him. He thinks, and has thought most of his adult life, that tariffs are effectively paid by the exporter because they need to remain competitive in the US market and therefore have to absorb the cost. He thinks that this makes tariffs a means of weaponising the huge domestic market of the US and getting foreigners to pay US taxes for them.
But he's wrong on several accounts. Firstly, especially at the mad rates he has seen fit to impose, it is impossible for exporters to the US to simply absorb the tariffs so they pass them on to the US consumer in higher prices. Secondly, in many cases, there are no US competitors to compete with. The exporter can take advantage of their monopoly position to pass the whole of the cost on. Thirdly, he thinks like a property mogul focused on short term deals. The stability and long term investment required to build a factory in the US and build demand to substitute domestic production for the import is completely alien to him. The uncertainty of his policies makes that pay back period even longer.
So, right now, the US has higher inflation because of tariffs. They have disruption in supply chains hindering domestic production. They have the consequences of retaliatory action by other countries. Their position as the reserve currency of the world is seriously at risk. They have higher interest rates with the Fed unwilling to match the cut in base rates we had this week. As policy disasters go, this is up there.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
And yet, if the next Conservative PM isn't yet in Parliament, it's hard to see the party surviving long enough for them to complete the long march to Downing Street.
As for the effect of Boris's purge, I suspect the issue isn't so much the famous faces that were cut down as the people we didn't hear of in the lower ranks, or who just never joined up. The ones who would have been useful junior frontbenchers now and might have been ready for government when they were needed in 2035 or so.
As things stand, hardly anyone who is young, professional, ambitious... who really ought to be a young Conservative... wants anything to do with the party.
I suspect that's on the money. Getting selected for a seat as a Tory unless you had ultra Brexit views has been difficult for some years, and many sensible people won't even have tried
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
That's impressive, given the perceived state of the NHS I would be expecting a few snickers if someone tried to get faster treatment due to their marathon training.
There does seem to be a real effort to keep otherwise healthy people healthy.
This programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight.
The programme is based on research showing that a 3-month specially formulated diet comprising of total diet replacement products including soups and shakes, followed by healthy lifestyle support helped people living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight to lose over 10kg in weight, improve their blood sugar levels, reduce diabetes-related medication and, in almost half of participants, put their type 2 diabetes into remission. Early data from the programme has shown that weight loss was similar to that seen in the clinical trials.
Learning from the programme will help to build knowledge and understanding about the use of interventions such as this and the impact they might have on the treatment of people living with type 2 diabetes in the future...
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
And yet, if the next Conservative PM isn't yet in Parliament, it's hard to see the party surviving long enough for them to complete the long march to Downing Street.
As for the effect of Boris's purge, I suspect the issue isn't so much the famous faces that were cut down as the people we didn't hear of in the lower ranks, or who just never joined up. The ones who would have been useful junior frontbenchers now and might have been ready for government when they were needed in 2035 or so.
As things stand, hardly anyone who is young, professional, ambitious... who really ought to be a young Conservative... wants anything to do with the party.
I wonder what the position of the Lib Dems would be now, if it hadn't been for the Coalition.
And in fact I wonder how many of the events of the last 10 years (Brexit and the takeover of the Tory Part by loonies included) would have happened if the Lib Dems hadn't been neutered as a political force.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Amazing how nervous everyone seems to be about the state of democracy in the UK when we have an elected Labour government with a current majority of 156 seats and more than 4 years to go until the next election.
I don't think our democracy is under any kind threat, as is clearly the case in the US.
But we've an electoral system which doesn't award representation in any sense of proportion with public opinion, a dearth of competent, let alone talented politicians, and a deep seated fiscal problem.
And a government which is moving possibly in a sensible direction, but doing so at a snail's pace.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
The issue with GP surgeries is the variation in service. Some are good and proactive. Others, like yours, are hopeless.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
gauke has rejoined the party apparently
He rejoined to vote for Cleverly in the leadership race and then 'quipped' on Youtube what a waste of money it had been.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
The issue with GP surgeries is the variation in service. Some are good and proactive. Others, like yours, are hopeless.
The Lansley 'reforms' were disastrous for primary care in many parts of the country.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Next Tory PM in 2034
I'm in my early 60s. I have yet to be convinced that I will live long enough to see another Tory PM. A recovery from 2024 is more than a single generation event.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Next Tory PM in 2034
I'm in my early 60s. I have yet to be convinced that I will live long enough to see another Tory PM. A recovery from 2024 is more than a single generation event.
We might both live long enough to see the end of the party, though.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
The issue with GP surgeries is the variation in service. Some are good and proactive. Others, like yours, are hopeless.
The Lansley 'reforms' were disastrous for primary care in many parts of the country.
One of the coalition's worst pieces of policy.
Hunt actually did a decent job of mitigating the worst of the mess when Health Secretary, I think, but the damage to primary care was permanent.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
Consistently the most eloquent and confident media performer of the Cameron years, so much so that he was wheeled out to cover topics that weren’t officially his remit.
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
Both of their exits pre-dated Boris.
I was evidencing Sean_F's point about the well of talent running dry, and no-one replacing them.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Next Tory PM in 2034
I'm in my early 60s. I have yet to be convinced that I will live long enough to see another Tory PM. A recovery from 2024 is more than a single generation event.
The fate of the Tory Party now rests entirely on how Nigel does as PM: extremely poorly and Reform might be put down as a failed experiment or historical quirk; poor to middling or better and we're probably in the territory of Reform taking over as the parliamentary wing of the British Right with the Tories vanishing for ever.
Amazing how nervous everyone seems to be about the state of democracy in the UK when we have an elected Labour government with a current majority of 156 seats and more than 4 years to go until the next election.
Built on sand.
Labour were purely an ejection mechanism and, now, the electorate may have found a much better one.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
The government could privatise the motorways and allow them to be tolled. Huge windfall for the public finances, and the French experience = litter-free verges, smooth surfaces and much more rapid completion of roadworks. Nobody in France moans about having to pay motorway tolls.
Coming off the tunnel in Calais on to silky-smooth half empty motorways is always a jolt to the senses.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Next Tory PM in 2034
I'm in my early 60s. I have yet to be convinced that I will live long enough to see another Tory PM. A recovery from 2024 is more than a single generation event.
Nigel Farage? He would argue he is the embodiment of UK Conservatism.
I am not sure I would agree, but it's not my side of the fence so I don't fully understand what makes one a Conservative.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
Consistently the most eloquent and confident media performer of the Cameron years, so much so that he was wheeled out to cover topics that weren’t officially his remit.
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
A thoroughly nice man into the bargain.
To add, in his time as Exchequer Secretary he designed and presided over the corporate tax roadmap, the stepped reduction in the CT rate alongside broadening of the base, and all of Osborne’s tax measures on international tax and the digital economy.
I don’t fully agree with all of the measures he was responsible for but they were all fully thought through, logically consistent and well communicated to businesses.
His reign is still looked back on as a golden era by tax folk.
if ever a party needed ten years in opposition to sort itself out it is the Conservatives. That volcanoes are not so much exhausted as fifty million years dormant and solidly plugged with basalt. it is our misfortune as a country, that for the reasons above, you look at the labour front bench and see very little noticeable improvement. A party that regards Annalise Dodds as the height of political talent, regardless of her many intellectual qualifications, is a party that is not going to have a major eruption of talent of its own. But they will at least be different and offer a chance for renewal and refreshment in our democratic system.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Next Tory PM in 2034
I'm in my early 60s. I have yet to be convinced that I will live long enough to see another Tory PM. A recovery from 2024 is more than a single generation event.
Nigel Farage? He would argue he is the embodiment of UK Conservatism.
I am not sure I would agree, but it's not my side of the fence so I don't fully understand what makes one a Conservative.
Farage is a rightwing populist not a Tory, if he won an overall majority or most seats and took power with support from the rump of Conservative MPs then Reform and the Conservatives would merge within a few years most likely and we would never have a Tory PM again.
Only PR could enable a distinctive and separate Conservative party to survive
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
They made believing in not just Brexit, but a damaging hard Brexit, a purity test, and everyone not foolish enough has left or was driven away
Poor quality candidates and MP’s considerably pre-date 2016.
Certainly so, and in all parties.
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
And yet, if the next Conservative PM isn't yet in Parliament, it's hard to see the party surviving long enough for them to complete the long march to Downing Street.
As for the effect of Boris's purge, I suspect the issue isn't so much the famous faces that were cut down as the people we didn't hear of in the lower ranks, or who just never joined up. The ones who would have been useful junior frontbenchers now and might have been ready for government when they were needed in 2035 or so.
As things stand, hardly anyone who is young, professional, ambitious... who really ought to be a young Conservative... wants anything to do with the party.
I suspect that's on the money. Getting selected for a seat as a Tory unless you had ultra Brexit views has been difficult for some years, and many sensible people won't even have tried
Such people would have even less chance of getting selected by Reform now
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
You're basically listing everyone you like, because they tried to frustrate Brexit.
And you're a Lib Dem.
This stuff isn't hard for the rest of us to figure out.
At the time of the last leadership election Priti was the only one of the 6 Tory leadership candidates with worse negative ratings than Kemi, so she could even if she has more oomph
The reason Priti Patel has worse negative ratings is that she has a personality, both public, and apparently private, that even grates on her colleagues. The voters seem to loathe her even more.
Good morning everyone. Fine bright day in the Witham constituency!
And while I don't vote for Dame Priti, I have met her a few times and she's usually very pleasant. I also know people who do vote for her and they speak highly of her.n She put's herself about in the constituency, too.
I am surprised by the comments about her as well. Whereas, like you I don't agree with her politics at all, I don't find her unpleasant in any other way. She has a sense of humour, isn't aggressive when speaking and pleasant on the eye.
Priti's main problems are she is quite short, speaks with an Essex accent, but most of all, she did not go to Oxbridge. Kemi is also non-Oxbridge. There is still an element of snobbery in the establishment – party; civil service; media from the posh papers to the BBC. It is the same reason Kinnock and IDS were not taken seriously. It should not matter but it does.
Oh yes, and running her own, private, foreign policy.
Farage didn't go to Oxbridge either but like non Oxbridge Churchill he still went to a major public school unlike all those you name which gives him half entrance to the establishment on educational background even if the establishment can't stand his views.
To be fully accepted in the traditional British establishment you need to have been to a public school and Oxbridge, even Thatcher had some snobbery amongst Tory grandees about being a grammar school educated daughter of a grocer even if she had been to Oxford.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
The issue with GP surgeries is the variation in service. Some are good and proactive. Others, like yours, are hopeless.
The Lansley 'reforms' were disastrous for primary care in many parts of the country.
One of the coalition's worst pieces of policy.
The trouble was that no-one could understand them. Except him. And I question if he did either.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
Or maybe people aren't obsessed with having a new car in the same way. Both my parents were driving 20 year old cars until recently because it wasn't necessary to change them. Litter is a problem though.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
The roads are an absolute disgrace. Not just the massive potholes and litter, both disgusting and dangerous, but now the A331 north from Aldershot to Farnborough, and the A31 from Farnham to Guildford have major roadsigns almost totally consumed by foliage growth, and noone bothers to trim it.
On topic, when your course is run, it’s run. The Conservatives no longer have a big, natural constituency, just a legacy vote.
Yet as I said MoreinCommon still has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour 22% and the LDs 15%.
On that scenario the Conservatives could reclaim the mantle of party of the centre ground
The centre is not a void, unlike Boris. Boris wins by appealing to those who like well told fairy tales, which is also a big chunk of Farage's charm. For the country, a Boris return would therefore actually be a good thing as it splits the power of that vote. For your party he will destroy it, but it is probably dying anyway.
Boris saved the country and party from Corbyn and Farage in 2019 and at the moment is the only Tory who could see off Farage still
The definition of political impotence is watching European leaders talking about what ought to happen in Ukraine, when they don't have the military power to back up anything they're saying.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
The roads are an absolute disgrace. Not just the massive potholes and litter, both disgusting and dangerous, but now the A331 north from Aldershot to Farnborough, and the A31 from Farnham to Guildford have major roadsigns almost totally consumed by foliage growth, and noone bothers to trim it.
It's only a matter of time before someone recommends that road signs be removed altogether because a lot people just use screens to navigate, forgetting — as usual — that a lot of people still do things the old-fashioned way.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
Awkward realities.
1 The UK looks poorer because it is poorer. (The UK model probably does a better job of turning money into a good life than the USA one, but that only gets you so far.)
2 A big part of the UK's problem is having been poorly governed.
3 In a democracy, poor government is the responsibility of the voters. The choices we have made, and the howling at any attempt to get us to pay more over decades, have landed us in this state.
4 Part of Faragism is a reaction to that.
Question I don't know the answer to, but I have bad vibes about:
5 Is Farage a solution to the problems, or yet another turn of the screw that has got us here?
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
Average mileage of US car per year: 13500. UK, 7400.
(This, by the way, is why Americans get especially grumpy about unreliable cars like Land Rovers. It's not how many miles between dealership mechanic visits which stick in the mind, but number of weeks or months...)
The definition of political impotence is watching European leaders talking about what ought to happen in Ukraine, when they don't have the military power to back up anything they're saying.
Combined if they really pooled all their resources they could but that would require cuts in other areas for the massively increased defence spending
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
You're basically listing everyone you like, because they tried to frustrate Brexit.
And you're a Lib Dem.
This stuff isn't hard for the rest of us to figure out.
I think you are jumping to conclusions based upon your opinion of the poster. I had dealings with Letwin on an issue that had nothing whatsoever to do with Brexit, in fact it was a cross party issue. He was very impressive. Took time to get into the detail, unlike most other MPs, got stuck in and had no pretensions. He addressed me by my first name and me him from early on.
I think you will find that @NickPalmer also had a similar opinion as we discussed him over lunch one day. He was also very impressed.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
Awkward realities.
1 The UK looks poorer because it is poorer. (The UK model probably does a better job of turning money into a good life than the USA one, but that only gets you so far.)
2 A big part of the UK's problem is having been poorly governed.
3 In a democracy, poor government is the responsibility of the voters. The choices we have made, and the howling at any attempt to get us to pay more over decades, have landed us in this state.
4 Part of Faragism is a reaction to that.
Question I don't know the answer to, but I have bad vibes about:
5 Is Farage a solution to the problems, or yet another turn of the screw that has got us here?
If Brexit, Johnson and Trump are points of reference for recent decline, Farage helped facilitate all three.
On topic, when your course is run, it’s run. The Conservatives no longer have a big, natural constituency, just a legacy vote.
Yet as I said MoreinCommon still has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour 22% and the LDs 15%.
On that scenario the Conservatives could reclaim the mantle of party of the centre ground
I don’t think the Conservatives could hold a seat in a by-election, right now.
If a Boris led Tories takes the lead again as MiC suggests Boris would romp home in a by election in a seat the Tories held even last year
Boris's time has come and gone. I met some relatives over Easter who were very keen on Reform. However, they were equally keen on Boris back in the day but were now referring to him as 'that bloke with the silly hair'. It's almost like magic Boris never existed.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
Consistently the most eloquent and confident media performer of the Cameron years, so much so that he was wheeled out to cover topics that weren’t officially his remit.
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
A thoroughly nice man into the bargain.
So nothing then.
And that isn't me being flippantly dismissive - what you've listed here doesn't contain a single achievement.
Indeed taken as a whole, your summary paints a picture of someone being able, but for whatever reason, more interested in being a political insider than actually improving anyone's lot.
As for his 'help on justice policy' for Starmer, that was a gimmick to make the Tory Party look ridiculous, and that Gauke was willing to participate in such a gimmick simply underlines why the party is better off without him.
As predicted, the police are enjoying the "conspiracy to cause a public nuisance" law. The difficulty here is not only could it prevent most protests from happening, but even discussion of one can lead to an arrest.
On topic, when your course is run, it’s run. The Conservatives no longer have a big, natural constituency, just a legacy vote.
Yet as I said MoreinCommon still has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour 22% and the LDs 15%.
On that scenario the Conservatives could reclaim the mantle of party of the centre ground
I don’t think the Conservatives could hold a seat in a by-election, right now.
If a Boris led Tories takes the lead again as MiC suggests Boris would romp home in a by election in a seat the Tories held even last year
Boris's time has come and gone. I met some relatives over Easter who were very keen on Reform. However, they were equally keen on Boris back in the day but were now referring to him as 'that bloke with the silly hair'. It's almost like magic Boris never existed.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
Good afternoon everyone. The difference between Cameron and all the rest is basic competence, but if the Tories reappoint Johnson, they don’t deserve to survive.
Cameron was not basically competent. He looked the part, certainly, but so many problems stem directly from his time as leader.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
Yes, they are supposed to be a party of pragmatists, but people like Gauke and Grieve acted like fanatics when the vote went against them. Cameron indulged the Europhiles too much and it ended up destroying the party.
On topic, when your course is run, it’s run. The Conservatives no longer have a big, natural constituency, just a legacy vote.
Yet as I said MoreinCommon still has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour 22% and the LDs 15%.
On that scenario the Conservatives could reclaim the mantle of party of the centre ground
I don’t think the Conservatives could hold a seat in a by-election, right now.
If a Boris led Tories takes the lead again as MiC suggests Boris would romp home in a by election in a seat the Tories held even last year
Boris's time has come and gone. I met some relatives over Easter who were very keen on Reform. However, they were equally keen on Boris back in the day but were now referring to him as 'that bloke with the silly hair'. It's almost like magic Boris never existed.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I don't often agree with you these days but on this point you are bob-on.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
Yes, they are supposed to be a party of pragmatists, but people like Gauke and Grieve acted like fanatics when the vote went against them. Cameron indulged the Europhiles too much and it ended up destroying the party.
Give your head a wobble. You know this isn't true. Back in the day you were more than aware Brexit would most likely turn into a fiasco.
And says what of any use? Gangs run so many prisons, whether OCG or Islamist. Much prison violence is about showing who is in charge. Still, it is good to know that under ToryLab privatisation rules, Serco will keep their probation contract despite past failures.
On topic, when your course is run, it’s run. The Conservatives no longer have a big, natural constituency, just a legacy vote.
Yet as I said MoreinCommon still has a Boris led Conservatives on 26%, with Reform on 23% and Labour 22% and the LDs 15%.
On that scenario the Conservatives could reclaim the mantle of party of the centre ground
I don’t think the Conservatives could hold a seat in a by-election, right now.
If a Boris led Tories takes the lead again as MiC suggests Boris would romp home in a by election in a seat the Tories held even last year
Boris's time has come and gone. I met some relatives over Easter who were very keen on Reform. However, they were equally keen on Boris back in the day but were now referring to him as 'that bloke with the silly hair'. It's almost like magic Boris never existed.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
Yes, they are supposed to be a party of pragmatists, but people like Gauke and Grieve acted like fanatics when the vote went against them. Cameron indulged the Europhiles too much and it ended up destroying the party.
Give your head a wobble. You know this isn't true. Back in the day you were more than aware Brexit would most likely turn into a fiasco.
The mistake was treating it as something existential and Cameron has a lot of responsibility for that. He should have stayed neutral during the referendum and stayed in office to deliver it.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
Yes, they are supposed to be a party of pragmatists, but people like Gauke and Grieve acted like fanatics when the vote went against them. Cameron indulged the Europhiles too much and it ended up destroying the party.
Give your head a wobble. You know this isn't true. Back in the day you were more than aware Brexit would most likely turn into a fiasco.
There’s no evidence new williamglenn is the same as the old williamglen, although both versions are categorically insane.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
We do the private sector better than America, because we have sufficient controls to ensure they have certain standards. We do the public sector badly, because we expect them to do too much without enough money.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
Consistently the most eloquent and confident media performer of the Cameron years, so much so that he was wheeled out to cover topics that weren’t officially his remit.
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
A thoroughly nice man into the bargain.
So nothing then.
And that isn't me being flippantly dismissive - what you've listed here doesn't contain a single achievement.
Indeed taken as a whole, your summary paints a picture of someone being able, but for whatever reason, more interested in being a political insider than actually improving anyone's lot.
As for his 'help on justice policy' for Starmer, that was a gimmick to make the Tory Party look ridiculous, and that Gauke was willing to participate in such a gimmick simply underlines why the party is better off without him.
If only we had someone able now, in any position of responsibility.
And says what of any use? Gangs run so many prisons, whether OCG or Islamist. Much prison violence is about showing who is in charge. Still, it is good to know that under ToryLab privatisation rules, Serco will keep their probation contract despite past failures.
'James Timpson told the Guardian that Prison Service staff who worked with criminal gangs to smuggle drugs and contraband into jails were being targeted by a “beefed up” counter-corruption unit that last year prosecuted 37 officers.'
And says what of any use? Gangs run so many prisons, whether OCG or Islamist. Much prison violence is about showing who is in charge. Still, it is good to know that under ToryLab privatisation rules, Serco will keep their probation contract despite past failures.
'James Timpson told the Guardian that Prison Service staff who worked with criminal gangs to smuggle drugs and contraband into jails were being targeted by a “beefed up” counter-corruption unit that last year prosecuted 37 officers.'
Clear conflict of interest, he is never going to want to throw away the keys.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
For which it's worth pointing out as @williamglenn does below - it was only Farage given Bozo a free run that gave him and the Tories that 2019 election result.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I think history will show that Nigel's greatest move was sitting out the 2019 election so the Tories took the blame in implementing a Brexit that was never going to please anyone..
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
For which it's worth pointing out as @williamglenn does below - it was only Farage given Bozo a free run that gave him and the Tories that 2019 election result.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I think history will show that Nigel's greatest move was sitting out the 2019 election so the Tories took the blame in implementing a Brexit that was never going to please anyone..
That's a load of nonsense.
Firstly Farage sat it out as he knew voters were going to vote for Boris's Tories so why be humiliated. Sitting it out gave him the opportunity to claim credit while saving face.
Secondly nobody besides die hard Remainers is pissed off due to Brexit. People got pissed off with Boris's Tories due to lockdown and parties and double-standards and all sorts of other stuff.
Thinking about it a bit, here's some thoughts on what Kemi should do. The overarching idea is to win a series of consecutive victories, in increasing circles. These being, in Central Office, the Shadow Cabinet, the PCP (and Home Nations PCPs), the members/activists/councillors, and (sadly probably to a localised degree) the electorate. You fight the battle on your terms, win one, you take that territory, you fight the next. At the same time, the policy agenda needs to accelerate and be visibly taking shape. It's indefensible for Tories to have nothing to go on except defending the Sunak Government.
I think this because it has occurred to me recently how little Kemi has achieved within the party, when following the devastating defeat in the locals, someone briefs to the press that she 'spent the day doomscrolling on her phone'. I mean, there can't have been more than three or four people with her in the room. That sort of gratuitous disloyalty by those closest will never, ever result in an election victory. And it is totally absent from Reform, or, despite the the Governments' travails, Labour.
In CCHQ, I suggest what Kemi does (and I admit this aligns with my personal wishes) is lets David Campbell-Bannerman and Priti Patel (moving Patel to Party Chairman) and the Conservative Democratic Movement go through the party aparatus like a dose of salts. No more Dougie and crew. No more backbiters. This is existential now, because much as Kemi was put there by these forces, they will turn on her (and already are) in favour of Reform, as power ebbs from the Tories. Sack everyone and put a totally new team in.
Once CCHQ is a functioning, Tory-supporting organisation, concentrate on more effective Shadow Cabinet. This point was made on The Daily T, where are some of the Shadow Cabinet? Mel Stride is pants imo, but at least he's out there. Where is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? For that matter, WHO is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? I don't even know what he looks like, and I'm a politics nut. I think Hunt should shadow Health. Jenrick to be promoted to Shadow Home Sec. Get rid of the dead wood.
The PCP then needs to be LED. They need to be united around Kemi's fabled 'plan' and it would not hurt the party at all to have a Clause 4 moment and lose a few Simon Hoares and Caroline Nokes to the Lib Dems on a particular issue. Leaving the ECHR would be a fair one to choose. If anything, it would hurt the Lib Dems at the next election to be seen as a rest home for disgruntled Tories.
Will continue later...
Continued...
Also in parliament, two small victories would be the additions of Rupert Lowe and Rosie Duffield. Both are long shots. Rosie probably stands more chance of being re-elected as an independent than a Tory, but I suppose she could be given a peerage in that event, if the Tories still exist to give it to her.
With a potentially reduced but focused PCP, the activist and member base needs to be shored up. Local Associations need to decide the parliamentary candidates, not be given shortlists, and the central party only to have a role in vetting and rejecting candidates in clear cut cases of unsuitability, according to written rules. Members should also have an active role in setting the direction of policy. That contrasts favourably with Reform, who are very much a top-down organisation. The Party could also lean on its members more financially - organising more ticketed events - 'premiumisation' £50-£100 a head, getting a broader base of support than just billionaire donations. The Spectator Magazine would be the model for that.
Electorally, at the moment it's bleak, but basically the Tories need to be where Reform aren't. That's hardly anywhere really, but I think the next big opportunity is the London Mayoralty. Cleverly or Boris would be OK candidates. Boris would be my preference. Then go hell for leather for the best possible result. Reform will also go big, but if the Tory candidate gets an early poll lead, some right wing people will go over to get Khan out.
Then there's the list system in the Scottish Parliament where we're a little bit shyer of Farage than down south.
In the 'air war' the Party needs to get their policies in the public eye a lot more quickly.
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
For which it's worth pointing out as @williamglenn does below - it was only Farage given Bozo a free run that gave him and the Tories that 2019 election result.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I think history will show that Nigel's greatest move was sitting out the 2019 election so the Tories took the blame in implementing a Brexit that was never going to please anyone..
Which points to something that I can't be sure of, may be unfair to Farage, but makes my spidey sense tingle.
In 2017, when the shape of Brexit was still up in the air, Farage didn't stand as a Westminster candidate. Same in 2019. He waited until awfully late to become a candidate in 2024, and pushed out the already-chosen Reform candidate to nab a promising seat.
When responsibility reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Does Brave not-Sir Nigel really want to spend his late sixties running the country instead of heckling from the sidelines like Waldorf and Statler? It's not obvious that he does.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Was he? What did he do that you find first rate?
Consistently the most eloquent and confident media performer of the Cameron years, so much so that he was wheeled out to cover topics that weren’t officially his remit.
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
A thoroughly nice man into the bargain.
So nothing then.
And that isn't me being flippantly dismissive - what you've listed here doesn't contain a single achievement.
Indeed taken as a whole, your summary paints a picture of someone being able, but for whatever reason, more interested in being a political insider than actually improving anyone's lot.
As for his 'help on justice policy' for Starmer, that was a gimmick to make the Tory Party look ridiculous, and that Gauke was willing to participate in such a gimmick simply underlines why the party is better off without him.
If only we had someone able now, in any position of responsibility.
They're delivering a dreadful damaging agenda. In this instance, it's good that they're incompetent.
Thinking about it a bit, here's some thoughts on what Kemi should do. The overarching idea is to win a series of consecutive victories, in increasing circles. These being, in Central Office, the Shadow Cabinet, the PCP (and Home Nations PCPs), the members/activists/councillors, and (sadly probably to a localised degree) the electorate. You fight the battle on your terms, win one, you take that territory, you fight the next. At the same time, the policy agenda needs to accelerate and be visibly taking shape. It's indefensible for Tories to have nothing to go on except defending the Sunak Government.
I think this because it has occurred to me recently how little Kemi has achieved within the party, when following the devastating defeat in the locals, someone briefs to the press that she 'spent the day doomscrolling on her phone'. I mean, there can't have been more than three or four people with her in the room. That sort of gratuitous disloyalty by those closest will never, ever result in an election victory. And it is totally absent from Reform, or, despite the the Governments' travails, Labour.
In CCHQ, I suggest what Kemi does (and I admit this aligns with my personal wishes) is lets David Campbell-Bannerman and Priti Patel (moving Patel to Party Chairman) and the Conservative Democratic Movement go through the party aparatus like a dose of salts. No more Dougie and crew. No more backbiters. This is existential now, because much as Kemi was put there by these forces, they will turn on her (and already are) in favour of Reform, as power ebbs from the Tories. Sack everyone and put a totally new team in.
Once CCHQ is a functioning, Tory-supporting organisation, concentrate on more effective Shadow Cabinet. This point was made on The Daily T, where are some of the Shadow Cabinet? Mel Stride is pants imo, but at least he's out there. Where is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? For that matter, WHO is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? I don't even know what he looks like, and I'm a politics nut. I think Hunt should shadow Health. Jenrick to be promoted to Shadow Home Sec. Get rid of the dead wood.
The PCP then needs to be LED. They need to be united around Kemi's fabled 'plan' and it would not hurt the party at all to have a Clause 4 moment and lose a few Simon Hoares and Caroline Nokes to the Lib Dems on a particular issue. Leaving the ECHR would be a fair one to choose. If anything, it would hurt the Lib Dems at the next election to be seen as a rest home for disgruntled Tories.
Will continue later...
Continued...
Also in parliament, two small victories would be the additions of Rupert Lowe and Rosie Duffield. Both are long shots. Rosie probably stands more chance of being re-elected as an independent than a Tory, but I suppose she could be given a peerage in that event, if the Tories still exist to give it to her.
With a potentially reduced but focused PCP, the activist and member base needs to be shored up. Local Associations need to decide the parliamentary candidates, not be given shortlists, and the central party only to have a role in vetting and rejecting candidates in clear cut cases of unsuitability, according to written rules. Members should also have an active role in setting the direction of policy. That contrasts favourably with Reform, who are very much a top-down organisation. The Party could also lean on its members more financially - organising more ticketed events - 'premiumisation' £50-£100 a head, getting a broader base of support than just billionaire donations. The Spectator Magazine would be the model for that.
Electorally, at the moment it's bleak, but basically the Tories need to be where Reform aren't. That's hardly anywhere really, but I think the next big opportunity is the London Mayoralty. Cleverly or Boris would be OK candidates. Boris would be my preference. Then go hell for leather for the best possible result. Reform will also go big, but if the Tory candidate gets an early poll lead, some right wing people will go over to get Khan out.
Then there's the list system in the Scottish Parliament where we're a little bit shyer of Farage than down south.
In the 'air war' the Party needs to get their policies in the public eye a lot more quickly.
More to come (audible groans)
Bozo now has baggage so I really can't see him having a chance as London Mayor - Cleverly would be the appropriate choice, clearly competent and famous enough to have a chance...
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
For which it's worth pointing out as @williamglenn does below - it was only Farage given Bozo a free run that gave him and the Tories that 2019 election result.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I think history will show that Nigel's greatest move was sitting out the 2019 election so the Tories took the blame in implementing a Brexit that was never going to please anyone..
Which points to something that I can't be sure of, may be unfair to Farage, but makes my spidey sense tingle.
In 2017, when the shape of Brexit was still up in the air, Farage didn't stand as a Westminster candidate. Same in 2019. He waited until awfully late to become a candidate in 2024, and pushed out the already-chosen Reform candidate to nab a promising seat.
When responsibility reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Does Brave not-Sir Nigel really want to spend his late sixties running the country instead of heckling from the sidelines like Waldorf and Statler? It's not obvious that he does.
The party of working people who voted against more workers rights . Whose last manifesto meant huge cuts to public services . Reform are a one trick pony .
The party of working people who voted against more workers rights . Whose last manifesto meant huge cuts to public services . Reform are a one trick pony .
We've already seen Reform present different policies to different sets of voters. And remember a lot of people don't pay much attention to the news - it's very plausible that Reform can target voters with something that looks good to working class workers because the consequences of the full manifesto aren't made clear to people.
In "not everything is shite" news, phoned 111 at 6pm last night, GP phoned me at 8pm, prescription ready at 9.30am this morning, follow up GP appointment Monday at 3pm.
10/10. I did mention it was affecting my marathon training which seemed to energise the process.
Good grief, that's a pleasant surprise.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
My last visit to A&E was definitively called by my gp at the time back in 2009. When I got to a&e the receptionist didn't even take my details she just got me straight in to treatment as apparently I was turning blue as couldn't breathe. The taxi driver that got me there more or less carried me in.
Why? I have asthma, my coat was stolen with my inhaler in. My gp said they couldn't issue a prescription as I was due a lung function test before they would issue a new prescription....heres a date you can come in which was 18 days away. 2 days later had a bad attack
The collapse of the Tories is entirely explainable by Brexit. They completely trashed their brand.
For which it's worth pointing out as @williamglenn does below - it was only Farage given Bozo a free run that gave him and the Tories that 2019 election result.
Nigel's role in Boris's landslide shouldn't be forgotten. Farage giveth a free run, and Farage taketh away.
I think history will show that Nigel's greatest move was sitting out the 2019 election so the Tories took the blame in implementing a Brexit that was never going to please anyone..
Farage was forced into not standing candidates in Conservative held constituencies.
Given the choice he intended to block Brexit from happening so that he could constantly proclaim that it had been betrayed.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
Or maybe people aren't obsessed with having a new car in the same way. Both my parents were driving 20 year old cars until recently because it wasn't necessary to change them. Litter is a problem though.
IMO the litter problem is mainly about self-respect, and not having any.
The symptom is no respect for others, but underlying that is no respect for self.
The party of working people who voted against more workers rights . Whose last manifesto meant huge cuts to public services . Reform are a one trick pony .
We've already seen Reform present different policies to different sets of voters. And remember a lot of people don't pay much attention to the news - it's very plausible that Reform can target voters with something that looks good to working class workers because the consequences of the full manifesto aren't made clear to people.
See as a prime example Trump last year...
The danger is it turns Trump like where Reform inclined voters start calling any criticisms fake news and become so delusional that Farage could threaten to cull the old and they still vote for him.
I couldn't go out on the streets and knock-up for the Conservatives today because what I thought they stood for - competent government, fiscal balance, business, strong defence, effective on crime and justice, controlled borders, low taxes and a country built on strong families and communities - doesn't appear to be the case.
Instead they became a byword for self-indulgence, venality and incompetence and seemed to be heavily aroused by infighting.
So why would I?
The Conservatives’ pool of talent ran out, at some point in the early years of this century, and since then, they’ve been running on fumes.
I look at Hampshire Tory MPs like Sir George Young and James Arbuthnot who were around until the last 10 years and...
There's simply no-one who comes close now.
I suspect that Boris' purge had something to do with it. So, if he were to return the situation at and near the top would be worse, not better.
It did not help, but the only real first rater among the purged was Kenneth Clarke,
Gauke was a first rater. Among the others, Letwin and Stewart were both very interesting characters and Grieve was highly competent.
Had Gauke even reached cabinet level ?
Was Grieve highly competent ?
Letwin brought disaster to everything he was involved in.
Stewart was an interesting character but he also predicted an easy Harris victory.
Whatever, all of them could have continued to be Conservative MPs if they had been willing to accept a democrat decision and the will of the vast majority of the Conservative party.
Thinking about it a bit, here's some thoughts on what Kemi should do. The overarching idea is to win a series of consecutive victories, in increasing circles. These being, in Central Office, the Shadow Cabinet, the PCP (and Home Nations PCPs), the members/activists/councillors, and (sadly probably to a localised degree) the electorate. You fight the battle on your terms, win one, you take that territory, you fight the next. At the same time, the policy agenda needs to accelerate and be visibly taking shape. It's indefensible for Tories to have nothing to go on except defending the Sunak Government.
I think this because it has occurred to me recently how little Kemi has achieved within the party, when following the devastating defeat in the locals, someone briefs to the press that she 'spent the day doomscrolling on her phone'. I mean, there can't have been more than three or four people with her in the room. That sort of gratuitous disloyalty by those closest will never, ever result in an election victory. And it is totally absent from Reform, or, despite the the Governments' travails, Labour.
In CCHQ, I suggest what Kemi does (and I admit this aligns with my personal wishes) is lets David Campbell-Bannerman and Priti Patel (moving Patel to Party Chairman) and the Conservative Democratic Movement go through the party aparatus like a dose of salts. No more Dougie and crew. No more backbiters. This is existential now, because much as Kemi was put there by these forces, they will turn on her (and already are) in favour of Reform, as power ebbs from the Tories. Sack everyone and put a totally new team in.
Once CCHQ is a functioning, Tory-supporting organisation, concentrate on more effective Shadow Cabinet. This point was made on The Daily T, where are some of the Shadow Cabinet? Mel Stride is pants imo, but at least he's out there. Where is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? For that matter, WHO is Shadow Health Sec Ed Argar? I don't even know what he looks like, and I'm a politics nut. I think Hunt should shadow Health. Jenrick to be promoted to Shadow Home Sec. Get rid of the dead wood.
The PCP then needs to be LED. They need to be united around Kemi's fabled 'plan' and it would not hurt the party at all to have a Clause 4 moment and lose a few Simon Hoares and Caroline Nokes to the Lib Dems on a particular issue. Leaving the ECHR would be a fair one to choose. If anything, it would hurt the Lib Dems at the next election to be seen as a rest home for disgruntled Tories.
Will continue later...
Continued...
Also in parliament, two small victories would be the additions of Rupert Lowe and Rosie Duffield. Both are long shots. Rosie probably stands more chance of being re-elected as an independent than a Tory, but I suppose she could be given a peerage in that event, if the Tories still exist to give it to her.
With a potentially reduced but focused PCP, the activist and member base needs to be shored up. Local Associations need to decide the parliamentary candidates, not be given shortlists, and the central party only to have a role in vetting and rejecting candidates in clear cut cases of unsuitability, according to written rules. Members should also have an active role in setting the direction of policy. That contrasts favourably with Reform, who are very much a top-down organisation. The Party could also lean on its members more financially - organising more ticketed events - 'premiumisation' £50-£100 a head, getting a broader base of support than just billionaire donations. The Spectator Magazine would be the model for that.
Electorally, at the moment it's bleak, but basically the Tories need to be where Reform aren't. That's hardly anywhere really, but I think the next big opportunity is the London Mayoralty. Cleverly or Boris would be OK candidates. Boris would be my preference. Then go hell for leather for the best possible result. Reform will also go big, but if the Tory candidate gets an early poll lead, some right wing people will go over to get Khan out.
Then there's the list system in the Scottish Parliament where we're a little bit shyer of Farage than down south.
In the 'air war' the Party needs to get their policies in the public eye a lot more quickly.
More to come (audible groans)
Bozo now has baggage so I really can't see him having a chance as London Mayor - Cleverly would be the appropriate choice, clearly competent and famous enough to have a chance...
Cleverly has crossover appeal but no chance of denting Reform's vote. Boris 'might' have crossover appeal and 'might' stand a chance of denting Reform's vote. As ever he's the long shot. But easier to test the theory in London than anywhere else.
Comments
The Tories have a particular issue in having only 120 MPs to choose from, and a substantial share of those being either discredited by being in the last government, on defection watch, mad as a box of frogs, or all of the above.
The next Tory PM is not on the front bench at present, may not even be in parliament and possibly not yet born.
Between the expenses scandal, the near wipe out of the LDs in 2015, the Brexit purges, the Corbyn years, the Labour losses of 2019 and the Tory meltdown of 2024 we have had an astonishing turnover. Social Media and related disillusionment has led even more to stand down.
Some of the current backbenchers may eventually distinguish themselves, but the 2029 election is likely to cause massive turnover again, and elect a bunch of inexperienced Reform paper candidates.
I can't get an appointment with my GP at all. Phone up and they're always fully booked, get told to do the 8am lottery. A few days of that gets a spot on the day's triage list, the guardian of which always concludes my issues are not serious enough to require being seen that day, so no appointment.
As for the effect of Boris's purge, I suspect the issue isn't so much the famous faces that were cut down as the people we didn't hear of in the lower ranks, or who just never joined up. The ones who would have been useful junior frontbenchers now and might have been ready for government when they were needed in 2035 or so.
As things stand, hardly anyone who is young, professional, ambitious... who really ought to be a young Conservative... wants anything to do with the party.
(If the Tories do want to coax a former leader out of retirement, they don’t want Boris. They want Ruth Davidson.)
Herniate a disc, though, and they're useless.
But he's wrong on several accounts. Firstly, especially at the mad rates he has seen fit to impose, it is impossible for exporters to the US to simply absorb the tariffs so they pass them on to the US consumer in higher prices. Secondly, in many cases, there are no US competitors to compete with. The exporter can take advantage of their monopoly position to pass the whole of the cost on. Thirdly, he thinks like a property mogul focused on short term deals. The stability and long term investment required to build a factory in the US and build demand to substitute domestic production for the import is completely alien to him. The uncertainty of his policies makes that pay back period even longer.
So, right now, the US has higher inflation because of tariffs. They have disruption in supply chains hindering domestic production. They have the consequences of retaliatory action by other countries. Their position as the reserve currency of the world is seriously at risk. They have higher interest rates with the Fed unwilling to match the cut in base rates we had this week. As policy disasters go, this is up there.
I suspect that's on the money. Getting selected for a seat as a Tory unless you had ultra Brexit views has been difficult for some years, and many sensible people won't even have tried
See also the NHS supervised diet.
NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme
https://www.england.nhs.uk/diabetes/treatment-care/diabetes-remission/
The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is a joint initiative between NHS England and Diabetes UK available to eligible people in England.
This programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight.
The programme is based on research showing that a 3-month specially formulated diet comprising of total diet replacement products including soups and shakes, followed by healthy lifestyle support helped people living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight to lose over 10kg in weight, improve their blood sugar levels, reduce diabetes-related medication and, in almost half of participants, put their type 2 diabetes into remission. Early data from the programme has shown that weight loss was similar to that seen in the clinical trials.
Learning from the programme will help to build knowledge and understanding about the use of interventions such as this and the impact they might have on the treatment of people living with type 2 diabetes in the future...
And in fact I wonder how many of the events of the last 10 years (Brexit and the takeover of the Tory Part by loonies included) would have happened if the Lib Dems hadn't been neutered as a political force.
Next Tory PM in 2034
But we've an electoral system which doesn't award representation in any sense of proportion with public opinion, a dearth of competent, let alone talented politicians, and a deep seated fiscal problem.
And a government which is moving possibly in a sensible direction, but doing so at a snail's pace.
Apart from that we're just a bit fractious.
The verges along the M40 yesterday were strewn with litter, and the road itself feels pinched and patchy. Road infrastructure is much better in New York State. The cars, too, were notably less modern. This is a poorer country.
But oh the English spring and the hawthorn hedges abloom, while the quality of product at the Sainsbury’s I just went to would be simply incomprehensible to the American mind.
One of the coalition's worst pieces of policy.
If that's any consolation ?
Universally popular amongst the civil service departments and SPAds who worked for him as an attentive, motivating and fair boss who was on top of his brief.
Probably the politician in the last 2 decades with the deepest technical understanding of the tax system and how tax actually works, impressive enough that I got him on to a podcast to talk international tax last year and he was as on top of the details as many of my colleagues.
Similar diligence in his role in justice that the current government decided to bring him in to help on justice policy.
A thoroughly nice man into the bargain.
I was evidencing Sean_F's point about the well of talent running dry, and no-one replacing them.
Labour were purely an ejection mechanism and, now, the electorate may have found a much better one.
Coming off the tunnel in Calais on to silky-smooth half empty motorways is always a jolt to the senses.
I am not sure I would agree, but it's not my side of the fence so I don't fully understand what makes one a Conservative.
I don’t fully agree with all of the measures he was responsible for but they were all fully thought through, logically consistent and well communicated to businesses.
His reign is still looked back on as a golden era by tax folk.
if ever a party needed ten years in opposition to sort itself out it is the Conservatives. That volcanoes are not so much exhausted as fifty million years dormant and solidly plugged with basalt. it is our misfortune as a country, that for the reasons above, you look at the labour front bench and see very little noticeable improvement. A party that regards Annalise Dodds as the height of political talent, regardless of her many intellectual qualifications, is a party that is not going to have a major eruption of talent of its own. But they will at least be different and offer a chance for renewal and refreshment in our democratic system.
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2022/10/28/lessons-from-history/
Only PR could enable a distinctive and separate Conservative party to survive
And you're a Lib Dem.
This stuff isn't hard for the rest of us to figure out.
Until the next time.
To be fully accepted in the traditional British establishment you need to have been to a public school and Oxbridge, even Thatcher had some snobbery amongst Tory grandees about being a grammar school educated daughter of a grocer even if she had been to Oxford.
Any reform like that is bound to fail.
1 The UK looks poorer because it is poorer. (The UK model probably does a better job of turning money into a good life than the USA one, but that only gets you so far.)
2 A big part of the UK's problem is having been poorly governed.
3 In a democracy, poor government is the responsibility of the voters. The choices we have made, and the howling at any attempt to get us to pay more over decades, have landed us in this state.
4 Part of Faragism is a reaction to that.
Question I don't know the answer to, but I have bad vibes about:
5 Is Farage a solution to the problems, or yet another turn of the screw that has got us here?
(This, by the way, is why Americans get especially grumpy about unreliable cars like Land Rovers. It's not how many miles between dealership mechanic visits which stick in the mind, but number of weeks or months...)
I think you will find that @NickPalmer also had a similar opinion as we discussed him over lunch one day. He was also very impressed.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5293611-donald-trump-india-pakistan-conflict-cool-down/
He's going for the Peace Prize.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/08/gangs-influence-jails-keeps-me-awake-james-timpson-prisons
Something in there for PB Gauke afficionados too.
And that isn't me being flippantly dismissive - what you've listed here doesn't contain a single achievement.
Indeed taken as a whole, your summary paints a picture of someone being able, but for whatever reason, more interested in being a political insider than actually improving anyone's lot.
As for his 'help on justice policy' for Starmer, that was a gimmick to make the Tory Party look ridiculous, and that Gauke was willing to participate in such a gimmick simply underlines why the party is better off without him.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/10/police-raid-london-quaker-meeting-house-very-worrying
https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/media/2cyg5l1m/more-in-common-post-election-briefing-4.pdf (p48)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14696587/NIGEL-FARAGE-victory-Reform-era-government-Net-Zero-immigration.html
Firstly Farage sat it out as he knew voters were going to vote for Boris's Tories so why be humiliated. Sitting it out gave him the opportunity to claim credit while saving face.
Secondly nobody besides die hard Remainers is pissed off due to Brexit. People got pissed off with Boris's Tories due to lockdown and parties and double-standards and all sorts of other stuff.
Also in parliament, two small victories would be the additions of Rupert Lowe and Rosie Duffield. Both are long shots. Rosie probably stands more chance of being re-elected as an independent than a Tory, but I suppose she could be given a peerage in that event, if the Tories still exist to give it to her.
With a potentially reduced but focused PCP, the activist and member base needs to be shored up. Local Associations need to decide the parliamentary candidates, not be given shortlists, and the central party only to have a role in vetting and rejecting candidates in clear cut cases of unsuitability, according to written rules. Members should also have an active role in setting the direction of policy. That contrasts favourably with Reform, who are very much a top-down organisation. The Party could also lean on its members more financially - organising more ticketed events - 'premiumisation' £50-£100 a head, getting a broader base of support than just billionaire donations. The Spectator Magazine would be the model for that.
Electorally, at the moment it's bleak, but basically the Tories need to be where Reform aren't. That's hardly anywhere really, but I think the next big opportunity is the London Mayoralty. Cleverly or Boris would be OK candidates. Boris would be my preference. Then go hell for leather for the best possible result. Reform will also go big, but if the Tory candidate gets an early poll lead, some right wing people will go over to get Khan out.
Then there's the list system in the Scottish Parliament where we're a little bit shyer of Farage than down south.
In the 'air war' the Party needs to get their policies in the public eye a lot more quickly.
More to come (audible groans)
In 2017, when the shape of Brexit was still up in the air, Farage didn't stand as a Westminster candidate. Same in 2019. He waited until awfully late to become a candidate in 2024, and pushed out the already-chosen Reform candidate to nab a promising seat.
When responsibility reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Does Brave not-Sir Nigel really want to spend his late sixties running the country instead of heckling from the sidelines like Waldorf and Statler? It's not obvious that he does.
I may, of course, be doing him a cruel injustice.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14696587/NIGEL-FARAGE-victory-Reform-era-government-Net-Zero-immigration.html
The Reform energy plans would result in price rises and power cuts.
See as a prime example Trump last year...
Why? I have asthma, my coat was stolen with my inhaler in. My gp said they couldn't issue a prescription as I was due a lung function test before they would issue a new prescription....heres a date you can come in which was 18 days away. 2 days later had a bad attack
Given the choice he intended to block Brexit from happening so that he could constantly proclaim that it had been betrayed.
The symptom is no respect for others, but underlying that is no respect for self.
Was Grieve highly competent ?
Letwin brought disaster to everything he was involved in.
Stewart was an interesting character but he also predicted an easy Harris victory.
Whatever, all of them could have continued to be Conservative MPs if they had been willing to accept a democrat decision and the will of the vast majority of the Conservative party.
They weren't purged, they were fanatics.