Gossip and hearsay, however Charlie is the chap who broke the Rosindell defection before it happened (getting furious denials from his team 48 hours before he jumped) and the Jamie Evans one a week or so before it happened, so linking for the interest of those who like a bit of gossip from a source with at least some track record.
(In other words if you only like cold hard facts, move along, ive caveated as much as i'm gonna, dyor etc)
That's superbly Machiavellian from Labour, if true. Nothing unifies like some bampot attempt at a no-confidence vote.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Indeed but there is zero chance of a snap general election, even if Labour changed PM this year
Gossip and hearsay, however Charlie is the chap who broke the Rosindell defection before it happened (getting furious denials from his team 48 hours before he jumped) and the Jamie Evans one a week or so before it happened, so linking for the interest of those who like a bit of gossip from a source with at least some track record.
That sounds highly implausible. In fact, and of course I may be wrong, I'm calling it bollocks.
The story is laughable. Going into the lobby with the opposition and you’d not have the votes to win and would be on record . So what would be the point and also likely it would see you deselected at the next election .
Clive Lewis: McSweeney “was not an aberration”, but “the tip of an iceberg. What he represents is a political culture that has dominated Labour for a generation. A culture forged under Blair and Mandelson that taught the party to be relaxed about extreme wealth, comfortable in the orbit of billionaires, lobbyists and corporate power, and increasingly detached from the lives of the people it was created to represent. The Mandelson scandal matters because it exposes that culture in its rawest form. Proximity to wealth and power was not a by-product. It was the point.”
I gues you don't like truth when you see it.. you just send out chaff
From a Conservative Party of view, couldn’t number 10 be stronger now with a divisive figure no longer heading up the operation. Also could a change to a new PM prove to Labours advantage, there is danger the public start listening to Labour again with a new voice and personality at the top. I’m currently convinced an improving economy and cost of living in coming years won’t help Labour in the polls if it’s Starmer and Rachel to take credit for it, but voters might think the new people at top improved cost of living and the economy and give them the credit for it.
Tentative theory: Those whose politics is driven by Starmer Derangement Syndrome will see this as a big win. (I've got vague recollections of similar whoops of joy with some of the early New Labour resignations, possibly including Mandy 1.0).
Calmer heads, and those who want to see a return to some sort of sane right-of-centre government... less so. A fox has been shot, sure, and a wily one at that. But if you get rid of the object of all the hatred before the election, that doesn't entirely help.
Yes.
Inflation at 2% for a long time starting this summer quickly drags down interest rates, and growth at 2% a year from 2028 should make it hard work for opposition parties to unseat a government at the only elections which actually matter.
The voters have clearly made their mind up about Starmer, and Rachel from accounts too, so unlikely to give them all the credit for improving household income, their presence will be a drag on polling and seat winning, but a fresh change at top of Labour coinciding with nations finances on the up brings dangers for the opposition parties.
I definitely have a point. It starts with polling rise for Farage’s UKIP after the Pasty Tax budget, meaning it’s not Farage and his party that created the rise, but how voters instinctively react to economic news in their polling answers. What I am explaining here is something proven how it works.
Labour should see if Michael Carrick is free.
No. I see it as different than a new manager bounce in football. It is a real thing in football, but internal - Man Utd had the whole mood, morale and confidence reset when the nasty weirdo the playing group hated, left the building. That might work internally where team in number 10 work better with McSweeny going. But change of Party leader only works in UK politics if it has an external affect on voters. Last Conservative government tried it twice had no bounce of any lasting merit, but change Starmer and Reeves will get a huge bounce for Labour from the electorate, that could be cemented if the good economic news keeps on coming in coming years.
Only significant bounce Labour could have got was from Burnham but they blocked him returning as an MP
I go see Dad for the afternoon and miss all the drama! Gotta be drama central tomorrow, especially with Farage having another rally with 'special guests' (lol) after we find out what Keir does next
Reform had a Labour MP lined up after Jenrick. But they backed away for some reason - Reform had some bad publicity of the back of Jenrick and Labour seemed to gain some in the polls. I suppose that it might be back on now.
It might not be a defection, they are unveiling the 'shadow cabinet' (lol, with their 8 MPs) so it might be that, if not...... Can't think of any big Tory names - Lam said nope. Rees Mogg perhaps. Of MPs, McVey is probably the biggest name likely to go now but shes said no many times Labour - Glasman maybe after todays comments. Stringer? Soon see
"I had a mirthless laugh at the New Statesman’s cover this week, which characterised the Mandelson affair as “the scandal of the century”. Guys, it’s not even the biggest scandal of the scandal."
She's right (for once). There are hundreds of fairly poor , vulnerable girls who were sexually abused by this monster and his "friends". That is the scandal of Epstein, so much more serious than his corruption, his use of private information given to him by the likes of Mandelson. These girls were destroyed. Those that played a part in that really need to be held to account. Mandelson should be too, don't get me wrong, but the real victims remain invisible here.
Yes. This should be about the victims of Epstein's sexual abuse and trafficking but it isn't. Note how the Mandelson scandal has exploded to these levels only because of the 'info leaking' aspect. That is deemed more important.
I don't think that the lobbying and insider trading aspect is considered more important, it is more that it is the new issue.
The abuse and trafficking of girls and women has been known about for years.
Quite why there hasn't been a systematic investigation and series of interviews with these women is a question for the American authorities. While the Epstein files corroborate, and case against the perpatrators surely requires witnesses.
If the leaking aspect isn't deemed the more important how come we didn't get this level of political and pundit reaction with the previous revelations when Mandelson was sacked?
I go see Dad for the afternoon and miss all the drama! Gotta be drama central tomorrow, especially with Farage having another rally with 'special guests' (lol) after we find out what Keir does next
Reform had a Labour MP lined up after Jenrick. But they backed away for some reason - Reform had some bad publicity of the back of Jenrick and Labour seemed to gain some in the polls. I suppose that it might be back on now.
Was it an MP? My recollection was they spoke about a "Labour figure", hence throwing names like Hoey, Stuart and Glasman around.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
Clive Lewis: McSweeney “was not an aberration”, but “the tip of an iceberg. What he represents is a political culture that has dominated Labour for a generation. A culture forged under Blair and Mandelson that taught the party to be relaxed about extreme wealth, comfortable in the orbit of billionaires, lobbyists and corporate power, and increasingly detached from the lives of the people it was created to represent. The Mandelson scandal matters because it exposes that culture in its rawest form. Proximity to wealth and power was not a by-product. It was the point.”
I gues you don't like truth when you see it.. you just send out chaff
From a Conservative Party of view, couldn’t number 10 be stronger now with a divisive figure no longer heading up the operation. Also could a change to a new PM prove to Labours advantage, there is danger the public start listening to Labour again with a new voice and personality at the top. I’m currently convinced an improving economy and cost of living in coming years won’t help Labour in the polls if it’s Starmer and Rachel to take credit for it, but voters might think the new people at top improved cost of living and the economy and give them the credit for it.
Tentative theory: Those whose politics is driven by Starmer Derangement Syndrome will see this as a big win. (I've got vague recollections of similar whoops of joy with some of the early New Labour resignations, possibly including Mandy 1.0).
Calmer heads, and those who want to see a return to some sort of sane right-of-centre government... less so. A fox has been shot, sure, and a wily one at that. But if you get rid of the object of all the hatred before the election, that doesn't entirely help.
Yes.
Inflation at 2% for a long time starting this summer quickly drags down interest rates, and growth at 2% a year from 2028 should make it hard work for opposition parties to unseat a government at the only elections which actually matter.
The voters have clearly made their mind up about Starmer, and Rachel from accounts too, so unlikely to give them all the credit for improving household income, their presence will be a drag on polling and seat winning, but a fresh change at top of Labour coinciding with nations finances on the up brings dangers for the opposition parties.
I definitely have a point. It starts with polling rise for Farage’s UKIP after the Pasty Tax budget, meaning it’s not Farage and his party that created the rise, but how voters instinctively react to economic news in their polling answers. What I am explaining here is something proven how it works.
Labour should see if Michael Carrick is free.
As said earlier
Very real chance 2% inflation 2.5% base rate mortgage rates starting with a 2 by early 2027.
@EdKrassen · 2h BREAKING: Democrat Chasity Martinez just defeated her Republican opponent in the Louisiana State House 60 Special Election by about 23 points. It’s s district that Trump won in 2024 by 13 points. That’s a huge 36 point swing in favor of the Democrats.
Apart from the incorrect swing figure (needs to be divided by 2, at least for a UK conception of swing), we should also note that this is comparing the 2024 Presidential vote to the State House by-election. You should really be comparing with the last State House election. This is actually a Democrat hold on that basis.
But, yes, a very good result for the Democrats.
Technically it is a swing against them as Chad Brown was unopposed at the previous election.
I don't think we should read too much into it. Gratifying though it would be to see Useless Johnson go the way of Massive Johnson, I will believe it when I see it.
Gossip and hearsay, however Charlie is the chap who broke the Rosindell defection before it happened (getting furious denials from his team 48 hours before he jumped) and the Jamie Evans one a week or so before it happened, so linking for the interest of those who like a bit of gossip from a source with at least some track record.
That sounds highly implausible. In fact, and of course I may be wrong, I'm calling it bollocks.
It could well be. But i have been following this chap and he's been getting some good info from somewhere so i found it interesting without putting my shirt or pants on it
You'd need a f*** load of Labour dissenters to bring down the Government. Like I said, bollocks.
"I had a mirthless laugh at the New Statesman’s cover this week, which characterised the Mandelson affair as “the scandal of the century”. Guys, it’s not even the biggest scandal of the scandal."
She's right (for once). There are hundreds of fairly poor , vulnerable girls who were sexually abused by this monster and his "friends". That is the scandal of Epstein, so much more serious than his corruption, his use of private information given to him by the likes of Mandelson. These girls were destroyed. Those that played a part in that really need to be held to account. Mandelson should be too, don't get me wrong, but the real victims remain invisible here.
Yes. This should be about the victims of Epstein's sexual abuse and trafficking but it isn't. Note how the Mandelson scandal has exploded to these levels only because of the 'info leaking' aspect. That is deemed more important.
I don't think that the lobbying and insider trading aspect is considered more important, it is more that it is the new issue.
The abuse and trafficking of girls and women has been known about for years.
Quite why there hasn't been a systematic investigation and series of interviews with these women is a question for the American authorities. While the Epstein files corroborate, and case against the perpatrators surely requires witnesses.
If the leaking aspect isn't deemed the more important how come we didn't get this level of political and pundit reaction with the previous revelations when Mandelson was sacked?
Maybe because it was, initially, just like Mandy's other resignations. First a story, then the denial, then the denial is shown to be a lie. He was sheltering behind "I'm gay, so I knew nothing" remember.
The depth of his lies and the extent of his betrayal were new. Police searching his homes is new. Talk of Misconduct in a Public office is new for Mandy.
It went from MandyScandal VXXXIII to something else.
Keep trying and never give up, one day you might come up with a decent nickname for a politician.
The other day, the pedant in me had to heroically and selflessly correct some guy who wrote a PB article claiming that SKS had been PM for only 18 months instead of 19 months. Deary, deary me!
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
Noone. There is no challenger and will be no challenger. Cleverly will be the London Mayoral candidate because he knows he's very unlikely to hold Braintree and he will front Tory London '28 and if he loses do his term as opposition lead in the Assembly then to the Lords (is my best guess)
Clive Lewis: McSweeney “was not an aberration”, but “the tip of an iceberg. What he represents is a political culture that has dominated Labour for a generation. A culture forged under Blair and Mandelson that taught the party to be relaxed about extreme wealth, comfortable in the orbit of billionaires, lobbyists and corporate power, and increasingly detached from the lives of the people it was created to represent. The Mandelson scandal matters because it exposes that culture in its rawest form. Proximity to wealth and power was not a by-product. It was the point.”
I gues you don't like truth when you see it.. you just send out chaff
From a Conservative Party of view, couldn’t number 10 be stronger now with a divisive figure no longer heading up the operation. Also could a change to a new PM prove to Labours advantage, there is danger the public start listening to Labour again with a new voice and personality at the top. I’m currently convinced an improving economy and cost of living in coming years won’t help Labour in the polls if it’s Starmer and Rachel to take credit for it, but voters might think the new people at top improved cost of living and the economy and give them the credit for it.
Tentative theory: Those whose politics is driven by Starmer Derangement Syndrome will see this as a big win. (I've got vague recollections of similar whoops of joy with some of the early New Labour resignations, possibly including Mandy 1.0).
Calmer heads, and those who want to see a return to some sort of sane right-of-centre government... less so. A fox has been shot, sure, and a wily one at that. But if you get rid of the object of all the hatred before the election, that doesn't entirely help.
Yes.
Inflation at 2% for a long time starting this summer quickly drags down interest rates, and growth at 2% a year from 2028 should make it hard work for opposition parties to unseat a government at the only elections which actually matter.
The voters have clearly made their mind up about Starmer, and Rachel from accounts too, so unlikely to give them all the credit for improving household income, their presence will be a drag on polling and seat winning, but a fresh change at top of Labour coinciding with nations finances on the up brings dangers for the opposition parties.
I definitely have a point. It starts with polling rise for Farage’s UKIP after the Pasty Tax budget, meaning it’s not Farage and his party that created the rise, but how voters instinctively react to economic news in their polling answers. What I am explaining here is something proven how it works.
Labour should see if Michael Carrick is free.
No. I see it as different than a new manager bounce in football. It is a real thing in football, but internal - Man Utd had the whole mood, morale and confidence reset when the nasty weirdo the playing group hated, left the building. That might work internally where team in number 10 work better with McSweeny going. But change of Party leader only works in UK politics if it has an external affect on voters. Last Conservative government tried it twice had no bounce of any lasting merit, but change Starmer and Reeves will get a huge bounce for Labour from the electorate, that could be cemented if the good economic news keeps on coming in coming years.
Two possible factors.
One is that McSweeney seems (from this distance) to have rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. Weren't there rumblings during the 2024 campaign? You can get away with that if you're winning, but even then it's unwise.
The other is the intensity of the hatred some have for Starmer. Remove him and that dissipates a bit, at least for a bit. But it's a card that would be better played in 2027/8, not now.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
Noone. There is no challenger and will be no challenger. Cleverly will be the London Mayoral candidate because he knows he's very unlikely to hold Braintree and he will front Tory London '28 and if he loses do his term as opposition lead in the Assembly then to the Lords (is my best guess)
Cleverly is more likely to be elected Tory leader and hold Braintree than he is to be elected next Mayor of London
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
Noone. There is no challenger and will be no challenger. Cleverly will be the London Mayoral candidate because he knows he's very unlikely to hold Braintree and he will front Tory London '28 and if he loses do his term as opposition lead in the Assembly then to the Lords (is my best guess)
That runs to a very disappointing consolation prize when PM in waiting is on the table.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Robert Peston @Peston · 8m Pretty much every Labour MP to whom I have spoken today says there will be a putsch against Starmer if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of the month (so long as he hasn’t quit of his own accord before then - which would be out of character)
Would you say Tony Blair was ousted as Labour leader or not?
No. He had already announced he was leaving: although it was maybe brought forward by a year because of the febrile atmosphere, his exit was largely of his own devising.
The last Labour leader to be actually forced out, against his will, was George Lansbury in 1935. He was also the only full-time Labour leader other than John Smith since 1922 who didn't fight a general election as leader.
Would you say Tony Blair was ousted as Labour leader or not?
No. He had already announced he was leaving: although it was maybe brought forward by a year because of the febrile atmosphere, his exit was largely of his own devising.
The last Labour leader to be actually forced out, against his will, was George Lansbury in 1935. He was also the only full-time Labour leader other than John Smith since 1922 who didn't fight a general election as leader.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
Noone. There is no challenger and will be no challenger. Cleverly will be the London Mayoral candidate because he knows he's very unlikely to hold Braintree and he will front Tory London '28 and if he loses do his term as opposition lead in the Assembly then to the Lords (is my best guess)
That runs to a very disappointing consolation prize when PM in waiting is on the table.
He has experience of London having been the assembly member for Bexley and Bromley. My theory depends somewhat on his concluding the future of the parliamentary party being with the next generation - the Lams, Frenchs and Rankins etc who have rather cleaner hands and then deciding his best shot at a last big job is in London with a Tory return to government probably at least 8 to 10 years away (when he will be approaching pensionable age)
I realise i have a tendancy to post in the emphatic when i shouldnt be. Oh well, everyone can sue me
Robert Peston @Peston · 8m Pretty much every Labour MP to whom I have spoken today says there will be a putsch against Starmer if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of the month (so long as he hasn’t quit of his own accord before then - which would be out of character)
My holiday/break ends two days after the by-election.
Robert Peston @Peston · 8m Pretty much every Labour MP to whom I have spoken today says there will be a putsch against Starmer if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of the month (so long as he hasn’t quit of his own accord before then - which would be out of character)
And what form will this "putsch!" take?
There's no such thing as a vote of no confidence.
For any challenge of any kind someone has to get 81 nominations.
Who is going to get 81 nominations in the next 18 days?
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Would you say Tony Blair was ousted as Labour leader or not?
No. He had already announced he was leaving: although it was maybe brought forward by a year because of the febrile atmosphere, his exit was largely of his own devising.
The last Labour leader to be actually forced out, against his will, was George Lansbury in 1935. He was also the only full-time Labour leader other than John Smith since 1922 who didn't fight a general election as leader.
Blair would have stayed without Brown's insisting. He was effectively forced out
Robert Peston @Peston · 8m Pretty much every Labour MP to whom I have spoken today says there will be a putsch against Starmer if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of the month (so long as he hasn’t quit of his own accord before then - which would be out of character)
And what form will this "putsch!" take?
There's no such thing as a vote of no confidence.
For any challenge of any kind someone has to get 81 nominations.
Who is going to get 81 nominations in the next 18 days?
The Cabinet especially the Chief Whip could go to him and say the game is up.
That seems more likely to me the day after Gorton than some kind of stalking horse with 81 signatures.
"He appointed Mandelson to the top job in British diplomacy knowing full well that Mandelson remained friends with a CONVICTED child rapist. "
Well now. Let me introduce you to Baron Doyle of Great Barcors, formerly Matthew Doyle, Labour Party Director of Communications from 2021 onwards then Downing Street Director of Communications until March 2025 and appointed a Labour peer in December 2025.
He was a friend of Scottish Labour councillor, Sean Morton. In 2016 he was charged with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was dropped as a Labour councillor and stood as an independent and Matthew Doyle, a Labour Party member, campaigned for him. Isn't this a hanging offence in Labour, campaigning for anyone other than Labour? Never mind.
Sean Morton was subsequently convicted of other child sex abuse image charges and jailed last year. Labour has been very unclear whether Doyle maintained his friendship with Morton after his 2017 conviction. Some sort of vetting investigation has been carried out but Labour refuses to reveal what it says.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy is another one who had a friendship with this sex offender, which continued after his conviction. As a result has said she won't be seeking re-election to Holyrood.
If appointing a friend of a convicted sex offender as ambassador is wrong, why is it ok to appoint such a person to the Lords as a legislator? And if Doyle cut his ties with Morton years ago the moment he was convicted, why doesn't Labour say so clearly?
"He appointed Mandelson to the top job in British diplomacy knowing full well that Mandelson remained friends with a CONVICTED child rapist. "
Well now. Let me introduce you to Baron Doyle of Great Barcors, formerly Matthew Doyle, Labour Party Director of Communications from 2021 onwards then Downing Street Director of Communications until March 2025 and appointed a Labour peer in December 2025.
He was a friend of Scottish Labour councillor, Sean Morton. In 2016 he was charged with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was dropped as a Labour councillor and stood as an independent and Matthew Doyle, a Labour Party member, campaigned for him. Isn't this a hanging offence in Labour, campaigning for anyone other than Labour? Never mind.
Sean Morton was subsequently convicted of other child sex abuse image charges and jailed last year. Labour has been very unclear whether Doyle maintained his friendship with Morton after his 2017 conviction. Some sort of vetting investigation has been carried out but Labour refuses to reveal what it says.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy is another one who had a friendship with this sex offender, which continued after his conviction. As a result has said she won't be seeking re-election to Holyrood.
If appointing a friend of a convicted sex offender as ambassador is wrong, why is it ok to appoint such a person to the Lords as a legislator? And if Doyle cut his ties with Morton years ago the moment he was convicted, why doesn't Labour say so clearly?
And don't get us started on Margaret 'Dodgy Hodgy' Hodge and her distinctly dubious behaviour regarding paedophile gangs in Islington's children's homes.
"He appointed Mandelson to the top job in British diplomacy knowing full well that Mandelson remained friends with a CONVICTED child rapist. "
Well now. Let me introduce you to Baron Doyle of Great Barcors, formerly Matthew Doyle, Labour Party Director of Communications from 2021 onwards then Downing Street Director of Communications until March 2025 and appointed a Labour peer in December 2025.
He was a friend of Scottish Labour councillor, Sean Morton. In 2016 he was charged with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was dropped as a Labour councillor and stood as an independent and Matthew Doyle, a Labour Party member, campaigned for him. Isn't this a hanging offence in Labour, campaigning for anyone other than Labour? Never mind.
Sean Morton was subsequently convicted of other child sex abuse image charges and jailed last year. Labour has been very unclear whether Doyle maintained his friendship with Morton after his 2017 conviction. Some sort of vetting investigation has been carried out but Labour refuses to reveal what it says.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy is another one who had a friendship with this sex offender, which continued after his conviction. As a result has said she won't be seeking re-election to Holyrood.
If appointing a friend of a convicted sex offender as ambassador is wrong, why is it ok to appoint such a person to the Lords as a legislator? And if Doyle cut his ties with Morton years ago the moment he was convicted, why doesn't Labour say so clearly?
Is cutting ties with a paedo enough for the Lords these days?
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
In real political news, the Newham Independents have leafletted my small corner of the Borough.
I confess to some surprise as this wouldn't be on my list of their targets but clearly they have plenty of money and resources available.
I can see them winning 15 seats easily and 23 at a pinch but beyond that they will need to win Wards with smaller Muslim communities (numerically, not necessarily physically). The Greens will hold Stratford but will need to win two or three other Wards to deprive Labour of a majority on the council.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Technically it was an election that saw Mrs May ousted, the European election of 2019.
"He appointed Mandelson to the top job in British diplomacy knowing full well that Mandelson remained friends with a CONVICTED child rapist. "
Well now. Let me introduce you to Baron Doyle of Great Barcors, formerly Matthew Doyle, Labour Party Director of Communications from 2021 onwards then Downing Street Director of Communications until March 2025 and appointed a Labour peer in December 2025.
He was a friend of Scottish Labour councillor, Sean Morton. In 2016 he was charged with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was dropped as a Labour councillor and stood as an independent and Matthew Doyle, a Labour Party member, campaigned for him. Isn't this a hanging offence in Labour, campaigning for anyone other than Labour? Never mind.
Sean Morton was subsequently convicted of other child sex abuse image charges and jailed last year. Labour has been very unclear whether Doyle maintained his friendship with Morton after his 2017 conviction. Some sort of vetting investigation has been carried out but Labour refuses to reveal what it says.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy is another one who had a friendship with this sex offender, which continued after his conviction. As a result has said she won't be seeking re-election to Holyrood.
If appointing a friend of a convicted sex offender as ambassador is wrong, why is it ok to appoint such a person to the Lords as a legislator? And if Doyle cut his ties with Morton years ago the moment he was convicted, why doesn't Labour say so clearly?
There’s a pattern of behaviour here that’s rather unpleasant.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Poor polling and by election losses removed Thatcher, IDS was removed after poor polling and coming 3rd in the Brent East by election.
May resigned before a VONC in her after disastrous 2019 local and European elections. Johnson was pushed out after the Tories lost the 2022 local elections.
Truss resigned before a VONC after abysmal polls following her 2022 budget
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in power, whoever wins does NOT become PM.
There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Poor polling and by election losses removed Thatcher, IDS was removed after poor polling and coming 3rd in the Brent East by election.
May resigned before a VONC in her after disastrous 2019 local and European elections. Johnson was pushed out after the Tories lost the 2022 local elections.
Truss resigned before a VONC after abysmal polls following her 2022 budget
It's interesting that May, Johnson, and Truss were all protected for a year from a leadership challenge but when a critical mass happens that protection goes out of the window.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Technically it was an election that saw Mrs May ousted, the European election of 2019.
Not helped by them not even bothering to campaign but yeah, ok
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in government, whoever won would NOT become PM. There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
I'm afraid you're wrong.
The threshold has been increased to 1/3 of Con MPs - ie 39 letters now required out of 116 Con MPs.
@christopherhope · 1h ** LATEST ** PM Sir Keir Starmer is expected to address a make or break meeting of his party's backbench MPs in Parliament tomorrow night as he battles to save his premiership, I understand. More now at @GBNEWS .
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
It needs 39 MPs now, the threshold was increased to 33%.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
I'm afraid you're wrong.
The threshold has been increased to 1/3 of Con MPs - ie 39 letters now required out of 116 Con MPs.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
I don’t think so, where did you get that from?
Ah, it was another ‘matter of principle’
Do mes he know what principles are? You’re meant to stick by them aren’t you? Otherwise they’re not principles
Sir Keir spoke in 2020 of how he gave up eating meat 'years ago' for health and environmental reasons.
He told Sky News: 'I gave up as a matter of principle years ago on the basis that eating meat wasn't the right thing for the body and the planet but I have to say, I miss meat.'
…a biography of the Labour leader by ex-spin doctor Tom Baldwin, published in February this year, told how Sir Keir gave in to temptation by tucking into a chicken curry while waiting for a train from Sheffield to London.
He had been given the meal to take away from a campaign event and admitted: 'I opened it sitting on a freezing cold station platform and found it was chicken.
'I wasn't going to get anything else at that time of night, so I ate every morsel - and very good it tasted too.'
"I had a mirthless laugh at the New Statesman’s cover this week, which characterised the Mandelson affair as “the scandal of the century”. Guys, it’s not even the biggest scandal of the scandal."
She's right (for once). There are hundreds of fairly poor , vulnerable girls who were sexually abused by this monster and his "friends". That is the scandal of Epstein, so much more serious than his corruption, his use of private information given to him by the likes of Mandelson. These girls were destroyed. Those that played a part in that really need to be held to account. Mandelson should be too, don't get me wrong, but the real victims remain invisible here.
Yes. This should be about the victims of Epstein's sexual abuse and trafficking but it isn't. Note how the Mandelson scandal has exploded to these levels only because of the 'info leaking' aspect. That is deemed more important.
I don't think that the lobbying and insider trading aspect is considered more important, it is more that it is the new issue.
The abuse and trafficking of girls and women has been known about for years.
Quite why there hasn't been a systematic investigation and series of interviews with these women is a question for the American authorities. While the Epstein files corroborate, and case against the perpatrators surely requires witnesses.
If the leaking aspect isn't deemed the more important how come we didn't get this level of political and pundit reaction with the previous revelations when Mandelson was sacked?
Maybe because it was, initially, just like Mandy's other resignations. First a story, then the denial, then the denial is shown to be a lie. He was sheltering behind "I'm gay, so I knew nothing" remember.
The depth of his lies and the extent of his betrayal were new. Police searching his homes is new. Talk of Misconduct in a Public office is new for Mandy.
It went from MandyScandal VXXXIII to something else.
Yes. The treacherous leaking has gone beyond 'close friendship with sexual abuser'. That's what I mean. That's what has tipped this over.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in government, whoever won would NOT become PM. There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Not long ago you suggested Stride was in the frame. His performances against the not-very- good Reeves have been woeful mind you.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
It needs less than 20 Tory MPs to send letters demanding a VONC in Kemi to Bob Blackman and the 1922 cttee.
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
I'm afraid you're wrong.
The threshold has been increased to 1/3 of Con MPs - ie 39 letters now required out of 116 Con MPs.
Well even then given 65% of Conservative MPs did not vote for Kemi even in the final MP round in the Tory leadership election of 2024, if the Tories come 3rd in May that threshold will easily be reached
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Not Jenrick, not Cleverly - so who is going to topple Kemi?
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
Indeed. The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years Major - resigned after election Hague - ditto IDS - was the ine who was knifed Howard - resigned after election Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess May - resigned as the party fell apart around her Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
Poor polling and by election losses removed Thatcher, IDS was removed after poor polling and coming 3rd in the Brent East by election.
May resigned before a VONC in her after disastrous 2019 local and European elections. Johnson was pushed out after the Tories lost the 2022 local elections.
Truss resigned before a VONC after abysmal polls following her 2022 budget
It's interesting that May, Johnson, and Truss were all protected for a year from a leadership challenge but when a critical mass happens that protection goes out of the window.
It's a curious thing to include, since on its face the idea is to give an embattled leader who survives a challenge a decent shot to then sort out the problems that led to a challenge, but as noted it is not a real defence if things do in fact deteriorate anyway. And leaders surely know that, so know it is not a real defensive measure (not that it stops defenders pretending it is), but I guess it is kept in since the principle of not being able to openly challenge all the time remains a good one.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in government, whoever won would NOT become PM. There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Not long ago you suggested Stride was in the frame. His performances against the not-very- good Reeves have been woeful mind you.
Stride backed Cleverly in the final round in 2024 and I expect would do so again in return for staying Shadow Chancellor
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in government, whoever won would NOT become PM. There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Not long ago you suggested Stride was in the frame. His performances against the not-very- good Reeves have been woeful mind you.
Stride backed Cleverly in the final round in 2024 and I expect would do so again in return for staying Shadow Chancellor
Thank goodness he won't get anywhere near the LOTO gig. Stride is a disaster against a very weak CoE.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
The Metropolitan Police have closed off Matthew Parker Street and Tufton Street on Central London
Drug Enforcement, Terrorist and Border Control Police are searching for a potentially deadly highly dangerous halluconigenic drug that can cause delusion and cause brain cells to implode
I go see Dad for the afternoon and miss all the drama! Gotta be drama central tomorrow, especially with Farage having another rally with 'special guests' (lol) after we find out what Keir does next
Reform had a Labour MP lined up after Jenrick. But they backed away for some reason - Reform had some bad publicity of the back of Jenrick and Labour seemed to gain some in the polls. I suppose that it might be back on now.
Hoey or Gisela Stuart if it is Labour
Absolute dinosaurs of a decade ago
There must be about 20 or so Labour red wall MPs who are going to lose their seats, and don't really have any disagreements with Reform.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
Chicken is about the environmentally friendly meat to eat too*. If it's free range then decent on welfare too. Whenever I go off a politician, I never get to enjoy it for long because there is always a PBer who goes so completely OTT that I end up defending them.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
There seems to be a perception abroad that Wes Streeting is tied to Mandelson. I'm not sure that is the case.
Mandleson met Streeting when they were on opposite sides of negotiating over student matters, when Streeting was NUS President. Mandleson spotted his talent, and took him under his wing thereafter, probably partly explaining Wes’s meteoric rise within the party. There were plenty of photos of Mandy out on the campaign trail with Streeting in Ilford, and posting with his mother in her council flat, most recently deleted from Streeting’s social media feed.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
It's a Starmerclass Masterclass
Google AI says he is a pescatarian. And that his wife is the strict veggie.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
Perhaps that's why he seems to spend so little time there.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
It's a Starmerclass Masterclass
Google AI says he is a pescatarian. And that his wife is the strict veggie.
"I had a mirthless laugh at the New Statesman’s cover this week, which characterised the Mandelson affair as “the scandal of the century”. Guys, it’s not even the biggest scandal of the scandal."
She's right (for once). There are hundreds of fairly poor , vulnerable girls who were sexually abused by this monster and his "friends". That is the scandal of Epstein, so much more serious than his corruption, his use of private information given to him by the likes of Mandelson. These girls were destroyed. Those that played a part in that really need to be held to account. Mandelson should be too, don't get me wrong, but the real victims remain invisible here.
Yes. This should be about the victims of Epstein's sexual abuse and trafficking but it isn't. Note how the Mandelson scandal has exploded to these levels only because of the 'info leaking' aspect. That is deemed more important.
I don't think that the lobbying and insider trading aspect is considered more important, it is more that it is the new issue.
The abuse and trafficking of girls and women has been known about for years.
Quite why there hasn't been a systematic investigation and series of interviews with these women is a question for the American authorities. While the Epstein files corroborate, and case against the perpatrators surely requires witnesses.
If the leaking aspect isn't deemed the more important how come we didn't get this level of political and pundit reaction with the previous revelations when Mandelson was sacked?
Maybe because it was, initially, just like Mandy's other resignations. First a story, then the denial, then the denial is shown to be a lie. He was sheltering behind "I'm gay, so I knew nothing" remember.
The depth of his lies and the extent of his betrayal were new. Police searching his homes is new. Talk of Misconduct in a Public office is new for Mandy.
It went from MandyScandal VXXXIII to something else.
Yes. The treacherous leaking has gone beyond 'close friendship with sexual abuser'. That's what I mean. That's what has tipped this over.
I think there are two parts -
1) The Treachery - to Labour PMs, The Labour Party, Progressives and the national interest. Everyone knew that Mandy hobnobbed wit the rich and shameless. The fact that he was realtiming economic intelligence to Epstein, including advice on how to strong arm his own government. That he was backstabbing Labour PMs as her was supposed to be serving them. That he was conspiring with Peter Fucking Thiel....
2) The Involvement - Mandy had sold everyone on "I hung out with Epstein because I was star struck. And I saw nothing, because I am gay". The reality - Desperate for a CubAm? And the pictures?
It's both parts that did for Mandy.
And it's the depth of that, that is grinding Starmer down. He should have checked - he's a former DPP and should have know that everyone lies. Especially proven serial liars.
Tory HQ is rejoicing. They think Labour will not recover from Starmer’s downfall, that whoever comes next will bring chaos and that the public won’t forgive them. They now see a route back to government in one term, a thought that would have been ridiculous only a few weeks ago.
If the Tories were leading the latest polls they might have a point...but they are third!!!
I agree with you here HYUFD. The Tories arent winning a GE as things stand. A total Labour implosion might save their status as a triple figure seat opposition though. A very immediate GE might be entertaining chaos though. Reform havent even started candidate selection and have no policy documents worked up. The Tories are probably in slightly better shape to jump into an immediate battle (but hardly 'prepared'!)
Who is going to topple Kemi? Not Jenrick now.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
No she doesn't, unlike Labour Tory MPs can have a Vote of No Confidence in their leader to remove them, whereas Labour MPs can only nominate one of their own to launch a leadership challenge to the leader.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
Besides, even if Cleverly is the only sensible choice, plenty of other Conservative MPs will think they have a marshal's baton in their knapsack. There isn't even the 'they're going to be catapulted into Number Ten' constraint.
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
This is NOT 2022, the Tories are NOT in government, whoever won would NOT become PM. There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
Not long ago you suggested Stride was in the frame. His performances against the not-very- good Reeves have been woeful mind you.
Stride backed Cleverly in the final round in 2024 and I expect would do so again in return for staying Shadow Chancellor
Thank goodness he won't get anywhere near the LOTO gig. Stride is a disaster against a very weak CoE.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
It's a Starmerclass Masterclass
Google AI says he is a pescatarian. And that his wife is the strict veggie.
A chicken eating vegetarian can’t be trusted? No way!
Isn't Starmer just vegetarian at home? by reason that his wife and children are vegetarian, but away from home he can be more flexible.
That's so typical of the sort of defence that Starmer needs
Is it?
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
It's a swerving defence, and he ends up pissing off the vegetarians who he initially wanted to impress
It's a Starmerclass Masterclass
Google AI says he is a pescatarian. And that his wife is the strict veggie.
I don’t care what he eats or why
I just care about his severely lacking character
Agreed. I knew he was an utter arse long before he showed me his lunch
Comments
Can't think of any big Tory names - Lam said nope. Rees Mogg perhaps. Of MPs, McVey is probably the biggest name likely to go now but shes said no many times
Labour - Glasman maybe after todays comments. Stringer?
Soon see
I may have misrecalled, of course.
That leaves Cleverly. If Cleverly says he is fully behind Kemi, she stays in place.
I don't think we should read too much into it. Gratifying though it would be to see Useless Johnson go the way of Massive Johnson, I will believe it when I see it.
The depth of his lies and the extent of his betrayal were new. Police searching his homes is new. Talk of Misconduct in a Public office is new for Mandy.
It went from MandyScandal VXXXIII to something else.
And 20/22nds of SKS as PM done
Cleverly will be the London Mayoral candidate because he knows he's very unlikely to hold Braintree and he will front Tory London '28 and if he loses do his term as opposition lead in the Assembly then to the Lords (is my best guess)
One is that McSweeney seems (from this distance) to have rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. Weren't there rumblings during the 2024 campaign? You can get away with that if you're winning, but even then it's unwise.
The other is the intensity of the hatred some have for Starmer. Remove him and that dissipates a bit, at least for a bit. But it's a card that would be better played in 2027/8, not now.
Michael Howard even voted to keep IDS when he lost the 2003 VONC in him but Howard still replaced IDS as leader unopposed
If you want a good laugh, have a look at who threw their hat into the ring in 2022.
Name names.
Those names have to be somebody who will perform better than Kemi.
How do you judge my topical trio of political pun nicknames?
Slalom Sir Keir
Pants Peer
Wacky Zacky
Rubbish!
Robert Peston
@Peston
·
8m
Pretty much every Labour MP to whom I have spoken today says there will be a putsch against Starmer if the party loses the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of the month (so long as he hasn’t quit of his own accord before then - which would be out of character)
The last Labour leader to be actually forced out, against his will, was George Lansbury in 1935. He was also the only full-time Labour leader other than John Smith since 1922 who didn't fight a general election as leader.
You didn’t need to prove it
My theory depends somewhat on his concluding the future of the parliamentary party being with the next generation - the Lams, Frenchs and Rankins etc who have rather cleaner hands and then deciding his best shot at a last big job is in London with a Tory return to government probably at least 8 to 10 years away (when he will be approaching pensionable age)
I realise i have a tendancy to post in the emphatic when i shouldnt be. Oh well, everyone can sue me
There's no such thing as a vote of no confidence.
For any challenge of any kind someone has to get 81 nominations.
Who is going to get 81 nominations in the next 18 days?
I have given up even trying to discuss Kemi with him
I have no idea what his agenda is
How Tony Blair's team fought and failed to see-off Gordon Brown's coup | Tony Blair | The Guardian https://share.google/HStio7okDPWw3YVmF
That seems more likely to me the day after Gorton than some kind of stalking horse with 81 signatures.
Silly names for political leaders on the level of Skyr Toolmakersson.
Ok, I'll play:
Zacky Poldanski
Kembe Badenough
Dead Maybe
I'll get me stoat....
Well now. Let me introduce you to Baron Doyle of Great Barcors, formerly Matthew Doyle, Labour Party Director of Communications from 2021 onwards then Downing Street Director of Communications until March 2025 and appointed a Labour peer in December 2025.
He was a friend of Scottish Labour councillor, Sean Morton. In 2016 he was charged with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was dropped as a Labour councillor and stood as an independent and Matthew Doyle, a Labour Party member, campaigned for him. Isn't this a hanging offence in Labour, campaigning for anyone other than Labour? Never mind.
Sean Morton was subsequently convicted of other child sex abuse image charges and jailed last year. Labour has been very unclear whether Doyle maintained his friendship with Morton after his 2017 conviction. Some sort of vetting investigation has been carried out but Labour refuses to reveal what it says.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy is another one who had a friendship with this sex offender, which continued after his conviction. As a result has said she won't be seeking re-election to Holyrood.
If appointing a friend of a convicted sex offender as ambassador is wrong, why is it ok to appoint such a person to the Lords as a legislator? And if Doyle cut his ties with Morton years ago the moment he was convicted, why doesn't Labour say so clearly?
The Tories dont really have a track record of knifing leaders for poor polling/local elections
Thatcher - it wss just time after 15 years
Major - resigned after election
Hague - ditto
IDS - was the ine who was knifed
Howard - resigned after election
Cameron - ran away like a poncey boots rather than clean up his own mess
May - resigned as the party fell apart around her
Johnson - ousted for being a recidivist idiot
Truss - ousted for being mad as a brush and the party imploding around her
Sunak - resigned after election
Nobody is no confidencing Kemi for losing Essex county council
If the Tories are third on NEV and seats after the May local and devolved elections those letters will go in, a VONC will be held and Kemi will likely be gone. Cleverly would then become leader by coronation
Nigel Fartarse
Kemi Bad-Eunuch (bad-Enoch was taken)
Jedward Davey
I’ll get me coat.
I confess to some surprise as this wouldn't be on my list of their targets but clearly they have plenty of money and resources available.
I can see them winning 15 seats easily and 23 at a pinch but beyond that they will need to win Wards with smaller Muslim communities (numerically, not necessarily physically). The Greens will hold Stratford but will need to win two or three other Wards to deprive Labour of a majority on the council.
May resigned before a VONC in her after disastrous 2019 local and European elections. Johnson was pushed out after the Tories lost the 2022 local elections.
Truss resigned before a VONC after abysmal polls following her 2022 budget
There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
There is no alternative to Cleverly he would get it by coronation now Jenrick has gone
The threshold has been increased to 1/3 of Con MPs - ie 39 letters now required out of 116 Con MPs.
Surprised you didn't know this.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rule-change-makes-harder-tories-150928851.html
Christopher Hope📝
@christopherhope
·
1h
** LATEST ** PM Sir Keir Starmer is expected to address a make or break meeting of his party's backbench MPs in Parliament tomorrow night as he battles to save his premiership, I understand. More now at
@GBNEWS
.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bob-blackman-tories-mps-iain-duncan-smith-kemi-badenoch-b2640186.html
Do mes he know what principles are? You’re meant to stick by them aren’t you? Otherwise they’re not principles
Sir Keir spoke in 2020 of how he gave up eating meat 'years ago' for health and environmental reasons.
He told Sky News: 'I gave up as a matter of principle years ago on the basis that eating meat wasn't the right thing for the body and the planet but I have to say, I miss meat.'
…a biography of the Labour leader by ex-spin doctor Tom Baldwin, published in February this year, told how Sir Keir gave in to temptation by tucking into a chicken curry while waiting for a train from Sheffield to London.
He had been given the meal to take away from a campaign event and admitted: 'I opened it sitting on a freezing cold station platform and found it was chicken.
'I wasn't going to get anything else at that time of night, so I ate every morsel - and very good it tasted too.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13437925/Keir-Starmer-diet-Labour-leader-meat-Sunday-Brunch.html
There are many reasons to get at Starmer, but him agreeing to be vegetarian at home in support of his wife, similarly Friday Night Dinner, are not amongst them.
He obviously supports mine being put down
Are you up for any seats for 2029?
It's a Starmerclass Masterclass
*Venison is vegan
https://bsky.app/profile/dasilvajums.bsky.social/post/3meerz4eao22y
Starmer has embroiled himself in the World's biggest ever child sex trafficking scandal and PBers want him sacked for being a part-time vegan.
Germany and Netherlands pushed the deal through. France tried to block it — Financial Times.
https://x.com/Mylovanov/status/2020589864832610616
I just care about his severely lacking character
My talents are wasted here!
1) The Treachery - to Labour PMs, The Labour Party, Progressives and the national interest. Everyone knew that Mandy hobnobbed wit the rich and shameless. The fact that he was realtiming economic intelligence to Epstein, including advice on how to strong arm his own government. That he was backstabbing Labour PMs as her was supposed to be serving them. That he was conspiring with Peter Fucking Thiel....
2) The Involvement - Mandy had sold everyone on "I hung out with Epstein because I was star struck. And I saw nothing, because I am gay". The reality - Desperate for a CubAm? And the pictures?
It's both parts that did for Mandy.
And it's the depth of that, that is grinding Starmer down. He should have checked - he's a former DPP and should have know that everyone lies. Especially proven serial liars.
I knew he was an utter arse long before he showed me his lunch
UK companies can participate if there's no EU or EFTA alternative, or if delivery time is shorter.
The UK must also pay a fee into the loan's interest costs, estimated at €20B over seven years
🚨 NEW: Nigel Farage will open Reform UK's candidate selections for the general election tomorrow in the hope of selecting the "brightest and best"
https://x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2020603562246471836?s=20