Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Happy birthday, Josias and PB. FPT Josias: What do you make of C.J. Sansom's books? I like their spirit (humane, mildly pro-reform lawyer trying to survive the vicious current of reform and counter-reform) though I feel they've somewhat lost momentum in the latest one. I have no idea how accurate they are.
Thankyou. Having a birthday with a baby feels rather different - like I've aged ten years in the last year rather than one. I'm supposed to be mature now, a father-figure. Yeah, I know ...
As for the question: I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you the accuracy of his books: ydoethur or JL sound as if they might be better targets for the question, if they've read him. I've only read a couple relatively recently, and they're okay-ish, but I doubt I'll read more. Not enough time. :-)
Good. Along with Afzal Amin that is two rotten politicians gone in the same day.
Now we just need to try and dump several thousand more and the world will be a better place.
The Afzal Amin story was a genuine WTF moment.
Like House of Cards meets the Thick of It
I think we'd all be amazed if we knew how many spontaneous public events were organised from behind the scenes to manipulate the public. The difference here was this was small time and the man was an idiot.
Tories can be incredibly stupid but they're not usually suicidal. Mike's right - they won't choose another Old Etonian Bullingdon member.
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband 1m1 minute ago Raising VAT hits pensioners and poorest the hardest. That’s not the sort of government I will lead →
New Labour Election Pledge launched
Meanwhile the Tories have no plans to raise VAT.
So presumably are planning to raise it as in 2010
Can you provide a single scrap of evidence that the Tories are considering a VAT rise after the election?
They have just produced a budget setting out expected spending plans and tax income together with OBR forecasts. Perhaps you can provide us with a link to that?
Bet you said same in 2010.
If they aren't planning to raise it they can match Labours pledge.
If they don't voters will assume they will match the 2010 lie about no plans to raise IMO
Good. Along with Afzal Amin that is two rotten politicians gone in the same day.
Now we just need to try and dump several thousand more and the world will be a better place.
The Afzal Amin story was a genuine WTF moment.
Like House of Cards meets the Thick of It
Both were unbelievably stupid things to do.
The Afzal thing was genuinely machiavellian so there is a kind of perverse attraction to the idea that some politicians really are that callous and manipulative. Restores my faith in my distrust of them all as a breed.
The Atkinson thing was just idiotic troughing that showed how plain stupid she and her assistants were. It has no redeeming elements to it what so ever.
I suppose the two cases might be considered the difference between professionals and amateurs.
Good. Along with Afzal Amin that is two rotten politicians gone in the same day.
Now we just need to try and dump several thousand more and the world will be a better place.
I said she should go after the ting tong comment... You can't have people saying things and pulling stunts like that if you want to be taken seriously as a party. I liked her finger to the green activists though
Happy birthday, Josias and PB. FPT Josias: What do you make of C.J. Sansom's books? I like their spirit (humane, mildly pro-reform lawyer trying to survive the vicious current of reform and counter-reform) though I feel they've somewhat lost momentum in the latest one. I have no idea how accurate they are.
Thankyou. Having a birthday with a baby feels rather different - like I've aged ten years in the last year rather than one. I'm supposed to be mature now, a father-figure. Yeah, I know ...
As for the question: I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you the accuracy of his books: ydoethur or JL sound as if they might be better targets for the question, if they've read him. I've only read a couple relatively recently, and they're okay-ish, but I doubt I'll read more. Not enough time. :-)
Tories can be incredibly stupid but they're not usually suicidal. Mike's right - they won't choose another Old Etonian Bullingdon member.
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
It will not be Boris.
I know you don't like bet challenges but I challenge you to bet that it will be Boris
The way the party elects its leaders is to get two candidates eventually nominated by the party. This means that the make up of the tory party after May 7 is of first importance. Then after that the make up of party members. In five years time sadly some party members will be dead and many will not have joined yet. Perhaps I might join. Who knows. Who knows who will be MPs after 2015. For Cameron to be PM in the first place there must be inevitably quite a few new ones. And so speculation is a bit pointless. Changing a party leader is always fraught with danger. Cameron has perhaps done the Conservatives a service by giving them a long time to think about it.
@enominal: Cameron on BBC flaunting his ability to be in a kitchen less disastrously than two-kitchens Miliband. But would he consider a third kitchen?
When was the last time the Conservatives picked a leader (especially a successful one) who was a contender more than a few years out? I'm not sure Cameron was a front runner in 2003; Howard was a steady-the-ship appointment; IDS - enough said; Hague; Major; Thatcher: surely they were all rather left-field appointments, seen from a few years earlier?
I'd love to see Rory Stewart throw his hat into the ring - then again, he's a lightweight who walked only 6,000 miles in one trip. Pah. ;-)
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
OK ruling out one tax - how about ruling out no increases in income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, national insurance, inheritance tax - plenty to go at there
Yep,tories should hit labour hard on this tomorrow but I have my doubts about the modern day con party if they up for the fight.
Wot - after they duffed up both Miliband and Clegg over the debates?
- and we're still finding new costs, deductibles and taxes from it.
The only good thing that has happened to the USA in the past two decades.
Have you experienced it?
I almost forgot to check that box on the tax return. Wonder what the IRS would have done if I hadn't realised!
Probably not much - they are not doing well in enforcing the tax and Obama has twice unilaterally changed that aspect of the law.
When we got our tax returns done, my wife and my joint return took about 10 minutes. My daughter's, because she had Obamacare for a few months, took over 30 minutes because if you have Obamacare the return generates more forms and is horrendously complex. It took our CPA several runs through his tax software to minimize the cost to my daughter.
Thanks TSE. I'd forgotten. All a long time ago. Whether we'll get to 22 I don't know. I'll be 80
The great fun of the site has been going against whatever has been the general narrative of the time.
Heady days Mike and co. I think I first ventured on the site about 10 years ago, to make a comment about Canterbury's Tory MP Julian Brazier, who killed a young Italian motorcyclist whilst driving on the wrong side of the road in Italy- why Brazier was driving on the wrong side, we can only speculate. I am still appalled that Brazier failed to attend the hearing in Italy, utterly appalled. Perhaps he was busy. Brazier is still PM for Canterbury mind.
BTW, I missed the dispatches program. Is it worth catching up on?
I presume given nothing on the front pages, it really was some bloke shaking hands with top politicians and them giving him the "delighted to meet you...looks at briefing note...Brian"....we would love for you to donate...
UKIP trend looking pretty clear cut - and that is before the campaign even starts.
Of course it might be argued that the campaign will help UKIP given its major party status. But will it? What will that amount to?
Cameron had the first 10 minutes solid on both the BBC1 6pm and 10pm News tonight. I can't imagine Farage getting similar coverage. I fully expect Cameron / Miliband to lead 90% of news programmes during the campaign. Plus of course Farage isn't on the final BBC QT leaders programme.
I think it's one way traffic - I expect both Con and Lab to rise - and UKIP to fall.
UKIP trend looking pretty clear cut - and that is before the campaign even starts.
Of course it might be argued that the campaign will help UKIP given its major party status. But will it? What will that amount to?
Cameron had the first 10 minutes solid on both the BBC1 6pm and 10pm News tonight. I can't imagine Farage getting similar coverage. I fully expect Cameron / Miliband to lead 90% of news programmes during the campaign. Plus of course Farage isn't on the final BBC QT leaders programme.
I think it's one way traffic - I expect both Con and Lab to rise - and UKIP to fall.
When was the last time the Conservatives picked a leader (especially a successful one) who was a contender more than a few years out? I'm not sure Cameron was a front runner in 2003; Howard was a steady-the-ship appointment; IDS - enough said; Hague; Major; Thatcher: surely they were all rather left-field appointments, seen from a few years earlier?
I'd love to see Rory Stewart throw his hat into the ring - then again, he's a lightweight who walked only 6,000 miles in one trip. Pah. ;-)
UKIP trend looking pretty clear cut - and that is before the campaign even starts.
Of course it might be argued that the campaign will help UKIP given its major party status. But will it? What will that amount to?
Cameron had the first 10 minutes solid on both the BBC1 6pm and 10pm News tonight. I can't imagine Farage getting similar coverage. I fully expect Cameron / Miliband to lead 90% of news programmes during the campaign. Plus of course Farage isn't on the final BBC QT leaders programme.
I think it's one way traffic - I expect both Con and Lab to rise - and UKIP to fall.
Not the main news, but I believe (I don't live there) he was given an extended spot on the North West BBC main news program? From what I heard, he was given a fair rub of the green about HSR, those morons attacking him in the pub, etc.
BTW, I missed the dispatches program. Is it worth catching up on?
I presume given nothing on the front pages, it really was some bloke shaking hands with top politicians and them giving him the "delighted to meet you...looks at briefing note...Brian"....we would love for you to donate...
It had its funny moments, and one or two politicians will be feeling a bit embarrassed, but basically you've got it right.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
Well there's a shock...the Guardian brain trust say Cameron has messed up...isn't that the general headline every night these days on Newsnight? Ex-Guardian bods talking to current Guardian bods for 45 mins..The last time I watched it really was that, every single segment.
Raising VAT hits pensioners and poorest the hardest. That’s not the sort of government I will lead → pic.twitter.com/5kytVsJ9fJ
Rather presumptions saying that he *will* lead the government.
Surely he should have used the conditional "would"?
Actually a VAT rise hits the poorest least. The greater the proportion of your income that is spent on vat free, or vat zero/5% rated items the less of a hit it is.
Really is isn't it? Could run and run this right through the campaign. I didn't see the interview but he was probably being honest to the reporter? Definite OG as you say.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
100% cheap gutter sniping, I have met hundreds of Ukip members at various drinks and canvassing, many of them non white, and have never heard any racism at all
I will leave you to it with your blinkers and prejudice for company
@ToryTreasury: Labour confirming tonight they'll put up income tax and national insurance - the "tax rises" Ed M is pledging as part of his deficit promise
BTW, I missed the dispatches program. Is it worth catching up on?
I presume given nothing on the front pages, it really was some bloke shaking hands with top politicians and them giving him the "delighted to meet you...looks at briefing note...Brian"....we would love for you to donate...
It had its funny moments, and one or two politicians will be feeling a bit embarrassed, but basically you've got it right.
Thanks...I might stick it on my big screen above my desk while I work. Doesn't sound like dedicated watching required.
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
The public are seeking honesty from politicians and David Cameron saying he will stand down in 2020 if elected is just that, but the Westminster bubble gets all excited about political conspiracies
I'm wondering if Farage has overdone the wooing of the Tories a bit. Since he's come out with the whole "We see Dave winning and we'd work with him" line the Labour vote seems to have stopped the rot and UKIP has dipped a touch.
Tories can be incredibly stupid but they're not usually suicidal. Mike's right - they won't choose another Old Etonian Bullingdon member.
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
It will not be Boris.
I know you don't like bet challenges but I challenge you to bet that it will be Boris
Of course it'll be Boris. He won a predominantly Labour, liberal, urban, multicultural city; not once, but twice (once whilst the Tories were in power). Boris transcends the Bullingdon club and Tory politics. He is also charismatic and appeals to grassroots Tories. Labour is terrified of Boris.
Boris is the only Tory I wish was a Labour man- he is unique.
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
Oh, I haven't been following her -that's disappointing.
Perhaps there's someone else hiding away. I did think it might be Mad Nad for a while, until she got so low rent she utterly destroyed her chances.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
I thought Labour had a healthy number of former BNP members/councillors?
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
What a load of rubbish. There are bigots in every party. Labour and the Tories are rife with them. This false attempt to pretend that UKIP is the home for bigots is just the established parties trying to hide the embarrassment of the racists and homophobes in their own party.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
Smear of the year.
Pong smeared - If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I think Harry Boota thinks it ain't so,ukip Pakistani born candidate for where I live Bradford west.
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
Thatcher was eurosceptic? She was part of the government that joined the EC, she campaigned to remain in the EC at a referendum, in1986 she set the blueprint for the Single European Act, and entered the ERM in 1990.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
This does not make much sense. Just because a type of voter votes for you doesn't make you that type. I also don't think us Conservatives can push the argument about standing up and challenging the nasty types too far, given that the vast majority of the parliamentary party voted to protect child abusers today. The same goes for the Liberal Democrats.
I was watching a recorded documentary on Churchill today (starting the young 'un on history early), and it reminded me of something.
When the Gallipoli campaign went hauntingly badly, Churchill resigned from the government and went to fight in the trenches, apparently at the warm end of battle. The stories say he showed no little personal bravery.
This made me think: the one and only thing that could possibly have redeemed Blair is if, immediately after resigning as PM, he had gone to fight on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Now there's a pleasant (and utterly unrealistic) thought.
Tories can be incredibly stupid but they're not usually suicidal. Mike's right - they won't choose another Old Etonian Bullingdon member.
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
It will not be Boris.
I know you don't like bet challenges but I challenge you to bet that it will be Boris
Of course it'll be Boris. He won a predominantly Labour, liberal, urban, multicultural city; not once, but twice (once whilst the Tories were in power). Boris transcends the Bullingdon club and Tory politics. He is also charismatic and appeals to grassroots Tories. Labour is terrified of Boris.
Boris is the only Tory I wish was a Labour man- he is unique.
Exactly, proven track record in labour heartlands
If they don't pick him it is utter madness... People don't buy that bullingdon eton rubbish, we aren't all inverse snobs. He is a winner and is good fun, liked by rich and poor in the most diverse city in the uk.. Should be odds on
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
Thatcher was eurosceptic? She was part of the government that joined the EC, she campaigned to remain in the EC at a referendum, in1986 she set the blueprint for the Single European Act, and entered the ERM in 1990.
As someone who was not politically aware during Thatcher's time in office, what I have learned from tales of her since is that she was whatever those who claim her name in modern times want her to be at that particular moment, positive or negative. For anything and everything.
It is arguably a blunder, but it is very modest, and will soon be forgotten as serious issues arise.
Alistair Campbell suddenly looks very haggard and old and ruined. It's like the Picture of Dorian Gray.
Compared to Gove who cannot stop digging deeper.
Yawn. Yeah. Whatev.
Look at Campbell tho. Jeez. Suddenly he looks 60 rather than 40. He looks deeply, deeply haunted.
Well he is 57
But he didn't look it, until now. Plus he looks BAD for 57, whereas before he looked good for 52 or whatever.
In all sincerity I wonder if Iraq haunts him. Surely it must. He's a smart guy and his diaries were brilliant, he is perceptive - and prone to depression.
Ive noticed that age can suddenly catch up with some people. In what can be less than a couple of years people can start to look really really old.
Seeing SeanT's book abbreviated to "T I T", besides bringing a smile to my face, reminded me of a similar event involving a sign.
I was leaving my doctor's office in a medical building a while ago, into which building an imaging company (x-ray, cat scan, MRI etc) was moving.
They were putting up the usual lighted sign on the building - "Sugar Hill Imaging Technology". I pointed out that the shorthand would inevitably be 'shit'.
A quick phone call ensued and the sign was removed, shortly to be replaced with the last word missing.
I was watching a recorded documentary on Churchill today (starting the young 'un on history early), and it reminded me of something.
When the Gallipoli campaign went hauntingly badly, Churchill resigned from the government and went to fight in the trenches, apparently at the warm end of battle. The stories say he showed no little personal bravery.
This made me think: the one and only thing that could possibly have redeemed Blair is if, immediately after resigning as PM, he had gone to fight on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Now there's a pleasant (and utterly unrealistic) thought.
Oh, and thanks all for the birthday wishes.
Happy Birthday JJ.
Blair - utterly contemptible. And I was a labour supporter in 97, though I didn't quite stomach voting for him.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
What a load of rubbish. There are bigots in every party. Labour and the Tories are rife with them. This false attempt to pretend that UKIP is the home for bigots is just the established parties trying to hide the embarrassment of the racists and homophobes in their own party.
Cr@p. 'Oooh look at him he is too muslim!' Why did he have to bother? Because he cannot help himself.
Tories can be incredibly stupid but they're not usually suicidal. Mike's right - they won't choose another Old Etonian Bullingdon member.
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
It will not be Boris.
I know you don't like bet challenges but I challenge you to bet that it will be Boris
Of course it'll be Boris. He won a predominantly Labour, liberal, urban, multicultural city; not once, but twice (once whilst the Tories were in power). Boris transcends the Bullingdon club and Tory politics. He is also charismatic and appeals to grassroots Tories. Labour is terrified of Boris.
Boris is the only Tory I wish was a Labour man- he is unique.
Exactly, proven track record in labour heartlands
If they don't pick him it is utter madness... People don't buy that bullingdon eton rubbish, we aren't all inverse snobs. He is a winner and is good fun, liked by rich and poor in the most diverse city in the uk.. Should be odds on
Being posh in itself isn't a bad thing for the public, it's when you're posh and you give the impression that you look down your nose at people who aren't as rich as you. Cameron and Osborne give that impression (however unfair it might be), Boris and Farage don't.
He does not 'practice any religion'. His wife and children are Christians. You cannot get away from it can you, Muslim mad that's you.
The question is can any of them be a prime minister. Not do they scrub up whiter than white. You are not so colour blind.
Bore off ting tong. I have no problem with him at all I quite like him. Wouldn't vote for him in as I'm not a conservative (unless up against a racist labour candidate for mayor)
These traits are my reasons why I think they won't be next con leader not reasons why I wouldn't vote for them to be so, I wouldn't vote for any of them
But the reason he won't be is because he is a Muslim. Not my fault
Everything I've seen about Sajid Javid looks great. He's both a successful businessman and someone that knows that it's like to live on the wrong side of the tracks. If he gets his policies right, that could be the perfect recipe to unite both wings of the party.
I was watching a recorded documentary on Churchill today (starting the young 'un on history early), and it reminded me of something.
When the Gallipoli campaign went hauntingly badly, Churchill resigned from the government and went to fight in the trenches, apparently at the warm end of battle. The stories say he showed no little personal bravery.
This made me think: the one and only thing that could possibly have redeemed Blair is if, immediately after resigning as PM, he had gone to fight on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Now there's a pleasant (and utterly unrealistic) thought.
Oh, and thanks all for the birthday wishes.
He also took part in the army's last cavalry charge at Omdurman. He was a war correspondent in the Boer War, said there was nothing so exhilarating as being shot at without result, was taken prisoner by the Boers, and escaped.
If you want to know what UKIP are going to be like, you should have listened to the cake debacle in Northern Ireland. I don't believe in gay "marriage" per say as it is and always will be between a man and a woman, but we live in different times..
I think that if I lived amongst the Northern Ireland bigots, I think I'd vote for gay marriage just because these bigots are so appalling.
Vote UKIP.. you have been warned.... they say they won't but you know they will.
Can any PB Tory explain how full 2nd term works? As Gove doesn't seem to know
It means Cameron will not be PM after May 7 2020. If you want advice on how a PM stands down I suggest you ask your friend Tony Blair. Don't expect an honest answer though. Unlike the one we got from Cameron.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
What a load of rubbish. There are bigots in every party. Labour and the Tories are rife with them. This false attempt to pretend that UKIP is the home for bigots is just the established parties trying to hide the embarrassment of the racists and homophobes in their own party.
Cr@p. 'Oooh look at him he is too muslim!' Why did he have to bother? Because he cannot help himself.
It's you that can't help yourself ting tong
You've misread my thoughts and tripped over yourself to react
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
Thatcher was eurosceptic? She was part of the government that joined the EC, she campaigned to remain in the EC at a referendum, in1986 she set the blueprint for the Single European Act, and entered the ERM in 1990.
Thatcher was supportive of a European Community but opposed to a European Union. That was exactly the right position at the time, and is exactly the right position now. David Cameron is entirely right in wanting to renegotiate our relationship so we can return back to a flexible community, as Thatcher wanted.
Isam , you cant help yourself, you restrict what you really want to say, but its there for those who understand. your party is really dangerous, and people need to know how dangerous it is.
If you want to know what UKIP are going to be like, you should have listened to the cake debacle in Northern Ireland. I don't believe in gay "marriage" per say as it is and always will be between a man and a woman, but we live in different times..
I think that if I lived amongst the Northern Ireland bigots, I think I'd vote for gay marriage just because these bigots are so appalling.
Vote UKIP.. you have been warned.... they say they won't but you know they will.
My 'money' as I said is on Priti Patel, because it will be like a Thatcher situation, as narrated by Alan Clarke - in the first round, he went around telling everyone they had to vote for her because it would look awful for the party if a woman didn't get any votes, and they'd never get rid of Heath if he won by too much. So Thatcher got loads of votes and everyone suddenly started talking about how good she would be. Same situation if Priti Patel stands - she can't get no votes, so she might get an unexpectedly high crop in round one, and then fire ahead.
Priti Patel is a fake eurosceptic. Her voting record speaks for itself. She doesn't even come close to Thatcher's level.
Thatcher was eurosceptic? She was part of the government that joined the EC, she campaigned to remain in the EC at a referendum, in1986 she set the blueprint for the Single European Act, and entered the ERM in 1990.
Thatcher was supportive of a European Community but opposed to a European Union. That was exactly the right position at the time, and is exactly the right position now. David Cameron is entirely right in wanting to renegotiate our relationship so we can return back to a flexible community, as Thatcher wanted.
Thatcher also encouraged the Eastward expansion of the EU, to make integration harder.
Boris will be next leader of the Conservative party
Unless they fancy losing for a while
Osborne too unlikeable May too unattractive Hammond too stiff Javid too Muslim
Anyone wants to lay best price Boris I'll have £250
Javid's just about the right amount of muslim. Remember, the racists have jumped ship to ukip.
Ooh rapier like! Its almost made me want to vote for someone other than Ukip
He won't be the next leader of the Tories. Want to lay Boris?
Not right now. It's more likely than not that I'll be able to lay at shorter odds in a few weeks time.
Looking beyond your cheap gutter sniping about racism, I would probably vote for Javid if he stood for London mayor against Lammy, Abbott or khan. He doesn't play racist politics and I quite like him.
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
Hardly cheap gutter sniping, isam. UKIP IS the racist party. They're the party the racists vote for. If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
What a load of rubbish. There are bigots in every party. Labour and the Tories are rife with them. This false attempt to pretend that UKIP is the home for bigots is just the established parties trying to hide the embarrassment of the racists and homophobes in their own party.
Cr@p. 'Oooh look at him he is too muslim!' Why did he have to bother? Because he cannot help himself.
LOL. And you think the Tories don't have their own racists and homophobes.
Once again. My favourite Tory bad penny. Ken Gregory. STILL a Tory councillor after all he has done.
And there are plenty more examples.
I would think tonight you might be more concerned with your own former Parliamentary Candidate who thought it a good idea to do deals with the real racists just so he could get elected.
Of course you are silent on these examples because they are Tories and so must be misunderstood.
Isam , you cant help yourself, you restrict what you really want to say, but its there for those who understand. your party is really dangerous, and people need to know how dangerous it is.
Haha what a load of nonsense! I don't restrict what I say in the slightest
It's dangerous to lemmings like you who would vote for anyone in a blue rosette I suppose
Comments
But I don't think the country as a whole would vote for a Muslim in the climate of Rotherham and jihadi john etc, so it'd be a big mistake to make him leader
As for the question: I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you the accuracy of his books: ydoethur or JL sound as if they might be better targets for the question, if they've read him. I've only read a couple relatively recently, and they're okay-ish, but I doubt I'll read more. Not enough time. :-)
Surely he should have used the conditional "would"?
It will not be Boris.
They'll do what they know best and go back to grass roots conservatism - a state educated leader who knows what ordinary people do. Thats their winning formula and they;ll return to it.
It will not be Boris.
SCHOOLBOY ERROR
If they aren't planning to raise it they can match Labours pledge.
If they don't voters will assume they will match the 2010 lie about no plans to raise IMO
The Afzal thing was genuinely machiavellian so there is a kind of perverse attraction to the idea that some politicians really are that callous and manipulative. Restores my faith in my distrust of them all as a breed.
The Atkinson thing was just idiotic troughing that showed how plain stupid she and her assistants were. It has no redeeming elements to it what so ever.
I suppose the two cases might be considered the difference between professionals and amateurs.
Nick Sutton ✔ @suttonnick
Tuesday's Sun front page:
We've gotcha backs - Exclusive: Argie invasion fears
#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/BoVYJjlP6Y
YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour and Tories tied: CON 34%, LAB 34%, LD 8%, UKIP 12%, GRN 6%.
LAB really 50%!!!!
I only take note of Survation!!!!
Election over!!!!!!!!
This means that the make up of the tory party after May 7 is of first importance. Then after that the make up of party members. In five years time sadly some party members will be dead and many will not have joined yet. Perhaps I might join. Who knows.
Who knows who will be MPs after 2015. For Cameron to be PM in the first place there must be inevitably quite a few new ones.
And so speculation is a bit pointless.
Changing a party leader is always fraught with danger. Cameron has perhaps done the Conservatives a service by giving them a long time to think about it.
I'd love to see Rory Stewart throw his hat into the ring - then again, he's a lightweight who walked only 6,000 miles in one trip. Pah. ;-)
When we got our tax returns done, my wife and my joint return took about 10 minutes. My daughter's, because she had Obamacare for a few months, took over 30 minutes because if you have Obamacare the return generates more forms and is horrendously complex. It took our CPA several runs through his tax software to minimize the cost to my daughter.
Heady days Mike and co. I think I first ventured on the site about 10 years ago, to make a comment about Canterbury's Tory MP Julian Brazier, who killed a young Italian motorcyclist whilst driving on the wrong side of the road in Italy- why Brazier was driving on the wrong side, we can only speculate.
I am still appalled that Brazier failed to attend the hearing in Italy, utterly appalled. Perhaps he was busy. Brazier is still PM for Canterbury mind.
I presume given nothing on the front pages, it really was some bloke shaking hands with top politicians and them giving him the "delighted to meet you...looks at briefing note...Brian"....we would love for you to donate...
Of course it might be argued that the campaign will help UKIP given its major party status. But will it? What will that amount to?
Cameron had the first 10 minutes solid on both the BBC1 6pm and 10pm News tonight. I can't imagine Farage getting similar coverage. I fully expect Cameron / Miliband to lead 90% of news programmes during the campaign. Plus of course Farage isn't on the final BBC QT leaders programme.
I think it's one way traffic - I expect both Con and Lab to rise - and UKIP to fall.
I don't doubt there are some fundamentally decent people in the party, those who not only get uncomfortable when the bigots in their ranks raise their voices - but actually stand up and challenge them.
I don't see many of them though.
I will leave you to it with your blinkers and prejudice for company
Boris is the only Tory I wish was a Labour man- he is unique.
Perhaps there's someone else hiding away. I did think it might be Mad Nad for a while, until she got so low rent she utterly destroyed her chances.
Pong smeared - If you don't like the paki's, you vote ukip. Say it ain't so?
I think Harry Boota thinks it ain't so,ukip Pakistani born candidate for where I live Bradford west.
http://boota.org/?page_id=20
He does not 'practice any religion'. His wife and children are Christians.
You cannot get away from it can you, Muslim mad that's you.
The question is can any of them be a prime minister. Not do they scrub up whiter than white. You are not so colour blind.
I was watching a recorded documentary on Churchill today (starting the young 'un on history early), and it reminded me of something.
When the Gallipoli campaign went hauntingly badly, Churchill resigned from the government and went to fight in the trenches, apparently at the warm end of battle. The stories say he showed no little personal bravery.
This made me think: the one and only thing that could possibly have redeemed Blair is if, immediately after resigning as PM, he had gone to fight on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Now there's a pleasant (and utterly unrealistic) thought.
Oh, and thanks all for the birthday wishes.
If they don't pick him it is utter madness... People don't buy that bullingdon eton rubbish, we aren't all inverse snobs. He is a winner and is good fun, liked by rich and poor in the most diverse city in the uk.. Should be odds on
I was leaving my doctor's office in a medical building a while ago, into which building an imaging company (x-ray, cat scan, MRI etc) was moving.
They were putting up the usual lighted sign on the building - "Sugar Hill Imaging Technology". I pointed out that the shorthand would inevitably be 'shit'.
A quick phone call ensued and the sign was removed, shortly to be replaced with the last word missing.
Blair - utterly contemptible. And I was a labour supporter in 97, though I didn't quite stomach voting for him.
'Oooh look at him he is too muslim!' Why did he have to bother? Because he cannot help himself.
These traits are my reasons why I think they won't be next con leader not reasons why I wouldn't vote for them to be so, I wouldn't vote for any of them
But the reason he won't be is because he is a Muslim. Not my fault
Arguably the bravest ever to inhabit No. 10
Happy Birthday by the way!
I think that if I lived amongst the Northern Ireland bigots, I think I'd vote for gay marriage just because these bigots are so appalling.
Vote UKIP.. you have been warned.... they say they won't but you know they will.
You've misread my thoughts and tripped over yourself to react
Tut tut
Once again. My favourite Tory bad penny. Ken Gregory. STILL a Tory councillor after all he has done.
And there are plenty more examples.
I would think tonight you might be more concerned with your own former Parliamentary Candidate who thought it a good idea to do deals with the real racists just so he could get elected.
Of course you are silent on these examples because they are Tories and so must be misunderstood.
It's dangerous to lemmings like you who would vote for anyone in a blue rosette I suppose