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  • It seems this holidaying lark is very dangerous for Tory politicians. Osborne and his dinner on a yacht, May brain-wave while out hiking and now Patel...
  • Meanwhile, the daily grind goes on as before for millions:

    https://twitter.com/RachelSJohnson/status/928226472321519618
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
  • Gavin Williamson on BBC looks very young but competent
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,774

    Sandpit said:

    FFS how do you convince the council that someone whose medical notes say she NEEDS an overhead hoist actually has to have one.

    They accept the fact and are putting up ceiling tracking at some point in next 12 weeks in the meantime the gantry overhead one is deemed a risk and they have taken it away..

    Why can't they see that not having it is a much bigger risk given her sole carer (me) cant operate a manual one single handedly.

    They seem to think that 2 properly trained council carers are required for the manual one at 10am and 8pm but during the day when she spasms and falls off her powerchair one untrained operative (me) is safe

    As I say FFS

    That really doesn’t sound good. As suggested the other day, it’s probably time to get your MP involved now.
    Done that this morning he is in Kenya but his office are taking it up.
    I would start with your local councillor or social services cabinet member, they are closer to it and will give it more person attention. The MP or more likely their staff will simply act as a letterbox
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,753
    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    Hunt is a dark horse contender for the permanent position. Tory contests are usually won by candidates chosen for who they are not rather than who they are. There are few, if any, 'Anyone But Hunt' MPs, whereas there'd be plenty who'd say that of Boris, or Leadsom, or JRM. Davis too has shown enough questionable judgement to have sizable question marks against his name.
    Hunt is vanilla to John Major's grey. Exactly the kind of boring, sensible, pragmatic, centrist that doesn't cut in today's world. Hunt's best bet is to get it as caretaker and stick around.
    Hunt is better than that; Asian wife, young, smart, loyal - ticking various boxes for various constituencies, not all of them within the Cons party.
  • Hunt could really do with 3-6 months in another department first.

    If Mrs May could make sure Jeremy Hunt is Foreign Secretary on the 1st of January 2018 I'll be especially delighted
  • Hunt could really do with 3-6 months in another department first.

    There may well be some suitable vacancies shortly.
  • Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Given how vehemently he is hated by Leavers, he has no chance in any time horizon currently under consideration.
  • stevefstevef Posts: 1,044
    Its a blessing in disguise for the Tory party. An opportunity to do a Night of the Long Knives on a cabinet Old Gang which cannot win a general election. Priti Patel is typical of what is wrong with the modern Tory party. Hard faced, right wing, out of touch. Boris Johnson, blonde buffoon, Trump lookalike. David Davies, old weary stale reject from the 2010 leadership contest. Its an opportunity to bring in new younger blood as happened with Gavin Williamson after the departure of the sex bomb Michael Fallon.

    Only a young promotee to the cabinet can save the Tory party in the medium term-and the Labour Party in the long term -from Jeremy Corbyn.
  • What time does Priti Patel's plane land?
  • Speaking of caretakers, I'm reading The Alexiad, and was amused to learn that when Alexios went to fight Robert Guiscard he essentially left the Roman Empire to his mum.

    Edited extra bit: if Labour weren't led by Corbyn, they'd have a thirty point lead now.

    If Labour weren't led by Corbyn, we wouldn't have had a GE2017, might not have had a Leave vote and could well still have Cameron as PM. In which case they'd probably be about 10 points clear.
  • anothernickanothernick Posts: 3,591
    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    Possibly but the membership would want a true beleaver.
  • BBC has flight tracker on Priti's return (just over Greece)
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @Gethsemane65: @DPJHodges The BBC are now actually tracking Patel’s flight, it’s just over Greece
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,555

    Hunt could really do with 3-6 months in another department first.

    There may well be some suitable vacancies shortly.
    Is the Tory party capable of acting sensibly? Either at Westminster or Nationally?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,262
    edited November 2017
    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Labour and LD supporters all backing Hammond and Hunt is like Tory supporters in 2015 all saying Kendall and Cooper were the best choices for Labour.

    In the end Corbyn won comfortably with Burnham second, remember it is Tory members who will ultimately decide the next Tory leader and PM just as it was Labour members who decided the next leader then and all the polling shows they want a committed Leaver this time.
  • TOPPING said:

    Hunt is better than that; Asian wife, young, smart, loyal - ticking various boxes for various constituencies, not all of them within the Cons party.

    Yes, and he has also got a streak of political ruthlessness, which is an important attribute in a leader. Unfortunately, he has the NHS millstone round his neck, which is a big minus albeit not his fault.
  • BBC has flight tracker on Priti's return (just over Greece)

    What did we ever do before 24hr news channels....
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,851

    Scott_P said:

    @JasonGroves1: Govt sources flatly deny @JewishChron claim that Priti Patel was asked to withhold details of secret Israeli meetings. The sack beckons

    You do wonder who the Jewish Chronicle's sources are, and what their motivations might be.
    The soiled fingers of Mark Regev will be in there somewhere
  • What time does Priti Patel's plane land?

    About 3.30pm as i understand
  • Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    Hunt is a dark horse contender for the permanent position. Tory contests are usually won by candidates chosen for who they are not rather than who they are. There are few, if any, 'Anyone But Hunt' MPs, whereas there'd be plenty who'd say that of Boris, or Leadsom, or JRM. Davis too has shown enough questionable judgement to have sizable question marks against his name.
    Hunt could really do with 3-6 months in another department first.
    The Foreign Office?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,450
    edited November 2017
    Those saying spreadsheet Phil for PM....seems to be forgetting he flopped his first big test with his massive omnishambles budget and U-Turn.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,314

    What time does Priti Patel's plane land?

    15:20. Flight KQ100.
  • RhubarbRhubarb Posts: 359

    Meanwhile, the daily grind goes on as before for millions:

    https://twitter.com/RachelSJohnson/status/928226472321519618

    Outside the bubble, May's approval ratings are weirdly, stupidly high and pretty much comparable with Cameron and Thatcher at this month of their tenure.

    https://twitter.com/MattSingh_/status/926423815478968322
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,774
    HYUFD said:

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Labour and LD supporters all backing Hammond and Hunt is like Tory supporters in 2015 all saying Kendall and Cooper were the best choices for Labour.

    In the end Corbyn won comfortably with Burnham second, remember it is Tory members who will ultimately decide the next Tory leader and PM just as it was Labour members who decided the next leader then and all the polling shows they want a committed Leaver this time.
    On Nixon in China basis, within the Tories if would have to be a leaver who abandons hard Brexit
  • Mr. Herdson, I was imagining Labour hadn't started fawning over the self-declared friend of Hamas and he'd gone shortly after the 2017 election.
  • calum said:
    Wow. Pollard is the editor of the JC and has strong NeoCon connections. I can imagine his sources being very reliable on matters such as this.
  • HYUFD said:

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Labour and LD supporters all backing Hammond and Hunt is like Tory supporters in 2015 all saying Kendall and Cooper were the best choices for Labour.

    In the end Corbyn won comfortably with Burnham second, remember it is Tory members who will ultimately decide the next Tory leader and PM just as it was Labour members who decided the next leader then and all the polling shows they want a committed Leaver this time.
    Yes, but if push comes to shove, I think they'd elect Hunt ahead of Rees-Mogg, who I don't think would get through the MPs' rounds anyway. That said, gaming the MPs' rounds will be bloody difficult.
  • NEW THREAD

  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,637

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    Hunt is a dark horse contender for the permanent position. Tory contests are usually won by candidates chosen for who they are not rather than who they are. There are few, if any, 'Anyone But Hunt' MPs, whereas there'd be plenty who'd say that of Boris, or Leadsom, or JRM. Davis too has shown enough questionable judgement to have sizable question marks against his name.
    I am so green on Hunt it is scary!
    I think his NHS baggage will count against him. But I am biased on this matter I suppose.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,262

    HYUFD said:

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Labour and LD supporters all backing Hammond and Hunt is like Tory supporters in 2015 all saying Kendall and Cooper were the best choices for Labour.

    In the end Corbyn won comfortably with Burnham second, remember it is Tory members who will ultimately decide the next Tory leader and PM just as it was Labour members who decided the next leader then and all the polling shows they want a committed Leaver this time.
    Yes, but if push comes to shove, I think they'd elect Hunt ahead of Rees-Mogg, who I don't think would get through the MPs' rounds anyway. That said, gaming the MPs' rounds will be bloody difficult.
    Oh no, Rees-Mogg would beat Hunt easily I think.
  • stevef said:

    Its a blessing in disguise for the Tory party. An opportunity to do a Night of the Long Knives on a cabinet Old Gang which cannot win a general election. Priti Patel is typical of what is wrong with the modern Tory party. Hard faced, right wing, out of touch. Boris Johnson, blonde buffoon, Trump lookalike. David Davies, old weary stale reject from the 2010 leadership contest. Its an opportunity to bring in new younger blood as happened with Gavin Williamson after the departure of the sex bomb Michael Fallon.

    Only a young promotee to the cabinet can save the Tory party in the medium term-and the Labour Party in the long term -from Jeremy Corbyn.

    2005 leadership contest: we didn't need one in 2010. He stood in the 2001 one as well.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,706

    Scott_P said:
    "But the JC understands, from two different sources, that Ms Patel did disclose the meeting with Mr Rotem but was told by Number 10 not to include it as it would embarrass the Foreign and Commonwealth Office."
    That rather fits with my hypothesis of what she was in fact doing this morning.
  • stevefstevef Posts: 1,044

    Speaking of caretakers, I'm reading The Alexiad, and was amused to learn that when Alexios went to fight Robert Guiscard he essentially left the Roman Empire to his mum.

    Edited extra bit: if Labour weren't led by Corbyn, they'd have a thirty point lead now.

    If Labour weren't led by Corbyn, we wouldn't have had a GE2017, might not have had a Leave vote and could well still have Cameron as PM. In which case they'd probably be about 10 points clear.
    If Labour werent led by Corbyn, many peopl

    stevef said:

    Its a blessing in disguise for the Tory party. An opportunity to do a Night of the Long Knives on a cabinet Old Gang which cannot win a general election. Priti Patel is typical of what is wrong with the modern Tory party. Hard faced, right wing, out of touch. Boris Johnson, blonde buffoon, Trump lookalike. David Davies, old weary stale reject from the 2010 leadership contest. Its an opportunity to bring in new younger blood as happened with Gavin Williamson after the departure of the sex bomb Michael Fallon.

    Only a young promotee to the cabinet can save the Tory party in the medium term-and the Labour Party in the long term -from Jeremy Corbyn.

    2005 leadership contest: we didn't need one in 2010. He stood in the 2001 one as well.
    Even staler than I thought then.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    If May does go over this, imminently, would that mean she actually departs very swiftly, or hang on for the leadership election?

    Normally it'd be the latter, but she clearly would be happier out of it. Yet, the seeming caretaker would be Green.

    The caretaker is whoever's fit for it. In many ways, it's an advantage to have someone mind the shop who cannot be PM in the long term: it means they don't become an alternative power base.

    That said, I still wouldn't pick Green. Someone in the Lords would be better.
    Which would reveal that the Tory Party is incapable of agreeing on an MP to fill the role even as a caretaker. They cannot form a coherent government and a new leader will not change that.
    Not really. To be a caretaker leader / PM you need to have sufficient experience and authority to be seen as credible in the job, while having no interest yourself in doing it for the long term. That inevitably means an elder statesman. On the Tory benches, there are very few former senior ministers, partly because of Labour's 13 years in office but also because of the speed with which Cameron, Osborne and Hague left the Commons. There's only really Clarke and he's unsuitable because of the European question.

    But it would be much better if May were to be the caretaker PM if she were forced out or resigned as Con leader.

    FWIW, Cameron is 300/1 and Osborne is 200/1 (neither of whom are in the Lords but that could be changed easily enough); Oddschecker doesn't quote odds for Hague.
    Looking at years served, Jeremy Hunt really should be an obvious contender for the position.
    *looks at Betfair account*

    *nods fervently*
    Philip Hammond is the only sensible choice.
    Given how vehemently he is hated by Leavers, he has no chance in any time horizon currently under consideration.
    Look at Betfair account again

    ONLY. SENSIBLE. CHOICE.
  • Mr. Herdson, I was imagining Labour hadn't started fawning over the self-declared friend of Hamas and he'd gone shortly after the 2017 election.

    Ah. In that case, assuming that they'd chosen someone half-sensible - Starmer, say - then I think Labour would be far more openly pro-Remain and there'd be a ceiling on their support as a result of that. I don't think they could easily get much beyond about a 15 point lead, though they'd be pushing that now.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,706

    The latest twist doesn't make much sense. Why would a meeting with Yuval Rotem be any more embarrassing to the FCO than the other 12 meetings? Would anyone have noticed if the list had been 14 rather than 12 meetings?

    Might that depend what was being discussed at those meetings?
This discussion has been closed.