Tory, UKIP and Labour leadership contest

candyfloss wrote:Here's one from BBC website




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-27499063

Kate wearing same dress and earrings, minus scarf but T May wearing different clothes.

costello wrote:http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/theresa-may-conservative-party-leader-shes-no-progressive-conservative-a7109121.html#

Thanks Costello - the author seems to be Pro-Immigration so all the things she`s moaning about Theresa May are surely a `Yeah` to the Brexiters who will feel more comfortable with Theresa as PM.

Doing further research on May, yes she has always been anti-immigration from the few headlines I`ve looked at so far.

I don`t know Theresa May`s feelings on British Sovereignty or ability to Trade, but this speech gives the impression she is anti-immigration. Though, as many are saying, she hasn`t managed to reduce immigration as per Tory manifesto.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2015/oct/06/theresa-may-asylum-conservative-party-conference-video

AndyB wrote:

Dee Coy wrote:There's an excellent - and surprising - article about Jeremy Corbyn recently published in the Independent.

Very surprising as the analysis below shows. I'm sure that everyone who's despaired at the media coverage of the Madeleine Mccann case will be able to relate to it

http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2016/822-killing-corbyn.html

Great read, AndyB, thanks for that.

Meanwhile, a petition started by Angela Eagle's own local Constituency Labour Party, Wallasey,  calling for her to resign approaches 11000 signatures in 4 days:

https://www.change.org/p/labour-party-angela-eagle-to-resign-as-member-of-parliament-for-wallasey

The comments speak volumes. There is a real feeling that these megalomaniacs in their ivory towers really have lost touch with the feelings of the real people. They still believe their Blairight policies offer something the public want. They don't.  It's why they lost the last two elections, it is they who are unelectable. But they aren't listening.

They didn't believe Mr Corbyn would really win the Leadership election. He did, with an unprecedented majority.

They didn't believe traditional Labour voters wanted out of Europe. They did, with almost 70% of the vote in England outside London.

The MPs resigning now don't believe the public can see the real agenda here, they think we are fools who believe their 'weak leader' nonsense. They think their actions are noble rather than treacherous and unprincipled. They actually believe their dishonourable behviour will actually conciliate them with the members.  They really do.

In short, they're still not listening. And this is why they could be the ones left high and dry after this mess. I sincerely hope so.

How right you are Dee Coy they have totally lost touch with reality and the voters..

Meanwhile, the sister of Boris Johnson says......







And Leadsom wants to be the new Thatcher. God help us!!!

Never mind stopping people entering this country, they will soon be trying to stop people leaving!!!!

Here`s the piece by Rachel Johnson - calling Sarah Vine `Lady Macbeth`- I can believe that`s true.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3671749/RACHEL-JOHNSON-Mrs-Gove-detonated-bomb-blew-Boris.html

The piece about Theresa May that the Telegraph withdrew after pressure from TM`s campaigners.

http://order-order.com/2016/07/02/read-full-article-pulled-telegraph-pressure-may-campaign/

Re: Andrea Leadsom is being made out by The Telegraph to say favourable things about the EU but that was 3 years ago. Dickheads.

Mimi wrote:Re: Andrea Leadsom is being made out by The Telegraph to say favourable things about the EU but that was 3 years ago. Dickheads.

haha Mimi that made me chuckle

coppernob wrote:

Mimi wrote:Re: Andrea Leadsom is being made out by The Telegraph to say favourable things about the EU but that was 3 years ago. Dickheads.

haha Mimi that made me chuckle

Good to see you`re still about coppernob

Same to you Mimi , I tend to read more then contribute as what I want tosay has normally been said

Mimi wrote:Here`s the piece by Rachel Johnson - calling Sarah Vine `Lady Macbeth`- I can believe that`s true.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3671749/RACHEL-JOHNSON-Mrs-Gove-detonated-bomb-blew-Boris.html

Sarah Vine was referred to as 'Lady Macbeth' on Sky news on Friday Mimi.I can't but help think something is
going on behind the scenes.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/02/jeremy-corbyn-leader-electable-labour

Another 'surprising' article, this time in the Corbyn-hostile Guardian.

Back to the despicable Gove and the plot thickens.......

Boris Johnson allies accuse Michael Gove of being a 'Machiavellian psychopath' who plotted to win leadership 'from the beginning'


By Tim Ross,  Senior Political Correspondent  and
Christopher Hope,  Chief Political Correspondent  
3 July 2016 • 11:33am  




Boris Johnson’s allies have launched a fightback against Michael Gove, drawing up a dossier of evidence that they say proves he is a “Machiavellian psychopath” who had been plotting to knife his friend in order to win the leadership “from the beginning”.

The fraught atmosphere intensified at Westminster, with some of the former Mayor of London's supporters claiming that Mr Gove was simply a “suicide bomber” who was being used by allies of Prime Minister David Cameron and George Osborne to “take out” their rival.

However, allies of both Mr Gove and Mr Cameron strongly denied that Downing Street had any hand in a plot.

he Prime Minister told friends he was deeply shocked by Mr Gove’s behaviour and felt a sense of sympathy for Mr Johnson.

One friend of the Prime Minister said Mr Cameron was “astounded” by Mr Gove’s actions, but recalled how the Justice Secretary had betrayed him in the referendum campaign.

Mr Cameron believes Mr Gove failed to honour a promise that he would not campaign vigorously for Brexit.

The extraordinary feud between Mr Johnson and Mr Gove ended the former mayor’s leadership bid and has damaged the Justice Secretary’s chances of progressing in the contest.

With two leading Brexit campaigners suffering from their bitter personal clash, Andrea Leadsom is quickly emerging as the preferred candidate among Tory grandees and Eurosceptics.

On Saturday, she won the private backing of a senior Thatcherite grandee, as well as public support from Lord Tebbit, and Sir William Cash, the chairman of the Commons EU scrutiny select committee.

Mr Gove has faced accusations of "treachery" since his decision to pull his support for Mr Johnson and stage his own bid for the top job

He told The Telegraph his confidence in the former London mayor had "evaporated".

"Over the past week, to my deep regret, my confidence evaporated. That led me to make the difficult decision, at no little cost, to put friendships aside and act in the national interest," he said.

With levels of support stronger than the combined total of her four rivals, Theresa May appears to be on course to take the keys to No 10.

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show today Michael Gove was grilled on why he chose to stand as leader of the party despite first accepting the role of Boris Johnson's campaign manager.

Mr Marr accused Mr Gove of "leaving Boris Johnson in the dark" and of publicly humiliating him by making his decision to stand without letting his friend know.

Explaining his reasons Mr Gove said: "I sought to ring Boris that morning, I spoke to one of his colleagues instead and explained my decision.

"He could not do that job and right until the 11th hour I was talking to parliamentary colleagues and friends seeking to persuade them that Boris could be leader.

"Boris had the opportunity to build a team ... and I felt that he did not step up to that challenge and there was a deadline."

He added: "It would have been a genuine betrayal of principle and of this country to allow Boris's campaign to go ahead with my support."

Mr Gove said that it was "telling" that his friend did not continue with his own leadership campaign despite his decision to stand, adding that it shows Mr Johnson lacks "grit".

He said Mr Johnson did not have the ability to be the Prime Minister, forcing him to stand.

Probed about whether he is the type of person who betrays his friend after having campaigned against his close friend the Prime Minister he said: "I didn't make the decision to call the referendum, that was David Cameron's decision... but if you put friendship and personal relations before what is right you're not serving your country."

Andrew Marr accused him of "brutal political knife work", Mr Gove replies that he doesn't mind if people say nasty things about him, as long as people think he sticks to his principles.


Tory leadership  | The cuckoo's nest plotters



Michael Gove

Justice Secretary

Michael Gove  Reuters



Justice Secretary Mr Gove, 48, has for years said he had no ambitions to be prime minister and did not have the skills to be prime minister, making him an ideal deputy for leadership hopeful Boris Johnson – or so Mr Johnson thought.

Mr Gove claims he only decided late on Wednesday night to run against Mr Johnson, having watched him fail to meet the challenges put in front of him “over the last four days”.

Others, however, believe he may have planned all along to use Mr Johnson’s star quality to win over the public in the EU referendum vote – simultaneously making him the target for Tory MPs who wanted to remain in the EU – before pulling the rug from under his feet at the last minute.

He is now the bookies’ 5/2 second favourite to be the next prime minister, after 4/7 odds-on favourite Theresa May.




Sarah Vine

Wife of Michael Gove and Daily Mail columnist

Michael Gove and Sarah Vine  Paul Grover for The Telegraph



Mr Gove’s wife, a columnist for the Daily Mail, has been by his side at crucial moments including the dinner when Boris Johnson was persuaded to join the Leave campaign.

In recent days she has emerged as the Lady Macbeth of the Tory leadership drama, particularly after the leak of an email she wrote to her husband and his advisers instructing them to obtain “SPECIFIC assurances from Boris OTHERWISE you cannot guarantee your support…do not concede any ground. Be your stubborn best.”

Some Johnson backers now believe the email was leaked deliberately to sow doubts in MPs’ minds about Mr Johnson’s suitability as a Tory leader. She also allegedly tipped off ITV News to a meeting of Leave campaigners at Boris Johnson’s Oxfordshire home last Sunday.




David Cameron

Prime Minister

David Cameron and Michael Gove  Paul Grover for The Telegraph



The Prime Minister has been a close friend of Mr Gove and his wife Sarah Vine for decades, even after he demoted Mr Gove from education secretary to chief whip before last year’s general election because of fears he was a turn-off for voters.

Supporters of Mr Johnson now believe Mr Cameron saw Mr Gove as a “continuity candidate” to carry on his domestic policies once the EU referendum was lost. Others think Mr Cameron simply regarded Mr Gove as a useful “stop Boris” candidate.

He used a speech to the Conservative Party summer ball on Wednesday night to say he hoped his eventual successor, whoever that might be, enjoyed the same support from former prime ministers that he had, knowing that Sir John Major had written off Mr Johnson’s abilities to lead the country.









George Osborne

Chancellor of the Exchequer

George Osborne  Getty Images



A man who loves the Machiavellian arts of politics, prompting some Tory MPs to say yesterday that they detected “the hand of Osborne” on the plot to destroy Mr Johnson’s leadership bid.

The Chancellor had dinner with Mr Gove almost every week during the referendum campaign, despite them being on opposite sides, and invited him to his official country residence, Dorneywood, the weekend after he declared that he would be supporting the Leave campaign.

Neither man has disclosed what they discussed, but there has been speculation that Mr Osborne was discussing what would happen if Britain voted for Brexit and what his own role in a post-referendum government might be.

Mr Gove said he last spoke to the Chancellor on Tuesday, after the Cabinet met, but that he had not at that stage decided to run. Mr Osborne could emerge as one of the surprise winners of the Tory leadership crisis if he stays on as Chancellor or becomes Foreign Secretary, which may be exactly as he planned it.




Nick Boles

Minister for skills

Nick Boles  Clara Molden for The Telegraph



The minister for skills has emerged as a pivotal figure in Mr Gove’s decision to run for the Tory leadership. One of Mr Johnson’s top team in his own leadership bid, he had spent Wednesday afternoon with Johnson campaigners at the home of Nigel Adams MP, working out the details of the official launch of Mr Johnson’s leadership bid.

Earlier on Wednesday he had also attended a meeting between Mr Johnson and Andrea Leadsom in which he dealt with the paperwork as Ms Leadsom allegedly signed a letter pledging her support for Mr Johnson and dropping her own plans to run in the contest.

But by midnight he was at Mr Gove’s house discussing with him whether he should run against Mr Johnson, and yesterday he dealt a body blow to Mr Johnson by announcing he would be leaving his team to run Mr Gove’s leadership challenge for him.




Dominic Cummings

Campaign director of Vote Leave

Dominic Cummings  Getty Images



The campaign director of Vote Leave has long been close to Mr Gove, having worked as his special adviser for seven years until Mr Gove was replaced as Education Secretary. He is not, however, universally popular with Conservative MPs.

When he was working for Mr Gove he described David Cameron as a man “determined to prop Clegg up” at the expense of his boss Mr Gove, having described Nick Clegg as “a revolting character”. In turn, Mr Clegg described him as “loopy”.

Mr Gove reportedly wanted to make him his chief of staff if he became Chancellor in a Johnson government, but Mr Johnson refused. When Andy Coulson was David Cameron’s communications director, he, too, blocked the appointment of Mr Cummings as Mr Gove’s chief of staff, believing he would disobey orders. Johnson supporters believe he encouraged Mr Gove to stand.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/03/boris-johnson-allies-accuse-michael-gove-of-being-a-machiavellia/

Katie Hopkins ‏@KTHopkins  · 21h21 hours ago  

Teflon Theresa cannot be trusted. http://l-bc.co/Pb7IBZ  @LBC


http://www.lbc.co.uk/katie-hopkins-tears-into-teflon-theresa-may--133239

Katie Hopkins ‏@KTHopkins · 24h24 hours ago

Corbyn. Stand strong @LBC http://www.lbc.co.uk/i-admire-him-katie-hopkins-backs-jeremy-corbyn--133238 …

Nigel Farage Steps Down As Leader Of UKIP

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has announced he will step down as leader of the party in the wake of the referendum to leave the EU.


"My aim in politics was to get Britain out of the European Union," he said.

"That is what we voted for in that referendum two weeks ago, and that is why I now feel that I've done my bit, that I couldn't possibly achieve more.

"And so I feel it's right that I should now stand aside as leader of UKIP."

This is not the first time Mr Farage has resigned as leader. In 2015, he quit the leadership after the UK general election, but reversed that decision just days later.
"I won't be changing my mind again - I can promise you.

"During the referendum campaign I said 'I want my country back'. What I'm saying today is: 'I want my life back'."

Mr Farage has declined to endorse a successor but says he expects his replacement will be in place for the party's autumn conference.
UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell, who has had a rocky relationship with Mr Farage, has tweeted a smiley face in response to the news.

When asked about the tweet, Mr Farage said: "I'm pleased that he's smiling because that's not something I've seen very often from him. So it's obviously very good news".

Mr Farage says he intends to stay on as a member of the European Parliament as Britain triggers the process to exit the EU.

"I will watch the renegotiation process in Brussels like a hawk," Mr Farage promised.

More follows...
http://news.sky.com/story/1721382/nigel-farage-steps-down-as-leader-of-ukip


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So he feels he has done his bit by getting us out of the EU and now he is doing a runner. They have got us in this mess, brought the country to it's knees and are now fleeing for the hills. First Boris now Nigel, WTF!!!!

Does Nigel know something we don't? Funny he should step down now, before we actually leave.

chirpyinsect wrote:Does Nigel know something we don't? Funny he should step down now, before we actually leave.

It looks like he has had death threats etc., so you can't blame him.