Boris, is it a foregone conclusion then?

[Ihopeyourcakeisshit]

114 votes first ballot, say ahead of rivals .
Is it decided already?

*way ahead

I'd say not really as all who voted not for him together are more than 114. But then I am an optimist.

It's like Brexit all over again.

Boris is acting like a man who'd really rather not win.

It's hard to say. The bookies rarely lose and the odds would indicate Boris. That said, the Tory party may well try to vote strategically and have someone who will manage to keep them out of trouble until the next general election, as opposed to the Labour members who voted in Corbyn as a protest, thus rendering their party unelectable.
And before I get slated, I hold both main parties in equal contempt

I think it is unfortunately

I don't see how anyone could make up that much ground after such a strong first ballot.

Pretty much. All he has to do now is to hold on to the MPs votes he has now and he will make it through to the final two (105 votes required for this). Once in the final two, Conservative Party members will vote - and poll after poll, plus regular monthly surveys of bona fide party members via the Conservative Home website, confirm that Boris is the preferred candidate.

That could change if he makes a serious gaffe but from what I've read, his candidacy team are serious heavyweights this time and are steering the campaign very professionally.

It's fucking depressing is what it is. Watching them all jostling for position to be the most bullish and aggressive no-deal candidate. Load of lemmings thundering over the cliff edge and dragging the rest of us with them

yes June, fucking depressing. When we thought it couldn't get much worst Boris will get in. It will now be a no deal Brexit. Fuck I need a glass of wine. And a plan.

I’d missed this

Interesting
Who else is in the running?

Hunt and Gove. All three equally despicable. So depressing.

But at least that horrible witch Esther McVey is out of the running.

Yes, I think it is.

When he resigned straight after the Brexit vote I just thought
You twat! I can't get my head around how anyone would think he's a future PM.
My dh thinks he will just be bullish like Trump and force things through because ultimately he doesn't give a shit about anyone's views but his own and as a result he might actually get stuff done.

Boris, Hunt and Gove, I actually feel close to tears. Think I may go back trying to stay away from the news.

Up until today I was consoling myself with the fact that the favourite has never won a Tory leadership. Looking at those numbers though it’s looking almost certain, barring a major fuck up. I thought he was unpopular with MPs but loved by party members so if he gets through to final 2 he’s done it.

Fucking depressing. Only good bit is it makes Indyref2 come closer. Faster we get out of this failing union the better. My dc are all eligible to vote next time. They and their friends are all so anti-Boris that it will make you sing.

It's a difficult world to live in when you know Rory Stewart is getting voted out, so Jeremy Hunt is the good option. That or Gove. Scarey stuff!!

This is one of those occasions where you hope a national newspaper has been holding on to a story until the time is right...

Sadly I can’t think of a story that would do it. He’s openly racist, sexist, incompetent and a nasty piece of work. It’s straight out of the trump handbook!

So what the hell is his appeal?

Someone/somewhere must have a story that will bring him down. I dont want people's careers ruined but there is v.little about him that anyone seems to like. I notice that his buffoonery seems to have vanished.

I thought he was unpopular with MPs but loved by party members so if he gets through to final 2 he’s done it.

That's a fair assessment, Iwannasnack, especially about his unpopularity with MPs. For some considerable time, there has been a "Stop Boris" movement at MP level. However, there are three factors that have concentrated their minds.

The first is the almost complete collapse of the Conservative vote in the Euro elections and in the Peterborough election. The second is that major donors to the party have been backing away and the coffers are a bit light. Only a Leaver is going to bring them back. And the third is that furious Conservative Party members have been holding their constituency MPs to account and made it clear that Boris had better be on the final ballot or there will be hell to pay.

Ultimately, even those MPs who can't abide Boris are sufficiently self-serving and arrogant enough able to read the runes and realise that if they want to hold onto their well paid jobs and generous expenses and gold plated pensions they need to give the members what they want. After all, those selfsame members will decide whether they are re-adopted as parliamentary candidates next time.

Sorry, did my cynicism show through a bit? 😁

Also sorry but I crossed through the wrong bits! Dratted technology. Still, I'm sure it was still clear!

But he's so cute and cuddly and always up for a laugh. What's not to love? And Trump likes him so we'll get a really good trade deal with America....

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion but it's likely. There must be a fair chance it's about to get dirty and some more shit about Boris will come out of the closet that may swing votes away from him,

The good news is loathsome leadsom and the obnoxious McVey are out of the running.