Kemi badenoch and Robert jenrick through to final

[Hunnymonster1]

So the new leader of the tory party will be a woman that wants to cut maternity pay who loves the culture war rubbish and Robert who painted over a cartoon in an immigration centre. Who wants us out kf the echr because who need human rights lol
The conservative party is now like the reform party them two are very much to the right of the party
So with that choice I can't see tories getting back in in 5 years time. Most people are on the centre doesn't bother me as I loath tories but we do need an opposition

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/30/kemi-badenoch-accused-of-bullying-and-traumatising-staff

Yes, I’d googled the hacking and found that article. Is that seriously the best shit that can be thrown? It’s laughable.

As for the bullying allegations, there was never a formal complaint, it’s been completely denied and, strangely, emerged in the Guardian during the leadership contest.

I see nothing to justify “implicated”. That’s a nonsense.

I was trying to avoid accusing her directly as it remains an allegation. I appreciate that I should simply have said that there were accusations.

Well it’s not a direct complaint but of course the code here is saying she runs roughshod over people and advice. Joining the dots with her lack of clubbable nature (unsuccessful in her cabinet roles) and some of the open comment, it’s a comment about her character. Which frankly is something you like or you don’t, but I don’t think it’s exactly unfair to say she has a combative manner; she does, and even with her own colleagues!

She admitted hacking. Hacking is a crime. A crime. Not larks. Deliberate criminal behaviour.

She didn’t “hack” into a system as that term and its consequences would be understood. She got access to a website operated by Harriet Harman by guessing the username and password as ‘Harriet’ and ‘Harman’ 🙄

She later apologised to HH who accepted the apology.

You’re trying too hard. In that Guardian article, both a former hacker and the head of a whistleblowing organisation describe what Badenoch did as trivial.

This is all rather pathetic.

Your view that Conservative members will not vote for a black person is based on what?

Sorry I have higher standards in what I expect from a leader. This isn't party political. I disagree with Theresa May on many things but I think she's a serious politician and can see why other people chose her. I also think John Major and Ken Clarke are excellent examples of Tory politicians.
The only kind or positive thing I can say about Kemi is that she made me review my opinion on Priti Patel.
Both Tory candidates are a joke. But I expect little more from a party who went for a lying philanderer instead of Rory Stewart. The Tory party needs to grow up if it has any intention of winning back the centre.
Cameron won his surprise majority by gaining Lib Dem voters not by pandering to the right of the party.

The evidence for that would be choosing the ridiculous Liz Truss over the better of the two Rishi Sunak (I mean he wasn't great but obviously better than Liz Truss).

Leaving aside the inconvenient facts of the personal flaws of John Major and of Labour politicians you no doubt admire, like Tony Blair, Robin Cook, John Prescott and Peter Mandelson, Cameron was also facing the hapless Ed Miliband (who’s now back for a second go at shining incompetence).

Badenoch resigned over Johnson’s leadership, by the way.

If you disagree with Badenoch’s politics - which as far as I can see are essentially centrist - fine, but trying to label her as some sort of malign internet criminal is desperate.

I agree. I have respect for Clarke and Major. May might have had policies I disagreed with but she actually had principles and a sense of duty. I don't think the same applies to Badenoch.

May governed solely for her party, have we all forgotten "Brexit means Brexit" "Hostile environment" "Red lines" ?

Major and Clarke were both Thatcherites, indeed served under her, both helped to decimate UK industry, sell off council housing, defund the NHS and other council services.

People talk of the centre, as if it was fixed, its not, the centre has moved far to the right...

e.g Brexit is now accepted policy for all, the main policy of the far right ERG is now mainstream.

All of them had more decency and integrity than Badenoch and Jenrick have in their combined little toes.

I don't think there is anything decent about destroying mining communities, replacing mining with sod all, cheating on your wife, helping to wreck the UK economy with Norman Lamont, helping to bury the blood scandal, Hostile environment, Windrush etc....

They are all Tories, self interest runs very deep.

Destroying mining communities? The subsidies couldn’t continue. And even if pit closures hadn’t happened when they did they’d have happened soon enough after. In the longer term you can’t pursue green policies and mine and burn coal at the same time.

Miners widely accepted generous redundancy payments.

Cheating on your wife? Like Cook and Prescott?

Major, Lamont and Clarke wrecking the economy? You’re having a laugh.

Labour also did nothing with the blood scandal for 13 years.

Ken Clarke and Nicholas Soames are proper conservatives. Thrown out by a populist clown because they dared to vote against him (and yes, I don't agree with Starmer doing that either). This isn't a Labour v Tory thing.
Both candidates would be utterly dreadful for women and families. They are both pandering to the right of the party. The Overton window has long overshot its usual switches.

Ah yes, fail on the "replacing with nothing at all" all ok ok as they are northerners and don't count..... mines had to go but they didn't have to go the way they did or with nothing to replace but the odd call centre or warehouse.

I never mentioned Cook etc in the cheating stakes, so why are you? it was in reference to Major being a decent person....

So Black Wednesday was good for the UK ? the recessions in the early and late 80s good also?

The Right to Buy an excellent policy? no downsides....

People given infected blood happened under his watch, by 1997, the practice had long stopped...... thats a huge difference.

Compensation is a different matter & one which 13 years of Lab and then 14 years of the tories has failed to address... longer it goes on, less to pay out.

Decency? give me a break.

Black Wednesday was the market storm against Sterling. If you want to hold incumbent governments responsible for external events then Labour bankrupted us in 2008.

And that’s without Labour’s ruinous PFI mania.

I mentioned Cook because you listed cheating on a wife as a disgrace.

The truth of this is that no government is squeaky clean or without policy failure.

It does seem to be the present government that previously paraded itself as uniquely and nauseatingly virtuous though. That’s gone well.

@Rummly Come on, the Tories are still shite. You know that. Why are you defending them ? Have you seen the ruinous state of the UK recently ?

I agree the Tories needed to go into opposition. On the GE result, probably for two terms.

But I defend the Tory party because I think the longer term prospects for the country are worse under Labour. I might have been reassured and grudgingly supportive if Starmer had shown Blair’s ability. But he seems more like the love child of Coco the Clown and Pinocchio.

Why was there a market reaction against Sterling? nothing to do with external events, down to UK policies.

PFI built hospitals and schools, where would the UK be without them now?

PFI costs the NHS approx 2billion each year, so around 1% of yearly spend..... many contracts redone, could it have been done better? yes but how would have raised the money? taxes or borrowing... which?

Cheating is a disgrace..... whoever does it, inc Cook.

They ve only been in for 3months, 27 days of Parliament.... how about waiting 2 or 3 years before making such sweeping statements?

Given the state of the country after 14 years of the Tories, their terrible Brexit & Truss, then i can't really see why you think the Tories are better for the UK.

The UK have been governed by the Cons for most of the post war period, they are a failure and squandered NS oil, something we will never have again.

Ha ha or it could be said that they chose a woman over a man which means they're not sexist. Come to that Labour have never had a woman or ethnic minority leader (not that I think it matters as I'm not a "progressive") and indeed chose Starmer over three women if I remember rightly - I'm sure it wasn't because he was the best candidate going by his performance so far!

It is good for the country to have a strong and credible opposition to challenge the government. Trouble is that the pathetic Tories can't even get a credible opposition together. Badenoch or Jenrick are hardly going to be a force to be reckoned with. It is all so depressing.

In normal times, I would agree with you that the Tories becoming more extreme would keep them in the electoral wilderness.

But the UK has been a basket case for quite a few years now - and unfortunately I think Labour are performing so poorly that the Tories (or even a Tory/Reform coalition) could well make a comeback.