What can you tell me off politics and Dominic Raab

[Alicewond]

I clearly don’t have any say in the next elected leader of the Conservative party. All I have to go on for my own opinion is Wikipedia and news sites. I knobs if like him though and have been so used to disliking all mps that’s surprising. Tell me something to prove I’m an idiot for liking one!

He is one smug bastard

That remark on the marr shows how out of his depth he is. That’s not how deals get done in Brussels. I know some tories carry this picture in their heads of Maggie bashing them all with her handbag and getting us good deals. She could be very tough but her approach was a lot more nuanced than that. She was tough against a background of respect they had for her, built up over a period of time.
Poor little Dominic needs to go back to his Lego.

Surely these jumped up little egos understand by now that successfully dealing with the virtual megalith that is the EU will not include trying to out-boss them ?

Surely ?

And I love the image of Margaret T bashing them with her handbag. That gave me a belly laugh.

He's as thick as two short planks.

One thing has become v clear in our dealings with EU over Brexit. It is staying united. If there had been some fragmentation based on national interests that could have strengthened our hand. It’s not happened. Mrs May to her credit realised this and attempted to manage against this background. Very few at Westminster in any party have taken account of it. Raab doesn’t grasp it at all (or is pretending he doesn’t). The likes of gove and Stewart I think probably do.

'He's been Brexit secretary If he couldn't sort it then...why would he be able to as PM ?'

Well obviously because Theresa May was writing the script then

I saw him on Andrew Marr and essentially he says he wants a deal but would be willing to leave without one. He thinks he can negotiate a better deal than the current one, even though he didn't manage to as Brexit Secretary when he was handling the negotiating.

He's no fan of women.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/jan/24/tory-mp-dominic-raab-feminists

I saw him on Andrew Marr and essentially he says he wants a deal but would be willing to leave without one. He thinks he can negotiate a better deal than the current one, even though he didn't manage to as Brexit Secretary when he was handling the negotiating.

...and even though the EU has said quite plainly that they won't reopen negotiations.

He isn't for women having rights.

Which kind of goes with the whole smug/not realising the channel was a bit important kind of image. Plus ca change.

It would be like sending a toddler to Brussels. He thinks he can go there, throw a tantrum and get what he wants. It would be excruciating.

Name changed for this as he's my (very) local MP and his kids go to school with DD. Personally I think he's a bit of a twat (not my most erudite argument). Very out for himself and never involves himself locally. That said, I'd still choose him over Boris..

@cersaj

Thanks for sharing that link. Very enlightening. 'Men get a raw deal'. He's a little prince, isn't he?
Where's my microscope so I can find my tiny violin.

Indeed, Songsofexperience. Will no one think of the poor men?! I could weep for him.

Points in favour of Dominic Raab as a candidate for PM:

1. He is not Esther McVey.

2. Er......

Most reasonable candidate is Rory Stewart. Doesn't stand a chance of being elected.

He describes workers rights as "an obstacle to business" and wanted to use EU negotiations to scrap them.

He's a scumbag.

There's an MNer who shagged Raab. I forget who, but she's probably name changed.

I think he is one of several who were instrumental in helping to negotiate a deal that he subsequently turned round and criticised

He is an odious man with very few redeeming qualities - he is strong candidate in a truly despairing field of contenders

Oh he’s one of the poor menz brigade is he? That Guardian pic looks like a cross between Norman Tebbit and Alan B’Stard

He's got no grasp of facts, reality or detail. James O 'Brian has done a good job of deconstructing his painfully poor interviews.

The only one I have any time for is Rory Stewart. I don't know what his policies are (as he's a Tory I'd probably disagree with most of them. )

But he does have integrity (eg has said he wouldn't serve under Boris Johnson), has diplomatic and negotiating experience, is intelligent (speaks about 10 languages) and has an interest in and knowledge of the wider world (he wrote a well-received book after walking across Afghanistan).

Gove won't win I don't think. He doesn't have the face for it. Politics is about image as well as capacity and perceived capability these days.

Now if Labour had only voted for Burnham or the other Miliband 🤷

I could take the statement that gove doesn’t have the face for it more seriously if the current leader of the field wasn’t Boris Johnson.