To ask what to do about Boris

[myohmywhatawonderfulday]

I get how it works. We elect parties to reporesnt ya. Their members elect their leaders.

But I feel so strongly that I do not want Boris Johnson to represent Britain as our leader.

Yet I feel so powerless and like an observer watching the Tory party elect someone because of internal politics that has nothing to do with good leadership, integrity and actually leading the country.

What are the options for action open to us?

"I don’t know why anyone who isn’t a Tory member is even wasting their time watching the Tory debates to find out which latest entitled ex Eton schoolboy has been coronated. The competitors only give a shit about the 160k voting members."
I've watched it to assess what the candidates are like, how they react under pressure and to get a feel for whether they have leadership qualities and what is important to them.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that, out of the final five, there were only 2 old Etonians - Boris Johnson and Rory Stewart.
Michael Gove has spoken out in the past about the number of old Etonians in government and is even against private education.

I don't believe they only care about their members. They have to care about the population as a whole otherwise they're unlikely to increase future membership.

They have been rubbish debates though. I was particularly shocked by Rory Stewart's weird behaviour. He had his tie on then off, he started sitting then virtually standing, he rudely looked away when other candidates spoke and also nearly had his head on his chest at times. I liked him previously but his behaviour did make it obvious that he isn't leadership material. I don't think he'd keep a cool head and be dignified when he needs to.

Woe upon woe. I agree with almost all of what is said and I have posted many posts in a similar vein. I sigh when I read the efforts of support for that puffed up, far from intelligent, egotistical, morally corrupt idiot. Our only hope is that the Tory membership vote for another candidate. Their votes will give a true indication of the calibre and intelligence of the normal Tory voter.

Can anyone explain what will happen on 31st Oct when Parliament rejects “no deal?”

Can Boris close Parliament to push it through?
Will there be a GE?

The whole thing is bizarre though and not representative. I live in a very “safe Tory” London Borough, yet it voted something like 75% Remain.
None of these candidates speak to the public who would normally vote Tory.

I understand that, if a deal isn't reached by October 31st and there is no extension to the deadline, the default outcome is 'no deal' and we will automatically leave on WTO rules.

I don't think Boris (if he is chosen by the Tory membership) will need to close parliament to get a deal through. Anyway, what deal? The EU have said they won't renegotiate. I think it could just default to a no deal because of the impasse.

I liked him previously but his behaviour did make it obvious that he isn't leadership material.

I agree - I really wanted to like him but his performance during the debates made me think he’s not leadership material unfortunately.

The only way the U.K. will get through the current deadlock is to let a Brexiteer like Boris have a go. If he can find a way through the impasse then he’ll have achieved what most think is impossible. If he can’t then we’ll have no choice as a nation but to admit that Brexit simply won’t work. And at least the Leavers will be appeased because Boris will have tried his best.

Make a giant baby Boris Johnson balloon and fly it through London to show our discontent?

"It’s astonishing when you’re watching a debate of prospective PMs - every one of them acknowledging that a no deal will be a disaster for the economy, yet nevertheless it’s a necessary disaster because “democracy.”

I don't remember every one of them acknowledging a 'no deal' would be a disaster for the economy. They said a deal would be preferable but that we should prepare for a no deal.

I live in Wales and the thought of Johnson as PM in Westminster makes me seriously consider joining Plaid Cymru and campaigning for independence.

How did Corbyn get us into this mess National?
Sure, he hasn't helped matters, but your way of thinking is very strange.

But they all said that no deal would have negative economic impact.

We have several friends who have various IT / tech businesses which have already folded due to the climate of uncertainty and the fact everyone is holding fire, fearing a recession.

The doom and gloom scenarios are already happening.

The housing market is stagnant in London and this will no doubt spread out to the rest of the UK.

What is the point of any of this?

Can Parliament block “no deal?”

What I don’t understand is why, once they’ve whittled it down to the final two tonight, it then takes a whole month to elect the new leader. It’s such a waste of time, especially given that we now have just over four months until 31st October.

Corbyn got us into this by being a professional back bencher and being so shite that Labour couldn't get the Tories out when they had the chance. He's and idiot and needs to go. Pretty much any other Labour leader would walk a GE, apart from diane Abbott

Yes Fibbke, we get that he has done nothing to help stop this sorry mess, but to suggest he's the one who got us into this is bollocks.
David Cameron got us into this mess by calling the referendum in the first place. All to stop Tory voters turning to UKIP.

Yes i agree he didn't personally cause it.

Corbyn has never been PM, we haven’t had a Labour government for nine years. If you’re a Tory at least have the decency to own this shitshow which is entirely of your party’s making.

Cameron won the 2015 election and held the referendum, he couldn't convince his own voters to back it 61 % of them voted to leave. The leave campaign was run by two Tory MP's now standing for leadership and the political pressure for the referendum came from Tory MP's in the back bench business committee.

The mess is entirely of the Tories making.

Blaming Corbyn is a really good example of how hypocritical the right are, they are all "personal responsibility" when it comes to the poor, but shirk any responsibility themselves.

The housing market is stagnant in London

Properties seem to be coming onto the market at prices as ridiculously high as ever (and going under offer within weeks) in my part of London. It’s surprising as it’s all doom and gloom in the papers.

zipee , well said.

The bit of the property market that is stagnating is the high end properties in central locations. Something like 30,000 luxury flats that came on to the market as new builds last year are unsold.

The fall in average pricing is also down to reductions being made to houses and flats with high price tags.

"Pretty much any other Labour leader would walk a GE, apart from diane Abbott"
I wouldn't bet on it. I don't think there's much chance of any party forming a majority government in the event of a GE. I think we'd end up with years of coalition governments where nobody will be able to get anything through parliament.

"I live in Wales and the thought of Johnson as PM in Westminster makes me seriously consider joining Plaid Cymru and campaigning for independence."
I'm all for countries being independent if that's what their electorate votes for but I'd be careful what I wished for unless I lived where there is an abundance of natural resources and industries to be able to function independently and trade with the rest of the world.

I think being PM at the moment will be a poisoned chalice for whoever gets the job. They won't be able to appeal to everyone and will be hated by a large section of the population whatever happens with Brexit now. If they called a general election tomorrow I don't know who would get in. I agree that there would likely be a coalition.

Oh and as for the housing market in the Midlands. First time buyer properties are being snapped up in a couple of weeks. The next level of properties (if priced correctly) within a couple of months.

Well said zipee. Years of unrealistically high prices in areas of London is causing the problems in selling them now. This isn't reflected everywhere else. 2 houses in my road and one just around the corner sold recently and two of them had no EA boards outside so it shows there are people looking to buy.

One thing that is guaranteed to muck up the economy is confidence. That is what economies are built on. Doom-mongers play a big part in dragging the economy down.

Governor of the BofE was a doom-monger in the run up to the EU referendum and had to change his mind soon afterwards about his forecasts. I note he's started up again though so could have egg on his face again after we leave.

If we’re using anecdote as evidence, the property market outside London is dead as a doornail. Our house is on the market, the agenct tell us nothing is selling. We’ve found a house we want to buy about 40 miles north of here, it’s been on the market a year, despite being reasonably priced.