...to ask Conservative voters and Leavers who watched the debate what they thought?

[wheresmymojo]

I live in a Remain bubble so I wondered if any Conservative voters or Leavers watched tonight's debate and, if so, what they think about the candidates?

How can someone who wants to vote labour but who won’t if corbyns party leader, change their mind and vote Tory?

eventually they realise that labour and the trades unions have been suborned and manipulated by communists for ever.

Boris actually came across fairly well

WTF

He was clearly out of his depth, was cornered a couple of times and at times looked frankly terrified.

I guess whether he came across well depends on your expectations...

Why do people think those asking the questions were stooges?

They seemed fairly representative to me of the main issues of the day:

• Former Tory now BXP wanting to know how they'll manage to Brexit

• Someone scared of no deal impact

• Climate change

• Cuts to services

• Tax rates

• Islamaphobia

Pretty much the central themes of what the next PM will need to deal with. Only missing topic was housing?

All the way through this I have been drawn to Rory Stewart. I do all my back ground reading way in advance.

If you are asking me about TV showings last night -

Michael Gove, that man loves himself far too much too over confident, or is he, twice he has reference his humble adoptive beginings and I wonder if he feels he had to prove something. Tn the firsrt deabate (minus Boris) he kept on about his adoption and proving so much more. I dont like the man, too confident. Talk about 'When I am leader' rather than 'if I am' - but actually I think he's insecure.

Sajid Javid, on paper, the second best candidate put up - but he isnt a good pubic orator, I get tediously bored with all this 'humble' origins. I dont care where you come from, I want to know if you can do the job. In my opinion he will be knocked out tonight.

I like Rory Stewart right from the get go! he talks a lot of sense, he cuts through the nitty gritty and asks difficult direct questions. As politicians go, about as honest as they come. But does he have the gravitas to be PM?

That leaves Jeremy Hunt - who is growing on me, rather like dose of atheletes foot. He's the one who doesnt get into the over talking and bickering, he's the one who carries himself like a statesman. I have warmed to him.

And then there is Boris the man with only one name. Poor show last night, but then who ever the interviewer was wouldnt STFU and let him get any words out.

Scenarios for last two

1.. Boris and Jeremy - Boris will win
2.. Boris and Rory - close call, might be a last minute upset, but probably Boris
3.. Rory stands down and give his votes to Michael - Michael still wouldnt get to the last 2, odious little toad.

500,000 education employess hate Gove
500,000 NHS workers hate hunt
Boris the popular vote.

I think my final impressions after watching both debates are:

1. Gove - I'm not at all a fan of no deal Brexit and it seems he's the only one other than Stewart who will look to avoid it. I don't like what he did in Education but has been better since taking Environmental

1. Hunt - credible and answers questions we'll but supports no deal as an absolute last resort (which I don't). I did not like the references to his half-Chinese children - felt it was too much of an obvious play

1. Javid - I don't know that he's a strong enough personality to successfully manage the shit show that will be the next 2-3 years. Honestly I don't think Tory membership will ever vote for him as PM due to race issues. Unfortunately there is a racist contingent (I should know, some of them are my family).

1. Johnson - I think he's a self serving narcissist. He'll say anything to anyone to get the role; it will bear no resemblance to what he actually does. Good example being promising tax cuts for higher tax band via the Telegraph and then back tracking last night.

Also - Stewart is my actual favourite but I don't think he's ready for PM yet and I also think it's the wrong time for him. He might be who we need next time around as a more Centre Right leader to attempt to heal some of the divisions

Lifeover

I surprised myself and found myself warming to Gove (still can’t believe I wrote that) and hope he gets through)

Gove talks a good talk. I'm neither a Tory supporter or leaver. I thought Gove spoke well. Wouldn't vote for him in a million years! I'll never forgive him for forcing my dd to stay in education for years after she needed to (at my expense) - to get the results she needs to progress. I hate him with a vengeance!

Rory Stewart may as well be speaking on behalf of Jeremy Corbyn. I'm a true Labour supporter but there's no Chance of me voting Labour whilst That slimy toad is leader.

Boris it will be then.... God forbid!

There is nobody to vote for come the GE. I'm politically homeless 🤷‍♀️

• 500,000 education employess hate Gove 500,000 NHS workers hate hunt Boris the popular vote.*

But are these the people that will be voting? Probably not that well represented in the 100k or so Tory party members?

I too think it will end up being Boris v Hunt and Boris will win.

Why do people think those asking the questions were stooges?

Abdullah has been outed as a anti-Semitic Corbyn supporter.
The Scottish SNP Snowflake carbon neutral child was a clear sop to the green lobby.

These were far worse than the normal QT stooges. Maitlis was no better either, continually talking over Boris in particular.

Boris should have risen from his stool, commanded the platform with aplomb, told Maitlis to allow him to make his point, and walked off, if she didn't. In fact, they all should.

I've voted Conservative in the past, although not exclusively. I'm not a party member, although if I was, I'd vote for Michael Gove if he got through to the members' ballot.

I thought the format was poor. They all looked peculiar on those shit Blind Date stools, especially Rory Stewart and Boris Johnson. Emily Maitliss seemed to be going for Boris more than the others, but then he is the frontrunner, so it is right that he is put under more scrutiny.

Boris didn't impress me. And I've voted for him in the past (Mayor of London). He was vague, defensive and out of his depth. I think he looks physically unwell these days; grey in the face and unfocused in the eyes. He'll win this, but he won't last twelve months as prime minister. Possibly not even six.

Gove has an unfortunate habit of barking his remarks, although I think he performed well and came across clearly. I don't agree with all of his policies or ideas (more broadly I mean, not just all the plans he kept going on about last night) but I think he shows charisma and leadership and he's not afraid to be radical. He knows how to build a team around him. He also has a coherent take on both being a Brexiteer and taking responsibility for delivering it. (That whole 'I started it, so I'll finish it' stuff is smart messaging.)

Jeremy Hunt comes across as statesmanlike but his reticence to get involved sometimes means it looks like he might as well have sat the debate out in the car.

I was impressed by Sajid Javid, by and large; he appeared less desperate than on the C4 debate and made some decent points. He comes across as likeable, to me anyway. He struggles to get policy points across, though. He'll be out tonight.

Rory Stewart is an interesting character and he's worked hard to reframe the debate. I'm sort of glad he's there, but he won't win, and nor should he. A bit too much mannered humility. Although, I could see him in one of the great offices of state if Gove or Hunt were to win. Foreign Secretary, maybe.

To be honest, from the people I know who are party members, the sole focus here is Brexit. They don't care if Boris only lasts four months as long as he pushes Brexit through and cuts a few taxes along the way. My sense is that once that happens, they'll turf him out and elect someone like Rory Stewart, Sam Gyimah or Justine Greening; someone who can park their tanks on the lawns of the centre(ish) ground to fight an election. Boris Johnson is not an election winner, regardless of what they think at CC.

@wheresmymojo - good point BUT the Party will back the person most likely to keep them in power and win the next election.

@Plausiblesuit - the opposite, I thoght Boris looked in a good shape, slimmer, less mad hair, less ruddy in the face, better dressed, influence of a much younger girl friend. I thought he reflected Farages stance of keeping quiet whilst letting the other tear each other to shreds. Thats always a smart move.

The style of the stage wasnt giving was it, the semi circle facing the audience and the screen behind Rory so he had to physically make himself uncomfortable and turn. I did notice he rememebred the chap from Bristols name , where as Boris just kept referring to 'my friend' because he actually has no eye for detail.

Boris is in for the long haul. He has knack of employing the right people in the right job to carry him through. As mayor he was ok, but London mayor is a PR role more than anything else and you need personality and he has bags of that.

Having watched the Thatcher doc recently i was struck by how supportive her team was. If Boris has the most parliamentary support of course he should be leader.

Having lived through that as a teenagerthen young adult @Fibbke , I don't think "supportive" is the word.

Thatcher’s team hated her guts. Their finest hour was getting rid of her.

I’m quite looking forward to watching Stewart leading a chastened Tory party in opposition. This looks very much like pitching himself lead the mollified Tories back to power in 5-10 years time - if they still exist as a party.

My DH gets a vote although I don’t. I think he’s planning to vote Hunt as the only grown up in the room apart from Stewart who is too inexperienced and anyway clearly can’t win with this generation of members.

Anyone but Gove. (Teacher here and he destroyed education/curriculum plus refused to listen to anyone who disagreed with him. ) He is my Voldemort.

The thing is that to win an election, the leader must appeal to people outside of their core base. So for the conservatives, they must appeal to the more liberal middle, or the traditional left. I can only see Stewart and Gove doing that. I know some conservatives who will vote for whoever is against Boris ..... but they are to the left of the party and pro remain.

{I have never heard such a blatant pack of lies - leave on 31 October with no deal - how exactly? }

As a point of international law, unless the UK Prime Minister delivers a letter to the contrary the UK will automatically leave the EU without a deal on 31 October. The PM or Ambassador to the EU simply has to stay in bed or not turn up.
To revoke or leave with a 'deal' (of which signing the WA is just the very start) requires something to be done.

Stewart out now. Boris got as many votes as the remaining contenders combined. I don't know what they're bothering to pretend there's all to play for. Give Boris the title and just get on with it, FFS.

It wouldn't surprise me if all the questions were planted by stooges. The woman from Southampton didn't come across as a member of the public.

I wondered where these people came from. They all seemed to be out of the Labour Party Central Casting

BBC cocked up again tonight. In The 6 o'clock news. Kuenssberg started by describing Boris as "controversial" in her introduction. Isn't that blatant politicising? the BBC then for the third time failed to cut to the ballot announcement live.

Boris is controversial, he's made a career out of it.