To ask if you a Conservative Party Member who you like to see in the final two and who would you vote for?

[BreadInCaptivity]

As the title says.

We will have a new PM and the decision on who it is will ultimately reside with CP members.

I would rather this wasn't a political thread in the sense of Conservative/Labour/LidDem/Green etc.

I'm simply very interested to understand the direction of travel here for party members and would ask that people posting respect that and don't pounce on party members who post.

For reference I'm not a party member, but my uncle is and in his constituency he's saying it's a run off between Sunak, Mordant and Badenoch in terms of local support.

Wallace would have looked like Abraham Lincoln compared to this lot. Strange he didn't run.

Wallace would have looked like Abraham Lincoln compared to this lot. Strange he didn't run

This. All of the remaining candidates are incredibly poor. None of them should be anywhere near the job of PM.

Despite having no chance, Braverman still isn't giving up. She's just released a video saying the UK must leave the ECHR because it has 'European' in its name.

It’s not strange if you think about it. Not everyone wants the top job. He’s clearly passionate about defence and sees it as his duty to continue his work. Ironically the fact that he’s not standing probably indicates that he’d have been the best choice.

Marsha your quite narrow minded when it comes to politics. Seeing black and white doesn't allow for debate. You just come across as insulting and patronising.

Many true Labour supporters didn't back Corbyn.

Many true Tory's didn't back Johnson.

The leaders are often of the parties people support rather than someone's actual leader.

This is the first time I've voted for person over party and it's been a colossal misjudgement.

You say you don't mean me when your scathingly saying "your leader". However I was Labour for a good time before last GE and wanted to vote Labour again as was a remainer.

However I also wanted this shit show to end and to move forward. The leader o chose to do that turned out to be a massive lying twat.

Have you found the link to the claims you made about the walk outs under Labour? It would be great to have the evidence to back up you claims against the media telling us Johnson's was the biggest walk out recorded.

Or, more cynically, he's canny enough to realise a cost of living crisis isn't the best environment in which to become prime minister. I wouldn't blame him for that.

I just hope that whoever gets in keeps him as defence minister.

It would be suicidal for our country not to imo.

Ok I disagree but up to you.

I’m not black and white at all, I voted Labour up until Corbyn. And voted remain. If you did the same then politically likely close in the middle as I am. We probably depart now as Starmer isn’t for me but that’s fine.

I don’t think you supported Corbyn, I didn’t mean you - it was going round and round so that’s what I posted quickly to say that.

These threads get lost in the left commentary (again not you) but I am interested in other sides of the argument.

It’s an interesting candidate race I don’t know who I want yet tbh but Johnson going has certainly unblocked the inertia - which was drinking me crazy

But one of Brexit's defining features is that it won't 'be done' for decades. The unravelling of our ties and defining our new relationship will go on and on, as we are seeing, and as it does the question of how we want to relate to Europe is going to be endlessly debated. Johnson never got Brexit done - it's one of his big lies. He is trying to tear up the deal and all the future leaders are saying they can't stand by the deal that they all supported in 2019. It's an utter shitshow.

I'm always bemused when people say that we have to accept the result and pull together to make it work. How does that work? It's not as if by saying that I don't hate Leavers [and I don't] I'll be able to make one jot of difference to the ways in which small businesses, farmers, fishermen, academics etc etc have all been shafted.

I’m not a registered Tory voter.

Hell no to Sunak. Fraud occurred, was identified and ignored and it was a Lord, not the Treasury minister, who raised the issue. Working in financial services, should such fraud occur in my workplace there would be serious consequences. Sunak did nothing. His conflicts of interest are a major integrity issue for me. How can you be chancellor and have a greencard? His campaign is being funded how exactly? My understanding is that his in laws are not British. I think there are huge question marks regarding his integrity and the influence his wife’s family have been able to buy from having their SIL at such a top level of British politics.

I heard Penny speak, nope. Truss, nope. Tugboat is mediocre but I don’t think he has enough experience. Ben Wallace is probably the best of the bunch and he isn’t an option, which is insane. I still want Ruth Davidson and we as a society should look at ourselves and change so good people like her don’t leave politics. What she accomplished in Scotland was nothing short of spectacular.

Look at what the Tory party is serving up, on top of the disaster of Brexit, 200,000 Covid deaths, a tanking economy, a cost of living crisis that they seem to think st nothing to do with them, and heading for a winter of hunger and poverty for millions: a bunch of D-listers who haven't got anything like the political chops, compassion or experience to make a dint in any of it.

And a despicable AG who is blithely suggesting that we 'leave the ECHR.'

What an absolute shit show.

Braverman out, thank God.

Yep. Thank God for that.

The bulk of Braverman's backing will swing behind Badenoch, I would have thought. They're ideologically in the same ballpark. Although I can see Mordaunt picking up a handful.

The steam seems to be dissipating from Tugendhat's momentum too. (Down five votes since yesterday.) I wonder where his support will go?

Truss isn't where she needs to be either. Not surprising really, her speech this morning was decidedly limp.

I’m not a registered Tory voter.
No-one is

There are TV debates, starting tomorrow (Friday) which could influence the outcome.

First question is whether there will be four or five on the platform - will Tugendhat pull out? He would have expected to pick up most of Jeremy Hunt's supporters and increase from 37 votes from MPs to around 50. Instead, he is down to 32 which must be discouraging. Is there really any point him carrying on?

I'm not a Tory party member (or a Tory) but if I was, I would be watching these debates. It is not a done deal that Sunak and Mordaunt will be the final two. Kemi Badenoch is very bright and outspoken and has nothing to lose so could outperform everyone at the debates. Liz Truss has support from the right wing of the Tory party so will be trying to cast herself as the true believer in conservative values against high-tax Rishi and woke Penny. If those two go on the attack, they could land some punches.

Apparently the final two won't be announced until Wednesday. Try to contain your excitement.

I agree and aside from the debates there will be a lot of horse trading going on behind the scenes.

Between them, Suella, Liz and Kemi had far more votes in this round than Penny and Tom combined.

My guess is there will be a lot of pressure on Kemi and Liz to join forces - and that would please Rishi's supporters also.

Irrespective of any deal struck between Liz/Kemi, MP's themselves might stop the split by transferring support from one to the other to keep a right wing candidate in the final two.

Results:

Rishi Sunak: 101 (+13)
Penny Mordaunt: 83 (+16)
Liz Truss: 64 (+14)
Kemi Badenoch: 49 (+9)
Tom Tugendhat: 32 (-5)
ELIMINATED
Suella Braverman: 27 (-5)

FIL (party member) reckons the powers-that-be would prefer to keep Tugendhat off the telly just in case he creates a Nick Clegg moment; the bulk of the membership (not to mention the parliamentary party) won't want him to win.

FIL (party member) reckons the powers-that-be would prefer to keep Tugendhat off the telly just in case he creates a Nick Clegg moment

Interesting. The Tory party want to avoid the nightmare scenario that the only halfway compassionate, relatively normal and somewhat plausible candidate might succeed.

I don't get it. The Tory Party are clueless about the electorate. The Ultra Right are putting plenty of people off voting Tory. They must only read the DM comments.

While (almost) all DM readers are likely to be Tories, not all Tories are DM readers and do NOT hold hard Right views.

Fillet I know what you mean. It's still all about Brexit, primarily. They want someone who believes in it. Despite all her posturing, and despite the fact the he sort of likes her, FIL still refers to LT as 'erstwhile remainer Liz Truss'.

I think the truth is, they don't care about the wider electorate. Not right now, anyway. They don't feel the need to. Whoever gets in will be sitting on a 70-something majority and no need to call a GE for 2.5 years.

But I will caveat my remark by reminding everyone that FIL is just one berk man, and his comments should be taken with a liberal (!) pinch of salt.

The CP made the right call at the time as they got an 80 seat majority, Hunt may not have - but who knows

This is the problem. The right call is choosing the option that has the besz outcomes for the country, not the best outcomes for Conservative candidates/ MPs who want to get/ keep those jobs.

I think that is disingenuous: the school may have been very different and not outstanding several decades ago. Education was especially appalling in the 90s and it seems that may have been when she was at school?

But a proper response to this from her or anybody else would be to massively increase funding so that class sizes are under 20, as in private schools.

Johnson appealed to the public more with his persona. It's was also his biggest downfall but whatever negatives you say about him his charisma was appealing.

Only if you are deaf and blind and lacking rational function. Or the ability to use google to check his track record.