Boris Johnson has pulled out of leadership race

[feckity]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-36570120

So there's the choice of

Michael Gove

Theresa May

Liam Fox

Stephen Crabb

Andrea Leadsom

Classic.

He's a Bregretter.

Very sensible. It was a bit of a poisoned chalice. Far better to hold back and run when the next PM resigns after invoking article 50.

^^ this with knobs on.

Whoever becomes PM now and invokes article 50 will be instantly unpopular with just under 50% of the UK population, as will the fallout of us leaving the EU.

Boris wants someone else to handle the shit & then he can step in at a later date!

But please God, not Gove! Did people not see what he did to Education? And people want him to handle the entire country at a time like this? Gees.

I think he is playing the long game too. I wouldn't be surprised if he crawls back out into the limelight in a couple of years when he thinks people have forgotten what he did. I dislike him intensely and don't trust him at all. I agree he is a clever man but he let his ambition get the better of him and delivered a brexit result I don't think he wanted.

That's right Boris...let someone else deal with this shit storm. You will stand again when it has all settled down you Machiavellian scumbag.

What a bloody joke he is.

No thank you to Stephen Crabb too!

Andrea Leadsom or possibly Theresa May would be my choice. If I had to make one.

He knows what he's doing.

The next PM will be responsible for co-ordinating the Brexit, and will probably get blamed for any economic fallout/early general election. Boris will bide his time, grow his hair out again and wait for the next opportunity for PM where he can be lauded as saviour because everyone will have forgotten his part in the current debacle.

I think Alfie is spot on - he's smart enough to work out that he's not smart enough to deal with the whole world of shit he's managed to create. When and if the dust settles, and once someone else has tried to put things back together, he'll resurrect himself.

Will the Conservative membership work out that Gove is so widely loathed he'd be as unelectable as Corbyn is? Gove is very popular amongst MPs - but will they understand how much everyone else hates him?

I'm disappointed. Hate Boris and everything he has done, but he seemed like the best chance for going soft on negotiations and agreeing to full freedom of movement in exchange for single market access, which is what would be in my interest.

Clear something up for me please? I know the leave campaign was based on the bus slogan of £350m going to the NHS instead of the EU. However, why did anyone actually believe that?

I really don't know, but I am so sad for the people who believes this would be true. Similarly for the people of Cornwall and Wales who put their trust into the Leavers. They did nothing wrong in listening and believing the lies, but I really feel Farage, Boris et al should be held to account for campaigning on false promises. The fact that the referendum was won on lies fills me with rage, all of the rules of honesty and decency have been thrown out of the window by Boris and his immoral campaign.

He's actually a very bright man, I don't know why so many on the left buy into his 'act' of a loveable idiot.

He couldn't stand, one of two things would happen, he'd lose to the "anyone but Boris" candidate, then have it hanging over him that his party rejected him, or he'd win, have to deal with A50, or call a snap General Election, which he'd probably lose, or be in a coallision - and the Tories punish losers hard, it would be career over.

He just refuses to join in now, step away, make it all about Gove - who is unlikely to win the leadership contest. Let someone else sort out the mess stage, hope and pray that actually leaving the EU works out ok for the UK, by which point everyone will be ok about it.

in a weird way I respect him for putting his career motives aside

He hasn't put his career motives aside. This is everything to do with his career. He doesn't want to go down in history as the person in charge when it all fell apart. The fact that he wants to be PM so much but won't take it on now speaks volumes for what he really thinks about Brexit.

May on immigrants - Telegraph article from last year

What Dinosaur said

Right I think with Shiney Dave, Boris, Jezza C and Roy all being a bit out of sorts with jobs we should swap them all round.

Boris can go and manage the England team. He can't do a worse job than Roy.

Jezza C can take over as PM and Roy can run the labour party.

Shiney Dave can be tea boy.

I want them to bring back William Hague. He's well qualified, has worked with all the EU leaders before, knowd how to deal with a fractured party. And can take unpopular decisions because in the rnd he'll just go back to the Lords anyway.

Countries a complete mess, Mays the favourite! We're all doomed....just joined the Labour Party officially although not a great alternative is it

I think Boris does not have the backing of Murdoch and Dacre and therefore he was probably told that he has no chance against Gove who does have their backing. That is the end of Boris as a leader forver in my opinion. If Dacre and Murdoch don't want him, then there is no point him running.

He's also built a good career outside of politics in the media, he's quite a personality. I wouldn't be surprised if that is pushed a bit more, go back to being the posh buffoon. Best thing that could happen for him would be that someone else hits A50, we ride out the following recession, then when the economy starts to pick up (as it will eventually), oh look, seems it wasn't the end of the world after all... (even better for him if there's another crisis with the Euro/across the EU that many 'remainers' can look at and think "thank fuck we weren't dragged into that!")

Where's BritBrit?
"BritBrit Wed 29-Jun-16 17:01:21
I am still expecting Boris Johnson to be elected PM & I think if Corbyn insists on staying he would win a vote among Labour members"

LOL

Would you hate me if I pointed out I predicted this (and the referendum vote) on another thread?
I am mystic helmet ;)

What a player he is. Incredible.

He is playing the Long Game. Not at all surprised.

Why should he 'clear up the shit'?
DC started all this trying to unite his Party behind him.
BJ no different.
They have both sold us up the river for their own personal ambition.
DC arguably far worse as he used his Country for his own gain whilst PM.

Jesus wept -
Gove??? May??? Crabb???

And the Labour Party rip each other to pieces hoping we don't notice Chilcott out next week?

we have gone to hell in a handcart we really have

He hasn't put his career motives aside. This is everything to do with his career. He doesn't want to go down in history as the person in charge when it all fell apart. The fact that he wants to be PM so much but won't take it on now speaks volumes for what he really thinks about Brexit.

Misonomer, I think you have got it spot on, I was in shock when I claimed he has put his career motives aside.

However Theresa May says no second referendum and no early general election. That will go down well with the Tories, but what does that mean to the general public if she gets in? Can we still force an early general election if the public still want one (presumably based on who leads Labour and their exit policies)?

it's all about murdoch /dacre. They give Gove support so now you will find in their newspaper a whole campaign (in any kinds of degree of subtleness) against the others and for him.