Boris Johnson has pulled out of leadership race

[feckity]

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

5 years isn't that long. People won't have forgotten it was him that led us into this by then.

He's a lying tosser. He's lied over and over again. The best thing he can do is just sit quietly on the backbenches or quit politics.

Gove as PM, Leadsom as Chancellor

I'd go with that.

Was Gove in the Bullingdon?

Etonian 2: this time it's Bullingdon

Gove is a fucking dickhead with all the political nouse of a woodlouse.

Proper laughed out loud at these

Punny- things can't get any weirder so yes, I think that is extremely possible.

'But how does all this relate to Sarah vines letter yesterday?'

Possibly a leak to signal to Tory MPs that Dacre and Murdoch preferred Boris, so no point backing Boris.

'Gove as PM, Leadsom as Chancellor.'

Yes, I think that is what will happen. Leadsom is excellent. Gove is also good friends with Osborne, I think, so Osborne may even survive as Chancellor, we will have to wait and see.

The next PM will be responsible for co-ordinating the Brexit, and will probably get blamed for any economic fallout/early general election

What happens if there is no economic fall out or early General Election.

Boris might have missed his chance.

I am so so angry. What a conniving bastard. The trouble he has caused!

And now he doesn't want to be the PM to invoke Article 50, (well,durr, that's because it'll be disastrous) so instead someone else is going to do his dirty work and he's going to wait until things have calmed town.

That's what I've been thinking, Millionprammiles. The whole thing has been cooked up by Gove and Johnson. It's like some awful conspiracy between them - what's more though, I don't think they actually thought it would happen. I don't believe for a minute they thought Out would win.

'Was Gove in the Bullingdon?'

No, Gove comes from an ordinary background, just super clever. Bullingdon are the privileged and groomed for leadership types, even if they are talentless.

I don't believe for a minute they thought Out would win.

Would explain the lack of a plan

It really feels like noone sensible would want to be prime minister right now.

It could be someone sensible that leads parliament to consider the referendum as not having a sufficient majority to support something as big as leaving the EU.

But I'm afraid you're right. Assuming anyone sensible would be part of the Conservative party.

Thank you claig!

Gove/Leadsom really? Is there no sliver of hope that it could be May/Leadsom? Could live with that.

I'd like to see Andrea Leadsom and Gisela Graham with a higher profile...

They appeared very level headed and more 'sane' than the Remain campaign women, to be honest. Angela Eagle looked like a harpy fish wife, Amber Rudd wasn't particularly persuasive and Nicola Sturgeon was just Nicola Sturgeon, too power hungry.

I don't believe for one minute that BOJO doesn't plan to become PM one day. He is just biding his time. He knows that the next PM will have the worst job and the worst popularity and a lot of hard graft. By the time the next general election comes along, he will try again - hopefully the UK will be on the up and he thinks he will ride the wave up and get all the credit for it.

Gove looks like a complete twat. I prefer Andrea Leadsom.

Gisela Stuart - not sure where Graham came from!

I can't stand any of them but it seems like May is the least worst option. Surely they wouldn't choose someone who wrecked education and caused so many teachers to leave the profession, or someone who thinks you can pray the gay out of people?

I don't think it will be May, because of Dacre and Murdoch as well as the fact that Gove has an excellent sense of humour and appeals to more Tory members, I think.

What happens if there is no economic fall out or early General Election.

Boris might have missed his chance.

If Boris truly thought that, he'd be standing.

He never wanted Brexit - it was a (badly as it turns out) calculated gamble to oust Cameron that has totally backfired on him.

He's a coward.

Boris is a cowardly little weasel. I hope the country never forgets the shit storm he stirred up and then ducked out of addressing.

He should never be anything now other than a laughing stock, a Falstaffian irrelevance.

I think Gove hates May and is standing purely to spite her - they had a spat about a year ago if I remember correctly.
May is by far the best candidate. She's been at the Home Office for six years, and while she hasn't exactly been problem free she's a much safer pair of hands from Gove, who seems to antagonise everyone he works with. I really hope she wins.
If Gove is really wanting to take us out of the single market in order to curb migration I will be seriously worried about the economy if he wins.

I'm not one to overreact but if ever there was an argument for bringing back the stocks, this is it. Fucking coward.

I'm not so sure claig, most of my Tory friends are Theresa May fans. Gove is too highly strung for the role imo.

DailyMailEthicalFail - I don't know, there is this

I once asked Rupert Murdoch why he was so opposed to the European Union. “That’s easy,” he replied. “When I go into Downing Street they do what I say; when I go to Brussels they take no notice.”

Jesus wept. Boris has turned this into a farce. One plus point, we won't have to see that picture of him abseiling with his tight crotch trousers on show again for a while