The Westministenders Hunger Games continues. Boris still trying not to be outmanoevered.

[RedToothBrush]

Clearly Boris didn't get the memo, on when to quit the power games, even after Gove schooled him in the dark arts of the Tory Leadership....

So the Tory Smackdown rolls on whilst Corbyn STILL clings on. UKIP has now entered the race to make a challenge for who can make the biggest leadership contest shambles.

In The Blue Corner
May strikes fear into the hearts of EU citizens as she counts her bargaining chips.
Gove strikes fear into the hearts of humans, with his Martian twitch.
Loathsom strikes fear in the hearts of Britains by talking about babies brains.
Crabb strikes fear into the hearts of Torys by suggesting a plan that Corbyn might like. (and that beard doesn't help).
And Fox.
Well he just turned up.

Johnson is still waiting in the wings to stab Gove. He'd quite fancy a seat at the cabinet table too.
Osborne has gone quite again and we wait with baited breathe to see if he is the 'Charlie off Casualty' of the Tory Party (y'know whatever happens he somehow survives like a cockroach).

In The Red Corner
Corbyn apologies. So we know he's getting a bit desperate.
Will the Unions figure out something else to do other than sit with their head in hands.
Angela Eagle is still doing jellyfish impressions and hasn't found that backbone.
We STILL don't know who the fuck Owen Smith is?
Will Bliar's chicken's finally come home to roost?
The Cult of Momentum, rumbles on. We aren't quite sure who they actually vote for, but they seem to like their Dear Leader.
When will this country next have an opposition party?

Its kinda getting boring guys, we need some action now. End the Chicken Coup! The Tories are definitely out doing in the high drama stakes.

In the Purple Corner
Farage has gone! Hurrah. We hope only that he stays under that rock.
(Don't count on it. They'll wheel him out when they need publicity)
Will Leadsom be elected leader? Oh sorry, wrong party. I was getting confused for a second there.
Will they throw the cuckoo Carswell out? [:)]
Will they be able to find a less offensive leader than Farage who can unite them in their common goal of errrr..... yeah. That.
How long before one of their candidates has to apologise for something?

And I suppose I should ask, when will a50 be triggered....? And by whom?

All these questions and more.
Sense of humour compulsory. No experience necessary though

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2670552-Has-Boris-been-outmanoeuvred?pg=1 Previous thread 1

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2672388-Has-Boris-been-outmanoevered-Will-someone-please-tell-me-who-is-in-charge Previous thread 2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/a2673982-Have-Boris-and-Jeremy-been-stabbed-in-the-back-Please-can-we-have-some-leaders Previous thread 3

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2675432-Boris-outmaneovered-Et-tu-Gove-Corbyn-The-Westministenders-Hunger-Games-Continues? Previous thread 4

Team @andrealeadsom say @Gove2016 had 30 MPs - extra 18 lent by @TheresaMay2016 who prefers him in final round. Denied by Team May

Well this rumour is doing the rounds on twitter. Of course could be complete fantasy.

Red and others - a bit of an aside re a GE. Hypothetically if the current 22 Tory MP's involved in the election expenses scandal are found against couldn't that trigger a GE? 22 bye elections is an awful lot especially when technically the government majority is only 16

www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/01/channel-4-leads-the-way-on-tory-election-claims

Sorry if this has been asked before

So to recap then?

Tories sorting out their leadership

Labour still chasing it's own tail

UKIP is mulling over leadership

LibDem have fallen into a black hole.

Well, the way things are going, I suppose we're at the point of "if anything can go wrong, it will" aren't we?

Red and others - a bit of an aside re a GE. Hypothetically if the current 22 Tory MP's involved in the election expenses scandal are found against couldn't that trigger a GE? 22 bye elections is an awful lot especially when technically the government majority is only 16

The 22 by elections go against the Conservatives, and there is then a vote of no confidence in the government then that would trigger a GE.

No confidence votes normally don't happen as the majority needed for them mean there has to be a revolt from the ruling party. But if the ruling party no longer has a majority it becomes a possibility for the opposition to trigger one.

Oh, apparently the Green party are after a new leader too. They've managed to round up 6 possibles, although two of them are proposing to job-share. I have no idea of names, but I'm not sure they'd mean anything to anyone anyway.

The LibDems have made a couple of statements today, in a sort of 'look, over here, we're still around' kind of moment, but it got about as much attention as any LibDem announcement.

Labour's mediation sessions look like going on all week, so it could be by Thursday we are down to the final two for the Conservatives, and Labour are still in the same place as they were two weeks before!

it becomes a possibility for the opposition to trigger one.

Ah, the days when we had an opposition...

Red If anything is to be left up to the Opposition, then I think we may as well forget that happening. They're useless at the moment.

You need over 50% to vote on a No confidence vote to win it and trigger a GE. There is no guarantee that all the opposition would do that (DUP I'm looking at you) Remember Sein Fein don't recognise Westminster so that throws the numbers too. It would be tight.

If they were found actually guilty they would have to be suspended (I am guessing) and Parliament has to continue any way? So majority has gone straight away?

That's ignoring the whole tory party in disrepute etc and seeing how far up the food chain it went? I am of course clutching but it could happen?

Lib Dem membership 'highest for a decade'
Posted at
19:11
Tim Farron
PA
Away from the Conservatives' leadership contest, the Liberal Democrats are pleased to inform us, via email, that their membership is now at its highest level for a decade.

The party says it has attracted 15,000 new members since the referendum result, bringing the total to more than 74,000.

After the Brexit vote, leader Tim Farron announced that the party would fight the next general election as the only UK-wide party committed to protecting Britain’s relationship with Europe.

Tim Farron has put out statement today, saying how the LDs are going to ask the government to apologise to the people of Iraq tomorrow.

They have also put in a back bench bill re: EU citizens in the UK. This was after Labour did a press release on the same subject. (Hence why I didn't mention tbh) Not sure which should hit the commons first.

They are doing stuff. Its just not being reported.

It COULD happen yes.
We could also get hit by a meteor.
Which is more likely is open to debate at present.

Red I can live in hope. Hope is all I have

The Greens were searching for a new leader before the Referendum, I believe. I think the Greens also support the EU so the Lib Dems aren't the only party to do so.
I for one, felt betrayed by the Lib Dems going into government with the Tories, and thought that they should have let Cameron form a minority government as Wilson did in 1974. Then I felt betrayed on the student fees issue. Hmm.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/04/labour-split-exposed-tom-watson-momentum-rabble-livingstone

that's from dec 2015 so they've been out of sync for a long time in Labour

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Michael Gove fan, says his candidate's vote was higher than he expected and he thinks some of Liam Fox's votes could go to him in the next round.

He says it's worth remembering that Remain-supporting MPs outnumber Leavers among Tory MPs quite considerably, but in the party membership - who will have the final say - the situation is quite different and that will work in his man's favour..

Michael Gove doesn't support the Good Friday Agreement.

God help Ireland if he becomes PM.

God help us all

On the expenses thing, there's some suggestion (albeit from Guido Fawkes) that Labour may have a similar issue, in which case, in the unlikely event they start to resemble a functioning opposition party, they may not make too much noise about this.

Labour have a shadow Cabinet! Although the shadow defence minister and the shadow Lord Chancellor only became MPs last year...

There's a press release here

His wife would apply for power of attorney on behalf of his diminished capacity, and take over parliament!

thebathroom

I'm very surprised Diiiaaaannnneee only has one post - after listening to dead ringers I was convinced she would have at least 5 ( It was very funny)

Stephen Crabb set to pull out - watch this space
BBC political editor tweets
Posted at
20:00
Follow
Laura Kuenssberg ✔ @bbclaurak
And then there were three - Crabb about to pull out
7:56 PM - 5 Jul 2016