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

Hope is....

There is always hope.

Apparently Crabb is going too:

Laura Kuenssberg:
‏@bbclaurak
And then there were three - Crabb about to pull out

Final round 'should feature two heavyweights', says Morgan
Posted at
20:02
Nicky Morgan
PA
Michael Gove's proposer, Nicky Morgan, said he was winning the support of Leave campaigners who want a "heavyweight" representative in the race.

In what sounds like a jab at Andrea Leadsom - who also backed Leave but has never held cabinet office - she suggested it should be Mr Gove and Theresa May in the final round.

"We need to put forward two heavyweights to our people in the country to make sure they get a really genuine choice between two quite different agendas," Ms Morgan argued.

The education secretary also suggested Mr Gove may now focus on winning votes from Stephen Crabb.

"He's got a lot of overlap with Stephen's messages on social reform and I think Stephen's making a very powerful case."

Among Liam Fox's supporters, whose votes are up for grabs, are "people who are obviously Brexiteers and they'll be looking to see who is the big serious Brexiteer in the race who can deliver the exit", she added.

Xpost with Ginger

NM making statements for Gove regularly, yet says he hasn't promised her anything?

I would be horrified at a government that featured Gove as PM, and NM as a high power.

He's managed to reduce the number of women serving.

I suspect they need to keep Diiiiaaaaaannnee free so she can do the rounds of news shows, given that she's one of the few people will recognise!

I've been flowing these threads with great interest (just missed one due to work and guests coming over). The news in Canada on the effect of Brexit vote: it's cheap to travel to the UK now, Canadian, American and Mexican insisting on the importance of frienship and cooperation, free trade is the way of the futur, and American white supremacists feel validated by Brexit.

There is something I'm not sure I understand properly. Is it right that the Uk and the english parliament are fused together? Meaning that the PM is the head of both entities? That is what I understand from the comment that say that Crabbs could not be PM because he is a welsh MP. If so, is the PM not in conflict of interest? Is that not incredibly unfair for the other members of the UK ?

So by Thursday we'll have our final two. It's very efficient, this system, isn't it?

I wondered about that too. I would've thought a Scottish PM would tie Scotland to the UK quite nicely, but it seems that wouldn't (couldn't?) happen.

20:08
Stephen Crabb says he is pulling out of the race to be Conservative leader and the next prime minister.

Crabb gives his backing to Theresa May
Posted at
20:12
Stephen Crabb
BBC
Stephen Crabb says he will give his "wholehearted support" to Theresa May, describing her as "the only one candidate in a position to unite our party and lead a strong and cohesive government".

Qwebec - there is no English Parliament, as such. This has been a bit of a problem since devolution for Scotland and Wales, because MPs there got to vote on laws which only affected England. There's no actual regulation saying the PM can't be from one of the nations, as far as I know, it would just be a bit awkward, now we have the English Votes for English Laws, which acts as a quasi-English Parliament.

Scotland, Wales and N Ireland have their own First Ministers, England doesn't, we just use the PM, even if he's Scottish, a la Gordon Brown (although that was kind of mid-devolution, I think)

Labour need to change their system to survival of the fittest not a war of attrition.

That is what I understand from the comment that say that Crabbs could not be PM because he is a welsh MP. If so, is the PM not in conflict of interest? Is that not incredibly unfair for the other members of the UK ?

Well no one knows what would happen. Its a constitutional oversight.

Legally a welsh (or NI or Scottish) MP should be able to be PM, but they forgot the conflict when they started this English vote thing.

Legally stopping them being PM would also be unconstitutional.

That's British Politics for you...

Oh, and EVEL can also be English and Welsh votes for English and Welsh Laws, if it affects both nations but not Scotland. There's no snappy acromyn for that though. EWVEWL actually looks like it could be a Welsh word...

The Tories can easily repeal the Fixed Term Act if they want to call a snap election: no government can bind its successors wrt laws.
It must be tempting to run against Labour and ask the electorate if they would in effect vote for Corbyn as PM - after over 80% of his MPs don't even think he should lead the party and voted No Confidence on him.
Depends if Labour continue to self destruct

I remember MrsT took her 144 majority as a mandate to transform the country as she wanted, after smashing Labour under Michael Foot in 1983. Before then, she had a much smaller majority and wasn't so bold.

Mark Fox ‏@MarkFoxNews · 8m8 minutes ago
This #EUreferendum debate in @UKHouseofLords is interminable. #Brexit is going to face much trouble in the Upper Chamber.

THAT, is as I suspected would be the case.

This is far, from done. FAR from done. It could get very very nasty yet.

Liam Fox to support Theresa May

I admit, I didn't expect that.

It's not a snap election if you have to repeal a law first.

The anti-May Tory Membership are out in force on twitter. Its going to get really cutthroat. Tomorrow will be crazy. A big day in the commons, but also a good day to deals that won't be noticed with everything going on.

The HoL don't have to worry about voters and careers. they are there for life.

The HoL have the power to delay any non-finance bill by up to 2 years

They have halted bills quite often in recent years, but I don't think they would halt Brexit if the 52% holds.
Depends how long until it reaches them - if the economy has continued to worsen a lot and the public is starting to panic.

So, does the Europe Act really require repeal, to make Brexit legal ? If so, the HoL is maybe the final check & balance in our constitution.

More from Stephen Crabb. He says he's been "overwhelmed" by the support he's had from Conservative colleagues. It's up to each of his supporters to decide who to vote for in the next round, but Mr Crabb says he hopes they "will do the right thing".

Should the rest of the contest continue given the scale of Mrs May's victory in this round?

The work and pensions secretary says the country needs a new prime minister quickly, "but equally, it's important that we abide by the constitution of our party", which says members should get a vote.

But he adds: "If there was a strong call from the voluntary party, from all of the chairmen and chairwomen... that they recognise the need to have a new leader in place as quickly as possible, then we should listen to that."

Membership round could be over ruled then.... interesting.

Is there a level of support at which they can anoint a new leader without going to the party?

If Fox's and Crabb's supporters transfer in the way they have recommended, all ither votes stay the same, May will have an enormous lead.

X post.

Interesting indeed.

They could only anoint a new leader if the other two candidates stood down. I can't see May standing down, so will one of Gove/Loathsom stand down? I think that's a bit unlikely.