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

Lord Ashcroft the pollster is currently saying that May's position on Brexit is not strong enough, in the eyes of much of the membership. Loathsom is scoring well on this, so May has some work to do still on this.

Hence her position on EU citizens, probably. She's compensating for her lack of Brexit credentials.

No minimum wage, no maternity or paternity rights, no unfair dismissal rights, no pension rights—for the smallest companies that are trying to get off the ground, in order to give them a chance

What were we told before the referendum? Something about worker's rights being protected.

Welcome to the new world. They've sown the wind and now they shall reap the whirlwind.

To me it seems to be a risky strategy. But then I think the blood of the Tory Party membership will be up and they'll be in the mood for someone from the harder Right. Rationality isn't working very well at the moment so perhaps she needs to take risks.

Latest:
May 130, Leadsom 40, Gove 26, Crabb 22, Fox 7.
May has picked up another 5. Leadsom 1.

I think this morning I've realised just how much you can see what is going on in parliament (in Europe and UK) if you choose to. BBC Parliament is a strange thing, which I'm sure has viewing figures which are probably negative more of the time! Yet its still there. There is something to be said for it. I've previously looked up government debates on line as well as commons reports - they are useful and informative. But again I guess rarely used.

Then the other thing that struck me was just how rude and aggressive our UKIP reps were. This was in contrast to the other national eurosceptics. Its shameful and damaging on a national level to our interests.

Red I agree with you about AL not necessarily adapting well to her particular audience but she is perhaps playing a longer game vis a vis those outside the room. I though TM did spectacularly badly in adapting to the Peston style and considering the wider TV public watching on. She has had to do some serious damage limitation since.

At least Gove can always be relied on to be politely contemptuous which seems to play consistently whatever the audience.

Oh and our unelected law making house is full of lots of people who possess the common sense and measured response that our other elected house really seems to be bloody lacking atm.

If AL is being portrayed as "silly wife" then it is something she welcomed herself, given "as a mother" came out of her mouth more often than anything of poltical relevance during the debates.

perhaps playing a longer game vis a vis those outside the room.

If you are suggesting that you think she has a plan.... may I refer you to 23rd June. Or to the hot air she's blown since.

Corbyn to announce new shadow cabinet.

Well that's about 30 seconds air time then...

Air time might have longer duration than the cabinet.

We're in the middle of a massive political and constitutional crisis and the Labour Party are focused on ancient history.

On p2 & catching up, but YY to this sentiment.

Leave / Remain Tory leadership split.

Prof Michael Dougan (he of the great video on EU law) giving evidence this morning:

Patrick Wintour ✔ @patrickwintour
Dougan: To secure an EEA agreement, UK must avoid a veto by Swiss, 3 EFTA countries, 27 EU countries and European Parliament. 32 vetoes.

Patrick Wintour ✔ @patrickwintour
Dougan to Treas Sel Comm. French legal service has told French govt is that it would be possible for UK to trigger Art 50, and then revoke.

Patrick Wintour ✔ @patrickwintour
Dougan on withdrawal:"main worry is it is a job that cannot be done by parliament alone, requires enormous delegation of power to executive"

May needs a little more homophobia and bigotry going on.... she's not a big enough horror apparently.

order-order.com/2016/07/05/leadsoms-old-blog-a-little-old-school/

32 vetoes!

Jeepers.

May is an absolute horror.

She is on the record as wanting us out of ECHR.

That's a pretty extreme position for a PM.

May said she no longer wants to leave ECHR, just last week.

Johnson on why he's backing Leadsome:
"Because Andrea Leadsom, I think, has all the qualities that you need at the moment. She’s got a lot of zap, a lot of drive, and all the experience. Plus I think she can articulate what’s needed at the moment, which is a bit of an antidote to some of the gloom and negativity and misunderstanding about what the Brexit vote means. Because some people think that it’s the end of the world. It’s not. On the contrary, it’s a massive opportunity for this country."

Why are we still asking this man questions??

Nothing in there that will hurt Leadsom with the Tory membership.

and all the experience

... say what?

Letwin to Foreign Affairs committee when asked if it matters that there will be a delay while a new PM is chosen - no, not really, these negotiations are going to take a long time, so these few months are really a drop in the ocean, which give us a chance to get things lined up ready for the new PM.

No, last week she said that she recognised there was currently very little appetite for leaving the ECHR and so she was dropping it as an immediate aim and wouldn't campaign on that basis.

She very much did not say that she had changed her mind.

This was political expediency. Not a change of heart.

She hasn't even pretended otherwise.

She would still be a PM who felt that was a goal worth pursuing.

The comments below that blog quote are horrifying.

Letwin asked repeatedly if there will be a formal role for devolved leaders in negotiations. Tells Scottish MP (who has now asked the question 3 times) that he can't say yet, but they will listen to what the devolved leaders have to say. Scottish MP is not very happy and asks Letwin to think about how they can have a formal role, including whether they can veto proposals, and come back to them

Place marking!

Welsh MP has just described this morning's European Parliament session as 'bad tempered', and says Foreign Office has some work to do on diplomacy, which will be hard because they don't have enough staff, what's Letwin going to do about that.

Letwin - it's regrettable if people are angry but in time all will see it is in everyone's interest to develop good relations, FO will be appropriately staffed, including with outside expertise.

Thanks to you lot I have just exceeded the data limit on my phone contract for the first time ever. Keep it coming!