The Westministenders / Media Baron Hunger Games continues. Who is trying to outmanoeuvre who?

[RedToothBrush]

Don't worry we've all lost track.

In the Blue Corner
It started out with Cameron and Osborne trying to win the battle of the Tories, but they got stung in a UK wide vote. Some of us thought it was about the 'EU'. Instead it has turned out it was an internal Tory Bitch fight between some old Oxford and Eton mates, whilst for others a protest vote at being disenfranchised.
Gove and Johnson stabbed Cameron & Osborne in the back to run for Team Leave. Then they won when they didn't expect to. And there was no Plan. Uh Oh. Then it all started to go really wrong.
Cameron quit in disgust. Johnson went all President Churchill, before he also got stabbed by Gove (possibly with the assistance of the dark influence of Osborne).
We now have a Tory Smackdown with the shadowy influence of the Media Barons in the background.

#Team Gove has been doing their best with the knives. This is a mission to stab as many Tory MPs in the back as possible in order to become PM. Sponsored and supported by Murdoch

#Team Leadsom has been selling more unicorns and trying to pretend her CV and tax return are completely transparent. Think positive and the economy will be just fine. She is the homeopathy of politics. Sponsored and supported by Arron Banks, Leave.eu, UKIP and Britain First.

#Team May has been threatening to deport everyone if the EU don't play nice. Sponsored and supported by The Daily Mail's Dacre

In The Purple Corner
Tragically, it appears that not only do UKIP have a Plan A, they also have outwitted everyone by having Plan B. Yes that’s right TWO plans.
Farage has swanned off –sacked—for a life on CBB so they are looking for a new leader.
The potential candidates are all equally loathsome. They include Arron Banks himself, a suspended member of the party and several other people with an uncanny ability to put their foot in their mouths.
If this wasn't horrible enough, Team Leadsom is increasingly starting to look like a UKIP take over bid of the Conservative Party, which might be a neat way of avoiding a leadership battle of their own considering the quality of the candidates on offer.

In short, its a bit like a Bad Dystopian Movie that invokes Godwin, set in 2016 Westminster. Except its real.
In the Red Corner
Meanwhile the WMD has finally gone off in the Labour Camp, as Chilcot has been published. However the Chicken Coup rattles on regardless.

Corbyn is STILL clinging on, putting in a good claim for the Westminster 'Charlie off Casualty' Award. He has however had his Big Moment in the Commons. Which was a bit of a let down really. ...

The Unions have been trying to talk some sense into everyone. Meanwhile everyone else is has given up and are now just praying for a ruddy miracle to end this torture and give the country an opposition party.

Angela Eagle is still outside for the 5th day in a row, going "I will stand. Soon. If he doesn't quit" The BBC now qualify for a discount deal at the local Travel Lodge.

We FINALLY know who the fuck Owen Smith is! He's a Welsh MP and sounds like he's not completely away with the political fairies.

George Galloway appears to be trying to make a late bid to be included on the ballot paper for any leadership election.
Bliar's cried. We didn't. Chilcot took over 2 million words to tell us everything we already knew. As well as the fact that Mi6 like Nicholas Cage a lot.

The Cult of Momentum are still worshiping their Dear Leader by sending death threats to PR companies they suspect of disloyalty. Somehow they still manage not to get the title of the most vile pressure group in the UK.

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

All these questions and more.
Tin foil hats now available upon request

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

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2678198-The-Westministenders-Hunger-Games-continues-Boris-still-trying-not-to-be-outmanoeuvred Previous thread 5

Matthew D'Ancona on Leadsom : there is something of the pyramid scheme about it all, an air of unreality. I cannot help feeling, unreasonably I suppose, that her name may be an anagram (“a dense armload” or “done as alarmed” are my favourites so far).

Mrs Lupo me too, left in the Blair years and rejoined post Corbyn. I think it might have been after one of Cameron's more insulting PMQs that I finally decided.
CLPs are divided, there's certainly a lot of scepticism equally spread around.

I don't know about anyone else but I think all this chaotic government has a very continental flavour. I can see that Merrymouse, it does have shades of Italy or Spain, where we only ever seem to hear that the government have all fallen out with each other and there's an election about to happen!

Just imagine for a minute the PMQs exchanges Loathsome and Corbyn would have. I can't bear the thought
.
MrsLupo is there evidence the country, rather than the CLP, wants a more left wing government? Conservative and UKip poll ratings have been the ones I've seen going up, depressingly.

I'd have to disagree MrsLupo, the Labour members might want more left-wing but I don't see that much desire for it outside of them, they are losing out to Ukip.

PMQs between Loathsome and Corbyn would be so far away with the fairies, I don't think I can imagine it.

Ruth Davidson is backing May, she's not an MP so hasn't had a vote so far:
"Theresa is a proper grown up who will assess all the evidence before making a decision.

"I trust her in the tough negotiations ahead to be able to go eyeball to eyeball with Angela Merkel, and not blink."

That Conservative Home article is interesting. The Labour leadership is something that will be in the minds of people I'm sure. They will not want a Corbyn situation and the way the voting so far has gone and some of the comments coming out about Leadsom, do suggest that is a real danger.

I also think that if Labour DO get their act together thing might change. Whilst Corbyn is at the helm, Labour is quite honestly not seen as a threat. They would become more of an issue if a young Welshman came charging in. Then they might start sitting up and listening, if he could keep Momentum support on board.

Now put Andrea Leadsom, who is proposing 'Fresh Ideas' against Theresa May who is the stateswoman against Owen Smith. It looks a slightly different prospect.

So yeah. Labour, seeing as you are making such a cock up and its not going anywhere, and the summer recession isn't far off - go on your summer holidays and think about it. Then Corbyn crown Smith as your leader on September 10th in a surprise slam dunk move after a Momentum love fest with them both.

I think I can lay claim to being the first person to coin ' loathsome' , way back on a previous Fred.
It's going on my cv

Words - make sure you've got evidence to back it up. The way this year's going you could be up for PM by Christmas and we'll be picking over your CV here!!

I have just looked briefly back at how the last Tory leadership battle went. Cameron started off, by starting off with a new agenda for a compassionate agenda (he visited some poor people), then there was stuff about 'healing the tories', he also marketed the 'fresh face' thing though it has to be noted this was in opposition and that might not be appropriate now.
Leadsom is doing 'Fresh Face' and compassionate agenda whilst May is doing 'Healing the Tories'.

Cameron made comments about a "cultural hostility to capitalism", "For too many people profit and free trade are dirty words." and "Deregulation and encouraging the creation of new businesses could help lift millions out of poverty"
I'd say that these are key thoughts for Tory members, but I expect them to be spun in a different way in the context of Europe. Andrea Leadsom seems to perhaps be ahead on this.

David Davies went for the youth vote. Davis also 'avoided the outright popularism of IDS' Obviously this didn't work!
Leadsom has Johnson and IDS. But May getting the rising star of Ruth Davidson could be a crucial thing. I expect we'll be seeing lots of Boris and Davidson.

Cameron sought to reassure supporters that he had not fallen back on a "rightwing, core vote" strategy. BUT this seems to have been a falling, so the there is going to be lots of courting of the right wing by both candidates.
However, I suspect May in particular will also not want to alienate the centre. Leadsom's strategy seems that she will have to win pretty much the majority of the right of the party - and that could be her achilles heel in the end, if she forgets she Tory not UKIP.

Right now, I think Leadsom is behind as she's not known - it'll be a case of May having to stop that tide and no one panicking over Leadsom eating into YouGov polling points as its almost inevitable that she will because of her profile. The case is for Leadsom to make and set the agenda for.

May has got the much harder task imo.

I confess. I DID steal it off another thread.

Brexit: 325 Tory MPs fail to turn up for House of Commons vote to guarantee EU nationals the right to remain in UK

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-news-eu-nationals-right-to-remain-status-deportation-boris-johnson-labour-motion-guarantee-a7124341.html

indy100.independent.co.uk/article/the-andrea-leadsom-march-on-parliament-was-a-terrifying-sign-of-things-to-come--bJebzO7PSZ

I agree, Red, May's task will be harder, because she will presumably have some ideas which go beyond unicorns and rainbows, and as we know at the moment, UK politics is not doing well with actual facts and ideas.

I do hold out some hope that now Ukip have lost Farage they will start to get less attention in the mainstream media - I would expect that the majority of Conservative members would be more likely to get their news from traditional sources, so maybe if they continue to support May and point out Loathsome's problems, this might be more effective than it is against the wider electorate.

Why would UKIP need Farrage anymore? They've got AL.

You're welcome red

Just also wanted to add my thanks to all the rest for these funny and informative threads -to employ the nautical metaphors so popular at the moment- a trusty anchor in our current sea of uncertainty....

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/andrea-leadsom-bring-back-fox-hunting_uk_577e6a9de4b07a99eadc2a08?adptznb43k1acq5mi

Loathesom Boooooooooo!

Loathsome's interview on c 4 just now very bad. Grilled on c v and did not come across well.
Meanwhile Michael crick saying Owen smith 'n Jones and the Eagle have been told to hold fire pending more discussion with Jezzer...

Social media are already trying to turn Project Fear to Project Smear. May will have to fight cleanly as it gives less for Leadsom to swipe at her.

Conservatives I doubt will want to be the party that broke the Union, so whilst Davidson was a Key Remainer she could be a real asset. If Leadsom attacks her too much she is in danger of being accused of being 'Little England' and I tend to give Tory Party members more credit than that. But May would need a good line on Scotland and its EU relationship for that to work.

I'm not sure more of those ridiculous marches like we saw today are going to win too many votes either.

The more that May can stop it being about Leave / Remain lines and more about Unity the better I suspect.

I have been out all day but my random thoughts.

Now that Corbyn has been able to apologise on behalf of Labour for Bliar and Iraq, when his own record on that particular vote is impeccable, I think he could stand aside graciously. The CLPs need to do some serious culling of the Blairites. They also need to look to see what UKIP is actually saying to their voters - the UKIP manifesto didn't seem particularly working class friendly e.g. like a promise to abolish Inheritance tax. So what are UKIP promising on the ground? (Unless it's just kick all the immigrants out.) Labour's strongest card is still, I think, the NHS, and people are still committed to this, so I think they need to start there.

Loathsom is probably daft enough to push the button, i.e. invoke Article 50, probably as soon as she gets in. Part of me looks forward to the City not to be allowed passporting and significant sections moving to Frankfurt/Dublin. Her ideas about points systems for immigrants. Well, health care professional are leaving in large numbers for Australia, and NZ, not primarily for money, but for better work conditions, and the chance to do the job they trained for. What is she going to do to encourage them to stay? Put more money into the NHS - not really the Tory way. Make the job attractive to immigrants? I envisage large numbers of Indian sub-continent HCPs being very interested.

We might be fed up with Referenda, but would the Scots be prepared to go for another one, given what has happened? There is a possibility that remaining in the EU could allow Edinburgh to build its Finance industry. Its university reputation is already strong, I believe, so they could build on their research base and attract the necessary staff.

N Ireland - probably going to be Loathsom's achilles heel; she doesn't care two hoots about it. I could see that getting very nasty, but wouldn't like to judge how it would go.

I can see the UK breaking up, and she and Cameron would go down in history as being responsible.

May, I suspect, would be more capable of pulling things together.

derxa - I think you just need to pop up and post that at random every few hours. It covers everything nicely, doesn't it!

Leadsom's views on marriage are all over the place.

"I believe the love of same sex couples is every bit as valuable as that of opposite sex couples, absolutely committed to that. But nevertheless, my own view actually, is that marriage in the biblical sense is very clearly from the many Christians who wrote to me can only be between a man and a woman."

So she patronises gay people, defines her own views by "the many Christians who wrote to me" and ignored the fact that marriage is a legal ceremony that doesn't have to have anything to do with Christianity. I don't have much faith that she is more coherent on other subjects.

Clearly Tony Blair isn't flavour of the month, but I really can't imagine her taking a call from George Bush about whether to invade Iraq.

So Leadsom has to commit to EU nationals remaining in the UK?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chilcot-report-jeremy-corbyn-heckled-labour-mp-ian-austin-accused-of-being-bully-iraq-war-a7125196.html