Calling Conservative voters

[JanH]

Which leader would you choose of the 4?

Good God NN, certainly not. I'd sooner have voted for ks' small headless chicken. I too still feel my pulse racing with anxiety at the very mention of her name.

Well I was just thinking that myself JanH!

Tortoiseshell - and how is that different to Blair either?? How many kids has he got? Oh and wasn't Leo born while he was in office?

That's a fair point GS, I didn't think twice about that aspect of DC's candidature Tortoiseshell. Selfishly, I think it is potentially excellent news that in all likelihood all the main parties at the next election will have a parent with young-ish children at their head.

D Wigley, ex president of Plaid Cymru, had 2 very severely disabled sons, and as an MP championed a lot of measures designed to help the disabled. Are you recommending that only older men/women or single people become MPs or party leaders?

I didn't know that about Dafydd Wigley Teeavee.

And am very interested indeed in Cameron's likely policy decisions re SN provision. I think he is very good news for all of us, even those who have never voted Tory and have no plans to.

unfortunately his sons both died in their teens. he has 2 other children who're in their early 30s now

I am sorry his sons died. Was this a contributory reason to his standing down from Plaid Cymru?

I'm going to watch his disability/ SEN policies with interest too. I might even have my arm twisted to vote Tory in the next election if DC is the leader.

I know, I know, you shouldn't vote for a party on the strength of the leader - but no doubt a lot of Labour votes are for Tony so why not?

No, a good few years have passed since then. He stood down because of health problems (cardiac), I think

I should have thought that a lot of Labout voters hate the fact that they vote for Tony...but are too gutless to vote for another, more sensible politician/party

Just going on very brief chats with several friends it appears that if DC becomes leader a lot of people(mums at least)are going to vote for him and a fair few others considering it a possibility

Not suggesting for a moment that only older people/people without kids should go for high profile jobs, it's a decision they make - just thinking from my own perspective how I'd feel if dh had that sort of role, with the time commitments it entails. Purely a personal thought.

I wouldn't want to ba with a politician either, it's certainly an all-consuming job

I think that whether or not people eventually vote for DC, the thing is that it would be very good news to actually have a choice. There's been no real choice for so long.

bi-party confictual system is v depressing I find - wouldn't want that kind of 'pseudo-choice'

Buffy, that's a much better summary of LB than mine.

It will be interesting to see whether a Tory party led by someone who knows what disadvantage is like is a bit more humane - less of the survival of the fittest philosophy. But having an SN child doesn't automatically make you a good person, any more than having a chronic medical condition makes me one.

Sorry, meant to say v. good point re TB having the same top public school and Oxford background. Still think the only possible reason for TB joining Labour was because he wanted to go out with Cherie.

Did anyone see Spooks last night? Very close to the bone storyline about the government selling off the NHS to a Russian oligarch. Apart from the Russian bit, that is pretty close to what our allegedly Labour government is doing.

noddy - that's really depressing. Why would they even be considering voting for him yet when they know nothing of his policies? Presume are closet Tories anyway. Guess we do know one of his policies - he'll have to be soft on drugs, wouldn't want to appear to be a hypocrite now.

Cameron on special needs children

I admit that I am becoming a bit of a groupie

Tinker, if he has allegedly taken drugs why should he have a soft line on them? Surely someone with first hand experience is able to see it from both sides?

I like him too

yes lilibet, wouldnt it be great if he could come out and say that he was taking a hard line on drugs due to his own personal experiences!