Gove stands for Conservative leadership

[claig]

Very good news. He has principles and integrity, a great mind, a great sense of humour as well as having conservative principles and progressive ones. I think he will win.

Murdoch and Dacre will probably back him.

Osborne has stated his budget surplus goals for 2020 will now not be reached.

He never was going to achieve a budget surplus, what with his government privatising more and borrowing more than any government ever.

As for Gove being party leader, Dead Ringers had it spot on:-

"Hello, is that Priti Patel? It's Michael Gooooooooove here? Can I count on your vote?"

"No"

"Why not?

"Because you're Michael Gove!"

Come on, how can anyone say people won't rush to the UK? If you were a romanian surviving on a few hundred a month even Britain post Brexit is a Shangri La. Of cousre May was wise not to concede anything before she starts any negotiations with the 27 states.

No Girl she wasn't 'wise' she was arrogant and imperial in her tone totally and horrible wrt Eu citizens living here already, some for decades, many of whom have grown roots, have extended family, careers (not just seasonal jobs) friends and livelihoods. She farmed it in an unfortunate and hostile way. She has now reframed it to sound less contentious as she has rightly been pulled up on her silly phrasing.

Girlgonewild have you got no empathy with a romanian surviving on a few hundred a month?

Eu citizens living here already, some for decades, many of whom have grown roots, have extended family, careers

UK citizens living in EU countries have also grown roots, etc. I don't see the EU rushing to guarantee their right to remain post-Brexit. This has to be negotiated. It is poor negotiating to concede points before negotiations have even begun. I haven't seen what May actually said so yes, she may have got the tone wrong. But, however distasteful, this is a negotiation and the UK government needs to get the best possible deal for the UK and its citizens. Article 50 is deliberately framed to put us in a weak negotiating position. We therefore have to make best use of any levers we can use to improve our position in the negotiations.

What makes you think Girlgonewild lacks empathy with a Romanian surviving on a few hundred a month? Do you think that we must allow all poor Romanian's to move to the UK? Is that your definition of empathy?

We therefore have to make best use of any levers we can use to improve our position in the negotiations.

My wife is from Eastern Europe, so is my stepson. They are people, not levers.

They are people, not levers

They are indeed people and I'm sure your wife and stepson will be able to remain whatever happens. But the EU is already using people as pawns/levers in the negotiation and will continue to do so. Sadly that is the way international negotiations tend to work. It may be distasteful. We may not like it. Indeed, we may find it abhorrent. But it is what happens.

"They are indeed people and I'm sure your wife and stepson will be able to remain whatever happens. "
How can you be sure? genuine question? Not even the experts or politicians are sure

PR Are you aware of the bureaucratic nightmare that EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens abroad are having to go through to obtain leave to remain cards or citizenships? The process is so involving incidentally distracting us from our jobs, confiscating our passports so we can't travel for 6 months although our jobs may require us to travel frequently. If you don't have all the paper work or have gaps in your stay no matter how many decades they may refuse you so you have to apply again loosing your passport for another 6 months etc.

I must say the Brexit tone that overshadow this country alone will be a deterrent for immigration. Why would the brightest heads who weak several languages and have international experience want to come here to work and settle if the NHS is dead, xenophobia is rife and their stay here is attached to stringent home office controls? They'' go elsewhere as will companies like Google who have given up their plans for a gigantic R&D lab in London and going to settle in Paris now.

*speak several languages

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/michael-gove-twitter-insults_uk_577b8963e4b073366f0faf62

How can you be sure

I can't be 100% sure but I can't see any government throwing out wives or husbands of UK citizens. The political cost would be too great. If you look at the reality of where Conservative politicians stand the new PM, whoever it is, wouldn't be able to get a majority in Parliament for it even if they wanted to do it. And I don't think any of the candidates is in favour of throwing out wives and husbands of UK citizens.

I am aware that getting leave to remain is a bureaucratic nightmare. I haven't experienced it personally so I'm sure I don't know all the problems. But I know it is difficult. I'm not entirely sure how that is relevant, though. The right of UK citizens abroad to remain in the EU is currently in doubt as is the right of EU citizens to remain the UK. I expect the outcome of the negotiations will be that the EU and the UK will agree that everyone who currently has the right to remain, both in the UK and in the EU, will retain that right.

I don't think the NHS is dead. I've been a voter for 45 years. Pretty much throughout that time Labour have been telling us that the Conservatives plan to destroy the NHS. They have had plenty of opportunity to do so having been in power for most of the time I've been a voter yet strangely the NHS is still there!

Having said that, I agree that the Brexit campaign has encouraged racists. It probably won't deter the poor from coming here in the hope of improving their circumstances but it may deter the brighter people we need. I hope the government continues to try and make clear that the UK is still open for business and that the authorities take suitable measures to deal with the kind of racist incidents that have been reported recently.

I'm glad that Tory Muppet. "Working class hero" is out of the running.
If he's working class. I'm getting coronated tomorrow.

You all know who I'm talking

I can only assume you think there is no such thing as a working class Tory. To my mind someone who grew up in a council house with both parents living on benefits (albeit separated) is working class.