Rory Stewart for P.M.

[HappydaysArehere]

We would actually vote Tory if he was elected. We first noticed him when he made a fascinating programme on Laurence of Arabia but his experience and recognition abroad seems to be little recognised in this country. There is an interesting article in the Guardian today which I would love to have linked but stupidly I don’t know how to do it.
However, am interested in how many of you have noticed him and would support him if given the chance.

[BelindasGleeTeam]

His Dad was my Grandpa's CO in Normandy. They stayed in touch. Grandpa said he was a really decent, honourable guy and very good leader. Hopefully his son got those qualities.....

[HollowTalk]

But he was only born in 1973, @BelindasGleeTeam. His father would have had to have been born in the 1920s to carry out that role. Are you sure it wasn't his grandfather rather than his father?

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

1973 - he’s younger than me? Jesus...

[AnnaMagnani]

Agree about prison service - only there a short time and he was really impressive there, having had absolutely terrible ministers for ages.

Still not sure as am not a Tory but he is best of a bad bunch.

[BelindasGleeTeam]

@hollowtalk definitely his dad

[BelindasGleeTeam]

He was a young officer, my grandpa was in the black watch regiment with him.

He was 50 when Rory was born so nothing massively out the ordinary really.

But it makes a difference generationally.

[HappydaysArehere]

While looking at the info on the net about him I came across his now famous “hedgehog” speech. All I can say is that if Johnson thinks he is clever well view that speech and decide whether Stewart leaves
him standing. It has been described by some as one of the most brilliant speeches ever heard in Parliament. It is certainly eccentrically brilliant.

[HollowTalk]

Why was he talking about hedgehogs?!

[NicoAndTheNiners]

He was talking about the decline in hedgehog numbers.

[Gone2far]

I'm not a Tory voter (politically homeless at present) but I'd vote for them if he was leader. He appears intelligent and straightforward. I'm reading the book he wrote on walking across Afghanistan at the moment.

[jenthelibrarian]

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/01/opposite-career-politician-rory-stewart-pm-tory-leadership

Florence of Belgravia

I'd sooner drop dead than vote Tory myself.

Anyone else see a resemblance to Eddy Redmayne, btw?

[Verily1]

Not another Eton/Oxford one! No no no!

[NasiGoreng]

Born in HK, brought up in Malaysia, went to school in Oxford (probably boarding as parents diplomats overseas), then Eton and Oxford University.

Yep, sure he knows a lot about the common person living in the UK and their daily struggles to get their DC a good education, juggling childcare and jobs to make ends meet and trying to access NHS services for themselves and elderly relatives. But hey, he loves hedgehogs.

Seriously people, come the chuff on. We have had a run of Eton educated, out of touch toff after toff and here we are looking to vote another one in. Its like turkeys voting for Christmas.

[snowballer]

His book The Places in Between is absolutely extraordinary and well worth a read. He's not military in the sense of a long career, just a short spell in the Black Watch. But he walked, mainly alone, right across Afghanistan in 2002 (the book is about this) in an attempt to really understand the country. He was also deputy governor of two provinces in southern Iraq in around 2003-ish (his other book Occupational Hazards is about this time).

He's extremely bright and insightful and his books are an absolute joy to read. His life has been extraordinarily full so far and he's still young. I think he's got so much more to offer than the rest of the self serving unprincipled bunch. He's the only person who would tempt me back to the conservatives. I find him fascinating.

[Gone2far]

I'm just reading it snowballer, and agree with you.

[HappydaysArehere]

Thehogfatherstolemycurry your post made me laugh. On second thought why not? Rod would do just as good a job as most in Parliament at the moment.

[AmeriAnn]

I read your title as Rod Stewart. Totally disappointed

I did as well. Rod the Mod would make the trains run on time.

[Snowy111]

I really like him, and thought his launch was very good indeed. I hope he stays in the running long enough to get noticed as I think a lot will never have heard of him

[StrumpersPlunkett]

Totally agree with you snowball.
He is the best of the bunch but probably won’t win.

[TheAngryLlama]

One of the things about Eton - one of the reasons why it is so well thought of - is it produces such a diverse range of personalities. I defy you to find two more different people than Johnson and Stewart. But you stereotype away. Etonians are the only class of people it’s acceptable to condemn on sight these days. So enjoy.

[Gone2far]

Tbf, faced with the moronic inferno of the Labour Party, and having read Rory Stewart's books (where he comes across as intelligent and a decent man) I think it's no contest

[MarieG10]

Rory Stewart does have one quality that I like but is in short supply with our politicians....honesty

[Snowy111]

Sounds like he’s not going to get through today though

Results at 1

I can’t stand any of the others

[snowballer]

Hurray, he's through!

[InglouriousBasterd]

If he can scrape through to members he’s got a good chance - but probably not at this time, in this climate.