Rory Stewart for Prime Minister

[Beneficentbovine88]

I know he's recently left politics to teach at Yale but I heard him speak about the Russia - Ukraine conflict on BBC international news this morning and he spoke with such intelligence and integrity that it reminded me what it would be like to have an intelligent, competent, responsible, honest, realistic person in charge rather than the current shambles. I know everyone is waiting to see whether BJ will have his Churchill moment given the current crisis but surely one of the hallmarks of a good leader is trustworthiness?

Just to be clear, I have no political affiliations at all any more. Just generally disillusioned.

@3peassuit but we can’t exclude a decent one just because the others were disappointing. We’d be acting out of spite then.

@Ripepear

I read the title as rod stewart and opened thread wondering if he was into politics these days !

. I think he did speak up about Brexit being a disaster for musicians!

Sorry to say this as I like some of his ideas and he's certainly intelligent but I found him to be unimpressive as an MP and not particularly helpful when I asked him for assistance.

I am not nor every can imagine being a tory, but Rory seems intelligent and has integrity..as for being Catholic so what? I would have said Bojo was the wild card! And look where that has led is!

He is doing a podcast now with Alastair Campbell - most recent episode included insight into the delaying tactics other candidates did for the leadership election. Naturally he paints himself as the saint in it but even the informed intelligent way he speaks is refreshing compared to the drivel on the front benches.

For the PP’s experience of him as an MP - i wonder if he was too far removed from stuff on the ground to be a decent locsl MP?

I've been listening to that podcast with interest Squeezedsquash and I am enjoying it very much. Yes there's a whiff of "aren't we clever" about it, but in actual fact, I think they are! 😃

It's so depressing that there is no one decent, intelligent and competent waiting in the wings to take over from Boris!

I've never voted Tory and I genuinely respect him. I'd love him as a PM.

Yes he genuinely seems to have those old fashioned values of : wanting to serve, independence of thought, good work ethic and integrity ie sticking to his word.

He had some interesting things to say about the hideousness of being a politician nowadays in the last episode of 'The Rest Is Politics' though; describing the constant abuse and criticism. I doubt he will be returning to Westminster somehow.

He is brilliant and I would definitely vote Tory if he was elected leader which should have happened if the Tory Party hadn’t decided on Johnson simply because they believed he had popular appeal.

I was just discussing this today - that I would vote for him regardless of party because he has integrity and seems a trustworthy leader that wouldn’t let the party politics get in the way.

I've never voted Tory but i'd prefer a Rory Stewart over an empty suit like Starmer. He's something different but in a good way (i.e. not populist like Boris) and has the intelligence.

Apologies if someone has mentioned it already but Rory S has a fantastic weekly podcast with Alistair Campbell called the Rest is Politics. The schtick is having a left and right of centre person in the same discussion and it's highly entertaining and (to me) very informative. They agree a lot, disagree a fair bit (private schools is a running theme) and it's just very interesting. There was even a rueful discussion of the leadership debate someone mentions upthread, including taking off the tie!

My view of Rory S has gone up enormously - he's a smart, thoughtful, nuanced man who delivers the most scorching put downs of our current PM. Thoroughly recommend.

I think he’s a decent TV presenter but his voting record makes me see him in a different light www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24964/rory_stewart/penrith_and_the_border/votes

I like him. I’m not sure he is quite as amazing as his PR makes him out to be - during his walkabouts with “normal voters” he claimed he was going to approach “gangsters”, by which he meant two black office workers out buying their lunch in central London. I think he is as good as you are going to get from a rich white old Etonian, and apparently those are the only candidates for PM we get to pick from.

And he is also literally a spy.

He's been a bit flighty - first appeared as Cumberland MP, fighting for the farmers etc, next he was doing something else in London, now he's lecturing at Yale - not a steady Eddy.

I was gutted when he didn't win the tory leadership....

I've been listening to his podcasts with Alistar Campbell, for a Tory he isn't bad.

His name is actually roderick!

Ha, he's my secret Tory heart-throb!
I was sort of dry sobbing over my washing up bowl this morning, wondering where the hell all the adults have gone in politics. And my thoughts took flight to Rory Strewart. I really wish he knew he has a MN fan base.

🙄

I rate Rory Stewart and Tom Tugendhat. Both of them seem straight as an arrow.

Have always loved him!

Now that’s a thought. Rod for PM.

I also follow him on Twitter and really respect him. Re him being out of touch, he did a sofa-surfing thing with his constituents so he could understand people's lives and listen to their views. So he did try hard to be able to represent people. He speaks Pastun too. All round interesting guy, with integrity.

I also like him.