And then there were three... Tory Party leadership contenders

[Westfacing]

What a long-drawn out process.

Down to Cleverly, Jenrick and Badenoch - not much of a choice really!

I agree with you there

There are many Tories who want the Refotm votes back. Therefore a lurch to the right looks appealing, except it vacates the middle ground where must voters reside. They are ignoring getting votes back from Lsbour and that will be a mistake. Cleverly at least understood that,

The RW vote has split. I doubt the Tory Party will be able to get those votes back in the next five years or ever.

Not read the full thread, but what would be the chances of a merger... Conservative-Reform Alliance Party. CRAP for short...

Yes, that's Jenrick's whole plan to win next time. Talk tough on immigration, hope Farage buggers off to do something else and Reform are left with a less popular leader and, er, that's it.

It's a thin premise but he's a bit thin as a candidate. Another pink-cheeked chap from the Tory shires, private school then Cambridge, offering Conservative members an easy way to make a conservative choice. All he's really offering to do is steady the ship and hope for more favourable winds.

It’s interesting to see The Telegraph and Times letters columns stuffed with Tory party members resigning their membership or refusing to vote because they can’t support either.

Cleverly voters in the Commons just messed this up big time. They don’t have a middle of the road candidate now and the Tories don’t have the brains they used to have. They needed to work hard to get the Tugendgat votes and instead actually lost votes. A right of centre Tory has no one now and they should be really scared about the direction of travel. The Reform votes are transient. As Brexit votes were. Merging with loud mouth Farage would be repugnant to many and that’s why they needed a centre right leader. Having said that, dealing with Badenoch and her tribe would be a nightmare.

That’s why Ed Davey will be weeping tears of joy.