Penny Mordant as PM - nooooooo...

[Sidaway]

Genuinely scared now that she might win - looks like she's second behind Rishi Sunak in nominations, and the most popular with Tory membership.

If gender self-ID is passed in law, it's going to be so difficult to repeal. (I don't trust her not to try, despite what she said on Twitter recently).

So also scared now that if she wins, the UK will go the same way re. gender policy as the US, Canada etc. and the UK as a beacon of reason in the world on this issue will be snuffed out forever. (Sounds hyperbolic but think it's near the mark).

How can we campaign to stop this? I've already emailed an appeal to the nearest Tory MP to me about this, but otherwise feel powerless.

Laurence Fox called out the misogyny last night when talking about PM on GB News.

I think a lot of Tory MPs are regretting not stopping colleagues like Crispin Blunt MP and Penny Mordaunt MP years ago. They influenced Justine Greening, Amber Rudd and Theresa May. Now they've got Maria Miller and Caroline Nokes (former and current select committee chairs) to deal with as well.

What the majority of Tory MPs thought was a 'nice' progressive social policy for the women to play with and steer through has turned into an absolutely toxic bomb for this government and this leadership election.

I'm really interested in what's become of Crispin Blunt since his disgrace and downfall. I know he's said he's not standing again but he remains an MP. And he just won't let anything lie quietly - it's not in his nature.

I feel like we’re walking over trap doors with this stuff after getting ahead slowly

If PM gets it people will swing to Labour who are more likely to introduce Self ID

What is this I heard on South Today about Mordaunt having a pouty face on an interview and insisting it re edited and embargo on the original version?

I don't agree that a lot of Tory MPs regret anything wrt to the trans shitshow. Quite a few of the still want the ban on Conversion therapy to extend to Trans. People like Nicola Richards. There is still quite a lot of support for the Trans agenda in the Tory party. They don't support women.

i'm GC but actually I wouldn't mind PM as leader. First, because people should be allowed to change their mind, and second, because many other Tories are so awful and right-wing that anything is better. Cutting benefits and destroying the climate are serious issues that deserve our attention too.

She just gave a speech and she was very impressive.

I can see her appealing to the grassroots.

I was almost persuaded.

I am a swing voter, I was planning on voting tory as this is the most important issue to me. I will not vote for Penny, come on Kemi, I think she is great.

She made a joke that Thatcher said:
Every women needs a Willy - but a women like me doesn't have one.

It's good that's she's being asked about this every time she can't escape.

She came across very strong, very conservative, a bit of a Thatcher vibe tbh.

Having listened to them all in the last couple of days, I'm convinced the leadership contest is simply judging who can lie with the greatest conviction.

I think you've just rumbled politics.

It's certainly about presentation and style as much as policy, and Penny M had gone presentation and style today.

I hope Kemi gets through tonight.

I don't think she has changed her mind. I think she words things very carefully.

I wouldn't mind so much if she actually admitted she's changed her mind - we're all human, it happens.

But she hasn't admitted that - she trying to rewrite her own history and hoping that no-one notices. So I don't trust her.

I just watched this Penny Mordaunt ad.
It is very nostalgic, - Brittania - like. It harnessed other people’s resilience, bravery, integrity and victories. A bit ‘wartime spirit’
mixed with that hovis add of the little boy if any of you can remember it. She herself is almost not in it. The ad makes her one with the people shown there.

It is very slick and effective imo and will appeal all round including to the Red Wall.

No rainbow flags were there, but there was the code message, Be who we are.

I think a lot of modern life is led by ad campaigns, sadly.

www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2022/jul/10/penny-mordaunt-launches-conservative-leadership-campaign-video

Interesting

I haven’t watched the others to compare but squarely attaching the party to the country, including the past

Lots of talks about woman this and woman that, but if PM includes males in "woman", as she's clearly stated she does, it's just yet another load of baloney from yet another lying politician. Waffle waffle let's hope they don't notice I'm saying women (hello boys!) and not females.

I haven't heard about that one!

I bet that it's a lot of will we have a BaME pm or will we have a woman pm when in the end it will be a white male.

They might go with Rishy Sunak - as they think the public liked his performance over Covid and, more importantly, they think the voters know who he is and wil therefore settle for him. But most of it is a lot of hot air.

She'd have to put Kemi Badenoch in any Cabinet and Badenoch would have her for breakfast if she tried to impose self ID. Plus, it would put Labour in the invidious position of having to call her out as a liar because she said TWAW at the despatch box in response to HoL amendment. More sunlight. Bring it Pinocchio.

Why would she have to put Kemi in the cabinet?
She puts whoever she wants in the cabinet. She could have a massively pro-trans person at health, a pro-self ID person at justice in charge of prisons. Caroline noakes could have women and equalities. Education could be led by a person who believes TWAW.
PM would be a total disaster.

It will put paid to the pernicious lie that the Tories are good for women because "at least the Conservatives know what a woman is"🙄 for once and for all.

She might push Kemi Badenoch into the shadows as far as possible.

She seems to be running a valued campaign linked to the past

It’s not very woke

Not sure why she stands out on this issue

Values..