I think Labour's one chance of winning a snap election, albeit a very slim one, was for it to consolidate behind Corbyn, and help him to capitalize on the 'brexit buyers' remorse', which financial markets are turning into a roaring conflagration as we speak.

If they're going into a bitter and divisive leadership campaign, which Corbyn is almost bound to win if his name is on the ballot (according to party rules, it must be), then they might as well throw in the towel now, and prepare for a Boris coronation.

Very few figures were given, those that were were not cited, and stating an opinion ("too much immigration" or "the euro has failed" for example) does it make them fact, they are still just opinion.

I heard him speak about 6 months ago and he came over well, but that was with a receptive audience. He treats his audience with respect and doesn't dumb down his message which means that with a proportion of the electorate he is bound to fail. Somebody like Boris who comes on with arms aloft and announces 'Big!' nods a couple of times and follows through with 'Shiny!' will succeed.

But Corbyn's real problem is the opposition ranked against him, and that's the vast majority of the press and other media and his own parliamentary party who were busy briefing against him before the ink was dry on his candidacy. The behaviour of both is just jaw-dropping. If there's a Tory crisis then expect the story to be 'Corbyn not up to exploiting Tory crisis' and the press can pick from twenty third way Labour MPs to provide soundbites. You will almost never see footage of one of his speeches. What you will see is Laura Kuenssberg with her claims about what he must be thinking, usually with a few of her barbed remarks presented as factual reporting. On Saturday morning The BBC gave Ann Coffey an 'interview' where she was able to present a character assassination of Corbyn without a challenge or critical question. the following morning, a scheduled appearance by the shadow chancellor John McDonnell was replaced with an interview with Hilary Benn, again largely unchallenged and uncritical. Sweet old Hilary gave his faint praise destruction of Corbyn with relish, every inch the conspirator - the kind of thing that would have had his father spinning in his grave.

Whoa.

Just like that, BoJo's out

The 7 days since the referendum are getting very much out of hand.

Wasn't he moved from education secretary to chief whip before the last election because no one can stand him?  What does he think has changed?  I thought there was more than a touch of machiavelli about him, but he's pulled a proper bait and switch with Boris.


 

Captain's locked himself in his cabin with a bottle of rum and service revolver, mutineers are either fist-fighting or jumping overboard.

Icebergs ahead...

 (fail)  (fail)  (fail)

As much as I dislike the current lot, I'm backing Theresa May for PM. She seems the most staunch, forthright and switched on of the lot.

That's like saying rhubarb is the the most staunch, forthright and switched on. Only because it's forced to develop in artificial conditions.

Theresa May is probably the most dangerous of the lot, as she is severely ideologically driven and seems to have the skills to pull off her ideas. At least gove wouldn't actually manage to fuck anything up.

^^^^ This

She was the one who rolled out the disgusting "Go Home" immigration vans. Ideologically strong and happy to go about making things actually happen.

 :-D I like rhubarb.

Yeah, I'm fed up of fucking impotent politicians, she'd be effective, I just don't think it'd be a good thing. 

If Gove was elected, he'd only add to his hugely unpopular status.

May will probably be efficiently and competently evil yes. What's this with her and the Yarl's Wood sexual offences? I haven't read up on it properly but her handling of that was reportedly Very Bad.

I have almost come to like how each day answers the question "Can this get any worse and farcical?" with "Sure, why not?"

Everyone likes rhubarb, and thankfully rhubarb doesn't hold many inflammatory views.

It's not Westminster, it's Jonestown.

You forget that he used to be Minister of Education.

Did he actually manage to do anything in that position? I thought everyone just ignored him.

Does demotivating the UK's teachers count?

I'm pretty sure that's what happens just by /having/ an Education Secretary.

It comes from having an education secretary that wants to be seen to be doing something, no matter the consequences, or how asinine the policy.

To be fair, that probably covers the majority, but Gove was a special case.

Gove is often a special case.