:-((

thing with a second GE is that the media has to show a modicum of even-handedness with their reporting, by law. So last time there was a GE all the predictions were for a Tory whitewash and we know how that worked out. This time Labour aren't starting from so far back, despite the effort of the Tinge (or the CUKs as they now want to call themselves for some reason). I mean, it's still pretty grim, but there's a little hope.  

Well obviously you switch from Mumbaikars to Romanians - they have paler skin, closer accents, less alien names, and of course it wont be long now until Romania is a full EU member making travel even easier...

I can't see anyone winning - Labour and Conservatives have both pissed off so many people, but then no idea how many will still vote for them given the lack of any other option...

What happens if there's another hung parliament but nobody can build enough support to make a coalition?

I'd love it if the country united behind writing "Fuck off all of you" across the boxes and the majority was spoilt ballots.

Then you'd just have the royal family to run things.

Those bunch of turds don't give a shit.

'course not, as long as we keep paying them for whatever it is they do then the concerns of the little people can go hang.

If May resigns her post she's only going inflame the haters ire, in that she's stubbornly dug this pit we're all in, but as we're scrabbling for ladders, she walks away from the mess embarrassed and defeated, but away from the spotlight (a la Cameron) leaving the next poor sod to shoulder the burden of blame. Who that particular job falls to is anyone's guess at the moment. The polls I saw were favouring Gove for the role. If that happens and he's unelected or as the result of a GE, I can see more than effigies being dragged through the streets of London.

Just read that Jeremy Hunt is throwing his hat into the I wanna be the PM ring. That sends a cold shiver down my spine.

Who is the least bad candidate?

Not sure. If it went to a public vote I can see Boris winning it, but this will be an election for leader of an incumbent party so the public don't get a look in. Raab's a strong contender and has been mooted as the person to bring the party back together into cohesion.

Wikipedia says there are only actually four declared candidates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Conservative_Party_(UK)_leadership_election#Declared

Out of those, three are definitely arseholes, but I don't think I've ever heard of Rory Stewart, who seems to be a curious character.

He seems to want to focus on rural areas and communities, and doesn't mention any contentious policies.

But at the same time can you trust anyone who chose such a shit photographer for his "look at me being prime-ministerial" photo...?

"I’m a shareholder in far more local community pubs than I would like"

Um...

He does seem curious and the few times I've seen him interviewed he was rather less obnoxious than most Tory MPs. The thing is, I can't help wondering what went wrong in his life, or what character defect he has to end up as a Tory MP at all.

There's a 40 minute BBC4 interview from 3 weeks ago where he apparently discusses it, but it doesn't have a transcript (what happened to BBC accessibility?) and I don't know if I can be arsed listening.

There's also a Guardian article saying:

He shows a Cameronesque irri­tation with government: "Excessive regulation, red tape, all the stuff people complain about. You have got more hope with the Tories of having people who speak that kind of language; you can say that sort of thing without them getting defensive . . . I found student politics when I was at university a bit uncomfortable," he says. "I think the Conservative party has changed and I have changed."

That's from 2010 when he first became an MP, so I am wondering how his position has changed, but also whether he's relevant - the Wikipedia article has been updated and Rory's the only candidate showing zero endorsements.

I gave it a listen (the interview doesn't begin until nearly 6 minutes in). I thought he came across as a bit insubstantial although that may be the style of questioning. I think he's in love with the traditions of a Tory Party that doesn't exist any more.

isn't it up to the Conservative MPs until they get it down to 2 candidates and then all their members get to choose? If he gets that far, it'll be Johnson.

Anyway, think they're up past 10 candidates now, largely incompetent evil scum to a person but some of them are slightly less incompetent than others I suppose.

Yes, the 1922 committee has a batshit crazy system in which they poll Party MPs on all the candidates and the one with the lowest score is chucked out. The shortening list is put to MPs every Tuesday and Thursday(?!) until only two are left, and then it's put out to a vote by all members.

As you say, if Johnson gets that far, his win is a given. But the 1922 Committee don't like him, and neither do many MPs - no Remainer Tory would ever vote for him, and neither would any MP who can't countenance the real possibility of a no-deal.

I'd also be really surprised if Osborne's Standard isn't holding something on him, too. So the 'if' in '...if Johnson gets that far' is a real and significant 'if'.

With two weeks until nominations close, by endorsement counts Hunt and Gove are the top two front-runners. No idea how popular they are with Conservative membership.

28 Jeremy Hunt
25 Michael Gove
24 Boris Johnson
21 Dominic Raab
12 Sajid Javid
8 Matt Hancock
6 Esther McVey
4 Andrea Leadsom
3 Kit Malthouse
3 Rory Stewart

Kit is another unknown to me, he seems boring but relatively inoffensive. No surprise that he's keeping Rory company at the bottom.

I've had £40 riding on Gove to be next Tory leader for over a year. They were offering 12:1 at the time and even though I didn't (and don't) think he's likely to win, I thought they'd got the odds wrong so I took a punt.