May to resign as British PM

Blackleaf

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Cliffy said:
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How do you know this? Have you been keeping tabs 24 hours a day on when she does and doesn't cry? And why does she have to cry when there's a disaster like Grenfell Tower? I daresay most people in the country didn't shed a tear over Grenfell. Do you want us to have a skriking PM who's permanently in tears?
 
Walter

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Blackleaf said:
How do you know this? Have you been keeping tabs 24 hours a day on when she does and doesn't cry? And why does she have to cry when there's a disaster like Grenfell Tower? I daresay most people in the country didn't shed a tear over Grenfell. Do you want us to have a skriking PM who's permanently in tears?
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Precipissy is just another prog asshole.
 
Blackleaf

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James Cleverly joins Tory leadership race with pitch for 'complete refresh' of party


Written by: Matt Honeycombe-Foster
Posted On: 29th May 2019
PoliticsHome



Brexit minister James Cleverly has promised to offer a "complete refresh" of the Conservative Party as he joined the race to become its next leader.

The Tories' former deputy chairman told local paper the Braintree and Witham Times that the Conservatives needed to "look new and sound different" to survive.

And he vowed not to "duck" a no-deal Brexit if necessary as he became the 11th Conservative to launch a bid to succeed to Theresa May.

"I think two things need to happen if there is going to be real change," he said.

"Firstly, we need to deliver Brexit. I campaigned to leave from the very start and always believed we are better off outside the EU. We need a leader of the Conservative Party who truly believes in the opportunity Brexit presents.

“Once Brexit is delivered, we then need to think about how we can make the Conservatives look new and sound different.

“From the politics we have seen in the last two years, it is clear it needs a complete refresh.

“We need a change and I believe I am the right person to deliver that change."

In a letter to his constituents in Braintree, Mr Cleverly hit out at some of his Tory colleagues for offering what he called "artificially simple solutions" to the debate over Britain's exit from the bloc.

But he made clear that he too would be willing to contemplate a no-deal exit from the European Union - even though that would not be his "preferred choice".

"It would be best for the UK to leave the EU with some form of deal, and the EU must now recognise the need for flexibility as the current deal has been rejected by our Parliament," he said.

"It is my job in government to oversee preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

"That this is not my preferred choice, but if it must happen, I am ready to lead through what may be difficult and un-charted waters.

"I have never ducked tough political decisions."

Mr Cleverly joins an already-crowded field of Tory contenders, with housing minister Kit Malthouse and Home Secretary Sajid Javid this week joining a race that already includes ex-Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey alongside Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

https://www.politicshome.com/news/u...rly-joins-tory-leadership-race-pitch-complete
 
C

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Blackleaf said:
James Cleverly joins Tory leadership race with pitch for 'complete refresh' of party

Written by: Matt Honeycombe-Foster
Posted On: 29th May 2019
PoliticsHome

Brexit minister James Cleverly has promised to offer a "complete refresh" of the Conservative Party as he joined the race to become its next leader.
The Tories' former deputy chairman told local paper the Braintree and Witham Times that the Conservatives needed to "look new and sound different" to survive.
And he vowed not to "duck" a no-deal Brexit if necessary as he became the 11th Conservative to launch a bid to succeed to Theresa May.
"I think two things need to happen if there is going to be real change," he said.
"Firstly, we need to deliver Brexit. I campaigned to leave from the very start and always believed we are better off outside the EU. We need a leader of the Conservative Party who truly believes in the opportunity Brexit presents.
“Once Brexit is delivered, we then need to think about how we can make the Conservatives look new and sound different.
“From the politics we have seen in the last two years, it is clear it needs a complete refresh.
“We need a change and I believe I am the right person to deliver that change."
In a letter to his constituents in Braintree, Mr Cleverly hit out at some of his Tory colleagues for offering what he called "artificially simple solutions" to the debate over Britain's exit from the bloc.
But he made clear that he too would be willing to contemplate a no-deal exit from the European Union - even though that would not be his "preferred choice".
"It would be best for the UK to leave the EU with some form of deal, and the EU must now recognise the need for flexibility as the current deal has been rejected by our Parliament," he said.
"It is my job in government to oversee preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
"That this is not my preferred choice, but if it must happen, I am ready to lead through what may be difficult and un-charted waters.
"I have never ducked tough political decisions."
Mr Cleverly joins an already-crowded field of Tory contenders, with housing minister Kit Malthouse and Home Secretary Sajid Javid this week joining a race that already includes ex-Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey alongside Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/u...rly-joins-tory-leadership-race-pitch-complete
Click to expand...

How cleverly of him.
 
Blackleaf

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Mark Harper has put himself into the running to be the new PM...

Here’s how I would deliver Brexit as Prime Minister



Written by Mark Harper MP

Mark Harper has been Conservative MP for MP Forest of Dean since 2005 and held a number of ministerial posts during the Cameron premiership, including spells as Immigration Minister between 2012 and 2014 and Government Chief Whip between 2015 and 2016.

He is currently a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

We have reached a fork in the road. Collective political failure from the top of government has left the country – and my party – in a perilous position. We need to do more than rearrange the deck chairs, we need a new start and a fresh approach.

Whether it was agreeing to the sequencing of the talks, approval of the joint report which included the backstop, the failure at Salzburg or the sanctioning of talks with Jeremy Corbyn which led the Prime Minister to put a second referendum on the table – it’s clear that mistake after mistake has damaged the trust and credibility we need to unite the country, Parliament and party to deliver Brexit and build a better future.

My clear preference is to leave the EU with a deal. However, we do need to leave, so if I am faced with the choice of leaving without a deal or never leaving at all – I will choose to leave. We should take every step necessary to ensure that we are in a position to do so if the time comes.

The current extension to Article 50 runs to 31st October. I voted against this, but that is the position I would inherit as Prime Minister.

As a former Chief Whip, it is my judgement that it simply isn’t credible to suggest that you can renegotiate a deal with the EU and get it through both Houses of Parliament by 31st October. Candidates who suggest this is possible need to explain how.

The first stage of my plan to deliver Brexit involves doing something that the current Prime Minister failed to do.

As Prime Minister, working closely with the new Cabinet, I would lead a proper process to work through all the challenges and opportunities to arrive at an agreed negotiating position.

We also need to re-open the doors of Number 10 to our broad church of MPs to properly engage and listen to the views of our representatives from across the country. In September, the Conservative Parliamentary Party, having been heard and properly consulted, can unite around a new strategy.

A key ingredient of this first stage is the realisation that we can only get Brexit delivered, as I argued last October, with the votes of Conservatives, our DUP allies and a handful of backbench Labour MPs. We cannot trust the Labour front bench – their job is to oppose us, and Jeremy Corbyn wants to destroy us.

We must also face up to the reality that the current unamended ‘deal’ is dead. The only thing for which Parliament has signalled approval is the bulk of the present ‘deal’ minus the backstop.

We must go back to Brussels and open real and transparent discussions to change the backstop. After the Brady amendment’s approval in January and credible work on alternatives, I haven’t seen any evidence that the Prime Minister or Cabinet properly requested the EU to respect the views of Parliament.

The second part of my Brexit plan involves building strong relationships with the Republic of Ireland, both communities and all parties in Northern Ireland.

The EU will only move on the backstop with reassurance about both the integrity of the Belfast Agreement and the Single Market. We should take these concerns seriously and tackle them head on.

It is vital to rebuild a proper relationship with the Republic of Ireland. We work incredibly closely with Irish officials on everything from the operation of the Common Travel Area, to our efforts to crack down on smuggling at the present currency and VAT border and regularly share intelligence and security resources to ensure both countries are kept safe. This was something I saw first-hand when serving as Immigration Minister under David Cameron.

Our relationship with the Republic of Ireland should not only be with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, but also with the main opposition party, Fianna Fáil. As a General Election in Ireland becomes a less distant prospect, we need to avoid the backstop becoming a partisan electoral issue in the Republic.

When it comes to Northern Ireland, we need to make urgent progress in re-establishing the Executive at Stormont, assisted by a renewed effort from the Northern Ireland Office and the new Prime Minister. We owe it to everyone in Northern Ireland to restore a functioning devolved government.

The third element of my Brexit plan involves setting the right relationship with our EU partners – both the Commission and the Heads of Government of the Member States.

Our Prime Minister must have the diplomacy and communication skills needed – both on a bilateral and group basis – to get the tone of these relationships right. We need to show them what a positive post-Brexit relationship looks like – covering trade and the economy, security and defence – and clearly articulate how it’s best for both sides to get this right.

Then we can put forward a proper plan to change the backstop and protect the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.

This task will be difficult, but the best chance we have is with change – and that is something only I can offer.

https://brexitcentral.com/heres-how-i-would-deliver-brexit-as-prime-minister/
 
spaminator

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Candidate to replace Theresa May as PM admits taking cocaine
Reuters
Published:
June 7, 2019
Updated:
June 7, 2019 6:23 PM EDT
In this file photo taken on March 14, 2019 Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove arrives in Downing Street in London on March 14, 2019, ahead of a further Brexit vote. (ISABEL INFANTES/AFP/Getty Images)
LONDON — Michael Gove, a leading contender to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, said he had used cocaine and has “deep regrets” about taking the drug on several occasions.
The Daily Mail on Friday quoted Gove as saying he had taken the drug at social gatherings when he was a young journalist
“It was a mistake. I look back and I think I wish I hadn’t done that,” he said. “It was 20 years ago and yes, it was a mistake. But I don’t believe that past mistakes disqualify you.”
The revelation comes as the contest to replace May is gathering pace with candidates arguing over the rights and wrongs of a so-called no-deal Brexit, or leaving the EU without a deal.
May stepped down as leader of the governing Conservatives on Friday, officially triggering a contest to replace her that could see her party embrace a tougher stance on Brexit.
Candidates must announce whether they are standing in the contest by Monday. The selection process should be completed by the end of July.
Gove said he hoped that the disclosure would not prevent him being appointed the next prime minister.
“Obviously it will be for my colleagues in parliament and members of the Conservative Party to decide now if I should be leader,” he said. “I think all politicians have lives before politics.”
http://dailymail.co.uk/news/article...ng-contender-race-PM-reveals-deep-regret.html
http://torontosun.com/news/world/candidate-to-replace-theresa-may-as-pm-admits-taking-cocaine
 
Blackleaf

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Michael Gove, one of the favourites to be elected the new Prime Minister next month, has admitted to using cocaine 20 years ago as a journalist...

Michael Gove says he was 'fortunate' not to go to prison and 'profoundly regrets' taking cocaine as he insists he has never lied when asked about drugs



The Tory leadership hopeful (main) said he had 'seen the damage drugs can do' during his time as Justice Secretary but did not believe mistakes made 20 years ago should rule him out. He told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show: 'I do have a profound sense of regret about it all and I am very, very aware of the damage that drugs do.' Theresa May (seen inset at church today) remains PM until her successor has been announced.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-Gove-says-fortunate-not-prison-drug-use.html
 
White_Unifier

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Also, you need to consider theory vs. reality. Some UK economists suggested that unilateral global free trade might (again, might) surpass EU membership, but with some caveats.

Firstly, the advantage would be marginal and only in the long term, with short-to-medium-term pain being inevitable. Is it really worth going through all of that short-to-medium pain for the possibility (and not guarantee) of a slightly stronger economy in the long term?

Secondly, this is based on the assumption that a post-Brexit Parliament would in fact adopt unilateral global free trade. So even if we concluded that the potential modest long-term advantages of unilateral global free trade would outweigh its short-to-medium-term pain, it's highly probable that a post-Brexit Uk would react emotionally to the initial sting and so turn instrinctively to protectionism and so aggravate matters. If a post-Brexit UK does react that way, then ramaining in the EU would clearly be preferable to a protectionist UK by far.

So in theory, UGFT might benefit the UK; but in practice, a post-Brexit UK will more probably turn to protectionism in reaction to the initial sting and so ruin any potential advantage that Brexit could have given them.
 
Blackleaf

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Boris Johnson tops first ballot in Tory leadership contest

13 June 2019
BBC News

Boris Johnson has secured the highest number of votes in the first MPs' ballot to select the Conservative Party leader and next prime minister.

Three contenders - Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey - were knocked out in the secret ballot of Tory MPs.

Mr Johnson received 114 votes, significantly more than his nearest rival Jeremy Hunt, who came second with 43. Michael Gove was third with 37.

Seven candidates progress to the next round of voting next week.

The two who prove most popular after the last MPs' ballot will go to Conservative Party members in a final vote later this month.

The winner of the contest to succeed Theresa May is expected to be announced in the week of 22 July.

Sources close to Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he was "mulling over" whether to withdraw from the contest after coming sixth with 20 votes.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who came fifth with 23 votes, is understood to be staying in the race for now. Some have suggested his candidacy - with support from Mr Hancock - could take on Mr Hunt to become second in the ballot.

The UK's next prime minister: What you need to know
Johnson out-fundraises Tory rivals
Mr Johnson, a former foreign secretary who served for eight years as London mayor, said he was "delighted" to win but warned that his campaign still had "a long way to go".

Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt said: "Boris did well today but what the result shows is, when it comes to the members' stage, I'm the man to take him on."

Environment Secretary Mr Gove said it was "all to play for" and he was "very much looking forward" to candidates' TV debates on Channel 4 on Sunday and on BBC One next Tuesday.

All 313 Conservative MPs voted in the first ballot, including Mrs May, who refused to say whom she had backed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48624579
 
Blackleaf

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COFFEE HOUSE

France's horror at the prospect of prime minister Boris

Gavin Mortimer
12 June 2019
The Spectator



Should Boris Johnson become Prime Minister it would be a calamity for his country and for Europe. That’s the view of Le Monde, a newspaper that declares it’s time for France and the rest of the continent to stop ‘regarding him as a buffoon’.

In an editorial headlined ‘Boris Johnson at the head of the UK? No thanks!’, the left-wing paper said that Britain’s answer to Donald Trump is a danger to European stability, although clearly not as much as the Brexit Party. Since the party’s formation earlier this year, Le Monde routinely describes them as ‘extreme-right’, which must come as something of a shock to Claire Fox and millions of other British lefties and their old-fashioned belief in democracy.

If there’s any buffoonery in Europe, it’s surely to be found in the editorial office of Le Monde which in recent years has followed a similar ideological intolerant trajectory to the Guardian and New York Times. This is the paper that, when it wants the British view on Brexit, turns to that paragon of probity, Denis MacShane, described in his byline as a former Labour MP and minister of State for Europe. Perhaps it didn’t have enough space to include his six months in prison for false accounting.

The challenge for Le Monde, like the majority of the tiresomely conformist French media, is to broaden its mind in an attempt to understand why the Brexit Party rose from nowhere, and why Johnson is the Tory grassroots’ favourite. That the paper hasn’t managed to accomplish that relatively simple feat is no surprise.

Back in 2005, a few weeks after the French people voted to reject the proposed EU Constitution, Le Monde blamed the result on the ‘Non’ campaign’s more adept use of the internet. I suppose we should be thankful that the paper didn’t also whine about interference from those dastardly Russians, but it was a foretaste of the denial that was to be deployed a decade later when Brexit and Trump came to pass. Of course, it didn’t occur to Le Monde that the 55 per cent of French people who rejected the Treaty might actually have studied the two sides of the argument and reached a reasoned conclusion. Mais non!

The other left-wing newspaper in France, Liberation, describes the Brexit Party as ‘Europhobes’, less offensive than ‘extreme-right’ but still a wilful misinterpretation of the movement.

As for Johnson, Liberation says he is attractive to Tory grassroots because of his engaging manner and ‘warlike rhetoric on the past glory of the British Empire.’ The grassroots, for their part, are ‘mostly, male, white and over 60’.

Incidentally, Denis MacShane has also written columns for Liberation. In his most recent column, written on May 10, MacShane declared that the majority of British citizens’ no longer wished for Brexit.

The centre-right Le Figaro devoted a full page to Boris Johnson on Saturday, describing him as ‘the big favourite’ to replace Theresa May. The paper added that he was working hard to ‘overturn a persistent reputation as a charlatan’ and in their view, his endeavours appeared to be succeeding. Le Figaro also ran a brief eye over the other contenders in the leadership race, describing Michael Gove as ‘the king of the about-turn’ and comparing Jeremy Hunt’s image to that of ‘the outgoing Prime Minister’.

A Johnson victory in the leadership contest would certainly give the French press plenty to write about, and who knows, some of it might actually be considered.

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/06/frances-horror-at-the-prospect-of-prime-minister-boris/
 
Blackleaf

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Tory leadership: Matt Hancock quits contest

14 June 2019
BBC News



Matt Hancock has quit the contest to become Conservative leader - and prime minister - a day after coming sixth in the first ballot of the party's MPs.

The health secretary did not endorse any of his former rivals, but told the BBC he was "talking" to them all.

Mr Hancock, who had been the youngest contender, said he was "focused on the future" but the party needed a leader to succeed in "the here and now".

Boris Johnson won the first Tory MPs' ballot by a big margin, with 114 votes.

His nearest rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, got 43 votes.

The final two contenders remaining after further MPs' ballots next week will go to a party-wide vote.

But cabinet minister David Lidington - who had backed Mr Hancock - told the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast: "The Conservative Party started having elections for its leaders in 1965. Only once in that time has the favourite won and that was when Michael Howard was unopposed.

"I think it's still very open and no candidate can take things for granted - and shouldn't."

Three candidates - Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey - were knocked out in the first round, in which Mr Hancock, aged 40, received 20 votes.

His decision to withdraw from the race means six candidates remain.

Mr Hancock told BBC deputy political editor John Pienaar: "I've been incredibly encouraged and humbled by the amount of support that I've had in this campaign.

"I've tried to make the argument about the values that the Conservative Party needs to hold dear, of free enterprise and support for a free society and being open and optimistic and enthusiastic about the future."

He added: "But the party clearly is looking for a candidate to deal with the here and now. I very much put myself forward as the candidate focused on the future.

"And so I've decided to withdraw from the race and instead see how best I can advance those values within the party and the big and difficult tasks we've got ahead."

Mr Hancock said the remaining candidates all had "admirable qualities" and that all should take part in televised debates: "The nature of this contest isn't just to be the leader of the Conservative Party. It's to be the next prime minister, and so that scrutiny is important."

He added: "We stand at a defining moment in our country's history and we need to deliver Brexit, and then we need to cast forward and bring the country together. That's the goal."

Further ballots are scheduled to take place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to whittle down the contenders until only two are left. The process could be speeded up if anyone else drops out.

The final pair will be put to a vote of the 160,000 members of the Conservative Party from 22 June. The winner is expected to be announced about four weeks later.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary and London Mayor, has confirmed that he will take part in a televised debate with other candidates on the BBC on Tuesday - although it is not known whether he will join Sunday's debate on Channel 4.

He picked up support from businessman Lord Sugar - who quit as a Labour peer in 2015 and sits as a crossbencher:

Fellow leadership contender Dominic Raab, a former Brexit Secretary, called for a "proper debate", saying: "I'm looking forward to the first televised debates on Sunday and I hope that everyone gets involved - we should have a proper debate on the vision for the country."

On Tuesday 18 June, BBC One will host a live election debate between the Conservative MPs still in the race.

If you would like to ask the candidates a question live on air, use the form below. It should be open to all of them, not a specific politician.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48631706
 
Blackleaf

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Raab out of race to be next PM

Yesterday

Dominic Raab has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race in the latest ballot of MPs, leaving five candidates in the battle to be the next PM.

Boris Johnson once again came top of the ballot, with 126 votes - 12 more than in the first round.

Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid and Rory Stewart also got enough votes to make it into the next round.

Mr Raab was eliminated after coming last with 30 votes, three fewer than the minimum needed to progress.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-politics-48680189


Remainer Stewart out of race to be next PM

Today

Four men are left in the race to be next prime minister after Rory Stewart was knocked out.

The international development secretary was eliminated after coming last with 27 votes, 10 fewer than last time.

He said his warnings about a no-deal Brexit "probably proved to be truths people weren't quite ready to hear".

Boris Johnson topped the vote again with 143 votes, 17 more than last time. Jeremy Hunt came second with 54, Michael Gove got 51 and Sajid Javid 38.

A fourth round of voting will take place on Thursday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48696619
 
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