The dirty tricks have started already. The first is to declare that there can be no deal with Reform on the grounds that the remaining 121 shysters have nothing in common with those far right racists. This is true because the 121 are mostly LibDem entryists and no deal automatically excludes at least one potential leader.
Using the above logic Suella Braverman is being discounted because she has failed to rule out contact with Reform. There have even been hints she may cross the divide and in that respect she may not be alone. Reform need to look very carefully at any migrating Tory. They don’t need to let in any entryists. The safest option would be to exclude former Tories completely. With only 5 MPs they are vulnerable.
There are also stories of a stop Kemi Badenoch campaign. Some feel that both Braverman and Badenough becoming leader would lead to more internal warfare. More proof, if any were needed, that the LibDem entryists, masquerading as One Nation Tories, think they have the upper hand.
It is simple to note that there have been no such warnings about Priti Patel. Her mysterious visit to Israel must be keeping her in the good books.
There is a widespread feeling that nobody associated with the pesky injun’s leadership could lead the party. Other than globalist orders this begs the question why did they install him in the first place. If his hidden remit was to destroy the Tories he was spectacularly successful.
The various candidates jockeying for the job are busy sounding out support before officially declaring. They are already appearing in the media, papers radio and TV, to pitch their beliefs and the course needed to regain public trust. The beliefs vary from staying much as they are to moving to the right. How can anyone think staying where they are is a recipe for future success. They have been turfed out on their ear because of what they are. Einstein’s comment about doing the same thing over and over again springs to mind.
Talking points are immigration including secure borders, leaving the ECHR, scrapping the Human Rights Act, tax and growth, rNHS and involving members and councillors. The installation of the little brown chap completely bypassed the members so extremely ruffled feathers will need to be smoothed.
The Tories at least admit that they lost and the people don’t trust them. The talking points above will not be enough to restore trust. Their reputation is now for incompetence and corruption when they were at least seen as competent in the not too distant past. The party has long been accompanied by the whiff of corruption. Restoring people’s belief in the brand is a long road and will take a bit more than a few policy announcements.
I detect the hand of Cameron, who allegedly favours a long drawn out campaign, at the back of some of this, he will not want to see his fellow LibDem entryists sidelined and removed hence the stop Braverman and Badenough tropes. One of the great hopes among Tories is their sneering contempt for Reform who have to build a party from scratch. The race is on for Reform to build a party machine and the Tories to rebuild trust and confidence. The blues just don’t realise how long their road to redemption will be, they failed as a government and it will be years before that particular scab is healed.
There are reports that NikNak has spent the weekend phoning all former Conservative MPs who lost their seats. That is 250 excruciating phone calls. What on earth can he say to them, sorry for buggering it all up ? The little chap is said to be shellshocked at the scale of the defeat, more proof that he didn’t have a clue what was going on; the whole country loathed him and his party is paying the price.
My own two cents worth is that conventional wisdom holds that elections are won from the centre ground. That is a very crowded arena and others have more credibility. The Tories need to pitch themselves as somehow different though a lurch to the right looks unlikely. Seeing as most of the MPs are of the LibDem persuasion perhaps they should be talking to Ed Davey assuming he has finished his activity based schedule. The name “Liberal Democrat Conservatives” doesn’t roll off the tongue very easily.
The hints so far are that the candidates will come from these names
- Suella Braverman
- Kemi Badenoch
- Priti Patel
- Robert Jenrick
- Victoria Atkins
- James Cleverly
- Tom Tugendhat
Victoria was a Sunak loyalist, Tom seems like the epitomy of a LibDem entryist, James is far from clever and Robert looks like a low level civil servant. Can any of those in that list inspire a revival of Tory fortunes. Faites vos jeux.
One of the more puzzling aspects has been the wide spread of desired durations for this knockabout. Some want a reasonably short campaign while others talk of getting a resolution by October or even November. In general terms these campaigns consist of the various candidates knocking lumps out of each other. This means that a shortish campaign would be better. Five months of warfare could be even more damaging to the fortunes of the Tory machine. The biggest beneficiaries of a long campaign would be Labour who would love to be left alone to continue wrecking the country. CallMeDave, who is stepping down from front line politics, is said to be one of those favouring a long drawn out slugfest. From this we can infer that the globalists are happy for Keith and his merry men to do their worst unmolested. The other fly in this ointment is that Reform would be the ones making the most noise about Labour’s performance because the LibDems will be happy to see much of their agenda being implemented even though it is the Labour party doing it.
In what was probably leaked by herself, details, mostly favourable to Kemi Badenough, of a Shadow Cabinet meeting have been leaked to The Times. Kemi Badenoch gives NikNak both barrels painting herself as whiter than white while all other contenders have failings. She mistakenly describes NikNak’s decision to hold an early election as unconstitutional. It may have been foolish to have it so early and just as foolish not to consult the Cabinet but it was not unconstitutional. The knives are well and truly out. Can we expect some counter allegations from the other six, possibly not from Suella Braverman whom Kemi accuses of having a very public nervous breakdown. This contest is going to be epic, the longer it runs the better. Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg and a few others are calling for a move to the right and talks with Reform rather than keeping to a very crowded centre ground.
These are only the opening shots in the leadership campaign. It is going to get very very nasty and we should savour every minute of it. Will anyone be left standing ? The real question is should this Party be allowed to survive.
On Tuesday the new chairman of the 1922 committee was elected. Bob Blackman grasps the poisoned chalice with both hands. I guess he will put the leadership campaign into action. Even then there were allegations of skulduggery. The vote was supposed to be between 5pm and 6pm but they shut it down at 5:30pm. Mark Francois went to vote only to be told he couldn’t, he was not a happy bunny. Are the Tories the new Democrats ? It has now emerged that Mr Blackman is in favour of a long campaign as are Lords Hague and Cameron. Could this be the reason behind the electoral stitch-up ?
We are now up to Wednesday, the sixth day after the poll. A YouGov poll of 725 members shows Kemi Badenough in the lead with 31%, Suella Braverman on 16% and the rest trailing. Priti Patel is polling badly with 6%. After the boy Hague put his oar in saying the members should not have a say in choosing the new leader (has he just had his 14 pints ?) can we assume that Dame Patel will be anointed new leader in many months time ? The real beneficiary of a long drawn out contest is Keith who will sail along unchallenged, well at least by the Tories, following his globalist agenda. Old potato head will broadly be in favour of what Labour do so Nigel’s prediction that Reform will be the opposition seems to be slowly coming true. They say that nobody is in favour of an interim leader so NikNak will continue being humiliated. He will not enjoy PMQs.
Now that Bob Blackman has been elected chairman of the 1922 committee, Mark Francois is disputing the election, but so far the result stands, young Bob is looking at the leadership rules. The 15% threshold to trigger a no confidence vote means only 18 MPs need to send letters before the leader is under threat. This may well be raised. He is also looking at how the leadership vote should be conducted. Expect some gerrymandering where they try to reduce the influence of those pesky Party members, they can’t be relied on to vote the right way. Nobsore has already said the reason the Tories lost is because they were too far to the right. These people live in a parallel universe.
Having just slagged off NikNak and most of the other candidates, Kemi Badenough is now demanding a non aggression pact so it doesn’t descend into an exchange of abuse. Bit late for that and she has been the worst offender. She’s got some right front.
On Thursday Mel Stride is being urged to run for the leadership. Nik Nik is being advised to expel Suella Braverman from the Tory party, something to do with MGB-GT+. One can see the hand of Kemi Badenough behind this, that woman is highly motivated to get the top job. I already didn’t trust her, this does nothing to alleviate that distrust.
News of a survey of voters reports that very few of those who didn’t vote Tory even considered voting for them. They have been that toxic and may give food for thought to the 2024 survivors. The road back will be a long one if they can even survive.
By Sunday the Trump assassination attempt has taken over. The usual violence has no place etc. platitudes from all and sundry, some but not many even sounded sincere. No leadership news though. Maybe they have taken a breather or realised that publicly kicking lumps out of each other (yes Kemi Badenough, I am referring to you) is counter-productive.
Whatever happens it is the long suffering British public who will be the real victims. We should not forget NikNak either, he will be the original lame duck who is humiliated daily as he presides over the shambles that used to be the most successful political party this country ever had. At least he has the sense to keep his head down after issuing mea culpa multiple times. His wife will be even more desperate to get to California.
© well_chuffed 2024
