The Tory Leadership Conundrum

[scooping]

Once had some dealings with David Davis when he was chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and I thought him unbearably arrogant. That said he's clearly moving up on the rails as successor to May and he's obviously capable.

[Zacs-Master]

Why is that a conundrum?

[Kromovaracun]

I have some respect for Davis for his history as a civil liberties campaigner. I think he's massively out of his depth where he is, though, let alone being PM.

If it has to be a choice between him and Johnson, I'd prefer that it was him but that would be very grudging.

[scooping]

Because the Tory leadership succession is 'a hard and puzzling question', Concise Oxford.

[EDDIE51]

Davies could hardly be more 'out of his depth' than the present leader is out of hers !

[Zacs-Master]

No it's not, it's quite simple. No one wants it because of Brexit.

[scooping]

ZM: Davis wants the leadership. He's been after it for 20 years.

[mikey4444]

With Mrs May not really exhibiting any real talent for the job, its essential that the Tories choose someone this time, that IS capable.

They should have learned something from the Wilderness Years, after Major, when they had a series of no-hopers as Leader.

(Actually, I might be persuaded to exclude Hague from that description, as he did have the qualities needed, but he was the right man, at the wrong time)

But I expect that someone who can make the most noise will probably win, rather than someone with real talent, and means Boris !

[scooping]

Hague is apparently going to Number 10 as some kind of advisor, according to one of the papers today. I think he's a star.

[anneasquith]

I agree with zac , who really would want to be PM at the moment having to negotiate brexit, it's a minefield .!!

[mikey4444]

Zacs is right....the Tory Leadership is a poisoned chalice, with knobs on !

[naomi24]

Don't worry. Corbyn assures is that his party is a 'government in waiting'. He'll sort it. ;o)

[Peter Pedant]

.well said Naomi !
How true ! how true !

[gulliver1]

"I thought him unbearably arrogant" that says it all, that's why he is moving up the rails in the Con Party!.

[Jackdaw33]

Arrogant? You don't know what arrogance is unless you had the misfortune to meet Ted Heath.

[ichkeria]

The Tories are in a real pickle at the moment.
They can't change leader now, except that at some point they will have to. Jeremy Corbyn has risen from the dead to overtake Mrs May as a more popular party leader. Of course that could all change, but I wouldn't bet on it: as we knew all along, horrendous divisions are likely to arise during the Brexit negotiations, but instead of being able to ride them out with a huge, or even a small, majority, they risk creating a paralysis. And Mrs May will get all the flak. Except that when they do change leader, I'd imagine the call for an election may be overwhelming. It wouldn't take much in those circumstances for a vote of no confifence to succeed.
So they seem potentially stuck with an unelectable leader
Does that sound familar? :-)

[scooping]

Agreed that Heath was a *** of the first order. Think us Tories hated him more than our opponents. Wish that some of the many allegations against him had been proven.

[Jackdaw33]

Enoch saw Heath off, although at the cost of his own career.

[scooping]

Jackdaw33: Partially, yes, but his career was really over after '68 and that speech. Think Heath finished himself off. 'Who Governs?'. Not you pal.

[EDDIE51]

Every day I get more and more confident in my theory that Mrs May was only put into the post as leader of the Conservative party in order to try yet fail at getting us out of the EU, and fulfill the government's avowed intention to remain in the EU , despite the rather awkward and totally unexpected referendum result.
This started as little more than a joke, yet every day I see more evidence that it may be true!
The latest being her refusal to resign despite her disastrous decision to call a totally unnecessary general election when she already had a working majority.

[ichkeria]

She can't resign Eddie.
The Tories would almost certainly face calls for another election, and somehow I don't think they'd be so keen now!
It is, ironically, the rise in stock of Labour and Mr Corbyn, as well as the Brexit talks, which is keeping her in place for now, but both of those are likely to do for her eventually.
As for Brexit, it's probably about to commence a slow death. I think it's clear that a "Hard Brexit" (no single market, no customs union, no ECJ) will never get through this parliament (and even less likely, you'd think, a future one). "Soft" Brexit", where we stay in parts of the EU but have no say over it, would be hard to sell to the "loss of sovereignty" brigade. So that leaves the scenario Boris predicted at the very start (but hastily backtracked on) namely, we stay in a reformed EU.