Next Prime Minister

[Western Lord]

I doubt Cameron will call another election.

Cameron cannot call an election. The fixed term parliament act denied the Prime Minister the option of calling an early election. It would require a parliamentary vote to have an election before 2020. Too many MPs would be afraid of losing their seats to make it likely. In any case, in this country we elect a parliament, not a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the member of parliament who can command a majority in the house, there is no need to have an election if a different member of parliament takes on the role.

 

[jon0844]

I know that bit, but wasn't sure what happened if there was a no confidence motion passed.

 

[phoenixcronin]

Cameron: "Why should I do the hard s**t"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...des-why-should-i-do-the-hard-st-a7102431.html

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Don't rule out Chris Grayling as a contender; he was in the leave campaign but avoided all the heavy controversy and making personal attacks.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Mike Smithson of PoliticalBetting.com fame is suggesting Andrea Leadsom as a contender. Maybe that's because he's put money on her becoming leader, I don't know.

 

[Harbornite]

Does anyone want to live with the prospect of having Trump and Bojo as the leaders of the free world? Having said that, anyone is better than Corbyn, although his chances are obviously rather slim.

 

[backontrack]

Does anyone want to live with the prospect of having Trump and Bojo as the leaders of the free world? Having said that, anyone is better than Corbyn, although his chances are obviously rather slim.

Nonsense.

 

[Senex]

Does anyone want to live with the prospect of having Trump and Bojo as the leaders of the free world? Having said that, anyone is better than Corbyn, although his chances are obviously rather slim.

Would they be so slim? Might the electorate not slaughter a divided Tory party they held responsible for the chaos that had led up to the election whilst Labour's core vote duly returned to the fold?

 

[Henbury Loop]

There is only one man for the job aiiiiighht!

 

[Howardh]

Nonsense.

I'm trying to find a way to like - or even just respect - Corbyn in this country's darkest hour (in my lifetime) as the man of hope, but I can't. Dunno what it is, he's no charisma, looks like a university lecturer waiting for his pension...??...what is it about him?

Labour should have gone for Andy Burnham.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I'm trying to find a way to like - or even just respect - Corbyn in this country's darkest hour (in my lifetime) as the man of hope, but I can't. Dunno what it is, he's no charisma, looks like a university lecturer waiting for his pension...??...what is it about him?

Take a look at this video of Clement Attlee speaking. Does he look any less like a University lecturer (albeit a bit younger)? Does he sound any more charismatic? If you didn't already know that this guy lead one of the most transformational Governments in British 20th century history, would you find him remotely inspiring? I don't think I would, based on how he looks and how he talks.

But in the end, what someone looks like bears no relevance to whether or not they'd be a good prime minister. Whether someone has charisma has some relevance (because a PM needs to be able to inspire those around him) although you could argue that managerial skills are rather more important.

(Mind you, I do agree with you that I have preferred it if Labour had chosen Andy Burnham).

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

People should remember that the Conservatives do include their ordinary members in the leadership selection process so trying to judge the outcome based on the view of Tory MPs alone is not going to give a clear picture. I think it will depend on whether they want to continue the move to the right, in which case it's surely a straight choice between Gove and Johnson, or if the initial reactions to the referendum result make them prefer moving back towards the centre. Either way the Conservatives are still going to have their long standing divisions to deal with. Philip Hammond does strike me as someone with enough experience and gravitas to perhaps keep a more centre-leaning party together.

Having said all that I would much rather the Conservatives did the honest thing (I know, don't laugh!) and had a short bitter fight and split, with the xenophobes going to UKIP and the remainder finding a way back to "One Nation Conservatism".

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Cameron cannot call an election. The fixed term parliament act denied the Prime Minister the option of calling an early election. It would require a parliamentary vote to have an election before 2020. Too many MPs would be afraid of losing their seats to make it likely.

On the other hand, if the Conservatives thought they had a good chance of winning (which seems quite likely at the moment), MPs would have the added incentive of fighting another election based on current constituency boundaries, which puts off having to fight against neighbouring MPs to be selected for a smaller number of constituencies for another 18 months.

Plus if the whips told them to vote for an election, few MPs would rebel. Since almost all non-Tory MPs would be happy to vote for an early election, you wouldn't need the Tory whips to persuade that many Tory MPs to do so too...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Graham Brady would make a good candidate for Prime Minister.

 

[cjmillsnun]

As David Cameron's tenure comes to an end who will replace him ?

I would like The Right Honourable Kenneth Clarke QC, MP but I appreciate there is not much chance of that happening. Cigar smoking hush puppy wearing europhiles in disheveled suits are not in vogue. (mores the pity)

I wonder if someone will appear out of the backwoods like Cameron did.

Oh hell yes Clarke would be awesome, shame (as you said) there is more chance of me winning the lottery than that happening.

 

[Busaholic]

Cameron cannot call an election. The fixed term parliament act denied the Prime Minister the option of calling an early election. It would require a parliamentary vote to have an election before 2020. Too many MPs would be afraid of losing their seats to make it likely. In any case, in this country we elect a parliament, not a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the member of parliament who can command a majority in the house, there is no need to have an election if a different member of parliament takes on the role.

The four pieces I've read in three different national newspapers today were all suggesting the probability of a General Election either later this year or, in Matthew Parris's case, in early 2017. Having predicted the referendum result so badly wrong I'd love to be proved right about this - after last year's general election I wrote on here that the referendum would tear the Tories apart and no way would the next election wait til 2020. Nobody wrote agreeing with me!

 

[Senex]

The four pieces I've read in three different national newspapers today were all suggesting the probability of a General Election either later this year or, in Matthew Parris's case, in early 2017. Having predicted the referendum result so badly wrong I'd love to be proved right about this - after last year's general election I wrote on here that the referendum would tear the Tories apart and no way would the next election wait til 2020. Nobody wrote agreeing with me!

There's no need for an election -- Brown simply continuing after Blair is the most recent proof of that. But more to the point seems to be the question of whether either of the two main parties could risk an election in the near future. The Tories are hopelessly split and can expect to be punished by one half of their supporters or the other for getting us into the mess we are now in. And Labour seems to be getting more and more divided amongst its MPs and facing a real problem of how it connects with its traditional electorate and their views, which may take some considerable time to resolve. And both parties now clearly face problems with the other divides that analysis of the referendum polling has shewn up.

Both parties might be only too happy to take all the time up to 2020 to try to rebuild party unity and come up with some policies that might appeal to the mass of their supporters.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Both parties might be only too happy to take all the time up to 2020 to try to rebuild party unity and come up with some policies that might appeal to the mass of their supporters.

Well said. It sounds very logical especially with regards to current party disunity affecting both the main two parties.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Labour seems to be getting more and more divided amongst its MPs and facing a real problem of how it connects with its traditional electorate and their views, which may take some considerable time to resolve.

The headlines this morning appear to bear that out; it looks as if Labour has completely imploded overnight with one shadow cabinet sacking, one resignation and up to half of the rest expected to resign imminently in an anti-Corbyn move.

 

[pemma]

Graham Brady would make a good candidate for Prime Minister.

Other than supporting Brexit and Grammar Schools what kind of policies does he usually back or oppose?

 

[EssexGonzo]

The headlines this morning appear to bear that out; it looks as if Labour has completely imploded overnight with one shadow cabinet sacking, one resignation and up to half of the rest expected to resign imminently in an anti-Corbyn move.

Exactly. Although as there is currently no credible opposition party perhaps the Conservatives might consider triggering a general election once they've got a new leader - to get a full 5-year mandate before they even think about re-organising themselves or picking David Miliband up from the airport.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Exactly. Although as there is currently no credible opposition party perhaps the Conservatives might consider triggering a general election once they've got a new leader - to get a full 5-year mandate before they even think about re-organising themselves or picking David Miliband up from the airport.

Can they do that, though, under the fixed terms thing? Wouldn't it require the House to vote itself dissolved?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Other than supporting Brexit and Grammar Schools what kind of policies does he usually back or oppose?

Definitely one for the future, especially his support for the grammar schools. In the 1950's, I attended St Bede's College in Manchester which in those days even had boarders and all my sons attended St Ambrose College in Hale Barns which has/d an excellent preparatory school on the same site.

The fact that he was elected as Chairman of the 1922 Committee says how much he was viewed as the best candidate for that position.

He is an ideal age to become party leader and will have garnered enough experience of world affairs to make him a better candidate than others.

Finally, he does not appear to be a model for the clothing sold in charity shops...unlike some that I could name.

 

[miami]

Definitely one for the future, especially his support for the grammar schools. In the 1950's, I attended St Bede's College in Manchester which in those days even had boarders and all my sons attended St Ambrose College in Hale Barns which has/d an excellent preparatory school on the same site.

The fact that he was elected as Chairman of the 1922 Committee says how much he was viewed as the best candidate for that position.

He is an ideal age to become party leader and will have garnered enough experience of world affairs to make him a better candidate than others.

Finally, he does not appear to be a model for the clothing sold in charity shops...unlike some that I could name.

I was surprised by his eurosceptic views, but like John Major, and unlike the current crop of detached Etonians, he does have the correct views on education (like me he went to AGSB, indeed shortly after his election in 97 he did the GCSE awards presentation there). As he's never been a minister (or shadow minister) before, wouldn't PM would be too much of a jump? If he were PM I might consider voting Tory for the first time since I hung up my rosette after 97 (assuming it reflected a change in direction of the tory party back to it's middle-class roots)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The only current Tory MP I have the time of day for is the Right Honourable member for Colne Valley, Jason McCartney. He's young by parliamentary standards, fairly moderate, not as far as I know an old Etonian... but best of all he's a Huddersfield Town season ticket holder!

Not high profile enough though, plus he's from a historically marginal seat.

 

[Gutfright]

Jacob Rees-Mogg for PM!

Definitely the standout candidate for me.

 

[Butts]

Jacob Rees-Mogg for PM!

Definitely the standout candidate for me.

With his nanny as Deputy Leader

He makes DC sound like a pleb !!!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Let us all be thankful that no-one has put the name of John Redwood forward.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I propose John Redwood.

If nothing else, it give us all hours of fun (and Jeremy Corbyn some relief) when the PM is called on to sing the National Anthem.

 

[talltim]

Jacob Rees-Mogg for PM!

Definitely the standout candidate for me.

Are you a Labour voter?