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Category: Theresa May

The real loser in all of this is the Tory reputation for competence

The real loser in all of this is the Tory reputation for competence

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It has long been argued by myself and others that the key characteristic that voters look to when whey make their choice is their desire for competent government. We might not like what a party is proposing but most of all we want politicians who are ready to take unpopular decisions which are right for the country. One of the characteristics which has always been a strength of Tories has been the reputation for providing just this. The Thatcher government…

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For everyone’s sake, Mrs May shouldn’t demote Boris but engineer a job swap between her Foreign Secretary and the editor of the Evening Standard

For everyone’s sake, Mrs May shouldn’t demote Boris but engineer a job swap between her Foreign Secretary and the editor of the Evening Standard

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SUNDAY TIMES POLITICAL LEAD May ‘plots to demote Boris’ by @ShippersUnbound #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/G2Sx86cP47 — Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 7, 2017 Mrs May attempts undo the strangest political appointment since Caligula wanted to make his horse a Consul When Theresa May’s political obituary is written people might conclude she destroyed her premiership within minutes of becoming Prime Minister when she fired George Osborne as Chancellor and appointed Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. At a stroke she made a needless enemy and…

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Safe for now – but for how long?

Safe for now – but for how long?

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A good whipping operation can delay but not prevent the inevitable Napoleon famously demanded that his generals be lucky. It’s a wonderful attribute to have but the emperor really should have been more specific. What’s important is being lucky at the right time. On that score, Theresa May has fallen short and it will cost her her premiership. That’s not to say she’ll lose it today or tomorrow, or even this year. An effective pre-emptive strike against Grant Shapps ensured…

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Ex-Tory chairman Shapps “leading the rebels working to oust TMay”

Ex-Tory chairman Shapps “leading the rebels working to oust TMay”

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Former CON chairman under Cameron, Grant Shapps says that TMay should quit and new leader be electedhttps://t.co/cDyDE3iTGW pic.twitter.com/kQoiVapsna — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 6, 2017 Meanwhile YouGov finds the country divided over TMay staying YouGov Times poll taken since TMay's conference speech finds 39% saying she should stay and 38% saying she should go — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 6, 2017 So the battle for the future of the Conservative Party is now on with senior figures ready to go…

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Big danger for TMay is that the Tory process for ousting a leader is totally separate from the contest that would follow

Big danger for TMay is that the Tory process for ousting a leader is totally separate from the contest that would follow

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There would be no identified assassin One of the things that doesn’t seem to have been appreciated about the CON rules is that the process of ousting a leader is totally separate from the leadership election that could follow. If 15% of Conservative MPs, 47, request that there is a confidence vote in the leader then that would happen without those behind it having to identify themselves and without the move being linked to any of the names that have…

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TMay struggles on in spite of a bad cough and having to deal with a heckler

TMay struggles on in spite of a bad cough and having to deal with a heckler

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TMay keeping going in spite of her cough pic.twitter.com/Eo6aJTDMZt — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 4, 2017 Amber Rudd telling Boris Johnson to stand for May pic.twitter.com/VGYeb5CroR — Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) October 4, 2017 The heckler who interpreted TMay's speech pic.twitter.com/x3dh9WhQvK — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 4, 2017 Very few young people in the audience pic.twitter.com/oEhWFpM6mt — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 4, 2017 Front cover of the latest Private Eye pic.twitter.com/etXaxBGsY9 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 4, 2017 Say what you…

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TMontgomerie says BoJo would be a massive roll of the dice but better than slow death under TMay

TMontgomerie says BoJo would be a massive roll of the dice but better than slow death under TMay

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To switch or not to switch In the end BJohnson’s much anticipated conference speech was totally on message and it was hard to find even the most minuscule of difference with the PM. For just about the first time the conference hall was packed and the delegates seemed to be enjoying themselves. But it wasn’t one of the ex-Mayor’s greatest speeches. He had some good jokes and his close was rather subdued and almost took the audience by surprise. Maybe…

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Labour joy and Tory gloom

Labour joy and Tory gloom

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Don Brind reflects on the conference season A few weeks ago I was helping a front bencher prepare for a TV appearance and we guessed that one of the questions might be “Do you agree with Laura Pidcock?” She is the newbie MP who declared she wouldn’t hang out with Tory women because she regards them as “enemy”. The more emollient reply we came up with was: “There are some Tories I like. I just don’t want them running the…

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