For me, it would be Stephen Barclay.
He spoke well from the despatch box when he was the Brexit Minister in the May government – always informative and rational in his responses and never with the hostility we so often hear nowadays.
Besides that, I like his accent with its northern inflection – a man of the people.
I believe he was side-lined after that because his ability and appeal was noted. The red wall MPs will barely know him..
Last edited 2 years ago by Iris C
hywell Roberts
2 years ago
NO NO NO , Mays right hand traitor who tried to sell this country down the river . Refused to restock PPE prior to the Pandemic ( which he conveniently forgets as he heads the Health select committee ) and a man so liberal with the truth he makes Boris look a saint !!
I have no particular brief for Hunt but that is 20-20 hindsight selective demonisation.
‘Refused to stock PPE’? No pandemic alternative universe: – ‘why has Hunt wasted hundreds of millions on facemasks mouldering in government warehouses’!
The idea that the country should be autarchic was held only by a few voices on the far Left and is hardly a specific fault of Hunt’s.
Stephen Walsh
2 years ago
“In fact, there hasn’t been a leadership race this open since 2005”. But there isn’t a leadership race now, because the party knows that there isn’t an electable alternative to Boris Johnson. This reflects the decline of the party membership, and the disastrous impact of Central Office interference in candidate selection in safe seats under Cameron. But it means that there won’t be a change in leadership until after the Tories lose the next election, if they do.
Last edited 2 years ago by Stephen Walsh
Katharine Eyre
2 years ago
I saw an article in the DT not so very long ago which suggested that the British electorate likes to swing between what you might call “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” leaders (i.e. the colourful reformers and risk-takers who are exciting – maybe a tad too exciting – like Boris Johnson) and those who are ultra-sensible and can bore you rigid with their grasp of technocratic detail but generally get the boring stuff done (emphatically NOT Boris Johnson).
After Boris, so went the argument, we are absolutely due a stolid, beige bureaucrat. Which perfectly describes Keir Starmer, so if the Tories want to keep Labour in its box, then, if they depose Boris, they should replace him with someone that makes you feel drowsy when you watch them talk on TV.
An absolutely unscientific observation, but an interesting pattern nontheless.
Shows how out of touch Franklin is that she’s only mentioned in the comments.
Matt M
2 years ago
Last week the Tories were 1% behind Labour in the YouGov voting intention poll. In poll-of-polls they are about 4% behind. They lost c.350 council seats (net) in the local elections. This during an inflation squeeze, a European war and wall-to-wall “partygate” coverage.
In other words Boris is doing as well as you would expect mid-term. He’ll be fine once the voters have to choose between two alternatives.
Last edited 2 years ago by Matt M
Ian Stewart
2 years ago
Hunt is like Starmer, prim and insincere, trading on hindsight to score points.
Hunt = Remain.
And until Brexit is settled with the acceptance of all parties, he cannot be a leader for the conservatives. The example you cite, of May, resulted in the near destruction of the party.
Ian McKinney
2 years ago
Ben Wallace please. The Stanley Baldwin of our times.
Boris Johnson has done a good job as prime minister. In particular, he recognizes the dangers of “open borders” and has implemented a policy of deporting illegal aliens to Rwanda. If they seek political asylum, then they must apply for it from Rwanda.
Illegal aliens can damage British society to the same extent that Hispanic illegal aliens have damaged American society.
If I had to vote and choose an alternative it would be Lord Frost, or Steve Baker.
For me, it would be Stephen Barclay.
He spoke well from the despatch box when he was the Brexit Minister in the May government – always informative and rational in his responses and never with the hostility we so often hear nowadays.
Besides that, I like his accent with its northern inflection – a man of the people.
I believe he was side-lined after that because his ability and appeal was noted. The red wall MPs will barely know him..
NO NO NO , Mays right hand traitor who tried to sell this country down the river . Refused to restock PPE prior to the Pandemic ( which he conveniently forgets as he heads the Health select committee ) and a man so liberal with the truth he makes Boris look a saint !!
I have no particular brief for Hunt but that is 20-20 hindsight selective demonisation.
‘Refused to stock PPE’? No pandemic alternative universe: – ‘why has Hunt wasted hundreds of millions on facemasks mouldering in government warehouses’!
The idea that the country should be autarchic was held only by a few voices on the far Left and is hardly a specific fault of Hunt’s.
“In fact, there hasn’t been a leadership race this open since 2005”. But there isn’t a leadership race now, because the party knows that there isn’t an electable alternative to Boris Johnson. This reflects the decline of the party membership, and the disastrous impact of Central Office interference in candidate selection in safe seats under Cameron. But it means that there won’t be a change in leadership until after the Tories lose the next election, if they do.
I saw an article in the DT not so very long ago which suggested that the British electorate likes to swing between what you might call “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” leaders (i.e. the colourful reformers and risk-takers who are exciting – maybe a tad too exciting – like Boris Johnson) and those who are ultra-sensible and can bore you rigid with their grasp of technocratic detail but generally get the boring stuff done (emphatically NOT Boris Johnson).
After Boris, so went the argument, we are absolutely due a stolid, beige bureaucrat. Which perfectly describes Keir Starmer, so if the Tories want to keep Labour in its box, then, if they depose Boris, they should replace him with someone that makes you feel drowsy when you watch them talk on TV.
An absolutely unscientific observation, but an interesting pattern nontheless.
But not J Hunt, please. His re Ord with the NHS should disqualify him anyway
Kemi Badenoch. End of story. Close the book.
Shows how out of touch Franklin is that she’s only mentioned in the comments.
Last week the Tories were 1% behind Labour in the YouGov voting intention poll. In poll-of-polls they are about 4% behind. They lost c.350 council seats (net) in the local elections. This during an inflation squeeze, a European war and wall-to-wall “partygate” coverage.
In other words Boris is doing as well as you would expect mid-term. He’ll be fine once the voters have to choose between two alternatives.
Hunt is like Starmer, prim and insincere, trading on hindsight to score points.
Hunt = Remain.
And until Brexit is settled with the acceptance of all parties, he cannot be a leader for the conservatives. The example you cite, of May, resulted in the near destruction of the party.
Ben Wallace please. The Stanley Baldwin of our times.
Is that a good thing?
Boris Johnson has done a good job as prime minister. In particular, he recognizes the dangers of “open borders” and has implemented a policy of deporting illegal aliens to Rwanda. If they seek political asylum, then they must apply for it from Rwanda.
Illegal aliens can damage British society to the same extent that Hispanic illegal aliens have damaged American society.
Get more analysis and info about this issue.