New Party leaders

[Hope]

Disappointed that Boris isn't standing - at least he would have split the vote on that side of the debate.  Have never heard of Andrea Leadsom - does anyone have any first hand knowledge about her, other than that she was a 'leave' supporter?

My preference would be Stephen Crabb, with May a close second and Fox and Gove a far distant =4th.

[Hope]

Gove has all the Charisma of a dead sheep.

That's being extremely rude to dead sheep, LA

[L.A.]

Disappointed that Boris isn't standing - at least he would have split the vote on that side of the debate.  Have never heard of Andrea Leadsom - does anyone have any first hand knowledge about her, other than that she was a 'leave' supporter?

My preference would be Stephen Crabb, with May a close second and Fox and Gove a far distant =4th.

Don't know too much about Crabb but my first choice would be May - with Fox and Gove somewhere behind Osama Bin Laden.

[Nearly Sane]

PM Crabb v FM Sturgeon?

[floo]

That's being extremely rude to dead sheep, LA

I agree!

[floo]

Don't know too much about Crabb but my first choice would be May - with Fox and Gove somewhere behind Osama Bin Laden.

I don't think Crabb has a enough experience. I agree about Fox and Gove; a very long way behind Bin Laden!

[ProfessorDavey]

Have never heard of Andrea Leadsom - does anyone have any first hand knowledge about her, other than that she was a 'leave' supporter?

She was part of the debate team for leave - some Brexiters said she was good - I disagree, I thought she was unconvincing, wooden and came across as if it was a bit of a game, rather than the most important decision of a generation.

Clearly she is vain enough to believe the (misplaced) hyperbole. Sufficiently to think she should go directly from being a junior minister who no-one has ever heard of to becoming PM.

As you can see I'm not impressed. She, of course, won't win.

[ProfessorDavey]

My preference would be Stephen Crabb

Why - because he's Welsh, or because he's an evangelical Christian who hates gays and voted against gay marriage?

[Hope]

Why - because he's Welsh, or because he's an evangelical Christian who hates gays and voted against gay marriage?

Neither.  I just think that he'd be a new broom as opposed to several of the others who have been around for so long.  He has also had to build internal coalitions as regards the issue of additional powers for the devolved Welsh government.   As I said, don't know enough about Leadsom to make a sensible judgement.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Prof,

or because he's an evangelical Christian who hates gays and voted against gay marriage?

He's the man, Russia will be our best pal, which is just as well because nobody else will.

Funny thing, a lot of people were looking for Irish citizenship on the Jeremy Vine show after the referendum, I think one of my granny's were Irish, do I wait for Independence or jump ship now.

Gonnagle.

[ProfessorDavey]

Neither.  I just think that he'd be a new broom as opposed to several of the others who have been around for so long.  He has also had to build internal coalitions as regards the issue of additional powers for the devolved Welsh government.   As I said, don't know enough about Leadsom to make a sensible judgement.

Hmm - let's not forget that the winner will be PM, not, as is usually the case leader of the opposition, with perhaps 5 years to gain experience and then only becoming PM if they are sufficiently credible (or not) to win an election. The latter being the case for Cameron, Miliband, IDS (although he never made it to lead the Tories into an election), Howard, Corbyn (see also comment on IDS - let's hope), Hague, Kinnock etc.

Do you really want a PM come September - in these most testing of times - who is woefully inexperienced, having only been an MP for 6 years and a member of the cabinet for 6 months.

Now is no time for inexperience - much as I cannot believe I am saying this, the only sensible choice is May.

[ProfessorDavey]

As I said, don't know enough about Leadsom to make a sensible judgement.

Which is precisely why she won't win and shouldn't win. Most PMs have to win a general election to attain that office - is it really credible that someone that most people have never heard of should be leading our country in just a few weeks. And people went on about faceless people leading the EU without democratic mandate - that would take the biscuit.

[L.A.]

Why - because he's Welsh, or because he's an evangelical Christian who hates gays and voted against gay marriage?

Oh, of course, that's where I've heard of him before - thumbs down for Crab then 

[floo]

Why - because he's Welsh, or because he's an evangelical Christian who hates gays and voted against gay marriage?

If that is true, he is the last person we want as PM!

[L.A.]

Boris is spending more time with his wife.   Yeah, very likely.

. . .

Well, I expect it will be somebodies wife.

[ProfessorDavey]

If that is true, he is the last person we want as PM!

Indeed it is. And of course the vast, vast majority of people in the UK won't get to say who our new PM is - that privilege will be restricted to about 150,000 Tory party members.

But remember folks, it's the EU that is undemocratic.

[Gordon]

From the BBC live reporting stream -Michael Heseltine's take on Boris: and he's right on the button.

There will be a profound sense of dismay and frankly contempt. He's ripped the party apart. He's created the greatest constitutional crisis of modern times. He knocked billions off the value of the nation's savings. He's like a general who leads his army to the sound of guns and at the sight of the battlefield abandoned the field. I have never seen so contemptible and irresponsible a situation. He must live with the shame of what he has done."

[wigginhall]

Typical Bullingdon club, smash up the crockery, and scarper.

[jeremyp]

Indeed it is. And of course the vast, vast majority of people in the UK won't get to say who our new PM is - that privilege will be restricted to about 150,000 Tory party members.

But remember folks, it's the EU that is undemocratic.

Same for the Labour leader, if there is ever another Labour government.

[L.A.]

Typical Bullingdon club, smash up the crockery, and scarper.

Though to be fair, I understand that they do pay generous compensation to the damaged establishment.

Wealthy as he is I don't think Boris could even begin to pay for the damage that he has done.

[ProfessorDavey]

Same for the Labour leader, if there is ever another Labour government.

Not the case, except in a situation where a sitting PM stands down mid term.

So when Corbyn was elected leaded (by a few hundred thousand members and supporters) he became leader of the opposition. He would only become PM if he one a general election where everyone is entitled to vote.

That's the point, and the difference. And I'm not making a partisan party political point - what I am pointing out is that come September we will have a PM voted for by 150,000 people (actually the winning proportion of that) leading the UK and the UK government. Yet throughout the referendum debate we kept getting told that it was the EU that was undemocratic. Hmm.

[L.A.]

Same for the Labour leader, if there is ever another Labour government.

Surely anyone can vote for the Labour leader, you just pay your three quite. It  is widely believed that thousands of Tories voted for Corbyn.

[ProfessorDavey]

Surely anyone can vote for the Labour leader, you just pay your three quite. It  is widely believed that thousands of Tories voted for Corbyn.

Same is true (in theory) for the Tories - I guess you could join today - not quite sure what their rules say - whether you need to have been a member for a period of time to be eligible.

Doesn't affect the point - we will end up with a new PM who we hadn't elected via the normal channels (a general election).

Frankly I don't see how this can go on realistically without a general election in the Autumn once (hopefully) new leaders of both Labour and the Tories are installed. Problem is that the fixed term parliament act (another legacy of Cameron that we will live to regret) makes it pretty well impossible for one to happen in practice.

[L.A.]

Same is true (in theory) for the Tories - I guess you could join today - not quite sure what their rules say - whether you need to have been a member for a period of time to be eligible.

. . .

I don't think they do the cut-price £3 special offer that Labour do. As far as I know only people who have been full party member for three months or more can vote.

[ProfessorDavey]

I don't think they do the cut-price £3 special offer that Labour do. As far as I know only people who have been full party member for three months or more can vote.

You may well be right - certainly you are right that they don't have a £3 deal.

Interestingly years ago my parents were true blue party members and at the time there was no set membership subscription level - you simply paid what you wanted and became a member. Point being that most were pretty wealthy so their average member fee was actually way higher than that of the Labour party, who has a set fee. And of course there was also the 'soft' pressure - members being made to feel a touch uncomfortable by being told what other members were contributing, so that they coughed up far, far more than they needed to to become a member.