Okay. .. we have 8 runners and riders now!

I don’t think there is any doubt that Rishi Sunak will win, he seems to be well ahead in the polls I’ve seen. I have no faith in any of them as they have all avoided talking about the dinghy’s coming from France, no one seems to have an answer and to quite a few people this is a major talking point which needs addressing.

Rishi Sunak has no chance when the vote for the final two goes to the party members - current polls of actual members have Mordaunt out in front followed by Badenoch with Sunak coming a poor third. MPs may support Rishi but the wider party does not. There is a live debate between the 5 remaining candidates Friday at 7.30pm on Channel 4 if anyone is interested.

Foxyferret

I don’t think there is any doubt that Rishi Sunak will win, he seems to be well ahead in the polls I’ve seen. I have no faith in any of them as they have all avoided talking about the dinghy’s coming from France, no one seems to have an answer and to quite a few people this is a major talking point which needs addressing.

The current leadership crop all seem to support Pritti Patel’s inhumane Uganda policy so they have mentioned it

On waiting for any one of them to talk about funding essential public services. So far, they talk about lowering taxes for the wealthy

I thought I had seen someone mentioning the Minister not attending the Committees that scrutanise policy - now I can't find it. I wonder if the person who mentioned it read the Law and Policy Blog. This seems very sadly true.

Current ministers just do not seem to care any more.
And as this blog as recently averred, infantile "culture war" politics are not about policy, but a substitute for policy.

Saetana

Rishi Sunak has no chance when the vote for the final two goes to the party members - current polls of actual members have Mordaunt out in front followed by Badenoch with Sunak coming a poor third. MPs may support Rishi but the wider party does not. There is a live debate between the 5 remaining candidates Friday at 7.30pm on Channel 4 if anyone is interested.

I'm not so sure about that - not because of ability or directly because of experience, but if they go into a vote where one has cabinet experience and the other doesn't then they will also think that if Sunak is appointed then he can get away with no having a GE, but if Mordaunt is then there will be more pressure.

I'm rooting for Tugendhat as good up and coming talent. Obvs no hoper for PM but would like to see him in the Cabinet, pref as Foreign Secretary. Don't see Liz Truss having him in her Cabinet whereas Sunak and Mordaunt might well.

And above all don't want another right winger and do want competence.

So if I had a vote (wh I don't) and assuming Tugendhat falls it would Sunak.

DaisyAnne

I thought I had seen someone mentioning the Minister not attending the Committees that scrutanise policy - now I can't find it. I wonder if the person who mentioned it read the Law and Policy Blog. This seems very sadly true.

Current ministers just do not seem to care any more.
^And as this blog as recently averred, infantile "culture war" politics are not about policy, but a substitute for policy.^

Whitewave mentioned it the other day. Patel refused to attend a committee meeting on home affairs and Raab appears to be doing the same. If anyone saw him at the last committee meeting he attended I can understand why he’s running scared.

The Select Committees are one of the few elements of our parliament which work well.

Their authority should be strengthened by making attendance by interviewees, especially ministers compulsory.

Just seen that Mordaunt is a subscriber to the ERG.

Fortunately Priti Patel decided not to stand - she would have been a disaster at the next election, as will Liz Truss. I am rooting for Kemi Badenoch - she does not come from a wealthy background, worked at MacDonalds whilst doing her A levels and seems less out of touch than most of the candidates. Whilst I think Tom Tugendhat is a decent, honest MP, he is most likely to drop out on Monday - he actually lost votes between the first and second ballots. He is the only candidate with zero ministerial experience, which is not a point in his favour. However, he does speak well so he may pick up support following the weekend debates. I had an appointment so missed the Conservative Home online hustings this afternoon - will have to catch up with it later. Channel 4 at 7.30pm for the first live tv debate - I will be watching carefully.

I think it might be 7.ooclock not half past.

I’ve just lost the will to watch anymore of the debate, plus mr i was ready to progress to the footie. Yippee England just scored

Back to the debate. Tom T genuine and not flashy. If being honest, reliable, hard working, great life/work/military experience was enough, he’d be our next pm.
Liz Truss - a lightweight
Sunak - a bit too smooth and contaminated by Johnson but bright and good pandemic actions
Kemi Badenoch - totally unimpressive, inflated idea of her own abilities and unpleasant, unnecessarily competitive, critical, accused Penny Mordant of lying

Penny M - less impressive during the debate than I expected

I’m not a Conservative member and I never have, never will vote Tory

Saetana

Fortunately Priti Patel decided not to stand - she would have been a disaster at the next election, as will Liz Truss. I am rooting for Kemi Badenoch - she does not come from a wealthy background, worked at MacDonalds whilst doing her A levels and seems less out of touch than most of the candidates. Whilst I think Tom Tugendhat is a decent, honest MP, he is most likely to drop out on Monday - he actually lost votes between the first and second ballots. He is the only candidate with zero ministerial experience, which is not a point in his favour. However, he does speak well so he may pick up support following the weekend debates. I had an appointment so missed the Conservative Home online hustings this afternoon - will have to catch up with it later. Channel 4 at 7.30pm for the first live tv debate - I will be watching carefully.

Yes, she does come from a wealthy background! Where on earth did you get the idea she doesn't?

PS. She's as much of a liar and fantasist as Mordaunt (probably more so), but hasn't got a team of people briefing against her. She's totally out of touch with her constituents and I doubt if she knows much about anywhere in the UK except Wimbledon.

She comes from a middle class family - I would hardly call that a wealthy background. Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background. I've just finished watching the debate and, honestly, they all came across very well so not sure it will make much difference to Conservative party members' voting intentions. Another debate on ITV on Sunday evening - will see how they perform then.

growstuff I've heard from several of her constituents on various platforms who all seem to think Kemi is an excellent constituency MP - your prejudices are showing. And what exactly has she lied about?

I thought Kemi came across well. I knew nothing much about her until this evening.

Just finished watching the debate - I thought Tom Tugendhat came out on top and he was the only one who answered truthfully when asked if Johnson was a liar!

They behaved like a lot of children trying to outdo one another. I wouldn’t vote for any of them.

Saetana

She comes from a middle class family - I would hardly call that a wealthy background. Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background. I've just finished watching the debate and, honestly, they all came across very well so not sure it will make much difference to Conservative party members' voting intentions. Another debate on ITV on Sunday evening - will see how they perform then.

Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background
He said his mother was a chemist, his father a GP. I would call that comfortably middle-class, not wealthy.
I think his wife is wealthy.

Saetana

growstuff I've heard from several of her constituents on various platforms who all seem to think Kemi is an excellent constituency MP - your prejudices are showing. And what exactly has she lied about?

Oh yes? How many? I live here and I know what people think. She doesn't live here, doesn't hold surgeries and only ever pops up for photo ops. She lies about what her constituents think. She hardly ever responds to anybody and just doesn't engage with anybody except a select few. She has lied consistently about her background.

Saetana

She comes from a middle class family - I would hardly call that a wealthy background. Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background. I've just finished watching the debate and, honestly, they all came across very well so not sure it will make much difference to Conservative party members' voting intentions. Another debate on ITV on Sunday evening - will see how they perform then.

Badenoch comes from a very similar background to Sunak. Both her parents were doctors. Her mother lectured in the US and her father worked for the WHO at one stage. He was also a political leader in Nigeria. She went to an exclusive school in Nigeria.

Oh, Sunak did go to Winchester so probably rather upper middle class.

Callistemon21

Saetana

She comes from a middle class family - I would hardly call that a wealthy background. Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background. I've just finished watching the debate and, honestly, they all came across very well so not sure it will make much difference to Conservative party members' voting intentions. Another debate on ITV on Sunday evening - will see how they perform then.

Sunak is what I would describe as coming from a wealthy background
He said his mother was a chemist, his father a GP. I would call that comfortably middle-class, not wealthy.
I think his wife is wealthy.

Absolutely right.

Callistemon21

Oh, Sunak did go to Winchester so probably rather upper middle class.

I don't "do" labels, so I can't really be bothered whether they're "wealthy" or merely "upper middle class". Both of them are wealthier than the vast majority of people in the UK and neither has a clue how anybody in the middle or at the bottom of the pile lives.