Forum Topic

Fancy joining the Conservative Party?

If you do so by 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday), you get to vote in the next leadership contest, maybe help stop the blue-rinse brigade from choosing Boris Truss, or whoever, as their next leader.Just saying.

Susan Kelly ● 123d68 Comments

Probably Labour never learn

Jayne Thorburn ● 38d

London tube drivers now playing catch up.Are we watching a bad remake of Back to the Future?

Keith Iddon ● 38d

Labour are not bright once they gave into the train drivers giving crazy payrises  with no improvement in productivity it was only a matter of time before unions would demand more pay. So Labour are weak this theme will continue unions.

Jayne Thorburn ● 38d

Ah yes. Soft touch Labour and yet more greed and disruption even though inflation has fallen. “ London Underground workers including drivers are to stage a series of strikes next month in a dispute over pay.Members of Aslef, working as Tube drivers, instructors, management grades, and those in the engineering section will walk out on different days in the first few weeks of November.Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, said: “We don’t want to go on strike – we don’t want to make travelling in and around the capital more difficult for passengers and we don’t want to lose a day’s pay – but we have been forced into this position because LU management won’t sit down properly and negotiate with us.”

Steve Taylor ● 38d

He’s had 100 days to settle in and so far he has shown the world that he can’t lead. He won’t make a stand against Israel or crime or illegals immigrants and he is stabbing the British people in the back with his poor understanding of economics. His party is imploding under his weak leadership.

Steve Taylor ● 38d

I don't get to vote over here but if I had I'd have voted Starmer by a long way.  He was the only guy left standing after the Tories had made mess after mess of things then started arguing among themselves.  Talk about route 1 on how to lose an election.And now they're heading off to the right.  Maybe not hard right but heavy enough.  Chiswick ain't Clacton-on-Sea yet awhile.Starmer needs being given a break whilst he settles in.

Bill Danton ● 38d

Your message threw up a mental image of York Minster spinning around for fourteen years. So what is Labour going to do to make it stay fixed ? ;-)

Richard Greenhough ● 38d

Blimey! Is that it?

Vanessa Smith ● 38d

"..fourteen years of revolving minsters.."Not good if you live in York ;-)

Richard Greenhough ● 38d

We all voted Labour in this house, because we'd had fourteen years of revolving minsters, prime ministers, scandal, corruption and austerity. Meanwhile the rich got richer at the expense of people doing the jobs we all rely on, and who got bugger all reward for that. Even Covid which is always rolled out as an excuse for some of the goings-on provided rich pickings for so many chums of the Tories - who made absolute fortunes one way and another. We needed to change things and in spite of the rocky start believe Keir Starmer and his government will deliver it. As for the criticisms that have been made about how they, especially Rachel Reeves, don't understand business - may I refresh a few clouded memories? Remember the comment from one Boris Johnson? 'F*ck business'. What an insight into the chaos of the Tory years.

Vanessa Smith ● 38d

The only decent candidate remaining is Kemi. No nonsense, speaks her mind and doesn’t kowtow to snowflakes.

Steve Taylor ● 38d

Perhaps you’d like to get the ball rolling, Brian, and share how you voted in the last election and why?  And, while you’re about it, share your thoughts on the two remaining Tory leadership candidates and who you would prefer and why?  It would be good to get the thread back on track.

Alastair Banton ● 38d

Who are those on this forum who voted Labour, and why?

Brian Coyle ● 39d

I'd rather eat my own arm

Davey Harris ● 39d

Even the economists are concerned so far Labour has been appalling let’s see how creative and fair the budget is….lots of talk but their actions speak louder

Jayne Thorburn ● 39d

Yeah let’s just slag off an entire group of people with some old fashioned stereotyping. Surprised you didn’t mention tea drinking. Now that really is lazy. I think Labour do indeed have a plan and are showing themselves to be a much better government trying to tackle some of the entrenched problems the country has eg productivity, low investment. I may not agree with some/many of their policies but their diagnosis is pretty good. Try reading some respected economists or even the Financial Times for enlightenment rather than regurgitating tired prejudices.

David Turner ● 39d

Labour have no plan it is all a fantasy in their heads, all policies they have declared which are perhaps one or two are for unemployed, union organised public servants. Gosh don’t go to the office civil servant WFH want on earth does Angela R know about any business, it’s a complete joke. One place to cut it is crazy civil servant pensions that is a burden on the younger generation and totally outdated let’s see if Labour actually have any guts to treat society fairly. Attack pensioners but leave lazy civil servants to get away with robbery.

Jayne Thorburn ● 39d

Wait for Rachel Thieves to cancel the single occupancy Council Tax Rebate which so many hard working young people enjoy thanks to the past caring Conservative government.

Steve Taylor ● 39d

Oh, that should be employer's notEmployeesBut now I'm hearing it's employes We will have to wait, but it hitsthose at the bottom Hard yet again whatever it is

Julian Pavey ● 39d

"No rise in NI" So the low paid are going to bePaid less. Oh,hold on it applies toEmployees.Well that's tough on small business but stilltough on the low paid because that will ruleout many getting a pay rise in 2025. But the usualSuspects will be back for another pay rise.

Julian Pavey ● 39d

Yeh,cut £300 a year while giving out 10k a year ?Got any clues tim to what that might be"Achieved more in 100 days than 14 years of the Tories"And to think four in ten Britons are feeling the country is in a worse state than before. Mr English must have had some blooming long dream.

Julian Pavey ● 40d

When Labour was thrown out in 2010 they left a financial black hole of £158 billion which the Tories spent 15 years wrestling with, trying to bring government spending under control. This £22billion black hole which Labour are using as an excuse to hike up your taxes and cut pensioners payments is the remnants of a financial crisis that they themselves created. They are criticising the Tories for being unable to fully clean up the mess that they themselves made in the first place. It’s hypocrisy of the highest order and they’re fooling nobody!

Steve Taylor ● 40d

According to their own party officials they have had a disastrous 100 days good start after 14 years to plan couldn’t make it up

Jayne Thorburn ● 40d

Labour have achieved more in 100 days than 14 years of the Tories

Tim English ● 40d

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Tim English ● 40d

Dont think it's Keir, he's up against others with stronger personality.

Janice Evans ● 41d

Even Labour Party officials admit it’s been a really bad start and Keir along with the cabinet haven’t got a clue how to lead disappointed is an understatement

Jayne Thorburn ● 42d

Labour haven’t got a clue and messed up royally in 12 weeks, RR hasn’t got a clue so let’s see if they are listening to the voters who are not impressed thus far. Mess with our economy at their peril they don’t seem to understand basic economics.

Jayne Thorburn ● 42d

All talk ? What you mean his dad was a tool maker and his mum and sister were nurses and his wife works in the NHS. And hes boring,bland and dull and loves a freebie.😁

Julian Pavey ● 42d

Julian Pavey ● 42d

“ Labour will get their act together and do what those of us who voted for them expect.”So far they have been all talk and no action. Let’s see if the budget speech will see some positive action rather than the mindless waffle we have seen so far.

Steve Taylor ● 42d

Steve, they lost because of Reform so expect that will happen again.

Janice Evans ● 42d

Paul Campbell ● 42d

I can't say this is a subject that interferes with my sleep, and I don't give a toss one way or the other. But, for what it's worth - I don't think it  matters who wins this latest balls-up as I doubt they will be the leader come the next election. The Tories will continue to fight like cats in a sack as per.  Keir Starmer has had a rocky start, but if lessons are learned and quick smart too, the electorate may chalk this up to lack of governmental experience and Labour will get their act together and do what those of us who voted for them expect. They have already come up with some sound policies and need to start thinking about how to deliver on them.

Vanessa Smith ● 42d

“the Tories would be wise to be honest with themselves about what went wrong and why and choose a new leader who best understands this.”That’s exactly what they are doing. They are aware they’ve been too far left so they’ve kicked out the leftist candidates to win back the millions of  Reform voters. The Conservative Party will not survive if it can’t win back support from the right.

Steve Taylor ● 42d

I stand corrected on the chances of Jenrick being the next leader and Badenoch is sound on the ECHR. The question is will the membership recognise the trap that voting for Jenrick represents.

Mark Evans ● 42d

WellBadenoch is odds on to win,labour are around 7/4 to win next time around while the conservatives are a 5/2 shot with reform around 6/1.Starmer is around a 5/1 shot to be gone in any year inbetween2025 and 2029 but 5/2 to be gone in 2025+.Five years is long enough for labour to explode and the conservatives do a reverse. Five years is long enough for reform to explode and the cons and reform join forces in one way or another.Answer,i have no clue,but it could be that labour becomes its worse enemy and 5 years is all they get.The next election could be such a even lower turnout that conservatives win by default. We just dont know but when it comes to politics i think the idea of party faithfull is slowly drifting away,people are very easily turned off these days and for that,its levels your devils on both.

Julian Pavey ● 42d

Back on 24/7 above I posed this comment and question …‘having been so powerfully rejected by the electorate the Tories would be wise to be honest with themselves about what went wrong and why and choose a new leader who best understands this.  Are they able or willing to do this yet?  I don’t know, time will tell.’We now have a clear answer and it’s ‘No’.  They appear to imagine that it’s just business as usual.  The LibDems and Labour are of course very happy with that.

Alastair Banton ● 42d

Always wanted Geoffrey Cox as Tory leader even before Boris got in.

Janice Evans ● 42d

In my view the events of the last week heralds the end of the Conservative party as a force in west London. Jenrick looks likely to be the next leader and I would bet not one of the local councillors or very few of the local party association support his key policy of ditching the ECHR. Jenrick thinks it is about sending home Albanian burglars but anyone with knowledge of business, law or finance knows that the implications of leaving would be much wider and these sort of people are the party's core support in this part of the country.At the same time the Lib Dems crushed the Tories in what used to be a safe seat in a by-election in Ealing this week. As a Labour voter I can see the Lib Dems at least doubling their representation in this borough next time out and becoming the main challenger across all wards not just a few pockets in the east.There is already a substantial part of South West London where the Lib Dems are the first or second party - Richmond, Kingston but generally that is because they have been seen as the most likely challenger to the Conservatives. However, now it looks like the Tories are so far back in third that they will emerge as the main opposition in Labour boroughs.Hounslow is interesting because it has Liberal Democrat wards on its borders both in the east and west so the party must be thinking about what it can do here. Credit must go to the Conservative councillors who managed to hang on in Chiswick against the odds but as some point the disconnect between what the party represents at the national level and the views of their constituents has to tell.

Mark Evans ● 42d

It’s a last attempt to sway people against Reform but I think it’s too late. Nigel can just sit back and laugh, while drawing his generous stipend,  and watch the momentum of the right grow in Europe. The UK will surely follow given the results Reform has already enjoyed. Coupled of course with the total mess Labour has made in less than 3 months.

Steve Taylor ● 42d

They won't win with any in the running currently.

Janice Evans ● 42d

Probably not. I don't even see the winner leading the party into the next election. There has been talk of some moderate Tory MPs jumping ship.

Susan Kelly ● 42d

So will it be Generic or BadEnoch?  Does it matter?

Alastair Banton ● 42d

Sorry, deaf and blind

N V Brooks ● 122d

Sadly, heads have been turned ay allowances in the tens of thousands for performing 'cabinet level' duties. We can all witness how badly these are being undertaken by people well out of their depth with these positions often granted by friends in leadership positions. When you are pocketing such sums for a very part time job it's easy to be both dear and blind to the needs of constituents.

N V Brooks ● 122d

'Tough writing that as a lifelong Conservative voter but they really were a bloody shambles.'I'm with you - a lifelong Labour supporter and at one time a member for many years, but I think that locally Labour stink, and I cannot support them. This sticking heads in the sand and pretending all is well never works, you have to admit what you get wrong, and until you do and address those issues - you cannot hope to put anything right. Kidding yourselves that everything is rosy and mixing that with arrogance is a recipe for disaster, but it requires those involved to wake up and LISTEN.

Vanessa Smith ● 122d

Absolutely. The landslide was a vote against apathetic politics, broken promises, lies and incompetence rather than a vote for Labour. Tough writing that as a lifelong Conservative voter but they really were a bloody shambles.

N V Brooks ● 122d

Why can't Farage - just Foxtrot Oscar? Note that his big mate Trumpy couldn't even be bothered to meet him (or Truss) after they hauled their sorry a*ses across the Atlantic.

Vanessa Smith ● 122d

I don’t think it would be too controversial to admit that Labour’s election success was more about people being fed up with the Tories than any great love for Starmer or the Labour Party. So yes, Labour’s landslide is precarious.  But having been so powerfully rejected by the electorate the Tories would be wise to be honest with themselves about what went wrong and why and choose a new leader who best understands this.  Are they able or willing to do this yet?  I don’t know, time will tell.

Alastair Banton ● 122d

"..they selected a leader who has just won a landslide victory.."You mean like the Conservatives did when they chose BoJo as leader ?

Richard Greenhough ● 122d

In response to your question, Alastair, although I am not a Conservative, I recently saw an interview with Kemi Badenoch and thought her responses were measured and intelligent. They could do worse than choose her (and have done so in the past, as we all know).

Colin Jordan ● 122d

Cannot disagree on that one.

Janice Evans ● 123d

You might have a point, Janice.  But why would I want to have anything to do witn a racist grifter who supports a rapist and convicted felon to be the next POTUS? Not only does he support him he sees him as a friend. In this case I will judge the man by the company he keeps (or tries to keep)

Stewart Jones ● 123d

you should be thanking Nigel then 😉

Janice Evans ● 123d

The Tory vote collapsed. Thank heavens.

Stewart Jones ● 123d

Yes bust a gut, talk about Corbyn yet again.  But who do you think the tories will or should select as leader?

Alastair Banton ● 123d

"they selected a leader who has just won a landslide victory" Ho ho ho

Julian Pavey ● 123d

And someone who gained fewer votes than even Corbyn,to whom  amongst others,my post refers,

Keith Iddon ● 123d

Hardly - they selected a leader who has just won a landslide victory over the hapless Tories.

Alastair Banton ● 123d

That level of wisdom is alive and well on the other side of the house as well.

Keith Iddon ● 123d

Haha, I’m sure the current membership can be trusted to select their next leader as wisely as they have the last several!

Alastair Banton ● 123d

My reply - I would rather stick pins in my eyes. Hell would freeze over first.

Vanessa Smith ● 123d

And in reply to your question.  Never!

Stewart Jones ● 123d

Neither Truss or Johnson are MPs so neither currently can stand as leader.  The party is in a complete mess. It was hinted that Braverman might go over to Reform but she would be totally under the thumb of Farage who owns the company.

Stewart Jones ● 123d

Lots of Tories joined the Labour Party to secure a Corbyn win. The argument against given them the annual fees is that both of the candidates likely to be put to members are going to be terrible.

Felicity Caborn ● 123d

My old dad, a lifelong Conservative, would also turn if I threw my lot in with that hunch of clowns.

N V Brooks ● 123d

I think my old Dad would turn in his grave if I was to throw my lot in with them.

Keith Iddon ● 123d