General British politics discussion thread

I suspect both will fall. The electorate here enjoy kicking the sitting government in the teeth when they don't take a contest seriously, which is to say every electoral exercise save a GE.

I disagree.

The way it works is that the Parliamentary party nominates from its own and then votes. The two candidates with the most votes then go to the electorate which in this context is the Tory party membership. These people hold some of the most regressive views in the country such as supporting the death penalty, opposing LGBT rights, etc.

They'll vote for whoever they decide is the best avatar for their social views. Hunt was a capable health minister, Alexander is an actor who gets by on his Boris persona. They opted for the latter.

Theresa May bypassed this process because Andrea Leadsom humiliated herself with her absurd comments about motherhood.

I don't think so. I think the main problem is the complete lack of a credible challenger to Johnson. When it was May, plenty in her party had the knives out, Johnson included. Now, he's given them a monopoly on power and selected them for compliance and pliability.

I also wonder if we're too close to the next election. It'll be in 2023 or 2024. All of the senior offices of state are occupied by Johnson loyalists. I doubt they'll be able to command the same level of loyalty or toleration he has enjoyed. The likes of Truss and Sunak aren't going to be happy playing second fiddle to anyone else.

I see the Tory unity which was purchased for such an extortionate price on this very day six years ago disintegrating very, very quickly.

It's just where the UK is at the moment. Print media is openly pushing a pro-Tory, pro-Brexit narrative. Broadcast media has to be a touch more discreet but Morgan actually gunning for that Thunderbirds thing presumably because his staff couldn't find any better skeletons in Mick's closet really says it all.

Frankly, I've no idea how someone like Kay Burley has a job. I recall in February when she made a claim about a volcano and immediately added "It's true, we checked". You're Sky News, it's implied that you're checking.

When you literally scurry off the set on live television, you don't leave yourself much choice. Personally, I think his transparent persona where he pretends to be dangerous has well passed the point of tedium.