I'm wondering if one of each gender (for balance) will be the final contest.

I find it funny in a sad way that those with skeletons in the cupboard (drugs etc.) are coming out for fear they will get to the final two in a run-off and someone from their past will blow the whistle and scupper their chances.

The final candidates for the Tory leadership race have been confirmed, with 10 running to become the next PM.

The candidates are:

Environment Secretary Michael Gove
Health Secretary Matt Hancock
Former Chief Whip Mark Harper
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt
Home Secretary Sajid Javid
Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
Former Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom
Former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey
Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart

No real surprises then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48584011

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has pledged to cut income tax bills for people earning more than £50,000 a year if he wins the race to succeed Theresa May as prime minister.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48577579

Also, free TV licences for up to 3.7m pensioners are being scrapped, the BBC has announced.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

Soooo, no changes, the Tories continue to look after the rich and ignore the needs of the average citizen.

Good job Steptoe is the leader of the opposition because I blind man on a galloping horse can see that just about anyone else with a little more competence could and should be leading an effective opposition campaign.

i wouldn't blame the bbc thing on the Tories. to be fair the over 75s are probably one of the biggest demographics still watching the BBC. The young have since gone to Netflix and Youtube and other on-demand streaming services etc. old broadcast tv is in decline everywhere, and bbc are probably trying to keep their numbers up.
Also doesn't help they regularly get accused of bias by more fringey partisans from both sides of the spectrum. (e.g those too far gone to remember how objectivity works)
But, To be honest even though their new coverage is still pretty fair - compared to many others, I wouldn't cough up for them. as an institution overall I don't really think they are massively worth preserving. They should just run ads if they really want to keep going.

Tory leadership candidates so far (Updated)

Boris Johnson 80%
Esther McVey 30%
Jeremy Hunt 75%
Rory Stewart 25%
Matt Hancock 10%
Dominic Raab 40%
Andrea Leadsom 55%
Michael Gove 60%
Sajid Javid 70%
Mark Harper 0%
(% is my predictions so far)

I have a feeling the final two will be Boris and Jeremy as it stands now.

If Boris wins stand by for a wreck that will result in a general election and in comes terrorist supporter steptoe.

As for the BBC they have with luck just committed suicide with that dumbass move. I would like to see that whole rotten organisation come crashing down.

Oh god its going to Mr bumble isn't it.

BBC are clearly making that move as their funding is drying up.

Bloated Bias Crap has for far two long got away saying its a TV licence what a load of crap its a bbc fee. Well I see MayBot is disappointed in there move as she will be heading for the sofa.

Well, with the promise of tax cuts for the rich he's done exactly what he did with the promise of £350 million a week to the NHS.....stole a lead.

Either way, we should know the eventual outcome in a couple of weeks and the eventual winner being announced in the second last week of July.

The excitement is simply too much :doh:

I hear lynton crosby is running the Boris campaign if this is true then we are screwed. Yes that lynton crosby suspect poll rigger helped Doggy Dave to win the GE.


PLEASE DO NOT ELECT BORIS THE RESULT WILL BE A VICTORY FOR STEPTOE AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.

+1.

Well, there's no requirement to pay the licence fee if you don't use any BBC services.:03: Just avoid anything the BBC do. Besides a lot of their programming ends up on freeview anyway. And PBS America.

To be partially paid for by an increase in National Insurance, no less. However, his proposed cuts only apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as Income Tax is devolved to Holyrood.

In short, it appears that Boris is fully prepared to wage economic warfare against the SNP to force Scotland back into line....

Looks like he's been swatting up on what happened prior to the Act of Union in 1707 - let me introduce the "Alien Act of 1705": LINK.


Add that to the economic hurt the ruling elites suffered after the failure of the Darien Scheme and you can see why that segment of Scottish society suddenly started supporting Union with England.....:hmmm:

Mike.

Anything that can display that you can watch means you need a licence. Yes folks the BBC will be looking into smart phones and tablets as reported on the radio last night. It's about time the government of the day kicked the BBC in their money bags. I am stopping there as you all can see..I HATE THE BBC.

Back to politics. :)

Day two of the leadership race and all the candidates are divided on what day/date we leave the EU...

God help us :doh:

Just shows they are not fit for the job, I would not trust any of them to make me a cup of coffee. :haha:

The coffee and tea for that matter is quite good in Parliament.

The ales in the Strangers Bar are even better though.

So the quitters are back.

Was not Mr Boris J. the first to quit, when the "referendum" which wasn't one was won? After blocking and harrassing Mrs May, does he think the party or people will now stand in for him just of all?
What exactly does he intend to do now apart from wrecking the NHS, creating better conditions for the rich and trying to blackmail 27 other nations? Really..

A bit more on Johnson's tax pledge from a Scottish perspective:

A Boris Johnson victory spells trouble for Ruth Davidson

and

Scots face paying hundreds of pounds more to fund Boris Johnson plan for English income tax cut

The Telegraph article is paywalled, but there is a discussion about it on Reddit.

To clarify the taxation question, earned Income Tax collection (PAYE, etc) is devolved to Holyrood and it has the power to alter the rates and bands, but does not have control of the Tax Free allowance level, which is still set and controlled by Westminster. Unearned Income Tax collection (shares, bonds, savings etc) is reserved to Westminster. National Insurance is likewise still under Westminster's control.

A complicated brew, but that's what the current devolution setup is.

Ross "SNP Gain" Thomson's reasons for supporting Boris: LINK.

Personally, Thomson's writing guff. Boris only cares for what will get him into office, nothing else.:hmmm:

Mike.

Precisely :yep:

Aaaannnnddddd.... we can add generational warfare, courtesy of Reddit!

The Daily Mail (and other British right-wing newspapers) has done to our parents what our parents thought video games would do to us

:doh:

Although, this post does have a point, even if you disagree with the premise:

Rather self centered, but it applies not just elements within the Baby Boomer Generation but ALL generational cohorts.:hmmm:

The ability to sift through a lot of information and weigh up the pros and cons for yourself does take a degree of self training that quite a few people, regardless of age, sorely lack.

Mike.

Nahh, anecdotally I dont think theres too much in that, I know plenty of Boomers with excellent Critical thinking skills, they may have not had cable and internet growing up. but they are generally better read than many of us younger Genx/ Millenial whipper snappers.
Though admittedly they tend to be a little bit more oblivious to certain things related to the culture war. They might read alot of old legacy media but the generally have a good nose for what take with a pinch of salt.

My own Boomer mother is a bit of borderline Marxist, but even she can see that say Guardian's Opinion section is 90% crazy talk. (And I know a few fellow gen X'ers who almost lap up that nonsense with out question.)
Hard to speak for Staunch Right wingers as I don't meet too many down here in London.

Your average Millennial/ GenXer my read alot online, but if they never leave their media bubble or circle jerk of politically like minded mates, that reading is pretty worthless.

Yes its very frighting as to whats going to happen :doh:


Or run a bath, or a you know what in a brewery...

Johnson and Javid kick off with their leadership campaigns today and I know which one I prefer.