h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Who is this Ian (duncan) donut smith bloke anyhow, I'm sure I've hurd his name before... Hmm, Was he something to do with the Commenwealth games?

Every time they say IDS I think of irritable bowel syndrome

i personally just think the whole Conservative party should take a back seat and allow the Liberal Democrats(who are the only credible opposition in this country)to become the opposition

Charles Kennedy for PM!!!!!!

and by the way, Paddy Power also have Ann Widdecombe at 50/1, John Major at 500/1 and Margaret Thatcher at 1000/1

I might make a bet on maggie.

Sorry, can I just point out that, although I will probably never vote tory in my life: Oliver Letwin is a Genius.

Great observation from Simon Hoggart in the Grauniad on Conservative leadership elections...

"The elections have a ritual quality by now, like the Boat Race. Nobody much cares who wins, but they'd miss it if it stopped."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservatives/comment/0,9236,1073082,00.html

The Front Page of the Times today has a picture 'Is the next Tory leader here' and there was a Parliamentary Diary Secretary in the Mix.

Patsy Duncan Smith for leader of the Tories. She could give Iain a job in her office.

The Tories have no one that will make them electable (least of all intellectual thug Oliver Letwin), and so will turn to Michael Howard in their hour of crisis to lurch even further to the right and thus out of political power for another 8 years.

I actually find myself in agreement with Mark Lawson in todays Grauniad who stated that they might as well have a punt on Boris Johnson, who will at least liven things up for a bit.

Now Boris Johnson may actually be a pretty good Conservative leader. I would say opposition leader, but a leadership campaign will drag on into early 2004 at least, losing them points left, right and centre. It'll be a close call between the Lib Dems as to which party will be the main opposition, and if that happens they may never recover.

What time do we find out the result today?

*Wakes up*

The Conservative Party? Are they still going?

I have no idea how on earth they think they can remain a credible opposition party when they keep ripping themselves to shreds like this. They seem to have an addiction to self-harm. First they off Maggie (it was time, but they still botched it), then Major, then Hague, now IDS.

I seem to have a morbid facination with this issue. Mainly cos' I can take the mickey out of my Torygraph reading mother.



*back to sleep*

Result at 1900

Spinks - I think 19:00 or 19:30, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get a pretty reliable inkling before then.
Be honest - I've got a pretty good inkling now.

Interesting putting the Tory leaders in order like that.

Maggie, Major, Hague, and IDS.

Interesting to note that each one had a shorter period of tenure than the one before. Law of diminishing returns and all that. On this basis the next Tory leader might just about last a year.


Geggs

It's interesting to see how many people seem to read Private Eye, given some of the phrases here.

Just my but the only Tory with a real hope of pulling the party together is Ken Clarke. However, as any leader has to be voted in by the membership, it'll never happen as he is in favour of Europe. And (sadly) the Conservatives will continue to fall apart.

A neither excolonel or a blue rinsed old biddy card carrying member of the Conservative Party.

Tenaka

PS How can anyone really claim that the Lib Dem's are the only credible opposition? With only 54 mps they still have lees than a third of the number of mps as the Conservatives, and when was the last time anyone heard of Charles Keenedy (except for DD who we all know is a rampant Leb Dem )

Smeg

I meant the DD's a rampant Lib Dem, not a Leb Dem.
Just shows I still haven't learnt how that Preview button works.

Tenaka

What an interesting idea Geggs. If that is the case, then the Party should be looking towards David Heathcoat-Amory as their new leader, what with him having the longest surname of all their MPs

Opposition:- (n.) The act of opposing; an attempt to check, restrain, or defeat; resistance.

Are the Tories doing this.

Um.

No.

Are the Lib Dems

Yes.

Are the Tories effective. NO!

Are the Lib Dems. 21% swing in Brent East Um Yes!!!

The opposition rests.

I'm a bit wary of projecting by-election swings forward to a General Election.

Back in the early days of the SDP/Liberal alliance there was one by-election (can't remember which sorry) that produced a swing so large that it would have left the Tories with only 1 seat in the Houses of Parliament

That said, the Liberals are proving themselves to be a credible ruling party around the country at a local level. I believe that from now on some of that will rub off into voting intentions at a national level, which hasn't always been the case so far - ie Sheffield.