In General elections, there is a system whereby each voter is able to give their true vote anonymously. In order that people may freely vote for whoever they wish.
I remember well the time that the Tories forced the Unions to hold secret ballots for strike action. As (quite rightly) people felt unable to vote in the way they wanted.
Even the Tory Party Members would have been able to give their vote anonymously.
This election? All very public. Lots of rules forcing MPs to nail their colours (and careers) to the mast. Absolutely no rules about actually standing. Actually having a single policy. Any sort of plan.
Except for the 1922 Committee plan. To ensure that the Members did not get the chance to make the same mistake as last time.
So I have to read the online guff from an MP who tells the World that Sunak has his "unswerving support". Disregarding the fact that yesterday that his very public support went to someone else.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
Not knocking you for a second. But that is the second time you have highlighted 1 of the many things that is wrong with our so-called democracy.
The bit I have put in bold. That is quoting the guido website.
An organisation that is simultaneously giving guidance to MPs as to who is likely to win. Naming names, so that any future PM may punish those who dare to oppose the front-runner And give commentary biased towards 1 or other Candidate.
It is very simple. You are either the Referee, or you play for 1 of the teams.
Not both of those things at the same time.
I don't much care who wins. I was definitely in the "anyone but Boris" camp.
I think Rishi, with his experience as Chancellor, may have the advantage (and equally for the Markets, the perceived advantage) in the short-term. And I believe Mordaunt might have a slightly better chance in a future election.
It is the terrible, undemocratic process that makes me seethe.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
Not knocking you for a second. But that is the second time you have highlighted 1 of the many things that is wrong with our so-called democracy.
My highlighting affects nothing.
The bit I have put in bold. That is quoting the guido website.
Correct.
An organisation that is simultaneously giving guidance to MPs as to who is likely to win. Naming names, so that any future PM may punish those who dare to oppose the front-runner And give commentary biased towards 1 or other Candidate.
Yet many MPs are happy to publicly support one of the candidates. The names of the MPs that nominate each candidate are made public. Once each candidate has reached the threshold of nominations, there is no point in any MP publicly backing the candidate unless they are happy to do so. The ballot by MPs is secret. Guido has argued that prior to the current system MPs were able to convince one or more camps that they had their support. Allowing MPs to be duplicitous is not necessarily the best thing for democracy. Many MPs wish to speak on behalf of those they are supporting.
The Boris nominations were very suspicious. The increase in their numbers didnt make sense. The number of anonymous supporters was disproportionate in comparison to Sunaks nominations.
It is very simple. You are either the Referee, or you play for 1 of the teams.
They are merely keeping a record.
Not both of those things at the same time.
If it were not for them we would be completely in the dark. You posted that they could not be ar5ed to give us the numbers. Yet when they do, that is also wrong.
I don't much care who wins. I was definitely in the "anyone but Boris" camp.
I think Rishi, with his experience as Chancellor, may have the advantage (and equally for the Markets, the perceived advantage) in the short-term. And I believe Mordaunt might have a slightly better chance in a future election.
It is the terrible, undemocratic process that makes me seethe.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
Not knocking you for a second. But that is the second time you have highlighted 1 of the many things that is wrong with our so-called democracy.
The bit I have put in bold. That is quoting the guido website.
An organisation that is simultaneously giving guidance to MPs as to who is likely to win. Naming names, so that any future PM may punish those who dare to oppose the front-runner And give commentary biased towards 1 or other Candidate.
It is very simple. You are either the Referee, or you play for 1 of the teams.
Not both of those things at the same time.
I don't much care who wins. I was definitely in the "anyone but Boris" camp.
I think Rishi, with his experience as Chancellor, may have the advantage (and equally for the Markets, the perceived advantage) in the short-term. And I believe Mordaunt might have a slightly better chance in a future election.
It is the terrible, undemocratic process that makes me seethe.
As Nic Watt confirmed on Newsnight, real-time online publicly available lists of declarations sourced from social media, contacts and the leadership campaigns themselves have made things more transparent. They have reduced the potential for MPs to double or triple pledge their support in private and ended the bluffing that characterised Tory machine politics in the past. Andrew Mitchell’s claims “of we have it in the bag”, Heath’s surprise defeat, Liam Fox’s confident claims of victory – none of this will happen nowadays. Because of the existence of online real-time data, available to all via a browser – a public service pioneered by this website. There is now less opportunity to bluff.
Here is some insight into what has happened in the last few days: the Rishi campaign has decided in their wisdom to freeze Guido out – no briefing, no contact, effectively pretending we don’t exist as a fact of political life. Petulantly putting us in the penalty box for giving Rishi a hard time in the last leadership campaign. We started reporting and publicly recording the support of MPs for Boris on Thursday, and by yesterday evening the Rishi campaign was instructing their supporting MPs to contact us to confirm their support for him. As our records showed support for Rishi catching up with and then pulling ahead of Boris, his campaign reminded supporters to confirm their pledges to us. All can now see the relative strength of candidates’ support.
In this morning’s Times, Matthew Parris today claims that
“Momentum is being manufactured through creating an impression that Johnson is already on his way to victory. Mysterious reports on social media suggest he’s surging ahead among those MPs who are declaring — but the identities of some of these are undisclosed. They will (we’re assured) reveal themselves “later”. The sense of movement this creates is giving those many Conservative MPs who still keep their own counsel the idea that this man is a winner, and (say quieter MPs to themselves), “we’d better declare for him early, as we know he rewards supporters and freezes out the rest”.
Copy which Parris obviously filed yesterday afternoon before we showed Rishi surging ahead that evening. Unhinged analysis, shown to be so, as events unfolded before the ink was dry on his claims.
MPs who have not pledged can be seen by all sides. They are either genuinely undecided – waiting to see which way the wind blows – or biding their time for Machiavellian reasons, or simply ransoming their vote for the highest bid or best favour. What MPs can’t do is double pledge any more. If they tell a campaign they are backing their candidate the campaign expects them to go public. If they don’t go public, they are suspect.
As the pioneers of real-time transparency in this form, we decided to record the preferences of MPs who are whips or 1922 Committee officials or hold offices in the party which require them to be publicly neutral. Which is why we record higher numbers than our rivals. We verify those pledges directly even when campaigns assure us. Which is why when last night we hit 100 for Rishi, the Rishi campaign immediately confirmed to the media they had passed the threshold, despite other media organisations being well behind with their figures. We note with satisfaction that now some of those same media organisations are switching to quoting using our public plus private figures methodology.
Yesterday the site was visited three quarters of a million times, such was the demand for data.* This kind of transparency is now a fact of political life, the game has changed. Changed for the better…
*Team Rishi’s strategy of ignoring the website read by so much of the membership doesn’t bode well for their success if the contest goes to the membership.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
Rishi on the verge of No10 TODAY: Mordaunt's backers urge her to PULL OUT of Tory leader battle to allow Sunak coronation at 2.15pm - as Boris supporters Priti Patel and Zahawi switch sides despite other allies of ex-PM warning snap election is inevitable
Rishi Sunak could be named as the new PM as early as 2.15pm, with his sole remaining rival Ms Mordaunt a long way off the threshold of 100 nominations needed to trigger a run-off. The former Chancellor has received public backing from over 180 Tory MPs - more than half the total - and is racking up more numbers as prominent supporters of Mr Johnson jump on the bandwagon. They include senior figures such as James Cleverly, Brandon Lewis, Simon Clarke, Priti Patel, and Nadhim Zahawi. Mr Sunak would be the country's first non-white premier, and at 42 the youngest since the Napoleonic Wars. Ms Mordaunt has sounded defiance, with allies claiming she has more than 90 nominations and arguing there is still time for her to meet the goal to keep the contest alive. But Tory MP George Freeman, a key figure in her campaign, has broken ranks to make clear she should now stand aside.
There are always advantages as well as disadvantages to any system.
To use an example I mentioned earlier, it costs the Unions a massive amount of money to organise secret ballots before strike action, as opposed to a show of hands. But they still are forced to do it-because that is the truly democratic way to do it. And stops people just voting in self-interest (which in that case could be violence)
You rightly point out that the only issue at the moment is whether or not Mordaunt gets to 100. Any support for Sunak is (electorally) irrelevant at this stage. Where I disagree is where you state that there is no benefit to MPs coming out now for Sunak. It is painfully obvious that the only reason they are doing it is for naked self-interest. And to fool the public.
We may well get to the position where it is 300 Sunak to 35 Mordaunt. Where the last 140 votes are actually not a vote for Sunak at all. In exactly the same way MPs voted for Sunak last time, and then when the Members vote was clear, switched sides.
It should be impossible for Mordaunt (or anyone) to go down in numbers of votes. The main advantage of the system in place is that MPs could not switch horses for as long as they are in the race. And yet 1 clearly has. Which means that the system used is not accurate.
I mentioned the piece you now quote about Sunak previously. I object to the Referee (Guido) both counting and being biased. That is equally true for either Candidate. Any unbiased counting should be in a totally different site to political comment. That really isn't difficult.
There are always advantages as well as disadvantages to any system.
To use an example I mentioned earlier, it costs the Unions a massive amount of money to organise secret ballots before strike action, as opposed to a show of hands. But they still are forced to do it-because that is the truly democratic way to do it. And stops people just voting in self-interest (which in that case could be violence)
You rightly point out that the only issue at the moment is whether or not Mordaunt gets to 100. Any support for Sunak is (electorally) irrelevant at this stage. Where I disagree is where you state that there is no benefit to MPs coming out now for Sunak. It is painfully obvious that the only reason they are doing it is for naked self-interest. And to fool the public.
I didnt say that. What I said was they could support him secretly if they so wished. Some supporters are able to do so anonymously, whips etc.
We may well get to the position where it is 300 Sunak to 35 Mordaunt. Where the last 140 votes are actually not a vote for Sunak at all. In exactly the same way MPs voted for Sunak last time, and then when the Members vote was clear, switched sides.
You will never stop tactical voting. Although this sort of vote would give a very clear indication to the membership. Any MP has the right to express their support for either candidate in secret.
It should be impossible for Mordaunt (or anyone) to go down in numbers of votes. The main advantage of the system in place is that MPs could not switch horses for as long as they are in the race. And yet 1 clearly has. Which means that the system used is not accurate.
I wasnt aware that this was a rule. Or if so, how they could have.
I mentioned the piece you now quote about Sunak previously. I object to the Referee (Guido) both counting and being biased. That is equally true for either Candidate. Any unbiased counting should be in a totally different site to political comment. That really isn't difficult.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
With less than 5 hours to go, Guido can't be ar5ed to give us the numbers. The BBC appear to have no updated information.
Meanwhile, we have an "election" rigged by 1 person getting votes who was never actually standing for election. Ensuring that Mordaunt will not get the chance to have the votes of people who thought they were voting for someone who is not standing.
Sunak has not done a single public interview since this started. Just kept his head down. No doubt safe in the knowledge that he would not have to do anything to be PM. Has managed to have a secret meeting with Boris. As has Mordaunt.
Today is potentially – hopefully – the last day of this contest, though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle and may therefore drag things out to a members’ vote. Where have we heard that before?
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
I just want to quote from that. The key points are:-
"Stage 1 – Conservative MPs choose two candidates to put forward to stage two. Stage 2 – Party members are balloted. The candidate with the most votes wins."
"The rules are not in a publicly available document. Each time a leadership election is held the chair of the 1922 Committee will announce the rules to be followed and the timetable."
"In the event of only one candidate being successfully nominated they become leader of the Party. However, they may be subject to a vote of Party members to ratify the result.
Stage 2 The two MPs selected in stage 1 face a ballot of Party members. This is done on the basis of one member one vote. The candidate who receives the most votes wins."
Tinpot dictators are more democratic than this.
Few things surprise me about the Tories. But
"The rules are not in a publicly available document" takes some beating.
I just want to quote from that. The key points are:-
"Stage 1 – Conservative MPs choose two candidates to put forward to stage two. Stage 2 – Party members are balloted. The candidate with the most votes wins."
"The rules are not in a publicly available document. Each time a leadership election is held the chair of the 1922 Committee will announce the rules to be followed and the timetable."
"In the event of only one candidate being successfully nominated they become leader of the Party. However, they may be subject to a vote of Party members to ratify the result.
Stage 2 The two MPs selected in stage 1 face a ballot of Party members. This is done on the basis of one member one vote. The candidate who receives the most votes wins."
Tinpot dictators are more democratic than this.
Few things surprise me about the Tories. But
"The rules are not in a publicly available document" takes some beating.
None of the Leadership Race matters anyway........ in 2 years time they will be out of Government . They're just delaying the inevitable
As much as I don’t like to say this, you’re not taking into account the sheer ( for want of a more apt word) stupidity and short memories of the majority of the electorate.
If ( as seems likely) the new leader of the Conservatives reduces inflation, and then ( “ now we have got the cost of living down blah blah”) promises more money to the NHS in 2 years time, the election will be much closer than the current forecast of a Labour landslide.
Comments
I remember well the time that the Tories forced the Unions to hold secret ballots for strike action. As (quite rightly) people felt unable to vote in the way they wanted.
Even the Tory Party Members would have been able to give their vote anonymously.
This election? All very public. Lots of rules forcing MPs to nail their colours (and careers) to the mast. Absolutely no rules about actually standing. Actually having a single policy. Any sort of plan.
Except for the 1922 Committee plan. To ensure that the Members did not get the chance to make the same mistake as last time.
So I have to read the online guff from an MP who tells the World that Sunak has his "unswerving support". Disregarding the fact that yesterday that his very public support went to someone else.
So can we have a General Election now. Please.
Guido’s now introduced a key to show whether a Rishi or Penny backer has switched from previously supporting Boris. As always, MPs should get in touch with updates…
https://order-order.com
189 Sunak
31 Mordaunt
137 undeclared
The bit I have put in bold. That is quoting the guido website.
An organisation that is simultaneously giving guidance to MPs as to who is likely to win.
Naming names, so that any future PM may punish those who dare to oppose the front-runner
And give commentary biased towards 1 or other Candidate.
It is very simple. You are either the Referee, or you play for 1 of the teams.
Not both of those things at the same time.
I don't much care who wins. I was definitely in the "anyone but Boris" camp.
I think Rishi, with his experience as Chancellor, may have the advantage (and equally for the Markets, the perceived advantage) in the short-term. And I believe Mordaunt might have a slightly better chance in a future election.
It is the terrible, undemocratic process that makes me seethe.
Here is some insight into what has happened in the last few days: the Rishi campaign has decided in their wisdom to freeze Guido out – no briefing, no contact, effectively pretending we don’t exist as a fact of political life. Petulantly putting us in the penalty box for giving Rishi a hard time in the last leadership campaign. We started reporting and publicly recording the support of MPs for Boris on Thursday, and by yesterday evening the Rishi campaign was instructing their supporting MPs to contact us to confirm their support for him. As our records showed support for Rishi catching up with and then pulling ahead of Boris, his campaign reminded supporters to confirm their pledges to us. All can now see the relative strength of candidates’ support.
In this morning’s Times, Matthew Parris today claims that
“Momentum is being manufactured through creating an impression that Johnson is already on his way to victory. Mysterious reports on social media suggest he’s surging ahead among those MPs who are declaring — but the identities of some of these are undisclosed. They will (we’re assured) reveal themselves “later”. The sense of movement this creates is giving those many Conservative MPs who still keep their own counsel the idea that this man is a winner, and (say quieter MPs to themselves), “we’d better declare for him early, as we know he rewards supporters and freezes out the rest”.
Copy which Parris obviously filed yesterday afternoon before we showed Rishi surging ahead that evening. Unhinged analysis, shown to be so, as events unfolded before the ink was dry on his claims.
MPs who have not pledged can be seen by all sides. They are either genuinely undecided – waiting to see which way the wind blows – or biding their time for Machiavellian reasons, or simply ransoming their vote for the highest bid or best favour. What MPs can’t do is double pledge any more. If they tell a campaign they are backing their candidate the campaign expects them to go public. If they don’t go public, they are suspect.
As the pioneers of real-time transparency in this form, we decided to record the preferences of MPs who are whips or 1922 Committee officials or hold offices in the party which require them to be publicly neutral. Which is why we record higher numbers than our rivals. We verify those pledges directly even when campaigns assure us. Which is why when last night we hit 100 for Rishi, the Rishi campaign immediately confirmed to the media they had passed the threshold, despite other media organisations being well behind with their figures. We note with satisfaction that now some of those same media organisations are switching to quoting using our public plus private figures methodology.
Yesterday the site was visited three quarters of a million times, such was the demand for data.* This kind of transparency is now a fact of political life, the game has changed. Changed for the better…
*Team Rishi’s strategy of ignoring the website read by so much of the membership doesn’t bode well for their success if the contest goes to the membership.
https://order-order.com/
though Penny’s team claim she’s almost reached the 100 hurdle
Less than 2 hours to go?
196 Sunak
31 Mordaunt
130 undeclared
Rishi Sunak could be named as the new PM as early as 2.15pm, with his sole remaining rival Ms Mordaunt a long way off the threshold of 100 nominations needed to trigger a run-off. The former Chancellor has received public backing from over 180 Tory MPs - more than half the total - and is racking up more numbers as prominent supporters of Mr Johnson jump on the bandwagon. They include senior figures such as James Cleverly, Brandon Lewis, Simon Clarke, Priti Patel, and Nadhim Zahawi. Mr Sunak would be the country's first non-white premier, and at 42 the youngest since the Napoleonic Wars. Ms Mordaunt has sounded defiance, with allies claiming she has more than 90 nominations and arguing there is still time for her to meet the goal to keep the contest alive. But Tory MP George Freeman, a key figure in her campaign, has broken ranks to make clear she should now stand aside.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11347765/Rishi-Sunak-verge-named-PM-TODAY.html
To use an example I mentioned earlier, it costs the Unions a massive amount of money to organise secret ballots before strike action, as opposed to a show of hands. But they still are forced to do it-because that is the truly democratic way to do it. And stops people just voting in self-interest (which in that case could be violence)
You rightly point out that the only issue at the moment is whether or not Mordaunt gets to 100. Any support for Sunak is (electorally) irrelevant at this stage. Where I disagree is where you state that there is no benefit to MPs coming out now for Sunak. It is painfully obvious that the only reason they are doing it is for naked self-interest. And to fool the public.
We may well get to the position where it is 300 Sunak to 35 Mordaunt. Where the last 140 votes are actually not a vote for Sunak at all. In exactly the same way MPs voted for Sunak last time, and then when the Members vote was clear, switched sides.
It should be impossible for Mordaunt (or anyone) to go down in numbers of votes. The main advantage of the system in place is that MPs could not switch horses for as long as they are in the race. And yet 1 clearly has. Which means that the system used is not accurate.
I mentioned the piece you now quote about Sunak previously. I object to the Referee (Guido) both counting and being biased. That is equally true for either Candidate. Any unbiased counting should be in a totally different site to political comment. That really isn't difficult.
.....Ooooops
Boris Johnson's '102 MPs' Claim Is Bringing Out Twitter's Finest Comedians
Phillip Dyte
@phillipdyte
Out in Westminster having the time of my life with my 100 supporter MPs. They're all just out of frame, laughing too.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/boris-johnsons-102-mps-claim-105426096.html
15mins.
202 Sunak
30 Mordaunt
125 undeclared
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tory-members-fury-as-telephone-votes-are-ditched-for-digital-but-up-to-15-have-no-online-access/ar-AA13i4pl?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=17ea6fd5d8c94c518cdceef4e8940498
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01366/
I just want to quote from that. The key points are:-
"Stage 1 – Conservative MPs choose two candidates to put forward to stage two.
Stage 2 – Party members are balloted. The candidate with the most votes wins."
"The rules are not in a publicly available document. Each time a leadership election is held the chair of the 1922 Committee will announce the rules to be followed and the timetable."
"In the event of only one candidate being successfully nominated they become leader of the Party. However, they may be subject to a vote of Party members to ratify the result.
Stage 2
The two MPs selected in stage 1 face a ballot of Party members. This is done on the basis of one member one vote. The candidate who receives the most votes wins."
Tinpot dictators are more democratic than this.
Few things surprise me about the Tories. But
"The rules are not in a publicly available document" takes some beating.
Sunak wins.
I look forward to seeing in a few days/weeks/months threads about why we dont like Rishi Sunak and hoping Rishi Sunak will go.
Though based on the limited bits of things I have seen I actually so far dont think he is a bad choice.
Will likely change that opinion shortly.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/here-s-why-team-rishi-believes-boris-johnson-never-had-100-tory-mps/ar-AA13jrJd?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=4952823fa1df465b91eccd13fc7502b1
If ( as seems likely) the new leader of the Conservatives reduces inflation, and then ( “ now we have got the cost of living down blah blah”) promises more money to the NHS in 2 years time, the election will be much closer than the current forecast of a Labour landslide.