[MartinImber]

OK This is interesting, they are down to Mr "My mum was a single parent" and a dodgy looking chinless wonder.

I think they made a huge mistake

What do you think?

This is not a pro/anti thread Tory this is an analysis thread

Oh and a poll

[mh123]

Now I would have said Ken, IF the next general election was held next week. Unfortunately, by the time the next election comes round, he'll be 70.

Therefore Mr Fox gets my vote.

[Decadence]

I'd plump for David Davis...go with what you know...he's my local MP.

[Ed Selley]

I think that unless the tories choose someone not directly associated with the last time around, they'll suffer by association. After all Labour had to go all new and choose people who had nothing to do with the last labour government before they returned to power. Blair had been in the house longer before being a leader but was also a relative unknown before becoming leader. Therefore I say Cameron.

[MartinImber]

To be honest of all the current polititians of any party my favourite was Ken Clarke - a real person rather than a pile of spin.

I think Cameron is too smarmy

Mind you this is why out of the current cabinet I like John Prescott the most -he is NOT up his own bottom.

Can't stand the likes of John Straw (he can't even use his own name) or Gordon Brown (too smarmy), I though the Smith twins who used to be Tory leaders were a joke.

A good choice would have been Hague - he was quite likable - TBH if he stood and was elected leader now I think he would be at the right age and experience to be a PM.

[MartinImber]

By he way I don't care which politics you subscribe to. Just think who would be best or would make you think about voting for them.

[Decadence]

JP is corrupt...he tipped his kid off to buy and renovate loads of derelict houses in Hull conveniently just before they were all filled with immigrants...allegedly.

He also had a problem with a wire coat hanger around 10 years ago...

[MartinImber]

Heard you the first time

Whats this about a coathanger?

The corruption doesn't surprise me.

However WYSIWYG I wonder if he would have ounched Mugabe?

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by Decadence

I'd plump for David Davis...go with what you know...he's my local MP.

So whats he like? Seems a bit odd on TV - mainly concerned about his single mum!

[overkill]

I agree Martin. I'd have gone for Clarke. At least he has some nous, he's a moderate, isn't all spin and no substance, and people like him (even me).

Paxman (yet again) tickled me last night when interviewing the two front runners chief supporters. There was, as he repeatedly pointed out, nothing between them in terms of what passed for a policy. In fact what policies? Beyond 'shaking up the public sector' , they had nothing else to offer.

At least Clarke had a vision of something.

Cameron is being touted as the new 'proper Tory' Blair and is being spun so badly by the press and the establishment he belongs to, there's no way I'd want him running the country. We had enough Tory toffs making a pigs ear of things in the past. All spin, no do.

Davis meanwhile, is yet another in a line of right wing Tory leaders (as is Cameron) chosen to appeal to the Tory faithful and a narrow minded, Daily Mail believing, section of the populous.

Until they wake up and chose a leader to appeal to a wider cross section of the electorate, and start producing policies that aren't purely negative, then they won't get back in.

Blair and his crowd will hardly be quaking in their boots now Clarke has gone.

[MartinImber]

With Clarke he appeals to a wide set of people - mainly floaters, but also some Liberal Democrats and a few Labours.

As he is a moderate Tory I think he would have won the next election as leader - even though he was older than the rest he was experienced and appealed even to students.

Basically I think the Conservatives have shot themselves in the foot.

Any paid up members here?

[Ed Selley]

Originally Posted by MartinImber

Any paid up members here?

They're only marginally more common than AV Forums members mate .

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by MartinImber

Any paid up members here?

This is the av forums, not the sadist forums

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by MartinImber

With Clarke he appeals to a wide set of people - mainly floaters, but also some Liberal Democrats and a few Labours.

As he is a moderate Tory I think he would have won the next election as leader - even though he was older than the rest he was experienced and appealed even to students.

Basically I think the Conservatives have shot themselves in the foot.

They have also got rid of Liam Fox, who is only marginally less right wing than Sean Wright-Phillips.

It doesn't matter who becomes tory leader though, as both Davis and Cameron have zero charisma, little political clout and no decent policy ideas.

The only thing I agree with Liam Fox was what he said about Cameron, which was "you can't out-Blair Blair." Seeing as Cameron will be the next tory leader, this means only good news for us Liberals.

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by Games Guru

This is the av forums, not the sadist forums

LOL

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by Tons of fun

They're only marginally more common than AV Forums members mate .

They are a bit in short supply!

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by Games Guru

They have also got rid of Liam Fox, who is only marginally less right wing than Sean Wright-Phillips.

It doesn't matter who becomes tory leader though, as both Davis and Cameron have zero charisma, little political clout and no decent policy ideas.

The only thing I agree with Liam Fox was what he said about Cameron, which was "you can't out-Blair Blair." Seeing as Cameron will be the next tory leader, this means only good news for us Liberals.

My only concern about Liberals is their policy on Nuclear Power, I think we need it - they don't seem to know what to do. However I can see them pushing Conservatives to third party

[Miyazaki]

If you are taking about nuclear fission, which I assume you are, you have to realise that there are limited supplies of uranium, it is a non-renewable fuel.

We are far better off pouring the money into nuclear fusion, whose only waste product is hydrogen ions.

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by mh123

Now I would have said Ken, IF the next general election was held next week. Unfortunately, by the time the next election comes round, he'll be 70.

Therefore Mr Fox gets my vote.

Of course, once upon a time, it was acknowledged that with age came experience and wisdom. Nowadays, it's not what sort of politician you are, it's how young and sexy you look. Thank god that Blair and Prescott are looking older all the time - maybe soon we can send them to the old folk's home

[overkill]

Thank god that Blair and Prescott are looking older all the time - maybe soon we can send them to the old folk's home

Therein lies the problem. Once the gruesome twosome have gone, what faceless wonder is going to replace them? Brown? Davis, Cameron? All three send a shiver down my spine. And not one of anticipation either.

This is why, as one women rightly said last night on QT, people are switching off from politics in droves.

[cmcg55]

Originally Posted by Tons of fun

They're only marginally more common than AV Forums members mate .

Strange thing is, the Conservatives apparently have more "paid-up members" than Labour do - by quite some margin, so I've heard. Which all goes to show you that that means SFA come election days :-)

The idea of actually joining a political party is a relic of another age of politics.

[Miyazaki]

I was a member of the lib dems for a year until the start of october. Decided to make my charity 'Friends Of The Earth' this year!

[JohnG]

I'm glad Ken didn't get in as I could never vote for anyone who promotes (and probably makes a lot of money from) the tobacco industry like he does. If I need to vote Convservative as a protest vote I can now do so without having to vote for him.
I've no idea who the others even are so can't really take part in the poll

[Steve N]

Originally Posted by JohnG

I'm glad Ken didn't get in as I could never vote for anyone who promotes tobacco

Ah yes, but does that matter. He is, after all, a bloody nice bloke. (irony)

Actually I'm probably being more cynical than ironic.
How many times do you hear politicians from all Parties throwing out the line
" It's policies that count, not personalities "
Yeah sure. Does anyone think labour would be serving their third term if their dream ticket was Precott/Beckett.
Yet thousands would turn out to vote for 'nice but dim' Boris.
I think this is why the Torys' always go for either the unknown outsider or the least disliked leadership candidate.
A good example of my previous point is the the two Davids. Davis was the heir apparent loved by the vast majority of the Party, and Cameron the young, but maybe in the future sonny, longshot. Suddenly (at conference) Cameron gives a (relatively) good speech and Davis, a (relatively) flat one.
Reminds me of that mirror of the world today (the US at least) 'The Simpsons' ."Who will lead us" -answering chant- "Flanders, Flanders, Flanders", (Flanders verbally stumbles), then - "Someone else, Someone else, someone else".
Suddenly, its "Cameron, Cameron" - Deja Pu

* Deja Pu? - definition - When you have the feeling that you have already heard this Bullspoo before

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by JohnG

I'm glad Ken didn't get in as I could never vote for anyone who promotes (and probably makes a lot of money from) the tobacco industry like he does.

You must hate this government, then

[JohnG]

I dislike most politicians

[overkill]

You must hate this government, then

Name a govt or party that really delivers, or has done more to combat tobacco use. Hmmmmmm? I dislike (growing to hate) TB as much as anybody but at least be sensible about it.

Great post SteveN. What is laughable is that Cameron is David Davis in terms of policy, such as they are, and only that speech divides them. I worry that people are so easily sucked in by a demagogue rather than a politician.

It also shows how dumb voters are (and that EG is right to some extent) that despite knowing nothing about him bar the Daily Mail and co's propaganda, the majority apparently see him as Howards heir apparent! I mean why? The guys no different to Howard, Duncan-Smith, Davis, Fox, just younger, and oh yes, more media friendly.

We really are getting as bad as the US when it comes to choosing political leaders..............

[krish]

David "Dave, Keepin' it real" Cameron wrote their last manifesto, full of crap about immigration, and is Tory Blair; you will all hate him very soon and he has no chance of winning the next general election

David Davis is a bully boy, former whip, smarmy arrogant prick (you've got to be a ****** to be a whip)

Liam Fox is a slimy opportunistic right wing arse, who likes the media to believe he once had something going with Natalie Imbruglia

Ken Clarke is a nice bloke slightly to the left of Tony Blair (let down by his BAT connections) - they've truly f'd up by dropping him; their biggest f'kup though was dropping Portillo (again, slightly to the left of Blair), who then effectively told them all where they could shove their 1922 Committee

[Steve N]

Krish72
Stop pussy footing around and tell us what you really think.

[overkill]

Krish, who apart from Cameron and Davis, who isn't to the left of Tony the teeth?

Krish's point about Cameron echoes what was said earlier. He's a phoney 'man of the street' (in fact he comes from a very wealthy, exclusive background) and is on the ultra right immigration bashing platform - same as Davis, Fox, etc.

He might be aiming at the average Sun reader, but since when, and God forbid, they are the voice of the 'man on the street'?