Who do you think will be the new Conservative party leader?

Bring back Maggie Thatcher :D at least she can't destroy our mines and steelworks, she's done that already.
Maybe she can crush the Burger bars and leisure centres that employ our youngsters these days.

I think Tony Blair will be the new leader of the Conservatives...

1Man

David Davis already bowed out in favour of Howard, so you can remove him from your list. They are keen to select a new leader without any "in-fighting".

PS. Next time let me know and I can add a poll to the other (first) thread - saves having 2 very similar ones.

I don't think it matters who they choose as leader, the policies will be the same.

Namely, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. (ie they'll tax everyone the same, whether you're earning £5 an hour or £5000 an hour) and they'll call this fair.

Eventual Privatisation of the health service. Eventual removal of the state pension. All public services to be run by business'.

They'll tempt people by saying that they'll give us a bit of income tax back, while at the same time duty on fuel will go up, and there'll be cuts in funding to education, health, transport, social security etc Don't forget, this is why they got voted out a few years ago. Not just because of "poor" leadership.

So, yes! Frankie Howard for tory leader. :D

Originally posted by Geoff
David Davis already bowed out in favour of Howard, so you can remove him from your list.

PS. Next time let me know and I can add a poll to the other (first) thread - saves having 2 very similar ones.

Wouldn't be the first time someone had ruled themself out only to have a change of heart at the right time.

ps - It's not possible to remove options from a list.

It could be Michael Howard, according to The Guardian.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservatives/story/0,9061,1073883,00.html

Which one was he on Spitting Image? The one with a yogurt pot on his head? Or the snail?

Hope it's Michael Howard, he would be a strong leader with vision and will unite the members and stop all the backstabbing that has ruined this once great party. (cough)

He will also give New Labour another 5 years in power :thumbsup:

They might have short memories in the Tory Party but us out there in the real world, we remember everything

We remember Michael Howard and Prison Chaos
We remember Michael Howard and the Poll Tax
We remember that interview with Jeremy Paxman
We remember Ann Widdecombe saying he had something of the night about him! I hope it is "something of the GOODnight" - to the Tory Party forever

Let them pick him, please let them pick him, please please let them pick the man the country hated when he was in office, and help keep them all out of it for a long long time

Originally posted by Belle
They might have short memories in the Tory Party but us out there in the real world, we remember everything

We remember Michael Howard and Prison Chaos
We remember Michael Howard and the Poll Tax
We remember that interview with Jeremy Paxman
We remember Ann Widdecombe saying he had something of the night about him! I hope it is "something of the GOODnight" - to the Tory Party forever


We remember the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill (now Act of Parliament)

He WILL be leader, nonetheless. Can unite the party, solid forensic debater, well-known. But he will still struggle.

I don't think it matters who they choose as leader, the policies will be the same.

Its a sad fact image does play a part and it matters who they choose as leader.

Why vote for someone who isn't passionate about leading. IDS was too quiet to ever be a Prime Minister.

I thought it was time for a spot of Guardian quoting

Here is the leader column, read it and weep, or laugh your socks off, depending on which side of the blue water you are on

***

The Quiet Man has been silenced. Barely a year after Iain Duncan Smith warned his warring colleagues to unite or die, they chose a third option: assassination. Shortly before 7pm last night the curtain came down on one of the more undistinguished political careers of modern times. By an unexpectedly close margin of 15 votes, Tory MPs staged a putsch, coldly ridding themselves of a boss they no longer believed in. Iain Duncan Smith thereby joined a small club - its other members include Austin and Neville Chamberlain - of leaders bundled out of power before being exposed to a general election. A party which once had the reputation of being one of the most formidable electoral machines in Europe is now meekly forced into holding its fourth leadership contest in eight years.

Mr Duncan Smith's virtues were belatedly apparent over the last few tormented weeks - a certain decency, stubborn courage, dignity and straightforwardness. He managed to conceal, if not heal, the party's divisions over Europe and to develop a modest programme of domestic policies. But those who worked with him most closely saw a weaker, less likeable side, while the public at large remained unmoved by the rhetoric, the strategy or the vision. The parliamentary party found it increasingly difficult to conceal its lack of respect for its leader. That made for poisonous politics and it is as well that everyone should now move on.

But conservatives brought up on the rhymes of Hillaire Belloc will be familiar with the moral of Jim, the little boy eaten by a lion: "Always keep ahold of Nurse," cautioned Belloc, "for fear of finding something worse." Which brings us to Michael Howard. Any voter over the age of, say, 25 may well be pinching themselves at the spectre of the shadow chancellor emerging as the dream candidate poised to pluck the Conservative party from near extinction. By the time the sleaze-mired Major government stuttered to a halt in 1997, Mr Howard, as much as anyone, had come to epitomise the unloveliest aspects of the old politics - the originator of an unappetising mix of uncompromising populist policies on criminal justice, asylum, immigration, Europe and employment issues. When he last presented himself as a possible party leader, his electoral popularity was barely measurable by conventional polling methods. It takes a considerable suspension of disbelief, barely six years later, to imagine Howard as a plausible party saviour attractive to the country at large. Some of his colleagues from the last Major government have managed to dress themselves in new political colours. Except at the margins, the same can hardly be said of Howard. If he has been on a Portillo-esque journey, he has kept very quiet about it.

Compared with other members of the Duncan Smith team Mr Howard was a big beast, in all respects sharper, more competent and more formidable than the man he aspires to replace. But it is difficult to see him in any other terms than as a caretaker who will nurse the party through a less humiliating defeat than might have been suffered under Mr Duncan Smith. Whether he sees himself in such a transient role is less sure.

It is easy to see the attractions of a coronation over an election. It would, at least in the short term, be quicker and less messy. But there is something unattractive and unconfident about presenting the wider Conservative electorate with the sort of stitch-up which appeared to be in an advanced state of choreography last night. It would would be better for MPs to offer the voluntary party a genuine choice. Mr Howard and David Davis represent one strand of modern conservatism. We hope that one or more candidates representing other, equally valid, strands might announce themselves in the coming days.

I am in SUCH a good mood

Thank you Tories for putting a big smile on my face

Those of you who are NOT Tories might enjoy a bit of the BBCs "Have your Say" page on the leadership elections.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3207059.stm

Someone on the link describes Michael Howard as "Old Nightie"

Laugh? I nearly wet myself

It looks like its all over bar the shouting:

Howard confirms leadership bid (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_833939.html?menu=)

The question should maybe be, "who would you like to be the next tory leader", that could be a very different answer to who will be the next tory leader.

Oh noooooooooo Foxxx, it is exactly the same

I want Michael Howard to be leader so much it is nearly hurting me

Michael Howard cut crime by 15% during his time as Home Secretary. He's not exactly my number 1 choice but who knows? Could be just what this country needs to be put back into shape.

Any minister from the Thatcher era is a danger to this country.
Retire the lot of em and get some young blood in there, someone who understands todays society rather than the tiring self pocket liners like Howard and Clarke.

What about Boris Johnson????????? :D

8) Nah Den Ace.......

Originally posted by t020
What about Boris Johnson????????? :D

Ha ha ha.........he was brilliant on Have I Got News For You..........Tory leader though? I'd prefer t020 to stand..........the acceptable face of Toryism!!! :D

Regards,

Spacehopper.

:D LOL
All is forgiven Maggie.

Just when I thought it couldnt get any worse, I am reminded today of something that is not just scary but makes me physically ill

Please try and bear with me

Take your mind back to 1997 UK if you are old enough

Major wont call the general election because he knows he will lose so we spend months on a war footing but the war is not yet with us.

We have NO IDEA that we will win with a landslide, what we remember is the shock and hurt of April 10th 1992 when we failed, and we are scared to death of going there again

Michael Howard is the Home Secretary

And within only months of the soon to be General Election, in his official position he does two things that turn my stomach

1. He chains a pregnant woman in labour to her bed, in hospital, during birth, she is something like a shop-lifter, I dont remember precisely, but she certainly isnt a terrorist

2. He chains a man dying of AIDS to his bed in hospital, a man who can no longer walk or talk, who is as weak as a new born baby

I even wrote a poem about it all the way back then, but I wouldnt inflict it on you now

If you think this is the man to lead a multi-cultural multi-class sensitive country then you are as mad as he clearly is

DONT DO IT

Originally posted by Belle
Just when I thought it couldnt get any worse, I am reminded today of something that is not just scary but makes me physically ill

Please try and bear with me

Take your mind back to 1997 UK if you are old enough

Major wont call the general election because he knows he will lose so we spend months on a war footing but the war is not yet with us.

We have NO IDEA that we will win with a landslide, what we remember is the shock and hurt of April 10th 1992 when we failed, and we are scared to death of going there again

Michael Howard is the Home Secretary

And within only months of the soon to be General Election, in his official position he does two things that turn my stomach

1. He chains a pregnant woman in labour to her bed, in hospital, during birth, she is something like a shop-lifter, I dont remember precisely, but she certainly isnt a terrorist

2. He chains a man dying of AIDS to his bed in hospital, a man who can no longer walk or talk, who is as weak as a new born baby

I even wrote a poem about it all the way back then, but I wouldnt inflict it on you now

If you think this is the man to lead a multi-cultural multi-class sensitive country then you are as mad as he clearly is

DONT DO IT

So criminals who get ill shouldn't be punished? He cut crime by 15%. On the other hand, look at crime since 1997 when Labour got into power.

Originally posted by t020
So criminals who get ill shouldn't be punished? He cut crime by 15%. On the other hand, look at crime since 1997 when Labour got into power. If there in prison for shoplifting and expecting a baby then no they should not be chained to a bed.
Serious crime then maybe.
Why don't the Tories admit defeat, they did enough damage to this country to last a life time during the 80s and early 90s, we refuse to forget that.
They have blown it for the 21st century thats for sure.

Originally posted by The Cycleracer
If there in prison for shoplifting and expecting a baby then no they should not be chained to a bed.
Serious crime then maybe.
Why don't the Tories admit defeat, they did enough damage to this country to last a life time during the 80s and early 90s, we refuse to forget that.
They have blown it for the 21st century thats for sure.


Chained to a bed for shoplifting? I'd like to know Belle's source on that, as I highly doubt that its true. Just left wing propaganda.

Edited to protect the innocent. - max

Do a bit of research then, like I have to do when you make ridiculous claims

Michael Howard didnt cut crime by 15%

Edited at user's request. - max

Here you go, from the Press Association, dated 1996.
I think it explains it all properly and fully.
And the Press Association is the Press Association, it is not a left apologist, okay?

DOUBLE CHALLENGE TO HANDCUFF POLICY

PA 1/15/96 12:43 AM

Copyright 1996 PA News.

By Padraic Flanagan and Simeon Tegel, PA News

The policy of keeping women prisoners handcuffed during hospital visits comes under a double challenge today.

The president of the Royal College of Midwives meets the director general of the Prison Service to press him to abandon the policy for pregnant prisoners.

And while they meet, a woman prisoner seriously ill with Aids will be mounting a legal challenge against the policy of keeping her shackled in her hospital bed, it was reported.

The Holloway prisoner, known only as Jane, is said to be handcuffed at all times to a prison officer in a ward at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London.

She is being held on remand and is charged with supplying heroin.

Her solicitor Sarah Cleary today goes to court to seek an emergency bail application which would allow her to continue her treatment without the security.

"There is no way that she will abscond. She is far too ill to even get to the door of her bedroom without getting out of breath," Ms Cleary told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I just find it incredible that in 1996 sick women are treated this way."

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Midwives was today urging prison chiefs to scrap the "inhuman" practice of shackling pregnant women prisoners while they are in hospital.

RCM president Caroline Flint will ask Richard Tilt, director general of the Prison Service, to end what she calls a "barbaric procedure".

Controversy erupted last week when it emerged that a pregnant inmate at Holloway prison, north London, was chained and handcuffed at times to prevent any escape during her 12-hour labour in the nearby Whittington hospital.

An RCM spokesman said today's meeting, arranged with the Prison Service on Friday, was a "positive development" in the college's long-running campaign.

"We will be discussing the issue of pregnant women prisoners being handcuffed during labour and ante-natal care. We are totally opposed to that happening," he said.

"We think there is a lack of dignity, it's inhuman and as far as we are concerned, women deserve the right to be respected during labour and not to be handcuffed."

Delegates at the RCM's annual conference in Belfast voted unanimously in July last year to campaign for manacles to be removed from pregnant prisoners.

Twenty women prisoners have escaped during hospital visits since 1990, including a pregnant inmate who jumped from a first-floor window

Too many failures from the past on this list.

I wouldn't call any of these a desirable leader.

I think Frank Spencer could do a better job.

Well it is all over

Michael Howard it is

blast, didn't manage to get my nomination in in time.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
blast, didn't manage to get my nomination in in time.

Don't distress. I'm sure there will be other opportunities not too far in the future. ;)

The tories go through almost as many leaders as Leeds United go through managers.

Originally posted by t020
Chained to a bed for shoplifting? I'd like to know Belle's source on that, as I highly doubt that its true. Just left wing propaganda.

It's not left wing propaganda, it's the truth. You know, the thing the tories avoid discussing for as long as they can get away with. And no, I'm not a Socialist Worker, a Marxist, a "Leftie" or any of the other terms that are sometimes used to belittle people. I'm just a well educated person, who can't see why anybody, apart from those with ONLY self-interests, would want to vote tory anyway.




:wave: :banana:

Edited for quote formatting

Just in case anyone forgets why we threw the tories out last time:

"All we hear from the Opposition is poverty, poverty, poverty - - la, la, la It is just boring for Conservative members." Liam Fox House of Commons, 22/10/92

And just in case you were thinking they'd changed:

“It would be absurd for us to match their spending pound for pound.”
Michael Howard, BBC Online, 22 November 2002

Originally posted by max


“It would be absurd for us to match their spending pound for pound.”
Michael Howard, BBC Online, 22 November 2002

It would be. Why continue wasting billions of pounds on bureaucracy? Whitehall costs have shot up by 50% since Labour got into power in 1997. Why would it be sensible to continue wasting the taxpayers money? It isn't how much is spent, it's how it's spent that counts.