Conservative Party of the UK Leadership Election, 2022

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Johnson about to resign.

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Gove out, Raab out. The latter is talked of as a caretaker PM.

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Sunak is in, apparently. Setting up an HQ.

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Wallace is in.

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Grant Shapps is also in.

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Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington, has declared his candidacy. Most random so far. Although it may be an literal joke, can't tell.

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John Baron mulling a run.

Based on nominative determinism again, he should be aiming for a place in the Lords.

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David Davis canvassing for support. Yes, really.

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The candidate everyone has been waiting for - Bill Wiggin, MP for North Herefordshire.

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This is going to be like the Democrats in 2020 or the Republicans in 2016 isn't it? And, as in those cases, a lot of them will pull out before any vote has been cast.

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The candidate everyone has been waiting for - Bill Wiggin, MP for North Herefordshire.

BILL WIGGIN?!?!!?!

Not a joke, apparently.

https://twitter.com/9andrewmcdonald/status/1545434374497353730?s=20&t=I4yX_S...

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Dowden, Harper and Fox all backing Sunak. Despite Maynard's cock up, he has got off to a strong start.

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Baker pulls out and backs Braverman.

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Kemi Badenoch is in. Could get a chunk of the right vote.

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Off the top of my head last time there were 10 candidates right? How many are there gonna be this time? Could we get over 15?

And Sunak seems like the early frontrunner, somehow don't think it's gonna be him though.

There were more than 10 (without looking it up) but a lot of them pulled out before the vote had begun. This time there may be more declared candidates but the number who will still be in at the time of the first ballot will probably be about the same as last time.

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Wallace not standing.

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What are the core differences between Sunak and Truss outiside the latter being a halfwit? It seems like a very similar front 2 in terms of wing if the party. I understand Sunaks appeal to the more moderates though.

It’s quite ironic that, during the referendum campaign, Sunak was the Brexiteer and Truss was the Remainer. From everything else about them - or at least from how they’ve acted since - you’d expect it to be the other way round.

Edit: This leads on to one of the biggest differences between them: Sunak potentially does have some ideological principles, whereas Truss is a total careerist who will do and say anything to advance her position.

A huge swathe of the front runners, cabinet ministers etc were first elected (and nominated) under Cameron. Under Boris they have debased themselves to a lackyish parody of what they think a Boris fan/red wall boomer likes, particularly on the culture wars, even though Boris himself hasn't. There has always been an easy osmosis between the media and politicians in the UK, and a lot set themselves up a persona in anticipation of the Fox News style right wing news channels for exposure that recently started up but have proven to be failures. So they still lean into that, as well as the TERF panic and probably see this campaign to test it's popularity amongst party grassroots.

Do Tories want a 'winner' or a 'steady hand' or are in the stage of just wanting everything to burn.

They elected a winner (but not a steady hand) in 2019 and then everything burned.

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Tughenhat and Javid backed by Anna Soubry. That's them done.

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Just about credible enough to post (she's a former deputy editor of The Spectator), but it would be extraordinary even for him.

https://twitter.com/PetronellaWyatt/status/1545755462292971520?s=20&t=GCQ_2X...

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Zahawi in.

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Zahawi's tax affairs are under investigation by HMRC. Unfortunate timing.

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Are Braverman and Badenoch basically people the far right pushes forward to not seem racist?

There's no visible far right in this country anymore. There is a cultural warrior 'populist' right (and some within that like Braverman and Badenoch) but that's not the same thing.

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There are similarities between Johnson and Trump, but can you imagine the latter expressing this kind of self-awareness?

https://twitter.com/MrHarryCole/status/1546446571495211009?s=20&t=TxUETenD9P...

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He's at it again.

https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1546902201758539776?s=20&t=K6vOoY-iK6p4...

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Truss seems like continuation Boris. Rishi Sunak seems like he wouldn’t be the best choice given he doesn’t seem to be an exactly popular figure. Sunak probably one of the only ones who would guarantee a Labor election victory. The Tories must want that?

I don't think the result of this will have much impact on the next Australian election.