….from Shane Savitsky
The U.K. Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee announced Tuesday the results of the second round of voting by the party’s members of Parliament in the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May as its leader, narrowing the field from six candidates to five.
The big picture: Boris Johnson, a brash Brexiteer who has vowed to take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal if necessary, is in control of the race and all but guaranteed a spot in the final two. Crucially for Johnson, this last round of voting knocked out May’s former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, who gained support from the wing of the party backing a hard Brexit.
After votes from Tory MP’s whittle the choice of leader to two, the choice will be made by about 60,000 ordinary members of the Conservative & Unionist Party.
To see Sunday’s 75-minute debate between five candidates (including the now-excluded Dominick Raab but not the voluntarily-absent Boris Johnson) go to:
https://www.conservativehome.com/video/2019/06/the-channel-4-conservative-leadership-election-debate.html
And to see the BBC debate of all five remaining candidates (Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Javid Sharif & Rory Steward) without the now-eliminated Dominick Raab, see:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48673698
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has told party members who would put Brexit ahead of preserving the UK union to “take a long, hard look at themselves”.
A YouGov survey of Conservative members suggested 63% would back Brexit even if it meant Scotland leaving the UK.
Ms Davidson said the 2016 EU referendum result should be delivered, “but not at the expense of breaking up the UK”.
She also said her chosen candidate in the leadership race, Sajid Javid, was “doing really well in the debates”.
There are five candidates still in the running to replace Theresa May as Tory leader and prime minister, with Boris Johnson the frontrunner.
Party members, conducted earlier in June, saw 63% of those taking part saying they would rather Brexit took place, even if it meant “Scotland leaving the United Kingdom”.
On the other hand, only 29% of respondents said they would rather Brexit did not take place to avoid this scenario.
Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell said the survey was “devastating” for Ms Davidson, saying it showed Tory members regarded the UK as “expendable in pursuit of the Brexit chimera”.
So committed to Brexit are members of the Conservative and Unionist Party that they would be willing to see Scotland (63%) and Northern Ireland (59%) leave the UK in order to secure it. https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/06/18/most-conservative-members-would-see-party-destroye?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=website_article&utm_campaign=conservative_members_june_2019_mindset …
Asked about the survey, Ms Davidson said: “I think there are a number of people within the Conservative Party who need to take a long, hard look at themselves.
“Yes, I understand of course we have got to respect the referendum result, of course we’ve got to deliver Brexit, but not at the expense of breaking up the UK.
“I would remind people of their obligations within the party – yes, we’re a Conservative Party, but we’re also a Unionist party, and I’d remind them that our own union of nations is every bit as important as leaving someone else.”…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48675043
Results of 2nd round of Tory MPs’ votes:
126 – Boris Johnson
46 – Jeremy Hunt
41 – Michael Gove
37 – Rory Stewart
33 – Sajiv Javid
30 – Dominick Raab (eliminated)
Johnson seems to be the choice….
Boris Johnson continues on what seems to be a trip to 10 Downing Street and a hard exit from the EU….
The U.K. Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee announced Thursday the results of the fourth round of voting by the party’s members of Parliament in the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May as its leader, narrowing the field from four candidates to three.
The big picture: Boris Johnson, a brash Brexiteer who has said he’d take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal if necessary, is firmly in control of the race and all but guaranteed a spot in its final two….
More…
And then ther were three
157 – Boris Johnson
61 – Michael Gove (who backed BoJo last time until he ran himself)
59 – Jeremy Hunt (Foreign Secretary)
34 – Sajid Javid(Home Secretary) eliminatedi believe it’s 2 now over there
You’re right, James, Michael Gove was knocked out in the last ballot of MP’s so Boris Johnson (formerly Foreign Sec. and Mayor of London) and Jeremy Hunt (current Foreign Secretary) will campaign over the next month for the votes of tens of thousands of rank-and-file Conservative Party members.
The British press speculates that Johnson helped to orchestrate Gove’s knockout in revenge for Gove suddenly running for Tory Party leader (& PM) in the last race after having been Johnson’s campaign manager for the job from which David Cameron resigned and to which Theresa May eventually ascended.
Final vote of Conservative MP’s (the “1922 Committee”):
160 – Johnson (an absolute majority)
77 – Jeremy Hunt
75 –
Michael GoveeliminatedSee:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48711077
It’s gonna be Boris….
The Brits are in for a rough ride!