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CONSERVATIVE MPS WILL begin the process of electing a new Prime Minister today.
MPs will vote to whittle the field of five candidates down to two today. The surviving two will then go before Conservative Party membership to decide the new party leader and, consequently, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down two weeks ago in the wake of the Brexit vote result.
Home Secretary Theresa May remains a front-runner, despite backing the Remain side in the referendum.
May, who had been viewed as the outright favourite in the contest, was dealt a double blow on yesterday when a poll showed her slightly behind rival Andrea Leadsom in the race, according to a ConservativeHome survey of party members.
Then former mayor of London Boris Johnson, who dramatically pulled out of a bid to run himself last week, threw his weight behind Leadsom, an energy minister who campaigned for the Leave side.
“Andrea Leadsom offers the zap, the drive, and the determination essential for the next leader of this country,” he said in a statement.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb and former Defence Secretary Liam Fox are all trailing May and Leadsom in the poll.
Movement
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who yesterday announce he was stepping down, said that May was “spreading fear” by not confirming whether she supported the right of EU citizens to stay in the post-Brexit UK.
Leadsom insisted she would drive a hard bargain during Brexit negotiations with Brussels, if elected.
“I know how to strike a deal in a tough negotiation. And I know, as a woman, how to succeed in a man’s world and how to fight the unfortunate prejudice that many working mothers still experience,” she said.
The former banker added that “freedom of movement will end”, potentially putting her on a collision course with other European leaders.
May has also said she would push for a new trade deal that limited immigration.
But one of her supporters, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, said there would be a trade-off between accessing the EU single market and allowing free movement of people.
With AFP reporting
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Gove and may are no friends of ireland
Why?
He was extremely anti Belfast agreement. He said it was the same as appeasement to the Nazies in the 30s and the referendum for the Belfast agreement was fixed and undemocratic (it brought in proportional representation to a part of the UK, the Tories hated that) . All the candidates are more extreme when compared to Cameron, with grove on the side of being mentally unbalanced. If these are the people to lead Britain then it is F**ked, then I suppose the British public have made their own beds.
The BBC’s Andrew Marr last Sunday pinned Gove down on his comments blasting the Belfast Agreement. As Marr said, many people are alive today who would have been killed or maimed without that agreement. The sweat was breaking out on Gove’s face as he struggled – astonishingly – to stand over his past comments.
No matter, he’s toast, and him and Teresa May hate each other, so he’s likely to be marginalised in a likely May-led government.
Connmhaigh
He was opposed to the agreement at the time (1998) but in 2000 went on to wright a paper on the evils of the agreement, for me this compounds and makes worse, as you have stated correctly in your post. It shows an extremism which boarders on the dangerous, and an incredible lack of judgement. An ideological stance which has no regard for people and lives, even after it is proved to be successful makes him in my book unstable and dangerous.
We should never let the terrorists win
Goves wife pulls the strings of the muppet….
Life is all about good and bad experience
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At least the British people won’t be governed by unelected elites anymore
Lol!
57 million people in the UK and they’re struggling to find one good one.
The 77 Tory party members in the 6 counties must be feeling a bit isolated,who will speak up for them?
“They’re half awake in their fake empire”.
All vying to be more right-wing, anti-European than the other.
Leadsom sounds like a good candidate, shes upfront on what she will do and she seems to have the drive and determination and feistiness.
Andrea Leadsom seems the most honest, if a Tory can be accused of honesty. Certainly doesn’t seem to carry the same baggage as the other loons- that Gove fella would bring a petrol can to the north.
I doubt that Theresa Mays plans will wash with the EU or with the hard line brexit supporters, but she is probably the most qualified out of all the candidates.
I’ll go with Gove
He’s a gimp.
I wonder does he still oppose the Good Friday Agreement?
Reg
A dangerous gimp.
Is there any good conservative s who ever gets the job none of them cares about the north. To them it’s a thorn in their side for 100 yrs
Turning into teletubbies land.
May is just Cameron in a frock, soft on the EUSSR and a failure at controlling the flood of immigrants or jihadis or whatever.
Paul, the field will not be reduced down to two today! Read this and update your piece. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36709218
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