This is a week of excitement. In relative terms. Because this week sees the first round of voting to decide who will be the next leader of the Conservative Party! And life doesn’t get more exciting than that. The battle to become the leader of the smallest minority opposition party since 1732. Yet it’s important. Mainly due to the fact that after about 6 weeks of this present government, I’m fed up with them already.

Yesterday they removed licenses for the sale of arms to Israel. The actual scale of which will not affect anybody whatsoever. It won’t diminish Israel’s military power, nor make life better for one single Palestinian. But it’s a statement. David Lammy has basically said that he wants to make his token gesture of stopping Israel from destroying a terrorist organisation which is intent on its destruction and perpetrating genocide on its people. Of course, timing is everything, so he waited for the day after 6 hostages were summarily executed by Hamas to prevent their rescue. And now Hamas are getting effective ‘support’ from our government. Rewarding terrorists in a losing attempt to appease the masses of antisemites in his party. Tosser.

But this isn’t about the government. It’s about the opposition. All 121 of them. And they’ve found 6 to choose from. Not by us. We don’t matter. Unless ‘we’ are members of ‘the party’ in which case we’ll have our say later. Because that worked so well in selecting Liz Truss, showing the wonderful ability of ‘grass roots’ Tories to make a good choice. I’m not a member. My heart has never been in the Conservative Party. But my wallet has.

So 6 people. Big (ish) job on the line. Possibly… the next Prime Minister!!! But first things first. Personally I like James Cleverly. His easy manner. Though some say ‘too easy’ because he’s served under about 9 different leaders (about 7 weeks of ‘Tory-time’) and thus is ‘flexible’. Though some call this ‘not having any strong ideas of his own’.

Suella Braverman is regarded as ‘toxic’ by the party, so isn’t standing. But she’s the only one prepared to actually speak truths. Even ones that ‘shouldn’t be said’, or ones that are unpopular. And let’s face it, no political party wants the truth to get out.

Kemi Badenoch. Ticks virtually every box. If only she was one-legged and gay she’d be the dream ticket. Personally I quite like her outspokenness, she’s like ‘Suella-lite’.

Tom Tugendhat is a noble candidate. Man of principle and a ‘centrist’ within the party. Depends how many people see the Conservative’s future as in the middle or to the right. Do you fight labour, or Farage?

And a couple of others who won’t win anyway but just make it a little bit more interesting. If that was even possible.

So think carefully before you vote. Even though you can’t.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx