May's won the first round of the election by, if not a landslide, then a pretty obvious margin. Liam Fox got lowest votes and has been given the boot. Hah.

Michael Gove’s EU Tweet Prompts Hilarious Insults From Twitter Users

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/m ... 366f0faf62

Some of the insults are hilarious.

I particularly liked "haunted pork mannequin". Although I perhaps shouldn't have read that while there were other people in the office - a very real danger of and having to explain myself.

In a related article about Farage legging it I also quite like this:
"'Farage resignation' - noun; an explosive bowel movement in someone else's house followed by fleeing the scene"

Yes. These were “asthma levels” of laughter for me. Inhaler required.

There was a similar thing with Donald Trump recently - day after the referendum he was in Scotland promoting the golf course he (well I see 'he' it's actually 'a group of investors of whom he's the figurehead') owns and he tweeted something along the lines of 'Lots of people celebrating here after taking their country back, lets do the same in America!'

That got a very large number of responses pointing out that Scotland as a country had voted by some majority to remain in the EU and that he was a blithering idiot. Many of them used language much more inventive than 'blithering idiot' (they're Scots, they have a cultural predisposition towards swearing). One of the more popular tweets described Trump as a 'cheeto faced [LIFTED]' (I so hope that doesn't get censored). It became so popular it was being sold on the internet printed on T-shirts.

That was until legal action stopped it. Was that by Trump? No, it was by the makers of Cheetos crisps, who didn't want their name associated with Trump, even via insult.

Yeah. I saw that. Hilarious that it was a trademark infringement that got it stopped.

I just retweeted something from Ruth Davidson. Loath as I am to agree with/endorse a Tory party executive's statements, it made perfect sense and was a great rebuttal to the latest political storm in a tea cup. There are obvious practical reasons why she isn't in the leadership race for the Westminster Tory Party (and therefore PM) but the fact is she's a far better and more acceptable politician than either of the Margaret Thatcher clone mutants we've actually got.

Iain Duncan Smith claims 'black ops' bid to 'denigrate' Leadsom - BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36757909

@ black ops and a breakaway party.

I see they're both now banging on the 'kinder, gentler politics' drum. Wonder if that'll last the whole of the first PMQs May or Leadsome leads, or just maybe the first five minutes of that?

Leadsom needs no help in making herself look bad. She clearly has no idea how the press operates, how to handle herself in interviews - especially when the paper concerned has declared support for her opponent. We’re looking at someone who is a junior minister for a few reasons, and those are starting to surface. As the pressure ramps up (and she’s already complained about that), we’ll probably see more cracks and failings.

I’m not a Thera May fan, but if we want a good Brexit deal from the EU, and elsewhere, then I think she’s got the better chance of achieving that.

Looks like May gets it the simple virtue of not having set herself on fire.

Leadsom looks like she's got in a dig at Corbyn as well - only having support of 25% of the parliamentary party is not enough to lead a strong government.

How very disappointing. I was hoping the Tories would tear themselves to bits for at least a little longer. Mind you, there is I guess still the matter of the grass roots members now having to deal with someone who opposed their views and a party that is at best divided on the issue of the EU and more so than ever before.

Apparently one reading of the Conservative Party regulations suggest there HAS to be an election, and the 1922 Committee which runs the PCP will have to find a candidate to stand against May regardless. Gove was third candidate but nobody really wants him to do it and nobody seems to really know who they might pick otherwise.

Given Theresa's record at the home office though, she really doesn't seem one who pays all that much attention to following the rules...

when it comes down to the final vote for the conservative leader i believe Leadsom will have the advantage over May ...

You are Louise Mensch and I claim my five pounds.