Yesterday the Prime Minister, Theresa May, resigned. It was not unexpected and had been on the cards at any time over the last three months. Her options had closed and she had finally lost the support of the cabinet. Although I'm glad to see her premiership over, it's always sad to see someone on the steps of Downing Street give up the job they love and when she broke down it did bring a tear to my eye.
I have no animosity to her but it was clear very early on (as I suspected before she got the job) that she was not equipped with the talents necessary for the job - and her disastrous election campaign showed exactly why. A shame.
On Thursday we had the EU elections, elections which we should not have been having, another symbol of her failure as PM. It is the only time I have gone into a voting booth not knowing who to vote for. I am a Tory but although I really wanted Dan Hannan to be re-elected as the MEP for our area I also really wanted to register my protest at the lack of will of parliament to deliver on the Brexit referendum.
My pencil hovered.
And then I did something I couldn't have imagined a year or so ago. I voted for Nigel Farage's party. Not for him, but for the simple message that we should be out of the EU by now. I want the Brexit party to have such a high vote that all those pushing for a second referendum realise that the leave vote is still there and in large numbers. Angry and ashamed of our parliament.
When the Tory party leadership election has concluded and there is a genuine Brexiteer in command I will return to my previous voting ways I am sure.
And now to the election itself.
I think there is only one strategy that can deliver Brexit. The candidate has to have a strategy mapped out. He or she needs to say:
When I am elected I will deliver Brexit. No ifs or buts. I am absolutely prepared to leave without a deal. I will contact the EU on my election in order to put in place the necessary deals to mitigate some of the effects of no deal so it can be as smooth as possible. If the EU wish to come to me and make an offer to change the Withdrawal agreement then I will consider it, but it won't delay us past the end of the year delivering Brexit. We leave on 31st October if they do not.
Boris Johnson is the front runner but front runners in the Tory party hardly ever win. I have serious reservations about a BoJo premiership. He is now as divisive as other candidates. He was a rubbish foreign secretary. I don't trust him.
Matthew Parris and other remainers are tacking to BoJo as someone who can tack away from a difficult Brexit. That's also why I don't want him as PM.
I would much prefer someone serious like Dominic Raab, though I would hope his other policies aren't as simple as 1p off income tax. We need reform, of the type Michael Gove can provide. Unfortunately Gove has probably killed of his premiership by staying in as a cabinet member and selling May's deal.
One Cabinet Member that might just get away with it, that I really like, is Penny Mordaunt. She is human and a Brexiteer and can make fab speeches. Although she stayed in cabinet I did not hear her speak up for the deal and that may benefit her. If she has the opportunity to make a big public speech to the membership then I really hope she can nail it like David Cameron did in 2005.
Once we have a new leader I would hope that the polls quickly change and the Brexit party support can back the new PM. With Labour splintered the new PM should go for a quick election with a simple Brexit message in order to get a mandate to take us out whatever. If the polls don't change then we have a problem. Whatever, Corbyn cannot be allowed in, but without delivering Brexit it's a real chance.
So, at this stage, I hope PM for PM.
Squiffy.
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