Fabulous Four turn into the Tremendous Three.

[Workingman]

Other adjectives are available.

Jenrick's team might have pulled a blinder now that Cleverly is in the lead. Badenoch could get voted out tomorrow leaving him and Cleverly to go to the members. Members would not likely pick Cleverly if he was the last man standing so, Jenrick looks set to be it.

It has been the least inspiring bunch of candidates to lead a major party since the days of Michael Foot (Labour).

[Kaz]

Jimmy Dimly could win, I think, although his ethnicity might well bring it for Jenrick?

[Workingman]

Get ready for the Tantalising Two.

I am wondering should Jenrick or Badenoch fail to be in the last two if either of them will defect to Reform Ltd. PLC.

A big worry for most of the non-Con ordinary electorate, like myself, must be that some 50% of current Tory MPs have backed hard-right candidates. I will not vote for that.

The over-promoted, in all respects, Cleverly... oh my!

[TheOstrich]

Do we really care?
The thinking seems to be that whoever does get elected will be ousted well before the next General Election.

[cromwell]

The latest thinking is that Cleverly will stitch Badenoch up by lending Jenrick some votes.
The biggest problem that the Conservatives have is that their MPs are, in general, One Nation remainers and the Conservative membership in general are not.
So you have a parliamentary party that does not represent the views of it's own membership.

And as Badenoch is currently the member's favourite if she gets stitched up by MPs, expect more years of internal warfare, as Os says.

[Workingman]

I do not get that Conservative MPs are now largely one nation remainers. It might have been true before the GE but now some 50% of them have resolutely voted hard right - Badenoch / Jenrick.

A lot will depend on where Tugendhat's votes go; now that does leave scope for a lot of gerrymandering. They could all go for Cleverly and leave the other two to fight over the scraps. Another option would be for them to go for Badenoch given that Tugendhat hates Jenrick so much.

We'll know in a few hours.

[cromwell]

Well now. I never saw that one coming! Neither did the bookies, who had Cleverley at 16-1 on to make the last two - and the bookies rarely miss the mark by so much.

[Workingman]

Well, we all got that wrong, but not as badly wrong as the experts on the BBC and Sky.

I cannot see the members going for Badenoch for the same reason as mentioned by Kaz re Cleverly. I also expect that Cromwell is right regardless of who wins... plenty of infighting for years to come.

[Kaz]

*Passes round the popcorn*

[Workingman]

*Passes round the popcorn*

Plain or salted caramel for me, with a nice vodka and tonic to wash it down.

Seriously, the country always needs a strong opposition regardless of who is in power. It didn't have one for nearly 14 Tory years and that looks to be about to be repeated. Hey-ho.