I think Sunak will soon be taking over, or at least I hope he does, as the alternatives are not attractive!
Whatever happened to Rory Stewart!
he had the whip removed by de Pfeffle 
The only decent Tory (now independent) I would ever countenanceâŚ
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Oh dear - a very down to earth guy who seemed to talk sense - no wonder he was ousted!
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He also has a podcastâŚ
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It is a very interesting podcast - well worth a listen
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To be honest Iâm not sure if you scrape away all his good PR thatâs necessarily true. Clearly I am not comparing him to Boris but just like Boris he has cultivated an image exactly as you say that has served him very well, but when you look at his voting record itâs very hit and miss. There are some good points, and some really very bad points.
I wonât go through them all, and of course the devil is in the detail so perhaps the headline is not representative of the actual vote/bill, but just a fewâŚ
Almost always voted against smoking bans
Almost always voted against a right to remain for EU nationals already in living in the UK
Generally voted against UK membership of the EU
Generally voted against laws to promote equality and human rights
Consistently voted for mass surveillance of peopleâs communications and activities
Generally voted for the privatisation of Royal Mail
Consistently voted against greater regulation of gambling
Consistently voted against an annual tax on the value of expensive homes (popularly known as a mansion tax )
Generally voted against a bankerâs bonus tax
Consistently voted for ending financial support for some 16-19 year olds in training and further education
Almost always voted for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits
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Reminds me of Beanoâs Plug.
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Itâs perhaps wrong to criticise MPâs voting records too much because a lot of the time theyâre told which way to vote by the party whips, if an MP continually voted based solely on their conscience then theyâd be seen as a rebel, see one Jeremy Corbyn as an example.
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donât forget a number of the points in his voting record you mention were as a Tory MP (and minister of the Crown and thus a member of the Government) under a 3 line whip which would be the expectation in much the same way that Opposition MPs are often criticised by the Govt of the day for voting against some really good and sensible legislation but then, the sneaky bastards slip in to the Bill something equally distasteful to trap the unwaryâŚ
Politics is a dirty businessâŚ
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But that just raises the question of their ethics or intelligence for being in that party in the first place.
If a political party required me to vote against laws to promote equality and human rights, for mass surveillance of peopleâs communications and activities, etc, Iâd leave that party.
Yes, Iâm with you entirely on that, I get it completely, but giving someone a punch in the face is still a punch in the face whether your boss told you to do it or not ultimately, and just like Nick Clegg and the tuition fees back in the day I donât think that these things should be swept under the carpet, these people need to be held accountable for their decisions, whipped or no, but I do of course appreciate the nuances.
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That explains why youâd never get anywhere in politics Geof. 
Rightly or wrongly you can only effect real change by being in power.
or by being the one with the powerâŚ
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I see that Steve Baker has backed Suella Braverman. Two ex ERG chairs 
oh gawdâŚ
no doubt the eternal creator appeared to him in a (wet) dream and demanded it beâŚ
Perhaps that means heâs not putting his hat in to the ring?
at least one saving grace
Or has has been demonstrated time and time again of late⌠By paying the one who is in power!
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Interesting response Tim - you suggest politicians like Stewart are only really interested in power, and will join any party, regardless of policies, that might provide it?
I have of course observed this as a council officer in an area where sometimes every council seat was Labour. The consequence was that those (actually rather sad) individuals hungry for some local prestige joined Labour even though they werenât really on the left at all. I know of at least one case where such an individual ultimately went on to be the local MP - one reason I tend to have little truck with the Labour right.
To understand Rory Stewart I would recommend listening to his podcast as suggested earlier - he is an interesting chap.
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Iâd almost certainly have time for him in the unlikely event we ever met and he does demonstrate that private school â Eaton â PPE at Balliol does not *always* produce individuals with all of Johnsonâs characteristics but the fact remains that he is, by dint of background and upbringing, a typical Tory.
I wouldnât read too much into an individualâs voting records in the house though - most vote along party lines so most Tory MPâs history look terrible when examined in isolation.
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In spite of his schooling at Eton, he is a totally different animal to Cameron, de Pfeffle et al.
He had a distinguished career in the British Army (Black Watch) and as a diplomat.
An interesting fact about him is that While a student at Oxford, Stewart was a private tutor to Princes William and Harry during the summer. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Stirling and the American University of Paris and as a teenager, he was a member of the Labour PartyâŚ
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