[Boiler]

Competitive spirit, winner takes it all?

It seems pretty common for sportsmen to become Tories - vide Sebastian Coe.

[Crabcakes]

Competitive spirit, winner takes it all?

It seems pretty common for sportsmen to become Tories - vide Sebastian Coe.

That I get. It’s the current lot it doesn’t fit with - they’re not remotely competitive, they want a massive headstart AND to cheat. Any decent sportsperson should find them abhorrent.

[Boiler]

"But Labour's the party of prizes for everyone, no one is a loser..."

[Youngian]

Trump supporting quarter wit Andrea Jenkyns has been made a dame.

[Boiler]

Wut? By whom?

[Tubby Isaacs]

[Tubby Isaacs]

I see Seb's application for a safe seat is continuing.

[Abernathy]

Interesting that the Tories are holding their annual conference this year ahead of Labour’s conference. It normally goes LibDems first, then Labour, then the Tories last . It’s probably nothing and I don’t see that it could make any material difference, but I can’t help wondering how and why this is happening.

[Boiler]

Get the Labour attacks in first, or are you thinking imminent GE?

[Samanfur]

Neither. Labour block-booked the ACC in Liverpool for multiple years in advance, but their usual week wasn't available for one of them.

In a rare display of the two parties being able to agree on something, the Tories agreed to let Labour change the conference order for that reason.

[Youngian]

Not enough hours in the day to hate the Tories

[Bones McCoy]

Maybe the thread title ought to be "Thieving Tory Bastards" eh readers?

Tory donor’s Hastings ‘fun factory’ closes abruptly after £150,000 grant

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... 0000-grant

A neon-lit “family fun factory” in Hastings might seem an odd place to pop up for a wealthy Tory donor who once paid £160,000 at a party fundraiser to play tennis with David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

But earlier this year Lubov Chernukhin, the prominent donor to the Conservatives, was revealed as the owner of an amusement centre on the south coast full of arcades, mini golf, and interactive games.

She claimed the venture would help rejuvenate the town by bringing more than 45 jobs and lots of visitors to Hastings. The project was given a £150,000 government grant from Johnson’s flagship levelling up fund to help town centres.

Despite this and her £4m investment, the centre abruptly shut its doors earlier this month less than a year after opening in October 2022.

A spokesperson for Chernukhin said: “The temporary closure is estimated to last two to three months, and we will of course convey any significant updates, as well as provide support to those affected.”

But the closure, apparently on health and safety grounds, has left concession owners in the dark, ticket holders confused, and 31 staff members without a job.

The project is now also mired in disputes and finger-pointing. A building contractor claims he is owed £157,000 and the businessman who came up with the idea has been forced out and is understood to be claiming he is £400,000 out of pocket.

The uncertainty over the future of Owens raises questions over whether supporting the project was the best use of taxpayers’ funds.

Questions to which the answer is no.

[Youngian]

Not the first story where you ask if there was any due diligence required to access Johnson’s ‘levelling up fund.’ Jaime Murray from the Hustle in a fur hat probably got a drink out of it.

She claimed the venture would help rejuvenate the town by bringing more than 45 jobs and lots of visitors to Hastings. The project was given a £150,000 government grant from Johnson’s flagship levelling up fund to help town centres

At least the Ruskis aren’t ‘globalists’ like Sunak and Kemi, the party’s full of ‘em.

Grassroots Conservative supporters are saying they want to oust Rishi Sunak and "go to war" with the liberal wing of the party in leaked WhatsApp messages obtained by Sky News.

We have obtained the discussions amongst members of the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO), founded in December 2022 by donor and Johnson-backer Lord Peter Cruddas after the ousting of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

• Members of the group mocking Mr Sunak, one saying he has the charisma of a "doorknob". Another says he is "uninspiring" and saying the "govt can't get anything right", and characterise it as a party of "globalists".

• Members of the CDO believe that Sunak, who voted for Brexit, is governing like a "remainer". "CDO needs to rethink Rishi and pals, remainers have a firm hold on the party", says an activist. Another says: "It's no longer a conservative government I would vote for."

• Some calling on them to remove Mr Sunak before the election, others hoping for a return of Boris Johnson. Others think an election will help Conservatives "find out who their voters are and rebuild from there". https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak- ... s-12973419

[Dalem Lake]

The Tory minders are going to have their work cut out trying to keep that lot well away from any journalists this conference.

[Andy McDandy]

Will there be any journalists there, aside from the tame press?

[Youngian]

John Crace.

News Agents Sopel, Maitlis and Goodall were having a hearty laugh at Sunak thinking he’d get an easy ride from regional BBC journalists.

[Boiler]

Not enough hours in the day to hate the Tories

I don't think that's all shampoo though.

[Youngian]

May as well change their name to the Powellite Pensioner’s Party.

Poll finds just 1% of 18-24 year-olds support Tories.

Those aged 25-49 are similarly put off by the cut of Sunak’s jib.

Only 12 per cent in this age bracket intend to vote Tory, compared to 58 per cent who will vote Labour and 11 per cent who will vote Green. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/polit ... es-359804/

[Malcolm Armsteen]

You've misquoted. The 12% voting Tory is the 25-49 age group, not the 18-24 (1%)

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ex Tory is right.