[Andy McDandy]

Major cut his teeth as a councillor in a less than salubrious part of London. He put in the hard yards and paid his dues. Sunak was parachuted into one of the safest Tory seats in the country, without as much as sitting in on a parish council meeting.

[Watchman]

I have often wondered why a "master of the universe" would want to become an MP in the first place

[Andy McDandy]

In laws in serious big business, need someone they can totally trust as a tame politician. See also: Samantha Cameron's family.

[Killer Whale]

That's verging on conspiracy theory territory. I'm more inclined to think that he made a lot of money at a hedge fund, thought that meant he was clever, realised that he didn't really need more money having married a billionaire, so decided politics might be an appropriate 'challenge' for such an intelligent individual.

[kreuzberger]

Entering parliament to shovel vast amounts of your cash to his in-laws. That isn't a conspiracy theory, that is a biography.

[Youngian]

Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries.

[satnav]

The latest line from the Tories appears to be that they can hang on to the cash from Frank Hester because they have accepted his apology for his racist remarks. Is it really in the gift of the Tories to accept his apology? Surely the only person who is in a position to accept his apology is Diane Abbott.

[kreuzberger]

What apology? He has studiously any such thing.

[Abernathy]

Well, Hester did apologise, but not for racist and misogynist remarks, nor for calling for Diane Abbott to be shot. He apologised for “being rude” to Abbott.

Which of course makes a total nonsense of the Tories’ claims that they’re going to hang onto Hester’s 15 million quid, as it’s right to forgive someone showing contrition.

[davidjay]

They're not giving it back because they've already spent it.

[mattomac]

I’ve noticed them say 5 million today, I assume the 10m has already been forgot about.

[Bones McCoy]

That's verging on conspiracy theory territory. I'm more inclined to think that he made a lot of money at a hedge fund, thought that meant he was clever, realised that he didn't really need more money having married a billionaire, so decided politics might be an appropriate 'challenge' for such an intelligent individual.

Never underestimate the influence and obligation of family where south Asian businesses are concerned.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Alicia Kearns standing out from the general low standards again.

Is it too late for her to join the Lib Dems? Or for her constituency party to defect en masse to Reform, more likely?

[AOB]

Esther McVey 'claimed taxpayer cash to rent flat just 25-min walk from husband’s property'

Official records show she received £39,000 over the last two years but the couple are said to have received up to £250,000 in financial help since 2017,

[davidjay]

Much as I'm enjoying their current troubles, one thing does concern me. If the Tories keep falling out Labour may well get another fifteen years in power but at the end of that, if the grown-ups aren't in charge we could have Reform or similar as the opposition. And from there they will invariably one day form a government. Once that happens there's no going back.

[Youngian]

Alicia Kearns standing out from the general low standards again.

Is it too late for her to join the Lib Dems? Or for her constituency party to defect en masse to Reform, more likely?

Tories have traditionally kept a balanced perspective on the Middle East which Gulf state leaders and the Israelis understood the Realpolitik of and wasn’t controversial. Peter Hitchens and Rory Stewart (if ever there was an FO Arabist) are a couple of names on the right that have asked why this blank cheque for Israel policy has developed.
Nothing too deep I suspect, wacky evangelical politics of their GOP mates seeping through and ‘hey let’s back Israel every time then we can call Labour antisemitic.’

[Tubby Isaacs]

We had sex education in primary school in 1983. Not in Lambeth either, in Cheltenham.

[kreuzberger]

She's clearly on manoeuvres, too. Yesterday, she was banging on about religious messaging on railway information boards and doing her best to secure airtime.

Horrible, superficial harridan, that she is.

[Youngian]

“I was invited to see some puppies by a pro Trump MP. But Charlie explained what an evil crypto fascist shit stirrer was.”

[Tubby Isaacs]

She's clearly on manoeuvres, too. Yesterday, she was banging on about religious messaging on railway information boards and doing her best to secure airtime.

Horrible, superficial harridan, that she is.

I saw her talking about a "prayer" on a board. Was it actually a prayer? Can't have been all that long.