Paul Kennedy

Correct. My experience is that most people are pragmatists, it is only the eurocrats and certain politicians whose egos are far greater than their abilities who aren't, and whose pigheadedness will lead to the demise of the EU....by which time of course we will have left.....

I rather think the only hostility to the UK comes from Eurocrats and EU MEPs, businesses want to do business with the UK....and our businesses want to do business with the EU.

For most, if not all Conservative candidates to be selected to stand for Parliament, it was always the case that they had to convince the local Associations that they were eurosceptics. Yes, it will be interesting to see what Mr Cameron does for a future career....my advice to him is that as soon as he steps down as PM, he also quits as an MP, as I can't see any point in being on the backbenches...when you have been the PM. I have no doubt that a good income awaits a life outside of Parliament. Interesting to see if he takes up the option of becoming a Lord.

Agree with you on the Boris comment Observer. Think he'll be back though. Regarding Article 50, I think Mrs Leadsom would push on with it more quickly than Mrs May. Personally I don't think the Brexit negotiations should be too difficult....albeit I think politicians and civil servants will make them difficult. As an aside, it is interesting to note that despite having a distracted government, no effective opposition to the government, the shops still have plenty of food on the shelves, the electric is still on, water is in the taps, and life seems to continue as normal...makes you think...........

Very good comment.

Maybe, but Mrs Leadsom could have stopped that particular line of discussion early on, so not sure if she was content for it to continue, believing it might benefit her campaign, or that she lacked the media experience to realise how it might be reported and that it might backfire on her, albeit, it is often said that all publicity is good publicity. Despite Mrs May being the choice of Conservative MPs, by some margin, given that often Conservative members, who are the electorate in this matter, look at things differently....and would for example have overwhelmingly voted for Boris Johnson, had he have been on the shortlist...despite his obvious lack of leadership ability and Cabinet experience, Mrs Leadsom might well win. Difficult one to call at the moment, and I am disappointed that the process looks as though it will drag on until 9 September. I had hoped a new PM would be in situ prior to Parliament going in to the Summer recess.

New, New Labour perhaps.

I sense that there will be many people and organisations who will be looking to blame Brexit for their own failings. In particular I think we need to look carefully at those business leaders on massive remuneration packages who blame Brexit for a down turn in their business, now there might be some justification in blaming Brexit....but it shouldn't be taken as gospel and shareholders and non executive directors should give the matter close scrutiny. Ditto scrutiny to all governmental type organisations as well. With regards to Mr Osborne, not sure he will remain as Chancellor for much longer.....not sure that he wanted a Referendum in any case.

No No....and we shouldn't be

Probably a combination of both, from what I understand, Mrs Leadsom is ambitious and is very able, not sure if she believes that at this stage she is ready to be PM or rather that she is putting down a high marker for her future ambition, from various reports it seems that she would like to be Chancellor...and certainly with her background and experience, it would be a job that she would be well suited to. Could easily end up with an all women shortlist which I think would be great, and both will be on it due to their merits not because of so called "positive discrimination" for women. I recall back in 1990, when Mrs Thatcher was forced out, after the first leadership ballot, all the candidates united behind John Major, and it became a coronation. At the moment Mr Cameron is in limbo...as is our country, so maybe a quick resolution and a new PM in place to get on with running the country and sorting out the Brexit would be best......I suppose for that to happen their needs to be a runaway leader in the first ballot, with possibly a second candidate doing OK, then deals can be done to get the matter resolved quickly. I would certainly be happy with Mrs May as PM, then maybe Mrs Leadsom as Deputy PM and running the Brexit, or as Chancellor with Mr Gove running the Brexit. Anyway I think the first ballot is on Tuesday so we shall see.

No.....it is reliant on a generous Barnett Formula...provided by English taxpayers. That being said...and looking at my Clan Tartan........I want Scotland to remain a Member of the UK.

Totally agree, it was a UK Referendum, problem was that in order to get a speedy result, the ballot papers had to be counted locally...and the local figures would always get in to the public domain, even if they were not meant to.

No surely not........... All to play for in the Leadership stakes, Mrs May, Mr Gove are the front-runners at the moment, but Mrs Leadsom is certainly one to watch and might well pick up votes from Boris supporters as I can't see many transferring to Mr Gove. Could have an all women final two...and an agreement between them that Mrs May becomes PM and Mrs Leadsom becomes Deputy PM (currently we don't have one) with specific responsibility for negotiating and organising our exit from the EU. It will be interesting to see if Mr Johnson gets...or even wants a job in Government. He must be gutted as I think he really thought he would be the PM this time...ironically the Leave win was a set back for him, and Mr Gove's decision to stand could prove to be a blessing in disguise for him......as he won't now have sort out the exit from the EU.

I'm available.

And the pair of them have suddenly become very invisible. Guess they are touting for support amongst MPs and coming up with an exit plan...given that I understand that they didn't think they would win....and probably somewhat shell-shocked that they did. Glad to see Mr Corbyn facing down his opponents, in so doing he will force them to come up with a candidate to take him on in an election...one that I sense he will win. With regards to the Conservatives, not so sure it is a Johnson shoo-in, I expect a forceful campaign by Mrs May. Mr Johnson is undoubtedly a great showman and media performer, but Mrs May has gravitas, and in the current circumstances, that I would suggest is what is needed....whether MPs then local Conservative Associations agree is another matter....as they might take the view that a Leave campaigner needs to be the PM, albeit Mrs May wasn't an active Remainer at all...intentionally so.

Well he would certainly know how to get us out of Europe.

Not sure £250 billion was pumped in today PJ, I think the Governor of the Bank of England said that is what he would do if needed.

Given that most of our service and manufacturing industries are foreign controlled, great swathes of UK property and land are foreign owned, our so called independent nuclear deterrent is controlled by the US, as in effect is our military via NATO, the national debt is funded by foreign investors, the UK's biggest employer....and one of the biggest employers in the world, the NHS, relies on foreign workers, etc. etc. etc. I am a little puzzled by what we will now actually be taking back control of....anyway we are where we are and need to get on with life....as a departing Member of the EU.

I rather sense that as the number might become quite large, you will need a greater space for your profile pic PJ.

The NHS will never receive an extra £350,000,000 per week as a result of the democratic decision to leave the EU. As an aside, and on a lighter note, the big winners of the referendum result are the media and commentators as they will have years of being able to comment on the exit negotiations....just wondering if there might be a job opportunity for me. PS This is what I posted sometime ago on this Forum, and for the record and as has been reported elsewhere I voted to remain. 23 May 2016 - 05:48 pm Just a thought, if, as the Prime Minister says, leaving the EU would be a disaster for the UK, why did he call a Referendum? The debate on both sides, has frankly been a disgrace....and with another month to go it can only get worse, with unsubstantiated claims and counter claims. Even though I never wanted a Referendum, but will vote, I hope there is a large turnout with a clear result. And what will be will be, and we just have to get on making the best of the situation....in or out, I sense the UK, and its hard pressed citizens, will be shafted one way or another.

They have indeed, as have the remainers. And it is of course very, very sad that the dreadful murder of Jo Cox MP, which was an attack on our democracy, is being exploited for base political purposes...........

That is true......but Russia probably has a long memory....and I would suggest holds grudges. With regards to the title of the topic, I often wonder with so much "expert advice" doing the rounds, why the world seems to be in such a mess.....of course maybe throughout history it has always been in one sort of mess or another, it is just now, with the array of communications and wall to wall news programmes, we get to see the extent of the mess. That being said, if and when I get to sit in a deckchair on a sandy beach, with the sun shining...no computers, TV or radio.....or mobile phones, the world doesn't seem so bad. PS With regards to Assad, history suggests that eventually such people do get what they deserve...and often when they are no longer of use or benefit to the powers who are keeping them in power.

I heard it suggested that we are already having WW3, not as we have come to know world wars of the past, but that with all of the conflict and tensions going on in the world, it is in effect a world at war. With regards to the Baltic States, I would suggest that Russia would have military control of them in less than a week if it wanted to....and NATO would probably be powerless/indecisive to do anything....or take the view, are the Baltic States worth defending, given the possible consequences of wider escalation.

Just a thought, if, as the Prime Minister says, leaving the EU would be a disaster for the UK, why did he call a Referendum? The debate on both sides, has frankly been a disgrace....and with another month to go it can only get worse, with unsubstantiated claims and counter claims. Even though I never wanted a Referendum, but will vote, I hope there is a large turnout with a clear result. And what will be will be, and we just have to get on making the best of the situation....in or out, I sense the UK, and its hard pressed citizens, will be shafted one way or another.

No. Doubt if they would do that, guess they have a long queue of their own people....where money is being handed out there is always a queue. It will be interesting to see if the former Chairman, who didn't get re- elected on to WBC this time, seeks to be an Independent Member on the Authority......and then gets elected by its Members as its Chairman.