Michael Howard standing down

[Guy_Montag]

I wasn't expecting that one.

[ikri]

1. New job?

Off to run a blood bank in central Romania perhaps?

Or perhaps its because he'd be past retirement age at the next election.

[non sociopath skin]

2. An unexpected bonus!

Ah well, if it's the will of the peepul ....

Do we think that the Men in Grey Suits will pick the next Fuhrer or will we have more post-Thatcherite arm-wrestling?

The Skin

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Guardian Utd (Friday): Howard to stand down as Tory leader

From the Guardian Unlimited (UK)
Dated Friday May 6

Howard to stand down as Tory leader
By Tom Happold

Michael Howard today announced he will stand down as Conservative leader, despite widespread calls for him to stay on during a crucial time for the party.

Despite a Tory tally of fewer than 200 seats - on only 33% of the vote - Mr Howard last night told supporters in his Folkestone and Hythe constituency that the result marked a "real advance towards our recovery".

"The task which faces us in the next parliament is to complete that recovery and it is a task I am sure everyone in the Conservative party will address with real relish," he said.

This morning Mr Howard nonetheless told supporters at the Tories' Westminster headquarters that he was planning to stand down after failing to deliver on his promise to secure a Tory victory.

Read more.

[Taxloss]

4. Will this mean virulent bloodletting or a swift coronation for

David Davis?

[sweetheart]

6. Or Sir Malcom Rifkind

Between the 2, i prefer rifkind, as he's not totally clueless. But
that depends on whether you want them to promote another idiot so they
stay in the wilderness 'til 2020... David Davis would be perfect for
that.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

5. I'm sure the Tories acted swiftly to tell Howard to go

Those Tories and their long-knives.

[T_i_B]

7. Boris Johnson for new Tory leader?

Somebody had to say it!

That said, I can't see who else is left to run the Conservatives. You only need to look at how few people know anybody from the Conservative front bench to see that much.

The reforming of the leadership election gets me too. It seems as though the Tory high command has decided that the Tory grass roots are not fit to choose a party leader after they selected Ian Duncan-Smith.

[D-Notice]

8. Him or Ken Clarke could make the Tories electable

I actually like those two &, despite Clarke being a director of a fag company, I might consider voting for them if they came up with some decent policies if either were in charge. It'd mainly be for tactical reasons as my MP is a pro-war/anti-civil liberties Bliarite & only hung on to her seat by 917 votes.

Anyway, Ken Clarke's infinitely preferable to Charles "I'll out-do Blunkett" Clarke...