Breaking: 114 votes for Boris Johnson in the first round

[Soph0571]

Mark Harper, Andrea Leadston and Esther McVey are all out.

Rory Stewart through but with only 19 votes...

Boris kicked serious arse.....

I think he is going to be our new PM based on the numbers

[T_i_B]

1. Looks like it's in the bag for Boris Johnson

Just goes to show how out of touch with reality our politicians have become.

[Celerity]

2. more doom for us

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. To show how much he's the British equivalent of Trump

The World at One had Isabel Hardman, assistant editor of The Spectator (and thus Tory-supporting) to comment. Asked about the Johnson's camp tactics from here, she said all his handlers have to worry about is if Boris's door is unlocked and he gets out. So the Tories are admitting they're about to select as PM someone they can't trust in public. Of the candidates, Stewart has made that argument in public - "would you trust this man with the nuclear codes?"

[T_i_B]

4. Rory Stewart only just scraped through this round.

Can't see him getting anywhere near enough votes in the next round.

Rory Stewart is very far from perfect, but the lack of interest shown by Tory MP's in electing a leader who isn't delusional or dishonest shows how poor their judgement has become.

[Soph0571]

5. I was listening to the radio yesterday and both Labour and Lib Dems said

They want Rory in that he will be best for the country but they really don't want him as he will be such as risk to them in any GE.

[T_i_B]

6. The reality is that the Tory grassroots would never accept him

The grassroots activists of the Conservative Party want Brexshitter ideological purity at any cost, and a Conservative candidate prepared to acknowledge political and economic reality is not going to play well with these people. The party would have to split for that to change.

[Soph0571]

7. It is literally heart breaking

I am not even watching question time tonight. I just can't.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Ugh

Glad that Leadsom and the terrible McVey are out, but awful that Boris looks like getting it.

And it seems that most of the Tory membership, who are choosing our PM for us, did NOT even vote Tory at the EU election, but for Nige's lot.

This is what in the Labour Party would be called a serious case of entryism!

Argh!