# 2016 UK Conservative Party Leadership Election Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667 "2016-06-29T02:27:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/141 "2016-07-12T04:05:15Z")
Victoria ascended post-1689; too late to be head of government. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/142 "2016-07-12T07:51:51Z")
There’s also [Æthelflæd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86thelfl%C3%A6d), Lady of the Mercians. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/143 "2016-07-12T08:16:39Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > It could be as late as the autumn of _2017_ if she waits for the French & Germans to get their general elections out of the way; the UK’s next turn at the Presidency of the Council of the European Union starts in _July_ of 2017. Yeah, that Presidency is going to be _awkward_… I imagine the UK will have to sidestep it if Art 50 is triggered before it’s over, but I understand the (UK) money has already been committed and we won’t see it again… ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/144 "2016-07-12T09:14:57Z")
Looks a lot like another Thatcher will be moving in to Number 10. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/145 "2016-07-12T10:19:54Z")
The Lib Dems are [being cheeky](http://www.libdems.org.uk/somebadpage). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/146 "2016-07-12T10:37:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The Lib Dems are [being cheeky](http://www.libdems.org.uk/somebadpage). Ha! Well, at least they can provide some light relief. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/147 "2016-07-12T10:41:13Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There’s also [Æthelflæd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86thelfl%C3%A6d), Lady of the Mercians. Boudicca doesn’t count? ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/148 "2016-07-12T10:49:01Z")
No comments about Cameron and his cheery humming? He’s screwed the country and is now running away and leaving someone else to clean up. And he thinks tum te tum is appropriate and statesman like? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/149 "2016-07-12T10:51:14Z")
> [@JacobSwan](#): > > No comments about Cameron and his cheery humming? > He’s screwed the country and is now running away and leaving someone else to clean up. And he thinks tum te tum is appropriate and statesman like? Of all the things that annoy me about Cameron, the humming is pretty near the bottom of the list. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/150 "2016-07-12T11:20:30Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Boudicca doesn’t count? No. She didn’t last long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/151 "2016-07-12T11:21:56Z")
> [@JacobSwan](#): > > No comments about Cameron and his cheery humming? > He’s screwed the country and is now running away and leaving someone else to clean up. And he thinks tum te tum is appropriate and statesman like? It’s a demonstration of the contempt in which he and his privileged kind hold the country. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/152 "2016-07-12T11:56:28Z")
I don’t understand what the problem with accidental exposure of humming to oneself is. Does humming mean something different in UK than US? I’m imagining Bush doing the same thing and I can’t see anything wrong. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/153 "2016-07-12T15:09:47Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Cough. Mary I came first. Not to mention Matilda Empress. Cough. Shh! We don’t want them Australians waltzing in… ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/154 "2016-07-12T16:06:45Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I don’t understand what the problem with accidental exposure of humming to oneself is. Does humming mean something different in UK than US? I’m imagining Bush doing the same thing and I can’t see anything wrong. Yeah, it’s a bit strange. He’s humming for God’s sake. Who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/155 "2016-07-12T16:08:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It’s a demonstration of the contempt in which he and his privileged kind hold the country. I think it’s more a demonstration of the fact that he’s [demob happy](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/demob-happy). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/156 "2016-07-12T16:41:39Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I think it’s more a demonstration of the fact that he’s [demob happy](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/demob-happy). The one does not preclude the other… ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/157 "2016-07-12T19:18:16Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I don’t understand what the problem with accidental exposure of humming to oneself is. Does humming mean something different in UK than US? I’m imagining Bush doing the same thing and I can’t see anything wrong. _Just a quiet word: Obama has been President for the last seven and a half years. Time flies when you’re having fun…_ ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/158 "2016-07-12T19:30:09Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I don’t understand what the problem with accidental exposure of humming to oneself is. It seems unduly insouciant in view of the fact that all this is the result of the failure of his great gamble. It doesn’t necessarily need the full Thatcher waterworks, but it’s not quite the done thing to look as though you don’t care that you’ve just bequeathed the mother of all political messes to your successor. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/159 "2016-07-12T20:17:01Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > It seems unduly insouciant in view of the fact that all this is the result of the failure of his great gamble. It doesn’t necessarily need the full Thatcher waterworks, but it’s not quite the done thing to look as though you don’t care that you’ve just bequeathed the mother of all political messes to your successor. Yes, but what’s the connection to humming? Would you not ascribe all that to him if he weren’t humming? ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667/160 "2016-07-12T23:15:26Z")
> [@JacobSwan](#): > > No comments about Cameron and his cheery humming? Well I’m not convinced it was the _West Wing_ theme tune. His humming is too short to be sure and the _West Wing_ theme tune was just a bit unmemorable to be hummable: it was all just that vaguely stirring American patriotic stuff that worked brilliantly against the credits, but was otherwise largely forgettable to a British audience. But I have to admit that, as someone of much the same age as Cameron and a fan of the series, under the circumstances I’d want to play out these last few days as the version of the fantasy one last time. It could have been worse: he could have tried humming the theme to the US version of _House of Cards_. If that is hummable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-uk-conservative-party-leadership-election-discussion/758667.md?page=9)