Battle of the Bastards: Conservative Leadership Round 2 (1995)

[Blair]

Battle of the Bastards TL: The Two Michael's

Whoever wins will find themselves in No.10 within a week.

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After the shock first round result, which saw the unexpected surge of Ian Lang, many tories are privately wondering if the previously invincible 'Two Michaels' are really that popular in the party. The other surprise was the drop in support for John Redwood, who lost a staggering 60 votes between the two rounds. What is clear however is that whoever wins this last round will find themselves in 10 Downing Street, and will have the daunting task of trying to beat John Smith's Labour.

Michael Portillo

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo would be the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool, yet his campaign has rolled out the support from the now Grandees of the Tory Party; with Baroness Thatcher proudly declaring 'he's our only hope'', and a slew of Tory Papers from the Times, the Telegraph, the Express, the Sun and the Spectator all coming out in support of him. Attacked by the Hesseltine campaign as being an 'over-promoted tea-boy', and aware that he's seen as a creature of the right by many Lang supporting MPs, Portillo's only hope is a shock and Awe campaign that convinces Liberal and Moderate Tories that the only way to save their seats is to vote for Portillo.

Michael Hesseltine

Almost 10 years since resigning from the Cabinet over the Westland Affair, Hesseltine appears to be close to number 10. Backed by a majority of the Cabinet, and by Ian Lang after his withdrawal (along with behind the scenes support from No.10) Hesseltine appears to be on steady footing. Declaring that 'Britain needs a statesmen, and the Tories need a Champion' Hesseltine has thrown himself into public meetings, hospital visits and shopping centres in a bid to show Tory MP's that he can connect with the public and turn around their fortunes at the general election.

[Kingpoleon]

Hesseltine, with Lang for Chancellor!

[Blair]

27 hours left

[Blair]

''Who Dares Wins: Portillo PM''

Prime Minister Portillo's first act was to attend a Military Parade for members of the Parachute Regiment

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''It was Thatcher wot won it''declared the  Sun after the results were announced by the 1992 committee. The headline would no doubt annoy some allies of Portillo who felt that it devalued the long hours put in to converting supporters of Lang and Hesseltine, but it certainly has a ring of truth. The campaign saw a brutal air-war ran by the traditional right wing press, combined with scathing attacks from Tory Grandees like Norman Tebbitt who proudly called Hesseltine 'a man with as much integrity as an eel, and none of the taste' ( a comment that the Portillo campaign only quietly condemned) The endorsement of Thatcher (days after Major endorsed Hesseltine) proved decisive, and was estimated by key backer of Hesseltine to 'cost about 25 votes'. Up until the last day many in the party, including Portillo's own campaign thought that Hesseltine would narrowly win.

In retrospect Hesseltine's campaign did little to effectively attack Portillo's low ratings with the public at-large, with one backbencher describing him as 'marmite smeared with sh**t'. Many Tory MP's privately fear that whilst Portillo's campaign did an effective job at appealing to Tory MP's and activists; he'll struggle when facing the sober, and resolute John Smith, and a renewed Labour Party.

In his first act as Prime Minister Portillo begun a reshuffle of his Cabinet which saw a stoic Europhile Chancellor Ken Clarke march up to Number 10, with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Offered a return to the Home Office, Clarke declined, and returned to the backbenches. In a unity gesture Michael Hesseltine became Health Secretary (a position he accepted for the good of the party), but many in the press saw Portillo's reshuffle as being a sign of the Conservative's sharp turn to the right, in an effort to breathe life into the new Government.

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[Phony Moderate]

Portillo don't half look the part don't he?