Only a second referendum wil give next PM a mandate for No-Deal.

In 1852 when Henry Bruce was nominated to succeed Josiah Guest as Merthyr’s MP (and was returned unopposed), some 8,600 people turned up to stand around the hustings where the election would have been held, and where, in any event, the result would be declared. But of those only about 900 had the right to affect the result. A large number however held their hands up in a symbolic gesture in a protest against their disenfranchisement all to no avail . Or as Bruce said to them:

“ You may hold up your dirty hands against me, but I’ll still be the MP tomorrow”.

 In the election the following year the workers waved placards saying “No Dirty Hands” and Bruce was defeated.

There a bit of resemblance   to the TV debate between the two contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Parties  as it  only 160,000 members of that Party that can  vote, because whoever wins is likely to become Prime Minister.

Of course the final say of who gets into Number 10, and the winner will have to convince our head of state , (a hereditary monarch) Elizabeth 11.

She could of course (under advise) come to the conclusion that neither can command  a working majority in the commons and call a General election.

Unlikely but not impossible.

In the meantime those of us with "Dirty Hands" are expected to only sit and watch and wonder  which one of the two EX Public Schoolboys is the least worst option.

Well we may not even do that as  a BBC Question Time special with the two Conservative leadership candidates "now looks unlikely to go ahead".

The programme was scheduled for Tuesday, but a spokeswoman said the BBC had not been able to "reach agreement" with Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson.

It is understood one had concerns about the format - half of the audience would be Tory supporters and the other would represent alternative political views.

Yes its a Tory Party leadership contest, but short  a General Election our next Prime Minister like the current one . will become Prime Minister in August.

I do not share the view that a change in party leadership automatically , lead to a General Election.

But 160,000 mostly well of, retired  and living in the South East of England will take us out of the European Union with a disastrous  No-Deal against  what the polls indicate the wishes of an electorate.

Only a second referendum on leaving the EU will give either Johnson or Hunt a mandate to go ahead with a No-Deal .