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| Pro-Boris Johnson campaign launched by Guido Fawkes blogger | Pro-Boris Johnson campaign launched by Guido Fawkes blogger |
| (8 days later) | |
| An online campaign putting pressure on Conservative MPs to back Boris Johnson as leader of the party is being run by Paul Staines, the founder of the Guido Fawkes blog. | An online campaign putting pressure on Conservative MPs to back Boris Johnson as leader of the party is being run by Paul Staines, the founder of the Guido Fawkes blog. |
| The campaign attracted attention amid ongoing questions over the funding and backing of online campaign groups, especially after the Guardian’s revelations that employees of Sir Lynton Crosby were running influence campaigns for a hard Brexit. | The campaign attracted attention amid ongoing questions over the funding and backing of online campaign groups, especially after the Guardian’s revelations that employees of Sir Lynton Crosby were running influence campaigns for a hard Brexit. |
| Boris on the Ballot, which launched this weekend, is designed to encourage members of the public to write to their local Tory MP and encourage them to nominate Johnson for leader. The former foreign secretary’s supporters fear Tory MPs could stop him making the final shortlist of two leadership candidates which are put to party members for a vote. | Boris on the Ballot, which launched this weekend, is designed to encourage members of the public to write to their local Tory MP and encourage them to nominate Johnson for leader. The former foreign secretary’s supporters fear Tory MPs could stop him making the final shortlist of two leadership candidates which are put to party members for a vote. |
| Stop Boris Johnson campaign launched by Tory moderates opposed to no-deal Brexit | Stop Boris Johnson campaign launched by Tory moderates opposed to no-deal Brexit |
| Staines confirmed he was running the campaign group – which collects contact details on potential backers – through the Irish-registered company CampaignAction Ltd, registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. | Staines confirmed he was running the campaign group – which collects contact details on potential backers – through the Irish-registered company CampaignAction Ltd, registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. |
| “There’s no intention of covering my tracks. I’m the sole director and sole shareholder,” said Staines, who added he had not asked for permission from Johnson’s team before launching the campaign. He said he had acted because he did not think the official campaign would “get their act together” in time. | “There’s no intention of covering my tracks. I’m the sole director and sole shareholder,” said Staines, who added he had not asked for permission from Johnson’s team before launching the campaign. He said he had acted because he did not think the official campaign would “get their act together” in time. |
| “I have supported him since 2006 and I do want him to be leader of the Tories,” he said, adding that he had owned the Boris2020 domain for almost a decade, in anticipation of a Johnson election. | “I have supported him since 2006 and I do want him to be leader of the Tories,” he said, adding that he had owned the Boris2020 domain for almost a decade, in anticipation of a Johnson election. |
| A Conservative leadership contest takes two stages. First, MPs vote for their choice from the nominated candidates. In progressive rounds of voting, candidates are eliminated until there are only two challengers remaining. The second stage is a postal ballot of Conservative party members to chose one of the two candidates. | A Conservative leadership contest takes two stages. First, MPs vote for their choice from the nominated candidates. In progressive rounds of voting, candidates are eliminated until there are only two challengers remaining. The second stage is a postal ballot of Conservative party members to chose one of the two candidates. |
| Theresa May's formal resignation as leader on 7 June triggered the contest and the Conservative party set out the following timetable: | |
| Nominations closed on 10 June. The first round of voting was held on Thursday 13 June. Subsequent rounds have been pencilled in for the 18th, 19th and 20th. | |
| Conservative party HQ says the postal vote element, when the 140,000 or so party members will pick the country's new prime minister, will be completed in the week beginning Monday 22 July. | |
| He did not give details on how much he was spending on the campaign: “It’s lower than people might think. I had to spend a bit of money on lawyers.” | He did not give details on how much he was spending on the campaign: “It’s lower than people might think. I had to spend a bit of money on lawyers.” |
| Staines also has a financial interest in the online political advertising company MessageSpace, which is not involved in the Johnson campaign. The Conservative party spent £100,000 on advertising with MessageSpace in both the 2015 and 2017 general elections. | Staines also has a financial interest in the online political advertising company MessageSpace, which is not involved in the Johnson campaign. The Conservative party spent £100,000 on advertising with MessageSpace in both the 2015 and 2017 general elections. |
| Crosby’s CTF Partners said it had no involvement with Staines’s campaign and was not formally working on Johnson’s leadership bid, which is being overseen by the former MP James Wharton. | Crosby’s CTF Partners said it had no involvement with Staines’s campaign and was not formally working on Johnson’s leadership bid, which is being overseen by the former MP James Wharton. |
| Campaign teams – with 10 candidates already declared for the Conservative leadership contest and more considering whether to run – face two challenges. First, they have to ensure their candidate survives several rounds of voting among Tory MPs to secure a place on the ballot. Secondly they have to convince the wider party membership to vote for their candidate in the head-to-head runoff. | Campaign teams – with 10 candidates already declared for the Conservative leadership contest and more considering whether to run – face two challenges. First, they have to ensure their candidate survives several rounds of voting among Tory MPs to secure a place on the ballot. Secondly they have to convince the wider party membership to vote for their candidate in the head-to-head runoff. |
| Johnson’s support levels among Conservative MPs have fluctuated. Boris on the Ballot is designed to make sure they feel pressured into including the former cabinet minister on the final ballot – where he stands a good chance of victory. | Johnson’s support levels among Conservative MPs have fluctuated. Boris on the Ballot is designed to make sure they feel pressured into including the former cabinet minister on the final ballot – where he stands a good chance of victory. |
| Candidates have yet to spend substantial sums on online advertising, as fundraising is only just beginning and such expenditure may not seem worthwhile when the focus is still on individual MPs. Other semi-official online campaign groups for Conservative leadership contenders include ReadyForRaab, TeamCleverly, and AvidForJavid. | Candidates have yet to spend substantial sums on online advertising, as fundraising is only just beginning and such expenditure may not seem worthwhile when the focus is still on individual MPs. Other semi-official online campaign groups for Conservative leadership contenders include ReadyForRaab, TeamCleverly, and AvidForJavid. |
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