Rory Stewart: I Would Work For A Labour Government

Former Tory Minister turned podcast host Rory Stewart joins journalist James Ball to discuss the state of UK politics ahead of the upcoming election.
Mr Stewart admits that he thinks he is likely to vote Lib Dem at the upcoming election although he would serve a Labour Government if offered the right role by Keir Starmer.
He is also scathing about Former Prime Minister Liz Truss, whom he accuses of being 'genuinely uninterested' about the environment during her time as Environment Minister.
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[@AH-te5gs]

Liz Truss saying to him that she wanted to abolish the Foreign Office somehow doesn't surprise me. Says more about Sunak who still let's her join the elections to be an MP. What a buffoon.

[@nogingerfool1]

never said a word at the time though , just took the pay just another tory willing to join the revamped tory light , starmer is selling snake oil

[@boulevard14]

As a party you leader, you can't just ban people from standing for election because you don't think they'll do a good job. What kind of totalitarian is this? That's not democracy.

[@raymondsawyer8626]

I'm thinking Liz Truss will not be an MP on July 5th after her disastrous policy decisions

[@ivydickson7596]

Well, that didn't work eh

[@DrArtIntel]

​@@raymondsawyer8626 And sure enough, she isn't

[@clairewhelan9138]

He’s a good man. I’m very anti Conservative Party, but he’s one of my favourite politicians x

[@robkeeleycomposer]

That could be because he isn’t a conservative. Duh….

[@kanedNunable]

go look at his voting record and come back to us. he supported and voted with all the BS until johnson didnt want him any more

[@kanedNunable]

@@robkeeleycomposer go look at his voting record

[@bob1234881]

​@kanedNunable but if he didn't he wouldn't have been a minister...

[@declanroberts8934]

@@kanedNunable To be fair he's been quite open on this topic. He's outlined the fact that being an MP particularly back bencher essentially makes you powerless and if you don't tow the party line you either get kicked out or the little power you do have is removed. He's probably been one of the most outspoken on challenging the whip system on top of that he has explained why looking at the voting records can be misrepresentative. As it summarises policy into a single statement but you are voting on a list of bills etc. If you were to take Theresa May's Brexit deal for example and claimed that MP X didn't vote for it therefore they voted against Brexit itself. It's just not a nuanced representation.

[@timhobbis1]

A few comments here have ridiculed this bloke for actually, and I mean actually, talking sense. This is why I worry for the future. The tories have maxed-out the money they can grab secretly and are now blatantly giving bungs to donors in the hope of backhanders and there are some people who still think this is better than any alternative. The country is getting ruined and there are genuine champions of it in these comments. Absolutely incredible. This bloke was a Tory and even he can’t ignore it. Some of you need to see a GP and check you have a heart. Oh, hang on, you’ll have to wait a bit for that appointment 🤨

[@Misaki.Manifestation]

What is "heart"?

[@timhobbis1]

@@Misaki.Manifestation it’s that thing that pumps blood around your body and often associated with empathy and kindness.

[@daves8718]

@@timhobbis1 tories have legislated that kindness and empathy does not exist and that anyone that needs help doesn't really need it.

[@simongarthwaite7695]

He might have been in the Tory party but he isn't a Conservative only a handful of them are now.

[@TrOgaN_]

You reap what you sew

[@ukeman1387]

Humane and intelligent. Genuine . Honest. Read his book. Five ministerial jobs in a couple of years. Every time he was getting to grips with the job, they transferred him.

[@ComicBookMalc]

Can't have someone actually trying to make things better. It's really depressing

[@EXCLMaker]

They were probably put off by having someone actually intelligent and competent around. Tories can't have that in their party.

[@adamjones9988]

WEF member ... don't be a fool.

[@SuperParatech]

He’s a liar and sell out. Why he pretended to be conservative, I will not know.

[@supercriceto]

So he says. Could it be that he was always left-leaning and undermining any attempts to fulfil the huge Conservative vote-mandate. His books are well-written but they are his version of himself. Not necessarily the truth. They remind me of Obama's books. Seductive but -shall we say- partial with the truth

[@mad3m6n]

I would love to see Rory working with the next government. He is a real Conservative, but more importantly, he is a humble and intelligent human being.

[@oldtimer7635]

"He is a real Conservative" What does that mean?

[@deborahcurtis1385]

He's got emotional intelligence on top of being analytical in a deeper sense.

[@alexhicks6207]

​@@oldtimer7635that he actually represents what the party should be, rather than some of the borderline fascist nutjobs at the far right of the party, the idiots like Rees-Mogg who thing Wellington is still party leader, or the bankers like Sunak who actually have no interest in improving things for the common man. They've lost the economically and socially sensible men in grey suits they were formally seen as, now it's a party of personalities loonies, we need more Stewarts, Chalks, Tugendhadts, if we want a decent opposition and a functioning democracy.

[@oasisarah]

@@oldtimer7635 rory talks about it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5qlfIOun5Z_Y7ssi=fH6ctT70Edi-ryWi&t=400

[@psrpippy]

Rory Stewart, the best prime minister we never had, He is educated, eloquent, charming and he genuinely cares.

[@TooDarnSoulful]

He was and is a Liberal Democrat he has no place pretending he is a Conservative, wrong party Rory !

[@markware85]

Absolutely is the best PM we never had regardless of party.

[@TooDarnSoulful]

@@markware85 LOL you cannot ignore what party it causes splits and bitterness, in his heart he is a Lib Dem as his Cameron.

[@Anonyomus_commenter]

@@TooDarnSoulfulCameron isn’t a Liberal Democrat- they support higher public spending, not austerity

[@TooDarnSoulful]

@@Anonyomus_commenter Lol so one policy makes him a tory - don't think so !

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

Yes, please, get Rory a ministerial role. We need more brains than populism in our next government for the next 10 years. Otherwise, the country is going to sink.

[@1943colin]

The country IS sinking!

[@MattFinch-f2w]

These sorts got us into this mess.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

@1943colin I still think that another 5 years of Conservative we will. But I'm not sure if Labour is the answer.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

@user-cn2uh1jy4e Truth! But you got see the difference between the Tories. He is an old school of thought Conservative.

[@josephkolodziejski6882]

Foreign secretary

[@andrewclimo5709]

As usual Rory is spot on.

[@nickwalters5380]

A decent man with a good brain. Hugely over qualified for government.

[@1943colin]

We don't want qualified people. We want competent ones and he's not that either.

[@Hannah-xx8ix]

@@1943colinhe’s really intelligent and compassionate and believes in public service. The best PM we never had 😢. Go and do your homework before posting disparaging comments m8

[@catherinehanner284]

​@@1943colinwhat do you do for a brain.

[@capitalexnetwork8898]

A former Tory minister who votes Lib Dem and wants to work for Labour.

[@mattc971]

In theory. But sadly his voting record is appalling. His voting record makes him the exact slimy toad he is railling against in this video.

[@greatfelixo]

The Tories shot themself in the foot not electing this guy as their leader. They would not be staring into the barrel of defeat if they had. I have never liked a Tory but he actually seems genuinely intelligent and capable.

[@WH-hi5ew]

The Tories went on this right-wing lurch.... so people like Rory Stewart were no longer part of the picture.

[@darthkek1953]

The trouble is he's not a Tory, and more than Blair was Labour.

[@SuperParatech]

@@WH-hi5ew Tories are so far left, there isn't a Conservative among them. Reform will trash them this year

[@DavidDragonetti]

Im not sure Rory is that great. He is a ardent Monarchist and would obviously not support taxing private schools giving his Eton education....So he would just be a "Nice Tory" but not offering any change to the massive inequalities in Britain

[@greatfelixo]

@@DavidDragonetti I'm not saying it would have been a gigantic departure from the conservatism that we've had but if that train wreck of a party had someone in charge who had a bit of competence about them they wouldn't have completely destroyed their reputation.

[@Ahrimas]

Love the way he thinks about politics, rare to find someone you could respectfully disagree with in politics these days

[@macdutte]

If Labour are smart they will get him!

[@deborahcurtis1385]

I think they will.

[@sadjaxx]

Stewart has a brilliant mind and he is a patriot, something that has been in extremely short supply for the last 14 years.

[@Martinbeef]

I like Rory Stewart. He’s one of the most down to earth people I’ve met.

[@adamjones9988]

That's why he's a member of the WEF 😂

[@Peter-ov6xh]

He doesn't strike me as genuinely down to earth at all.

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

Probably one of the best PMs we never had !!!

[@alwenajones6076]

Never a true spoken. (J J)

[@bottleneck4593]

You are joking of course.

[@simony2801]

Perhaps a bit too emotional for the top job.

[@allansnape416]

Totally agree

[@Caroleonus]

In a different world maybe, but he's too thoughful, too despising of party political games to last long. Which is quite sad.

[@kills26]

Always annoyed me that I liked Rory Stewart. I think it annoyed me that he gave the tories whom I hate some credibility.

[@harrykeeling2964]

But, to be fair to you, and other 'Rory likers' out there, he absolutely loathes what the Tory party has become (indeed, as he said, he won't even vote for them)

[@BjørjaBear]

Dominic Grieve and David Gauke were pretty decent too. No wonder they're persona non grata in the Tory party.

[@deadlylampshade4065]

You can think about the fact he served under Cameron for a decade, while the tories devastated the country with austerity. He may be the nicest tory, but he was (is?) still a tory.

[@rovercoupe7104]

Brilliant analysis. M

[@hubertbreidenbach]

Now THAT'S a backhanded compliment

[@mickyg6981]

Any party should welcome him with open arms, he's clever, compassionate and articulate, absolute PM material, he was far too good and honest to survive in this batch of nasty, corrupt, lying bunch self serving Tories where the shit always rises to the top.

[@millrace32]

or, you know, we could just admit that eton is quite clearly a place concerned with turning out people who aren't fit to govern a democracy, & move on?

[@iangascoigne8231]

If he was far too good and honest he wouldn’t have been a Tory in the first place.

[@iangascoigne8231]

@@rinkydinkfretboard8737The problem with that is, the Tory he claims to be, the party hasn’t existed since before Thatcher.

[@iangascoigne8231]

@@rinkydinkfretboard8737 Society has indeed changed, but the Conservative hasn’t been the type of conservative he claims to be since before Thatcher. He shouldn’t even by a Tory. As for them lurching to the right, they weren’t as right but it didn’t stop them from introducing austerity, the bedroom tax trebling tuition fees and Stewart voted for all of them. So even if he’s learned his lessons, it’s too late the damage has been done.

[@Ma55ey]

he voted for all the austerity measures, voted to increase the pension age, constantly votes to reduce benefits or against any increase to disability benefits for those unable to work and against free school meals, yet votes against closing tax avoidance loopholes.. Yea he's great..

[@allansnape416]

Genuine fella I wish there was more like him the country would be so much better

[@damianleah6744]

Liz Truss is as mad as a box of frogs and she was PM, so what does that say about the Tories at the moment.

[@anthonyclegg1511]

Frog spawn.

[@robinbettridge670]

I think it shows what a bad idea it is for parties which want to appeal the public to entrust the election of leaders to their membership! I know it seems undemocratic, but *members* are not representative of the electorate, so *members* have a tendency to saddle a party with leaders who lack broad appeal. When sitting MPs elected their leader they were more likely to understand both the importance of someone acceptable to the MPs, but also that the leader has to have the potential to win votes in the country. Being a "god" among your membership is an unlikely qualification for taking the middle-ground where elections get won.

[@rolandnelson6722]

The answer is in the Question. The fact thought the British people would accept her. The fact they accepted her. Says a lot.

[@anthonyclegg1511]

@@rolandnelson6722 the British people didn't vote for her. 🧀🧀🧀.

[@BjørjaBear]

I think the real question is this, what does it say about the political system that promotes such people? That is a genuine concern because it means it could happen again. How on earth can you think that debt-funding massive tax cuts in the midst of an inflation crisis is sound policy? It was utter madness.

[@Nebuchadnezzar-Wildebeest]

I genuinely feel it's a tragedy that there appears to be no place in the modern Conservative party for a decent, smart, centrist one-nation Tory like Rory Stewart. I mean, I wouldn't vote for him, but at least he seems to have the intellectual heft to understand that politics needs some principles. That's virtually unique in conservatism.

[@rosendo3523]

Yet you wouldn't vote for him....🤦‍♂️

[@Nebuchadnezzar-Wildebeest]

@@rosendo3523 No, because I'm a Labour supporter. I was born and grew up on a council estate in Tyneside you'd be surprised if I voted for anyone else. Doesn't mean I think everybody that doesn't agree with me is scum. Some of them are. But, I don't think he's one of them.

[@davestevenson9080]

All our political parties have been bought and sold. all the high places are occupied by people epstein et al can blackmail

[@Crispman_777]

@@rosendo3523 Probably because he's still a conservative?

[@Nebuchadnezzar-Wildebeest]

@@rosendo3523 No, because I'm a Labour voter - I was born on a council estate on Tyneside, you'd be surprised if I voted any other way. That doesn't mean I consider everyone even slightly to the right of me to be scum. Some of them undoubtedly are. I don't think he is. Maybe you should trying being a bit less judgemental and a bit more open in your worldview. You might find you see the world with a bit more nuance.

[@gamewithadam7235]

I like this guy. He seems to have integrity.

[@maisiedogonline]

A vanishingly rare quality in politics.

[@warlock1969]

He is a good man and I would have that man as PM any day!

[@Ma55ey]

Not looked at his voting record have you lol

[@rare6499]

@@Ma55eyparty politics often forces MP’s to toe the line. Might surprise you some of the things New Labour did while they were in government…

[@harveysmith100]

He's not overly impressed by Liz Truss. What a surprise.

[@dogzero1]

I wish he would join the Labour party. And then run as a labour MP and then be a labour minister.

[@svenandersson2320]

Why? He by all appearances an intelligent thoughtful person but he is a conservative.

[@Bettys_Eldest]

As someone with close to 50 years of voting Labour, I would be tempted the elevate him to the upper house and give him Internatioanal Development.

[@SuperParatech]

@@dogzero1 he should have always been Labour. He’s a champagne socialist. Likes the benefits of free market but for everyone else, believes that the masses need to be ruled. By claiming conservative values, he was nothing more than one whose entire mission was get elected on a safe conservative ticket whilst deliberately setting to undermine the views and desires of the Conservative minded electorate he was supposed to represent. Treacherous and duplicitous. Not a character who is worthy of trust

[@jamietful]

Rory Stewart, when he was in his youth was, I understand a supporter of the Labour Party.

[@martinaustin5316]

I've never voted Tory but I might be tempted if Rory was PM. He has intelligence and INTEGRITY

[@jake751]

He really doesn't

[@annishilcock4587]

Too intellegent and principled he quit because he couldn't stand the morals of Johnson, and he wants no part of this present rabble either.

[@annishilcock4587]

@@jake751 And you do?

[@M2Mil7er]

@@annishilcock4587 his voting record says otherwise.

[@annishilcock4587]

@@M2Mil7er Otherwise what? .Ever heard of the whipping system?

[@YouTuber1303]

What he's hinting at toward the end is STOP aggressively asking Labour about tax rises and give them a chance to govern with their overall philosophy, which is nowhere near as 'left' as it used to be (and some would have you believe it still is). You have to trust people and give them a chance to show you the bigger picture can work. After all, how can it be any worse than the last 14 years.

[@susancerezo401]

I am of British origin but married and living in France; a passionate environmentalist for over 50 years, now an 85 year old granny. The British elections really give me some sort of hope. The French elections which so many of us were so dreading, having surprisingly given us a sort of hope too ! 2:25 I reckon Rory represents the sort of person we all need much more of in government. "Something new" is on its way in these important and worrying times where so much is changing...and needs changing.....I see it here too in France, and I see a few good people who seem to represent that feeling of change! I do hope he comes back to politics.....the "new sort of politics " we seem to be needing,where there is less ego, where there are more ethics, where the politicians actually know and care about what they are talking about and fighting for. Sorry if that sounds a little vague.

[@terrymann1341]

Total and utmost respect for this man for his decency and his honesty, two traits that doomed him in the Tory party. I honestly think that he would be an asset to the incoming Labour Government given his experience and his knowledge and intellect. Says it all when he made his pitch to be leader and was beaten by Boris Johnson, and look how that turned out...

[@clivet3252]

It turned out much better. We wouldn't have seen half of the investment we did under Boris.

[@Bettys_Eldest]

As someone with close to 50 years of voting Labour, I would be tempted the elevate him to the upper house and give him Internatioanal Development.

[@clivet3252]

@@Bettys_Eldest why?

[@Bettys_Eldest]

@@clivet3252 he's the best person for the job. He understands that the aid budget is there to relieve suffering and encourage growth, not to either line the pockets of officials in the receiving countries or be spent in the UK. He is widely experienced in the area, has contacts to make it work, strength stand up to corrupt regimes and intellect to balance priorities.

[@clivet3252]

@@Bettys_Eldest how do you know that?

[@SteveWhipp]

Yeah, can't say I don't like him. He knows the difference between "duty" and personal gain. Unlike the vast majority of his ex-colleagues. He's also hated by a lot of the right-wing press as a "wet". It's a real shame for the country. The damage the right-wing element of the Tories and the media has done is astonishing. It won't be fixed in one Parliament and Labour will be blamed.

[@bigmacntings7451]

I think the epitome of "wet" was when rishi sunak came out and did the public address for the election....absolutely soaked!!!! That's ultimately where the tories have gone wrong. Starmer has blairs hand firmly up his rectum operating the mouth. why do you expect ANY difference between red tories and blue labour???

[@Tom_murray89]

One of the best political commentators. And the Tories have left him. As well as that Liz Truss was awful

[@ws5246]

Born, bred and growing up in a Yorkshire mining town, from a mining family, during Thatcher I am a dyed in the cloth left leaning Labourite, but this guy is the one ex-tory MP I actually have some respect for.

[@DanielBarber-mo2en]

Vote tactically

[@johngamble967]

Good man, we need people like him running the show.

[@rosiechandler3822]

Rory Stewart is a man with a lot of good ideas and bad jumpers

[@SparkyStevens1967]

That is quite a good jumper, like an action man of the 70s jumper

[@bigmacntings7451]

not a particularly scary soldier though. I think private school straight to officer,not school of hard knocks.

[@alwenajones6076]

An honest man (JJ)

[@raymondsawyer8626]

A highly intelligent thoughtful man

[@pappaxray2]

It boggles the mind that they withdrew the whip. He would have been a formidable leader, incredibly smart, thoughtful and insightful.

[@germansnowman]

Had the privilege of seeing him speak at his book tour stop in Oxford. Very funny, profound, and at times depressing. Looking forward to reading his book.

[@vatsmith8759]

This is someone who put himself forward as the prospective leader of the Conservative Party.

[@The_Fat_Controller]

Shows how much the party has fallen then that even Tories want to vote Labour

[@shaun906]

you clearly didn't watch the video @The_Fat_Controller?

[@AH-te5gs]

Anywhere else the Tories would be at least two parties. Same for Labour.

[@shaun906]

@AH-te5gs you are correct, but, as refUK have found out, it's expensive to run 600 + constituencies and a HQ. many have tried and failed.

[@Liberaven]

@@shaun906 reform the voting system

[@Will-zg3lw]

The best leader the conservatives never had.

[@suldanfarah9509]

I would actually support Labour again if Rory joined.

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

What made you stop?

[@oneiyyar]

Although I like Rory Stewart. As a lifelong labour voter it really does worry me about where they are these days when so many Tory’s & Tory donors are endorsing them & even willing to join / work with them. Makes it very hard to get excited about the change when it feels like we are still getting what appears to be centre-right politics

[@M2Mil7er]

exactly, it should be about different ideas, not re-branding the same idea.

[@Bettys_Eldest]

As someone with close to 50 years of voting Labour, I would be tempted the elevate him to the upper house and give him Internatioanal Development. It's an area which always looses out, gives too many opportunities for the racists in this country to kick up a fuss. But it's an area which like very few in politics, he is interested and knowledgeable in, he has the judgement to make sure that the money we spend improves lives in the developing world to all our eventual benefit.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

I think that so many of these Tories historically made up the left of the Tory Party and the Right of the Labour Party, which were really close to each other, and the reality is that the Tories have gone so nuts that many such people have in fact, gone over to Labour because there is more of a home for them in the sensible Labour Party as opposed to the ridiculous Tory Party.

[@lestrem11]

Gissa job…….👍

[@edwardwilliamson1]

This is great - is there a longer version of this somewhere?

[@byrnedes]

I’m not a Brit, so up to you guys but seems to me a good interview of a good guy.

[@stubalmer3884]

We need people like him to save this country. Speaks common sense

[@luiscampos1527]

I like Rory very much. Such a decent chap!

[@matbritton6816]

Compare Rory's dream to Suella's!

[@IainFrame]

What's her dream?

[@matbritton6816]

@@IainFrame Watching flights full of migrants take off fo Rwanda

[@IainFrame]

@@matbritton6816 If true, it's one of the most stupid plans ever imagined. I'm sure Edmund Blackadder would have a great metaphor.

[@MrYossarianuk]

​@@matbritton6816 on Christmas wasn't it ?

[@IainFrame]

@user-SubvurzIV I'll be honest, that sounds like a really cool heavy metal video.

[@weswheel4834]

Rory to work with the new government on citizens' assemblies? :)

[@GrowYourOwnLife]

He's exactly the sort of person who should run the country, but sadly never will.

[@SP-eo1vl]

Given that UK prisons are in dire need of emergency action and that Rory has been a prisons' minister, it would not surprise me if he were offered a non-parliamentary role by a Labour government

[@graceygrumble]

The Conservative Party left Rory Stewart behind. It changed; he didn't. I still don't agree with his politics, but at least he is honest and cares about the people of the UK. He's one of 'the good guys'.

[@Kevin-eg3mf]

Vote Labour 🌹

[@Stephg128]

Don’t you just wish more people like Rory were in a position to actually be allowed to govern. Instead we are handed people like Truss.

[@adamjones9988]

Another puppet of the WEF....looking to start WWIII. Are you ready that stupid.

[@erongi233]

We need people out of the extremely well trodden path of Eton and Oxbridge who keep on reappearing in new roles and are not embarrassed at putting themselves forward. Nigel for example. Populist he may or may not be but he has the momentum of a winner.

[@WH-hi5ew]

Nigel Farage is hardly that different.... the son of a City of London Stockbroker who was privately educated at Dulwich college and became a commodities trader. You're right he is a populist - and just like Jeremy Corbyn (another populist) Farage has a very loyal support base... its also quite a narrow support base and Reform is unlikely to get more than about 2-3 seats at best. Also like other populists - Corbyn, Johnson & Truss... he's good at winning elections but pretty terrible at actually managing anything. Farage is anti-authority.... would not be good in a position of authority as then he'd be the one accountable.

[@erongi233]

@@WH-hi5ew yes, all of that is true.But what about Rory Stewart. I am very suspicious of how he managed to briefly hold the positions which he held. From tutoring William and Harry to governor of somewhere in Iraq. His background is highly Establishment. How did he get the jobs which he briefly held? At least Farage has made his own way .

[@WH-hi5ew]

@@erongi233 Everyone has to make their own way. Both Stewart and Farage come from privately educated backgrounds of relative privilege. I'd suggest Stewarts breadth of life experience would be a good thing for politicians to have... nowadays they seem to be nothing but career politicians. In that respect both Farage and Stewart have both done other things in life first. Personally I find Farage to be a bit of a chancer.... though I do agree with his position on Ukraine i.e. that had we left a buffer zone between West and Russia there is a good chance Russia would not have invaded Ukraine. John Mearshiemer also says the same thing.

[@erongi233]

@@WH-hi5ew there is a world of difference about being the son of a stockbroker and being the son of no 2 in the security services. Also I know someone who was involved with William and Harry. Came from the same privileged background. Father owned a 1000 acres next to Princess Anne in Gloucestershire. We want people who have made their own way. Not who have made it a highly privileged feudal way.

[@erongi233]

By the way so does Colonel MacGregor here in KZbin think the same way

[@jamietful]

I have a huge amount of respect for Rory Stewart. He’s a very intelligent and most thoughtful man. It’s my belief that he is a huge loss to Parliament and the the Conservative Party. He would be a very valuable contributor to a potential Starmer Labour government - if he were to be asked if he would be interested in doing so!

[@petekadenz9465]

It’s all about him.

[@Peter-ov6xh]

It's quite shocking how few people see this.

[@paulavandenbroeck1333]

What a signing he would be! A Labour Government would treat him with the respect he, and the country, deserves.

[@easycoding8255]

Please Rory, we need you

[@ryuhayabaker]

"I'd work for a labour government but I wouldn't vote for them* - Rory Stewart in a nutshell.

[@bigredsock1]

That's okay. I'd work for a Labour local council, but I wouldn't vote for them.

[@educatedkenku7345]

Many people in this country are currently working for a government they wouldn’t vote for and others will be after the election. Just because you would do something differently doesn’t mean you shouldn’t participate, instead it’s a reason to get engaged and try to do the best with what you have and to try and make government better.

[@badgershands]

The only politician I've truly liked in my lifetime. How man current MP's would do as he did when he took the prison portfolio and said he would step down in a year if there was no improvement in violence numbers.

[@lynnpurfield9430]

Come on Rory, step up and then encourage Starmer to be the fearless guy we know he could be.

[@oliverwortley3822]

omg, why does it look like bizarre?

[@MattHerrettMusic]

A decent man with a good brain. Hugely overqualified for government. Terrible dandruff problem.

[@neilwilson5785]

My god, a politician (Liz Truss) not interested in foreign affairs. I get that a guy working 12 hours a day in construction might not have time for that, but it is utterly shameful for an MP of any party to be like this.

[@mini-momentsmedia1293]

Regardless of your party affiliation, he his the kind of person you would want part of our governing class.

[@M2Mil7er]

until you look at his voting record.

[@kingpig8732]

@@M2Mil7er Party whip system.

[@markware85]

I have always admired Rory’s honesty and integrity. He is the last of a dying breed of people we can truly look up to and trust. He needs to be doing something important. I love his podcasts and videos but I feel he is like a football pundit who really should be managing England. Commenting from the sidelines instead of in the trenches where his best work is done. Wasted and sold short. Keep up the fight Rory, we absolutely need good people in politics if we are going to evolve through the Truss’s of this current world.

[@JohnFrancisFriendship]

Excellent! Mr Stewart needs to be in the government - and people need to consder what he has to say.

[@oliverwortley3822]

just look at it. the absolute state of that.

[@chuckymcchuckface8768]

He's one decent man.

[@gammamaster1894]

I think we can disabuse ourself of the notion that The Rest Is Politics is in anyway bipartisan.

[@tracyschaub1187]

Love Rory Decent human ❤

[@AnitaOGalligan]

Well done Rory. I used to be Conservative like my parents. Now, I’m sympathetic to Labour or The Lib Dem’s. Now I live in Ireland and see how the Tories have become- dishonest and corrupt, I would never vote Conservative again

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

Always hated the tories, always liked Rory Stewart.

[@deborahcurtis1385]

I am pleased he has made it known he will work with Labour and would take up a government post. Compassionate, active and lateral thinkers like Rory Stewart's are valuable.

[@rachelprentice5562]

Rory always talks sense.And I normally vote Labour

[@picotconaboy]

Mr. Stewart does rather enjoy thinking of himself as the prettiest centrist at the ball, gathering all the compliments that we see below.

[@WH-hi5ew]

Seems to gather plenty of cynics though...your comment being one of them.

[@Peter-ov6xh]

The comments section under any Rory Stewart video is always one of the weirdest spots on the Internet.

[@BlackTearDrop]

How dare a public figure speak his mind in a reasonable fashion and have people agree with him?

[@krispysox]

Perhaps instead of having a read team and blue team, we as a civilisation grow up and build democracy based on collective betterment.

[@denisebrown4735]

I've never voted Tory & still never will but Rory is the only Tory who has ever impressed me. His sense of decency, honesty, fairness and ability to connect with ordinary people means , for me, in any case he is far too good for politics.

[@rogernichols1124]

Quality guy. Please can we see him back in politics and restoring leadership and dignity to our democracy?

[@smartguy9101]

One of the very few descent former Tories. So much better and a world away from Johnson and Truss.

[@tomjones8715]

He has changed direction more times than a windsock!

[@TheTanfieldKid]

Government is about getting good people in the right jobs. Does it matter whether they are Labour or Conservative? We know what needs to be fixed so lets hope the new leaders are better at getting the job done.

[@laserprawn]

Well you couldn't find a more Conservative party than Labour mate.

[@scotsam7590]

Liz Truss is known in our household as "The Bee Killer". Environment Secretary? - Ha! Rory is spot on as usual.

[@mrpocock]

A party that would put Liz Truss in any position of power is already broken beyond fixing.

[@Notmehimorthem]

I would vote for Rory as PM and I have never voted Tory in 55 years as a voter. We can smell his sense of duty towards others from here.

[@blehoo1]

OHHHHHHH RO..RY STEW....ART....if only he'd won...

[@GoodKingMort]

Rory is the only conservative I truly like. I would love to see him join Labour, especially after hearing his journey across the world and him wanting to find different viewpoints of the people etc.

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Unfortunately the days of moderate conservative politics are over. I’m sure Rory is a lovely person but the far Right Wing have taken over

[@ELB-v7b]

Citizens assemblies and a local form of democracy is exactly what Jeremy Corbyn is planning on doing in Islington if he wins his seat as an Independant. Rory Stewart and Jezza would be my political dream team haha

[@emmabovary9374]

We just love you, Rory. For brief moments, you make us feel that life is worth living.

[@thecarpetman7687]

Trusses only objective in life was to become PM and she achieved that…who ever thought she was a serious politician must be mad…she was a careerist…pure and simple… and she just so happened to be in politics

[@boxsterman77]

I’m American who is amazed at the parallels between the British conservatives and ours.

[@johngalvin3124]

That's more like it! I mean, even Churchill joined more than one party by mistake? This guy admits it and goes on to hit us with more constructive, crystal clear commonsense than we've heard in 14 years. What a fine inducement to vote Labour...

[@petercassidy0628]

He is a decent man and would be asset for keir talks lot of sense and not a bullshitter.

[@nickclarkuk]

A thoughtful and capable man, I would like to see him working for a Starmer Labour Government on something he is passionate about.

[@zonianfjb]

It's not a shock that he would work for Labour and it shouldn't be held against him. What should be held against him is standing for the Tory leadership, to turn the Tories into Labour. He's a Britain-hating left winger, and the UK doesn't need that philosophy in 1 major party, let alone 2. He wants millions of genuine conservatives to be disenfranchised in practice. It might all be moot now. But the honourable thing to do would have been to stand as a Labour candidate when he was an MP.

[@simonward1598]

I for one would like to see Rory in a Labour government!

[@stevesmith3990]

Rory Stewart should have been a Labour mp in the first place like many of the so called Conservatives.