Re: The optics don't look good
"He didn't face a general election as leader of his party, therefore standing to be prime minister."
The first part of that is true, the second, not so much. The party leader of a party which has a majority and can form of government usually becomes the PM, but that's not the law, or even a rule. It's another of those "gentleman's agreements".
Biting the hand that feeds IT
