PoliticsSeptember 10, 2005 12:53 pm
Lascivious just lost his place on my christmas list after making a modicum of sense regarding the upside of a Clarke victory in the Conservative Party leadership race.
In a nutshell, Clarke gets Labour out of office and then we build a case for a truly conservative party - and a truly conservative leader.
Unless of course, we can persuade our Ken to truly see the light.
I fear Ken will act as a dagger through the heart of principled Conservatism should be be elected leader. The tempting lure of power may make otherwise sensible people discard the central notion that it would be kinda nice for the leader of the Conservative Party to be, well…a Conservative. Clarke is not a Conservative - he is media propped up siren. What I want to know is why is David Davis virtually invisible? Doesn’t he realise that his “virtual absence” from the scene is helping liberal centrists and dismaying all right-thinking people?
Comment by David Vance — September 10, 2005 @ 8:02 pm
As someone who profoundly believes that ideology & principles precede power I would find a KC-led Party risible…and yet. What if, in today’s electoral climate, principled right-wing ideology is to the Conservative Party what Militant Tendency was to the Labour Party of the early/mid 80’s? That niggle of doubt makes me wonder if Ken Clarke could be the John Smith analogue for the Conservative Party.
Failing political/economic calamity, the 2009/2010 election is lost, it’s the following election that the Party needs to prepare for.
Comment by Thersites — September 10, 2005 @ 10:25 pm
On a flippant note, why not ask the most effective opposing politician to Tony Blair to lead the Conservative Party?
Somehow I don’t think Gordon Brown would accept.
Comment by Thersites — September 10, 2005 @ 10:34 pm
As evidence for my proposal that the public are not ready for a tax cutting Conservative agenda, along with the principled set of policies that our nation so desperately deserves, according to the latest Sunday Times poll, while Labour is five points ahead of the Tories, that gap would double if Gordon Brown became Labour leader and Mr Clarke led the Tories.
Note that The Times also reports Clarke is the most popular with hte general population. A run down of numbers:
Clarke 42%
Davis 16%
Fox 9%
Cameron 6%
Fifkind 6%
So, vote for Clarke (much that I detest the man) and expect to loose next election, but hopefully only just. Another 9 years of red tape, high taxes, benefits dependency and a screwed economy (yes - it will happen), Labour will no longer be viable and the public will be ready to listen to people like Davis. If he peaks too early, with a message that the public isn’t ready to hear, then the damage to the Conservatives might be too severe to even stand a chance in 2014!
Maybe I am making no friends here, but given the public mood, I very much doubt the Conservatives will form the next government. A good result would be a hung parliament, but even this might not happen given Brown’s popularity.
Comment by lascivious — September 11, 2005 @ 1:34 pm
p.s thanks for the plug
Comment by lascivious — September 11, 2005 @ 1:35 pm
Lascivious,
As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I like Davis, I think you are right. Let Labour really run the country down. That’s the only way the public will be ready for a true conservative renaissance…It doesn’t hurt enough yet…But should one remain with a party that, if it goes with Clarke, will probably be a few steps more to the “left” than one would want to be all for the sake of a few more votes?
Comment by James — September 11, 2005 @ 4:16 pm
I share Thersites view that the UK may not be ready for the return of right wing ideology yet - but not so sure that England isn’t? Sometimes I feel that it is the media manipulating and leading public opinion in such a way that I don’t know how a principled low tax small Government radical Conservative Party could ever get back into power.
Comment by David Vance — September 11, 2005 @ 6:17 pm
I do fully understand the reluctance to accept Kenny C. He is not a clear blue water Tory. Like many politicians, he could reasonably stand for either party.
The problem is David Davies does not have the depth that he would need to have to defeat Brown. He can’t beat Brown on decency , he can’t beat him for seriousness. They are both Humourless Stuffed Suits - except Brown is in government. So that makes him the senior HSS.
Kenny could trip Brown (or Blair) up, just by being Ken. Anything Davies does to separate himself will lose him support elsewhere.
Comment by DE — September 11, 2005 @ 6:41 pm
A Tory Review
Another article in The Times is about the Conservatives and their leadership race. According to The Times’ figures (and who is one to question the maths of a journalist?), the Conservatives have devoted 264 days to leadership elections since being…
Trackback by DailyPropaganda.co.uk — September 11, 2005 @ 6:49 pm
My Party Right or Wrong?
Once again, Once More, and it’s the discussion on the leadership of the party. I joined the Conservative Party about a week after the last election. It struck me, at the time, that there were many people within the party
Trackback by Once More — September 11, 2005 @ 9:46 pm
Like many politicians, he could reasonably stand for either party.
Quite. And there’s the rub…
Mr Vance,
The Conservative Party already won the English election - only by the tiniest of (absolute) majorities mind - but the point is well made.
If the Conservative Party is going to abandon conservatism maybe it’s only possible future is in an independent England…
Comment by Gary Monro — September 12, 2005 @ 10:27 am
If the Conservative Party is going to abandon conservatism maybe it’s only possible future is in an independent England…
But will the Scots settle for the associated cut in funding? The loonie left SSP might *think* they want independence, a trait shared with the ridiculous “right” SNP, but when they see the Westminster gravy train dry up, they would just cry foul!
I wonder what would happen to the Conservative & Unionist Party?
Comment by lascivious — September 12, 2005 @ 12:20 pm
Just to remind people that Labour beat the Tories convincingly in England by 92 seats in teh 2005 election. Although more people voted Tory than Labour in England. Well that’s the worthless system we have here folks - and the one that the Tory Party has supported for years and continues to support.
Comment by GaffaUK — September 13, 2005 @ 5:20 pm