The media are increasingly turning to reporting strains within the Conservative Party over David Davsis’s dramatic resignation. For example, Nick Robinson on David Davis’s resignation:
David Cameron has lost control of his strategy. This was not his decision. He was not asked for his agreement. He was informed late last night by David Davis that he was going to do this come what may. That he was going to resign and trigger this campaign. This is not a campaign that Mr Cameron wants, it is not part of his strategy and indeed, I am told by senior Tories who know Mr Cameron well, that this was David Davis’ personal decision and will be his personal campaign.
Benedict Brogan writes:
For the avoidance of doubt, DD will not return to the Shadow Cabinet if he is returned as MP for Haltemprice and Howden. Dominic Grieve, one of the greatest talents on the Tory frontbench, is the new Shadow Home Secretary, and that’s it. My impression in fact is that despite talk of “doors being open”, DD has just kissed goodbye to being Home Secretary in a Cameron government.
He sprung the idea on the leader late last night by telephone. The Shadow Cabinet wasn’t consulted. Team Dave is being polite, but notice the references to “personal choice” (trans: reckless maverick) and the importance of Parliament (trans: Parliament is where the debate about 42 days should continue, not H&H).
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7 Comments
What is going in with the Lib Dems?
By not standing at Haltemprice we could lose much of the gains over the past two decades in that seat.
What if the BNP stand and do well?
Lots of people who would never normally vote Tory or even consider it will now be finding themselves hoping that Davis wins. Let’s hope they don’t get used to the feeling!
Anyone got a source on this “standing as an independent” talk?
I say again, would be even better if he stood as a National Liberal:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Liberal_Party_(UK)#Liberal_National_Party_.281931-1948.29.2C_National_Liberal_Party_.281948-1968.29
They formally merged with the conservatives after the 2nd World War, reminding the Tory backwoods that not all Conservatives are Tories would be a damn fine thing. And slapping Widdecombe back into the stone age wouldn’t go amiss either.
Mat, this has been brewing since the Conservative leadership election.
After a decade out of power the Thatcherite coalition was clearly defeated and a change of direction was obviously on the cards.
Cameron vs Davis represented a fight between the two most dominant factions – southern upper-class Bullingdon types and northern middle-class patriots and industrialists.
They clearly haven’t resolved their conflicts around any common cause (except lust for power) which was inevitably going to become more unstable as they approach the crunch of the starting line to the forthcoming general election.
Let’s get this straight: Davis consulted Clegg, but merely informed Cameron by telephone. If I got that right … hmmmm.
Next, it’s beginning to look as if they’ll hold a by-election to which nobody came. Day after day, of Davis traipsing the parish halls of the East Riding, preaching to … precisely whom? More hmmmm.
Even now, we have no clear answer to what another thread has established as the Eastleigh Question: if 42 days is so appalling and now a resignation issue, why is 28 days acceptable? If nothing else, Davis has to answer that (even if we have to take Huhne’s exegesis by osmosis of his oratory).
Finally, a special plea: can we bury all the ignorant references to Magna Carta (as from Tony Benn, Davis, Iain Dale et al.)? The reference to the rule of law is in cap. 39: “No freeman shall be arrested, or kept in prison, or disseised, or outlawed, or banished, or in any way brought to ruin … unless by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” Fair enough, but that was the baronage taking a swipe at the King’s courts (which — shock, horror — actually infringed baronial droits de seigneur). Those barons had already established their own rights by cap. 34, that any feudal lord could retain jurisdiction over his own tenants. Quite frankly, I’d rather take my chance in the Royal Courts of Justice than in some kangaroo arrangement by Squire Muck. Perhaps, on second thoughts, I can see why the Bullingdons are so hot for Magna Carta, but not why the rest of us should be.
Am I alone in thinking that it is just possible that David Davis might jump ship to us, the Lib Dems, on the basis that many Tory MPs are actualy in favour of 42 days, but expected Brown to scrape through, and they would not repeal. Davis is almost saying put up or shut up to some of the pre-historic tories.
Hopefully he will expose the double standards of many of the Tory MPs and the old splits will come back.
The next few weeks will be very interesting.
Who knows what deals have already been done.