Voters gave up on Tory ‘bickering’, says party leadership hopeful
Voters gave up on the Conservatives’ “bickering”, James Cleverly has said during his campaign to become the party’s leader.
The shadow home secretary, who first became a minister during Theresa May’s premiership, claimed as soon as his party had named a new prime minister, “there were people within the party who set about removing them”.
Asked about his past defence of former Conservative Party policies, the shadow home secretary said: “I have been a team player, which has meant I have had to promote other people’s ideas. I was happy to do so, it’s what you do as part of a team.”
Other people’s ideas eh? A pity they weren't conservative ideas or even common sense ideas, true ideas, insightful ideas, scientific ideas, ideas about integrity and veracity, pragmatic ideas about genuine problems such as a ridiculously excessive pandemic response, or knife crime, useless university courses, idiot academics, idiot media, the failings of state education and the NHS, our inability to complete major projects on time or within budget, or ideas about crumbling roads, the insanity of Net Zero or the crucial importance of free speech or even liberal ideas where 'liberal' is not a code word for illiberal.
A pity they weren't ideas about resisting trends to describe anyone concerned about immigration, excessive taxation, the iniquity of the BBC or anyone to the right of Stalin as "far right".
I can't for the life of me see how this excuse differs from the view that he would join any team if he thought it was winning.
ReplyDeleteHe now wants to be team captain and pick some winning players. That's going to be a far more difficult task.
Sam - "I'll say anything about anything in a loud, confident voice so I'm the chap for the job."
ReplyDeleteThe Tories don't seem to have enough left to form a winning team, they seem spent.
Analysis is easy. I don't like the cut of Jenrick's jib so I wouldn't vote for him. Tugendhat is a French citizen as are his wife and children. So I wouldn't vote for him. Kemi spent her formative years in Nigeria and the USA so I would hesitate about voting for her. Which leaves Mr Cleverly or, strictly, Lieutenant Colonel Cleverly. Golly, he even has experience in business.
ReplyDeleteBut is he up to it? Clearly he would knock spots of Starmer who doesn't even know how to pronounce "lieutenant" but Der Starmer might not be around much longer. Could he knock spots of Farage? Probably not. Of course, if "They" assassinate Farage the question might not arise.
Maybe they should stick with Rishi until another generation comes forward. But Rishi had clearly had a bellyful of the whole thing. What a mess.
dearieme - I imagine Cleverly would have an inbuilt HoC advantage as Tory leader because Starmer has made such a mess of leadership. Whether he'd make the Tory party worth leading I don't know, but it will be a wearing task. Kemi might be better sitting it out.
ReplyDeleteHere's a touching historical piece on the perils of being led by puritans who know what is best.
ReplyDeletehttps://cjstrachan.substack.com/p/the-end-of-st-kilda-the-perils-of
Yes, I read that piece and what an incisive parallel it was!
DeleteThe definitive statement on it, AKH.
ReplyDeletedearieme - it certainly is touching. Puritans who know what is best and
ReplyDeletethe damage they do - Starmer seems to be another MacKay.
James - thanks, I wish they would provide us with less material.
Tammly - yes, a reminder that Puritans come in many guises.
ReplyDeleteI may have discovered what it is about Jenrick's appearance that I dislike. He looks like a lawyer.
ReplyDeletedearieme - according to Wokipedia he practised corporate law in Moscow at some point. I didn't know they had any use for it.
ReplyDelete