Thursday, June 12, 2008

Signs of backbone in Tory MP shock

Because of a convivial lunch I am late in posting on the subject and just about every blog and MSM outlet has had its say. But yes, signs of backbone have been detected in a Tory MP. Either that or a great deal of intelligent cunning.

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, has resigned over the 42 day detention, passed yesterday by the Commons though likely to be thrown out by the Lords, and other encroachments on traditional liberties. He is forcing a by-election, though it is not clear who will be fighting it on what grounds as CCHQ has said it will release no funds. Not sure whether that means no funds to Mr Davis or to any candidate. And will David Davis stand as an Independent Conservative, this being one of those occasions on which an Independent could very well win.

ToryDiary reports that a swift poll of 1,291 Conservative Party members showed that 65 per cent are "inspired" by Mr Davis's move. One wonders about the other 35 per cent. Surely, they should be inspired even if they do not agree with his stand on the 42 days detention. Then again, they might see it as a cunning move towards grabbing the leadership.

The new Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, has announced that, should the 42 day pre-charge detention be passed (unlikely) and should the Conservative win the next election (more likely with Gordon Brown at the helm of the Labour Party) they will repeal the legislation. That, of course, does not deal with the other issues David Davis has raised.

Now, all we need is for some Tory MP to show signs of a backbone over that Constitutional Reform Lisbon Treaty. Dream on, as they say.

2 comments:

Bert Rustle said...

Churchillian, as in Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War: How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World .

How many other British MPs have the conviction of their belief and the political ambition to follow him?

Helen said...

Actually,I did not use the word Churchillian. I am not in the habit of using that word. There is nothing Churchillian about this. Churchill never resigned in order to force a by-election. That comment makes no sense on this blog any more than it did on EUreferendum.