|
« Hidden WMD
Main |
October 30, 2003
Tory coronation
Wonders will never cease. David Davis did actually stand aside after all to allow Michael Howard a clear run at the Tory leadership. Did he cut a secret deal with Howard? Unlikely. The tactically shrewd Howard would avoid boxing himself in -- and doesn't need to do so, given the 'big mo' is behind him. As the most authoritative report in the Torygraph makes clear, Howard didn't have to do any deals. He just spelled out to Davis the brutal mathematics. It's easy to see why the Tories are falling into line behind Howard. They think that although Iain Duncan Smith's programme has winning potential, particularly on public service reform, he was personally hopeless and weak. So they want an effective Tory man to promote existing Tory measures. But even with Howard's undoubted political and intellectual skills, will that be enough? It's not just a question of whether he can shed his old nasty image and start charming the birds off the trees. If the party is to win, it has to address a much more fundamental, existential problem. Public service reform, necessary as it is, isn't enough. After all, the Labour government is making exactly the same noises about decentralisation. Never mind that it's all smoke and mirrors -- that's what the public think about the Tories' programme, too. To win, Howard will have to make clear what the Tories are fundamentally about that is totally at odds with what the Labour government is about. That's trickier than it seems, because the old Tory message about tax cuts and freedom sounds like an agenda for the rich while everyone else can go hang. What most concerns people is surely social disintegration -- and that takes them bang into all those contentious moral areas they try so hard to avoid, like family breakdown, authority of parents and teachers, real zero tolerance on crime especially all drug abuse, and so on. That's where the government is vulnerable and where it cannot possibly follow, even in rhetorical form. Howard has to provide the country with what is fashionably called a 'narrative' -- or what used to be called political vision. Can he do it? Posted by melanie at October 30, 2003
Comments
IDS... probably always was too decent a man for the dirty game that British politics has now become. Ditto William Hague. As someone who'd (still) like to be able to vote Tory but can't see my way to doing so, I'm afraid I simply do not trust Michael Howard. I've watched him be evasive, sophistic and disingenuous once too often. I'm also a fan of Anne Widdecombe, so I'm swayed by her famous judgement of Mr Howard's character too. Speaking of Anne Widdecombe, there's a lady who WOULD grasp the moral and social nettle that Melanie Phillips rightly says should be the Tory's defining agenda. Polly Toynbee in yesterday's Guardian was actually urging Ken Clarke to run for the leadership. If you're interested, I enclose the letter I was prompted to write to her in reply: Dear Ms Toybee, You could not have done the chances of Ken Clarke succeeding Mr Duncan With respect, that he has your support is almost gauranteed to make most I submit that left-liberals such as yourself feel an affinity with Mr If they did so, of course Labour would have reason to be worried as it It would, of course, also destroy what genuine choice there still remains In any case, I wonder that you think you might be aiding Ken Clarke's Yours sincerely, Simon Jones Posted by: at October 30, 2003 11:48 AMThe dilemma for the Tories is that they talk a great deal about personal responsibility except My opinion is that Britain is beyond the tipping point when it comes to individual responsibility as a social goal. But, as to the Tory leadership, too many people saw Howard in the last Conservative government. Davis for a change. Posted by: Theodopoulos Pherecydes at October 30, 2003 04:34 PMThe "no such thing as society" mis- qoute was well played by NL. Margaret Thatcher was merely directing it at people who believed the state was a free ride,and the tax payer would always pick up the bill for their life style choices. Posted by: k young at October 31, 2003 11:54 AMhttp://www.viagra-exchange.com/ (Viagra), please erase this message and you'll never see our ad again. Posted by: Viagra at November 9, 2003 02:06 PMhttp://www.viagra-exchange.com/ (Viagra), please erase this message and you'll never see our ad again. Posted by: Viagra at November 10, 2003 12:05 PMAmsterdam Hotels Auckland Hotels Paris Hotels Prague Hotels Vienna Hotels Seoul Hotels Stockholm Hotels Budapest Hotels Posted by: Amsterdam Hotels at December 9, 2003 09:10 AMAmsterdam Hotels Auckland Hotels Paris Hotels Prague Hotels Vienna Hotels Seoul Hotels Stockholm Hotels Budapest Hotels Posted by: Amsterdam Hotels at December 10, 2003 09:06 AMHi. phentermine pill or adipex on line cheapest didrex or buy tenuate cheap buying phentermine online, buy phentermine online, phentermine information and Viagra from viagra online shop Posted by: order phentermine at December 11, 2003 09:40 AMlipitor online valtrex neurontin information lexapro low cost online celexa sales remeron best buy serafem pill paxil drug zyrtec online order triphasil online yasmin without prescription Posted by: lipitor fact at December 12, 2003 09:28 AMOnline FDA approved drugs: how does buspar work Didrex Prescription Fioricet USA Pharmacy Phentermine Pills Prozac Prescription Soma Sale tenuate USA Pharmacy Ultram Online Cheapest Ultram Viagra On Line buy celebrex online Posted by: retin-a cheap at December 13, 2003 09:27 AMFree Satellite TV, Dishes Network, Free Direct TV, Satellite TV and DirectTV, Direct TV and Satellite TV Posted by: Direct and Satellite TV at December 14, 2003 09:26 AMthey look like, which is all you can really know satellite internet about a stranger when you meet them (aside from dish network maybe cues you get about where you see them at, mengumalogy and inferences based on how they're dressed, etc., directv but those are only generalizations at best, and loan stereotypes at worst). The downsides are legion, satellite tv of course. First of all, I'm just not inclined mortgage to talk to strangers in the first place. Having online poker something like this where it's a weird kind of online casino talking to strangers makes it even more difficult. Posted by: casino at January 18, 2004 09:14 PMSuper Work!! I see a Lot of comments on Viagra - Generic Viagra - Cialis - Levitra and other drugs: Generic Cialis Good people strengthen themselves ceaselessly. Posted by: Salisbury Judd at January 20, 2004 09:36 PMdiscount Evista buy evista Vaniqa pharmacy order vaniqa order zovirax buy zovirax condylox information order condylox discount zoloft cheap zoloft how does Ionamin work buy ionamin patanol infoflonase online shop how does patanol work buy Renova online online renova temovate online temovate sale Prozac online buy prozac best fosamax deal sale fosamax buying famvir order famvir zyban on line buy zyban retin-a cheap cheap retin-a best Nasonex deal order nasonex online Ambien sales online Paxil sales discount xenical diflucan use order nasonex online nasonex Nasacort cheap order nasacort buying Nasacort online flonase tablet cheap flonase best sonata deal cheapest sonata how does Ortho-TriCyclen work buy ortho-evra cheap Wellbutrin cost order Allegra-D buy allegra-d buying zanaflex online order zanaflex cyclobenzaprine prescription buy Skelaxin cheap order skelaxin online flexeril sales Nexium sales order nexium Prilosec price buy prilosec purchase lipitor online buy lipitor cheapest Valtrex order valtrex get neurontin order neurotin discount lexapro buy lexapro how does celexa work order celexa remeron prescription online cheap remeron serafem pill order serafem Paxil cost online paxil lowest zyrtec price order zyrtec triphasil low cost buy triphasil how does yasmin work online yasmin If you see this message - email to esliejikmertv@bk.ru - you'll not see it again. Posted by: buy Fioricet cheap at January 22, 2004 09:27 AMI think I suggested its truly |
