Posted by Philip Stobbart on November 05, 2002 at 19:12:15:
My personal feeling about this weeks events (the resignation of John Bercow, the three linbe whip) is, as is often the case, a mistake by the leader at the wrong time. Mr Duncan-Smith has certainly led the party in a way 100% compatible with my own thoughts and feelings on how the thing should be lead, but this has lead to the sort of mistakes I would make were I an inexperienced leader in a time of media fed crisis. The imposition of a three-line whip was not of the leader's hand, it was a general agreement of the mjority of the shadow cabinet, with which the leader could never be seen to have a split with, there would be a media feeding frenzy that would see his downfall in moments. But he should have stood firm on that occassion, produced consistency with his new direction rather than that the party had done one year earlier.
The problems were made many times worse by the absolute lack of any real news in the days preceeding the events. Media hacks waited for the least tid-bit of a story and fed off the treat of the minor difficulty as if it were a feast. I doubt whether this would have been such a story if it had happened a few days earlier with the sad farewell being paid to angus deayton and john leslie, as it was, the news had almost not moved over twenty-four hours and needed something, anything, to get it going again.
The issue should not be the fact that there is a difference of opinion within the conservative party - that is taken as read by those who work for this highly democratic institution. We have a system of five 'pillars of conservatism', ideals to which we are signed up to. Beyond that, how we interpret the ideals is entirely up to us, which has produced the verve that has kept the conservative party at least one step in the future whilst retaining a healthy memory for the thoughts of the past and the present. The issue must be about what has happened at the top, the isue must be about Ian getting more confidence to persue the path he wants to take. John Bercow is already in another top job (campaigns co-ordinator) within the conservative party, and if he can immediately get back to doing something productive, those with a far higher opinion of themselves must also. It is time to leave behind the faces of the past if they wish to remain there, Ken Clark, your time is over, let the party move on. Micheal, I am sorry, but if you wish to use the words of Ian Duncan Smith, then give your full and frank support to him, consistently and without barbs. IDS, I will see you in a fortnight and will visibly be giving my full support to you.
I only hope the Conservative Prty as a whole can do the same.