A few weeks ago I made a few headlines by stating on my blog that I wanted to see a change in leadership of the Lib Dems. I did so because I felt Ming was not up to the task of leading the Lib Dems any further and I needed some convincing that the party could still move forward.
Yesterday's by-election results left me with the feeling that the party can move on and that although we might do better with another leader, Ming is safe and has my support (for what that is worth).
The irony is now that everyone is now looking at David Cameron and asking what he has actually done to move the Conservative Party forward. After all, Iain Duncan-Smith had a series of good results in local elections yet he too had difficulty in making any headway in parliamentary by-elections. Slipping to third in Sedgefield and the poor third in Ealing when the Tories claimed they were in a clear second place further underlines the problems Cameron has.
On Iain Dale's blog there are plenty of comments from Tories who are upset. The general feeling is that Cameron is lightweight and lack conviction. Moreover, many people are adding that unlike Tony Blair in 1994 with his Clause 4 moment and the whole forging of New Labour, David Cameron has moved further in making the Conservative something that the party's activists are not, and in that sense he has left the activists behind.
Some are already letting it be known that Ealing was a disaster whilst it has been widely pointed out that Cameron chose tony lit as the Tory candidate and that he allowed Tony lit to include David Cameron's name on the ballot paper. This says much about Cameron's judgement and his value as a vote winner. People fell over themselves to vote for Blair in 1994 thought to 1997. The situation with Cameron appears to be in direct contrast.
The question for the Tories is what do they stand for these days. When their own Ealing Southall Website is running with lies about their scale of the result yesterday, Tories everywhere need to ask is this really the vision they have of their party. Perhaps Cameron is a good bet, if he can deliver victory. But if he offers neither Conservatism of victory, then what does he offer.
The irony of the week is amusing, It started of on Monday with BBC Radio 4 doing a piece on will Ming Campbell survive, and it ends with questions now being asked about Cameron whilst Ming's position seems secure.
2 comments:
I wonder if any Tory bloggers will have the nerve to do what you did the other week Nich and call for your party leader to go ?
I doubt many of them will speak up, but they should. Cameorn is now proving to be a liability. The number of jokes at his expense this wek on satirical TV programmes has been massive.
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