I've always known there were principled Tories, just as there are principled NuLabourites and similar. They're rare, and I frequently disagree with them, but people like Alan Clark and even Widdecombe had principles—deluded, misguided and wrong a lot of the time, but they were there. Rachel's met him and is impressed. That's enough for me on this one.
Thing is, reading between the lines, he didn't trust Cameron (and his cronies) on the issue and wasn't sure he'd be HomeSec. He's acheived objective one and forced the Tory party to unite on the policy (Gove on QT is managing to appear strong on the issue even though we know he isn't in private).
Objective 2 is public debate properly—SB tells me it was being discussed in her pub today, that's almost unheard of for politics stuff.
Objective 3 is stop Brown using the Parlt Act once it falls in the Lords, which I think he can do. I think he's getting all three TBH.
Huge amounts of personal publicity and ensuring a massive personal vote in H&H are of course good side effects for him, but at the cost of his front bench position for some time. Cameron is apparently livid.
no subject
Thing is, reading between the lines, he didn't trust Cameron (and his cronies) on the issue and wasn't sure he'd be HomeSec. He's acheived objective one and forced the Tory party to unite on the policy (Gove on QT is managing to appear strong on the issue even though we know he isn't in private).
Objective 2 is public debate properly—SB tells me it was being discussed in her pub today, that's almost unheard of for politics stuff.
Objective 3 is stop Brown using the Parlt Act once it falls in the Lords, which I think he can do. I think he's getting all three TBH.
Huge amounts of personal publicity and ensuring a massive personal vote in H&H are of course good side effects for him, but at the cost of his front bench position for some time. Cameron is apparently livid.