David Davis resigns — Clegg does right thing

[matgb]

David Davis (Tory Shadow Home Secretary) has resigned on a point of principle and as I start writing this I hear that Clegg has announced the Lib Dems won't stand against him (ETA: confirmed at the Spectator).

Clegg is 100% correct

That was what I was going to suggest should happen, Labour were a distant third last time but as this is a single issue resignation in order to reinforce there is no mandate for the use of the Parliament Act, and Lib Dem party policy agrees completely with DD's stance, Clegg is correct to suggest no candidate. I believe that constitutionally the local party should be consulted, and I strongly hope that Haltemprice and Howden Lib Dems will not only acquiesce, but will also get out and back him on the campaign trail to strongly reinforce and fight on the issue.

Dodgy polls asking push questions show there is support for the 42 days measure, but an uninformed opinion based on a question that summarises the issue isn't enough.

I never thought I'd say this, but David Davis just went a long way up in my estimation.

Comments

[matgb]

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.

[greyarea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was being somewhat supercilious with that line; I don't really think that all tories are prima facie EVIL. Some of them are just misguided ;)

That said, who am I to talk? I'm clearly a latent tory; my first translation of "H&H" was "Horse and Hound" :(

Interesting comments though - I'm fascinated to see how this pans out over the next few weeks. If, as has been suggested, the pubic actually support 42 days, will that damage his support base? Or will people admire his principled stand and vote for him anyway?

Hadn't though of the Parliament Act possibility; I forget Brown has - potentially - til 2010.