Great to see Ken Clarke back on the front bench today, in typically great form taking apart Peter Mandelson’s scheme to boost the car industry. His performance since being recalled to the front bench has done much to justify those Conservatives, including many of us at Platform 10, who argued for his recall to the front line. His return to the Shadow Cabinet represents a decisive shift in favour of governing and winning elections and away from an obsession with Europe and ideological purity, as personified by the hard right who objected so much to Ken’s recall. Conservative Home is continuing to publish anti-Ken stories about statements he made long before he was recalled to the front bench and which have nothing to do with his front bench responsibilities. Surely it is now time for Con Home turn their fire on the Labour Party and get behind all of the Shadow Cabinet who will be representing us come the election.
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If these comments were sincere, then you would also be arguing for the return of David Davies, who is a far more effective and hard-working politician than Ken Clarke….but the fact that you don’t shows that ideological obsession and personal animosity are ever present on the “Hard Left” of the Tory Party too.
I suspect that the author would be delighted to see David Davis back on the front line. It is one party and there is plenty of room for all of us.
I think DDs sin was not talking about what he was going to do properly before he did it (I don’t know, I’m only suggesting). More importantly, ConservativeHome doesn’t strike me as particularly supporting the drive for a Conservative Government. Most of the time they are the Opposition’s opposition.
With reference to comment 1 – I’m a massive fan of David Davis. He is one of the great talents of the Tory benches; was a phenomenally successful Shadow Home Secretary; and he would be a welcome and strong member of a future Conservative cabinet. Having said that, this post was about the need for us all to get behind the existing Shadow Cabinet in the run up to the next election and not indulge in sniping based on past animosities.