The BBC along with every other news network in Britain, earlier this evening reported that Kenneth Clarke had been found to have attained insufficient backing from his fellow Conservative MPs to carry on with his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party. The news came as a shock to some, a relief to many and to others a statement of the obvious. Clarke garnered 38 votes from members of the parliamentary party, four behind the man who was tipped to go out first, Dr Liam Fox.
While there may not have been much in the vote for the title of third place it has certainly poised a real question to Westminster. With David Davis having gained 62, which may have put him in top spot above David Cameron’s 56, it still leaves him a full 4 votes shy of his publicly expected total and many suspect well beneath the number he had indeed secretly expected. Is it then that Davis' vote is crumbling? Is it purely down to tactical voting? And can we really take that much from this otherwise seemingly strong performance in numbers?
Liam Fox had started the day on 23 MPs publicly supporting him, David Davis had 66. I find it incredibly hard and utterly cynical to say that all 19 extra votes in favour of Dr Fox were simply tactical voting. Ask yourselves why would they do this, surely the man Davis' camp want rid of would be Cameron? Why then gun for Clarke? Did the Davis camp see that Cameron was unbeatable at this point? Or was it simply that more people voted for Fox than was previously thought would vote for him?
The BBC seem to have come to the last of my questions and my personal conclusion and have started to ask around, apparently finding real support in the Davis ranks for a change of allegiances to the Fox camp. This could take the former front runner and party favourite out of the race altogether on Thursday's ballot.
There is of course the issue of 38 votes from the Ken Clarke supporters. These are most likely going to go (if not in bulk then majority-wise) towards the Cameron camp, leaving Fox and Davis more or less where they are now. 42 for Fox and 62 for Davis, 20 votes, Conservative Members of Parliament votes at that.
The number 20 suddenly doesn't seem so big when you consider Fox only has to take 11 of those votes from the Davis camp to go through to the final two. Eleven MPs, all day Wednesday and then Thursday morning to do so, I wonder....
There is no sense to smearing DC with these drugs allegations... unless, the person or persons doing so aren't in the Conservative party, but do in fact lie in either Downing street or LibDem central office.
They are the only persons who won't be affected for the worse by these allegations, and could actually benefit from them.
Dr Fox really thrust to the national attention when he made a powerful and moving speech at the party Conference in Blackpool.
He began by thanking Michael Howard for his years of service to the Conservative party and for the guidance and friendship Mr Howard had shown the leadership hopeful over the years. He pointed to Mr Howard having commanded loyalty and shown loyalty which was the mark of a true leader.
Dr Fox went on to thank all those who had helped him when he was Conservative party chairman, remarking that because of everyones hard work the party now had to squeeze up in the House of Commons benches to make room for the new intake of Conservative MPs. Finally he addressed the point that the Liberal Democrats and Labour were the REAL enemies of the party and that it is important to remember that "we are all on the same side."
Dr Fox then told the conference of his aims and objectives, beginning with the issue of trade, international economic alliance and the need to create an agenda for domestic prosperity that creates wealth not just the redistributes it.
Dr Fox called for less regulation, better education and lower taxes. Hailing the risk takers and creative, addressing the all too vital need for a Britain which is dynamic, innovative, entrepreneurial and a Britain that invents and reinvents.
His views on Europe were laid out for all to see - stating that Europe was becoming economically stagnant, that Britain should be looking for the 21st Century solution rather than staying put with a 20th Century European Union system which was gradually losing its share in world trade. Dr Fox called for Britain to break away from "ever closer Union" and stated that the Conservative party should never accept a Britain who's destiny lies in a United States of Europe.
He then went on to share his view that Britain should end its current relationship with the European Peoples Party. Instead forming a new outward looking group that is pro-market, non-integrationist and Atlanticist, working in tandem with the U.S.A. Going on to state that to see America as a rival rather than an ally is a French view of the world and not a British one.
The next point on Fox's list was that the rule of law must come at the heart of British Foreign Policy.
Dr Fox read an extract describing a scene from Burma, where a family was driven from their home by the Burmese army. He pointed out that this could have been a scene from the Balkans during the 1990's, Nicaragua in the 1980's or Cambodia during the 1970's, stating that Britain should give a voice to those who cannot speak up for themselves, and that Britain should champion those who move their countries towards democracy and freedoms previously unknown.
The leadership hopeful then turned his speech to Iraq, stating that although he resented being wilfully misled into the war, he does feel it is the duty of Britain as a free democratic state to remove such oppresive and abusive regimes as that of Saddam Hussein. Remarking that it is not only our duty to complete the mission Britain set out to achieve but also an immense privilege that Great Britain has the ability to do so. Finishing his point by addressing his desire to see British troops return, but only when the job had been completed and with their heads held high with honour and pride.
Turning the spotlight to domestic matters, Dr Fox spoke of the need for a health care system that looked after the mentally ill instead of casting them aside. To help the those patients who can not find the assistance in the NHS they so desperately need and from which 1,000 patients each year subsequently commit suicide.
He went on with the statistics that shocked the whole auditorium and the many people watching in their homes. "40% of all murders in this country are women who are murdered by their partners," and that there are in fact less places of refuge in London for battered women to escape to than there are for pets. Dr Fox continued, stating that although all of this went on, it was met with indifference and silence from the media.
The former hospital doctor and GP then turned everyone’s attention to the issue of British heritage and pride. Speaking of the fact that we have allowed our society to focus for too long on our diversity and a need to see again what we have in common. Addressing the need to recognise our democracy, fair rule of law, history and heritage, economic liberty and democratic government based at Westminster.
Coming to the end of his speech Dr Fox stressed the need for the recollection of two things – Proportion and reality.
Speaking of proportion he turned to the word crisis. Real crisis is when a baby has a cord wrapped around its neck and is in danger of dying. Crisis, Dr Fox stated is NOT a bad day in the press.
His second point, reality, came in the form of an interview where he stated his support for the Union flag to be flown from every school in Britain and was told that to do so would be racist.
“By what possible meaning of the word could even the most crazed member of the political correctness brigade regard flying your own flag outside your own school as racist?
Let us send them a message: this conference will never be ashamed of the Union flag”
Dr Fox addressed his points and his core beliefs. There was no rhetoric in his speech and no false hope. It was a manifesto for leadership that addressed the concerns of a hopeful and revitalised audience, and a country in wait of a way out of another Labour government. He pointed out that his background nor any persons background should make the slightest difference to their election hopes – stating that where he was going was much more important than where he had come from.
Dr Fox finished his speech by listing the issues that required dealing with as the official opposition party and stating that by working together the party can again WIN.
