No dithering Dave - axe Conway
Fraser Nelson 12:37pm
We know that Team Cameron are keen readers of CoffeeHouse - and if so, our comment board has some free advice for them. Sack Conway. Remove the whip. De-select him. Give him the Howard Flight treatment. Flog him to the LibDems.
His "unreserved" apology was for "administrative oversight". As Quentin Letts says, is that what they call it nowadays? Sure, some of this punishment can't be meted out from the centre - but there are ways and means. This is an issue with deep resonance with the public. Hain's declarations may be a bit complex, but the public recognise a nose in the trough when they see one. I praised Cameron for his quick decision over Patrick Mercer - where perception of his sin was a bigger problem than the sin itself. With Conway, perception is as bad as the sin. Cameron's losing time here. Every hour counts. As Coffee Houser Max Kaye says, "No dithering please - leave that to Brown".
Previous
Comments
Simon
January 29th, 2008 12:58pmI agree with you for once Fraser. By the way its worth remembering that Conway might very well have been Chief Whip by now if David Davis had won the leadership.
mark
January 29th, 2008 1:04pmMr Cameron - do the right thing - provide the sword on which Mr Conway can fall - and do a thorough check of all the other "family workers" - whilst legal, the public will not see it that way and will look very badly at attempts to explain all this as "administrative oversight"
ordinary bloke
January 29th, 2008 1:05pmAt last Cameron has acted - why so long.
Ray
January 29th, 2008 1:26pmWith reference to Patrick Mercer, since when has telling the truth (albeit with the brusqueness that perhaps becomes an ex-soldier) ever been a sin?
Mike
January 29th, 2008 1:43pmDithering over as the whip has been removed from Conway. It took a bit of time but the right decision - it proves DC is hungry for power and that overrides David Davies' mates and party loyalties Now to ask Brown if he will remove the whip from Hain and Harman?
newmania
January 29th, 2008 1:44pmI agree and I actually agreed about Mercer which a lot of my right wing kidney did not . Oh how vindicated I felt later. Have alook on Ministry of truth and you will see this is only going ot get worse
David
January 29th, 2008 1:44pmPsst-he has.
Slim Jim
January 29th, 2008 1:48pmWell Fraser, the young Cameron read your article and made the right decision! Whilst he could be accused of reacting to the MSM and some blogs, he at least has distanced himself sufficiently from Conway. In my book, he is showing decisive leadership in a 'crisis'. At least he's demonstrating more political nous than Brown. The problem with all this 'troughing' business is that it's distracting from the principal betrayal of trust - the European Referendum. Such perfidy knows no bounds.
Tiberius
January 29th, 2008 1:51pmYes, Cameron should sack him. But why hasn't he (yet)? Nick Robinson's "political reason" is interesting because apparently, Conway would have been a senior figure in the Party if David Davis had become leader. Perhaps we are seeing Cameron securing his flank before dealing with the problem in front of him. And to widen the issue a little, Conway comes across as one of the old guard, one who would be in a Davis led Opposition, which, according to many of Cameron's critics, would have polling of over 50% now. What damage would this revelation have had on the polling of Davis' virtual Opposition? It is hard to see a Cameroon carrying out such an injudicious act as allegedly lining the pockets of the family with taxpayers' money. It is stretching credulity that these neo-Majorite excesses still occur after the lessons of the last 15 years, but hey presto.
TGF UKIP
January 29th, 2008 9:19pm"It is hard to see a Cameroon carrying out ......" Conferring politicial sainthood are we now Tiberius coupled with a little smear on the DD Clan. I'll now enjoy it all the more when one of Dave's Blue Labour mates gets caught with his hand in the till.
Tiberius
January 30th, 2008 10:15amSainthood for the Cameroons, no, a dig at silly middle-aged men, yes, but you'll be fully entitled to kick me, TGF, if any Cameroon comes out with a cringeworthy act or statement of the suicidal proportion of the Conway, Flight or Mercer variety.