Davis for Home Secretary?

Chris Morriss

You ask:
"Does David Davis have the appetite for progressive politics?"

From what I've heard and read about him, then the answer would seem to be an emphatic yes. Whether he has any appetite for call-me-Dave's regressive politics is a different matter. Perhaps you might care to re-consider what is genuinely progressive and what is regressive in these increasingly illiberal days.

Tiberius

I suppose it depends on your point of view, David, but I consider Davis' resignation a worse offence than Grayling's.

Perhaps we should ask who is better qualified for the job on the basis of toy-throwing from the pram?

Ian

Although a Cabinet job would ensure that David Davis remains inside the tent pi**ing out, his extraordinarily large ego will linger and, I believe, become dangerously divisive in time. I can think of nothing more petulant in recent years than Mr Davis' hissy fit 'civil liberties' stance, which was a thinly disguised attack on DC.

Death or Tory

"Does David Davis have the appetite for progressive politics?"

No - and that's the problem. He has the background and experience for the post, but lacks the judgement and the risk would always be that he would have another 'personal' moment, where what was right for the Conservative Party (and possibly a future Conservative Government) was completely ignored in favour of what was right inside DD's head at the time.

This flaw is dangerous enough in a Party in Opposition - in Government, it could prove disastrous. Toeing the Party line, even when you don't always agree with it, is part of the game. DD is a maverick - a talented maverick - but one all the same. Cameron cannot afford a loose cannon at the Home Office during his vital first Parliament.

charle§

This is a story put about by the Davis camp. Consider the facts:

- with his petulant resignation he showed his poor judgement
- he is not in tune with the Cameron style of leadership
- he states that he would be willing to "return" if given "a propert job". Recall he wanted to return straight after the the by-election but that Cameron refused - basically sacked him
- he has done nothing to persuade the leadership of his loyalty or suitability
- yes, Grayling made a mistake, but it was relatively harmless (and he had been on stage when the appointment was announced).

Question: why should Davis get a senior job when he has shown he has poor judgement and has done nothing to helpt the leadership win the election. Sounds like a sense of entitlement and some none-to-subtle positioning going on

TrevorsDen

"I’m now told there have been mounting whispers among MPs" hmm... very authoritative and from William Hickey too !

I am not sure the gaff was that big given the previous intervention by labour into the Conference.

I like Davis but you cannot just up and resign from the shadow cabinet on a whim. The august Spectator does rather betray the schoolboys running it from time to time.

Doug

Sorry, NO. He had his chance and chose to pull a stunt that was nothing but a selfish, unedifying glorification of his own ego. That is what really disqualifies someone form high office.

Robert Eve

I really admired David Davis when he resigned on principle over the socialist attacks on civil liberties. Grayling is OK but Davis would be my choice for Home Secretary.

He would have been my choice for leader when Cameron won.

Of course my choice now would be Dan The Man.

simon

He had his chance.

terence patrick hewett

Davis has an empathy with the man on the Clapham Omnibus that none of the Tories have. If the Tory Party doesn't realise this then there is no hope for them.

JohnPage

Yes, presumably kite is being flown by some of DD's followers. The big ego showed he is not a team player and his political judgement is poor(and one wonders how the porch(?) will play in the Legg letters).

Grayling's mistake was understandable, trivial, and outside the tittering Westminster village it will already have been forgotten.

Holly

Ego bigger than the home office....he resigned KNOWING he would be re elected..so took NO RISK.
He made his bed and it would be a Labour thing to do to Greyling.Who said about Dannatt, "I do hope it is not a gimmick", which is a country mile away from calling it a gimmick, it showed he respected Dannatt and had a good measure of Labour tactics.David Davis is a 'yesterday Tory'
Cameron did not bend over backwards to keep him now did he? Wise move.

floatingvoter

he is the Daddy, no doubt about it. Hew speaks sensibly and with caution about liberty and generally seems well rounded and considered. Also I think it says something about him that he was willing to spell out the problems of the UK in terms of encroachment of the government into our private lives at a time when others were not.

Davis for Home secretary: yes please

Noa Zrk

DD? He'll only have my support if he promises to put a gallows in every town and a gibbet on every moor. Thereon should dangle the blowhards advocating the chimera of "progressive politics", whatever they are. I'll happily settle for a low tax, low interference government but don't hold out much hope for that.

Nigel, Bexleyheath

I've always thought DD would make a good home secretary. He came across well as the shadow, held the executive to account well and his background negated the usual cries of 'privileged toff' from Labour. The fact that he threw his toys out of the pram some time ago and paid the price for it may have taught him he's not indispensable. I did believe his motives were honorable at the time and still do. The fact that a man of his talent has spent a while on the back benches may have mellowed his temperament for the good of his country, his party and his self.

old fogey

Never mind Davis for Home Secretary what about Redwood for the Exchequer.

Verity

Old Fogey - Good call.

TGF UKIP

Davis baled out to put a country mile between The Clique and himself which is why this story is absolutely fanciful and is most likely to have emanated from the Mekon/Cameron camp so that they could deny it.

They know full well that Davis is just waiting for them to disappear in a shower of sparks and shit either when they lose next year or shortly afterwards when they turn out to be as useless at government as they have been at opposition.

Fergus Pickering

I'll buy Davis as Home Secretary. Grayling is loyal but obviously a bit thick. I don't think our Home Secretary should be a bit thick. The trouble with intelligent people is that they will think for themselves. A pity, but there it is.

JohnAnt

Davis has been trained at the TA to hug hoodies with his bare hands. It'll be a doddle.

stephen

This is a man who wasted public money by 'resigning' and thereby triggering an unnecessary by-election. A true Conservative does not choose to squander taxpayers money. He has no place at the top table.

John Maynard

Davis has blotted his copy book, a probationary (non-cabinet) special responsibilities post (civil liberties ?) might be a good idea.

You have to wonder whether the chorus of Tory anti-Davis voices on here, are the brain dead tendency, who rather like Blair-Brown's erosion of liberties, and would wish to extend them further.

Archie

Further: Davis for PM AND Redwood for Chancellor! The fact that Redwood is languishing on the back benches is another reason to reject Cameron and all his works. What a waste!

Tuco

I note that the Fanzine readers are still presenting symptoms of the disease that has given New Labour a free run for the last twelve years.

Maggie

I notice that Davis' supporters all suffer from the same boorish tendencies as NuLabour. Perhaps he'd be better off in the Labour Party where temper tantrums and back stabbing are more likely to be the norm.

Vulture

I supported Davis at the time of his losing battle with Dave for the leadership. Since then he has acted like a petulant schoolgirl who's been missed out of the House netball team.
First we had the idiocy of putting the charmless and crooked Derek Conway in charge of his campaign.
Then we had his extraordinary hissy-fit resignation and re-election.
Finally, he has become the member for Al Queda East, always putting in a good word for the human rights of fanatics who wish us dead.
The man is a monumental egotist, and a wee bit of a thickie into the bargain. I don't often back Dave, but in retrospect I'm glad he won if the only alternative is DD. He would be a disastrous Home Secretary.

In2minds

David Davis has his own mind, can't have that can we? Far better to have a Cameron yes man, some of the criticisms of Davis above could have been written by Michael White of the Guardian! What are you lot scared of?

Ian C

A loose canon as Home Sec? I don't think DC is that stupid. Principled DD may be but not a doer. He is far better doing what he did best which was chair of the finance committee where he can poke the party/gov't where it hurts but behind the scenes.

Maggie

"David Davis has his own mind..."

Unfortunately its a third rate mind and there's already a surfeit of those to choose from. There aren't be any sensible reasons why David Davis should receive special consideration when there are men and women equally and/or better qualified to do the job.

G Butler.

I don't think Grayling will be Home Secretary, he does not seem to have mastered this brief as well as transport or welfare.
However David Davis is not the man to replace him. A man who thinks too highly of himself, and lacks the loyalty required for a top post.

A smarter bet would be Liam Fox. Cameron will need an olive branch to offer the right, and Fox has shown strong loyalty despite constant whisperings against him in the press.

Norman Dee

Seems to me that you must have some quirks in a persons character to get the best out of them. You are condemned for being too "grey" and playing it safe, and yet to do something extrovert and resign suddenly over a deeply held belief is wrong also. the top people in other walks of life are the risk takers, the extroverts, and yes the arrogant. Mandelson seems to have done alright out of it, sacked 3 times and yet still ends up in a top European job, and is then dragged back, promoted, and made the pseudo prime minister. Goodness knows where he will end up, the first World President ?

Steve Tierney

There is nobody better qualified or better-suited to the post that David Davis. The fact that he's not on the front bench, alongside Douglas Carswell and John Redwood, is a terrible waste.

NW Tory Activist

I'd like Davis to return though doubt it will happen this side of a General Election. I'm more concerned that Grayling isn't upto this great office of State. There's now been a series of gaffes including confiscating chavs' mobiles and I think he's better as a Party Chairman 'attack dog.' This was his role before the expenses' scandal.