Stuff and nonsense

Verity

Stephen, this is not a stupid man. It is the act of a principled man. He has put his country above his personal future. He is the only politician who is fighting for freedom and riding into battle with the thought fascists and control-driven holders of office in this vile government.

Kevyn Bodman

Gloriously wrong again, Mr. Pollard.
What David Davis' resignation, by-election campaign and subsequent vistory will achieve is to get these issues widely discussed.

And the issue will resonate throughout the campaign, when he returns to the House of Commons to huge cheers and into the General Election campaign.

If Labour field a candidate they'll be exposed to the strength of Davis' arguments and the weakness of their own.
If Labour don't field a candidate they'll be exposed as cowards,and they'll be exposed as contemptuous of the voters.
Labour cannot come out of this well.

Davis has run a risk here, but it's one that I hope and believe will pay dividends.
These issues would not have been discussed in the same way without Davis' resignation because Cameron wouldn't have wanted it.

Maybe Davis has bounced Conservative policy forward a bit?
But he's done it on the most important issue facing us.

Well done David Davis.

patricia

Who knows.

Principle or Position?

The media is well and truly out.

Cameron should be worried though.

Davies makes him look like a political puppy.

Tip for Cameron;

Next time you go out a polling - mess your hair up a bit.

It works.

tompaine

DD's actions appear to be stupid and mad only to those of you who, whilst scraping a living from writing about current affairs, have completely failed to grasp the zeitgeist amongst us stone chewing provincials. We ordinary mortals, the uninitiated, the unilluminated, are well beyond mere disagreement with this half-educated, semi-literate,historically ignorant, corrupt and deceitful government and its attempts to build a neo-fascist corporate police state and ride roughshod over our hard won civil liberties. The only question which will shortly now concern us is whether there are enough speed cameras within a 100 yards of Westminster to support a hung parliament.

cuffleyburgers

Step back a sec and take the heli view - Yes the shadow cabinet is weaker as a result, but they will find somebody else who will hopefully have a chance to grow into the role and become a familiar and respected face.

In the meantime the Tories have a big beast who has made a massive gesture out of undiluted principle, on an issue over which Labour's performance has been lamentable and is therefore rich ground for the Tories to till.

DD will be back, and having a high profile back bencher (provided he is loyal which he will be but which will help keep DC honest) carving out his space on this issue.

There is plenty of time to bring him back in before the next election, having:
* secured an important piece of electoral ground
* strengthened the shadow cabinet
* maintained a continual sniping from the sidelines against labour's undeniable and ugly authoritarian demeanour

I don't think I am being hopelessly optimistic when I say this could yet turn out to be a "queen sacrifice" (or a "knight sacrifice" if you prefer) which over the course of the coming months will pay strategic dividends.

We'll have Mr Brown rueing his pyhrric victory before this is over.

Scott

As far as I can tell, the only people who are critical of this move are the political elite and pundits who didn't see this coming, can't comprehend the principle, and are struggling to regain control of the story and the previous status quo. Too late...

Jo

Pollard, best blog Ive read on this. You are spot on.

David Lindsay

Are happy to have found your intellectual and social level as a supporter of Kelvin Mackenzie?

Tim Evans

Stephen, sadly you are really wrong and out of touch here. This is not about short term politics or how things play out in the Westminster village in the next month or two. DD is really passionate about this and you should respect him for his position: dont demean the man or the debate he is urging with diversionary complaints of ego! Trust me, he really is in touch with middle England here. These civil libertarian issues have been brewing for years and he is in touch with a zeitgeist.

paul D

Stephen, your analysis of David Davis is correct and not out of touch. DD may feel passionately about the gnawing away of civil liberties and has clearly hit a nerve with many members of the public. He may be in tune with the zietgeist and should perhaps seek to drive a national debate.

But why resign from Parliament to do this? Why could he not spearguard such a debate from his strong position as Shadow Home Secretary, continuing to harangue his opposite number and the government generally. Resigning to fight a bye-election is a stunt and a gimmick. What if no other candidate stands against him? Then there won't even be a poll or hustings or any debate. He will be automatically returned as MP and this whole charade will be akin to a damp squib.

Verity, DD's actions are hardly Churchillian are they?

Kevyn Bodman: Labour would not come of out of this well either way, so they may as well not stand.

Indeed DD's actions have served to take the pressure off Gordon Brown and to take him off the front pages for a few days.

(Oh how Gordon Brown must be rueing England's failure to qualilfy for Euro 2008 with all the ridiculous over the top blanket and out of proportion coverage that would have entailed in recent weeks).

Stephen Pollard

I'm afraid some of you have jumped to conclusions. Just because I think Davis has gone slightly bonkers doesn't mean I support the Bill. If you read my posts you'll see that - on balance - I would have voted no. It's not his views that deserve to be pilloried but his his utterly counter-productive tactics.

Oliver Kamm

My dear chap, the Lisbon treaty is not a new constitution for the EU and its proponents are not a conspiracy. Lisbon is an amending treaty for the existing arrangements. European integration has, as you note, been good for Ireland, but that's not where it ends.

On the other hand, I'm pleased to see the founder and leader of the British People's Alliance, Mr David Lindsay, use his own name under which to post comments to this site for a change.

Verity

Tim Evans - You are correct. They're all a-twitter in Westminster Village and all busy calculating how this will "play out" in Westminster Village and the media. Westminster Village. Westminster Village.

The voters don't care what the media and Westminster Village thinks. They are hailing his move as brave. And yes, to the poster above, it was a Churchillian gesture.

Although he didn't do it for reasons of self-glory, he - already a big beast - will be immeasurably enhanced by this brave step.

This is what the little people, the British voters, think. The elite in Westminster Village and the media can continue its involvement with how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but the electorate has had a great surge in spirit.

BTW - Re Patricia's astute comment to DC - well-observed. Messy hair worked for Boris, too, and David Davis looks all the more impressive for his mane.

Except, I don't want David Cameron to win (at anything), so I am going to counsel him to keep the sleek, smarmy look. It makes him look like a twin of his hero, Tony Sleaze.

Kevyn Bodman

Oliver Kamm,
What's that little dig at David Lindsay?
He's often on these pages under his own name.

David Boothroyd

Here's the issue. The public look at David Davis, potentially endangering his political career over a point of principle. That is always something to be respected, even if one dislikes the politician or disagrees with the principle.

The 'Westminster village' looks at the long term. Even if re-elected with a substantial vote, Davis has ended his chance of actually being able to set policy in accordance with his principles. If the public wants respected, principled politicians who are popular, surely they want them in office making policy rather than in opposition commenting on other people's policies.

The Real Green Goddess

"I'm pleased to see...Mr David Lindsay, use his own name under which to post comments to this site for a change"

Hear! Hear!

Commondog

So, Oliver Kamm and The Real Green Goddess have the resources to find out all our email addresses?

I have used a few different tags in the past, didn't think there was any law passed yet. What's the harm - a comment is a comment?

Oliver Kamm

Indeed, but Mr Lindsay's was a slightly different case. If you go to the comments on this post, and note that two out of the last three contributors to it are the same person, you'll immediately see the point I'm making.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/283206/melanie-phillips-joins-spectatorcouk.thtml

Ian C

Stephen/Melanie,
Having thought like you initially and said as much on a Coffee House blog I have changed my mind. I think Davis has been much smarter than we all know. Watch Brown squirm once this gets going - especially if some 42 day labour rebels have a holiday in Haltemprice and wherever-it-is.

Praguetory

The one thing David Davis has achieved...! said Stephen

In the last 72 hours or so David has managed to

1. ensure that the Tory position on 42 days is nailed to the wall
2. form a pro-liberty Alliance with the Lib Dems
3. provoke 2 Labour MPs to support him
4. keep the issue in the press
5. make Rupert Murdoch look like a man of poor judgment

More then most politicians achieve in a career, I'd venture - and we haven't started yet.