Warsi takes on the Tory right

After the result, the spin. We got the first drafts of each party’s response to the Oldham by-election in the dark hours of this morning – but the picture is solidifying now that the sun has risen. What’s clear is that both Labour and the Lib Dems are having an easier time putting on a united front than the Tories. The Labour response was typified by Yvette Cooper’s appearance on the Today Programme earlier. She broadcast the message that her party would have broadcast whatever the result: that this is defining proof that the public doesn’t back the coalition and its economic policy. And as for the Lib Dems, they’re all chirping the same lyric of, “Oh, well, yes, we did alright, really, given the circumstances.”

But it’s a little trickier for the Tories. While it’s not too surprising that their vote share plummeted in a by-election that was so often advertised as red vs yellow, it still fuels that idea that they didn’t do their utmost to pick up votes on the campaign trail. This point was put to Baroness Warsi, also on Today, and she fielded it with bleary-eyed clumsiness:

“As far as the right wing of of our party is concerned, I would say this to them … we had some who made much comment that we weren’t fighting a strong enough campaign but, interestingly, didn’t turn up to campaign. And therefore I would say to those who are critical, unless you were here, unless you were out delivering, and unless you were knocking on doors, you really don’t have a right to complain about us not being vigorous enough.”

A sentiment that you may or not agree with, but not a wise one for the the Tory co-chairman to utter in the aftermath of a by-election defeat. From her party’s perspective, this is a time for reassurance, not for the airing of internal grievances and divides. The Tory right is already simmering. This kind of intervention could bring them to a boil.