Duncan’s clever line was full time foolish

Tim Montgomerie and Iain Dale have both written posts today objecting to the briefing against Alan Duncan. They are right that it is never edifying to see someone being knifed by their own side, but I can’t help but feel that this is an inevitable consequence of Duncan giving that rather too memorable quote about it being “Better to be part-time wise than full-time ignorant,” after the leadership had been forced to back down over second jobs. Forcing your leader into a climb-down is rarely good for your career in the long-term, but crowing afterwards comes close to direct provocation.

Duncan’s plight has not been helped by the fact that in the aftermath of the second jobs climb-down both Steve Hilton and Andy Coulson were attacked by an anonymous shadow minister. One might see the briefings against Duncan – who is also a good friend of William Hague, the most prominent second