Given that the Bow Group are the oldest Conservative think tank and count Michael Howard, Norman Lamont and Peter Lilley among their former chairmen, it’s safe to presume that the Tories would have thought that they could rely on their endorsement for the election.
However, the Telegraph reported earlier today that the think tank, led by its colourful chairman Ben Harris-Quinney, have urged Conservatives to vote for Ukip in seats where the Tories can’t win. In fact Harris-Quinney appeared to go one step further by urging voters to opt for Ukip’s Mark Reckless in Rochester and Stroud. This is bizarre given that the Tories are hoping to win this seat back in the election.
Stranger still, the Ukip endorsement appears to have come as a surprise to Bow Group patrons Michael Heseltine, Michael Howard, Norman Lamont and Nirj Deva MEP, who have gone against Harris-Quinney and released a strongly-worded statement distancing themselves from the Ukip endorsement:
‘As Patrons of the Bow Group we believe that this country’s best interests are served by voting Conservative in all situations. Ben Harris-Quinney does not speak for us or represent our views.’
The division comes after an interesting period for the think tank under Harris-Quinney’s leadership with Steerpike reporting earlier this year that Sir John Major had stepped down as president of the group. Last year lawyers for the Conservative Party wrote to Harris-Quinney asking that ‘he desist from “passing off” himself and his outfit as having official affiliations to the party’.
Mr S suspects it’s time the think tank considered a new leader.
Update: Harris-Quinney has released a statement to Steerpike, explaining that the group remain united over their wish for a Conservative government even if some members have different approaches:
‘The Bow Group is unequivocal about wanting to see a Conservative majority on May 8th, and I personally will be voting Conservative in a seat where the Tories can and will win. You can take two approaches however, stick your head in the sand and pray for an impossible majority, or start to look at how to best counter the reality of the neo – Marxist threat of the SNP, Green Party and Plaid Cymru propping up a Labour government. I supported a pre-election constituency by consistency accommodation with UKIP, as did Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lord Tebbit and Toby Young, if that had been in place I believe the Conservatives would now be sailing to a majority.
On the continent, where many countries have become used to multi-party politics, it would be seen as essential for parties with even minorly overlapping values to work together before and after an election. I believe that will eventually have to happen in the UK, but it may take the older parties a long time to arrive at that conclusion, and it will be a messy process for everyone, including the Bow Group.’
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