The Tories need to talk

Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend.

Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend. Everything that he wrote in his leaked letter to David Cameron is true: the Conservatives in opposition promised to be tough on defence; in government, however, they propose to degrade Britain’s military to the extent that it would be unable to repeat successful operations such as the one carried out in Sierra Leone. This government is determined at all costs to protect the NHS budget and spend more (borrowed) money on overseas aid — while the military’s budget is to be cut to pieces.

The Defence Secretary is understandably furious at the leak, which makes him look manipulative and underhand. Yet his letter does offer an intriguing glimpse of the tensions within the Conservative party. A poll of party members last year showed that they regarded defence as crucial. Nonetheless, they did not grumble when it became clear, in the run-up to the election, that it was not to be a priority — they kept quiet and unified.

But it is hard to argue that forsaking defence spending for the NHS led to stunning electoral success. Despite his personal appeal, Mr Cameron, let’s not forget, remains the most electorally unsuccessful Tory Prime Minister in history.

So why did the party win such a low share of the vote, in perfect electoral conditions? It is hard to find a Conservative party member without a theory. We must hope that Birmingham next week will provide the opportunity for a proper post-mortem.

The other parties are, after all, dissecting their own failures with great effect.