It’s been just over a week since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for David Davis. We’ve since picked out the best ten, which have now been put to the former shadow home secretary. He’ll get back to us over the next couple of days.
The CoffeeHousers whose questions were chosen can e-mail me on phoskin @ spectator.co.uk to claim their t-shirt and 180th Anniversary issue of the magazine.
Anyway, here are the questions:
1) Simon Chapman:
“The Conservative Party had won the argument and the moral victory. There are still battles to be fought in Parliament. As Shadow Home Secretary, in the current polls, you had the opportunity in two years time to reverse not only 42 days but the whole erosion of liberty that you have championed. Why, then, did you decide that your resignation was a more effective strategy for your cause and to achieve your objective of civil liberty reform, than the alternative option open to you: staying in your job, leading the parliamentary battle, and then rolling back the legislation as a great reforming Home Secretary?”
2) Kevyn Bodman:
“Those of us opposed to 42 day detention without charge are sometimes accused of defending the right of terrorists to blow us up and of not being willing to keep ordinary people safe. That’s a point that needs to countered. How do you counter it?”
3) Jessica:
“Is this some kind of smokescreen? Is your real motive to undermine David Cameron and then in time mount a leadership bid?”
4) David T:
“If I were a Tory who thought you were an excellent constituency MP, but who nevertheless supported the 42 day proposal, who should I vote for in the coming election? In particular, how can I make it clear that my vote does not express opposition to 42 days?”
5) TGF UKIP:
“Mr Davis, much of the pressure on our freedoms is coming not just from Government legislation but from the constant bullying, disguised as peer pressure, by the disciples of political correctness and the climate change lobby. Will you be speaking out against the curtailment of our freedoms by such bullying?”
6) Harry:
“How do you square your party’s opposition to 42 days detention, and their support for the EU arrest warrant? Are the two not contradictory? Would a Conservative Government repeal/opt-out of the EU arrest warrant?”
7) Richard Y:
“What are the specific criteria you will measure yourself against to know if this high risk strategy was successful?”
8) Napoleon:
“So how can you resign on this issue, but still defend the death penalty?”
9) Jack:
“What will you do after the by-election to continue the fight against the loss of civil liberties?”
10) Tory Supporter:
“How can you oppose CCTV and DNA Database? In cases such as Rhys Jones and Tom Ap Reece Price (to name just two, there are many more) murders CCTV was crucial. The DNA database has solved some horrific crimes (Sally Ann Bowmen) and put away truly dangerous people and the police NEED them to fight crime effectively, not to mention the fact they are popular with the public.”
And I’m going to exploit my moderator’s prerogative to ask an eleventh question:
11) Pete Hoskin:
“We recently held a competition on Coffee House to find the best way of keeping your campaign in the media spotlight. The winning entry came from a ‘James’, who proposed that you make an ‘Inconvenient Truth’-style documentary about the erosion of civil liberties. Is this something that your team would consider doing?”
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