Putting the "fun" into Politics

For a time there, some people might have thought that politics was boring. But the last election, and the government since has made political argument central to our lives again ...

Crash - 20 newly elected Tory and Labour MPs announce they are to vote No on the AV referendum (here)

Bang - Former Tory Shadow Home Secretary David Davis says he'll oppose the government's tuition fees rise (here)

Wallop - Scottish LibDem MP quits the government, then he doesn't, then Radio 4 admit they've been conned by a Georgie builder (here)

As they would say in China, we live in interesting times. Of these the most significant could be Mr Davis and his opposition to fees. Will we see more Tories follow suit now? And if so, and I am not sure of the parliamentary maths here, does that put pressure on LibDems to vote in favour to ensure the bill passes?

Note to the BBC

When I blogged that people would flock to the Davis banner of freedom, it was against the backdrop of 69% support for 42 days, a victorious Labour Party emerging from a parliamentary win and a media convinced that DD was bonkers.

Now, a few days later the commentators are changing their minds, the polls (especially within Davis' own constituency) are showing public backing for the resignation and even the Murdoch empire is backing off.

Note to BBC et al; check with the public before deciding what you think they think.

Why the Sun Won't Win It

I am glad that Kelvin McKenzie is ready to be the standard bearer for 42 days, especially as Gordon Brown's Labour Party is too gutless to do just that. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that Kelvin won't make the ballot paper; why? Well, for a start we know that Rupert Murdoch is personally financing the campaign (Kelvin said so on national TV yesterday) and that the Murdoch press will swing behind him.

However the beauty of particularly "The Sun" is its claim to be the voice of the nation; our best read newspaper. There is no way on earth "The Sun" would back a candidate who stood a chance of losing. "The Sun" is always right, it always backs the winner and Murdoch won't take chances.

They'll be doing their research tonight, no doubt polls and focus groups too. And if the voters of David Davis' former constituency look like backing DD over Kelvin, they'll steer well clear.

Davis is still putting this issue firmly first and centre on the agenda; I even had a call from our local media today about my views on this. The more Davis speaks the more people will realise that our British way of life is being erroded.

If it thinks there is even a chance it may lose, "The Sun" won't take on H&H and it won't take on Davis.

UPDATE; a colleague of mine at work things this looks a lot like the Purple Party stunt from the awful BBC series "The Amazing Mrs Pritchard". I bloody well hope not!

Probably the most remarkable politican of the last decade

The resignation of Tory Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, not just from his frontbench job but as an MP, is a remarkable piece of political drama. Quitting to force a by-election on the 42 days issue is an honourable and brave move; but for some of us, we've come to expect this from Davis who has a long history of speaking up for civil liberties. Tonight, a strong coalition is building around Davis and they clearly plan to take this fight to Brown and the country; persuading the majority of Britons who still believe in 42 days.

Any MP giving up his seat (and Davis could lose it) is remarkable.

Taking on a government backed by a large majority of people on a complex issue is remarkable.

Putting the right thing to do above your career is remarkable.

David Davis has a huge job to do and is now the unofficial spokesman for everyone who cherishes liberty; be it on ID cards, 42 day detention or the removal of trial by jury. Far from being a stunt, I am tonight very proud of Davis and if he brings the country with him on this, he could yet be the man who brings down Gordon Brown.

Don't Take On Basher

David Davis is currently proving what an asset to the Conservatives he is, appearing on BBC's Question Time.

He crushed lil 'ol Ed Millband over ID Cards, and I'm sure the link "Orwell was meant to be a warning, not a template" will be recycled after tonight.

Good on him for taking on idiotic celebrity Marcus Brigstoke and his arguement that we shouldn't have a referendum on Lisbon because people hadn't read it. He concluded: "Are you honestly saying that we shouldn't get a vote because people can't understand it; are you saying the people in this audience can't cope with it? What a ridiculous conclusion."

And best of all, his attack on the utterly shameless Shirley Williams for her fence-sitting over Europe. She came out fighting OK, but being loud and rude doesn't make up for lacking an arguement. Then Basher asked her if it was "unimportant beause it doesn't need a vote" or "so important three of your frontbenchers had to resign over it". Williams blubbed for a few seconds, then he went for the throat again. Williams looked intellectually feeble, out-of-touch and just a little bit absurd for the whole programme; and her knock about with Davis just made it worse for her.

Warning, as if a warning is required, that you take on Basher at your peril!

Conservatives ARE the Agenda

I had said some time ago that I felt it was complacency on the part of "Team Cameron" that led to the shaky start to the Brown Premiership for the opposition. Whereas the LibDems took the novel approach of saying and doing nothing - which, to be fair, has paid off - the Conservatives got themselves tangled up in all sorts and ended up 10 points behind the polls.

That complacency seems to have been shaken off and nobody can deny that over the last week or so it is Cameron who is once again setting the agenda. Last week's trailed report regarding tax and in particular the hated Inheritance Tax really rung bells with the sort of voters we need to win back. Today's Telegraph lead story about Cameron's pledge to abolish the Human Rights Act is excellent and will no doubt have legs over the next few days at least. Add to that Shadow Schools Minister Michael Gove attacking the dumbing down of GCSEs - on the front page of the Time - and Shadow Home Secretary David Davis laying out a positive approach to immigrtion in the Telegraph, it seems that the Tories are really controlling the agenda and leading the media.

Now I notice that the BBC is also leading on Cameron's plans to cut youth crime, which was also trailed in the press. And whatever you may think of the fallout, the coverage of the NHS Cuts Campaign was very, very good.

Whilst his shadow team focus in on specifics and, in some cases, play to the base, Cameron continues to define the big themes and add flesh to the Tory policy bones.

The Conservatives have come out fighting now and a good job too. They are controlling the agenda and long may this continue. We so desperately need our media management to be better. I hope this starts to reflect in new polls soon.

UPDATE: The LibDem Leader has finally said something - about the floods. A bit late, but never mind.

Will it be the judges, rather than David Davis, who forces out John Reid?

A Labout friend of mine was bemoaning to me last night that the Home Office was becoming the elephants graveyard for politicans, in that all occupants of the hotseat end up resigning over some cock-up or another because the department didn't work properly. She was worried that John Reid, considered to be one of Labour's better performers, could be caught up and lost in the Home Office. Tory Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has a pretty good record of collecting Ministerial scalps. She thinks Reid can't last in the long-term, I'm not so sure. But something where we both agree is that John Reid's biggest opponents aren't across the dispatch box - they are in the courts.