Jul 20 2007
The silver lining in the by-election results
The two by-elections have probably saved Sir Menzies Campbell as leader of the Lib Dems.
For all those of us who want the Eurosceptic majority to be represented by a Eurosceptic government, this is very good news. The last thing we want is a plausible Lib Dem party capturing more Eurosceptic votes by playing down their root and branch enthusiasm for European integration, whilst keeping their underlying commitment to the EU project.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
I am disappointed that you have chosen to put such a spin on these election results which were, sadly, yet another sign of the failure of David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party. No doubt he will redouble his efforts to occupy more of the nebulous centre ground of politics and in the process continue to lose the support of millions who previously voted Conservative and for whom he appears to have at best no regard and at worst complete contempt.
JR: “The two by-elections have probably saved Sir Menzies Campbell as leader of the Lib Dems.”
By the same token, one must ask what can these results have done for the leader of the Conservative party?
Clearly, folk who want to vote Tory, want to vote Tory, not some ill defined Tory lite. I understand the electorate was invited to vote for “David Cameron’s Conservative party” this result was surely a vote of no confidence in the David Cameron’s Conservative party. Can we have the conservative party back with Conservative policies and a few actual Conservatives in it too?