Responding to the news that Quentin Davies MP has resigned from the Conservative Party and joined the Labour Party, Simon Chapman (regular CH commenter), the Chairman of the Grantham & Stamford Conservative Association, said: “I heard this news from Quentin Davies with enormous surprise and disappointment. He has let down his constituents and his local […]
William Hill are taking bets on another: "10/1 Labour MP to go Tory. After a Tory MP defected to Labour, William Hill offer 5/1 that another one will do so before the end of next year; and 10/1 that a Labour MP will cross the floor to join the Conservatives." Ben Brogan has talked to […]
"Dear Quentin, Thank you for your letter. Your decision does not come as a surprise to me. The Conservative Party has changed, as you say. We need to do more to protect the environment and tackle climate change. That will mean taking tough measures on carbon emissions. And it does mean looking at ways to […]
When I recommended that we all fasten our seatbelts last week I expected many difficult moments during the Brown honeymoon but not today’s defection of Quentin Davies to Labour. I knew he was unhappy with Project Cameron. He has felt shabbily treated by the leadership. A lifelong Europhile he wrote for ConservativeHome only two weeks […]
In a letter to David Cameron today he said: "Under your leadership the Conservative Party appears to me to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything. It has no bedrock. It exists on shifting sands. A sense of mission has been replaced by a PR agenda." Davies has been Conservative […]
Forgetting for a moment that any Cabinet led by Gordon Brown is hardly a fantasy come true, who do you think will fill the slots I identify below… Deputy Prime Minister: Jack Straw (and Leader of the House, Howe-style).Chancellor: Alistair DarlingForeign Secretary: Hillary BennHome Secretary: Alan JohnsonWhat to do with David Miliband?: Head of bigger […]
Iain Dale has already noted the BBC’s OTT coverage of Brown’s first day as Labour leader. Throughout this week I’ll be keeping a daily eye on the coverage of The Daily Mail and of The Sun of Brown’s first week as Tony Blair’s successor. Both newspapers will be crucial influences on whether Brown can maintain […]
Gordon Brown gave a solid speech today. On housing, the NHS, fighting child poverty, opposing racism, being on the side of rural communities, making Britain a world leader in climate change and neighbourhood policing he made all of the right noises. He should not be underestimated. New Deputy Leader Harriet Harman will be Party Chair. […]