Members
of the new ConservativeHome Jury offer their thoughts. These thoughts
were first submitted a week ago and appeared in the ConservativeHome
Party Conference newspaper.
ANGIE BRAY MP: Nick Clegg is probably a better partner for the
Conservatives because instinctively he is a Liberal rather than a Social
Democrat and doesn’t carry the Labour baggage Vince Cable does from the past –
what he needs is a bit of spine-stiffening to remember that sometimes.
MOHAMMED AMIN: At the next General Election we need the Liberal Democrats to take votes from Labour rather than taking them from us. Vince Cable definitely has more left wing appeal than does Nick Clegg, especially after Clegg broke his promise on tuition fees. Indeed Clegg could easily pass as a left wing Tory. Accordingly we would be far better off with Cable leading the Liberal Democrats, as he would have minimal appeal to Conservative leaning voters, but strong appeal for Labour leaning voters.
RYAN BOURNE: “From an ideological perspective, the Tories would find it
much easier working with a 'liberal' Liberal Democrat like Nick Clegg. Electorally,
the picture is more complex. I suspect the appointment of Cable would give the
Lib Dems a poll boost – if this means current disaffected Lib Dems returning to
the party in Con-Lab marginals, the Tories win. Where it leads to more Lib Dems
votes in Lib-Con marginals, the Tories evidently lose. On balance, Clegg will
be better for the Tories if they don't think there's much chance of winning a
majority anyway and would rather remain in Coalition post-2015 than occupy the
opposition benches.”
ANDREW BOFF: Electorally, clearly Cable would be the best leader for the
Lib Dems. There is a huge opportunity for the LibDems to use their base in
government to say to anti-Tory voters "We were the ones that stopped the
Tories being awful, not Labour". Clegg is a little bit too orange book for
that part of the electorate.
MAX WIND-COWIE: In terms of governing Britain with a partner, Nick Clegg
is clearly the lesser of two evils. He is a man we can do business with,
a man whose liberalism is broadly of the modern centre-right, freedom over
‘fairness’ type and a man who has demonstrated his readiness to make tough
compromises. But that’s different to the question of who it would be
better for the Conservative Party to be running against in 2015 – strategically,
Vince Cable would be a better bet. He is a social democrat, has made it
clear that he would happily work with Labour and represents little
differentiation from Ed Miliband. Vince vs. Ed vs. Dave would leave
broadly centre-right, ‘let’s keep Labour out’ voters with only one real choice:
The Conservative Party.
RYAN SHORTHOUSE: Here comes another hung parliament. Who will the Lib
Dems go with in 2015? It depends on the maths, of course. But assume there’s a
choice. If Vince Cable takes the reins, he’ll go with Labour, no question.
Clegg – if we’re a bit nicer to him, and give him a bit more credit –may well
stop the bed-hopping. Broadly, he’s an economic and social liberal; a good
partner. And he may well see a richer future for the Liberal Democrats in
another Coalition with us. If Conservatives want a second term, Nick
Clegg could be our best chance.
SPENCER PITFIELD: “I have no doubt that in a perfect world Vince Cable
would be the better Lib Dem leader for the Conservatives to go head to head
with. His age coupled to his unbridled (or should I say uncontrolled!) social
democrat views make him a much easier target. Having contested the Sheffield
Hallam seat against Nick Clegg I can honestly say from personal experience that
he is most likeable. Indeed, prior to the tuition fees turn-about-face debacle,
Clegg has been warmly embraced by the constituents of Sheffield Hallam. Oh, and
by the way, Orange Booker that he is, Mr. Clegg is no doubt much closer to we
of the blue order than his yellow colleagues. A Lib Dem who we can do business
with!”
BRIAN CONNELL: Any change of leader will be a massive distraction from
getting the economy fixed: risking the implosion of the coalition and opening
up the prospect that our economy gets buffeted as the markets speculate on the
UK's ability to meet the coalition's concrete financial commitments. The answer
for the country must be that Nick Clegg should remain as leader. The
question though isn't 'what's good for the country' but 'what's best for the
Conservative Party'. As so often in life, the answers are the same – Nick
Clegg. Inconsistency and opportunism have been the hallmarks of LD campaigning:
it took Clegg to call their inner bluff and say 'if you're serious about
politics, then you must take your opportunity for power'. With a record of
delivery, and a critical media there is less space for the ‘ambiguity and apple
pie’ that they’ve thrived on. Nick Clegg is a permanently weakened leader and
his party will be weakened with him.