Last Monday, I challenged real Conservatives to stand up and be counted, in the face of a divisive and unpopular budget, giving tax cuts to the mega rich and running up the national debt. To my surprise, I was inundated with private messages agreeing with me, from all manner of Conservatives and predicting that the abolition of the top rate tax cut would not see it through to the party conference. The final blow was the sight of Michael Gove and Grant Schapps publicly stating that they did not support the cut.
My contacts do not move in such esteemed circles, but they do hear the rumours. They also hear what ordinary members are saying and it isn't good. It is easy to forget that Truss was getting plaudits for the energy assistance scheme. The abolition of the top rate tax cut may have bought her some time, but it won't have answered any of the questions about her judgement or whether Kwarteng is fit to be chancellor. There is a feeling in the party that the mechanism for changing leaders simply isn't working. Not only did it drag on for far too long, it delivered a result that the parties MP's are less than happy with. The Labour Party went down the route of letting the members pick the leader and got Jeremy Corbyn. We all know what happened at the election. Corbyn was an ideolically driven socialist purist, it appears that Truss is the right wing version. The Tories pride themselves on dealing with such problems before elections, rather than after them.
One of the Tories I spoke to said that, whilst they'd given up on actually winning the next election, there isn't an MP who wants to lose their seat. Having said that, there is also a view that an outright Starmer majority is the least worst evil. A coalition with the Lib Dems would almost definitely deliver PR and if the SNP come to the table, it could break up the UK.
Being the Barnet Eye, we like to take a look at the local picture. Theresa Villiers does not do Twitter. Her Facebook page says nothing. Heaven only knows her views on the matter. As for Matthew Offord, nothing at all from him on his Twitter, Facebook or website. I guess that anyone who knows Matthew Offord will not be too surprised..
Mike Freer, rather bizarely tweeted this today. Is it irony, parody or delusion? I really can't tell
— Mike Freer (@MikeFreer_) October 3, 2022
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The Conservative party does seem to be awakening from it's Boris induced trance, where anything goes. I have started to wonder whether Boris was a master hypnotist and someone has clicked their fingers, with the party realising they are now naked to the elements as Boris runs off laughing to the bank. There seems to be some sort of debate going as to actually taking decisions in the interest of the economy rather than narrow vested interests. There does seem to be the green shoots of sanity returning.
As for the Labour party and the rest of the opposition. The Tories have another two years to sort themselves out. Given that we've seen how long two weeks can be, I'd take nothing for granted. The Tories might have got through another six leaders by then and found someone who is actually popular and competent.
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