Friday, November 04, 2011
Scottish Conservatives - Steady As She Sinks
The Scottish Conservative leadership election was the most interesting thing that has happened to the party in decades. Murdo Fraser's option of forming a new party was pretty well the only talking point. All candidates said they were pushing "change" though this was the only actual proposal of change. Ruth Davidson in particular, when asked on Newsnight what actual change she proposed blustered and eventually came up with something about increased child allowance - neither major nor, unless she has done so elsewhere, costed, nor likely to happen in the current economic climate nor traditionally Conservative nor going to do anything whatsoever to solve any of the real problems of the Scottish economy.
Not that Murdo was that much better - the only one to have, quietly, hinted they might not ne entirely willing to destroy the country on the catastriohic warming lie was Jackson Carlaw, who, "not suggesting conspiracy" was written off ny the BBC.
Murdo did, on Newsnight, say there was party focus group information saying that a new party title would significantly improve their vote but he seems not to have been loud in using that. Whether the new party would have been a genuine new party in which real issues got real discussion, as I had hoped, or merely a paint job is something we now won't know. We can be fairly sure that if the party had not been reduced from 200,000 50 years ago and 13,000 when Cameron took over to 8,000 now Murdo's vote would have been greater.
Ruth Davidson - 2983
Murdo Fraser - 2417
So Ruth Davidson, very much in the David Cameron tradition (young, inexperienced, vapid, no noticeable principles and only previous job being in broadcasting - in her case in the BBC, ) is the new face of the Scottish Tories and the remaining members of the party have opted for steady as she sinks. Another step in the long hollowing out of British political parties.
And for Murdo and the other MSPs who supported him because they agreed with him that the Conservative "brand" was so toxic they could never win with it - start polishing your CVs.
UPDATE In, somewhat triumphalist, BBC TV reporting last night they said that she had only been in the party for 2 years and that she was the "first open lesbian party leader" - things they found too unimportant to report while the contest was on.
Not that Murdo was that much better - the only one to have, quietly, hinted they might not ne entirely willing to destroy the country on the catastriohic warming lie was Jackson Carlaw, who, "not suggesting conspiracy" was written off ny the BBC.
Murdo did, on Newsnight, say there was party focus group information saying that a new party title would significantly improve their vote but he seems not to have been loud in using that. Whether the new party would have been a genuine new party in which real issues got real discussion, as I had hoped, or merely a paint job is something we now won't know. We can be fairly sure that if the party had not been reduced from 200,000 50 years ago and 13,000 when Cameron took over to 8,000 now Murdo's vote would have been greater.
Ruth Davidson - 2983
Murdo Fraser - 2417
So Ruth Davidson, very much in the David Cameron tradition (young, inexperienced, vapid, no noticeable principles and only previous job being in broadcasting - in her case in the BBC, ) is the new face of the Scottish Tories and the remaining members of the party have opted for steady as she sinks. Another step in the long hollowing out of British political parties.
And for Murdo and the other MSPs who supported him because they agreed with him that the Conservative "brand" was so toxic they could never win with it - start polishing your CVs.
UPDATE In, somewhat triumphalist, BBC TV reporting last night they said that she had only been in the party for 2 years and that she was the "first open lesbian party leader" - things they found too unimportant to report while the contest was on.
Labels: British politics, Media, Scottish politics
