Now they’ve dumped the rather hopeless IDS, it looks like Michael “Something of the Night” Howard is going to be the next Tory leader. I’m inclined to interpret this as meaning they’ve abandoned all hope of winning the next election, but want to maximise their core rightwing support in order to avoid complete annihilation. They’ve decided to become the Nasty Party again, targetting the Daily Mail readers. It raises the spectre of him and David Blunkett trying to outbid one another over who can be the most authoritarian and illiberal.
Tom Coates of Plastibag.org has this to say:
Instead of being able to view the Conservative party as representing an alternative – perhaps more market / efficiency driven – approach to running the country, appointing Michael Howard is no more or less than running up the Conservative Skull and Crossbones again and setting sail for the easy targets of cheap political swag.
This leaves the Liberal Democrats as the only party with a socially liberal agenda. Charles Kennedy should be very pleased with this .
