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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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IDS will not quit
quote:
Iain Duncan Smith has told the BBC he will not quit even if Tory MPs call for a vote of confidence on his leadership.
The Conservative leader insisted he would lead his party into the next election, despite the party being "frightened and bullied" by a small minority within.
"I say to those who hide in the shadows and whose voices are heard out of bitterness and personal ambition they should go gracefully," he told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost.
But Tory MP Derek Conway, a former government whip, told Sky News he has signed a letter calling for a vote of confidence and has told Mr Duncan Smith.
"We have just come to a judgement that Iain Duncan Smith's time is up," he said.
Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings, the Tories' former director of strategy, said Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job of leader and urged MPs to "bite the bullet" and get rid of him.
The calls came as the Tory leader denied a Sunday Telegraph report he had told aides he would step down if 25 Tory MPs triggered a leadership ballot.
Mr Duncan Smith said: "The simple message is this: I earned the right to lead this party to the next election.
"The party membership out there in the country voted, and they voted overwhelmingly."
'Push off'
As he spoke, Tory MPs continued talking to party workers and activists in their constituencies about their leader's future.
Mr Duncan Smith said it would be nonsense for his party to plunge itself into a divisive leadership contest at a time when the public wanted an alternative to Tony Blair.
He said the small number of people who had never accepted his leadership election should "push off" and let the party get on with winning the next election.
"This party is in the process of being frightened and bullied by a small number of people whose personal ambition and whose personal anger and bitterness is in the process of trying to push the party to the edge of a divisive leadership process which would rip them apart," he said.
Earlier he told the Mail on Sunday plots against him had left his party "staring into the abyss".
'Turf wars'
He said he would set out "our plans for the first Conservative government of the 21st century" in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies on Thursday.
The bookies' favourite to take over the leadership, shadow chancellor Michael Howard, told the Sunday Times: "We are on course to present a clear and coherent programme for government at the next election.
"These are Iain's policies. They are a tribute to Iain's work.
"Iain has earned the right to carry that work forward.
But Mr Cummings, who quit Conservative Central Office in September 2002, claimed the party was riven by "constant turf wars over trivia".
He told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House the shadow cabinet knew Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job.
"It's time they stopped hiding behind the press and hiding behind each other and got on with it," he said.
He said David Davis, who shadows the deputy prime minister, would be a better alternative as leader.
Tory MP John Greenway, who insisted he was not a "plotter" argued Mr Duncan Smith could restore dignity to the situation "by calling for a vote of confidence himself".
Major warning
He said a line would not be drawn under the matter "by him saying 'I intend to carry on'".
On Saturday former prime minister John Major told Tory "plotters" to stop damaging the party by undermining their leader.
On Friday Tory whips stressed their "total loyalty" to the leader.
Tory chief whip David Maclean said: "I have spoken personally to all the whips and they are unanimous in their support for the leader of the party." |
it's such a joke, the government should be coming under fire for so much at the moment, increasing taxes, fuel duty, the fact our transport system is worse than it's ever been, the fact we're throwing good money after bad on public services which never seem to get any better, the coming of the EU constitution and all manner of other things are government is screwing up.
and yet what are her majesty's opposition doing about it, tearing themselves apart in another bloody struggle, which could have sorted out a long time ago if iain duncan smith had just done the decent thing and resigned and let someone else take over the tory party into the next election.
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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they haven't got any real chance, or any real policies for that matter :/
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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in this country at least, yes. but the real problem is that they will never win in certain areas.
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Snotty
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quote:
they haven't got any real chance, or any real policies for that matter :/ |
And you think the tory idea of shipping all our immigrants of to an island is a real policy? Whats this island called eh? None of the tory leadership can seem to remember.
For the lib dems what about proportional representation, their unpopular policies on europe, and of course the full legalization of cannabis.
A year ago everyone would have said inner city London labour strongholds were no go areas for the lib dems, but not now.
As much as I love seeing the tory party tear itself apart, I just wish they got a little less press while doing it.
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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oooh more taxes, now there's a solution!
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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it certainly is under a labour government :/
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Zulu Elephant
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More carefully TARGETTED taxes actually.
And modest tax rises are a part of the solution to the ills of Britain.
We are the lowest tax economy in Europe, we can a afford a bit more tax without damaging the economy. And DONT say that we're the best performing economy in the EU because we've got the lowest tax. Thats bullshit
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:31
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the reasons for us being better than europe are many, but our lower taxes and the fact we haven't joined the euro are a very big part of it.
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Zulu Elephant
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quote:
Originally posted by C0ckney
the reasons for us being better than europe are many, but our lower taxes and the fact we haven't joined the euro are a very big part of it. |
Absolutly nothing to do with Germany's deep economic problems caused by reunification which have their roots well before the introduction of the Euro then?
And absolutely nothing to do with France's ridiculous obsession with propping up its failing industries with subsidies?
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26-10-2003 19:32
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