Finding a New Tory Leader could set up a contest with Farage
Chewing on Michael Portillo's announcement that he would vote to leave the EU I was wondering whether it might be a leadership bid and the possible consequences.
Portillo like Boris lacks the necessary Westminster seat. An early retirement from a sitting MP in a safe constituency might cost at most in ordinaray times a life peerage. These however are far from being ordinary times. For a by-election without UKIP's concurrence would immediately spark a possible challenge from that party, potentially even from Nigel Farage himself!
Mr Farage grows in stature each passing day, see proof on video here.
To avoid such a confrontation the Tories can only look within the party at Westminster and as one must presume a candidate from the Lords would be unacceptable in the 21st Century, leaving few Commons contenders. David Davis has already made his willingness clear but he lacks the track record of solid opposition to the EU which would seem a necessity in these circumstances.
John Redwood another potential candidate without that impediment seems to have lost all fire for a fight as evidenced by his blog diary of late and yesterday's contribution to the debate as in Hansard at 4.3 pm linked here. The concluding paragraph indicated that potential was still there:
I do not want to belong to a powerless Parliament. I do not want to belong to an impotent Parliament. I want to belong to a Parliament that can give redress to angry people outside if we think that they are right. I want to belong to a Parliament that controls our borders. I want to belong to a Parliament that settles our energy crisis. I want to belong to a Parliament that can legislate to finalise who has welfare entitlement and who does not. We are not in that happy position today. That is why I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement that we need a new relationship with the European Union. Bring it on as soon as possible and put it to this House of Commons, because without it this House of Commons is, indeed, impotent.
Looking at the various performances yesterday, Nigel Farage stood head and shoulders above all others in Britain's politics, watch the video linked above!
Portillo like Boris lacks the necessary Westminster seat. An early retirement from a sitting MP in a safe constituency might cost at most in ordinaray times a life peerage. These however are far from being ordinary times. For a by-election without UKIP's concurrence would immediately spark a possible challenge from that party, potentially even from Nigel Farage himself!
Mr Farage grows in stature each passing day, see proof on video here.
To avoid such a confrontation the Tories can only look within the party at Westminster and as one must presume a candidate from the Lords would be unacceptable in the 21st Century, leaving few Commons contenders. David Davis has already made his willingness clear but he lacks the track record of solid opposition to the EU which would seem a necessity in these circumstances.
John Redwood another potential candidate without that impediment seems to have lost all fire for a fight as evidenced by his blog diary of late and yesterday's contribution to the debate as in Hansard at 4.3 pm linked here. The concluding paragraph indicated that potential was still there:
I do not want to belong to a powerless Parliament. I do not want to belong to an impotent Parliament. I want to belong to a Parliament that can give redress to angry people outside if we think that they are right. I want to belong to a Parliament that controls our borders. I want to belong to a Parliament that settles our energy crisis. I want to belong to a Parliament that can legislate to finalise who has welfare entitlement and who does not. We are not in that happy position today. That is why I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement that we need a new relationship with the European Union. Bring it on as soon as possible and put it to this House of Commons, because without it this House of Commons is, indeed, impotent.
Looking at the various performances yesterday, Nigel Farage stood head and shoulders above all others in Britain's politics, watch the video linked above!
Labels: Next PM
posted by Martin at 8:45 AM
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