It has never been harder to be a Whip

By Paul Goodman
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Peter Oborne begins his Daily Telegraph column today with the story of how Alastair Goodlad, the former Conservative Chief Whip, once reproved him for wearing brown shoes.  What is it about Tory MPs of a certain disposition and footwear?  One once glided up to the late Julian Critchley, disapprovingly murmured "You're wearing suede shoes", and stalked off, presumably clad in his own black ones.

The theme of Peter's column is that the Government Whips Office has been run down by successive Prime Ministers, and that by continuing to do so David Cameron has made a rod for his own back.  This is right, and Peter illustrates the point by describing how the Whips move from Number 12 Downing Street has mirrored their own downgrading.  But though his arrow thwacks the red bit of the target, I think it just misses the gold.

This is because the Whips are the victim of wider political and cultural change - in two specific ways.  First, less patronage is available to them.  The chairmen and members of Select Committees are now elected rather than appointed.  It is true that the Prime Minister is re-inventing the political knighthood, and that the collapse of Lords reform opens up the prospect of more peerages, but patronage has taken a hit, and Downing Street has come late to using what it has.

Second, the way in which MPs see themselves is changing.  Not so long ago, in the age of safe seats and bigger majorities, they tended simply to follow the whip: rebellions were far lower 25 or so years ago.  Today, they are far more responsive to their constituents.  (This is already the most rebellious Parliament since the war.)  This is for the better, but it has a downside.  Rising local expectations are changing MPs into social workers - all part of the emergence of the political class, a phrase which Peter himself invented and popularised.

Tory MPs give warm welcome to breaking news that Sir George Young will be new Chief Whip

By Tim Montgomerie
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Sir George Young is the new Chief Whip. Here are a few reactions gathered from Twitter:

Resignation letter of Andrew Mitchell and Prime Minister's reply

By Tim Montgomerie
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Andrew Mitchell has resigned.

Here is the exchange of letters between Mr Mitchell and the Prime Minister.

REPLY FROM THE PRIME MINISTER:

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Why shouldn't Eric Pickles be the next Home Secretary?

By Paul Goodman
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In today's Mail on Sunday James Forsyth wonders if Eric Pickles could be the next Chief Whip. For last Wednesday's ConHome Party Conference newspaper Paul Goodman argued that Mr Pickles was under-rated and under-valued. This essay is republished below.

Who is the most successful Cabinet Minister?  Polls of party members by ConservativeHome give a twin answer: Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Gove.  But this is unfair to a Tory colleague who comes in a little below them and gets a lot less publicity - outside his own brief, at least.  Let us consider the case for their colleague, the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles.

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Andrew Mitchell faces increasing hostility from five directions

By Peter Hoskin
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A quick foray into this morning’s papers makes one thing clear: Andrew Mitchell is under as much pressure as ever over his rant at a policeman on Downing Street. In fact, he now faces questions — or outright opposition — from at least five directions:

i) The media. The Daily Telegraph today joins the Sun in calling for Mr Mitchell to resign.

ii) The Cabinet. Ministers openly discussed Mr Mitchell’s future during the party conference. Indeed, IDS joked about the prospect of him being sent to Rwanda, as Fraser Nelson recounts this morning.

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Snobbery, not poshness, is toxic to the Tory brand

By Harry Phibbs
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Let's face it.  The reported comments of the Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell, are excruciating. The four letter word that matters is "pleb".  The other reported comment: "best you learn your f***ing place" is along the same lines. It will be seen by a chunk of the electorate, as the mask slipping; the true mentality of Conservatives coming out. The arrogance of power. A belief in being born to rule. A desire to go into politics in order to swank and swagger around. To lord it over ordinary folk.

So this is not a random incident of misconduct.  It plays to a political narrative. There is a problem, and as Conservatives we should be clear about what the problem is, and what it isn't.

Apparently Mr Mitchell is rich.  Good for him.  He went to a public school - and he can hardly be blamed for that.  Evidently he was exasperated at petty jobsworth restrictions - an experience many of us have had.  Unfortunately though, we are left with a suspicion that Mr Mitchell doesn't really mind if the rest of us have to put up with this kind of thing - but he shouldn't have to.  Because of who he is.  In some mysterious way, he is "above" other people.  

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Full text of Andrew Mitchell's to-camera apology

By Tim Montgomerie
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The Chief Whip has just given a statement to reporters in Whitehall. It was his first appearance in front of the cameras since the story of his encounter with Downing Street police officers:

"Well I want first of all to reiterate the apology I made last week in Downing Street. It had been the end of a long and frustrating day. Not that that is any excuse at all for what happened. I didn't show the police the amount of respect I should have done. We should all respect the police they do an incredibly difficult job. I have apologised to the police, I have apologised to the officer on the gate, and he has accepted my apology, and I hope very much that we can draw a line under it there. I am very clear about what I said, and what I didn't say, and I want to make it absolutely clear I did not say the words attributed to me. I am now going to go and get on with my work."

Transcribed by ITV News.

We note the latest developments in the Andrew Mitchell story within today's newslinks.

Andrew Mitchell may be a bruiser but let's not forget that the Police Federation has an agenda

By Tim Montgomerie
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Yesterday David Cameron went to Manchester to pay tribute to the two women police officers murdered in the line of duty (here's a video). He was as statesmanlike as in his recent Commons statement about police corruption at the time of the Hillsborough tragedy. Today the Chairman of the Police Federation criticises David Cameron for using "hollow words". Because, says Mr Tully, the PM has made "a vitriolic attack on police pay and conditions and pensions" he apparently has no authority to pay tribute to PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone. Here's the BBC report. I can only wonder what Mr Tully would have said if the PM had failed to pay any tribute to his fallen colleagues? Sometimes a politician just can't win.

We know that tempers in the Police Federation are running high. Not so long ago they heckled Theresa May when she told them that police officers would have to bear their share of the age of austerity. At the time The Sun called the Federation "rude". The Telegraph called it "militant". The Express called it a "pantomime". The quotes are collected here. Mr Tully's latest behaviour only confirms the growing sense that the Police Federation is led by people of little judgment.

The row over the Manchester police deaths coincides with the argument over what Andrew Mitchell said or didn't say to the police officers who prevented him cycling out of the Downing Street gate, something he is normally permitted to do. It's clear that Mr Mitchell didn't treat the officers with full respect. He's admitted that himself and has apologised publicly and personally. The row is damaging to the Conservative Party, being used by Labour to reinforce the idea of a condescending, Toffish Tory leadership.

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