More Labour votes for Ken

Many readers of this blog are very suspicious about any advice from Labour Party sources as to who should be the next Conservative leader.  Some reacted very disdainfully to a Matthew d'Ancona piece that reported that leading Blairites thought David Cameron should be the Tories' choice and that leading Brownites thought David Davis' biography best positioned him for the Conservative crown.

In that piece Mr d'Ancona wrote:

"Kenneth Clarke still has many fans in Labour's ranks, not least because he has so often embarrassed his own party's front bench. That said, most ministers seem to believe that the twice-rejected Tory leadership candidate would be unwise to go for the hat-trick. It is often forgotten that Mr Clarke was comprehensively beaten under the old rules in 1997 - when Tory MPs chose their leader - as well as under the new system in 2001.  The heroically incorrigible Mr Clarke believes he could see off David Davis and David Cameron. But most Labour observers conclude that Mr Clarke is no more the answer to the Tories' predicament in 2005 than, say, Denis Healey would have been to Labour's in 1994 (in the hypothetical event that Healey had remained MP for Leeds East after 1992)."

Today's Telegraph reports other Labour people as being much more positive about Ken Clarke, however:

"I am sure that Clarke would be more worrying for Labour. He is a heavyweight. I am not saying I think he would win the election but he could pull them further back than any of the others."

- Lord (Clive) Soley

"I have always thought that Clarke would be more of a danger as he identifies much more with the public than anyone else.  In an era when people are disillusioned with politics that is very important."

- Ian Gibson MP

So there we are.

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Comments

[Selsdon Man]

This is just Labour trying to stir. As I have said before, we should ignore Labour's silly season nonsense. They are trying to promote the immage of a divided Party for their own ends.

[James Hellyer]

Labour aren't the best judge here anyway. Remember that it used to be reported that Tony Blair thought Michael Howard was a serious electoral threat, doubtless because of their days clashing over the Home Office. He was wrong.

[Wat Tyler]

All this shows is that Labour are hopelessly split over the choice of our leader. It's a chance for us to attack!

[AnotherNick]

While I agree that we shouldn't pay too much attention to Labour's view. To be honest I think they would fear Ken. Who here would want to debate with him? Labour may be playing mind games, but don't think that Blair/Brown fancy going head to head with Ken either!

[Selsdon Man]

It is worth remembering that Ken Clarke has not had a frontbench role since 1997. Politics has moved on considerably. Apart from a few good speeches from the backbenches, we cannot be sure how he would perform as a leader of the Opposition. Perhaps Labour have a fear of unknown.

[Stewart Buchanan]

The opinions of manipulative and incompetent Labour agents are irrelevant. Their support has collapsed and it is only for the inherent anomalies in the electoral structure that they have even been able to secure the majority they have. Their policies on crime, health, education, transport, immigration, Europe, foreign interventions and the environment and energy are pale imitations of Tory doctrines. The results of their policies are catalogues of failure and disappointment. Only the Conservatives are able to visualise and implement the necessary interventions to save the Nation and its peoples. Whoever champions this will be the next Tory leader, and the next Prime Minister.

[Simon C]

It seems to me that Clarke is popular only in the way that Tony Benn is and Mo Mowlem was - anti-politicians who call things as they see them in an aren't-I-a-National-Treasure? sort of a way. People would run a mile if there was any danger of them actually returning to power.

[Selsdon Man]

I am glad that I am not the only one who could not see the attraction of Mo Mowlem. National treasure? No, a treasure of New Labour and its media groupies.

Ken is the darling of the same crowd - the BBC, Grauniad and his employers at the Indie.

[Disraeli]

Simon C, That is clearly nonsense. Clarke was a very successful Chancellor and custodian of the economy and has held all but two of the great offices of state. For much of the past decade he has topped the polls when the general public are asked which Tory they would like to see as Party Leader or Prime Minister. Nobody ever saw Benn or Mowlam as potential Prime Ministers. It seems to me that some Tories are simply completely and, at times, endearingly oblivious to the feelings of the general electorate about us.