Sunday 8th January 2006

9pm update:
Tony Banks has died (BBCi)

2pm update:
New opinion poll puts Labour and Tories tied with LibDems at lowest point since 2002

BLOGS

ToryDiary:

• Patricia Hewitt accuses David Cameron of exploiting his son
• Tebbit demands more policy beef from Cameron

KENNEDY QUITS

Independent on Sunday: "Charles Kennedy resigned yesterday as Liberal Democrat leader after it became clear he would face an onslaught from his most senior MPs, and further revelations about his drinking problem, if he pressed ahead with his plans to fight in a leadership election."

Alex Salmond, Leader of the SNP: "[Charles Kennedy] confronted his problems and appealed for support, but his MPs have responded by knifing him in the front. Julius Caesar was better treated by Brutus than Charles Kennedy was by his colleagues." (Independent on Sunday)

Simon Jenkins, The Sunday Times: "The Liberal Democrats are not a serious national party. They have had no power since the advent of the universal franchise, and have no prospect of it. They are a dustbin party, a middle-ground asylum party, a none-of-the-above party, a wine-and-cheese party, a cheap peerage party, a memorial to Gladstone and Lloyd George party. They are historical jetsam.  The Liberal Democrats represent no great interest. No one becomes a Liberal Democrat MP to rule the country."

Matthew d'Ancona, Sunday Telegraph: "The Lib Dems are the new Tory party, in the sense that they seem, almost overnight, to have acquired all the bad habits of factionalism and fratricide, including the obsession with leadership contests, that afflicted the Conservatives for 15 years."

Fraser Nelson, The Business:

"If the LibDem split turns ugly, Cameron’s mission would be to sign “classic liberals” to his new, cuddly Tory party. In a stroke, this would deliver a tranche of voters to put him within striking distance of election victory.  Ideally, this would be symbolised by the defections of MPs such as David Laws and Vince Cable – articulate champions of a smaller state and classic liberalism. They could be wooed with pledges of Cabinet posts in a Cameron government. Winning defecting LibDem voters could also encourage Cameron to purge the Tories of their right wing – thus allowing Francis Maude, party chairman, to carry out his fantasy of rebuilding from the centre."

THE SUN REALLY DID WIN IT

Scotland on Sunday reports on an academic analysis that suggests The Sun did win 1992's General Election for John Major.

CONSERVATIVE NEWS & COMMENTARY

Bruce Anderson, The Sunday Times: "Cameron has been leader of the Tories for one month. In that brief interlude he has provoked a leadership crisis within the Liberal Democrat party while accelerating a cabinet reshuffle. Above all, and in the most dramatic fashion, he has altered the public perception of the Conservatives. For what they are worth, the early polls suggest that he is breaking out from the Tories’ low 30% ghetto."

The Observer: "Britain's business leaders could be forgiven for being confused. David Cameron gave a rousing speech to the CBI conference in November, promising he would lead a 'campaign for capitalism'. Yet by last week, he was delivering a new year message in which he pledged to 'stand up to big business' and relegated capitalism to the same category as communism - that of outdated 'isms' he wants nothing to do with."

Independent on Sunday: 'Green' Cameron may end up 'black and blue' if he takes on big business over supermarkets etc

OTHER NEWS & COMMENTARY

Sunday Times: "The former Labour sports minister Tony Banks was gravely ill in hospital last night after suffering a stroke while on a holiday in Florida.  The former West Ham MP and his wife Sally were staying with friends on Sanibel Island in southwest Florida when he collapsed last Thursday. Doctors said last night the outlook was “bleak”."

ePolitix.com: Tony Blair warns Labour not to over-react to the emergence of David Cameron and he identifies Douglas Alexander and David Milliband as two great Labour hopes for the future.

The Business: "Britain will be forced to rely on imported oil to meet its energy needs this year for the first time in more than a decade and four years earlier than government predictions."

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