Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has made his first statement since Patrick Mercer, one of his frontbench team, had to resign for ill-considered remarks on racism in the army. Mr Davis told ITV1's Sunday Edition:
"Although Patrick's not a racist, what he said could have been judged as condoning racism. David [Cameron] is quite properly distancing us from an inappropriate non-earned reputation in the past and he had to act as he did. If you make mistakes in politics sometimes the consequences can be very fierce, and he has paid the price, he has lost his front bench job. I don't think anybody should ever see Patrick Mercer as a racist. If there is an opposite of racist, that's Patrick."
"Eventually, yes," was Mr Davis' reply to a question on whether Mr Mercer should return to the frontbench.
Liam Fox, Shadow Defence Secretary, speaking to Sky News agreed that Mr Mercer was not racist but that he was wrong not to have been seen to condemn racism within the military. "I think its unacceptable to say that simply because racism occurs at the present time that you regard it as part of the wallpaper and not condemn it," he said.
Earlier today Oliver Letwin, reflecting on Mr Mercer's resignation, said that the party needed to change further.
Glad to see my comments in the earlier thread are basically the same as DD's here. And Liam Fox's too.
Anybody who thinks that what Mercer said didn't matter doesn't have a grasp of political realities, or indeed of the reality of racism. All wings of the Shadow Cabinet are united on this.
I certainly hope to see a fine man and a fine soldier like Col. Mercer back on our frontbench as soon as is practically possible.
Posted by: Tory T | March 11, 2007 at 19:41
This is code for:
"I wouldn't have sacked him. David Cameron has been rash and regrets it just enough to let me, his deputy, say that Mercer will return in due course".
Posted by: Og | March 11, 2007 at 19:49
I certainly hope to see a fine man and a fine soldier like Col. Mercer back on our frontbench as soon as is practically possible.
but not in a position such as "Homeland Security" which should be scrapped as it is pointless
Posted by: ToMTom | March 11, 2007 at 19:52
Erm yes - if "black" is code for "white", "up" is code for "down" and "biggest Tory lead since Maggie in '87" is code for "oh no, ukip will destroy us all".
Cameron's parliamentary aide Desmond Swayne said on Newsnight that evening that Mercer could return to the front bench in time, that is nothing new. He also articulated exactly the same views as DD and LF here about the substance of the remarks.
Posted by: Tory T | March 11, 2007 at 19:56
Winning modern elections means being ruthless. Blair knows that, Cameron knows it, and clearly Mercer knew it too. No doubt he's had the nod-and-wink: "take your punishment and you'll be back sooner rather than later".
Yes, it's rather cruel for what was essentially careless rumour-mongering rather than malicious racism (ie he said "lots" of black soldiers used racism as an excuse, then later was honest enough to admit he only had experienced two such cases). Politics isn't the dignified game of gentlemen anymore, and anyone who condemns Cameron on that assumption is rather missing the point.
Posted by: Andrew | March 11, 2007 at 20:08
If Patrick has any sense he wouldn't touch the front bench with a barge pole.
Posted by: Richard Tyndall | March 11, 2007 at 20:12
Had he actually been racist I suspect his front bench career would rightly be over; however as he was guilty of mild political ineptitude there's no reason why he shouldn't come back having learnt his lesson.
Posted by: Robert McIlveen | March 11, 2007 at 20:25
Mr Mercer was a very good homeland security spokesman. "Eventual" sounds too long to me. I hope he's back in the anticipated summer reshuffle. Has Cameron already replaced Mercer, Mr Editor?
Posted by: Umbrella Man | March 11, 2007 at 20:37
Mr Mercer was a very good homeland security spokesman.
He gave credibility to a post which is itself pointless - they should scrap it rather than make it farcical by appointing anyone else. Either Mercer knew a lot or he knew nothing, but to assume anyone can just step in and take over suggests it did not have contacts to intelligence services, military or police in which case it is an empty vessel...........or if it did then it suggests no immediate threats or Mercer would be indispensable
Posted by: TomTom | March 12, 2007 at 07:43
"Anybody who thinks that what Mercer said didn't matter..."
That's a bit strong. Surely one could argue that what Col Mercer said was very important and that for precisely this reason his enforced resignation is most regretable?
Posted by: Al Gunn | March 12, 2007 at 10:19
I gather from the BBC that Ken Clarke has also offered his support to Patrick Mercer. One by one a number of people are essentially saying to Cameron in the nicest possible sort of way: stop panicking and behaving like a complete prat. If Cameron were smart and wanted to stick two fingers up to the left, he would try and find a safe seat, or at least a role, for one of the black NCOs who backed Mercer and whose careers he appears to have nurtured. That of course assumes that any of those NCOs is unwise enough to want a career in the Tory Party.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | March 12, 2007 at 10:25
Patrick Mercer a fine man. Please!Even if what he said wasn`t racist and that is debateable it was foolish to say it and anyone who shows such stupidity shouldn`t be let anywhere near the front bench.
Posted by: Jack Stone | March 12, 2007 at 14:48
Jack once again shows his ignorance by passing judgement on a man he has clearly never met simply because that man happens to have fallen foul of Jack's bigotries.
Sort of sums up Cameron's Conservatives at the moment.
Posted by: Richard Tyndall | March 12, 2007 at 15:14
No I must confess the Conservative Front Bench is pretty uninspiring.....I can't decide whether Labour or Conservative has the bigger mediocrities
Posted by: TomTom | March 12, 2007 at 16:25
You don`t have to meet someone to have an opinion about them.Patrick Mercer showed himself to be a fool and that`s being charitable by what he said and the front bench is better off without him.
Posted by: Jack Stone | March 12, 2007 at 17:25
"Patrick Mercer showed himself to be a fool"
You manage to show it every time you post.
Posted by: Sean Fear | March 12, 2007 at 17:34
"the front bench is better off without him."
Actually looking at the way things are going at the moment I can safely say the reverse is true and he is better off without them.
Posted by: Richard Tyndall | March 12, 2007 at 17:54
One fringe benefit of him being sacked is that he doesn't have to be bored to death later this week by Al "High Voltage" Gore.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | March 12, 2007 at 18:37
What do you mean Richard Mercer doesn`t want a job in the next government!
Posted by: Jack Stone | March 12, 2007 at 19:30
Your question is based on the false premis that the Conservatives will form the next government.
More to the point I would hope he has more integrity than to align himself with the present bunch of losers simply because he wants to sit on the front bench.
He did the job as Shadow HS because he felt that he was doing some good. Now that he is no longer doing it I would hope he would realise that to return to Cameron's team would be a very retrograde step.
Posted by: Richard Tyndall | March 12, 2007 at 20:16