David Davis campaign manager advises young Turks to wait

Andrew Mitchell, key lieutenant of David Davis, gives some very direct advice to the young contenders for the Tory crown in this morning's Times:

“Someone recently gave me a bottle of Château Latour 2000. I think it would be wiser for me to leave it in the bottle for quite a few years yet before I open it, and I would give the same advice to some of the younger leadership contenders.”

The Times comments:

"His comment suggests that Mr Davis, 57, would use his lengthy experience in government and opposition as a trump card if he is challenged by either Mr Cameron [38] or Mr Osborne [33] for the job. Mr Mitchell is likely to act as Mr Davis’s campaign manager when the leadership fight begins in the autumn. The two men became friends when they served as government whips in the dark days of the Maastrict rebellions in 1992 and 1993, when they spent long nights dragging Tories out of the bars of Westminster to vote."

David Davis also gets the backing of David James in this morning's Telegraph. James, the author of the Letwin-Howard efficiencies-in-government-review says:

"If the Conservatives can identify a better candidate than him then they will be rich in resources indeed."

Comments

[James Hellyer]

"I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

Ronald Reagan, 1984

[Edward]

I started supporting Cameron but I'm coming around to the idea of Davis, provided he has the support of key players like Cameron and Osborne before the election starts.

[Jack Stone]

Age and experiance is unimportant. Its ability and charisma that makes great leaders. The question people should ask themselves before they support David Davis for leader is if he is so good why are so many senior members of the party so much against him becoming leader.These are the people who know the man best!

[James Hellyer]

"Its ability and charisma that makes great leaders."

But experience is the best guide to ability and someone with age will have more experience.

"The question people should ask themselves before they support David Davis for leader is if he is so good why are so many senior members of the party so much against him becoming leader."

From some there is an element of snobbery. From others there is a different view of what the party should be and should do.

"These are the people who know the man best!"

Apart from his friends and family?

[Sean Fear]

I would have thought that somebody who is able and charismatic is almost certainly going to attract the jealousy of his fellows.

[Rocco]

"The question people should ask themselves before they support David Davis for leader is if he is so good why are so many senior members of the party so much against him becoming leader."

It always seems to be the way within politics and the Tory Party in particular. People seem to set out to stop others, at the expense of what may be good for the party. Hence we ended up with IDS and, given that he was elected on the basis that he WASN'T Michael Portillo or Kenneth Clarke, who can be surprised that he lasted so little time? Its attitudes rather than electoral systems that need tio change in order to avoid a re-occurance.

A lot is down to MP's personal ambition rather than ideology too. Everyone in politics appears to have enemies as well as friends and if they see a potential leader with whom they feel they may not personally benefit they will try their hardest to stop that person, and of necessary go for someone who is less likely to succeed but either more likely to benefot them persobally or fail and give someone else another crack next time

[Edward]

Absolutely right.

Major was NOT Heseltine

Hague was NOT Howard or Clarke

IDS was NOT Portillo or Clarke

Its time to get positive, in which case the only ones I can be positive about are Cameron and Rifkind, so confused.