Michael Ancram stands up for voting rights of Tory grassroots

IDS was the first senior Tory to defend the voting rights of grassroots Conservatives... then came Theresa May... and now Michael Ancram, another former Tory Chairman, does the same.

In what is set to a wide-ranging speech and in what is his first intervention since the General Election, Mr Ancram, Deputy Tory Leader, will tell Politeia:

"The democratic relevance of our party is hardly enhanced by reducing the franchise of our party... Rather than restricting or removing the franchise, we should be looking to extend it in a way which will attract the enlistment of a much wider representation. To do that, we must show our membership we value them."

Thank you, Michael.

Comments

[buxtehude]

I think Ancram has just a tiny glimmer of leadership ambition in his eyes - as a 'healer' for interim purposes if the contest gets bloody. This wouldn't work of course, but I do think Ancram still has an important role. Could he play a kind of Willie Whitelaw to David Davis? A deputy leader with a comforting patrician quality to act as a sea-anchor for DD's toughness?

[James Hellyer]

Very good speech. Delivery still needs work though and I imagine we'll be seeing a lot more footage of Davis's longhaired youth!

[James Hellyer]

That's worrying. I posted in the wrong thread. Whoops!

Anyway, good for Michael Ancram. Though like buxtehude, I wouldn't be surprised if he still sees himself as a "unity" candidate.

Ancram has always seemed warm and credible when speaking on social or moral issues (he was especially good on Question Time after the Pope died, for example). He could certainly be made more use of as his current brief doesn't do him justice.

[malcolm]

Ancram comes across as a nice chap but is seriously fooling himself if he really thinks he could be considered as a potential leader of the Conservative party or even less likely as a future Prime Minister.If David Cameron is defensive about being an old Etonian think how Ancram would feel about always being always being referred to as the Marquess Of Lothian by his political enemies!