David Davis passes Tebbit's test

Norman Tebbit comes "off the fence" this morning and endorses David Davis for the Tory leadership.  Lord Tebbit uses a letter to The Times to argue that it is "no good apeing new Labour and fighting on the ground which Labour voters are leaving in droves."

Of Mr Davis, Lord Tebbit says that "he is highly credible when he says he wants to create a more upwardly mobile society". And in a disparaging remark about the people said to surround David Cameron, the former Tory Chairman concludes:

"The Holland Park set in politics, and the media, may find him a bit beneath them but perhaps that is what they thought about me when I entered the Cabinet.  So Davis will have my vote. Perhaps that nice Mr Cameron will get it in ten years’ time if he learns as much from experience as David Davis has in the past ten years."

Given that most Tory members (particularly of the traditionalist kind likely to be impressed by Lord Tebbit) read The Telegraph it is a little surprising that his letter wasn't sent there for maximum impact.  Perhaps the letter was submitted to Canary Wharf but that newspaper's own 'Holland Park/ Notting Hill set' didn't like its slightly unfortunate tone?  The Telegraph's news pages carry a small mention of the letter but that mention is the newspaper's only Tory story for today.  David Davis' speech on party reform isn't mentioned (I'll be posting about it later...).

Outside of the news pages Alice Thomson writes a positive piece about Mr Cameron and Spy contains a non-story about Michael Portillo.  It's odd that the Telegraph should give so little coverage to the Conservative leadership election on one of the two days when members are most likely to be receiving their ballot papers.

[For background on Lord Tebbit's views see this on the Commentators' Blog].

Comments

[Oberon Houston]

I doubt if many will be either surprised or swayed by Normans opinion, the simple truth is that he is a Dinosaur from another, era so its little wonder he does not feel comfortable with the moderniser’s.

Some of his patronising remarks about the Cameron camp however verged on childish.

[Jack Stone]

The endorsement of Lord Tebbitt is just a further sign of a Davis campaign that promises no change but more of the same. The Davis campaign is looking by the day nothing more than the dionsaurs last roll of the dice!

[malcolm]

By the standards of Lord Tebbit I thought that was a remarkably restrained letter.Don't think he's right though.

[Guido Fawkes]

Tebbo was great in his day, but its the past.

[Selsdon Man]

You should hear Lord Tebbit's withering critique of the Iraq war! It is brilliant!

[Editor]

Where can that be accessed/heard/read SM?

[Selsdon Man]

It was at a dinner last year. Sadly, I do not have a recording. He tore into the dodgy dossier, diplomatic failure and the lack of proper preparation before invasion. He said that it led to the unneccessary destruction of infrastructure and economy, caused avaoidable civilain deaths and alienated potential Iraqi supporters. He said that the Thatcher administration would have handled it very differently and more professionally.

[modern conservative]

Poor David Davis...an endorsement from norman tebbit is surely the kiss of death.

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

Tebbit's time is long gone, and his approach has rightly been left in the eighties - something I think the vast majority of Conservative members realise.

I doubt the Davis camp will be overly pleased with the endorsement.

[malcolm]

Whilst I'm sure I would have agreed with every word Lord Tebbit said about Iraq it was your last sentence that was most revealing. Lord Tebbit seems constantly to look back on the 'golden age' of Mrs T's administration.Those days are gone and whilst we should learn lessons from them it is the present and future which are far more important.Perhaps when I get to Lord Tebbits age the temptation to say it was 'better in my day' will be overwhelming but it is still a mistake.

[Derek]

It is a shame that the views of Lord Tebbit are being disregarded by some as not relevant. I always found his views very sound and worth listening to, and in his day the party was winning elections! He does not dismiss DC, but suggests that he prefers the more experienced man this time. His view on the Iraq war is also very interesting. I wonder what he has to say about the 90 days detention issue?

[Ted]

Could you have imagined Lord Tebbit supporting anyone else (though if Cornerstone had put someone up...) ?
When we have these scare stories about Cameroons driving out the old brigade we should remember Tebbit's destruction of the FCS & YCs - he successfully drove out many proto-modernisers..and in my opinion in reining in the young lost us the lead we had in that age range. They may have embarrassed him and occasionally the party but the cost of imposed conformity was high. He continues to try to squash anyone who suggests we could be more socially liberal than HIS party was.

[michael]

The same Lord Tebbit who endorsed IDS. I'm afraid he is motivated by what he is against rather than what he is for.

He did so much to undermine John Major's Government, particularly over Europe and the Maastricht Treaty, that it's more than a little ironic he now backs David Davis who did so much toi whip it through the Commons.

[Selsdon Man]

Lord Tebbit still has a sharp mind and pen! Even if you disagree with him, he is always reading and worth listening to.

[Selsdon Man]

Sorry for the typos - that what happens when the phone goes when you are finishing a post.

I think IDS is treated very harshly by many on this blog. He was undermined by those who should have given him loyal support. IDS could have gone away and sulked but he set up the CSJ instead. His party conference speech was excellent. IDS has much to contribute to our party's future strategy. Give the man a chance!

[Ted]

IDS's problem was threefold; no authority because the way he got through was from tactical voting; continuing internicine warfare in which neither side come out well and an inability to throw off his image and reach beyond the core.
His undoubted honesty, loyalty, intelligence and his interest in the Social Justice agenda would be an asset to whomsoever wins this election; and a position that addresses that agenda would both use his strength and demonstrate a front bench of all the talents. Remember most of us voted for him.

[Mark Fulford]

Surely this is tactical support to scupper the DD campaign.

[Deckchair of despair]

I must say I'm disappointed at some of the comments here on Lord Tebbit. To imply that he is old, 'past it', or belongs to an age that has passed, misses the point. Unlike some quickly-forgotten politicians, who were simply around for a while, and maybe in office for a while, Norman Tebbit has enduring qualities: he is an unusually clear thinker, and an unusually clear communicator (and, in my opinion, he's been more right than wrong on most subjects he's addressed). I'm not saying he is right or wrong on the 'DD or DC' issue; but to reply to his remarks by pointing to his age is just pathetic. There is obviously an issue here that DD, for all his admirable qualities, might strike some in the electorate as "same old Tory - he even looks the same", and I would like Mr Tebbit to answer that point. I wish our editor could persuade Mr Tebbit to compose a brief post for this blog, expanding on his letter to the Press. Any chance, Mr Editor?

[TC]

One thing Tebbit said is so appropriate now is that, to use his phrase 'the party should put the boot in a bit more'. It is amazing how gentle the party is when dealing with a lying, taxing, spinning government.

[Richard]

DD Campaign video:

http://www.modernconservatives.com/campaignvideo.php

[Ted]

I had the pleasure of travelling on the same train as Lord Tebbit to Horsham a few weeks ago and what a thoroughly nice man he is. But he has very firmly settled views and these, while I often agree, reflect his experience and upbringing. I don't think many of his prescriptions for policy direction would take us forward, though his advice on how to act like a real opposition is good advice.

[Barbara Villiers]

It's that age thing again. Why don't you just kill off everybody over 50 and have done with it?

[Ted]

Over 51 please :-)

[Deckchair of despair]

Barbara (and Ted) - perhaps we ought to form a sub-group, called 'Mature Conservatives' or something!
Seriously, the 'gasp!-shock-horror story' about "the average age of Tory party members is over 65" (or whatever it is), which was brought up again at the recent Qestion Time and elsewhere, always misses the point, which is this: at some point in their lives - which may be age 20, 30, 40, 50 or any other time, a large number of people who have open, observant and inquiring minds come gradually to see, in a full sort of way, certain truths about human nature, economics and the history of human society, which lead them to vote for the Tory Party, which, generally speaking, embodies those truths more than any other political party. Having arrived at these insights by experience of life (sometimes over many years) these people, although they may subsequently turn their backs on politics altogether, are unlikely to wander off and join any other party (especially as they are likely to find, as I have, that their initial insight is subsequently confirmed and strengthened every year by events in the world).
The reason that other political parties have a younger age profile is because many young people, in their teenage years, or at university, join these groups for a while, but later let their membership lapse, when they realize that their youthful enthusiasm - for the Lib-dems, or the Socialist Workers' Party, or whatever - was largely born of inexperience and sheer ignorance of human nature, economics and history.
Attracting really young people is always going to be a problem for the Tory Party - it is hard to compete for youthful votes with those who peddle exciting-sounding easy answers based on ignorance and (often) untruth, and whose ethos and policies frequently amount, psychologically, to little more than attacks on anyone who happens to be a figure of authority at the time.
In sum: the Tory Party's high age-profile is not a weakness or a failing; it is a strength, and a sure sign that, in the main, it is right about most things.

[malcolm]

A very interesting post dod,I had never really considered that.