Bruce Anderson is the latest journo to throw rocks at the Clarke bandwagon. He hits on two key weaknesses of the Clarke campaign. On one of the key issues of the last thirty years, Ken Clarke has been consistently wrong, while on public sector reform and the like, Clarke can offer abslotely nothing in the way of innovative policy.
Actually, I think this is way too nice. Europe would always be an important issue, but in the Conservative Party it's also an important litmus test. When Jabbah describes holding referendums on important constitutional changes as a 'silly idea', he's telling us something vital about how he views the relationship between the citizen and the government. The EU is not seeking merely to replace the British government in many areas - it also seeks to impose a quite different form of government on Britain. Surely any soi-dissant Conservative must have some opinion on, say, the possiblitity of British citizens being extradicted to foreign lands for things that aren't actually crimes in Britain ?
Equally, the human Hindenburg's refusal to enage with issues like public sector reform reveals a deeper problem with Clarke. These are things which affect the lives of most of the country, yet Clarke resolutely refuses to bother with them. Indeed, there is something of Marie Antoinette in his apparent contempt for public concern with these issues.
In summary then, we are faced with a candidate who displays utter contempt for many of the everyday issues which affect the public, and has no great attachment to the basic principles of Conservatism - other than that he's perfect.
Actually, I think this is way too nice. Europe would always be an important issue, but in the Conservative Party it's also an important litmus test. When Jabbah describes holding referendums on important constitutional changes as a 'silly idea', he's telling us something vital about how he views the relationship between the citizen and the government. The EU is not seeking merely to replace the British government in many areas - it also seeks to impose a quite different form of government on Britain. Surely any soi-dissant Conservative must have some opinion on, say, the possiblitity of British citizens being extradicted to foreign lands for things that aren't actually crimes in Britain ?
Equally, the human Hindenburg's refusal to enage with issues like public sector reform reveals a deeper problem with Clarke. These are things which affect the lives of most of the country, yet Clarke resolutely refuses to bother with them. Indeed, there is something of Marie Antoinette in his apparent contempt for public concern with these issues.
In summary then, we are faced with a candidate who displays utter contempt for many of the everyday issues which affect the public, and has no great attachment to the basic principles of Conservatism - other than that he's perfect.
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