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From The Times

September 26, 2007

Tebbit hits out at Tories and names Brown as Thatcher's natural heir

Philip Webster

Gordon Brown was under renewed pressure from ministers and MPs in marginal seats to call an early general election last night as David Cameron suffered a new blow at the hands of the Tory Right.

Lord Tebbit declared that Mr Cameron was regarded as out of touch by ordinary people and that it was only natural that Mr Brown should make himself the “heir to Thatcher”.

Many people believed that the Conservative leader and his colleagues did not know how the other half lived, Lord Tebbit said.

An opinion poll taken after Mr Brown’s speech to the party conference gave him a 11-point lead, the highest in any poll since he became Prime Minister, and prompted a new burst of election speculation in Bournemouth last night.

Although the poll suggested that the number of people who wanted an early election had fallen, its findings will increase the confidence of those politicians who argue that Mr Brown should go to the country on November 1 or November 8.

The YouGov survey for Channel 4 News put Labour on 44 per cent, an increase of five points on last week, the Conservatives on 33 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 13 per cent.

The poll is a big setback to Mr Cameron and a boost to Mr Brown. But The Times understands that Mr Brown will not make a decision about a November election until after the Conservative conference. If he decides to go early, he is likely to wait until the Commons resumes on October 8 before making an announcement.

Lord Tebbit gave Mr Cameron another pre-conference jolt. He said that Baroness Thatcher knew exactly what she was doing when she visited the Prime Minister at Downing Street two weeks ago. She was aware that Mr Cameron had been at pains to distance himself from her, the former Conservative chairman added.

The devastating intervention from Lord Tebbit came in an interview with Ginny Dougary in The Times Magazine, to be published on Saturday. He drew a wounding comparison between Mr Brown, on whom he

lavished praise, and Mr Cameron, whom he criticised for his lack of experience and his stand on grammar schools. “I think we lack somebody of the standing of Margaret,” he said when asked to name the Conservatives’ biggest asset.

His praise for Mr Brown will come as a new embarrassment to Mr Cameron after the visit by Lady Thatcher. Of the Prime Minister, he said: “I think he is a clever man and I have a very considerable regard for him.” He said that Mr Brown was not “tacky” in the way that Tony Blair had been, referring to some of the Blairs’ overseas holidays. Mr Brown was a principled man in his personal conduct.

But it was his comments on Lady Thatcher’s highly publicised trip to No 10 for tea with the Prime Minister that will infuriate the Tories and delight the Brown camp.

Some senior Conservatives attacked Mr Brown for exploiting Lady Thatcher’s alleged frailty for political advantage by issuing the invitation. But Lord Tebbit said that it “was Gordon Brown at his very best; a wonderful mixture of his courtesy and his political nous. After all, Cameron described himself as the ‘heir to Blair’; it’s only natural that Brown should make himself the ‘heir to Thatcher’. It’s the perfect response, isn’t it?

“I’m quite sure that Margaret Thatcher knew exactly what she was doing. She’s first too well-mannered to rebuff the Prime Minister and second, of course, the present Conservative leadership has been at great pains to distance himself from her — and she is, after all, a woman.”

Lord Tebbit said that he was not opposed to the presence of several Old Etonians in the Shadow Cabinet. “It doesn’t matter to me if the guy is the right guy, whether he was educated at home by his mother, went to a comprehensive or went to Eton. That is not a problem for me and never has been,” he said.

Then, in his most searing criticism, he added: “But what a lot of people will suggest is that they don’t know how the other half lives. David and his colleagues — the very clever young men they have in Central Office these days — are very intellectually clever but they have no experience of the world whatsoever.

“He \ has spent much of his time in the Conservative Party and as a public relations guy. Well, it’s not the experience of most people in the streets. That’s the real attack and that’s damaging to him, I think.”

He said that his main reservation about Mr Cameron’s stand on the grammar school issue, as someone who benefited from that system

directly, was that “if the argument is that creaming off kids into the grammar schools is bad, then it must be bad to allow people to cream their kids off into private schools, too. My view is that selective education is so good that it should be available for everybody who can benefit from it, regardless of whether they can afford it.”

Just a small reminder to Mr Tebbit and Mr Brown, we live in the 21st centuary and are moving ahead at a very fast speed, thus, we need a government which has the capability, stamina and ability to address the future. We are in 2007 and not 1947, leave your past behind and let other half get on with their work, call the election and let people of this country decide who has the stamina.

Yogesh, London,

What a shame that Cameron claimed he was " Heir to Blair" just when the public decided it wanted no more "Hot Air from Blair".
Conservatives had the ability to break from Blair and offer David Davis, a working class, tenacious, honest man. With him, our natural tax cutting, small government, local delivery, small government beliefs were exactly the antidote to the Blair/Brown decade. But the Spin Cycle convinced two thirds that they wanted their own sprinkling of magic pixie dust.

Well Cameron is not Tinkerbell and and the public's murmurring " We don't believe in Tories".He'd better shout that
like Mcavity Cat's hidden claw, Brown's Clunking Fist was never there when PPP and other Treasury decisions were made. We are asked to believe that Brown never went along with the Blair decade and that now he is going to put it right.
Wake up Britain. Five minutes after Brown gets back into power watch all those taxes rise to pay for his centralising tendencies and inability to free us.

Chris Mclaughlin, Wimbledon,

Labour are has beens, we need a change, any change. Our best bet is to vote conservative, not ideal as we will just swap one set of crooks for another, but at least the political playing field will be refreshed.

JHR, Norwich, England

Tebbit is spot on. Cameron has no idea what average members of the public think. His stands on the environment leave people cold, the grammar schools issue was a debacle, he has nothing to say on crime, immigration, the NHS, education, tax, benefits and avoids talking about the EU. Do you think people haven't noticed Mr Cameron?

I don't think people are enamoured with Labour and Brown either but at least Brown is a serious politician with principles. Cameron is just some new age fop determined not to upset anyone and yet who has managed to alienate his natural constituency with his talk of taxes on the environment in order to capture the chattering classes vote and damage the economy with no environmental benefit whatsoever.

I despair of these people. They are letting Brown get away with it and are going to hand him another five or even ten years in power if he calls an election now and gets the landslide the polls are predicting.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

I have never been a great fan of some of Lord Tebbit's political ideals, however I feel he is one of the greatest orators of my lifetime. He is a man of unquestionable conviction, a great conservative gentleman who has always offered identity and focus for middle England.

I feel his comments relating to the 'temperature' within the conservative party and amongst likely conservative voters are timely and accurate. The current leadership of the conservative party does not relate to the ordinary voter, therefore how can they formulate policies and ideas for the masses?
The deluded charade being played out by David Cameron and his nice chaps from Eton would be a tragic farce were it not for the damage being inflicted on the conservative party.

Donovan Wright, Reading, Berkshire

"And she is, after all, a woman"- what a comment! And he suggests Cameron is out of touch with the modern world! Who speaks like that these days?!

Tebbit being disloyal is his leader is just typical. It is old duffers like him that are holding the Tories back. He is to the Conversatives what Militant was to Labour in the 80s. This relic of a bygone era should go gently into the night- his time has past, it's over.

Sure maybe the intellectuals in central office are out of touch. But are they any more out of touch than their counterparts in the Labour party?

the online pixie, Wimbledon,

Very interesting words from Lord Tebbit.

He obviously doesn't make comment on the policies of Gordon Brown, but respects him as a conviction politician in the mould of Thatcher. Unfortunately that drops right on the head of Cameron and his 'say anything to get elected' style of meandering policy fudges.

People appreciate and vote for strong leadership. That is the key here. Cameron and his goldfish bowl life have merely produced a chattering classes chameleon who could never be relied on to lead a nation.

Roy Ellor, Salford, UK

More proof, if any were ever needed of the true blue hue of New Labour!

Bill Q, Derby,

Lord Tebbit should be aware, more than anyone else, that discipline is key within a party for electoral victory and such views should be expressed behind closed doors. Such public outburst do nothign whatsover to help the cause of the Conservative Party.

I am sure that Lady Thatcher would not put up with such backbiting from the backbenches and neither should Mr Cameron.

As for Gordon Brown being "Thatcher's natural heir", I would hardly think that the great lady would want to go down in hisotry as being compared to an old Labourite who has destroyed the pensions of millions of people in this country, created a debt-ridden society and raised stealth taxes to a level where the poorest in society are paying 43% of their income to the Treasury.

As for real jobs, can the PM say that he has "experience of the world" given that he has lived within the Labour Party cocoon since he was a student?

D. Jones-Evans, Bangor, Wales

Even the most fervent Cameron supporters must acknowledge there must be an element of truth in Lord Tebbit's comments. I an totally bewildered why, after the experience of 10 years of being governed by this dreadful government, far from being 11 or so points behind in the polls - why on earth arenâ€™t the Tories at least 20 points ahead ?

sean dunne, Louth,

So detached has the Conservative Party become from its roots, I feel it fair to state that under Cameron, the Tory Party are now officially 'away with the fairy's'!

Never in my life have a witnessed a politicaly party who hasa managed to miss virtually every opportunity presented to them by a sitting government to remove it!!!

I am simply staggered with Cameron and co babbling on about the environment whilst, when all around them, it's clear to see the obvious targets they should be firing at!

Iraq, immergration, welfare fraud, law, policing...the list goes on! Yet still nothing from berko and co!

David Downes, Chester, UK

Lord Tebbit makes the points regarding Brown and Cameron that too many conservative voters feel. He has always been a person who was in touch and he's always been a person who possesses masses of common sense and who says what he thinks!
We all remember what happened to Norman and his wife Margaret at the Brighton conference many years ago. Had it not been for that tragedy he would surely have followed Margaret Thatcher which would have been to the beneit of us all.

Paul Savage, Lambourn, Berkshire

Yet another nail in the Tory coffin then!

The fact is, I can't find anything in what Lord Tebbit says in this article to disagree with.

Phil Martin, Lowestoft, UK

I'm sure Mrs Thatcher has command of her instincts, and they are telling her that David Cameron will not make Prime Minister and her view is shared by the old fox Lord Tebbit. But he could be luring the opposition, if the Labour party still is the opposition, its getting harder to tell. These are radical politics in any language. The Tories will be howling for Tebbits blood and his gowns, though if this is a ploy and they pull it off, Labour go for broke and lose an early election, then Mr Brown should have taken his wifes advice not to.

Brian Seals, Scarborough, Nth Yorks, England

After Gordon Brown's pension raid I don't know how we live either. Brown's image is of prudence and good finance as was Margaret Thatcher's but there the resemblance ends. Brown's reality is that of old style Labour carried to an extreme that borders on the old style communism with world wide boundaries for sharing the results of British worker's pay.
Brown is a skilled politician but he has no other ability whatever.

D Cage, Highworth, Wilts UK

Lord Tebbit is beginning to lose touch with reality himself: Mrs Thatcher ("milk snatcher") closed more grammar schools during her terms of office as prime minister and minister of education than any other before or after her. That said, Mr Cameron was wrong to attack grammar schools although he took swift action against those who wrongly advised him. He is also entirely correct to concentrate on improving primary education as we know now - with an increasing under-10 crime rate - that's that where the broken society begins. Most important of all, does Lord Tebbit and Baroness Thatcher agree with Mr Brown's decision to deny the British people a referendum on the revamped EU constitution? In the end, Lord Tebbit was playing fast and loose with the facts: typical pre-Conference hype and more in line with Blair and Campbell than either Brown or Cameron. Get on yer bike Norman!

Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

Unless someone has the courage to challenge Cameron now, the Conservatives are staring another 5 years in the wilderness. Strike now, get David Davies in and stand a fighting chance.

michael murphy, brightlingsea, england

Cameron will have to watch over his shoulder as it wont be long before the men in grey suites pay him a visit.Cameron and Osborne and his Old Etonian gang are washed out. The PR and spin done them in the end.If the Tory Party dont move soon they will be in meltdown.

Bill Rees, Truro, Cornwall

Well,

Our hunting shooting and fishing prospective MP will get into our highjly marginal seat, an up front ex mining one I hasten to add. Perhaps there are a few more in the other 150 marginals? If so then the Tories look on course for 10 more years. Or is that the New Labour party?

Tea and scones round at your palatial pile then Dancing Dave?

Pete Balchin, Solicitor , Bristol, UK

TJP's right. Brown talks right wing but his actions are authoritarian and socialist through and through. I work extremely hard all year and yet the money taken from me for taxes is wasted supporting an inefficient bloated state and worse still allowing Labour to buy votes by giving my money to people who skills just don't justify the wages they're paid - classroom assistants anyone? sports counsellors? How many other thousands of non-jobs adding nothing to the economy has this government created to create the image of getting people with otherwise limited employable skills off the dole? How are any of these classic 1930's state work creation schemes going to help us deal with the realities of the future global economy?

I just wish the Tories could sort themselves out. As it is the only option open at the moment seems to be leaving the country.

Bill, Edinburgh,

Lord Tebbit's main gripe is about grammar schools, which is an issue that even most Tories are not concerned about. 11-plus was inheritly unfair (I benefitted from it) and few want to go back. He is right in saying that Gordon Brown is Thatcher's heir (see Simon Jenkin's excellent book 'Thatcher and Sons') but even she (and Tebbit) would be horrified at the waste of resources and economic dishonesty from both Blair and Brown, and hiding away debts such as PFIs, Network Rail etc. She would never have done what they did and we will be all reeping that whirlwind in years to come.

Gordon Brown is a 'commitment' politician but only 'committed' to his views of the world. He wants control - Nanny' knows best - another view Lady Thatcher never held to. Why is the Labour conference going along with Brown's right wing rhetoric? Because it wins votes as it did with Blair. Socialist principles can go to hell.

TJP, Yerevan, Armenia

I think Norman Tebbit should voice his views in private. It is a sad reflection of a man that he can't add his support to his own party. Surely he should be helping not hindering the Tories to get rid of the current party which has very little morals.

T. White, Farnham,

The Conservatives have already lost the next election. They are out of touch with ordinary people. From policy announcements it seems that their view of the average voter is one that lives in the South-East of England and who flies on holiday at least 4 times per year. Policies of "green" taxes are doomed to failure as they deny the poor what is just affordable whilst the wealthier do not need to change their lifestyle. Gordon Brown espouses simple, meaningful ideas whereas the Conservatives promote a "we know better attitude". I have been a life long Tory voter until this year with my change due to the Conservatives' perpetuation of the myth that global warming is due solely to human abuse of the planet. Why then is the surface of Mars warming up?

Alan R MacKenzie, Inverness, UK

The only patriotic national party available which has decent objectives and intelligent policies is the UK Independence Party. While many members (perhaps most, I do not have such data) are former Conservatives, there is no doubt we have large numbers of members from other parties as well as political party virgins.

The UK Independence Party believes in nation, democracy, accountable government and much more that will appeal to Tories if only they can abandon their tribal allegiances, as I did the day the Maastricht Treaty was approved. That event deserved a referendum as much as the current Constitutional Treaty does but instead the Conservative Party closer ranks behind the most useless PM this century.

Lord Tebbit has been much more loyal to the current Tory leadership than they deserve - if he and many others had been less commited to the sinking hulk they would have joined UKIP years ago.

Andrew Smith, Epping, UK

Oh dear, as the saying goes: "With 'friends' like these..."

A. Scheilberg, Germany,

Maybe Lord T is doing a silent endorsement of David Davies as they do tend to talk along simliar lines.......but then what about William Hague.....an excellent politician wjho just arrived too soon.........at least both of these have their feet on the ground as far as the UK is concerned.
I am afraid D C is far too much like Blair........too much spin and not enough substance.....

Peter, Birmingham, UK

Sad but true.

However, at least Cameron has listened to Tebbit on one policy issue. He has after all "Got on his bike".

Sven, Glasgow, UK

As a Tory supporter I think that Norman Tebbit is absolutely correct. In promising U-turns over Gambling Casinos, 24 hour licencing and classification of Cannabis, Gordon Brown has cleverly pitched to both sides of the political spectrum and become an overbearing nanny statist who is to the right of the Daily Mail.

In fact, the only issue that seems to separate the 2 major parties is that CallMeDave actually wants to blow Taxpayerâ€™s money (including that of single, childless people) on useless state bribes in a vain attempt to persuade people to marry. In contrast to this, Gordon Brown made a Biblical point in his speech of no child being left behind no matter what family background they come from. The result? CallMeDave is at least 11 points behind in the polls.

It would probably help if the Tories dropped all the stupid nanny statism and concentrated instead of being a truly neo-liberal party that actually championed the freedom of the individual.

Worked for Thatcher

Henry Flint, London, England

Cameron has done a splendid job of making the Conservative party unelectable. His public image is (justifiably) one of "all spin and no substance" and he completely fails to address the issues that matter most to the electorate. It doesn't really matter when Gordon Brown calls an election; whilst Cameron "leads" (the word hardly seems appropriate) the Tories, it would be virtually impossible for Labour to lose.

Mel, Bath,

What is it about Norman Tebbit that makes it worth distinguishing his opinions from those of everyone else?

Henry Percy, London, UK

There is only one choice....get Hague back as leader....quick, then the Tories stand a fighting chance.

Earl Richard of Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire

I agree with Norm.

Brown is Thatchers heir and is continuing her campaign to deindustrialise the UK completely. Alistair Darling emphasised this recently by stating that he didn't believe in economic patriotism. All our competitors cheered loudly safe in the knowledge that as proven recently this Govt will bend over backwards to save the financial institutions but do nothing when it comes to real industry.

Scamp, Aberdeenshire,

Misleading headline - Lord Tebbit did not say Brown was the natural heir to Thatcher - he said he positioned himself as such which was a natural response to Cameron's "heir to Blair" claim.
We know that Lord Tebbit doesn't like Cameron (who does?) but what does he like about Brown? What is Brown's experience of life? - his wife and brother who advises him are both public relations people.

Paul Dillon, Guildford,

The other half? You mean when some people cycle to work they DON'T have a car following with their stuff? What a country!

KJ Keir, Aberdeen, Scotland

Does anyone actually care what Tebbit says or thinks ?
He's a relic from the Eighties, and utterly irrelevant to politics today.

Richard Littlejohnson, Bracknell, UK

stevgillamos:

What hope, to completely fracture an already divided society? The BNP doesn't offer hope, just division and facile attempts to cling on to an idea of an England that didn't even exist before Windrush arrived on our shores.

Dan Russell, Chesterfield, UK

I emailed David Camerons office via his website to state that neither my wife or I would vote conservative again, after 32 years of doing so, because he is leading them down the wrong path.
I received a very condescending reply, probably sent out to all complainers, so I carried out out 2 small surveys in a professional office and amongst known conservative voters - the comments were all the same.
Cameron appeals to the chattering classes and the type of people with his own wealthy background.
Potential and ex conservative voters amongst the real people are not hearing what they want to hear regarding asylum seekers, immigration, crime, workshy living on benefits and taxation. They are sick of having global warming rammed down their throats and being told that their holiday flights and their 4x4's, for which they work hard to afford , are going to become even more expensive.
Cameron needs to relate to these people who live and work in the real world and keep this country afloat.

tony, birmingham, uk

I agree with those who doubt the capabilities of David Cameron, and that he will never win a general election.
He is not the person to lead the Tories and I am heartily disappointed that his election to that position will mean that the right wingers in this country will be saddled with a Labour government for at least another four or five years.

Alan , Llanerchymedd, Wales UK

Cameron would have more chance of winning in Cameroon!
He has no direction at all and is not a leader. We (as a Conservative) desperately need someone with flair and charisma, not to mention a person of direction!

Pedro Tam, London, U.K.

I can not vote for Gordon Brown, who is pretending that everything he supported under Blair was not really his fault, to say nothing of his gross errors (pensions, PFI, tax trickery etc.). I have always voted Conservative in General Elections but not this time. I don't want to vote for "true heirs to Blair", or people who witter about the environment and think that what the UK (or the EU) does, at great expense, will actually make any difference or those who think money sent to Africa (into whose pockets?) is more important than restoring dignity to our own pensioners or those who refuse to reconsider our relations with the EU. Plus I agree with everything Norman Tebbit said.

Judge Cameron by what he does (PR gestures, going back on his firm promise to leave the EPP at once) and says (eg Polly Toynbee to be invited to their conference).

So, unless Frank Field and Kate Hoey were to form a party, I will be abstaining and joining millions of other one time Conservatives.

Tom, Haslemere,

I have an enormous amount of time for Lord Tebbit since meeting once him a few years ago.

I feel I am a Conservative very much in the Tebbit tradition and his parting shot about selective education being available to all is absolutely Spot On, capital S, capital O.

I don't think Cameron has anything approaching the right formula to lead my party back to government.

Somebody asked me if Cameron could ever make me vote for Brown. I answered probably not - but he could stop me turning out to deliver leaflets for the Tories. Cameron must take heed that there are very many Tories who think like this...

Philip Whittington, Elstree, UK

The simple facts are that we 'ordinary' people trust Gordon Brown. He has gravitas and believability, personal high and moral standards.
David Cameron, and indeed the people that surround him, have none of these qualities and thus are not to be trusted; they are opportunists with nothing left to offer.
An early election? - bring it on!

Jerry Latham, Uttoxeter, UK

Well that seals it. Tebbit has been wrong for the last 20 years, so I have no doubt he is wrong here too! Mind you, I would hardly consider myself a Careon supporter either!

Why is it that Portillo, a man that made my skin crawl when he was in parliament, now seems to talk sense on every issue? What does parliament do to people to make them such idiots I wonder?

Mark, Birmingham, UK

And what will Lord Tebbit say when the British people do not get their democratic right to a referundum on the European Constitution? But perhaps he knows something that we don't know.

Christopher Gillibrand, Brussels, Belgium in exile

Well Mr T....if you're so convinced about the benefit of Grammar Schools, why did you not built a single one of them in the 18 years you were in government?

Creaming off the top third is great..........for the top third. What about the good natured and well brought up children from good backgrounds whose parents are 'the good guys' who just don't make the cut? Confine them to a school life with the 'yobbish tendancy'?

Policy as advocated by this Tory party would drain off the 'difficult' elements and focus resources on them rather than cream off the best and leave everyone else to stew in the same pot. A much better approach and one that may just apppeal to a wider electorate. Unfortunately the Tory party in general, and Mr Brady in particular don't have the discipline or nous to wind their necks in when required.

I write as an ex-Grammar School pupil.

Jon, Dorking,

While I share Mr Tebbit's contempt for the Cameroons, I am struggling to understand his admiration for the Brown-nosers.

Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU

Unfortunately Lord Tebbit has hit the nail on the head! No Conservative Party in power for the forthcoming elections.

It is as well to remember, from Mr Cameron's point of view, you are there to represent what you Constituents want, not what you think they want! As a consequence we are doomed to another term of a failed 'not fit for purpose' Labour Government!

Tony Walker, Louth, Lincolnshire, UK

The only hope the Tory's have is give the public a say in the running of the country first a vote to stay in or come out of Europe then Immigration and what the PEOPLE want to do about it (not giving this vote to immgrants or expats who live abroad) then capital punishment then they bjust might get in again

sydney Hobson, Leeds,

Sadly chickens are coming home to roost for the Cameroons. They made it quite plain plain from the first moment that a whole tranche of potential supporters/activists were 'fruitcakes', 'deluded' and so on and should push off. We have. Meantime they tried to attract flaky new age groups, Blairites, anti-Thatcherites, who are not giving much genuine support so the opposition momentum has stalled and reversed.
I do not know what Cameron can do now. For all the eulogies about Browns like many of his ilk, his apparently upright, honest moral compass is compromised be3cause he is capable of the most egregious self-delusion, His professed wish to be inclusive , responsive to people, genuinely democratic, is hollow; he is the control freak Brownski, so I do not trust him at all.

Dr J Findlater, Carnforth,

TEBBIT is spot on.

As for troops returning we should honour them and have parades ( why don't you have a vote )

D Ward, Birmingham,

Great point Mr Tebbit makes about Cameron and "how the other half live" exactly my thoughts when I see Zac Goldsmith as his adviser - its nice to play when your dad left you several hundred milion....

bob morris, Londonb,

Crikey, another outbreak of Bluetongue Disease..I presume an exclusion zone will have to be put around Blackpool next week, thus preventing the other half from enjoying their holidays!

John Beale, Bridgwater, UK

Regretfully Lord Tebbit is spot-on, natural tories have no one to vote for, I'm not sure I can be bothered to vote next time, all politicians seem to be preaching the same message of doom on the environment and all their solutions are to tax more thereby giving all the economic advantages to our suppliers in China and India. None of the parties are capable of tackling crime/people smuggling, solutions to these issues are beyond their grasp, very sad, France sounds nice.

Steve Brown, Newport, Isle of Wight

So even the old Conservative 'big guns' are now endorsing Labour. As if we needed any more proof that the conservative party is dead in the water. The BNP is our only hope.

stevgillamos, Romford,

rest in pieces the tory party. - wonderful

john, Portsmouth,

A concise and well put argument. We (I'm a Tory) desperately, desperately need a new leader and FAST. Cameron will just not do, he will never be prime minister, he may be very bright but he's just too posh

David, St Albans, UK

Which other half would that be Norman? The other half with no work perhaps? They're not getting any better treatment from this Government and if you support Gordon Brown Mr Tebbit, that's most people's gravest concerns about him confirmed.

Judy , Liverpool, england