Duncan criticises 'Tory Taleban' (BBC News)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

Alan Duncan has quit the Conservative leadership race saying its "moralising wing" could condemn it to oblivion.
Mr Duncan, the only openly gay Tory MP, told the Times: "Our Achilles heel has been our social attitude. We should... allow people to live as they choose...

"If the 'Tory Taleban' can't get that they'll condemn us all to oblivion." Out-going Tory leader Michael Howard said the remarks surprised him. About eight MPs are now thought to be left as contenders to replace Mr Howard.

(snip)

Announcing his withdrawal to The Times, Mr Duncan said: "Censorious judgmentalism from the moralising wing, which treats half our countrymen as enemies, must be rooted out. "We should turn our indignation at poor education into a fundamental review that asks what we should teach and how we should teach it.
"Why are we talking so little of foreign affairs and social cohesion at a time when it is shaming for us not to have a single Muslim MP?"

But Mr Howard told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I am surprised that Alan has said that and I'm surprised he believes it because I don't believe it to be true. "I don't think we are censorious about people's lifestyles - I think we've moved on and I think that we accept that, so Alan's remarks surprise me."

More at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4692145.stm

[non sociopath skin]

1. Yes, O Creature of the Night, your election campaign was a model ...

... of open-mindedness and inclusiveness.

BTW Did anyone else see him being singularly ungracious about Grocer Heath this morning? Even Thatcher (or whoever does the talking for her these days) was more generous ...

The Skin

[T_i_B]

2. Here's the article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1530643,00.html

The press were squared; the middle class were all prepared. But it is not to be. Sell your shares in those who make bunting and souvenir mugs. The game's off. As of today, I am no longer a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative party.

If emails and letters counted for anything I'd be in with a chance. But to be popular in the country one must first establish popularity among MPs. It's simple - I have no henchmen. So there you have it: no gang, no launchpad, no progress, no chance.

No regrets either. I've told a million meetings of Tory activists to their face that it's "get real or die", and they've lapped it up. If anyone contemptuously dismisses them now as blue-rinsed bigots, I'll bop them one. They are not. They are there, open-minded, ready to be led, hungry to win, and keen to find someone who will do so.

There is always hope in politics. But seizing the opportunity to revive is difficult when your vehicle is such a troubled brand. To those whose votes we need, the Conservative party remains a turn-off. If we can understand both the appetite and the obstacles we face then the world can be ours. Appreciate neither and we're down the plughole. To misquote Michael Ashcroft, "Smell the coffee, or smell the death."

[cheeseit]

3. sour grapes, with a degree of truth in them

Obviously the Tories should join the modern world on social/lifestyle issues, but I think Duncan and other Tory modernisers are wrong in seeing social liberalism as the key to returning to power. Howard's campaign was of course nasty and bigoted, but I dont actually think his bashing of immigrants and gypsies, attempts to make abortion an issue etc either helped him or hurt him, really.

Duncan actually does touch on the real problem in this article, but doesn't really follow through with it--as always, it's the economy, stupid. As he says, the Tories reputation for economic competence was destroyed by ERM- (although how it ever survived the the cruelly reckless mismanagement of the Thatcher/Lawson years is one of life's great mysteries) but, crucially, they've only made their image on economic issues worse since then with obviously contradictory and unworkable proposals for simultaneous tax cuts and improved public services. And all the while, things have ticked along nicely under Mr Brown.

The bottom line is, take away the idea that they'll manage the economy better than anybody else, and there's really precious little reason for most people to want to vote Conservative. And if they're going to tackle that problem then a more socially liberal approach MUST be coupled with an economic programme that actually offers something other than the refried Thatcherism they've been serving up for the last 8 years. And given that before his coming out Duncan was best known for being the ultimate free-market idealogue, I hardly see how he's the man for the job.