Thursday, October 20, 2005

Cameron or Davis?

Well we have just heard that the result of the MPs vote was Cameron 90, Davis 57 and Fox 51, so Liam Fox is out of the leadership race. I got it wrong!

I have already been asked who I now endorse. Well let me answer that by explaining why I supported Liam. He had set out his campaign based on policies and beliefs and not just image, and politics needs to once again focus on policy. I share Liam's desire to increase prosperity and entrepreneuship and have a true Conservative commitment to wealth creation, believing that is the best way to sustainable economic growth. Globally, Britain should be a leading country in the world, and should not be constrained by an out-dated, inefficient, monolithic European Union. We need to be a member state of Europe, but not a member of a state called Europe. We should also build our relationship with America and not take the anti-Atlanticist stance, which is a French stance. I believe also that in the 1980's the Conservatives saved the country from economic bankruptcy - now the task is to save us from Social bankruptcy. Liam laid out his views on Britain's broken society, a society where violent crime is at record levels, teenage pregnancies are at an all time high, fear of crime is high, drugs are as widely available on street corners and respect is non-existent. The mentally ill are poorly looked after by the state, and there are more places in London for abandoned animals than there are for homeless women. These social policies are not right wing, but are compassionate Conservatism, so not everything about Liam is right wing.

So that is an outline of why I support Liam - his views are most closely aligned to mine.

As for who I support now - that has got to be the candidate that has the closest fit to the policy agenda I have just outlined. Of course, this needs to be balanced with level of atractivenss to the electorate, because, like it or not, image is now important.

From what I have heard and seen so far, David Cameron is most likely to get my support.

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