Thursday, July 23, 2009
Unrest in the ranks
In a report on the Norwich North by-election The Times reveals that all is not well in the Tory camp:
A number of Conservative grandees have sought to express their anger at David Cameron by either refusing to campaign at all in Norwich North, or declining to make the three trips to Norfolk demanded by the whips of all Tory MPs.
A number of stalwart Conservative backbenchers are livid with the party leader, feeling that he acted brutally towards them to demonstrate to voters his hard line over expenses. They believe that they were sacrificed for the sake of the Shadow Cabinet, members of whom they feel were merely told to write a cheque rather than forfeit their reputation and their careers.
One senior Tory insider said: “There is a degree of ‘up yours’ going on. They feel that a) they have done their time and they are on holiday and b) that Cameron has hung them out to dry.”
A number of Conservative grandees have sought to express their anger at David Cameron by either refusing to campaign at all in Norwich North, or declining to make the three trips to Norfolk demanded by the whips of all Tory MPs.
A number of stalwart Conservative backbenchers are livid with the party leader, feeling that he acted brutally towards them to demonstrate to voters his hard line over expenses. They believe that they were sacrificed for the sake of the Shadow Cabinet, members of whom they feel were merely told to write a cheque rather than forfeit their reputation and their careers.
One senior Tory insider said: “There is a degree of ‘up yours’ going on. They feel that a) they have done their time and they are on holiday and b) that Cameron has hung them out to dry.”
