Who follows Cameron?

One would have thought that a party that calls itself ‘Conservative’ would have cleaved to conservative values – loyalty, integrity, country before party and party before one’s self.

 

If the political chatterrati are to be believed one would be wrong.

 

Instead, we are led to believe, the Tory Party is a steaming midden of treachery, plotting, back-stabbing and briefing against colleagues. MPs, from Cabinet Ministers to scarcely-known back-benchers, are positioning themselves to topple Dave.

 

The Home Secretary, the egregious Mrs May, has been trailing her coat for a while; there are many others, including a black guy of whom nobody knows anything (hardly surprising since he has never held a Government post).

 

Well, it’s not going to happen in this Parliament, but I predict that if the Tories lose in 2015 Dave’s feet won’t touch the ground. The Tories are notably ruthless with losers.

 

So who are the runners and riders in a future leadership race?

 

Not Kitten-heels May. She is a walking disaster. She has failed in her efforts to deport terrorist suspects. When she browbeat the unfortunate head of the Borders Agency to speed up immigration clearance at Heathrow whilst reducing the staffing numbers, she created the fiasco of lax passport checks and then forced the man out of office.

 

Immigration policy is a shambles, limiting admissions of bona fide foreign students who are an important source of income for our universities,  key workers, free spending Chinese tourists, and  other categories which benefit the UK, but she will not be able to exclude Eastern European gypsies.

 

Michael Gove has been widely touted, although he vehemently denies having any such ambition.

 

Andrew Mitchell has the ability and character to make a good leader, but the Police Federation stitched him up.

 

George Osborne will be lucky to keep his present job if he implodes on Wednesday.

 

This leaves the joint favourites, ‘Boffo’ Johnson and David Davis.

 

BJ carries the image of something of a buffoon. He isn’t. He is a consummate politician, and a crafty political operator. He would probably gain a lot of votes in a General Election because he is very likeable and a celebrity who has been seen on the telly. He also earns his own living.

 

But he carries some ‘class’ baggage – public school (but a scholarship boy, if that makes any difference), Oxford, the Bullingdon Club, and quasi-upper class.

 

It may be that people have simply had enough of toffs.

 

By contrast, David Davis is of working-class background, a self-made man of integrity, with a successful career in business before entering politics, a down to earth ex-member of the SAS, and a political big-beast.

 

If people are looking for a safe pair of hands, they will vote for him.

 

My money is on Davis.