Dave shoots his Fox........

Dave has finally shot his fox. Old Brer Liam, the last of the Thatcherites in the Cabinet, was doomed from the moment Downing Street expressed ‘full confidence’ in him. The dirty tricks brigade inside No 10 had been briefing against Fox for months. The leak about ‘defence cuts are indefensible’ obviously came from that source and caused no end of trouble between him and Cameron.

And yet we have the appalling Huhne who is being investigated for serious criminal charges and has just been caught red-handed briefing against fellow members of the Cabinet and the junior Justice Minister with the silly name who has been up to some hanky-panky carry blithely on.

At least this gave Dave the opportunity to correct a serious mistake and make a sensible appointment, instead of the  nobody he has now chosen.

I refer, of course, to the former Shadow Defence Secretary, Patrick Mercer, who is a gallant soldier, a retired infantry Colonel, a highly intelligent man, and very articulate. Unfortunately, he committed the cardinal sin for a politician. He told the truth. And when he said that he had been told by his NCOs that black soldiers were inclined to play the race card when charged with skiving, Cameron, in the best traditions of political correctness, promptly fired him.

It got a bit embarrassing when his former Sergeant Major said that the Colonel was absolutely right; and he himself is black.

And that is why I would never, ever vote for a Tory party led by Cameron.