Michael Howard to concentrate on Immigration

The Observer carries a report on a coming shift in emphasis from the Conservative leader. Read it from here.

David Davies for UKIP to fight Shadow Home Secretary Davis

The Yorkshire Post carries this story of the Darlington UKIP member (for how much longer we wonder) who plans to take on the top Tory David Davis who is defending a tiny majority of 1903 votes under a distrusted leader of a terminally ill party. The article is linked from here.

ITV Vote Winner Hylton-Potts to challenge Howard

The article is in The Scotsman, linked here, is this the final straw for Michael, or will he seek a safer seat, surely not Wantage ... but Esher and Walton 0n Thames perhaps, the Scot in the wings already has Kensington and Chelsea which looks like the last really safe Tory seat in the land! LOL

EU Fan Tory MP Quits for Labour

Citing the top story, linked here, from the Sunday Telegraph's online edition, also the subject of Matthew d'Ancona's regular column, the paper highlights these interesting aspects:-

Mr Jackson, whose wife Dr Caroline Jackson is a Conservative MEP, added: "The Conservative Party has developed an increasingly hostile attitude to Europe, which I believe would be damaging to our national interest if pursued in government. Michael Howard has already indicated that he would act unilaterally to denounce at least two of our treaty commitments.

"There is a real and dangerous momentum building in the party to take Britain out of the EU. If the Conservative Party were to form the next government it would actively work to provoke an unnecessary and wholly undesirable crisis in our relations with Europe. I note at the same time that Michael Howard's failure to maintain a clear and consistent line on the Iraq war means that a Conservative government would find itself at odds not only with the rest of Europe but also with Washington."

Michael Howard's whole strategy now lies in tatters all around him. Not only has he alienated the entire eurosceptic movement in Britain to placate his eurofanatics, principally by keeping his MEP's within the ultra-federalist EPP Group in Strasbourg, he has now upset the Kenneth Clarke faction by daring to suggest we might have some right to bring up past Treaty commitments such as that which has destroyed our fishing industry and the living resources of our seas which surround our island.

Mr Jackson is right for the wrong reasons. Meantime Britain must continue to cry out for a proper opposition party!

Michael Howard targeted under freedom of information changes

The BBC News report linked here, highlights the risk to politicians of both the tired old parties of the truth about their periods of office being even slightly subject to public disclosure.

Here we have questions about Howard's role in an expedited passport for Petronella Wyatt, what other ghosts might be brought forth - new computers for the Home Office was one such suspicious area we suggested very shortly after the Conservative Party's disastrous decision to select as their leader a man they had previously spurned when memories of his record in office were fresher. Who on either front bench could the public now trust/ None that I can see!

Conservative's launch Manifesto - Howard to continue after losing

Such were the reports from The Herald in Scotland, no particular surprise there, but for the Daily Telegraph to concentrate on what the Tory's leader would do after losing the next election does seem somewhat odd. Read the article from here and see what you think - oh by the way, there is a link to the actual Tory proposals, as if any will be interested!

'Labour's hold on power could be precarious'

Ben Hall the FT's Political Correspondent, headlines his article with the title above. The prospect is for an interesting political year ahead with the impact of smaller and newer parties perhaps proving crtical. He concludes his review (linked here) as follows:-

Another factor that could play in Labour's favour is the strength of minority parties, especially the anti-European UK Independence party and the antiwar Respect party.

Labour to target 'Wobbly' Howard

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Labour Party is preparing, perfectly sensibly, to target the Tory's disastrous leader Michael Howard in the coming General Election campaign. The article may be read from this link, which reports the leader has already suffered a recent 'wobble'.

Can this really come as any surprise to the conservative party. What else did they expect when they undemocratically dumped a properly elected leader for a failed has been?

The Yorkshire Post predicts today that the Tories will be finished as a party if Howard fails to win at least an extra fifty seats. The main question at present remains whether he will be able to hang on to those he has at present. Howard's main hope of that must now be if his ex-Tory colleague Roger Knapman can continue his disastrous leadership of UKIP and thus end any electoral hopes that might have been held for that party.

Will we be under joint EU/LibDem rule at the next new year? If so we may never get the chance to select our own rulers ever again!

Happy New Year

May I wish all readers of this Blog a Very Happy New Year. To those genuinely committed to restoring accountable democracy to the people of Britain, which to my mind will only be achieved by a withdrawal from the institutionally corrupt and ungovernable EU - A PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL YEAR AS WELL!