Scramble for Publicity
Ian Jack looks at the prospects for the Davis campaign in the Guardian he makes a point that has been concerning me since Davis resigned;
“Haltemprice will elect David Davis because of his party, but the popularity of his beliefs will remain unproved. As an independent newcomer campaigning for liberty he might struggle, like Miss Great Britain, to save his £500.”
Although I agree with the perceived stance of Davis - there is so much to complain about over the various invasions this government has made into the neighbourhood of our civil liberties - The struggle for the restoration of those liberties and rebalancing the power of the state verses the people will not be centred on the results of the by-election in Haltemprice.
In that respect the Davis campaign is practically a non event and can only serve to entrench the idea in a political elite that these things do not matter to the man in the street, which of course they do not, until he is individually faced with the power of the state at which point he will soon begin to realise that his so called rights no longer exist.
The whole reason Davis offers for his resignation is flawed in any case, because he could not possibly put pressure on this government by resigning from his office as Shadow Home Sectary, resigning his seat, and forcing an election. The other major parties - LibDems and Labour - are not even standing, so there can be no question that the issues will be discussed nationally when the only opponents to Davis re-election are independents, greens and various assorted others. As Ian Jack point out David Davis’s resignation has triggered not just a by-election but a scramble for publicity. And when he is returned with a lower turnout he will find himself in a weaker position than that which he previously held within the party. It will be entirely up to Mr Cameron if he wishes to offer Davis his old job back, some other job, or simply leave him languishing on the back benches.
Not that it really matters what happens to Davis, but he hung his banner on a very important civil liberties issue, as he becomes weakened so will the cause. Unless he can force Cameron to make this a real Conservative party issue at the next election. Which looks unlikely as Cameron has already declared his interests and they did not include civil liberties.
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