tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post759173084409971575..comments2024-10-25T13:58:36.797+01:00septicislehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03369157723084834549noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-80308856855219561492008-06-13T21:43:00.000+01:002008-06-13T21:43:00.000+01:00Clearly Davis is better than Mackenzie, but wouldn't such a choice highlight the obvious choice: none of the above?<BR/><BR/>No-one's obliged to play David Davis's games, and/or any other Tory MP who takes advantage of their poll lead to indulge in similar stunts. No-one, I think, believes Davis is a civil libertarian, he believes in jailing 18yr old boys who have sex with other boys, jailing anyone who takes drugs, for example, and so we can surely do better?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214026669109045616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-12191644484426608072008-06-13T20:44:00.000+01:002008-06-13T20:44:00.000+01:00The 'New' Labour party never was interested in what its own supporters think. At least since Blair became leader, it has only been interested in what the party apparatchiks think its supporters ought to think. The lunacy, in electoral terms, of this delusion is only now beginning to become apparent.anticanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18135207107619114891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-73754446397853835062008-06-13T19:15:00.000+01:002008-06-13T19:15:00.000+01:00matthew: In an ideal world, that would far better, yes. We're not however, and this might be the only possible way to have a proper debate on civil liberties while also raising their profile immensely. If Labour doesn't stand a candidate against them, and it's Kelvin MacKenzie vs Davis, it'll just confirm that the Labour party is no longer interested in what its own supporters think, but rather what Rupert Murdoch and the scandal sheets do.septicislehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03369157723084834549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-59752915524854239362008-06-13T11:24:00.000+01:002008-06-13T11:24:00.000+01:00Now, if Alan Partridge decided to stand in the by-election...jailhouselawyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03795278184797990706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-560920148306161462008-06-13T10:49:00.000+01:002008-06-13T10:49:00.000+01:00I don't agree. It would be different if Davis had resigned and was going to contest (say) Gordon Brown's seat at the next election, or he was standing as an independent 'civil liberties' candidate, or forming a new party. But he's standing in his own seat, for the same party, with the same policies, when the Torieis are 20% ahead and with no real chance of losing. <BR/><BR/>The best outcome would be to get the Lib Dems to change their mind of standing, and field a candidate who was opposed to 42 days, and 28 days (unlike Davis who argued for it in parliament) and also showed an understanding of other issues of civil liberties, for which Davis doesn't, and get the voters to endorse that.<BR/><BR/>That wouldn't be too hard, can it?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214026669109045616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14422435.post-13038172025448450202008-06-13T10:02:00.000+01:002008-06-13T10:02:00.000+01:00Agreed. It's infuriating but I'd vote for Davis too. It makes me feel ill, and I blame labour.fat tuliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056598885620472378noreply@blogger.com