David Davis’ resignation of his parliamentary seat in protest of the government’s success in the first stage of getting the 42 day holding limit passed is as far as I can see a display of principle in a world of smoke, mirrors and timidity. Davis is not a man I agree with on many points of view but on this issue he gets my full support. Mr Davis plans to stand in a by-election within his constituency of Haltemprice and Howden on a civil liberties ticket. However whilst his stand is admirable and his actions commendable he may have simply shot himself in the foot, I hope for his sake that this is not the case and it would indeed be a downright shame if a politician who had the nerve to display principle over ambition lost his seat.
His actions highlight the dissent that David Cameron has done well to keep under wraps, redesigning the Conservative party to be smiles, kittens, fluff and bubbles has been a difficult process not in the least because there are seperate elements within the party that would rather say what they think and be unpopular than chase middle england across the polls, David Davis with his belief in a death penalty for premediated murder is one such individual who who for the sake of appearances has had to keep his opinions to himself or bring upon the party the label of nastiness that has hounded them for so long.
Well before I write anything else that sounds sympathetic to Conservatism, and boy oh boy do I dislike Conservatism (just for the record here) I think a little bit of analysis wouldn’t go amiss. Mr Davis has received widespread support amongst the grass roots of the Conservative party but it is clear that he has not just burnt but devastated with high charge explosives any bridge he may have had with David Cameron, his replacement as shadow Home Secretary by Dominic Grieve was described by Cameron as ‘permanent’. In Mr Davis’ actions he may well have dealt a body blow to his former leadership rival, one that the Prime Minister will be all too happy to take advantage of in his slow and lumbering way. He has highlighted the disunity within the Conservative party and by doing so has taken the media spotlight away from the dubious bribery and mirky dealings that saw the DUP side with Labour to pass the bill by 9 votes. Equally, given that public opinion seems to be so inexplicably in favour of the odious 42 day holding limit legislation, that Mr Davis, as well as derail his career and lose his chance to serve as a Home Secretary in any future Conservative administration, may even lose his seat in the Commons
The Sun, that fine organ of sensitve, non-reactionary, level headed views will be more than adequetely represented in the upcoming Haltemprice and Howden by-election by an ex-editor of the rag called Kelvin Mackenzie, a vocal supported of the 42 day limit. Whilst David Davis will stand unopposed by both the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party and whilst it would be a major upset for a politician of Mr Davis’ calibre to be ousted by a rabid little demogouge like Mackenzie, who can tell what may happen with regards to public opinion and it’s sometimes surprising ability to humble those whose Achilles heel happens to be democratic accountability.
For more about the 42 day limit and how to get involved against such an authoritarian measure please peruse Amnesty International Blogs ,go to the Liberty website or get some background information and find out what you’re losing by studying what you have in the Habeus Corpus Act of 1679
I don’t paricularly like David Davis, I see him as self-serving and quite arrogant. However, anyone that is prepared to stick up for the British public as our civil rights are eroded has my vote. Perhaps one of the parties should include civil rights, or maybe even the proposed Bill of Rights into their manifesto? I would prefer it is not the Labour party, given they have already proven that they are incapable of keeping to their manifesto pledges in respect of the European Constitution.