Conservative Home today reports speculation over the deselection of Bercow and Patrick Mercer, his fellow Tory Brown adviser. That follows a Daily Mail article talking about "Grassroots fury" at the two.
Conservative Home reckon that pressure on the two is not massive, particularly in Bercow's case. But, we have already had Iain Dale having to hold his swear words about the two. And there have been a cascade of (admittedly, not uniformly) critical comments on Conservative Home about the two. Some of those comments are included for your delectation at the bottom of this post.
I don't often receive comments on my blog from named Conservatives. Simon Icke of Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire (in John Bercow's constituency) was kind enough to leave a very fulsome comment here. He obviously feels very strongly that Bercow should be replaced. The gist of it is summed up by this passage:
In my opinion John Bercow is not a man of conviction or has any real principles, nor, is he a man that shows loyalty to the Conservative Party or it's leaders, he is merely an opportunist MP that blows with every favourable wind, if that wind is a trendy left wing liberal wind, all the better.
Mr Icke goes on to say:
...is the only way to remove him as the MP for Buckingham to have a real conservative; someone with traditional conservative values and ideology, stand against him at the next election as an Independent Conservative?
Strong stuff. Here is that equally strong stuff from Conservative Home commenters:
Why the whips ever let Bercow and Mercer accept such positions is beyond me. Why they think their voice will be heard or heeded is equally unfathomable.
Bercow and Mercer should become Brown-ian experts on Unemployment by being issued with P45's forthwith!!!!!
I have actually got a great deal of respect for John Bercow. Obviously i disagree with him on many issues, but contrary to some of those comments on ConservativeHome, i think he is a conviction politician. Many a time have i whiled away a an afternoon watching BBC Parliament and seeing Mr Bercow moving motions of support of worthwile causes, to the derision of his colleagues.
ReplyDeleteAxeing him would be the clearest sign yet that the "commpassionate conservative" era is over before it ever began. Back to personal gain and looking after No.1 in future, and all the more reason to ensure they never see power again.
Thanks Ryan. For the avoidance of doubt, I share your respect for the man. The various Tory comments confirm that he is probably in the wrong party.
ReplyDeleteConservative Home has a history of attacking Bercow, they have speculated about him defecting to Labour, etc. Probably they hate him so much because he presents for them a pioneer of the direction to which Cameron has led the whole party. Though I believe that Bercow is much more sincere than Cameron in his conversion.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'd retain healthy scepticism on anything that Conservative Home says about Bercow, they have been wrong about him before. It may be just wistful thinking from their side.
Patrick Mercer, showed complete indifference to the news that Commonwealth soldiers were forming a trade union amid complaints of racism and abuse, Mercer dismissed their complaints as "absolute nonsense, complete and utter rot".
ReplyDeleteMercer certainly didn’t seem to want to "come down hard" on abuse or give his support to the abused Commonwealth soldiers. Because he believes that’s the way it is in the Army, and he came across a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were idle and useless, and who used racism as cover for their misdemeanours.
When Rod Liddle asked Patrick Mercer if David Cameron is a man of principle, Mercer answered that question with a two fingers gesture and walked away.
Once again we see Patrick Mercer undermining David Cameron and the Tory Party while pandering to his need for fame and recognition within the Brown tent and if that is not forthcoming he will sleep soundly in the knowledge he has dealt a blow for sweet vengeance.
Cameron should deselect Patrick Mercer before this man can do any more damage: crass Dunblane comments, teach children to handle a gun, indifference towards racism and abuse, and now, disloyalty under the flag of patriotism, all of which did damage to the credibility of the Tory Party.
Now that Mercer is in the Brown tent the leader of the Tory Party should draw a line and forbid re-entry of the very troublesome likes of Patrick Mercer.