Gisela Stuart has always struck me as a quasi-conservative. It was she who turned against the European Constitution and did more to scupper it than probably anyone else. She has written a long article for the Institute of Economic Affairs, which the Daily Telegraph published today - Click HERE. I haven't seen the full length version but I challenge any Conservative to disagree with a word she says in the Telegraph version. Quite amazing. I was alerted to this by a readr who wonders if she is about to jump ship. I doubt it very much, but she'd definitely be quite a coup.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Conservative Thoughts of a Labour MP
Gisela Stuart has always struck me as a quasi-conservative. It was she who turned against the European Constitution and did more to scupper it than probably anyone else. She has written a long article for the Institute of Economic Affairs, which the Daily Telegraph published today - Click HERE. I haven't seen the full length version but I challenge any Conservative to disagree with a word she says in the Telegraph version. Quite amazing. I was alerted to this by a readr who wonders if she is about to jump ship. I doubt it very much, but she'd definitely be quite a coup.
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Gisela Stuart sits in Birmingham Edgbaston ward. I am reliably informed that Labour gave up on this seat in the May 2005 campaign to focus on Birmingham Northfield - and were shocked to win it. All of the 12 sitting councillors are Tories. In the May council elections here are how the votes distributed.
Conservative Party 12035 46.54%
The Labour Party 7465 28.86%
British National Party 2195 8.49%
The Green Party 2087 8.07%
Liberal Democrat 2080 8.04%
I'll let those who know her better speculate on her personal ideology but crossing sides is probably her best chance of keeping her seat beyond the next election.
I hope she switches, she even looks like a Tory!
I just can't remember the last switch in this direction - was it Reg Prentice approx 25 years ago?
Tremendous article. With views like that it really does make you wonder why she chose Labour. Amazing how many commentators of the left focus on the 1981 budget, which was a daring move at the time. John Sargeant(no fan of the right) is an admirer, and claimed in his recent book 'Maggie' that Blair himself think it was the turning point of her her Premiership.
One other point. There might be divisions in the Tories, but surely a party that seeks to keep Gisela Stuart and the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and other militant friends in line will suffer terrible division in Opposition. A Tory election victory could damage Labour very badly. We live in hope.
Please Join Us Gisela.
I know of Conservatives who are not nearly so pro-market.
It's refreshing to see a labour politician with a realistic perception of economics across Europe.
That said, this Government can't hide it's 'command economy' instincts - especially Gordon Brown. I read yesterday (in the Times?)that in parts of the north east, only 40% of economic activity was driven by outright free enterprise.
I'd like to see David Cameron capitalising on such nonsense and creating some clear water between today's conservatism and the Labout Government. The danger is that David Cameron is perceived as 'Blair II' and the next election will be fought on the (relatively) minor issues that currently divide the parties.
In the run up to the last election Gisela Stewart was interviewed on Radio 4. Commenting on the campaign she said it was easy to campaign for Labour as they had just opened the first hospital in Birmingham since the Victorian era.
She may have some conservative views but she is not bright enough to work out that only the NHS could appropriate existing assets and then not add to them for 60 years. “Britain’s second city waits 60 years for new hospital” is the right analysis. Doh!
Maybe she could bring Kate Hoey with her?
I have always thought Gisela spoke an uncommon amount of sense for a Labour MP. I also think she has a lovely voice but then I may be partial having lived in Germany.
Maybe she's the next labour leader.
While it would be great to see her defect, I can't see it happening.
Gisela Stuart is very pro-European. She was certainly a late converter to the idea that the constitution wasn't good for the UK. She had been an entusiastic supporter of the proposal all the way through the drafting stage and was a member of the praesidium (the executive body that did all the real work) of the Convention that drafted the constitution.
A more cynical commentator might suggest that her paper on the constitution was really written with the full knowledge and support of the prime minister who had already decided on a referendum and needed an out-rider to float the idea.
That Frank Field chappy seems to have merits too.
Gisela Stuart. It would be nice to have her as a Tory MP ! She would never simply defect however. She has too much class for that but she will take the seat in a by-election for the Conservatives.
But what is all this talk of defection?....we just be dreaming!
For the fun of it, we should make a list of Labour MPs who we would like to have on our side...they do have a few good people.
I thought her article was excellent as well, and like others I noticed the grim irony that her thoughtful discussion of the role of the market was juxtaposed (one page later) with the bile of the Heffer.
The cross-the-floor dream team:
- Gisela (thoughtful)
- Kate (just brilliant)
- Frank (the proof that ending means-testing isn't a horrid right-wing plot)
- John Hayes (in the opposite direction).
Talking of defection, I wonder whether Shaun Woodward has any regrets (I know the Conservatives don't!)- because if things stay they way they are, he will be a lowly opposition MP in a few years time when he would have been a cabinet minister. What goes around comes around. Revenge is a dish best eaten cold! LOL
Isn't she a member of, or signatory to - or whatever you call them - to the neo-caon Henry 'Scoop' Jackson society?
Polly Toynbee notes today (2 June) that Gisela's partner is Derek Scott.
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