Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Is a Mini Tory Reshuffle Going On?

Tory MP James Duddridge had his paternity leave rudely shattered today when he received a phone call inviting him to join the Whip's Office. Is this a one off addition to the front bench team, or does it signal other changes to come later today? I would make some calls, but that's not possible at the moment...

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe they are finding a back door to throw Derek out of?

Anonymous said...

Might be something to do with Alistair Burt's change of job.

Anonymous said...

Conway's had the whip withdrawn.

A bit late in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Could it be linked too the fact that Derek Conway - rightly - has had the whip withdrawn?

Anonymous said...

Conway has had whip withdrawn.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the Tories have realised the futility of it all and are packing up and moving to Kygyrstan?

Anonymous said...

I don't hold much hopes for a sensible 'Shadow Cabinet' reshuffle. DC has bodged the past ones! Is Derek Conway going to the Treasury perchance?!

Patrick said...

The only reshuffle taxpayers will care about today is the one which sees Conway drummed out of the party. He's given an amount of money more than all the tax I pay in one year to his son. Thief. benefit fraudster. Deselect the charlatan and demand he repays every penny. I want my tax back.

Cameron must go nuclear on this and any similar sleaze from any Tory politician. It would cause grief and pain and create enemies within - but it would open the door to number 10.

Newmania said...

I think it would be a good idea Iain , there are whispers that Cameron’s impetus is stalling with a couple of so so polls , Conway is not really important but the sooner he is gone the better Helen Grant was a woeful failure and this Waterson fellow is not exactly positive news. Its all trivia but a fresh look would be nicely timed.

I think myself the Conservatives are doing pretty well , Clegg is proving a poor leader and his bounce is very dead cat like , he will fade and then we are back were we were looking forward to Government. I was interested to read that Braon has been making overtures ot Frank Field which have been rebuffed . It looks to me as if the Blairites are not forgiving him .

Why can`t you make any calls then ? Slacker .

Hopi Sen said...

It looks like the Conservative party might be needing a new Work and pensions spokesman. Could these things be related?

(I'm not trying to score points on this. I can't imagine anything less likely to divide on partisan lines than domestic violence.)

strapworld said...

As Cameron has, belatedly, shown some leadership (with a small L)! and listening to some of the older conservative MP's who think (like you Iain) that Conway is a good egg and that should be the end of it, Perhaps Dave is expecting trouble!

My view, for what it is worth is those conservative MP's who just cannot see the damage done to the party and politics by Conway should get out. They have been there far too long.

Perhaps a mass cull is on the way. Wouldn't that be fun getting rid of all those old codgers!

Anonymous said...

media management to disguise Cameron's non action over Conway?

Chris Paul said...

Could you please explain Iain why my comment has not been allowed? It had two links in it to relevant stories. Is that a problem now?

Iain Dale said...

Chris Paul, Because I judged it to be potentially libellous.

Anonymous said...

I do like the way Chris Paul's post links to the Little Book of Labour sleaze.....

Newmania said...

I really cannot see how David Cameron has acted other than entirely correctly ? I am curious to see who Chris Paul is libelling though I am unable to find it on his own blog
I `d have though the big story was the Labour Party denying Parliament the time to scrutinise the Lisbon Treaty ...or is that just me ...ok back to the thief the crook his life and its over then.

Anonymous said...

If Derek Conway has any shred of decency he should step down from being an MP. The fact that you have gone out of your way to support him also renders you - in my opinion - unfit to be an MP.

Chris Paul said...

Thanks for responding Iain. Though I'm not sure what you mean "potentially libellous" in this case. And sadly I didn't keep a copy this time. I had a link I think to a story about the alleged child beater. And one to the alleged donations hider George Osborne as I recall.

Not as if I tried to call Conway an embezzler here in your blog comments is it? By the way I do think Liam is right to suggest you do write something about the Conway matter.

Ah, it's coming back. Didn't I mention that you worked with Conway on the DD campaign? And ask if you were sure now that all that was above board. I don't think that is potentially libellous. It's just a question.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Cameron is going to extend his A list thinking to the Shadow Cabinet and attempt to make that genuinely representative of the people of Britain. Doh ... but then of course he would have to rule himself and the rest of his Bullingdon mates out wouldn't he.

Anonymous said...

"pour encourager les autres..."