Sky News is reporting that Quentin Davies, a senior Tory MP with about 20 years’ experience, has defected to the Labour party. They read out an extract from his letter to David Cameron, in which he accused the party, under Cameron’s leadership, of shifting from side to side, of lacking principle, and of doing anything just to get elected. He also claimed that, under David Cameron, a sense of mission has been replaced by a PR agenda. All very true, I agree, and I have said as much on this blog. But it makes me wonder why he has defected to Labour, who are just as guilty as the Conservative Party of the charges that he makes.
I will write a bit more when I have the full story.
UPDATE. As the story begins to take wings, is it too much to hope that Tory political operatives will refrain from rubbishing the character of the man? Better perhaps to say a few words about how sad it is that he has gone, and that the party will stick to its agenda, whatever that might be. Something tells me though, that I will be disappointed.
Better that David Cameron and his supporters reflect a bit on how they came to be in this position. If there are some lessons they can learn from this, then all is not lost.
UPDATE 2. Oh dear, I am disappointed. Just been over to Iain Dale’s blog, and the rubbishing has already begun. Iain is certainly not holding back with the insults. As a former Conservative party member, I can see how this defection would upset many. But calling the man names? Speaking of defections (this time, from the LibDems to the Tories), Iain Dale wrote this in the Telegraph in March this year:
The trend is clear, but it’s only when a serious figure swaps sides that the political commentariat will sit up and listen.
OK, so why not sit up and listen? Listen to the reasons Mr Davies gave for defecting, and consider whether he had a point. It’s a far more productive exercise than denouncing the man.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
There is one incident I can remember him for - an incident which was, in my opinion, sufficient grounds for deselection anyway. I would say the same of David McLean and Bob Spink. I understand if you do not agree, but do you get my point?
June 26th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Praguetory, you refer to him voting to claim the ‘communications allowance’. That was disgraceful of him, and he was rightly condemned for that. As to him being deselected for that, if the Conservative Party cared that much about such things, couldn’t David Cameron have ensured that there was a whip on this vote? I don’t know much about how these things work, but if there was a free vote, it would have been because MPs are at their happiest and most free when they are helping ourselves to our money.
I was very unhappy that he voted to take the allowance, and I am not happy that he chose to defect now. However, I can see why he did so. I left the party in disgust a few weeks ago after I found I could not stomach anymore. For a man like that, at such a senior level, the situation must have been unbearable. He had to sit there and watch Cameron throw fine conservative principles out the window, and replace them with fluff. No wonder he reckoned he had had enough.
I still don’t understand why he joined Labour though.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
That vote was whipped by the Tories and 150 voted against with just Quentin and Spink defying the whip.
I hope that Quentin has been offered the Northern Ireland post. It would make his defection more understandable.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Oh PT, I didn’t know about the vote being whipped. Thank you for shedding light on that.
He could well have been offered some job by Gordon Brown. In fact, the Tories would probably hope that he has, so that it can appear that that was the reason for the defection.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
The timing makes me think he must have been offered something. It needs to be this close to Gordon’s first appointments so that Gordon can’t renege. Time will tell.
June 26th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Following my comments (which are mainly conjecture) you may be interested in the informed analysis from Ben Brogan.
http://broganblog.dailymail.co.uk/
June 26th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
The man is a self-serving hypocrite.
If the quotes on Iain Dale and Guido’s website are true, he has spent quite a lot of time rubbishing Gordon Brown and deserves to be rubbished himself. What’s up with the volte face?
A true man of principle would have resigned from the party and become an independent MP.
That way he could still argue that he was representing the interest of the conservative constituents who put him in power. Not greedily running off to a labour party salivating for a cabinet post of some sort.
He will get what’s coming to him!
According to his letter, he knew 18 months ago that he was leaving the Conservative party over the EPP withdrawal promise 18 months ago.
What was he waiting for?
June 26th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
In my view defectors are normally of the shaun woodward affliction. Bereft of hope of power in their own party they turn traitor to get a shot at a junior ministerial post.
it is not very edifying and rarely successful. That he chose to defect now is hardly surprising as it is the time to do it.
I just hope some start coming the other way soon. i am quite confident they will arfter the short honeymoon.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:48 am
My views have hardened. I think he should resign from the party and Parliament.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:56 am
I saw him on Newsnight. I must say he didn’t come across very well, particularly when Paxman confronted him about his praise for Gordon Brown. He was shown a clip in which he denounced Gordon Brown, a few years ago. Paxman also read some comments he had made about Brown in the past, and he had no convincing response.
I still maintain he was right about David Cameron, but I wonder what made him come to the conclusion that Labour is any better. It is not. He loathes Cameron’s PR ways? Then why is he crossing to the most spin-addicted party of all time? That is what I don’t get.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I actually agree with many of his reasons for defecting.
I am just puzzled at his choice of party.
Yes, he should resign from parliament, morally, but there is no imperative for him to do so on constitutional grounds.
Oddly, whilst I could vote for Howard’s Tories, Cameron is driving me more towards the Lib Dems. If they did a U turn on Europe, They’d have my vote for sure.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Bel, it’s the old story of the Emperor’s new clothes. Easier it seems for conservatives to slag of the guy stating the blindingly obvious rather than do anything about it.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Any guesses on what Labour safe seat Davies will be parachuted into?
June 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I think it will soon be a case of Quentin who?
I’m still waiting to hear who else will jump ship.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
being but a humble layman i dont know of this man, the one thing i did notice was a statement that he would be standing ina different constictuancy next time, me thinks he may be given a easy seat, and that possibly he doubted he could retain his current. but i speculate….
June 29th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Good point, Dolbyn. But Labour folk are bound to be suspicious of him, and would resent him walking straight into a safe seat when there are plenty of dedicated Labour party members who are more deserving of that seat.
Tony Blair’s Sedgefield seat is now vacant. Why doesn’t he stand down as an MP for his current seat and apply for Blair’s old seat?