Odd Tory Defectors
Something strange is afoot.
In the last fortnight two senior Conservative behind-the-scenes figures have effectively defected.
First Sir Paul Judge, a former chief executive of the Conservative Party under John Major, announced he was setting up an organisation called to help independent candidates run for Parliament.
Yet only last summer I was among dozens of journalists invited to a reception at Sir Paul's lavish flat overlooking the Thames as a get-to-know-you exercise for the Shadow Cabinet member Chris Grayling. And Judge was giving money to Conservative Party as late as last October.
And today Jonathan Isaby on the has reported that Lynton Crosby, the Australian election wizard who helped Boris Johnson get elected as London mayor last year, and ran the Conservative campaign for Michael Howard in 2005, is now . That's the who ran the successful No campaign in last year's Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
I can't imagine that either The Jury Team or Libertas will be a roaring political success, but the moves by Judge and Crosby can't be welcome at Conservative HQ. Both men will be helping candidates run against official Conservative nominees.
Surely, with the Conservatives riding high in the polls and set to form the next government, David Cameron should be attracting big defectors, not losing them?
I regard both men as being on the right of the Conservative Party. Do their moves reflect some underlying philosophical disquiet?
Or are the two developments just coincidence?
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 20th Mar 2009, stanilic wrote:I would suggest a coincidence.
However that is not to say that there is something definitely Cecil King-like in the air.
You don't need much imagination to see that something is badly wrong with the body politic. There is a complete absence of ideas at the top and no reliable and practical way to prevent things from becoming much worse.
We haven't hit a febrile intellectual atmosphere in which all is to be challenged but we will before long.
I think these guys are getting their thoughts in first for better or worse. So long as they stay out of uniform and keep on shaving all should be OK.
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Comment number 2.
At 20th Mar 2009, JunkkMale wrote:'...two senior Conservative behind-the-scenes figures have effectively defected.'
OMG. Hold the front page! Meanwhile, in other news...
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Comment number 3.
At 22nd Mar 2009, JunkkMale wrote:... anything happening with slightly higher profile members other parties, doing stuff (like protesting too much) ineffectively, that we may be interested in?
I appreciate that the latest news of our ruling elite's moral/ethical/legal confusions has only just broken (by which investigative, public-serving media, I wonder?), so I merely express the hope that it is given the truly balanced attentions we have come to expect of our national broadcaster and its (well, ours too, I guess) employees.
Or after a flurry, maybe it is time to bunker down again.
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Comment number 4.
At 27th Mar 2009, newsjock wrote:You cannot run an effective show without an experienced stage crew.
Although these departures may seem rather significant to some, it draws our attention to the "Blue Background Boys". If more defect, then Michael has flagged up the start of the rot.
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Comment number 5.
At 31st Mar 2009, Rustigjongens wrote:Is a left wing journalist allowed to be a political correspondent for the state broadcaster?.
Could not this same left wing journalist have reported on some more pressing political issues?.
Mr Crick you are a perfect example of why so many people have given up on the 91Èȱ¬'s political reporting.
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Comment number 6.
At 3rd Apr 2009, yaknow wrote:newsjock wrote:
You cannot run an effective show without an experienced stage crew.
Although these departures may seem rather significant to some, it draws our attention to the "Blue Background Boys". If more defect, then Michael has flagged up the start of the rot.
Talk about clutching at straws! I must admit, though, it seems it would take an earthquake for New Labour party hacks to desert their sinking ship. Mind you some of them are doing very nicely, thank you.
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