open Democracy News Analysis - David Davis is a star, Anthony Barnett - Comments

Toque on "David Davis is a star"

Toque — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:57:43 +0000

How so, Mike?

Mike Small on "David Davis is a star"

Mike Small — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:37:03 +0000

Toque - what an offensive comment, on so many levels.

Ivor Cornish on "David Davis is a star"

Ivor Cornish — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:09:42 +0000

In the past political parties chose their leader and their
candidates and Murdoch told them what to do. Now we have the
possibility of David Davis not just fighting the Suns rhetoric but the
Murdoch candidate........ Kelvin MacKenzie.

Will Murdoch have told the Labour Party not to field a candidate so that Mackenzie will have a better chance of success?

I await their excuses with interest.

Toque on "David Davis is a star"

Toque — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:46:51 +0000

It's a shame that Gorbals Mick let his personal politics pollute his office and prevent this historic speech being made before the House.

Speed the day when the English parliament is rid of the likes of him.

Anthony Barnett on "David Davis is a star"

Anthony Barnett — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:29:49 +0000

I agree Tom, that's why is right to try and break out of their confines. It is very interesting and important moment.

Tom Griffin on "David Davis is a star"

Tom Griffin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:09:09 +0000

I hope this comes off but between Labour, his internal Tory opponents and the Sun there will be a lot of people trying to isolate Davis.

George Pascoe-Watson was on Sky earlier today calling him a 'fundamentalist'.

Ivor Cornish on "David Davis is a star"

Ivor Cornish — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:39:52 +0000

Anthony I agree. If I lived closer to his constituence I would even consider helping him campaign.

Let us hope that this 'star' eclipses the rhetoric from the Sun.

Now we have to see if the Labour Party will dare to field a candidate.

David Davis is a star, Anthony Barnett

Anthony Barnett — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:08:42 +0000

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): For the first time in my life (well, the second) I am thinking of canvassing for a Tory. I'm writing a detailed and necessarily angry piece about why we lost the 42 Days vote when only 5 more Labour MPs would have swung it. There is a year long effort ahead if the Lords turn it down, to defeat the use of the Parliament Act to force through the benighted legislation. To make sure it is defeated over the next 12 months defenders of liberty have to confront the issue of 'popular opinion'. I put it in inverted commas because I'm convinced that the public think it is about holding actual terrorists for 42 days before charging them. Now David Davis is taking the issue to his constituents. The po-faced realists at the Spectator are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of Davis being demoted if he is re-elected as the cold-hearted Cameron refuses to pledge that he will whip the legislation off the statute books - should it ever get there. No doubt there is a real battle over this at the top of the Tory Party. Davis went out of his way to point out that Habeas Corpus is drawn from the Magna Carta while, as I noted earlier, Michael Gove the shadow for Education and Children, is now a self-designated Runnymead refusenik. The Spectator look forward to Labour refusing to put up a candidate and thus turning Davis's gesture into a dud. But not so fast. First of all, Davis's statement may become a YouTube classic - I have already been called by a 23 year old saying she had just seen it. The Speaker, by refusing to allow it to be made in the Commons has probably done him a huge service. Second, and much more important, Brown played the people card. The Sun and the voters are with him, was the Prime Minister's taunt. Oh yes? Then what happens if we take the issue to the people? Is Labour going to be too frit to take up the challenge?