The winner is the loser
Unless Davis is right in his claims of 'tactical voting', it appears likely to me that having failed to even get his public supporters to vote for him, his support will now collapse, and we're going to get Fox v Cameron. Cameron will have the momentum, but Fox will have the head-banging credentials.Incidentally why does the Tory party not just have one round, with the top two going through? I read the system was designed to stop Ken Clarke in his heyday, I don't really see why having more rounds would do that.
ps Incidentally as we here how good a leader this man or that man will be, it is worth remember the Telegraph's words on the election of IDS, which sound eerily similar to the things Tories are saying today:
Closely in touch with his colleagues in the House of Commons ...Although it helped Mr Duncan Smith to have the backing of Lady Thatcher during his campaign, he will find that he is the first of her successors not to have to define his leadership by being either for or against her...Substance and seriousness will be more in demand, and Iain Duncan Smith has both
It's also worth remembering what happened in 2001. Here were the results on the first ballot:
Michael Portillo: 49
Iain Duncan Smith: 39
Kenneth Clarke: 36
Michael Ancram: 21
David Davis: 21
The important point here being that Portillo won, but nowhere near as much as was expected, and IDS did much better. The tie between Ancram and Davis rather comically was not forseen in the rules, and a recount was held, which remarkably saw both Ancram and Davis go because they both scored so pitifully. In the second ballet Portillo managed to come last (Clarke won), widely believed to be because some of his supporters backed Clarke to ensure he made the run-off (which then Portillo would easily win).
posted by Matthew @ 10/18/2005 07:05:00 PM
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