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David Davis. Nearly a bold statement, but actually just pointless
by Michael Shilliday 
on 15 Jun 2008 at 12:00. Categories: News, United Kingdom, Law & Order, Politics It's quite hard to know what to think about David Davis forcing a by election in his own constituency. The Daily Telegraph on Friday suggested that this was at its core a shot across the bows of David Cameron, borne of frustration at his treatment at the hands of the leader. This got Conservative Home quite angry, as they believe that to be totally false.
This morning we hear that an ICM poll for the Mail on Sunday has Davis not only being returned with a larger majority than in 2005, but with large support for his actions amongst his constituents. This makes Tim Montgomerie very happy.
But for me, this is precisely why Davis' actions are a bit pointless. It is true that this has turned a government win in the commons into a story about a principled member of the opposition, it its true that it has caused a headache for the Prime Minister with his own MPs coming out in support of Davis, and it is true that Davis is almost certain of victory, but it is still quite pointless.
The 15 by elections in Northern Ireland in 1986 achieved the sum total of nothing. In fact, all it achieved was the defeat of Jim Nicholson and the further erosion of Enoch Powell's majority. In these by elections the result in most cases was certain, no one was surprised that Paisley, Beggs, Molyneaux et al were returned with massive majorities, of course they were. The electorate being asked to ratify the politician's position were the same electorate that backed them only three years previously at a General Election. And here we are with Davis Davis. If Gwyneth Dunwoody had passed away a few weeks later, and Davis had resigned to contest the Crewe by election, THAT would have been a bold step taking something new to the electorate. Crewe was a solid Labour seat. But Davis is not asking Labour supporters to punch the government in the nose over a specific policy, he is asking people who punched the government in the nose in 2005 and 2001 to do so again at a time of his, perhaps whimsical, choosing, over a specific policy that they were probably likely to agree with him on anyway.
And what's the point in that?
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3 comments
My personal take on it is that although the 42 days issue has provided the specific impetus for Davis' decision, their is a much broader, foundational debate about freedoms and liberties on which this campaign will be fought. The tactical political nuances of this don't excite me as much as the thought that this critical debate will become the focus of the media and national political life for the period of the campaign. I believe that these issues are so interwoven with the fabric of the UK in which we live that this can only be a good thing. I'm not sure about David Davis' personal motivations, but I stand by him on this issue, and welcome the publicity this by-election will give it and the fact that people in the UK must think such things through more thoroughly.
The electorate being asked to ratify the politician's position were the same electorate that backed them only three years previously at a General Election.
At a General Election voters don’t vote on specific issues like 42 Days, the ID card question or whether we get a Lisbon Referendum. What Davis can achieve, as already said, is the spotlight being turned on Labour and Brown’s attitude towards our personal freedoms and liberties.
Whether he gets voted in with a much increased majority or not is less important than the fact that those in favour of 42 Days will actually have to explain their reasoning to the wider public, instead of the usual practise of relying on backroom deals and bribes in order to push it through an increasingly remote and cut off legislature.
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