Conservative Idol
‘ITS another day of Conservative Idol, the beauty contest to find the next leader of the Tory party. And today the papers look at David Davis.
Like a contestant on TVs Pop Idol, Davis looked a dead cert for victory until he opened his mouth. Hes got the hair. Hes got the Right-wing viewpoint. But hes got as much charisma as, well, Iain Duncan Smiths cough.
When push came to show, and pre-show favourite Davis was asked to perform on the stage at Blackpool, the result was, as the Telegraph says in its headline, lacklustre.
MPs tell the paper that they were under-whelmed by his speech, which was at best adequate. One Tory delegate invokes the spirit of another reality talent show and says Davis lacks the X factor.
Davis is in danger of losing out to his competitors. David Cameron has more style. Ken Clarke has more vigour. Even Right-winger Liam Fox, who yesterday delivered his vision of a rosy future under his command, deftly used his speech to move closer to the Tory centre and so broaden his appeal. Malcolm Rifkind remains the rank outsider, but is a solid and reliable performer.
Daviss star is on the wane. As the Telegraphs Andrew Gimson says in his sketch, Daviss call for the Tories to walk tall again, would be better phrased as walk tall, but speak short.
It was not so much a leadership speech, writes Ann Treneman in the Times, as a speech that led nowhere. She says Daviss furtiveness on stage make him look like some sort of institutionalised bear.
Davis is a Tory big beast waking up this morning with a very sore head…’
Posted: 6th, October 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink