ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

A government can only unite a country if it has the policies to unite a country. Gordon Brown's gimmick of appointing Messrs Bercow and Mercer will fool no-one. This is cosmetic surgery for an ugly unproductive government. Come into my parlour said the spider to the flies.

Unsure whether to criticise Mercer and Bercow or not. Brown has obviously appealed to their vanity but both may be motivitated simply by desire to serve their country.
Nevetheless if as I suspect Brown seeks to make any political capital out of this I would hope both would quit toot sweet.
I still haven't forgiven Chris Patten or Ken Clarke with the charade they were involved with over the Euro.

John Bercow, despite his past seedy background in FCS, has shown some concern for people-centred matters in recent years so his recruitment by the Prime Minister comes as no surprise.

I'm surprised about Mercer who seems to have an unattractive and rather nasty side to him. However his military knowhow could be useful.

This is likely to be a halfway house for Bercow before he becomes a Labour MP in due course.

They should be told that they will not be conservative candidates at the next election unless they decline the offer to serve. No ifs or buts. Nomination rules means that ultimately CCHQ can decide who is or is not an official Conservative at the GE. Mercer should know better that you do not consort with the enemy and Burcow is just too awful and useless to think about and would not be missed by his local party at all

If this is true then as both are in 'safe' Conservative seats, both in my view should be deselected and new candidates appointed without any further delay.

All of this will be forgotten when those leading Lib Dems and Labour types we heard so much about a few months back finally get round to defecting over to us.

They are coming over, aren't they? It wasn't all just bungled spin?

It does make you wonder at Conservative MP's, whose application to the task of opposition has been less than overwhelming, and as these two have done manage to sabotage the interests of centre right politics.

I hope their local Conservative associations will deselect them.

"How can this man look at himself in the mirror every day?"

Perhaps because he is not actually tall enough to see himself in the mirror?

The two Tories "advising" the government will not cost the Tories any votes at all. I don't believe voters are influenced by defections, let alone "agreements to advise". We advise the government all the time on committees, in less publicised commons debates. Patrick Mercer is a soldier, not a politician, and is probably, so far as he is concerned, getting on with helping the country be run properly. I see no reason not to inviegle more Tory expertise into security policy - and even if it does get publicity, we can spin it as Tories coming to prop up Labour, and Cameron being fluffy and consensual, which he seems to like.

It is completely unacceptable to give this kind of assistance to our political enemies. It should under no circumstances be tolerated by the constituency associations concerned. The Leader of our Party can decide when and if he wishes to co-operate with other parties. Backbenchers must follow his lead. This is disgraceful, egotistical behaviour from Bercow and Mercer. They are deluded if they think that Brown wants them there for anything other than the political capital he can gain from capturing them. Immediate deselection is the only response.

Buckingham Conservative Association should call in Mr Bercow for urgent answers....

As it turns out, Mr Editor, you weren't so very wrong about Mr Bercow going to help Labour at a time of maximum advantage to Gordon Brown!

So let's get this straight: soldier-patriot advises the state on how best to keep the country safe, and there are people here who call themselves Tories who are mewling about this? Oh, and our press team really is so p*sspoor that they can't spin this as 'hopeless government *has* to turn to a Tory to help discharge their basic, primary role'?

The unworthy smear on Patrick Mercer above - that he's doing this perhaps because of "[his] continuing disappointment at Mr Cameron's treatment of him", rather than because of patriotism pure and simple - is especially ignoble from anyone who believes we are in the middle of a 'war' at the moment. Tinny, inadequate party factionalism really does have it limits. Fact God men like Mercer know where they are.

"So let's get this straight: soldier-patriot advises the state on how best to keep the country safe, and there are people here who call themselves Tories who are mewling about this?"

If a patriot he would have nothing to do with a Government which took us to war on a lie, for there can be no greater act of treachery than that! But if Mr Mercer wanted to be of service to the country, he shouldn't start by trying to do it by damaging the ability of the opposition to hold the Executive to account.

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

btw... what makes people so easily lead into switching sides or so-forth. I would never in a million years dream of working with the Labour party. Now I know we have our differences on this side of the fence, but thats a Captain James T Kirk light century away from thinking like a socialist, or even NuLab Socialist-Lite. Why do MP's do it, are they just power humgry opportunists with a few white lies to tell? Beyond me.

What about the whip? I bet McLoughlin will be making a few calls.

After 10 years of a Labour government and a critical time in the election cycle, these two want to help Brown stay in power?
Sorry, Mercer has shown ill judgement yet again and as for Bercow, words fail me!!!!

Yes the sheer unpleasantness of the venom expressed here is very interesting to behold.

I have very little time for Mercer and I have actually had contact with Bercow years ago whom I personally found rather distasteful. However they are entitled to make up their minds for themselves.

The Nasty Party indeed.

Some Labour MP's about their new colleague:

LABOUR ARMED FORCES MINISTER ADAM INGRAM

Racist abuse can have no place in any walk of life, and it is appalling and inappropriate for any politician, never mind a senior Tory MP like Patrick Mercer, to suggest that 'this is just the way it is in the Army'.

Our troops and our officers are 21st century people who recognise that there is no place for prejudice in the modern world... Patrick Mercer may have a military background but he no longer speaks for the Armed Forces.

It is an insult to the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces with great distinction, and it does not represent a true picture of today's Army which goes to great lengths to ensure that all those who serve, irrespective of their race or ethnic origin are given the opportunity to fulfil their potential

COMMONS LEADER JACK STRAW

The comments are breathtaking and dreadful and Mr Mercer's resignation is appropriate

COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY

We are relieved that the leader of the opposition has sacked Patrick Mercer.

This sends a clear signal that racist attitudes and comments are not acceptable. Grown up modern politics has no place for bigots.

It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure regressive comments such as these do not undermine the achievements that have been made in race equality over the last 30 years

Sadiq Khan, a Labour MP, said: "Patrick Mercer's comments are deeply shocking and so is the initial response of Cameron's HQ.

"Rather than dismissing it as a 'personal matter' David Cameron's Tory Party should have sacked him immediately. This shows that the Conservative Party has not changed."

The Labour MP Shahid Malik said they showed the Tories remained the "nasty party" and had not changed under Mr Cameron's leadership. "It doesn't matter what they tell you, they still are the nasty, racist, sexist, homophobic party they have been for many, many, many years," he said. "It is going to take a long time to weed out the inherent racism that actually exists in that particular party."

Alan Johnston

What is more, however genuine Cameron’s newfound centrism, ‘his party isn’t with him’. Johnson suggests that ‘Patrick Mercer [the Tory frontbencher recently dismissed for allegedly racist comments] better reflects the Tory backbenches, and he’s probably on the liberal side.’

Keith Vaz

Keith Vaz MP, Chair of Labour's Ethnic Minority Taskforce, commenting on the actions of Cllr Brian Gordon who 'blacked-up' as Nelson Mandela, said:

"This sort of behaviour is shocking and completely unacceptable.

"It is deeply depressing not only that Cllr Brian Gordon blackened his face in an attempt to dress up as Nelson Mandela, but also because the leader of Barnet Council, Mike Freer - a Tory parliamentary candidate - could not understand that people might find Cllr Gordon's behaviour offensive.

"Today we find out that yet again, Tory Central Office has distanced itself from racism in the party by refusing to comment. It's less than a month since they behaved the same way over the Patrick Mercer affair. Only when the pressure mounted did they act.

"The actions of Cllr Gordon and Mr Mercer reveal the true nature of the Tory party. It will take much more than warm words and PR from David Cameron to bring about real change in his party."

The fact is that Patrick Mercer was merely pointing out how he found things in the Army, that abuse was commonplace and that everybody who got things wrong got abused. He also said that he took action in cases where there were unprovoked instances of racial abuse and that he didn't pay attention to people's ethnic backgrounds when deciding who to have in a particular position, he was critical of a system that encouraged people to use status of being from a particular minority ethnic group to seek privileges, it may be that he could have done things better (who couldn't?, no one's perfect!) and while it is neccessary to have punishments for failure and rewards for success certainly use of abuse unrelated to the failures isn't the way to do it, but David Cameron's response was a kneejerk one reminiscent of that of Michael Howard's sacking of Howard Flight, Trevor Phillips and Gordon Brown on the other hand have both recognised valuable insights that Patrick Mercer has into such issues and his experience with regard to National Security and Defence and managing a group of men from different backgrounds.

We have little option but to grin and bear this. In view of the exceptional circs, the constituency parties should ask them for public undertakings that they would resign their seats if they now defect to Labour following re-election next time as Conservatives, in return for keeping them on as candidates. They could argue that there is otherwise a danger of mass desertion of their core vote to an independent Conservative candidate who electors know would never join the Labour Party.

Also how about approaching Kate Hoey and Frank Field to advise us? Kate could advise on either countryside policy or, if she could be induced, on achieving a referendum on the EU treaty; Frank Field perhaps on some aspect of welfare reform. The delicious aspect of this is that the Labour Party could not object without looking hypocritical. And then if Bercow or Mercer defect, we will have our counter-defectors fully in place. A bit like Moscow knowing that they will get diplomats expelled in London if they expell ours in Moscow.

Why is everyone treating this as a defection or potential defection in the future on this thread? Can you not please grow up, think outside the box, adapt to a new and more mature way of doing politics, and believe that what matters more than power for power's sake is the opportunity to influence policy. Of course I want a Conservative government and I want to see David Cameron win the next election - but in the meantime, why not take the opportunity, when offered it, on specific policy areas where there can be cross-party agreement, to actually make a difference for our country instead of getting into a tizz about the next coffee morning or the next parish council meeting?

Didn't Cameron say in his first dispatch box speech that he wanted to 'help' the government?

If he OK'd this move he's certainly helping Brown in more ways than one.

Surprised by Mercer, although these military men sometimes do tend to be a bit naive and unworldly about politics. As for Bercow, his defection is long overdue.

How much longer will the Tories of Buckingham put us with this insufferable and untrustworthy egotist?

How much longer will the readers and editors of conservativehome.com put up with Traditional Tory, an insufferable narrow-minded unimaginative uncreative cowardly power-hungry nut?

Surprised by Mercer, although these military men sometimes do tend to be a bit naive and unworldly about politics.
People are talking as if this is the first time members of an opposition party have acted as advisors to the government, in fact David Cameron's policy groups had submissions from people from other parties, David Mellor and Michael Hestletine both accepted tasks from Tony Blair in 1997, Alex Carlile is acting as an advisor of Legal aspects of National Security matters to the Department of Justice and there are no signs that he's about to defect, in the US when one party has both the Presidency and Senate they usually still have people from the opposing party in their cabinet even; Beveridge was a Liberal MP, I don't see that it is any different from taking part in a Select Committee and in a situation of opposition participating in decision making in such bodies is one way of actually being able to do something useful and possibly effect changes - the General Public are going to be impressed where opposition parties and backbenchers of parties in government do what they can with what is available for them to get things done, and are not likely to be impressed by MPs simply refusing to give any input, it doesn't mean they have to abandon their principles - they can give their opinion and experience and if this is rejected then they can at least feel they tried, Tony Blair met with Michael Howard for example to discuss Criminal Justice legislation and they were able to come to an agreement, thus from Tony Blair's point of view in those circumstances he could show that he already had some experience of decision taking at a governmental level and was doing something of direct use to the country.

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

Posted by: TomTom | September 03, 2007 at 11:08

I stated that Bercow had learning difficulties and it was deleted which makes the comment that was not deleted all the more remarkable, viz

Bercow is a rat in human form.

Posted by: Tory G | September 03, 2007 at 11:29

Clearly my comment was the more insightful, therefore deleted

"or if the Tory Party leadership had rejected them?"

Simple, if asked, and it now seems Brown didn't, they should say that with an election in the immediate offing, it wasn't in order for Conservative MP's to help Labour form their policies. Of course if Brown would care to give an undertaking there wouldn't be an election for the next two years, the Conservative party would take another look at it, putting the ball right back in Brown’s court.

Ben Rogers - How much longer will the readers and editors of conservativehome.com put up with Traditional Tory, an insufferable narrow-minded unimaginative uncreative cowardly power-hungry nut?

I may be most of those things, but 'power-hungry'???

Who does he think I am? A member of the Shadow Cabinet?

I agree with those above who contend that this sort of collaboration with our opponents is incompatible with their positions as Conservative MPs. They should be called in by the Chief Whip and told so. In politics it is impossible to have two masters and serve both faithfully.

Very disappointing that Patrick Mercer should make such an egregious misjudgement, particularly following recent TV interviews where he gave very informed commentary about the Army's redeployment from Basra and the problems faced by the PBI.

Regarding Bercow - well, entirely to be expected as this ghastly little careerist creep continues to develop the courage of his wife's political convictions prior to crossing the floor. It's a pity that the Chairman of his constituency doesn't show a bit of spine and read him the riot act: I suppose he realises that if he required Bercow to explain himself, that would trigger Bercow's defection and the Chairman would get no support from CCHQ.

I do not blame Mercer at all. He was shoddily treated by cameron. Labelled, falsely, a racist! and the queue of Black Soldiers who served with Mercer to say theat he was not a racist did nothing to stop the dismissal.

He should have been brought into a front line position by cameron much earlier.

As for Caroline Spillbeans saying they welcome Gordon Brown's statement then why not go the whole hog and call for a National Unity Government!!!!

Come orf it. Brown is running rings around you. Get your act in order. Call for a total ban on immigration, call for an immediate referendum on the EU and death penalty and national service. Say things the people want to hear!

Stop, for gawds sake, being softy touchy and become nasty again.

It doesn't matter how nice or caring the other is, whether you believe and laud their policies, the duty of an opposition and it's members, i.e. MP's, is to oppose. Bercow and Mercer have committed political treason.
CCHQ stands condemned as idiots for permitting this, NuLab will crow and make hay and call it a defection.

Nasty petulant temper tantrum there Ben, halo slipped?

Narrow minded twits indeed, we were here winning mate when you parachuted in from Sanctimonious Central to read your sermon

I am confused.

Ali Miraj gets gets culled from the Candidates' List for making very valid criticisms of the leader and offering candid advice, having served on two Conservative policy reviews, and Bercow and Mercer work with a government we are trying to defeat and get applauded by the leadership for doing so.

What is going on?

This is amateur night at the London Palladium

So, floating voter then Alistair?

No treacle. I am a proud supporter of our Government and the Labour Party.

They're battling for Britain unlike the Tory shambles.

My only shame is that I was once a member of the Conservative Party but it gave be a chance to see the poison in action.

I've learned from my mistakes. Have you?

Ali Miraj is a self-important and conceited loser who thought that his race entitled him to a Peerage. Dave was right to take him off the Candidates List.

From Bercow's website (http://www.johnbercowmp.com/):

Welcome To My Web Site
My new web site will be available shortly, but in the meantime my contact information is:

John Bercow MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Telephone: 020 7219 3000

Does this mean anything?

It would be genuinely nice to think there could be cross-party cooperation on certain issues not least that of security - BUT I think it is a dangerous game that Messrs Bercow and Mercer are playing! It is not a Coalition Government they are playing an advisory role in - but a Labour one with its own agenda which includes using them for its own ends! I think they have been rather foolish and naive.

Does this mean anything?
I think it means website under construction!

when they would never have been asked unless they'd indicated during some kind of courtship that they would accept.
Paddy Ashdown refused the role of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, it was announced and refusing such offers may actually backfire on Menzies Campbell in that people will feel that the Liberal Democrats are an irrelevance, whereas having prominent members who have been in the cabinet would bring a certain amount of gravitas even if their actual involvement in government policy was limited to the particular briefs they held.

His report was produced at the request (in 1941) of the Churchill Coalition Government of 1940-45 of which the Liberals were members and his report was published in 1942.
The Liberal Party was by then very small, they were junior members in the government with only a single cabinet minister and the Conservative Party held a majority of seats, in addition the report was for what would happen after the war not during it, and all 3 main parties agreed to implement the bulk of it's proposals if they won the following General Election.

Dimitri from Space - your name is quite good. You truly are from another planet!! Have you gone totally bonkers? Deselect John Bercow and replace him with Ali Miraj???? Miraj the man who threw a tantrum when his demand for a peerage was rejected, compared with John Bercow, the man who has championed international development, international human rights, children with learning disabilities and a number of other very worthwhile causes?? Which planet are you from? John has not defected, and as I have argued earlier in this thread, it is a mature form of politics to accept an invitation to advise the government on a specific area of policy. He hasn't even taken a ministerial position. He's behaved with much greater integrity and maturity than Miraj - who will fade into the political ether like a mirage.

Ben Rogers, do you think that Gordon Brown has the best interests of the Conservative Party at heart, when extending this invitation to John Bercow and Patrick Mercer?

It's funny Ben. Whenever I go to Conservative meetings either in my constituency or at more general events the people I meet are overwhelmingly decent, loyal,sometimes a little old fashioned but definitely people who I am honoured to be friendly with.Some are concerned with various elements of policy but their complaints are usually expressed mildly.
Either some of the headbangers here are not really supporters of the Conservative party at all, or they don't attend the same meetings I do or communicating on the web can sometimes bring out the worst in all of us. I suspect it's a combination of all three.

Ben Rogers

You have swallowed the Party line like a moron.

Why do you think Miraj rejected a peerage in 2005 if it meant so much to him?

Malcolm, I agree with you totally.

Treacle, have you ever thought how unbelievably offensive some of your and other people's posts are here. My responses may be offensive to some people, and I regret that perhaps I have descended to some of the same behaviour as others only in reverse. I regret that I did not simply take a deep breath and say "I really don't have time for such petty nonsense and such silly little people". Sadly I got drawn in and I failed to rise above it all. That I regret, and I have no hesitation in saying so. But the substance of what I have said, I stand by entirely.

I was astonished when I read about Bercow and Mercer advising the Labour government. I agree with those who say that it could be used as a ploy against us. It seems to be designed to paint Brown as a leader of "all the talents" a sort of unofficial unity government.

We are the opposition and should only give advice as a party, and not allow individuals to consort with the enemy. These "advisor" jobs are only window-dressing and we all know that Brown will not be likely to take any advice anyway!

I think the post above says more about you Traditional Tory than anyone else ever could.

It is both funny and sad that people get so worked up in their little party fanatical ways and ignore the actual facts of the case.

The facts as far as Pat Mercer is concerned are:

1. He was not invited to do anything by Brown. He and Sir Alan West who know each other well have spoken for years together about security issues. This should surprise no one since Mercer was the Shadow spokesman on this and Sir Alan is now the givernment's advisor on the issue. They know each other from serving together and both have in depth and critical knowledge of the matters at hand - Mercer in part as a result of having done 9 tours in Northern Ireland and been targetted for assassination twice.

2. It was Pat Mercer and Sir Alan who came up with the idea of working together on this issue as something which rises above party politics.

3. Pat Mercer then approached the Tory party whips BEFORE this question went to Brown. They gave their clear and absolute blessing. This was SIX weeks ago.

Since the whips agreed - presumably meaning that the leadership also agreed - I hardly see how anyone here can start wittering about betrayal and asking for the removal of the MP.

As Mercer rightly said on PM this evening, there are some issues which are head and shoulders above party and personal gain. Since at every meeting I have had with him over the last 3 or 4 years Pat Mercer has continually stated his concern about the state of security in Britain and his absolute conviction that there will be another deadly attack sooner rather than later I see absolutely nothing in his actions here which is either self serving nor counter to the good of either the party or - far more importantly - the country as a whole.

I think the post above says more about you Traditional Tory than anyone else ever could.

No Malcolm, it says very little about me because I was never more than the flâneur who observed such matters.

Perhaps, if anything, it conveys the truth that I never loved the party enough to bury my head in the sand as you choose to.

To be blunt, I never loved the party at all. My loyalty was always a personal loyalty to Margaret Thatcher, and with the partial exception of Hague nobody has yet even begun to take her place.