Albion’s Alchemist

Well here’s a turn-up – your author has before commented on the lack of international news to be had from the mainstream media, so you will appreciate his feelings when he caught a report about the current German leadership contest on the BBC’s ten o’clock news broadcast. Good for the Beeb. Alas it was unsubtly biased and indicated the corporations doubts concerning Angela Merkel’s ability, and right, to govern, but as I said to m’good friend Poosh I am a grown up boy and expect nothing better from the BBC. Alas.

Id the Alchemist knows his German correspondent then she will even now be writing a joyful missive to him – the which shall be the basis of a post in the very near future.

However, this is by the by. Today we are going to talk about the Conservative party. I cannot wait.

They say (the Telegraph but other sources too) that David Cameron (Alchemy Passim) has overtaken Kenneth Clarke and is the second favorite to lead the Tories into the next election. As I have said before, I believe Dr. Fox to be the best man for the job, but will reluctantly be supporting David Davis as the lesser of the two evils (t’other evil being Mr. Cameron). It is of course well known that we Tories are a capricious bunch where our leaders are concerned, but I think the question of why this Cameron chap is rising so fast in the race is one which could bare a little examination.

You will recall that I have said all along that what we really need is a leader with charisma. Well, Cameron has that in spades no-doubt, added to that he is young and he has not split the party with his opinions, like Mr. Clarke and Dr. Fox had. All to the good you may say. Cameron is significantly more popular among activists when compared to Foxy and has a real backing amongst the rank and file of the party too.

The fact of the matter is that Cameron has founded a ‘cult of personality’ I use Dr. Fox’s own words on Cameron. This is his greatest strength (charisma!) and also his greatest weakness.

Y’see, the Great British public have already a Prime Minister who’s sole weapon is his personality. Given the choice between Tony ‘all mouth and no trousers’ Blair and David ‘all mouth and no trousers’ Cameron, the electorate will choose the devil they know and we shall have lost another election.

Certainly we need a leader with charisma, but that will not be enough, our leader must have something more. He must not merely equal Blair, but beat him, on more than one element. Writing in the Telegraph Cameron claimed that this was the case, he said that he had more than mere charisma, but if that is so, we have yet to see it.

So far 70 mp’s have declared for Davis, 33 for Cameron and a mere 21 for our Foxy, this is why the Alchemist supports Davis even though he prefers Dr. Fox.

Incidentaly, whilst we are talking about the Conservatives, have’ee ever noticed that the Conservative homepage has buttons for Scottish Conservatives and Welsh Conservatives, but not a murmer about English Conservatives…